The Compass Academics Blog
Our blog is designed to educate and inform students and their parents in all subjects related to college planning.
How to Ask for Letters of Recommendation
A strong letter of recommendation can do a lot to help your application for admission or a scholarship stand out from the crowd. A great letter couched in lots of details that bring you to life for the committee can even be a force that helps override weaknesses...
Should I Take a Gap Year?
The so-called “gap year” saw a steep rise in popularity in the 1980s. As matriculation from high school to college became more and more expected for the population at large, many students found the intensity of moving from the structure of high school to the...
Should I Stay or Should I Go?
Choosing How Far Away to Go to College Some kids have dreamed of getting as far away from their hometown as they can from elementary school. Maybe you’ve been landlocked your whole life and have visions of a dorm overlooking the beach. Maybe you can’t wait to trade...
What’s Your Passion? Unleash it with a Passion Project
We’re living in the Age of Information, and there’s no shortage of possibilities laid before each and every student embarking on their own path into college, careers, and adulthood. The wide open nature of the potential is a double-edged sword. “You can do anything...
What’s Going on with the U.S. News and World Report College Rankings?
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 been at the center of a host of controversies, and yet it still made...
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 enrollment has some perks, too. If you’re weighing out the pros and cons of...
The History of “The Quad”
The History of “The Quad” It’s featured prominently on the front of brochures passed out by college recruitment reps and in every film or TV show trying to demonstrate authentic college life. “The Quad” is a quintessential part of the traditional image of colleges and...
Tips for College-Bound Homeschoolers
Tips for College-Bound Homeschoolers The homeschooling community is a growing group of American students, and that means that colleges are going to be seeing even more applicants with non-traditional educational backgrounds. Whether you’ve been homeschooling since...
Should I Live in a “Themed” Dorm?
Should I Live in a “Themed” Dorm? One of the primary benefits of on-campus housing is how easy it can be to make friends who share your interests. After all, you’re surrounded by people who are having the same core experiences. There are plenty of opportunities for...
Roommates vs. Solo Living: What’s the Best Choice for New College Students
Roommates vs. Solo Living: What’s the Best Choice for New College Students For many students, college is the first time they’re living away from home and without their own family members. That’s an exhilarating feeling of freedom and maturity, but it can also be a...
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