Lynn F. Jacobs and Jeremy S. Hyman, authors of The Secrets of College Success, offer ten tips for college success.

Write about something you’ve lost.

A recent New York Times article looks at the first student to submit his college application, at 3:30 AM of the day this year’s application became available.  According to deans of admissions interviewed for the article, being the first to apply is not necessarily an advantage.  They suggest that, before applying, students should take time to hone their personal essay and wait until senior year is underway so that they can report on their progress both in and outside of class.

A company called Ultrinsic is making it possible for students to win money by betting on their grades at 36 colleges.  Students can be rewarded for earning A’s or take out grade insurance if they think they will not do well in a class.  Is it wise to motivate students with monetary rewards?  Is betting on grades even legal?

Today’s writing prompt is courtesy of Leo Tolstoy.  Finish the story: “Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.”

Here is a summer reading list, courtesy of the readers of The Nation.

Ironic Sans has created a video tracking the incorrect use of lay and lie in the TV series Mad Men.  This is a commonly tested diction error on the writing section of the SAT, so pay attention!  Also frequently tested is the difference between raise and rise.  Like lay, raise takes an object; like lie, rise does not take an object.

From U.S. News and World Report, here are accounts of nine road trips to college campuses situated in different parts of the country.

In her recent American Prospect article, Sara Mead argues that, in terms of educational reform, we should shift our focus toward early literacy rather than older students.

“Why focus on early literacy? Because whether children can read well by the end of third grade is a strong predictor of how they are likely to do in the future — in school, at work, and as parents and citizens. The facts are sobering. Children who do not learn to read proficiently by the end of third grade are unlikely ever to read at grade level. These youngsters are at high risk for later school failure and behavioral problems, for dropping out of high school, and for a host of negative life outcomes once they reach adulthood. For example, poor reading skills in the early elementary grades are highly correlated with later delinquency. According to the U.S. Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, 38 percent of all youth in juvenile detention read below the fourth-grade level.”

Students who do not learn to read by the end of third grade are at a severe disadvantage, as this is the age when students stop “learning to read” and start “reading to learn.”  These same students may be act out and create behavioral problems within the classroom precisely because they lack the literacy skills necessary to succeed at higher levels of education.  The article is a good reminder of the importance of developing early literacy skills and making reading a primary focus within the curriculum.

From U.S. News and World Report, here are ten recommendations for parents to help their college-bound kids.