FAFSA, FOOTBALL, WHITEOUTS, DREAM SCHOOL - VOL. 32
VOL. 32
YOUR TRUSTED GUIDE TO EVERYTHING COLLEGE
EDITOR’S NOTE:
Welcome to this week’s edition of The College Corner + The Dorm Corner. With the FAFSA now officially open, we’re breaking down what families need to know as application season gains momentum. We’re also tackling the question of how important Calculus really is in today’s admissions landscape. In The Book Corner, we are highlighting the new bestseller “Dream School,” and in The Travel Corner we are exploring the energy of Penn State’s iconic White Out.
Finally, as October begins, we also recognize Breast Cancer Awareness Month in The Pink Corner, along with other timely insights to guide you through every stage of the college journey.
Happy reading!
The College & Dorm Corner Team
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WHAT TO EXPECT IN THIS EDITION:
• The FAFSA is open
• How important is Calculus
• The Book Corner - “Dream School”
• The Travel Corner - Penn State
• The Pink Corner - Breast Cancer Awareness Month
JUST HOW INTEGRAL IS CALCULUS TO COLLEGE READINESS
The invention of calculus allowed humans to measure all sorts of things they couldn’t before, such as the speed of a planet at a moment in time, electrical voltage or the marginal profit from selling a product. More dubiously, calculus has also been used for years to measure the college-readiness of students. But higher ed experts say viewing the math course as a proxy for rigor presents equity-related and pedagogical problems.
READ MORE HERE → https://www.highereddive.com
THE FAFSA IS OPEN!
The U.S. Department of Education rolled out the 2026-27 Free Application for Federal Student Aid to all students last Wednesday, about a week before the congressionally mandated deadline. Education Department officials billed the release as the “earliest launch in the program’s history.” The new form comes with several updates, including a redesigned process for inviting parents or other contributors to add information to the application and faster account verification for students and parents, according to the agency.
READ MORE HERE → https://www.highereddive.com
COLLEGES AT RISK AS ENROLLMENT FALLS
As college and university leaders returned to campus this fall, there were new signs that a long-building financial crisis may finally be reaching a breaking point. Closures and mergers are looming “at a pace we haven’t seen since the Great Recession,” said Ted Mitchell, president of the American Council on Education. Fewer high school graduates are enrolling in college and the overall population of college-age students is shrinking, a trend experts refer to as the “demographic cliff.”
READ MORE HERE → https://www.cnbc.com
THE BOOK CORNER - DREAM SCHOOL
“A DREAM SCHOOL is less about brand names or rankings and more about what happens to you while you are there, focusing on preparation for the future.” — Jeffrey Selingo
For generations, attending college has been a rite of passage and a cornerstone of the American dream. But in recent years, that once-straightforward path has become more uncertain — locking out even high-achieving students and straining family budgets. “Dream School” flips the narrative, focusing not on how colleges select students, but on how students can make smarter choices about the colleges they select.
Click the PIC to read more.
MOOD BOARD: THE PINK CORNER
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month so we rounded up some pink dorm decor. Click the pic to shop.
THE TRAVEL CORNER - PENN STATE
Penn State is known for its lively college town energy and stunning campus nestled in the heart of Pennsylvania. For the ultimate experience, plan a visit during a White Out football game, when the entire crowd dresses in white and the atmosphere is nothing short of electric.
Click the PIC for the full guide → https://www.thecollegecorner.com
PIC OF THE DAY
Stanford Tops Wall Street Journal’s 2025 Best Colleges In America
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