First the hot breakfasts, now the books?

That's a tall order, given that many of the books, recordings and other holdings in Harvard's 73 libraries aren't catalogued the same way. In addition to encouraging more sharing among the university's fragmented library system, the report recommended that Harvard do a better job collaborating with peer institutions -- like MIT -- to maximize the amount of materials students and faculty have access to.

Right now, Harvard is the only Ivy League school that's opted out of a library consortium allowing inter-school loans.

"No single institution can bear the burden of acquiring the entire world’s informational output," the report said.

A second act for former MIT dean: Whatever happened to Marilee Jones, the once-celebrated MIT admissions dean who resigned in April 2007 after she was found to have fabricated her academic credentials?

According to The Tech, the MIT student newspaper, Jones has forged a new life in New York City, starting -- what else? -- a consulting business advising parents how to support their children through the college application process.

Jones did not return a call for comment but she told The Tech that she is "very, very happy."

"I am not an independent counselor," she said. "I don't help kids get into college, but I show parents how to behave around their children. . . . I support parents so they don't screw up their kids."

Most of her work is pro bono, Jones said. She's also volunteering at a hospital to help young cancer survivors apply to college. And she's trying to jumpstart her public speaking career and is writing a second book.

Jones began working at the MIT admissions office in 1979 as an administrative assistant and became admissions dean in 1998. She was known nationally for speaking out against the rising college admissions frenzy, telling high school students and their parents that it is more important to be happy than to get into the most prestigious college.

Tips for high school seniors: With college application season in full swing, we asked Brad MacGowan, director of the Career Center at Newton North High School, for advice on navigating it.

Q. How many colleges should students be applying for?

A. Most students applying to four-year colleges should apply to about eight colleges. This might seem like a lot; however, many colleges reject or wait-list many academically qualified candidates these days, so a few extra applications might be a good idea for academic and financial reasons.
I strongly suggest having at least two academic "safety schools" (I prefer the term "likely schools"), and students in the New England states should also have one or more in-state public colleges and/or universities on their lists (financial safeties) and be sure to fill out the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid).

Q. MIT is among the colleges that recently did away with the traditional long essay in hopes of generating more authentic responses. How should students best answer the essay questions, whether it's 300 words or 900 words?

A. I think it helps if students have a target word count for their essays. I suggest 250 to 500 words. The key thing about the essay is that it has to say something about you. Look at the essay as an opportunity to say something about yourself that may not come through in the other parts of your application, transcript, recommendations, etc. It is not all about you, but it is about what is meaningful and important to you.

Q. With social media being the norm for high school students, what should applicants be aware of these days? Should they "clean up" their Facebook, MySpace, Twitter pages, and direct admission officials to those pages?

A. See what the individual colleges on your list are doing with social-networking sites. For example, some of the colleges that you are applying to might have a "no-friending" policy, while others might allow it. If you use social-networking sites to show your activities, interests, and efforts, then let people know about them.
Some colleges (and potential employers!) do check out applicants' Facebook accounts, while others do not. Use common sense and good judgment with everything you put on-line. Don't post anything that you would not want a college admissions officer, not to mention a potential employer, readers of The Boston Globe, your grandmother, etc. to see.

The Quad highlights doings on local campuses. For online updates, go to www.boston.com/MetroDesk and click on The Quad category. To submit tips, e-mail Tracy Jan at tjan@globe.com.