Many students find applying to college to be an intimidating subject, but it doesn’t have to be. Actually applying- the act of filling out the applications- can be a relatively easy thing, provided that you’ve done the required steps beforehand. Students should first identify what colleges that they want to apply to, and how many. A good number to apply to is about six, although students in recent years are applying to more, so it’s not unusual to apply to eight to twelve schools for some students. Other issues that students should consider before completing college applications are the majors that the school offers, it’s size, and financial costs (which usually means talking with their parents). Once these key factors are considered and a list of colleges made, students can now get down to the business of completing applications.

In general, there are two types of applications:

College-Specific Applications

College-specific applications are exactly what they sound like: They are applications that are designed by a specific college to be used by students who wish to apply for entry there. Since each college designs their own application, these can vary in length and information that they ask for. You’ll have to visit the website for the school that you’re interested in to find their specific application. Many schools will give students the option to apply with a paper application or an electronic application, while some schools have converted completely to electronic applications. In recent years I’ve noticed a couple of trends in many school-specific applications. First, they’ve become shorter. Colleges seem to be streamlining the application process to make it easier for students, and there is one student that I’m currently working with that actually got an email from a school with the application already started for her. A second way that some colleges are making it easier for students to apply is that many have removed the essay portion of the application. There are a few schools that I’ve worked with for years that had an essay section, and when I looked this year, it was gone. Not having to write the dreaded “college essay” that many students have always feared may be a surprise to some. College-specific applications are very common, especially for state schools across the U.S.

The Common Application

A second type of application is something called the “Common Application.” Like it’s counterpart, it’s just like it sounds: An application that is common to many schools in the sense that that they all accept it. While some of these colleges may have their own specific application, they will also accept the common application. The colleges that accept this application are listed as “Member Colleges” at the Common Application website, and include some small non-profit colleges as well as well known schools like Rice, Amherst, Harvard, Princeton, and Yale. Students should check the list of member colleges to see if schools they want to apply to use the common application, since part of it’s convenience is that students complete the application once and then it can be considered by all schools who are members. The actual application itself is long, and does require that students write an essay, but they can pick the question they want to answer, which can be a plus. However, there is a downside to this- a student can’t really tailor an essay to a specific school. Students can only write one essay, and all the member schools will read that it. Another downside to the common application is that it’s not just an application, it’s an entire packet of forms, complete with reports for a student’s Senior year. In addition to the common application, some member schools require the student to fill out their own specific supplement. That is, students who use the common application will usually have a second portion to complete for each school that they apply to. Students should go to the website of a school that they want to apply to and search “common application supplement” to find the extra forms that they need to complete.

Some students completing college applications may find that certain colleges have made it much more easy than it has been in the past to apply. For others, they’ll find they have a more traditional college application process to go through. Either way, students shouldn’t be afraid of the college application process. They should identify the school they want to apply to, find out what type of application they need to complete, make sure they fill out all the needed forms and supplements, then follow up with the admissions department of each school to make sure their application was received and is complete.

Sleep

Students should not be so busy that they can’t get enough sleep each night so they can function well during school. Lack of sleep is linked to not only poor academic performance but even depression, anxiety, and weight gain during adolescence. Sleep is also a critical time when growth hormones are released, and there are some studies that show sleep is also linked to the formation of memories. In other words, all the studying in the world won’t pay off if those memories don’t congeal during sleep. While everyone is different, the average need for sleep in humans is approximately eight hours, so a reasonable guideline is that students should get eight hours of uninterrupted sleep each night. The issue of not getting enough sleep is a well know one- so well know that there’s a term for it. It’s called sleep deprivation, and it can have many negative effects on both adolescents and adults. Sleep deprivation can cause an overall dull mental state and can affect the cognitive functions of thinking, memory, and problem solving that are key to succeeding in school.

Targeted Activities

It’s completely natural for high school students to assume progressively greater adult roles and choices. One of these key choices is how they spend their time, and high school students should make themselves busy with high quality activities. The future is largely an accumulation of the choices we make today. Identifying activities that will serve students well in the future will be good experiences for them as individuals and for college applications. Especially for students who want to apply to colleges with competitive entry, having a variety of extracurricular activities will be important. Many colleges want to see a “well rounded” student that has undertaken a variety of activities and has different interests. Students who attend classes and do limited things, like just sports, make themselves unidimensional and will not stand out in comparison to students who have diverse interests in the arts, technology, humanistic efforts, or otherwise show their creativity and innovation. Students should begin targeting activities that make them in to a well rounded student beginning in their freshman or sophomore year in high school, since it takes time to accumulate a variety of activities. The challenge for high school students is a simple but adult one: Choosing how to spend their time well.

Creating Their Own Structure

I’ve worked with many college students who were high achievers during high school, yet they had problems or even did so poorly in college that they were placed on academic suspension. Why? There sometimes many reasons, but for these high achievers a very common theme that didn’t understand how to give their lives structure. During high school, they were so busy fulfilling the demands placed upon them they never developed the ability to create structure for themselves. High school can be a very highly structured environment, where all day students are always in an assigned place and adult oversight is omnipresent. Even after school activities are highly structured, especially for student athletes who must be at practice after school.

In comparison, college is an extremely low structure environment. The students are the adults, and must not only make it to class but work independently on a variety of issues like studying, projects, and group collaborations. Many high school students are described as “doing well with structure.” What this really means is that they are achieve only in the presence of extrinsic (external), and not by an internal (intrinsic) level of goal directedness and motivation. This can be a huge problem, since the development of intrinsic motivation and goal directedness is critical for later success in college. It is what allows a student to get up and go to class, study, and complete necessary work for reasons that come from within themselves. Students who become structure-dependent, or doing well only with externally imposed structure, will quickly flounder during college. External structure and monitoring by adults is all but nonexistent at most colleges, and many successful high school students fail in college because they always had external structure and never became internally driven. High school students should not be so busy that they become dependent on external structure, and never learn how function on their own.

Down Time

Every busy person needs down time, and hard working high school students are no exception. Having time to engage in a certain level of age appropriate leisure activities is important for high school students, and this needs to be built in to their schedule. The type of activities will be up to the individual student, and they should be fun for them. Having time to enjoy their lives is a strong antidote to burnout, and the fact that high school students do risk burnout should always be taken seriously by parents. Students can feel burnout acutely, and adults forget what it’s like to have a ceaseless stream of homework that is due every day. Some high school students, in essence, are working 16 hours a day, and adults who aren’t tuned in to the possibility of burnout can miss the chance to intervene. High school students should not be so busy that they burnout, which can happen.

While every student should strive to do their best in high school, students need to make sure that they don’t become over committed. They need to make sure that they get enough sleep and use their time for activities that will serve them well in the future and when it comes time for college applications. One of the key skills that students need to learn is how to create their own structure to avoid doing well only when structure is created for them. Finally, students need down time just like everyone else, especially to avoid burnout for very busy students.

Jeff

After working with a number of colleges, I’ve noticed that Carlow is particularly skilled at helping students with disabilities.  Why do you think this is true?

JH:  I think that there are a number of reasons.  We are a small Catholic university whose mission embodies the heritage and values of the Sisters of Mercy- “to respond reverently to God and others, and to embrace an ethic of service for a just and merciful world.”  In other words, our mission as a college is to be compassionate and to educate.  Also, I’ve been at Carlow for ten years and have found that the faculty and staff have great kindness and dedication to both the students and to our mission.  While it is my responsibility to make sure that students with disabilities receive the accommodations they require under the law, I certainly cannot do my job alone.  The faculty and staff on this campus are supportive of all students and truly want them to succeed.  Furthermore, our small class size allows faculty to get to know their students, and as a result they are able to foster a student’s strengths and assist them with getting the help they need when they are struggling.

What are the most common types of disabilities you encounter at your college?

JH:  Students with many types of disabilities seek accommodation via the Disability Services office.  There is usually a mixture of students with physical disabilities, learning disabilities and mental health disorders. Many of the students with physical disabilities have mobility issues. They may have spinal cord injuries, arthritis, lupus, or MS, just to name a few. Some of these students may use wheelchairs, crutches, braces or canes. Other students may have learning disabilities and encounter difficulty in math, reading and/or writing.  Still others may have ADHD which causes them to have difficulty with focusing, concentrating and managing their time. Other students may be diagnosed with an anxiety disorder, depression, bipolar disorder, or even schizophrenia, and they can manifest learning issues similar to those faced by students with learning disabilities. However, the largest growing population of students requesting educational accommodations at our school, or any other campus really, is students with metal health conditions.

Can you describe the documentation requirements for students with disabilities at Carlow, as well as what type of accommodations can they request?

JH:  Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) every college and university has the right to establish its own documentation guidelines.  At Carlow we require that the information includes the student’s diagnosis, their functional limitations (i.e. how their condition affects their ability to function), any medications, as well as their side effects. The treating professional is welcome to make any recommendations that he or she chooses, and I consider these when granting accommodations.  The types of accommodations provided will depend on the student’s condition and documentation. Some examples of accommodations that might be provided include extended testing time (including in a quiet location), audio books, leniency for attendance issues, note taking, permission to audio tape lectures, the use of assistive technology, classroom relocation, and temporary handicapped parking.

We’ve collaborated to help students who might have done poorly at other colleges get re-started through Carlow, with good results.  Do you see any key factors or reasons for this?

JH:  In those particular cases, I think coordination and communication were very important.  You made sure that the student had clear and current documentation if they had a disability, even before classes started, so I could review it and arrange for accommodations.  Also, the open communication we have as a result of the student signing a FERPA release allows us to work together as a team to form a sort of safety net for the student.  The fact that I know the student will be meeting with you regularly helps me know where to turn when I see them struggling.  Finally, the direct and open communication with the student’s professors affords you the opportunity to monitor the student’s progress directly.  Our faculty is very willing to participate in these efforts.

Some students feel that disclosing a disability will hurt their chances of admission to a college.  What would you recommend to students with disabilities that wish to attend college?

JH:  I often hear this concern from students. Under the ADA, students are not required to disclose their disability at the time of application or admission.  However, they are expected to meet the same admission criteria as other students, with our without accommodations.  It is their prerogative to disclose their disability at the time of application or admission, or any other time as well. When a student does disclose his or her disability to an admission counselor at Carlow, they are referred to my office to discuss their accommodation needs.  I’ll then meet with the student to discuss our policies and procedures regarding disabilities.  I also encourage them to provide me with their documentation before the semester begins so that they can benefit from the accommodations during the entire semester.  Accommodations cannot be granted retroactively.  What this means is that if a student with a disability does not ask for accommodations, then does poorly, they cannot re-take tests or re-submit assignments with accommodations later in an effort to do better.

It was my pleasure to interview Joan about these issues.  I’m hoping that her answers will help students and families better understand how to prepare if a student plans on attending college with a disability.

For additional and current articles, please visit the new site:  collegestrategyblog.com.

For more information about disability services at Carlow University, please feel free to contact Joan House at:  Joan A. House, M.Ed., CRC, LPC,  Director of Disability Services.  Carlow University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.  You can also call Joan at 412. 578.6257, or visit carlow.edu for more information.

Jeff Ludovici works with students and families across the U.S. about issues pertaining to college planning, preventing college problems, as well as getting students re-started if they have had problems in college.  He is based in Pittsburgh, but has clients in New York, Illinois, Indiana, Florida, and other states.  If you have questions, comments, or a student that needs help, feel free to write him at jeffludovici@studentstrategy101.com.

A “junior college” is generally thought of as the college level that falls below traditional four-year institutions that confer bachelor’s degrees.  While this is true, there can be a broad interpretations of what these “junior college” can mean.  Some consider community colleges to be junior colleges, which isn’t necessarily true, since there is an entire community college system in the U.S.  Junior colleges tend to be private institutions that can be very expensive, and some charge $18,000 a year in tuition or much more for specialized programs.  In one instance, I had a parent ask me to check in to a college that had a “specialized” program for students with disabilities.  One of the programs was for an associates degree and the annual costs were nearly $50,000 a year for tuition alone.  Considering the low to moderate levels of disability they could address, the student could have easily attended a regular college with a support plan at a fraction of the cost.  Parents and students must therefore consider the issue of a junior college very carefully.

Here are a few key questions to ask before you decide on a junior college:

1.  Why a “junior college” instead of a traditional four-year college?

Why would you choose a community or junior college over a traditional college?  Sometimes a lack of confidence, low grades in high school, or other reason may lead to avoiding going to directly to a four-year school.  You should clarify your reasons for wanting to start at a junior college.

2.  What are the pros and cons of a junior or community college?

As I mentioned above, some two-year colleges can actually be more expensive than a four-year college, and not warrant the expense.  If you’re a student who wants to take their education step-by-step and are fairly motivated, a community college might be a good place to complete general education requirements.  In other cases, such as poor grades in high school, parents need to work with an experienced professional who specializes in college factors to avoid problems (e.g., not merely in admissions planning).  For example, bright students who choose a community college actually become 36% less likely to ever see a bachelor’s degree.  While a junior or community college may seem like a safe play if a student doesn’t have clear academic interests, I’ve seen this type of reasoning lead to bright students dropping out or doing poorly due to bad decision making.  A better know issue is the transferability of credits.  Community colleges do a reasonably good job of establishing reciprocal agreements with four-year universities, especially in their local area.  Private junior colleges, however, may not have made the same effort.  This is especially important if a junior college offers career programs.  Taking an English, speech, or math course as part of a career program may give you the false sense that those classes will transfer to a four-year college as general requirements.  In many cases, they won’t.  I’ve even seen them transfer in an aggregated “lump” of credits that were all counted as electives, and the student then had to re-take the classes again to graduate.

3.  How does the community or junior college fit in to the overall educational game plan for the student?

Is the choice of a junior or community college part of a “2+2”  plan?  Like I mentioned above, you need to be careful, or this can backfire.  If the goal is to complete general education requirements, you might be better served at a community college, and then establish an open dialogue with some four-year schools of interest to see how they will treat those credits earned.  Working with someone who deals with the operational aspects of both two and four-year colleges will not only help to address the obvious, like transferring credits, but help a student to avoid being one of the estimated 44% of student who start but never finish college.

Jeff Ludovici works with students and families across the U.S. about issues pertaining to college planning, preventing college problems, as well as getting students re-started if they have had problems in college.  He is based in Pittsburgh, but has clients in New York, Illinois, Indiana, Florida, and other states.  If you have questions, comments, or a student that needs help, feel free to write him at jeffludovici@studentstrategy101.com.

1.  Not all private colleges are non-profit.

In fact, some schools that are considered “private” (privately owned) are actually owned by publicly traded companies that have shareholders and are listed on the New York stock exchange.  This has been particularly true in recent years, when for-profit colleges have essentially bought out small, struggling private colleges to gain their accreditation status.  A private college, in contrast with public ones, is private in terms of it’s ownership, the funding it receives, and how it‘s categorized described by the U.S. Department of Education.  In some cases, a public college might be a better choice than some private colleges, since that public school may actually have better educational quality or higher graduation rates.

2.  Private college tuition doesn’t necessarily cost more than a public college.

Some of the families that I’ve worked with have told me that the “expected family contribution” determined by the FAFSA was surprisingly stable across both public and private colleges they applied to.  While higher family income may make a student less eligible for state and federal grants, private colleges can sometimes make up for that with institutional grants.  The actual financial aid received from them, however, will depend on the college and other factors.  I’ve found that “traditional aged students,” as determined by the college, will get the bulk of financial aid money.  Some colleges define traditional aged as three years or less out of high school, which is one of the perks of attending college immediately.  This will vary by school, and might bring a surprise, making cost somewhat less of a factor.  I recently read at Harvard’s website that a student from a family making less than $60,000 would be expected to make no financial contribution at all.  It never hurts to check with the financial aid department of a private college that you’re interested in.  You might be delighted at the answer.

3.  Private college graduates often have higher mid-career salaries.

While state-school grads often enjoy a higher earnings-to-debt ratio within the first few years of graduation, private school grads often make up for then surpass their state school peers once they hit their full stride in their career.  This can more than justify the expense of a private school, depending on the student’s major.

4.  Private, non-profit colleges generally have higher graduation rates than public colleges.

As a sector, private colleges boast almost double the four-year graduation rate of public colleges.  Statistically, many students will pay for one or two years less at a private college because they graduate more on time.  This raises the question, however, about the students themselves.  Do students graduate faster at private, non-profit colleges because they only accept the best students?  This could be the case, but like public colleges, graduation rates vary by college.  The faster graduation rate is an average, and is pulled higher by the over 90% graduation rate by outstanding schools like Harvard and Yale.

For additional and current articles, please visit the new site:  collegestrategyblog.com.

Jeff Ludovici works with students and families across the U.S. about issues pertaining to college planning, preventing college problems, as well as getting students re-started if they have had problems in college.  He is based in Pittsburgh, but has clients in New York, Illinois, Indiana, Florida, and other states.  If you have questions, comments, or a student that needs help, feel free to write him at jeffludovici@studentstrategy101.com.

Anxiety is a natural biological response to a perceived threat.  Signs of anxiety can be racing thoughts, nervousness, a sense of fear, or hyper-alertness.  Imagine meeting with a friend who has a big dog that you really don’t trust-  You’re not quite afraid yet, but you’re highly alert and “extremely concerned.”  Anxiety and fear are meant to protect us, and are part of our fight-or-flight response that keeps us safe from threats.  For students, a test can often represent a very real (albeit non-physical) threat.  College students stay in college only because of passing grades, so the threat can be very real in many ways.  Text anxiety is a response to this very real academic “threat.”  This very natural biological response can work against us, causing us to freeze, want to leave, or just draw a blank during a test.  All the deep breathing in the world won’t help this.

But, there are a few effective strategies that can be used to counteract test anxiety:

1.  Be prepared for the test.

Nothing is more anxiety provoking than feeling that you’re not prepared, so make every effort to study and be ready for the test.  This means putting in the time to do the reading, covering your notes, and preparing correctly for the specific test type (e.g., essay vs. multiple choice).  Anxiety comes when we feel that we have no control, and a powerful antidote to this is to make sure that you feel that you’re in control.  Being prepared means having control and reducing fear of failure, therefore anxiety.

2.  Answer the questions you know first.

Imagine sitting down at the test and the first question you read is one that you don’t know the answer to.  Then, the second one you don’t know either.  Major panic attack, right?  If you adjust how you are taking the test, it might help.  Nothing about classroom tests says that you have to answer the questions in order, so treat it like a complex puzzle:  Solve the parts you know first.  Read the question, and if you don’t know it, skip it, and move on to the next one.  What you’ll find is that as you answer the ones you do know, your confidence will increase and your anxiety will reduce.  Also, what you may notice if you  use this technique is that the answer to the one you thought you didn’t know either shows  up in your mind eventually or is actually stated in a question later in the test (essentially having the patience to let the test give you an answer as you go along).  By answering the questions you know first, you’re “building” your way up to say answering 50%, 70%, then 90% or even to an A.  The trick is patience.

3.  Expect and predict your own anxiety response.

Here’s the thing about anxiety:  It doesn’t last forever.  If it did, our bodies would essentially self-destruct.  In fact, there are even terms for this ending (e.g., desensitization, habituation).  Essentially this means the longer that you’re exposed to the anxiety provoking situation, the anxiety will gradually start to decline.  I’m sure you can recall a situation where you felt really anxious or nervous, and the longer you were in it, the nervousness just passed.  The same is true for test anxiety, except that tests are usually within a short time span and you need to get it under control out of necessity.  Ways to do this can include being prepared, as I’ve said, but also arriving at class early and getting in your seat with only your pencil on your desk.  In essence, you’re deliberately putting yourself in that situation early to let any anxiety come and go early.  It’s kind of like confronting the fear on your terms, rather than letting it hit you like a freight train all at once when the professor hands you the test.

Predicting your response, answering the questions you know first, and being well prepared should all help you settle down so you can focus and do your best on a test.  Try these things to help you overcome normal test anxiety.  If you become so anxious that you actually get up and leave the room, or are having test anxiety associated with a disability, this might be a more complex situation and should seek professional help.

For additional and current articles, please visit the new site:  collegestrategyblog.com.

Jeff Ludovici works with students and families across the U.S. about issues pertaining to college planning, preventing college problems, as well as getting students re-started if they have had problems in college.  He is based in Pittsburgh, but has clients in New York, Illinois, Indiana, Florida, and other states.  If you have questions, comments, or a student that needs help, feel free to write him at jeffludovici@studentstrategy101.com.

1.  A good essay will not overcome a bad academic record

Admissions committees review applications to not only see who would be a “good fit” with their college, but more importantly, who will succeed at their school.  The best predictor for college performance isn’t SAT scores or the essay, but high school grades.  If you don’t keep your grades up, even the most eloquently crafted essay will not get you in.

2.  Colleges expect you to answer thoughtfully

A college essay will show your thinking and writing style, and explain why your are considering a particular college.  You need to first look at the important aspects of a college that you’re considering, and then carefully describe why a particular school fits in to your overall educational plan.  Writing one essay and then using it for multiple colleges may sound good from your perspective, but may be too generalized to help you get in.  Also, a common mistake is to use the same essay and forget to replace the name of the school throughout the text.

3.  Your essay will be read, perhaps multiple times

Especially at small colleges, your essay will be read, perhaps many times by the time the admissions considerations process is over.  In some cases, it might even be a tie-breaker between you and a competing student, so you need to get it right.

4.  You must write the essay yourself

Colleges fully expect you to write your application essay yourself.  Can you ask others for feedback?  Of course.  But, schools expect the essay to “match” the rest of your application packet.  For example, if you have a very strong science or technical background with only moderate grades in English, yet submit in a very poetic essay, this will arouse suspicion of it not being your own work.  In fact, some colleges require the student to attest that the essay is their own work.  Lying or plagiarism is not the way to begin a relationship with a college.

5.  The essay should show what the application can’t

A college essay is a great place to tell what the formal application didn’t let you describe.  For example, any challenges or obstacles you faced might be discussed in the essay, like having to help your family while in school or overcoming a disability.  An essay should also reflect any quality pre-college experiences that show your personality, creativity, or innovation.  If you were happy with a B average because you balanced your experience by creating a blog, making documentary films, or other exciting experiences, the essay is where to describe this.

For additional and current articles, please visit the new site:  collegestrategyblog.com.

Jeff Ludovici works with students and families across the U.S. about issues pertaining to college planning, preventing college problems, as well as getting students re-started if they have had problems in college.  He is based in Pittsburgh, but has clients in New York, Illinois, Indiana, Florida, and other states.  If you have questions, comments, or a student that needs help, feel free to write him at jeffludovici@studentstrategy101.com.

Based on this interest, I plan on incorporating more information that can be used by various professionals, and will likely add an entire section dedicated to them.  For now, if you are visiting from a college or K-12 school system, please know that:

1.  This is not a strictly “theoretical” blog.  While I might write some informational posts, many topics are based on face-to-face work that I’m doing with college students to help them effectively plan, transition, or get re-started if they do poorly.  I’m on campuses each week and have distance clients in various parts of the U.S.  This gives me exposure to many colleges, students, and families, as well as the innumerable “lessons learned” that I hope to reflect here.

2.  I am not a high school guidance counselor.  My undergraduate and graduate degrees are in clinical psychology, and I‘m the former director of a center that dealt with educational and young adult issues.  This is where I first saw the need that I’m now addressing.  While many of my colleagues are in fact counselors, we all agree that the “traditional model” of transitioning to college needs to be supplemented because of the high level of problems or even failure in college.

3.  My consulting work involves both general and specialized college planning, in-college support, and a special “re-entry” program that helps students who failed get restarted.  I’m working form a very comprehensive model that considers all phases before, during, and after college.  For example, I bring the known success or risk factors, like student engagement and known graduation rates, to the pre-college planning phase.  The specialized re-entry service to help students who have done poorly is time consuming, but it works.  In the least, it accurately identifies why a student did poorly, and can refer for diagnostics or treatment if necessary before a student can get re-started.  Unfortunately for many of these students, I’ve found that some parents want to read about failure-to-success stories here, but rarely act.  Do-it-yourself interventions rarely work, as I’m sure you’ve seen in your field.

4.  I consult with colleges and K-12 schools on the issues of student retention, performance improvement, and effective transition-to-college strategies for many types of students.  Students with disabilities, gifted students, and many others have benefited from my work, so please feel free to contact me if you’d like (see contact section).  I always look forward to meeting new professionals.

5.  I am posting amid my direct work with colleges, students, and families, so I apologize for the inconsistency of posting.  Again, if you really need information, please feel free to contact me.

Jeff

The two topics I started with were “about Jeff” which tells specifically how I work with different types of clients, and a brief overview of modern college in the U.S. (e.g., how many students graduate each year, U.S. graduation rates).  I’m also working on setting up an audio player for the blog, but the one at the main site is much better than what I’ve found so far.

Being able to hear me talk about these issues really brings a different dimension, I think, to my work.  I’ve gotten good feedback from three parents already, and one even burned the first two MP3s to a CD so she could listen to it while driving.  Please let me know if you have any problems when trying to listen.

Here’s the link:  http://collegestrategyblog.com/audio/

Jeff