Many of our tutors at Varsity Tutors are more than just highly effective teachers; they have significant professional accomplishments and experiences to share with their students. Evan Benn, a Varsity Tutors tutor specializing in undergraduate and graduate school admissions essays, is a successful journalist with an impressive professional track record. Evan graduated from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University in 2004 and went on to work for The Miami Herald as a hard-news reporter for five years. He later relocated to St. Louis where he landed a position at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, moving through severa ... Read More About Journalism Career Experiences of a Northwestern University Alumnus

Too many students are under the impression that Linkedin is only for adults with jobs who are already well established in the workforce, but this is a simple misconception. One of the best resources Linkedin provides is personally tailored job listings that reflect your career interests, so this is basically a haven for aspiring professionals. To make this simple: if you are a college student who is beginning to put together a resumé and think about internships, you should create a Linkedin profile. One reason you may feel silly getting on Linkedin at this stage in your life could be that you haven’t yet held a role that you feel ... Read More About How to Create a Linkedin Profile

New to the real world? Feeling a little dumbfounded as to how to get anywhere or do anything in the job market? Well, that is where networking comes in. Networking is a tool used by everyone, but it’s particularly useful and important for fresh post-grads who desperately want to break into the career world.  It is very easy to feel out of place doing this, however. You’re so used to being a student and having the university constantly hand you opportunities. Of course, you always felt comfortable taking advantage of those opportunities because you had the comfort of being a student at that school to back you up. But now that ... Read More About How to Network as a Recent College Graduate

You’re actually completing college. Hard to believe, isn’t it? Just yesterday you were carrying boxes from your parents’ minivan up to your dorm floor, now you’re attending your last classes and preparing to pick up your cap and gown. As you get ready to walk that stage, tons of thoughts are likely to go through your head. What happens next? Am I going to find a job? Should I have applied to grad schools already? Is college really over for good? These are questions that are perfectly normal to go through a soon-to-be graduate’s head and it’s just as normal to find yourself with no answers. Although you&rsqu ... Read More About How to Prepare for College Graduation

Although many college students may view senior year as the time to start thinking like an adult, junior year is really the time to do it.  By no means does this imply you are obligated to stop engaging in student life and must spend all your time networking in business suits, but you do need to start shaping your mindset for that reality.  Otherwise, you will enter senior year with no preparation for the real world that is ever so quickly approaching you. Possibly the biggest reason for all this is the fact that internship season is falling upon you.  If you haven’t had an internship already, the summer between junior and ... Read More About Why Junior Year of College is Important

You will inevitably be asked to give a list of references throughout your many application processes.  This shouldn’t be any shocking news to you, but if you are still new to the ways of the job search, you should be aware of the proper etiquette required to get and use a reference. Never blindly assume someone will be your reference and then give their information to a potential employer.  There are some cases where this may be okay, for instance if you have been working for a certain company for a very long time and have a close and comfortable enough relationship with your boss that it would almost be silly to ask their per ... Read More About How to Get a Good List of References

Job interviews can be dangerously overthought.  Of course you’re going to overthink them though, they can potentially change your life.  You clearly want to do your absolute best to make sure you say all the right things and practice all the right etiquette.  But sometimes that is exactly what can hurt you – trying too hard to memorize and perform certain things.  Realistically, you need to understand that employers are interviewing a number of people, not just you, so they will easily filter out applicants who they can tell are “putting on a show.”  Now, how do you make sure you don’t fal ... Read More About How to Master an Interview

Ah, the classic cover letter.  If you don’t have at least some sort of template for one of these typed up, then you are nowhere near ready to embark on the job application process.  However, there is something very crucial to remember about these original templates you create – never send them out without meticulously personalizing them to the job/company you are applying to. Once you have the basic form of your cover letter set up, do not forget to go over these essential points: Who are you sending this to? This is not in reference to the company.  It means who specifically will be receiving and reading this init ... Read More About How to Personally Tailor a Cover Letter

Creating a resumé for the first time can be just a little bit daunting.  Where to even begin is probably what throws students off the most.  There are a lot of things to take into consideration, such as what format to use, what information to include, what order to put that information in, etc.  Well, it is actually quite simple.  The best way to approach putting together a resumé is by understanding its main purpose – to represent your professional self in the absolute best way possible.  This is an extremely detailed elevator speech put on paper meant to convince any employer that you are the top ... Read More About How to Create Your First Resume

Your first internship is a crucial stepping-stone in your professional life.  For many students, it is the very introduction into their professional life.  Internships are truly invaluable experiences that directly show you the difference between a teenage part-time job and a “real” job, so to speak.  Many of the elements that make these types of jobs distinct from each other are obvious, but there are also many elements that you can only understand by literally going through it. Landing an internship in the first place is no easy feat, so be sure to pat yourself on the back for accomplishing that step.  Also, ... Read More About How to Prepare for Your First Internship

Bad news: with regards to business school admissions, it is a whole lot more challenging today than it was 5-10 years ago. More and more employers are demanding that employees carry business degrees for senior-level positions. Employees are listening and loading up admissions committees with applications. This makes it harder for you. But, Varsity Tutors is available to help with more information on business school admissions strategies. And the best part is: we have private tutors waiting to help you improve your GMAT and overall application. Today, business schools can be more selective, and they are looking for the next CEOs and senior le ... Read More About How To Get Into Business School

The government recently mandated that all colleges must include a net price calculator on their websites. However, many colleges easily found ways to hide theirs from students, according to an article in the US News & World Report.  An accurate net price calculator is designed to give students and exact figure on what they will pay to attend (tuition plus room and board/additional fees subtracted by scholarships and financial aid).  The government mandated these because many colleges were tricking prospective students into believing their schools were much more affordable than they actually were. Some colleges keep tuition ... Read More About How To Calculate Net Price Of College

Online education has been lighting up every education news service since the Internet was created. Some believe it can work in addition to traditional schools/colleges, and others think it could actually replace traditional schools. However you feel toward it, there is now an easier way to search for online schools. You don’t have to type “online college” into Google to find all the schools in your area or even wait for “empowering” radio commercials. The US News & World Report launched an online education directory where students can easily find appropriate programs. Visit this site for the directory and ot ... Read More About How To Find An Online Education That Suits You

Employers have raised their standards to the point where many now require a master’s degree instead of a bachelor’s degree, according to an article in the New York Times. Employers can be very selective in whom they hire as the unemployment rate rises. Combine that with the fact that a higher percentage of people now have bachelor’s degrees than they did 10 years ago, and careers are just looking bleak for recent college graduates. The master’s is now the fastest growing degree, as 657,000 were awarded in 2009, twice as many since the 1980s. The rate has skyrocketed in the past few years as many with bachelor degrees ... Read More About Why Advanced Degrees Are Becoming More Popular

Employment rates and starting salaries for graduating college students entering the job market have fallen drastically in the last few years, according to an article in the New York Times. Only 55.6% of 2009 college graduates found jobs that actually used their degrees; 22.4% are unemployed, and 22% are working jobs that do not use their college degrees. Students were surveyed in the spring; so these numbers could have changed by their graduation dates. However, 90% of graduates in 2006-2007 had jobs (that were relevant to their degrees) during the spring before their graduation. The median starting salary for 2009 and 2010 college graduate ... Read More About Why College Grads Face A Tough Job Market

The business and higher education landscapes are changing, and no we’re not talking about the Internet. We’re talking about women and minority groups enrolling in colleges at record-breaking rates and now beginning to earn more advanced degrees than men. The most recent census figures released in April 2011 show that women now hold more advanced degrees (master’s, PhD degrees) than men for the first time, according to the Associated Press and an article in the Wall Street Journal. Women have outpaced men in bachelor’s degrees since 1996. Roughly 20.1 million women have bachelor’s degrees, compared to about 18.7 ... Read More About Why Women Outnumber Men In Higher Education

Until recently, America has led the world in producing college graduates. President Barack Obama has vowed that America will retake the lead by 2020, winning the support and funding of many organizations. Higher-education groups have targeted many different groups and demographics, always trying to promote education to increase America’s overall number of college graduates. These groups have promoted the importance of this initiative to community colleges, public universities, African American students, college dropouts and other demographics. Now, education groups and the Obama administration are targeting Hispanic students to increa ... Read More About Initiatives To Increase College Graduation Rates

2009 and 2010 were the wrong years to graduate from college, especially for students seeking entry-level positions in the corporate world. After four years of college tuition, many students simply could not afford to pursue an M.B.A. and were then forced to test the waters of the job market. However, in the corporate world, jobs were scarce, leaving thousands of college students unemployed after graduation. The solution: public service careers. In 2009, 16% more recent college graduates took jobs with the federal government than in 2008, and 11%  more took jobs with nonprofit groups, according to an article in the New York Times, which ... Read More About Why College Grads Are Turning To Public Service

Years of education, of knowledge, of learning, but what exactly does it amount to? Are college grads actually better at certain tasks than non grads, and how much more qualified are they than non grads? These questions are continuously asked and are nearly impossible to correctly answer. But, the Lumina Foundation released a report published in an article in the Washington Post, addressing these exact questions. The report seeks to define what college graduates should be able to do. It concluded that college graduates, despite field of study, should demonstrate abilities in five areas of competence. According to the study, graduates should ... Read More About What Should College Graduates Know

Foreign languages are making a comeback. Modest? Sure. Slight? Yes. But a comeback indeed, as enrollment in foreign language majors has been rising steadily, according to the Washington Post. Enrollment in every foreign language has been consistently rising slightly, according to a new survey by the Modern Language Association of America, published in the Washington Post. The trend of all foreign languages rising slightly is fairly new. Language enrollments for French, German, Italian, Latin, Russian and Japanese have been on enrollment roller coasters, experiencing short-lived ups and down in, according to past surveys by the Modern Languag ... Read More About Rise Of Foreign Language Enrollment

            College is expensive. Very few can counteract the simple fact that it is expensive. Now, why it’s expensive is a completely different story, and that answer is longer, far longer, than anyone’s patience level.             The Center for College Affordability and Productivity has been continuously releasing facts and other pieces of information about how the higher education system can reform, according to an article in the Washington Post.            1. Encourage More Studen ... Read More About How To Make College More Affordable For All

There has always been much debate on how valuable a college degree is. Some are convinced it’s a waste of money and time that could have been spent working and earning income. Others say it’s a necessary education experience that will give one a competitive advantage.             A recent study was conducted by the College Board – the same company that creates the SAT – claiming that a college degree’s value is growing, according to an article in The New York Times.             Workers who had college de ... Read More About The Value Of College Degrees

The United States is no longer the global leader in postsecondary degrees, according to an article in the The Washington Post.             A postsecondary degree is any degree that one attains after high school. It could be an Associate’s Degree, Bachelor’s Degree or Master’s Degree.             This trend is consistent with other findings that k-12 students in the United States are lagging behind many other foreign students.             The Washington Post cit ... Read More About US Trailing In Higher Education

The American workforce is changing rapidly as more and more employers are beginning to make college degrees a prerequisite for jobs, according to an article in The New York Times.               In 2018, many more jobs will demand at least a two-year associate’s degree opposed to only a high school diploma. In fact, the number of these types of jobs will outnumber the people who are qualified with the proper amount of education by three million, according to a report that will be released by the Center on Education and the Workforce at Georgetown University. The report was cite ... Read More About Importance Of College Degrees

In a recent article, Jay Mathews of The Washington Post offers a fresh opinion on America’s academic culture of high prestige and narrow notoriety.             Mathews argues that Americans are very naïve in thinking that our universities are by far and beyond the best in the world. Harvard, Yale, Princeton and Stanford are some of the best colleges in the world; however, Mathews argues that some foreign colleges are catching up to these institutions.             Mathews cited Ben Wildavsky's "The Great Brain Race: How Glo ... Read More About Foreign Colleges

A Master’s degree traditionally carries an honorable, intelligent and prestigious clout; however, the value of this clout is a moot point.             To some, a Master’s degree is a sign of intellectual superiority, but to others it could simply be a framed piece of paper that needs to be dusted regularly. There are many pros and cons to pursuing a Master’s degree, and it would be wise for students to make the decision of whether they will pursue one early.  As the economy plummets, the interest in graduate programs increases.        ... Read More About The Value Of A Masters Degree

Current college seniors (2010 graduating class) are finding it much easier to land jobs than the preceding 2009 class, according to an article in the New York Times.             2009 was one of the worst job-seeking years in history for college seniors. However, the National Association of Colleges and Employers recently reported that 5 percent more college seniors are finding jobs in 2010, compared to 2009.             Employers are looking for accounting, engineering, computing and mathematics majors, according to Edwin Koc, resear ... Read More About The American Job Market

Everyone knows someone who knows someone. Finding out who those people are and what they do can help you get a job or internship while in college. Be your major: You don’t need to paint your major on your forehead or anything too dramatic, but it might not be a bad idea to wear it on your sleeve. Wherever you go - the bank, grocery store, haircut, bowling alley, etc. - try to engage in conversation with the people you bump into. Talk to these people about your career plans because they might know someone in your field. Also, students should talk to their family members and friends’ parents about their majors. These people probably ... Read More About Networking 101

Global warming and other climate/energy concerns have sparked a sharp interest in many college students, leading them to pursue careers in these fields, according to an article in The Los Angeles Times.             Educators are suggesting that there will be an increasing number of jobs in this market in years to come. Educators also noted that students are pursuing science and engineering studies to fulfill these jobs.             The rising interest is so recent that most colleges have not been able to clearly document the latest n ... Read More About Interest Rises In Clean Energy Careers

            Federal and state regulators are becoming increasingly concerned with employers exploiting college students through unpaid internships, as a means for free labor, according to a New York Times article.             There has been a sharp increase in unpaid internships because of the recent economic recession. Many employers have been forced to make cuts. They have been picking up the slack and cutting costs by hiring unpaid interns. Also, there is a strong desire for many college students to pursue unpaid internships to enh ... Read More About Regulating Unpaid Internships

Dear high school seniors, when you sit in a cubicle for the next 50 years of your life for nine hours a day, what do you want to do? Think about it, and let yourself know in a few years.             The earlier one can declare a major the better. However, it is very important for students not to pigeon-hole themselves into majors before college even starts. Choosing a major is one of the most important decisions students can make, and they need to choose carefully. After all, it very well could be what you do every day for the next 50 years.        &nbs ... Read More About College Majors

            This post is being written while listening to Professor Jim Newton’s Communication Studies 187: Journalistic Ethics from the University of California Los Angeles for free.             The lecture is an hour-long video clip from YouTube. The U.S. News and World Report states that many college professors are uploading their lectures to online sites, extending higher education past students and teachers to all people. Their lectures are publicly available to anyone interested.         ... Read More About Free Online College Lectures

"When will I ever need this?"  "Why would I ever need to know this?" Questions like this from students are often met with an answer like, "Well...when you're in the real world..."Wrong answer.  This represents the loss of a great learning opportunity.  Instead of referencing some ambiguous state called "the real world," educators could instead find applications with which the students can directly relate.  Merely just saying that they will need this specific piece of knowledge in some future "real world" also unnecessarily devalues the student's current lives.  Are they not living very real moments every day? So how c ... Read More About In The Real World

The college dining halls will be one of the biggest differences from your life at home.             However, different does not always live up to its awful connotation. Dining halls are not exactly filled with retired chefs and grandmas who love you, and sometimes the food is not good. However, it is part of the college experience, and it is something you will be able to overlook.             Allergies can be an issue in the dining halls. Essentially, you will not know what is possibly in whatever they may be making; so tell the work ... Read More About College Dining

The next SAT test date is only a month away!  1. Practice, practice, practice.  Just like learning how to ride a bike, you get better at the SAT by practicing.  Staring at the questions won't get you far.  Dive in and do some practice questions.  You'll not only learn the format of the questions, you'll also learn how The College Board (makers of the SAT) likes to word questions. 2. Use The Official SAT Study Guide.  What better way to practice than by using actual SAT test questions?  This book is published by The College Board, and contains a whopping 10 full length practice tests.  In addition, the ... Read More About Five SAT Test Prep Tips

            Nearly all colleges have bookstores located on or close to campus. And every single one of them is a lot more expensive than it needs to be.             A lot of these bookstores are affiliated with the university. These bookstores know what books the professors assign, and they usually have those books in stock. However, they understand that they have little to none competition, granting them the liberty of jacking the prices up. They know students will buy books there because they have a dearth of other choices.  & ... Read More About Avoid Your College Bookstore

There are varying studies that “prove” the value of college degrees, and yet there are others that “prove” colleges do not actually make one more valuable. However, the bottom line is that simply going to college will not automatically enhance one’s value in the job market.             The New York Times asked “how much does the actual teaching and learning that happens on campus really matter.” Many people who have college degrees are working blue-collar jobs. However, statistics claim that the median earnings for people who have a 4-year bachelo ... Read More About True Value of College Degrees

Computer programming skills prove to be great asset In a world that is rapidly going digital, many employers are looking for people who understand the digital world and computer programming skills as well as their field of study. These people who can combine computer programming skills with the knowledge of their field will be more attractive to employers, according to The New York Times. Many young students are reluctant to pursue these careers because the skills are difficult to quickly learn, and schools do not teach the material at a deeper level. Many high school programs only give students a surface level, computer programming educati ... Read More About Computer Programming Skills Prove To Be Great Asset

The stacks and online databases of hopeful, entrance applications for the incoming 2009-2010 freshmen class have grown sharply for the nation’s top, competitive schools, decreasing the chances of acceptance, according to The New York Times. Harvard, Stanford, Dartmouth, Yale and Brown are some of the more recognizable schools that saw increases in applications. These schools have traditionally been highly selective, and they have scrutinized applications further, making it one of the toughest years for hopeful students. The Times reported that the percentage of students accepted into these competitive colleges has been or near record l ... Read More About Recession Can Not Slow Interest In Elite Colleges