It has been a long-standing tradition for the U.S. News and World Report, an American media company with roots reaching back to 1948, to release its annual “Best Colleges” report. This report has...
The Compass Academics Blog
Resources Designed for Academic Growth
Part-Time vs. Full-Time College Enrollment
College is a huge commitment — of time, of money, of energy. For many students, choosing a part-time path through higher education can help make the requirements more manageable, but full-time...
Benefits of Joining an Honors College
Congratulations! You’ve been accepted to a college! Maybe you’re even looking at your options across multiple offers. If you’ve got great grades and high test scores, you’re probably also staring...
Should I Buy or Rent My College Textbooks?
You can’t “hit the books” without getting the books, but the choices for how to do so have expanded for undergraduate students (and, in many cases, so have the costs). Many of your undergraduate...
How Should I Spend My Summer? Options for College Students
Summer’s just around the corner, and whether it’s your last summer vacation before embarking onto your college career or a break between existing college semesters, you may have some questions about...
Taking a COVID Gap Year? What You Should Know
A “gap year” has been a popular concept for far longer than the COVID-19 pandemic has been around, but the uncertainty and tumult of the last few years has definitely made a gap year more appealing...
Will My Social Media Posts Keep Me Out of College?
Good grades, a stunning resume filled with extracurricular activities, and a stack of letters of recommendation may not be enough to overcome the challenge of a past social media misstep. These...
Switching Schools? What College Transfer Applicants Need to Know
For some students, transferring was part of the plan from the very beginning. Whether moving from a community college to a four-year school or trying out something closer to home before transferring...
Dorms vs. Off-Campus Living: Pros and Cons of College Housing
College is a time for growth and change — academically but also personally. College students are often living away from their families for the first time, and this chance for independence and...
What Student Athletes Need to Know about Athletic Scholarships
The myth of the college athlete gives the impression that tons of sporty students are coasting their way through school on the merits of their abilities on the field or the court. We’ve seen plenty...