College used to be something that everyone aspired to and worked hard to get into. It was always said that a college degree is priceless and that saying is now really being tested. With the price of college escalating quickly to amounts that can be called nothing less than outrageous, one has to wonder whether college is truly worth whatever it costs no matter how much.

With so many students needing loans to get them through college, they need a job to help them pay off those loans while they go to school. Usually, a part time job college job is only good enough to tread water and pay off the interest on the loans and not the principle. With more and more colleges costing upwards of $10,000 per year, these students will most likely graduate being deep in debt. College is supposed to be a fun time where you learn, grow up, and have funnot a place where you end up heavily in debt.

Is it wise to have college students graduating with a mound of debt needing to be paid off? At that young age, people should be enjoying life and not have to feel the daily pressure of needing a job just to tread water with their debt. Finding a job now is hard enough and when you add in the debt load many of these graduates are carrying, it makes one wonder whether college was really worth it?

For many college graduates, a degree is not a job guarantee and in no time in history is that more evident than right now. Many people go on to have jobs and careers that have nothing to do with the areas they majored in at college. In fact, many new college graduates will end up taking jobs that dont even require a college degree.

Students who havent chosen paths that will lead to high paying jobs and dont have specific career goals may in fact be better off getting a job straight out of high school. This will allow them to earn and save money right from the start rather than go in debt. While it is true that a college degree is beneficial to have, if it costs more than you will ever get back and puts you heavily in debt, a good case can be made that many students might be better off seeking jobs rather than seeking admissions to college.

Even with the growing popularity of LMS online courses, only 8.6 out of each 100 university credits taken by U.S. students are for studying a foreign language, according to the U.S. Department of Education. In contrast, about 56% of Europeans are masters over at least one non-native tongue, according to a recent Eurobarometer survey. It’s an embarrassing truth: Americans are pretty limited in language skills, minus their native tongues.

The U.S. is among the most well-off nations on the planet, with access to the best technology. Given this, why aren’t more Americans capitalizing on language acquisition resources such as online and in-person tutors, and university and LMS online language courses?

Of course, LMS online language courseware is rather special. Different from other learning topics which maintain their liveliness on the page, language requires out loud practice; sole dependence on online courseware may not work out for many students.

For learning a language, a blended learning environment is really ideal. In order to become fluent, students need to listen to and repeat words and phrases. Although an online course can ask learners to listen to and repeat, pronunciation is something that needs to be coached in person, and from an early point in a student’s learning experience. And when possible, it’s best to combine face-to-face with online learning regardless of the topic.

When well-maintained, an LMS online language course is effective. Particularly for high schools, LMS online language courses help solve many problems facing schools today, such as: scant language course offerings, language teacher shortages, a lack of interest in traditional language acquisition, the rise in home-schooling and lack of AP classes in some areas, and the lack of physical space and funding.

When required interaction and language practice with other students is online, shyer students may feel more comfortable. Online programs like VoIP services, LMSs, podcasts, instant messaging, and screen and audio recordings are just a few ways language students can apply and practice their second tongues.

The Common App is a limited document. You only have so much space to provide your answers and input. Of course, you can provide some supplemental materials, but in truth, your only opportunity for self-expression will be in the essays. There are two of them: one generic, and one that is specific to school.

By following these Five Essential Tips, you will be able to produce an essay that will greatly enhance your chance of admittance in a top school.

1. Paint a clear picture of yourself. Tell about your personality and accomplishments. This is much more effective than telling a good story.

An applicant may submit a very wonderful essay recounting childhood experiences and family tales; however, this sort of essay does not tell the examiner the two things that are necessary in determining whether or not to admit an applicant.

-It did not tell me about anything the applicant had accomplished. -It only gave me an idea of one aspect of the applicant’s personality.

The essay, while quite good, contributed to this applicant being waitlisted.

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2. Talk yourself up!

It is typical of overachievers to be modest. They tend to make the least of their spectacular accomplishments with statements like:

“Naturally, there are many others who are just as worthy as I am of attending Harvard, if not more so.”

Or the equally self-deprecating,

“I know it will be pure luck if I am accepted to Stanford.”

You know very well these things aren’t true, so don’t say them.

Naturally, you don’t want to be full of yourself and lord your accomplishments over others, but be equally careful not to be too modest. You have accomplished a great deal, or you wouldn’t be applying to a prestigious school. Make the most of your accomplishments. Be proud of the prizes you have won and the goals you have achieved. Put your best foot forward.

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3. Share your life stories.

Sharing appropriate anecdotes about your life is very effective and memorable. The essay about the family that adopted dogs is a case in point. Even though it didn’t help that applicant, I still remember it. If you share stories of your life in a way that showcases your personality and your accomplishments, it will go a long way toward getting your application accepted.

4. Don’t bother to tell about shortcomings and failures. These things are not pertinent to the process. Tell about your successes.

This is not the place to share the fact that you only got third place in the first track meet you ever participated in. The only exception to this would be if that event acted as the springboard to your winning the state championship.

Your childhood accomplishments, while charming, are not pertinent to your essay unless they led to further accomplishments in your high school career. If winning a prize for the best science project in 6th grade led you to enter and win a national competition later on, be sure to point it out. If not, omit it.

5. Name-dropping is not impressive.

Avoid saying things like:

“I know Fred Smith, who is a freshman here at Harvard. He is a very dedicated student, whom I deeply admire. That is why I am most interested in attending Harvard.”

If you happen to know the name of one of a professor or well-known alumnus, it is not helpful to insert it in your essay.

If you need to mention a person’s name because it is necessary to the sense of the story you are telling, do so. Otherwise, it is best to avoid it.