People use the word “college” to refer to many different types of schools. Colleges come in all shapes and sizes—and college is less a general phenomenon than a personal experience based on your individual choices. Take a look at the three different types of colleges here to gain a solid understanding of the options you’ll have when you start researching schools.

Four-Year Colleges and Beyond
Four-year colleges are the types of schools that most people think of when they say the word “college.” Harvard is a four-year college. So are the University of North Carolina, Spelman, and San Jose State. Four-year colleges offer a comprehensive education. In other words, you not only choose something to major in (such as business or physics or film or journalism) but you also receive a well-rounded education in other subjects.

Students earn a bachelor’s degree at four-year colleges. A bachelor’s degree is the standard “undergraduate degree.” If you’re an undergraduate, it means you are under, or below, the level of graduation. Simply put, you haven’t graduated from college yet!

The College Board is a not-for-profit membership association whose mission is to connect students to college success and opportunity. Founded in 1900, the association is composed of more than 5,200 schools, colleges, universities, and other educational organizations. Each year, the College Board serves seven million students and their parents, 23,000 high schools, and 3,500 colleges through major programs and services in college admissions, guidance, assessment, financial aid, enrollment, teaching and learning.

Among its best-known programs are the SAT®, the PSAT/NMSQT®, and the Advanced Placement Program® (AP®). The College Board is committed to the principles of excellence and equity, and that commitment is embodied in all of its programs, services, activities, and concerns.

The Princeton Review helps students, parents, and educators achieve the best outcomes at all stages of their educational careers. It all starts with a single premise: Everyone is entitled to the best education. Through years of research we’ve learned to use practice and preparation to help students improve their performance.

 RIA Senior Tax Analyst Focuses on the Fine Print of the Education Loan Interest Deduction—Plus Some Other Tax Breaks For Students and Their Parents.

New York, NY  08/16/2007

By now, the excitement of receiving college acceptance letters may be replaced by the shock of tuition bills that follow enrollment.  Or the joy of a child’s graduating from college—and no longer incurring tuition—is eclipsed by the obligation to repay student loans. “As families scramble to get the largest grants and lowest interest rate loans available, they should not overlook the tax implications of the plans they choose and the way they choose to make their payments,” advises Bob D. Scharin, RIA Senior Tax Analyst from Thomson Tax & Accounting, a part of The Thomson Corporation (NYSE:TOC,TSC:TOC).

“The tax breaks fall into two categories: ones for paying the education costs themselves and deductions for paying interest on loans used to pay the bills.  Most of the tax relief provisions are restricted to those with incomes below specified amounts, and those amounts vary from one tax provision to another,” Scharin says.  “This adds confusion for families attempting tax planning.”

Once you have made the decision that you would like to undertake a graduate course, you need to make two key decisions, which are:

• Choosing the course that you would like to study and
• The university that you would like to attend

These decisions should not be taken lightly as they will affect your future.

Deciding on a Course

Due to the large number of courses available to students there are a number of issues that need to be reviewed when deciding which course to study. These are discussed below.

Course Content

When looking at University

prospectuses to decide on which course you would like to study, you need to be careful that the actual specific detail of the course is considered. You need to read beyond the course title and course summary as the module options and content can vary significantly. It is important to be aware that although many universities offer courses with similar names, the specific content can vary. The course may focus more on one area rather than another.This is particularly important as many University courses include modules which can be selected by you depending upon what you want to learn.

As the junior year of high school ends, the student should begin thinking about what types of colleges would be most appropriate for their goals. In determining which colleges to apply to, the student will be making a decision that will affect the rest of their life. Choosing a group of colleges of which to apply is a very difficult task. The student must determine what they want from a school and what they can afford. There are some general questions that the student should ask themselves when exploring different colleges. First, the student should ask themselves if they will be comfortable there. And secondly, the student should determine if they will be challenged there. Other than these questions, there are generally three different environments to consider when searching for the right college.

The first is the physical environment. This may not be the most important of the three, but it must be considered. For example, is the college new or old? Which would the student prefer? Schools like Harvard and Yale are modern and high tech, but still have a lot of older architecture and buildings. Another physical environment questions is: how big is the college? Conversely, how small is the college? Different students will have different opinions regarding these questions, which is why it is so important to consider them. Students must choose a school that they would feel comfortable attending for four years. Of course, there is the option to transfer, but it is a messy process that does not always turn out like the student would like.

For a student, choosing the right major or program to pursue in college can be a stressful process. The student must realize that this decision will dictate what they will do with the rest of their life. A major will lead to a career in a certain field that the students must really enjoy as the student will be in that field for many years. Generally, most students will have some idea what they want to pursue as a major. Through their childhood and throughout high school, the interests of the student have been growing and maturing. Whether it is history, medicine, law, finance or something else, the student will know their interests, which is the first step in selecting the right major or program. Also, the careers of parents and loved ones will also have a profound affect on the selection of a major as the student will be comfortable with the topic.

Applying for college can be the most exciting time of a young adult’s life, but it can also be the most stressful. The college admissions process is one that takes a lot of research, time, energy and effort. It is a long process that begins with the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Tests (PSAT’s) and ends the day the young adult walks into their dorm room. It can be a trying time when young adults are forced to make decisions, whether financial or another type, which will dictate the direction their lives will follow for many years. Preparing for college admission, choosing the right school or the right major, applying to colleges and getting enough money to attend are all major tasks within the college admission process.

Because of the massive amount of money required to attend college for four years (or more if the student plans to attend graduate school), many parents will encourage their children to apply for scholarships while they apply for need based financial aid. In the United States, parents will be required to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA form). This application will be similar to the tax forms filled out at the end of the year. The form will take into account the income of the student’s family, as well as the number of siblings the student has and their age (if they will be attending college soon). From the FAFSA form, colleges will be able to determine the “expected family contribution,” or in general terms, how much money the family will be required to pay themselves.

The most important step in the college admissions process is the preparation. The preparation begins as soon as the student enters high school. The admissions committees are very tough when it comes to accepting or rejecting potential attendees, but there are different tricks to standing out amongst the crowd. If the student has dreams of attending an Ivy League school, the first step in preparation would be academic excellence.

Maintaining academic excellence throughout the high school career is absolutely imperative in preparing for college. The toughest courses the school has to offer should be taken. For example, many schools offer “Honors” English programs that employ a much more exhaustive and rigorous curriculum in comparison to the conventional English program offered. Honors English will especially help prepare a student for the writing aspect of the college admissions process and the scholarship process that will be discussed in a future section. The school may offer, as well, “Advanced Placement” courses. Also know as AP courses, these classes are college level. In fact, the students involved in an Advanced Placement course are welcomed to take the Advanced Placement test at the conclusion of the year. Some colleges will award college credit hours to students for equivalent classes should they achieve a worthy grade.

At last, summer is here! After a school year full of hard work, you can finally put away your books, break out your bikinis, and soak up the sunshine. This is not only what you deserve but in fact what you need: If you have been working to your maximum level during the school year, you owe your body about two weeks off during the summer for a real break. Go ahead and pursue your favorite pastime, relax, sleep, and reflect on the past year and the year to come. Do not, however, get too used to your life of leisure! From a college admissions standpoint, it’s important to be productive during your summer months. Working is looked upon favorably by the more selective colleges; working on your tan is not.

It is important to understand that when it comes time to apply to schools in the fall, you will be competing for admission against a wealth of other students who made the most of their summers by strengthening their talents and skills and/or making up in some way for their weaknesses. Ideally, you have already found something to do for the summer, but if not, here are some summer suggestions.