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This Sunday, the NY Times had a very interesting article and the headline pretty much sums up the answer to the question, “Is College Still Worth it?” The headline is “Even for Cashiers, College Pays Off”.

David Leonhardt, begins his article by telling us that, “Almost a century ago, the United States decided to make high school nearly universal. Around the same time, much of Europe decided that universal high school was a waste. Not everybody, European intellectuals argued, should go to high school.”

He then compares this kind of thinking–that high school for everyone was not always thought of as wise– to the argument that many people are having today questioning the need for so many people to attend college, especially when college costs are so high.

Mr. Leonhardt cites a new study that illustrates the benefits of college. “Another study being released this weekend — by Anthony Carnevale and Stephen J. Rose of Georgetown — breaks down the college premium by occupations and shows that college has big benefits even in many fields where a degree is not crucial.”

This article is well worth reading and I think it does a good job of answering the question in the affirmative.

To read the study done by Mr. Carnevale and Mr. Rose, click here.

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According to the Washington Post’s blog, “College Inc.”, by Daniel De Vise, Georgetown University is “the last holdout among traditional national universities in embracing a universal college application.” They have declined to join the ranks of The Common Application.

According to its website “The Common Application membership association was established in 1975 by 15 private colleges that wished to provide a common, standardized first-year application form for use at any member institution.” By July of this year, the Common App will count 463 member colleges and universities.

The University of Southern California has joined the Common App this year and Mr. De Vise wonders if USC will enjoy the “customary bump in applications”.  It appears as if colleges and universities– even very well known ones– experience an increase in applications when they join the Common App. In January,  The NY Times “The Choice” blog said, “One trend, though, does seem some obvious: the increase in applications reported by Columbia University (32 percent) and the University of Michigan (18 percent, as the Feb. 1 application deadline looms) would seem, at least in part, to be a function of those institutions’ choosing to accept the Common Application this year for the first time.” Later information from “The Choice ” indicates that the University of Michigan had an increase in applications of 20%.

When the University of Chicago joined the Common App they experienced a 9% increase in applications, according to the Chicago Maroon.

However, using the numbers from “The Choice” of April 4, 2011, the University of Chicago had a bigger bump this year than the year they joined the Common App.

I am sure that colleges and universities that join the Common App will see an increase in the number of applications they receive. However, in our current climate of college application frenzy, I am not sure how much we can attribute to simply joining The Common App versus all of the other factors that contribute to the rise in applications every year.

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I remember walking into my dorm room as a freshman and meeting the two girls that would be my roommates for the year. One had already started unpacking when I arrived. She removed brand new sheets and a blanket from their packages and had matching luggage with her initials.  She also had a ton of clothes since her family owned clothing stores. I had one beat up looking suitcase and bedding that had seen better days. The third roomie showed up with her sister who lived in town, her boyfriend who did not and asked us about our religion. We had what was known as a “forced triple” which meant we were in a room designed for two–with one bed and one bunk bed, two desks, two small closets and one dresser with 8 drawers. We managed to divide the space fairly equitably and we all got along very well.

Back then, it was the luck of the draw. Today, many colleges have a more sophisticated matching system.  Some colleges have their students fill out forms online and answer questions about their habits–“are you clean or messy”, “do you like to study in a quiet setting”.  They then try to match students according to lifestyles.  Some colleges allow students to choose after they meet–either at a college sponsored event like orientation or in an online forum.  Some colleges still go with luck of the draw but even then, students usually meet online via facebook before the move-in day.

If your college gives you the opportunity to answer a questionnaire about lifestyles, my advice is to answer honestly. If you are messy, say so. If you stay up till the wee hours of the morning, you should be up front about this. It is far more likely that you will get a roommate who is in tune with you and you can hopefully avoid friction.  One of my students told me about her college dorm’s contract. The roommates were required to write a contract regarding what kind of behaviors were acceptable. After they signed, they were bound to it. They took this assignment seriously and avoided potential conflict. She is now starting her fourth year with the same group of girls she started out with.

Many students today have never shared a room with a sibling and now they will be sharing with a stranger. If you find that you and your roommate are having issues, speak to your Resident Assistant (RA) and see what he/she can do to help you mediate issues. If that doesn’t work, see if you can change rooms. Your dorm room will be your refuge and where you spend a good deal of your time so you will need to be comfortable–physically and emotionally.