Things You Need to Know... for College Students and Parents Print
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Written by Lance Millis   
Sunday, 03 January 2010 13:41
Most will be aware of the use of such medicines as Adderall and Ritalin to treat ADHD (Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder), but they may not be aware of a growing use for the drugs on college campuses. Students are using the medications intended to help students with ADHD focus and concentrate, as a “study steroid”. * Most will be aware of the use of such medicines as Adderall and Ritalin to treat ADHD (Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder), but they may not be aware of a growing use for the drugs on college campuses. Students are using the medications intended to help students with ADHD focus and concentrate, as a “study steroid”. These drugs are becoming more and more sought after by those without prescriptions or medical necessity to become hyper-focused, ward off sleep, and enhance their studies. I will try to get more information and write more about this issue in a future column, but parents need to know the following:

X College students are well aware of the drugs’ effects, and a growing number seek access through either pursuing prescriptions or trying to buy pills from those who have one
X Those with legitimate prescriptions should carefully protect their medication, as it could make them a target of thieves (both friend and foe).
X There could be significant pressure on students with a prescription to give or sell theirs to peers or friends – one source quoted $2,500 as potential income from a lone bottle.
X One article referred to use of these drugs as an “SAT Enhancer”, so this isn’t just a college problem!

* Within the last year, at least two U.S. cities have tried to tax college students specifically. Earlier this year, Providence, Rhode Island tried and failed to pass a tax on full-time college students, and the Mayor of Pittsburg, Pennsylvania is currently trying enact a tax on college tuition. Colleges are obviously fighting this. But students and parents alike need to be aware they are seen as a potential revenue source by cities that house colleges and universities that are facing budget shortfalls.

* Admission is becoming more competitive at colleges and universities across the country, particularly at selective schools. Though not necessarily because the students are getting smarter or having better resumes, colleges are seeing an increase in application numbers in part because students are applying to more schools (Oh, and because 2008-09 saw the largest graduating class in U.S. history - over 3.3 million). Receiving more applications causes schools to be more selective, and in turn, more selectivity (often equated with high quality education) causes more students to apply. It’s a chicken and egg scenario…

* California State University’s 23 campus system (home to some 450,000 students) is having to limit enrollment at many of its campuses (according to Scott Jaschik at Insidehighered.com) because of STATE BUDGET CUTS! Over half of those schools have resorted to competitive measures over and above the standard admission requirements and more still have stopped accepting applications for next year, with more expected to follow suit before long. Did I mention their application volume is up 19 percent over last year? This is just one big example of limits and factors that are affecting the application process you are or will be going through with your student(s) in the future.

Submit questions to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it and visit www.collegeanswerguy.com and www.collegeprep101.com.

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