Be the Bird, Not the Slug

Alright, PUNCH people, it’s a brand new year! Time to reconcile the triumphs and disappointments of 2010, shed that Snuggie you’ve been hiding under, chug any remaining eggnog (Rocky-style, of course), and resolve to make 2011 the academic year to beat all others.

This month, PUNCH congratulates CC’s student users who received early acceptance letters over the holiday break. From Duke to Stanford to the University of Chicago, folks are celebrating hard-won entry into their dream schools. Enjoy those much-deserved pats on the back, incoming freshmen, while you begin to compile a list of questions to ask during your campus tour and explore creative (read: frugaler-than-frugal) ways to fund your education.

And to our CC friends who got less-than-cartwheel-worthy responses: Pssshhht, say we! Ancient history! Rejection letters are so not the end of the world. There’s no time like the present to dust yourself off, revisit your list of top schools, and jump back into the admissions game feet first.

If you’re still perusing your options for first-round applications, you might be interested in knowing the FAFSA changes that are in store for the coming year, how your PSAT scores stack up, and what 2011 high school seniors are saying about the college search.

Elsewhere on CC…

• Admissions guru Dave Berry opens a thought-provoking discussion about the Delaware man who used an error-riddled résumé to con his way into the Ivy League;
• Parents of Jewish “B” Students are proving that average is in the eye of the beholder when it comes to helping their kids find balance between culture and curriculum; and
• Senior members marvel at University of California’s highest-paid execs demanding millions in retirement benefits.

In the immortal words of the Rolling Stones, PUNCHers, time waits for no one. And with so much vital info (meaning, ahem, us…) right at your fingertips, what could you possibly be waiting for? Start 2011 off with a PUNCH!

More CollegeView Greatest Hits:

Denied Admission – How to Cope When Not Accepted to College

College Admission Recruitment Interviews – Tips & Advice to Stand Out From Other Applicants

Questions for Your Campus Visit

Financial Aid Matters – Recession Survival Tips for College Students

Avoiding Scholarship Scams