Recently while conducting research on behalf of a financial services company I work with I was quite surprised to see that several of its well known competitors are Twitter spammers.  These companies, who are in the commercial lending business, are mass following other accounts only to then unfollow these companies once they have artificially inflated their followers.  According to Twitter the practice of “aggressive following behavior“, once reported, will be investigated by Twitter for further action including losing your account.

How do I know they are Twitter spammers? Just by looking at the number of companies they follow versus the number that follow them back. Once a Spammer is followed back, they often then drop the company from the list they follow in order to artificially pump up their numbers. In addition, I can also tell they are spammers because they have published very few tweets, but most telling and should be most embarrassing to them, the lists these companies are on. The companies are on very few lists and the majority of lists included titles including the words “Twitter Spammers.”

Is that the kind of influence they are really trying to achieve? Does their CEO realize the damage their “Twitter team” is doing to their brand? Or is the CEO oblivious which says even more about the company. But perhaps most importantly, is this the kind of company you want to borrow from for your business? Do you want to trust this company to safeguard your financial documents and reputation when they are so careless about their own?

Mark Greenfield, a noted higher education web communications expert and speaker, will discuss how higher education is being flattened and what that will mean for the future of education during #CollegeChat on October 18, 2011 at 9 pm Eastern.

According to Greenfield, “Our system of higher education is based on a model that is centuries old. It was built for a world that no longer exists. Change is coming and faster than you think.” During #CollegeChat, Greenfield will discuss with attendees what the “flattening of higher education” will mean including:

• What the similarities are between the flattening of the business world and the coming flattening of higher education
• Whether higher education has already reached the tipping point
• How will stealth fighter parents replace helicopter parents and how will these parents impact higher education
• How are the explosion of higher education competitors accelerating the flattening of higher education
• Why is higher education ripe for the unbundling of services and activities
• What does the future hold for higher education

Mark Greenfield is a highly regarded, influential member of the higher education web community.   He is an experienced consultant and an award winning speaker who is known for his thoughtful vision of the future of the web and technology on college campuses. He is very active in the web community serving on numerous boards and committees as well as being the owner and driving force behind the uwebd social network, an active community of over 3,500 higher ed web professionals from across the world.

About #CollegeChat

#CollegeChat is a live bi-monthly conversation intended for teens, college students, parents, and higher education experts on Twitter. #CollegeChat takes place on the first and third Tuesday of the month at 6 p.m. PDT/ 9 p.m. EDT. Questions for each #CollegeChat edition can be sent to Theresa Smith, the moderator of #CollegeChat via http://Twitter.com/collegechat , by entering questions online on the CollegeChat Facebook page at http://ht.ly/1XIqV , or by email. More detailed information about signing up for Twitter and participating in #Collegechat  can be found at  http://pathwaypr.com/how-to-participate-in-a-twitter-chat .CollegeChat can also be found on Twitter at http://Twitter.com/collegechat .

Shonda Goward, a college admissions advisor and founder of First Generation University, will discuss what key factors first generation college students need to focus on for college success during #CollegeChat October 4, 2011 at 9 p.m. EDT.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, one third of students entering college today are first generation students. First generation college students are defined as students that are the first members of their immediate family to attend college.  In addition, one fourth of students entering today are both first generation and low income. Unfortunately, many first generation students are living on the edge and maybe within one crisis -whether it be financial, family, scholastic, or health- from dropping out of college.

During #CollegeChat, Goward will address the difficulties facing first generation college students and the steps they can take to be successful including:

• Why it is critical to investigate programs for first generation students before selecting a college.
• Why first generation students need more guidance than second generation students.
• Why it is critical for students to have family support and why this is often difficult.
• Why it is important to have an educational plan. What should be in their educational plan.
• How students should properly manage their finances.
• How students should map out their study time.

The founder of First Generation University, Shonda Goward, is passionate about first generation college students because she was one. Shonda attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill as an out-of-state student, and graduated with a double major in Journalism and Mass Communication and Political Science.  However, being a first generation student definitely presented challenges that were vastly different than those of her peers. Upon completing a Master of Arts degree in English, Shonda began working in higher education as both an Instructor of English, and Admissions Officer, and saw many students excited to be admitted to a university, but wholly unaware of what to do next or how to succeed in the classroom.  First Generation University is a reflection of her personal commitment to giving first generation, and other non-traditional students, agency when it comes to their success

About #CollegeChat

#CollegeChat is a live bi-monthly conversation intended for teens, college students, parents, and higher education experts on Twitter. #CollegeChat takes place on the first and third Tuesday of the month at 6 p.m. PDT/ 9 p.m. EDT. Questions for each #CollegeChat edition can be sent to Theresa Smith, the moderator of #CollegeChat via http://Twitter.com/collegechat , by entering questions online on the CollegeChat Facebook page at http://ht.ly/1XIqV , or by email. More detailed information about signing up for Twitter and participating in #Collegechat  can be found at  http://pathwaypr.com/how-to-participate-in-a-twitter-chat .CollegeChat can also be found on Twitter at http://Twitter.com/collegechat .

photo credit: saturnism

Jeannie Borin, M.Ed, a college admissions expert and president of  College Connections will provide Twitter attendees, including high school seniors and parents, with tips on applying for college with the Common Application during #CollegeChat August 16, 2011 at 9 p.m. EDT.

The college application season is now well underway and as rising high school seniors head back to school one of the ways they can get ahead in applying for colleges is to make sure they are prepared to fill out application forms intelligently and effectively. With more than 450 colleges now using the online Common Application, also known as the Common App, Borin will address with attendees:

• How to find out which colleges use the Common App
• How to use the form  to apply to colleges
• Tips on how to approach the essay section
• How to set up a schedule to ensure students are applying on time

Borin is the founder and CEO of College Connections, a college and educational consulting service with college admissions consultants located across the country. Her extensive educational background includes school administrator, counselor, admissions director, teacher and curriculum supervisor in both the public and private sectors. Jeannie received her Masters Degree in Counseling and Education and Bachelor of Science Degree in Sociology/Psychology from the University of California, Los Angeles. She mentored graduate students through the UCLA counselor-training program and is state certified. Borin has been awarded Professional Membership with the Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA), is also a Professional Member of the National and Western Association of College Admissions Counselors as well as the Higher Educational Consultants Association.

About #CollegeChat

#CollegeChat is a live bi-monthly conversation intended for teens, college students, parents, and higher education experts on Twitter. #CollegeChat takes place on the first and third Tuesday of the month at 6 p.m. PDT/ 9 p.m. EDT. Questions for each #CollegeChat edition can be sent to Theresa Smith, the moderator of #CollegeChat via http://Twitter.com/collegechat , by entering questions online on the CollegeChat Facebook page at http://ht.ly/1XIqV , or by email. More detailed information about signing up for Twitter and participating in #Collegechat  can be found at http://pathwaypr.com/how-to-participate-in-a-twitter-chat . CollegeChat can also be found on Twitter at http://Twitter.com/collegechat .

photo credit: Public Notice Media

With the debt ceiling deadline only days away, millions of college students plans for paying for college are in limbo. On August 2, 2011 at 9 p.m. EDT,  Mark Kantrowitz, a nationally recognized bestselling financial aid expert and author, and Sharon McLaughlin, a college planning consultant and former college administrator, will discuss with Twitter attendees the potential impact the debt ceiling crisis will have on financial aid for 2011/2012 during #CollegeChat .

During #CollegeChat, Kantrowitz and McLaughlin will discuss what forms of financial aid are at risk including Pell Grants, Stafford Loans, Perkins Loans and PLUS Loans for Parents. In addition, they will also discuss what impact the debt ceiling crisis may have on colleges themselves including layoffs and shutdowns.

In addition, the panel will  discuss what options are available for students to fund their education in the event their federally based financial aid is impacted.

Kantrowitz is the publisher of FinAid.org and author of the new e-book “Secrets to Winning a Scholarship”. He is also the founder of FastWeb.com, the largest and most popular free scholarship matching service. McLaughlin is a college planning consultant and financial aid expert and founder of McLaughlin Education Consulting (http://www.headforcollege.com). She is also a former college administrator with more than twenty years of experience in student enrollment services. Sharon draws her expertise from her work at private and public colleges in New England, both as a college admissions and financial aid administrator.

About #CollegeChat
#CollegeChat is a live bi-monthly conversation intended for teens, college students, parents, and higher education experts on Twitter. #CollegeChat takes place on the first and third Tuesday of the month at 6 p.m. PDT/ 9 p.m. EDT. Questions for each #CollegeChat edition can be sent to Theresa Smith, the moderator of #CollegeChat via http://Twitter.com/collegechat , by entering questions online on the CollegeChat Facebook page at http://ht.ly/1XIqV , or by email. More detailed information about signing up for Twitter and participating in #Collegechat can be found at http://pathwaypr.com/how-to-participate-in-a-twitter-chat .CollegeChat can also be found on Twitter at http://Twitter.com/collegechat .