Notes in the Margins: Discounting, counseling and big-money majors

Mental Health Screenings At Colleges Go High-Tech To help deal with the high demand for counseling, more campus centers are using computerized questionnaires, some that generate color-coded charts, to help them flag a serious problem more quickly than traditional paper-and-pencil evaluations. Though they stress that these evaluations are not a replacement for in-depth questioning or counseling, many counselors say high-tech methods like these appeal to students, who are often more comfortable communicating with smart phones, iPads and laptops. (Associated Press via University Business)

Tuition discounting hits record high The average tuition “discount rate” among private, nonprofit colleges hit a record high of 42.4 percent in 2010, meaning that the average student now pays about 58 cents on the dollar of published tuition. (The Washington Post)

All UW Schools Push For Flexibility As Madison-Only Plan Looks Unlikely A three-month debate over the way the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the rest of the UW System are run has shown that all state universities are going to need more freedom from state rules to remain competitive and to offset deep proposed budget cuts, state lawmakers say. (Wisconsin State Journal via University Business)

Analysis of 171 college majors puts engineers at the top An analysis of the projected lifetime earnings of 171 college majors provides a clearer picture of what one bachelor's degree means compared to another in the labor market. And the answer can be as much as $3.64 million. (USA Today)

Many Called, Few Chosen By Top Universities Critics say the deluge of correspondence from even the most selective colleges is raising false expectations among thousands of students, bringing in application fees as high as $90 apiece, and making colleges seem more selective by soliciting many more applicants than they can accept. (Bloomberg News via The Boston Globe)

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