Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Live Today
Interview With Robert Franek of 'Princeton Review'
Aired May 03, 2002 - 14:46 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: The Princeton Review is out with its annual "Best Colleges" report. May 1st is considered the day for most universities nationwide. That's the deadline for incoming freshman to confirm which college they'll attend.
But May is also when high school juniors start the often arduous process of applying for schools. Here to tell us about admissions trends for the coming year, Robert Franek, editorial director of the Princeton Review. Good afternoon to you. Nice to see you.
ROBERT FRANEK, PRINCETON REVIEW: Nice to see you, Bill.
HEMMER: Let's get right to this graphic that we have composed, to give our viewers and parents and you know, high school students, too, an idea here about what you think is most important. Ask the right questions.
Great way to start, Robert, but what are the right questions? And how do you know?
FRANEK: The right questions for any junior are to find out what type of school they want to go to at this particular time. Lots of admissions folks are going to be out on the road trying to talk to prospective kids and their families about their school, about the type of environment they provide, the types of majors that they provide.
Students and parents should sit down before this process and start to think really about what it is that their student wants.
HEMMER: Go back to the list, here, "diversify your applications." Define this, will you, Robert?
FRANEK: Absolutely. It's the general rule for any college admission counselor on the high school level, or even on the college level, is to make sure that you apply to a great cross-section of different schools. Some reach schools, certain some that you can get into, and then some safe schools.
HEMMER: Spread yourself out a little bit, you're saying?
FRANEK: Absolutely.
HEMMER: All right, the third point here, "look for colleges with job resources." What does that mean? FRANEK: Well, it's certainly one of the new trends in college admissions. Schools in urban areas, suburban areas and certain rural areas as well, are going to be looking for things that students can get involved in in the first and second year that are going to endear them in some other way outside of the classroom.
So, basically, internships, some sort of experience or learning for kids that are first and second year in college.
HEMMER: You mention internship. That's (UNINTELLIGIBLE) high school internship. Normally you associated this with college. But you just mentioned it can be quite useful at the high school level.
But also, "apply on-line" is No. 5. And as I say that, I apologize here. We're going to get back to this point here.
But there is a significant briefing now under way at the State Department. Secretary of State Colin Powell, the Russian foreign minister said to announce what they have come to agree with, regarding the reduction of nuclear warheads across the globe.
(INTERRUPTED FOR CNN COVERAGE OF LIVE EVENT)
HEMMER: But let's put that on pause and get back to Robert Franek. Robert, thanks for being patient. Back to No. 5, is one of the more pressing issues. Because as you point out, it means apply on-line. This is becoming more and more frequent. How much does it help right now, Robert?
FRANEK: I think it helps in a lot of ways. Students can certainly apply easily to many, many schools. The Princeton Review, for example, on our Web site, princetonreview.com, we have a little over 700 on-line applications directly on our site. So the student can go onto the site and send those applications electronically, directly into a school.
They make it a lot easier. You don't have to fire up the old IBM anymore. So certainly, lots more applications are going out.
HEMMER: Two more things I want to talk about. The University of North Carolina, earlier this week, announcing that they're going to not take early applicants, essentially, wait until a later time, which, one would think, gives everybody a fair shake of getting in that school. What is your take on that? Is that something that could be used elsewhere across the country?
FRANEK: Well, I think we're going to see, over the next couple of months, lots of schools making those types of decisions.
HEMMER: Why is that, Robert?
FRANEK: One of the things, early decision, when it was originally conceived, should be the top 5 or 10 percent of an applicant pool. So really, the cream of the crop is getting in early decision. The types of things that happened over the last few years is, students in and wealthier environments, certainly with great college counseling, have been applying early decision, whereas a great section of the population that don't have those resources have not.
(CROSSTALK)
HEMMER: I just can't let you go -- and we're running out of time -- without talking about the cost of college education. We had several stories on this earlier in the week. Are you offering advice right now?
(CROSSTALK)
HEMMER: And what is your advice to go ahead and pay that big cost?
FRANEK: Well, again, starting early, knowing exactly how the financial aid process works. And that's one of the things that we've really become experts at the Princeton Review. We have a full financial center. Just giving advice, as well as tools that can help parents and prospective students navigate the process. It's really the best defense on any financial aid matter.
HEMMER: Robert, thanks. Robert Franek, Princeton Review.
FRANEK: Thank you for having me.
HEMMER: Always the big issues. Certainly one to take a look at, almost on a yearly basis, too, with the changing dynamics of colleges across the country. Thanks.
FRANEK: Thank you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
