Patrick O'Connor

A blog I posted this March questioned the wisdom of President Obama's plan to lower the cost of college. Now that the Republican nominee is all but assured, it's time to assess Mitt Romney's education plan, which came out last week.

Where to begin?

Let's start with the...

Seniors, here are some recommendations on how to spend your summertime. College is about trying new things, so give these a spin, and you'll hit the campus more flexible than Gumby after a yoga class:

Movie You Must See Before You Go To College The Shawshank Redemption...

My column calling for better college counseling training for high school counselors has had some interesting feedback. It's clear there is more to discuss here...

... But I wanted to pass along some encouraging news from Stuart Chen-Hayes and Melissa Ockerman, co-chairs of the ACES School Counseling Interest...

"Dr. O'Connor?"

"Mrs. Hart, how are you? Emily is on her--"

"You have some nerve, talking about Emily. After you call her a two-timer in your last college newsletter."

"I called her a--?"

"Don't be coy with me. 'Just a reminder that you can only deposit to one college. If...

The debate in student government was loud and intense. Questions were posed that included the practical ("So, how exactly would this work?") the philosophical ("Is this really all that important?") and the extreme ("I know this one kid who choked once..."). The student government adviser clearly saw that the discussion...

For those of you who like to read tea leaves about applying to college, I'm here to tell you the Boston Tea Party happened about two weeks ago in Manhattan.

That was when Cooper Union announced its plans to start charging tuition for some of its graduate students,...

Now that you've decided on a college, you're probably engaged in serious academic pursuits, like planning senior skip day and sneaking a Whoopee cushion on the principal's chair at graduation, so I'll quickly address two issues I have for you, and you can be on your way.

First, congratulations again...

Panicked parents of next year's high school seniors are anticipating a rough ride when it comes to applying to colleges in the fall, and when you ask them why, they point to what happened in college admissions this past year.

Record high applications led to record low acceptance...

Dear Mr. President:

High school counselors and college admissions officers stood a little taller last week when you took your case public for federal financial aid. Your slow jam asking Congress to chill on interest rates for student loans might be cool enough to get even

"Dr. O'Connor?"

"Hey, Marvin*. Ready for prom this weekend?"

"I've been kind of busy."

"Still sorting out your college choices?"

"Well, I put a spreadsheet together on all three colleges with the information I gathered from their websites, my campus visits, and my discussions with their admissions and financial aid...

Admit it -- at some point in your life, you didn't really believe college counselors were all that important.

After all, how hard could it be? You point the student towards a great online college search program, they plunk in their grades, their test scores, and what...

I just can't win in April.

Last week, I went to get hot dogs for opening day of baseball season, and I was mobbed by questions about why straight A students didn't get into Harvard. This week, I went to get some red pens at the drug store to do...

It had to happen sooner or later.

Two years ago, colleges created waitlists that put more people on hold than Peggy the Customer Service Agent. A few people sighed, but no one really complained.

Last year, colleges ramped up the process of sending student acceptances by e-mail --...

Sara came home from a softball game last spring and was surprised to see her father's car in the driveway. May was a busy month in his line of work, so he usually went back to the office after watching Sara pitch, finished a little paperwork, and came home in...

Hollywood might think The Hunger Games is being released this Friday, but college-bound families know the craving for meaty college messages has been on for three months. Early returns suggest applicants will be seeing an increase in three trends that could make April fools out of student and counselor alike,...

Parents and students are always on the lookout for strong websites that will provide clear college information. These sites can't replace a strong school-based counseling program, but they sure can supplement it nicely.

Past columns have mentioned other quality sites, like Zinch, but here are some new and...

I've decided it's time to amend the United States Constitution.

From now on, the only people who get to vote are school counselors.

This thought came to me after three weeks of nonstop phone calls to my house from presidential candidates. After listening to the logic and claims they...

The hearts and pocketbooks of American parents sang with joy when President Obama announced a plan to make college more affordable. Applying to college can be a challenging experience, but figuring out how to pay for it is even more difficult, especially when college tuition increases at

We wrap up our quiz on the colleges with answers to four questions that are more than trivial -- they're essential in helping you build a college outlook that's right for you.

5. Name the one attribute Agnes Scott College, Hope College, and Goucher College have in common. Reader

Last Friday's blog invited you to test your college knowledge. The eight questions may seem to be pretty obscure, but the answers -- and the ideas behind the answers -- give high school students something to consider as they build their college lists, and think about the purpose...