Universities Weblog

I got an email today from Pablo today. Pablo works for Lifetopia, a company that makes software for colleges to set up a room mate self-selection service - pick your own room mate. I thought it was a fascinating idea…

The latest school to come on board? Tulane.

Pablo described the program this way: "Lifetopia provides a set of applications that enable students to self-select roommates and housing in a controlled and secure environment. Students are able to create their own unique profiles and then search for, communicate with, and select their own prospective roommates, as well as to select where they wish to live."

Some other schools using Lifetopia at the moment include Harvard University, Arizona State University, Baruch College, Rutgers University, and Georgia Southern University.

So how will you college pick YOUR room mate next year? Food for thought…

© Jeff.Dlouhy

I almost let this story slip past me. University Business brought my attention to the story. 4 LA Kids also had a good write up on it. California's community colleges aren't cutting it, according to a report released last month by the state's Legislative Analyst's Office.

According to a story in the Sacramento Bee, "Many students who are behind in their skills are not overcoming their deficiencies in the state's community colleges, according to a study by the Legislative Analyst's Office released Monday."

Yale President Richard C. Levin announced last month that the university will expand undergraduate enrollment by about 15%.

The enrollment increase is part of a plan to built two new residential colleges on the Yale campus. In a letter to Yale alumni, faculty, students and staff, Levin said he expected the new colleges to open in 2013. He pointed out that at the moment Yale admits less than 10 percent of its 20,000 or so applicants each year.

News of the expansion came out in February.