The Explorer

Ask the Financial Expert: “Why do students need to reapply for FAFSA every year?”

Posted on May 7, 2012 by Jodi Okun | 3 Comments

Question: “Why do students need to reapply for FAFSA every year?” asked by parent Lisa Singelyn via email.

Answer: You must file a FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) every year you wish to apply for financial aid, since the FAFSA goes off of your previous year’s tax information and that can change from year to year. The FAFSA for the upcoming academic year ALWAYS becomes available on January 1st preceding that year. So, for instance for the 2012 – 2013 school year, the FAFSA became available on January 1, 2012.

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Posted in Financial Aid

Tagged Ask the Expert, Ask the Financial Expert, College Financial Aid Advisors, CollegeCash, FAFSA, Financial Aid, Jodi Okun, Money for College, Saving for College, Student Financial Aid Administrators, University of Redlands

Fun Friday: Unique Science Fiction Classes

Posted on May 4, 2012 by Matt Shirley | 9 Comments

“Forget traditional contemporary literature, I want to take a class on Harry Potter!”

Sure that kind of statement won’t exactly get you tons of attention from the opposite sex, but you may just get your wish in today’s age of weird college classes. In honor of Star Wars Day – May the 4th – we want highlight the best science fiction classes and tip our caps to the professors who are ballsy (and nerdy) enough to propose them to their respective college administrations.

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Posted in College Life

Tagged Centre College, Choosing a Major, College Life, Columbia College, Fun Friday, Georgetown University, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Science Fiction, Star Trek, Star Wars, Star Wars Day, The Avengers, The Matrix, University of California Irvine, Weird College Classes, Yale University

Spotted on Campus: Cinco de Mayo Events

Posted on May 3, 2012 by Laura Horwitz | 4 Comments

Cinco de Mayo inspires Mexican-themed events throughout the United States. But do you know why? In Mexico, the holiday is mainly celebrated in the state of Puebla where it’s called “The Day of the Battle of Puebla.”

On that May 5, 1862, a vastly outnumbered Mexican army defeated invading French forces. However, it’s a bigger holiday in the United States than Mexico, because many believe France wanted to help the southern Confederacy in the American Civil War. The Mexican victory kept Napolean III from supplying the confederate rebels, allowing the northern U.S. army to build up a stronger force and win the battle of Gettysburg just 14 months later.

So get on the bandwagon and celebrate. Here are some of the ways campuses throughout the U.S. are celebrating Cinco de Mayo.

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Posted in College Life

Tagged Cinco de Mayo, Cinco de Mayo Events, College Life, Latino Culture, Spotted on Campus, Univeristy of California Riverside, University of Arkansas Little Rock, University of Delaware, University of Miami, University of Oregon

Poll Results: College Transfers

Posted on May 2, 2012 by Debra Eckerling | 2 Comments

We asked our readers how many of them transferred colleges. A little more than a third – 36% – transferred schools during their college careers. The important thing students need to remember is that, if your college does not work for you, you always have options.

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Posted in Question of the Week

Tagged College Search, Poll Results, Question of the Week, Transferring Colleges

Eye on Education: Will “Bully” Make a Difference?

Posted on May 2, 2012 by Debra Eckerling | 9 Comments

The documentary Bully, which follows a year in the life of bully-victims and their families, opened in New York and Los Angeles at the end of March. Every week since, Bully has been released in more states throughout the country.

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Posted in Education News

Tagged Bully, Bully Project, Documentary, Education News, President Barack Obama, Safe Schools Improvement Act, Student Non-Discrimination Act, The White House, Valerie Jarrett

May Ratings & Reviews Scholarship

Posted on May 1, 2012 by Debra Eckerling | 1 Comment

“Reviews help families build a balanced and reasonable list of colleges to visit, saving time, money and stress in the college process,” explains Carol Barash, founder, Story To College.

To do your part to help other students make the best college decision share your experience and enter for your chance to win the May $1,000 Ratings & Reviews Scholarship Giveaway.

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Posted in Scholarships

Tagged Campus Explorer Exclusive Scholarship, Central Pennsylvania College, May Ratings & Reviews Scholarship, Paying for College, Planning for College, Scholarships, University of Illinois

Focus on Computer Science: Advice for Students

Posted on April 30, 2012 by Debra Eckerling | 1 Comment

To wrap up this month’s Focus on Majors we invited computer science graduates to share their advice for students who are considering a career in computer science.

Christine Silvers, chief medical officer, AFrame Digital, Inc., who received her bachelors, masters and Ph.D, in computer science from MIT, as well as a medical degree from Harvard.

Keep an open mind about your classes, interests and potential major; choose your major based upon what you love to do and not what you think others expect you to do; and consider finding your career niche at the intersection of your greatest interests.

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Posted in Focus on Majors

Tagged Auburn University, Business, Computer Science, Computer Science Degrees, Computer Science Education, Computer Science Major, Focus on Computer Science, Focus on Majors, Harvard, High School, Medicine, MIT, Music, Planning for College, Technology, University of Florida, University of West Florida

Fun Friday: Public vs. Private? Party vs. Dry School? The Important College Questions

Posted on April 27, 2012 by Matt Shirley | 11 Comments

So you are looking to make your college choice … You know you’re supposed to be going to a school with great academics and superb learning facilities, but in the back of your mind, you realize that the college atmosphere - the students, the parties, the girls (or boys) – is a much bigger part of your decision than your parents care to admit.

What’s really important to the average student: How big is the school? Is it public or private? Can I wake up six minutes before class, hungover and still make it on time?

It’s getting down to the wire. So here are the hard-hitting things to ask yourself before you make that final decision.

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Posted in College Life

Tagged College Decision Week, College Life, College Search, Dry School, Fun Friday, Party School, Private College, Public College

Big Deals: College Swag

Posted on April 26, 2012 by Ayun Halliday | 11 Comments

Congratulations, incoming freshmen, on making your college decision. Just think, this time next year you’ll be lounging around in sweatpants emblazoned with your school’s insignia, eating cold pizza and gossiping with your dormmates about last night’s …uh, study session. It’s almost finals, right?

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Posted in General

Tagged Ayun Halliday, Big Deals, College, College Decision, College Swag, Etsy, General, High School, Northwestern University, Senior, Swag, Zinester's Guide to NYC

Poll Results: Study Spaces

Posted on April 25, 2012 by Debra Eckerling | 4 Comments

Last week, we asked our readers where they like to study. Nearly half – 46% – prefer to study in the comforts of home or dorm, while 35% like to study at the library. A few readers study at the Student Union (11%), and 8% enjoy the vibe of the coffeehouse.