The U.S. News & World Report surveyed more than 1,300 graduate schools and programs and ranked them according to their methodology.

They offered a sneak peak of the 2015 Best Graduate Schools rankings. Surveying 453 accredited master's programs in business, the U.S. News & World Report listed in alphabetical order the top 10 highest-ranked business schools:

Columbia University (NY)
Dartmouth College (Tuck) (NH)
Harvard University (MA)
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Sloan)
New York University (Stern)
Northwestern University (Kellogg) (IL)
Stanford University (CA)
University of California—Berkeley (Haas)
University of Chicago (Booth)
University of Pennsylvania (Wharton) 

The actual ranking and score of these and other graduate schools – including those offering full-time, part-time and executive MBA programs – will be available March 11, 2014, on usnews.com. Use #BestGradSchools.

Lee Academia's professional experts can help you with your graduate/professional school journey. Contact us for more information.

Why engage the services of a private college consultant?

Independent college consultants are

• Available. Consultants aren’t tied to a school, a school district, or a school calendar. They work with students in the immediate neighborhood or across the world thanks to readily available technology. Not surprisingly, consultants do much of their most important work over the summer months getting seniors ready for the admissions process, and many work long weekend and evening hours. Lee Academia's experts worked 24-7 for the past 10 years, and have never complained about their hours, as their dedication to work with students always comes first.
  

• Responsive. It’s part of the business model. Consultants have to respond promptly to emails, phone calls and other forms of inquiry or they’re quickly out of business. Deadlines are everything in the world of college admissions and no one is more aware of time constraints and the need for immediacy than independent educational consultants.

• Knowledgeable. Consultants spend significant time visiting college campuses and attending professional workshops or conferences. It’s no secret that colleges have different personalities and management practices. But it’s virtually impossible to get a feel for these personalities or keep up with changes in programs and facilities without visiting on a regular basis. Lee Academia's experts visit over 80 schools each year to update their knowledge about campuses firsthand, despite the availability o
  

• Credentialed. Reputable independent educational consultants maintain memberships in organizations such as the National Association of College Admissions Counselors (NACAC) or local NACAC affiliates—each of which sets individual membership requirements demanding years of specialized experience, education and training, and a firm commitment to continuing education.

• Ethical. As members of the above-mentioned organizations, consultants subscribe to specific Principles of Good Practice governing the actions of consultants in their relationships with students and families, schools and colleges, and with colleagues.

• Parent-recommended. Anyone in the consulting business will tell you no amount of marketing will ever bring in as many clients as simple word-of-mouth. Informal surveys of educational consultants suggest that as many as 90 percent of families seeking college consulting services are referred by other families. The best consultants are well-known in the community and are respected for the service they provide. It’s as simple as that. So ask to speak with our satisfied clients and former students or check out the Testimonials.
  

Here are some things incoming college freshmen should know about college.

You Have Control Over Your Courses
You do not have to confine yourself to the standard program. As you select your courses, be sure that each one is on the right level for you. Once you have picked your program, you should attend each of the classes and decide whether the professor is someone from whom you can really learn.  By using the drop/add process, you may be able to get a much better teacher. Every class counts, so devote yourself to them.

You Are Expected to Do a Lot of the Work on Your Own
You need to be your own boss. Figure out when things need to be done and do them, week by week. No one will contact you when you have missed the test or have not handed in the paper.

You will also need to get yourself to study — even when there is no graded work that week.

You Don’t Have to Pick a Major in Your First Year
Many colleges now encourage students to declare a major at orientation. This actually forces students to get started on some directed course of study, and it helps colleges manage course offerings. In some cases it may be a good idea to declare your major right away, especially if yours is a four-year program like pre-med, or music, however, it is better to wait until you’ve taken a few courses — especially upper-division or advanced courses in a given field — before you commit to a major.

And keep in mind that even if you do declare a major at the outset, it is very easy to change your major if you find you don’t like the courses or you aren’t doing well in them. It is much better to get out of something you don’t like than to go through 10 or 12 required courses.

MCAT to undergo major revamping in 2015 Starting in 2015, the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) will include several new sections in the social sciences and critical thinking, as well as eliminate the writing sample. As a result of the new content, the test length will increase one hour, bringing the total testing time to about six and half hours long. The upcoming changes stem from medical schools embracing a more holistic approach to admissions. The hope is that the 2015 MCAT will assist medical schools in attracting students with broader undergraduate training.

According to the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), the current MCAT “is a standardized, multiple-choice examination designed to assess the examinee’s problem solving, critical thinking, writing skills, and knowledge of science concepts and principles prerequisite to the study of medicine.” The new MCAT is being billed as “a better test for tomorrow’s doctors” by the AAMC, which expects the changes in the MCAT to motivate many more pre-medical students to take courses in psychology, sociology, or health behaviors.

A 2011 report released by the AAMC suggests that the integration of social and behavioral sciences into medical education curricula and clinical practice will improve the health of all patients. In the report, AAMC President and CEO Darrell Kirch said, “Being a good doctor is about more than scientific knowledge. It also requires an understanding of people. By balancing the MCAT exam’s focus on the natural sciences with a new section on the psychological, social, and biological foundations of behavior, the new exam will better prepare students to build strong knowledge of the socio-cultural and behavioral determinants of health.” The changes to the MCAT reflect the fact that medical schools want well-rounded applicants from a variety of backgrounds.

According to the US News article, “What Looming MCAT Changes Mean for Aspiring Doctors,” pre-medical students’ course selections will be affected. They will now need solid foundations in basic sciences, social sciences, behavioral sciences, and the humanities. The entire pre-med curricula will be shifting to ensure that students take the required coursework to prepare them for the new MCAT.

Contact Lee Academia's medical school admissions expert to learn more about the MCAT preparation.