Last night I looked through some old files from my studies at Purchase College and was disheartened by what I read. As a New Media and Liberal Arts student who knew his way around a computer, I saved nearly every report, file and document from eight semesters of classes spread over four years. The documents unfortunately revealed how terribly I researched and wrote back in '05. I mean bad!

Term papers with typos
Incoherent video projects
Little focus in my schoolwork

Luckily, I discovered a few jewels amongst the mess, including College-Smart.

I had totally forgotten about a 43-slide PowerPoint presentation I wrote to help high school students research and apply to colleges called "College-Smart". This was part of my senior project that also included an interactive CD-ROM (built in Flash MX, w00t w00t!) and a video I filmed to introduce students to the guide (embedded below).

While the video looks a little rusty, the PPT guide, created over five years ago, still holds some value for students researching colleges today. I picked out a few tips that I still think are relevant. Feel free to download the embedded PDF guide and share it with any high school or junior high students who might be interested.

Slide 11

“Google” your instructors. By doing online research about the professors involved at each program you apply to, you not only gain greater insight into the school, but also learn powerful knowledge that may prove helpful during an audition or interview.

Slide 18

Don’t learn the “tricks of the trade”, instead learn the trade!

Similarly, don’t pour energy into learning admissions “tricks”. Instead study hard in your academics and find out exactly what each institution wants in the application, essay, or audition.

Slide 33

In high school you’re often told to be quiet and sit down. College is the exact opposite. You’re encouraged to constructively question your surroundings, to learn and to grow.

Seize this opportunity by actively participating in your campus community.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ElWCVfpQ24

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