CollegeFinder Blog

College Presidents want Lawmakers to Lower the Legal Drinking Age

August 20, 2008 – 4:40 am by Nick

In an effort to curve dangerous binge drinking, college presidents from the nations top schools are pressuring lawmakers to lower the legal drinking age to 18. The consensus among this group of school officials is that the current restrictions encourage excessive behavior. John McCardell , a Middlebury College president started the movement called the Amethyst Initiative to provoke a national debate on the subject. He was driven by his experiences as parent and as a historian studying the Prohibition. Over a hundred universities have joined the initiative. Several prominent universities have lent their support, including Duke, Dartmouth, Ohio State, Syracuse, , Colgate, Kenyon and Morehouse. The presidents signed a statement, which avoids explicitly endorsing the effort to lower the legal drinking age. Although, it does state that the ...

Posted in College Life | No Comments »

The Freshman 15 A Myth?

August 19, 2008 – 11:27 am by Andrea

The “Freshman 15” refers to the belief that new college students gain an average of fifteen pounds their freshman year as they adjust to the college lifestyle.  According to recent study by Cornell University researchers the average weight gain is actually more like 4-5 pounds. The lack of regular exercise while indulging in fast foods and late night study sessions that often include sugary drinks and high calorie snacks can equal unwanted pounds. To increase your physical activity, get involved with your school’s intramurals sports. Becoming part of a team will not only provide you with exercise; it will also help you meet people with the same interest as you. If team sports are not your thing, head to the student activities building. There you find treadmills and ...

Posted in General | 4 Comments »

Beloit College Mindset List

August 19, 2008 – 10:03 am by Kim

Every year the Beloit College releases their Mindset List, providing a snapshot of the school’s incoming freshman and their worldviews. This year’s release is for the class of 2012 and has been released in a webcast. The Mindset List focuses around a set of touchstones that helped to shape the lives of students entering college this fall. Material is gathered from parents, students, faculty and additional contributors. It was conceived by Tom McBride who is a Keefer Professor of the Humanities and also by Ron Neif who is the director of public affairs at Beloit College. Students entering their freshman year of college this year were generally born in 1990 and these are a few of the things that made their Mindset List. • They have always been looking ...

Posted in General | No Comments »

Top 25 Entrepreneurial Undergraduate Colleges

August 18, 2008 – 10:58 am by Nick

Entrepreneur and The Princeton Review collaborated on ranking the top 25 entrepreneurial colleges. They wanted to shed light on the programs offered by schools to prepare students with entrepreneurship goals. The list was based on the following criteria:  number of entrepreneurship courses, enrolled students who started business, percentage of students still in business, faculty who are entrepreneurs, recent grads who started a business, scholarships, number of entrepreneurship clubs, mentorship programs, and business plan competitions. Here is the list: Babson College University of Houston Drexel University The University of Arizona University of Dayton Chapman University DePaul University Temple University University of North Dakota Loyola Marymount University Wichita State University Syracuse University University of Notre Dame University of Maryland University of Oklahoma University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign Xavier University The University of Alabama University of Southern California Ball State University The University of Iowa Brigham Young University Baylor University Northeastern University The Ohio State University For ...

Posted in college comparison | No Comments »

Colleges with the Most US Olympic Athletes

August 15, 2008 – 5:11 pm by Nick

Nine colleges have molded several athletes competing at the Beijing Olympics. We have compiled a list of the colleges with the most 2008 Olympic athletes among their alumni and current students. California's schools dominate the list. 9-  The University of Florida (nine 2008 Olympians) Clavin Smith JR Track and Field Kerron Clement Track and Field Matthew Laporta Baseball Ryan Lochte Swimming Hazel ClarkRiley Track and Field Abby Wamback Soccer Caroline Burckle Swimming Dara Torres Swimming Delisha Milton Jones Basketball   7- Ohio State University (ten 2008 Olympians) Bryan Volpenhein Rowing Jason Rogers Fencing Michael Redd Basketball Morgan Hamm Gymnastics Paul Hamm Gymnastics Raj Bhavsar Gymnastics Becky Kim Synchronized Swimming Hanna Thompson Fencing Katie Smith Basketball Margot Shumway Rowing   7- The University of Tennessee (ten 2008 Olympians) Anthony Famiglietti Track and Field Jevon Tarantino Diving Leigh Smith Track and Field Tom Pappas Track and Field Candace Parker Basketball Christine Magnuson Swimming Deedee Trotter Track and Field Kara ...

Posted in College Life | 3 Comments »

Food Stamps for Florida College Students

August 15, 2008 – 10:36 am by Kim

Florida state college students are receiving financial aid in the form of food stamps. Thus far, 54,116 students have benefited – a 44% increase over the past year. The criteria for receiving this financial aid include, but are not limited to, the following: • You must be a caretaker of a child under 6 • You must participate in a federally financed work-study program or maintain a part-time job of 20 hours/week • You must make less than $1,107 a month With the food stamps you can only buy the essentials which include fruits, vegetables, meats and other staples. A group on Facebook has even been created called “I Ain’t Ashamed to Be on Food Stamps”. With the high cost of textbooks, tuition and living, it’s no wonder that so many students are reaching out ...

Posted in General | 1 Comment »

US Olympic Swimmers and the Secret Math Techniques

August 14, 2008 – 7:27 pm by Nick

Michael Phelps has become the golden boy of Olympic swimming. USA Swimming is breaking records and hoarding gold. Journalists attribute the leap in performance to the new Speedo LZR RACER suit, pool depth, empty pool lanes, more practice time, or doping. They overlooked the top secret weapon of the USA Swimming: math. Professor Timothy Wei, of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, N.Y., was enlisted by USA Swimming's biomechanics manager, Russell Mark, to develop mathematical techniques and diagnostic technologies, which would enable coaches to see how each swimmers’ motion affects the flow of water. Wei, the acting dean of RPI's engineering school, applied fluid mechanics to help swimmers adjust their stroke to go faster. He designed a swimming pool able to measure an athletes performance in real time. ...

Posted in College Life | No Comments »

Top 5 College Olympians to Watch

August 14, 2008 – 3:22 pm by Kim

College sports are great, but college athletes competing in the Olympics are even better. Most of the competitors in the 2008 games are fairly young, with a minimum age of 16 and the oldest competing athlete coming in at 67-years-old. Here is a list of the top 5 college Olympians to keep an eye on. 1. Alicia Sacramone – Brown University Member of the U.S. women’s gymnastics team. 2. Gerek Meinhardt – Accepted into Notre Dame Youngest American Olympic fencer at the age of 17. 3. Jean Basson – University of Arizona Member of the South African men’s swim team. 4. Jen Yee – Georgia Tech Member of the Canadian women’s softball team. 5. Ngonidzashe Makusha – Florida State University Representing Zimbabwe and competing in the men’s long jump.

Posted in General | 2 Comments »

Facebook Schools application

August 12, 2008 – 9:11 am by Nick

A new Facebook application, Schools, is bringing back several features targeted towards college students. Some are celebrating  it as the return of "old school" Facebook. Facebook originally gained popularity in the Ivy League community. It spread exponentially to every other college in the USA. It was originally only available to college students. Once the site expanded to allow anyone to become members, college students seemed to be left out. The walled garden has returned with the application created by Inigral, a company funded by the original Facebook investors. College students can now see all students in their class and students taking the same courses. Students can show campus affiliations, interests, friends, classes, and calendar. The company plans to charge universities for utilizing the application. instructors, student organizations, ...

Posted in College Life | 1 Comment »

College Offers Free Bicycles

August 8, 2008 – 6:14 am by Nick

  Ripon College, in Wisconsin, has started offering free mountain bikes and helmets to freshmen, who vow not to bring a car on campus. Private donors have driven the $300-per-student program. Ripon's initiative represents the rising concern for skyrocketing oil costs. High gas prices and economic troubles have squeezed college students. University and college bike-sharing programs have filled up quickly. Schools see an opening to guide students toward bike riding, while the sting of fuel costs is still fresh. The environmentally conscious students do no need huge incentives to pick up their bicycles. Schools have scrambles to to revamp biking paths and bike-loan programs. State University of New York-Albany is readying three mile biking path around campus. At Auburn University, the student union has set up bike maintenance ...

Posted in College Life | 2 Comments »