At college campuses around the country, a fall ritual as familiar as the football tailgate party is about to disappear. The on-campus credit card marketing, characterized by free pizzas and T-shirts for every completed application, is enjoying its last hurrah before a new federal law kicks in next year.

Credit card issuers in recent years routinely awarded cards to students with no income and no co-signer. Many colleges and universities joined the credit card game, allowing school mascots to be emblazoned across cards marketed to students and alumni.

Some colleges provide credit card companies with names and addresses of students and alumni. In exchange they can earn lucrative royalties based on the number of sign-ups and the volume of charges.

Consumer advocates say the reining in of student credit card sales can’t come soon enough. In a study by Sallie Mae, the student loan organization, college students who had applied for student loans had an average of 4.6 credit cards in the spring of 2008, with the average senior graduating with $4,100 in credit card debt.

College students have been a key target of the credit card industry.

In February, a host of changes will hit campus. The law will:

Allow consumers under 21 to get credit cards only if a parent or other adult co-signs or if they prove they have the independent means to repay credit card debt.

Require disclosure of agreements that authorize collegiate affinity cards, including the details on royalty payments and mailing lists. Prohibit card issuers from offering freebies like food or trinkets when marketing on campus.

Stop prescreened credit card offers for consumers under 21 and ban credit limit increases without permission of a parent or other co-signer.

While many credit card companies have already scaled back aggressive on-campus marketing, consumer advocates say they will be monitoring colleges this fall.

The new reforms are aimed at keeping students from accumulating more credit card debt than they can handle. The changes are likely to make it more difficult for consumers under 21 to get credit cards.

J.D. says “Beware! Credit Card companies will find new ways to get their bloody talons into the pocket books of these young and innocent college students.”

Send article as PDF to

You asked, here it is…

Proper training, preparation and common sense are all paramount for a successful test day and a successful test score.  That aside, here are few good tips to take with you on your test day.

     ·Bring the proper supplies. Bring a bottle of water, a pencil sharpener or extra lead for mechanical pencils and bring an approved calculator. Be sure to shop or find these items early on and have them ready the night before the test day.
     ·Know all of the instructions before stepping foot into the test room. Don’t waste valuable time by reading these instructions on the test day. Your best bet is to familiarize yourself with them very well so that you area ready to go once the clock starts.
     ·Use your test booklet as scratch paper. There is no need to keep this booklet neat and clean as no one will read it afterwards anyway. Use the booklet to help work through a problem or to mark a particular question for review later on.
     ·Be very careful when bubbling in your answers. The answer sheet can do a number on your eyes after a while and it can be easy to bubble in a “D” for number 11 when it was meant for number 12. Be sure you bubble in the correct answer for the given questions. Otherwise one misstep can throw off your whole test.
     ·Be mindful of each question. It’s easy to go too quickly and make careless mistakes. Don’t overlook the heart of a question, or not take in each answer possibility. You must move through the test quickly, but the key is finding a balance between a quick pace and recklessness.
     ·Answer the easier questions first. If you come across a hard one, skip it and come back to it later. Time is of the essence, so be sure to tackle questions you know you can get right first. If you find yourself working on a question for more than 90 seconds, move on to the next. Come back to it at the end.
     ·Don’t rush, but don’t waste time. Though you know that you can’t afford to waste time you also want to be accurate on the SAT. Be sure to focus and read each question thoroughly before attempting to answer. After reading the question, review the multiple-choice questions if applicable, and then make your choice. If you can’t decide what to do on a question, mark it as something to come back to. It’s best to keep moving, you can always return to that question later. If you find yourself skimming through the questions to fast, take a step back and refocus.
     ·Have confidence! Don’t assume a question may be too difficult to answer. Be sure to read each question and think about the answer before determining that you need to guess or skip that question.  Have a “CEO’s” mentality; leave your emotions at the classroom door and go in with focused confidence.
     ·Know when to guess. On more difficult questions, try to eliminate as many wrong answers as possible before making a guess. Remember that you are penalized only ¼ point for an incorrect question. You receive 1 point for a correct answer, and 0 for a skipped answer.
     ·Breathe. Bring a sense of perspective to this test. Yes, the SAT is an important test, and you should concentrate to do well, but keep in mind that this is only a test. Remembering this throughout your test day may even help you to relax, in turn help you do better over all.

Important:

In researching colleges (well in advance of test day) your student should know both the minimum and maximum test scores on your child’s list of colleges. For example the test scores that San Diego State likes, are they higher or lower than the test scores at ASU?

Researching a college and knowing what kinds of demographics each college desires could be the tipping point that could get your student admitted and a whole ton of scholarships and or grants.

Send article as PDF to

• This link is AZCollegePlanning’s recommended test prep books & stuff SAT & ACT Prep Recommended AZCollegePlanning

Most colleges today accept both or either of the standardized tests; the SAT and ACT and state that they don’t have a preference. It’s not unusual for a student to score significantly higher on one test vs. the other. Many students are asking: “Well, which test should I take?”

First, check to see if the schools you are considering have a test preference or requirement. If not, consider your options. (*Note some more elite college require the SAT Subjects test in addition to the SAT or ACT. Check the college admission requirements.)

Keep in mind the differences in structure and content of the two exams. The tests have distinct qualities – the ACT is curriculum-based (English, math, reading, science and an optional writing section), while the SAT is more of an aptitude test focused on vocabulary, reading comprehension, general reasoning and problem-solving skills.

If you have a hard time staying focused for long periods, the ACT may be the test for you. It’s shorter, generally more straightforward and there are more knowledge-based questions. English and math are a part of both tests, but the content and orientation is different.

The SAT focuses more on vocabulary and the ACT concentrates on grammar, punctuation and syntax. The ACT includes science and trigonometry, neither of which is found on the SAT.

Some counselors will tell you that intelligent underachievers will do better on the SAT and diligent overachievers will score better on the ACT. And others say that Athletes do better on the ACT verses the SAT. That may not be true information.

Many experts recommend that you take both tests, as well as both pre-tests (the PSAT and the PLAN) if they are offered in your area.

If you wish to make an educated choice, check out some of the free full-length practice tests for the ACT and SAT online (at The College Board, ACT, Princetonreview.com, Petersons.com), familiarize yourself with the format, content and structure and decide what’s best for you.

Here are the official links to sample test:
Free SAT sample tests
Free ACT sample tests

If you don’t have a clear preference, many students looking for any edge to improve their chances of admission, are taking both tests and submitting the higher score or both scores.

If you are a high school senior register for the test(s) now.
SAT test date October 10, 2009 registration deadline September 9
Register here for the SAT 
ACT test date October 24, 2009 registration deadline September 18
Register here for the ACT

If you are a high school junior take the test in the late spring
SAT test date March 13, 2010 registration deadline February 4, 2010
ACT test date April 10, 2010 registration deadline March 5, 2010

If you are a more hands on electronic techno-savvy kind of person, there are electronic handheld game type test prep devices. Pocket Prep Interactive Handheld Tutor for the SAT and ACT

Send article as PDF to