Any senior who is thinking of applying Early Action or Early Decision to a school that requires SAT scores will find that the October exam is the last option (it's actually too late for a few schools with October deadlines). Scores for the October 9th exam get released on October 28th, just in time to meet most early deadlines.

The registration deadline for the October exam is September 10th for the standard $47 registration fee. For an additional $24 late fee, students can register online up until September 24th. The easiest way to register is through the CollegeBoard website.

More SAT Information

• SAT Scores for the Ivy League
• SAT Scores for Top Engineering Schools
• What's a Good SAT Score?
• When Should You Take the SAT?
• Does the SAT Writing Section Matter?
• Should You Use SAT Score Choice?

Perhaps it's because I majored in materials science and engineering as an undergraduate, but the Colorado School of Mines has been on my radar for decades. The school is also a fitting choice for a spotlight -- it recently appeared on Parade's College A-List for Engineering, and it places highly in other national rankings as well. With the Colorado School of Mines, students will get a 14 to 1 student / faculty ratio and an average class size of 33. Overall, they will be getting a high-quality education in the sciences or engineering for a public university price. For in-state students, the School of Mines represents a particularly good value.

Located in Golden, Colorado, the Colorado School of Mines shouldn't be overshadowed by the nearby Coors Brewery. The school has a specialized focus on the earth's resources -- minerals, materials, energy and related fields. Given the growing importance of these fields in today's world, it perhaps isn't surprising that students who graduate from the Colorado School of Mines with a bachelor's degree earn some of the highest average starting salaries in the country.

To learn more about the Colorado School of Mines and the school's admissions standards, visit the Colorado School of Mines Admissions Profile and the school's official website. If you have visited or attended the Colorado School of Mines, please share your impressions below.

I regularly spotlight great colleges that might be off the radar of college applicants. If there's a college you'd like to see featured here, please post your recommendation in the College Admissions Forum.

Forbes has been in the college admissions headlines quite a bit recently because of the company's release of the latest America's Best Colleges. This week, Forbes published a succinct and insightful article by David L. Marcus titled Seven Secrets of College Admissions. One of his tips is to ignore the rankings of best colleges and not worry about a school's prestige. What most matters is whether or not the college is a good "fit" for a student. Other tips focus on extracurriculars, high school academics, and college majors. Marcus's advice is pleasingly sound, and the article is certainly worthwhile reading for any student who will be applying to college.

The best Virginia Colleges vary widely in personality, mission and location. My picks for the top 17 Virginia colleges include public and private universities, public and private liberal arts colleges, two women's colleges, and two military colleges. You can probably guess that the University of Virginia, College of William and Mary and Washington and Lee University are on the list. Some of the other top picks may be less familiar. The schools on the list were chosen based on a variety of factors including academic reputation, curricular innovations, first-year retention rates, six-year graduation rates, selectivity, financial aid and student engagement. Check out the list to see who made the cut.

To get a partial idea of what it takes to get into these top Virginia colleges, I've created side-by-side comparison charts of the ACT scores and SAT scores of matriculated students.

Is there another Virginia college that you think deserves a spot on the list? If so, share your recommendation below.

More Top Picks by State:

• Top California Colleges
• Top Florida Colleges
• Top Illinois Colleges
• Top Michigan Colleges
• Top New Jersey Colleges
• Top New York Colleges
• Top North Carolina Colleges
• Top Ohio Colleges
• Top Texas Colleges