The Zinch Report

Blogging. Everyone is doing it. So, why wouldn't colleges do it too? Well, they have. Since 2004.

Not all colleges have them but I would say about roughly 50% (I'm sure the numbers are growing as I type) have invested in this technological revolution. My advice here is: if you're interested in a college then, go ahead, rummage through their website and hopefully you'll be lucky enough to find some student blogs that will, undeniably, give you deeper insight into everything that college has to offer.

Setting out on my own college blog hunt, I was able to find plenty of student blogs (although they took me forever to find). Unfortunately, some blogs have been left un-updated for months and some even years. I know college students are busy, busy, busy but when zero out of six bloggers have posted a sentence in more then five months., why would the college even bother to have the blogs advertising on their website? Well, luckily there are college student blogs out there that are regularly kept up-to-date with at least a post every week or so. So, I've compiled a list, for your reading pleasure, of my five favorite college student blogs on the web; they offer a combination of interesting experiences, tons of college-survival tips, and a lot of love towards their college. I didn't read or see every student college blog out there so, please, don't bite my head off if you don't see your favorite college blog on the list.

Blogging - College style

1. MIT (mitadmissions.org)

The folks at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology were one of the first (maybe they were the first?) to begin having a group of students writing about their daily lives at MIT. I love how their blog isn't just a compilation of student journals but a blog where students and staff can write about world issues and scientific research. By reading their blogs you can truly understand what MIT is all about even if you have never set foot on campus. Okay, I'll stop gushing over the MIT blogs now.

2. Vassar College (Tea-At-3.BlogSpot.com)

Written by Brooke Skinner, a recent Vassar grad, who began blogging the summer before her senior year. Her blogs are witty, informative, entertaining. She also knows Vassar and its surrounding town, Poughkeepsie, so well that Vassar let her start project named, "101 Things To Do In (And Around) Poughkeepsie" (http://vsa.vassar.edu/index.php/resources/101-things), for the Vassar Student Association and for prospective students to see. Now, I just wonder, since she's not at Vassar anymore, will she keep adding to the list?

3. Oberlin College (blog.oberlin.edu)

The Obie blogs, as they call it, are great because not only do you get students' perspectives but a professor blogs too along with an admissions officer. Even if you don't intend on applying to Oberlin, the blog gives great advice from why you should do college interviews to how to deal with being waitlisted.

4. Bard College at Simon's Rock (simonsrockers.com)

They make their blogs how I like them - truthful and straight from the soul. This isn't an official blog sponsored by Bard College at Simon's Rock but it might as well be. Their posts really show how much the students love their college. Also, if any of you high school Juniors-to-be are interested in starting college early, then check out Bard College at Simon's Rock. They're popular for accepting many Juniors to officially start college either the 2nd semester of their Junior year or the next upcoming fall.

5. Olin College (studentblog.olin.edu | admissionsblog.olin.edu)

Olin has not one but two blogs. Their blogs are fun and very down-to-earth. They like to include pictures with their posts which is very nice because you get to see Olin College from an insider's perspective. Also, just throwing this out there, if anyone out there is interested in Engineering, I heard Olin's Engineering school is pretty awesome.