In the last post I discussed ways to find out more about preparing for a career through an apprenticeship program. What if your chosen field requires at least a four year degree and you need financial aid options? There are many sources that I will review in the first weeks of 2012. The option I would like to focus on in this post is Cooperative Education.
Cooperative Education, or Co-op, aims to integrate academic learning and practical work experience. In one Co-op model, the student alternates a semester of classes followed by a semester of paid employment. In a good Co-op program, a student not only earns money to pay for college costs, but gains invaluable work experience which can put them at the top of a prospective employer's list. Way back in the 90's I went to a conference where an executive from Prudential stated that his company considered participation in a Co-op program as a definite resume enhancer. Prudential actively sought employees from the pool of graduates who had that work experience as undergraduates.
The World Association of Cooperative Education has its headquarters at the University of Massachusetts at Lowell. Its membership includes national and international member institutions. Their website is www.waceinc.org. The National Commission of Cooperative Education (www.co-op.edu) and The Journal of Cooperative Education (www.ceiainc.org) are also good resources.
You can also go to an individual college/university website to find out about its program. Drexel University (www.drexel.edu), located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is reputed to have an excellent co-op program and a link to it is prominent in a tab on their homepage. I wanted to highlight another institution which also has a good co-op program. Wentworth Institute of Technology in Boston is notable as a four year institution which awards degrees in many applied areas such as engineering and construction trades. It's worth investigating as well.
In the beginning of this post, I mentioned future discussions in 2012. What happened to the next five weeks of 2011? The Holidays! I hope you have happy ones and will resume blogging on Wednesday, January 4, 2012!
P.S. Speaking of the holidays, some gift ideas for the serious student on your list include books discussed in previous posts. A few are featured here:
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
On the Job
This post was to be published on November 2. Due to our unexpected snowstorm and a 74 hour power outage!!!!, I had to postpone publication until this week. I apologize to those who may have signed on only to be disappointed. I will resume my bi-weekly schedule starting today. The next post will be on Wednesday, November 23.
In this very difficult economy (an understatement at best), many young people who have spent four or more years to earn a costly degree find themselves at a loss for a job. We hear that word so much, job market, job growth, etc. Unfortunately, we mostly hear about how many graduates don't have them!
In my post way back on September 8, 2010, I discussed what I call the "Scarecrow Syndrome" and the reasons why young people may decide to go to college. It's worth a read, if you haven't done so already. I know that there are many studies and even TV commercials that tout how much more money you can make with a college degree. (Although, in this bad economy, who knows if that "conventional wisdom" even holds true?) To what end, especially if you can't find a job and your heart, your passion, wasn't really in your studies to begin with.
A route to fulfilling and well paid employment seems, woefully, to have gone out of vogue - apprenticeships. We are not talking Dickensian England here! As Wikipedia defines them, apprenticeships are systems of "training a new generation of practitioners of a skill..Most of their training is done while working for an employer who helps the apprentices learn their trade in exchange for their continuing labour for an agreed period after they become skilled. Theoretical education may also be involved, informally via the workplace and/or by attending vocational schools while still being paid by the employer." (emphasis added)
The United States Department of Labor has an Office of Apprenticeship. Their site, www.doleta.gov/oa, gives information about registered apprenticeship programs in 1,000 career areas including chef, child care, dental assistant, electrician and many others. The site is certainly worth investigation, as is the idea of an apprenticeship for those interested in more applied training and careers.
In this very difficult economy (an understatement at best), many young people who have spent four or more years to earn a costly degree find themselves at a loss for a job. We hear that word so much, job market, job growth, etc. Unfortunately, we mostly hear about how many graduates don't have them!
In my post way back on September 8, 2010, I discussed what I call the "Scarecrow Syndrome" and the reasons why young people may decide to go to college. It's worth a read, if you haven't done so already. I know that there are many studies and even TV commercials that tout how much more money you can make with a college degree. (Although, in this bad economy, who knows if that "conventional wisdom" even holds true?) To what end, especially if you can't find a job and your heart, your passion, wasn't really in your studies to begin with.
A route to fulfilling and well paid employment seems, woefully, to have gone out of vogue - apprenticeships. We are not talking Dickensian England here! As Wikipedia defines them, apprenticeships are systems of "training a new generation of practitioners of a skill..Most of their training is done while working for an employer who helps the apprentices learn their trade in exchange for their continuing labour for an agreed period after they become skilled. Theoretical education may also be involved, informally via the workplace and/or by attending vocational schools while still being paid by the employer." (emphasis added)
The United States Department of Labor has an Office of Apprenticeship. Their site, www.doleta.gov/oa, gives information about registered apprenticeship programs in 1,000 career areas including chef, child care, dental assistant, electrician and many others. The site is certainly worth investigation, as is the idea of an apprenticeship for those interested in more applied training and careers.
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Declaring a Major, Early Action and Early Decision
Before I get into discussing financial aid options, there are two areas that I feel I need to address in this post to help seniors finalize their applications. Yes, "finalize".
When asked on a college application or the Common Application for a chosen major, many students do not know what to answer. The question becomes will choosing "Undecided" as your answer hurt your chances of admission? Some competitive colleges, such as New York University, are reputed to give an edge to applicants who are passionate about their chosen field of study. Declaring "undecided" does not connote passion. However, many students do not actually declare a major until their third or fourth semester sophomore year. Unless your chosen field is highly specialized, waiting may not alter your post declaration study schedule too drastically. For an informative discussion of this topic by professional college counselors and college administration professionals, go to www.unigoexpertnetwork/question9
.
Seniors also are unsure as to whether to apply for Early Decision or Early Action. The College Board states, "Early decision and early action allow you to apply early (usually in November) and get an admission decision from the college well before the usual spring notification date. You know by December or January whether you've been accepted at your first choice college." According to the Princeton Review's, The Best 373 Colleges, "Many selective colleges commit more than half of their admission spots to early decision applicants." Remember, early Decision Does bind. If accepted to the college, you must withdraw your applications to all other colleges. As the Review notes, this may make negotiating a financial aid offer difficult - more on that in a later post. Early action does not bind the applicant and you will still be notified of your status in December or January. Further information can be found at www.collegeboard.org.
When asked on a college application or the Common Application for a chosen major, many students do not know what to answer. The question becomes will choosing "Undecided" as your answer hurt your chances of admission? Some competitive colleges, such as New York University, are reputed to give an edge to applicants who are passionate about their chosen field of study. Declaring "undecided" does not connote passion. However, many students do not actually declare a major until their third or fourth semester sophomore year. Unless your chosen field is highly specialized, waiting may not alter your post declaration study schedule too drastically. For an informative discussion of this topic by professional college counselors and college administration professionals, go to www.unigoexpertnetwork/question9
.
Seniors also are unsure as to whether to apply for Early Decision or Early Action. The College Board states, "Early decision and early action allow you to apply early (usually in November) and get an admission decision from the college well before the usual spring notification date. You know by December or January whether you've been accepted at your first choice college." According to the Princeton Review's, The Best 373 Colleges, "Many selective colleges commit more than half of their admission spots to early decision applicants." Remember, early Decision Does bind. If accepted to the college, you must withdraw your applications to all other colleges. As the Review notes, this may make negotiating a financial aid offer difficult - more on that in a later post. Early action does not bind the applicant and you will still be notified of your status in December or January. Further information can be found at www.collegeboard.org.
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Up to Speed - Review of Posts from January-June 2011
This post will also include some of the websites and books referred to.
January 8, 2011
Discussion of how students should use their PSAT results and prepare for the SAT. Websites of interest - www.collegeboard.org, www.grockit.com. SAT study guides are available at www.amazon.com.
January 19, 2011
Discussion of how to use www.collegeboard.org
January 26, 2011
Discussion of whether to choose a two or four year program
February 2, 2011
Information on NJ Boys and Girls State Programs www.boysandgirlsstate.org
February 16, 2011
Discussion of features of www.unigo.com, specifically College Match
March 2, 2011
Choosing a College, continued. The book, The Best 373 Colleges,
is featured.
March 16, 2011
Discussion of "feeder schools", undergraduate schools from which many graduate programs accept students
March 30, 2011
Virtual campus tours, college rep visits and college fairs www.campustour.com
April 13, 2011
College admission and the Naviance guidance delivery system www.naviance.com
April 27, 2011
Suggestions for how to get the most out of a campus visit
College Visit Checklist available at www.unigo.com
May 11, 2011
Campus Safety www.neighborhoodscout.com
May 25, 2011
Intellectual freedom on campus www.theFIRE.org
Closing of the American Mind
June 8, 2011
What juniors should do during summer vacation to prepare for senior year. Good review for those who need to catch up!
June 22, 2011
Writing the college application essay www.commonap.org, www.englishclub.com
January 8, 2011
Discussion of how students should use their PSAT results and prepare for the SAT. Websites of interest - www.collegeboard.org, www.grockit.com. SAT study guides are available at www.amazon.com.
January 19, 2011
Discussion of how to use www.collegeboard.org
January 26, 2011
Discussion of whether to choose a two or four year program
February 2, 2011
Information on NJ Boys and Girls State Programs www.boysandgirlsstate.org
February 16, 2011
Discussion of features of www.unigo.com, specifically College Match
March 2, 2011
Choosing a College, continued. The book, The Best 373 Colleges,
is featured.
March 16, 2011
Discussion of "feeder schools", undergraduate schools from which many graduate programs accept students
March 30, 2011
Virtual campus tours, college rep visits and college fairs www.campustour.com
April 13, 2011
College admission and the Naviance guidance delivery system www.naviance.com
April 27, 2011
Suggestions for how to get the most out of a campus visit
College Visit Checklist available at www.unigo.com
May 11, 2011
Campus Safety www.neighborhoodscout.com
May 25, 2011
Intellectual freedom on campus www.theFIRE.org
Closing of the American Mind
June 8, 2011
What juniors should do during summer vacation to prepare for senior year. Good review for those who need to catch up!
June 22, 2011
Writing the college application essay www.commonap.org, www.englishclub.com
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Welcome Back
It's already September! The school year never seems to pass as quickly as the months of July and August. For those students who are entering senior year, this may be the first school year where this is not the case. There's a lot to do and many decisions to be made. For those who have followed my blog this past year and have acted on the suggestions given, this year will be much less difficult. For those who have not, review the archives and try to get up to speed.
Seniors who are planning to go to college after graduation should be at the point of finishing up their applications. If you would like another shot at the SAT, be aware of the deadlines for registration which can be found at www.collegeboard.org. Juniors should be aware of their school's process to register for the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test (PSAT) which will be given in October. More information about this test can be found at The College Board site as well.
In the 38 posts I've written since August 2010, I have detailed a process by which high school students can make some important decisions for plans after graduation. Therefore, I plan to spend subsequent posts reviewing special programs and sites in addition to refining the process as relevant topics come up.
For those who are new to this blog, I will outline the subjects of the posts since January 2011 on Wednesday, October 5. For descriptions of the websites and posts that preceded that, see the archives and the website review I posted on December 14, 2010.
Seniors: Don't get overwhelmed - JUST GET BUSY!
Seniors who are planning to go to college after graduation should be at the point of finishing up their applications. If you would like another shot at the SAT, be aware of the deadlines for registration which can be found at www.collegeboard.org. Juniors should be aware of their school's process to register for the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test (PSAT) which will be given in October. More information about this test can be found at The College Board site as well.
In the 38 posts I've written since August 2010, I have detailed a process by which high school students can make some important decisions for plans after graduation. Therefore, I plan to spend subsequent posts reviewing special programs and sites in addition to refining the process as relevant topics come up.
For those who are new to this blog, I will outline the subjects of the posts since January 2011 on Wednesday, October 5. For descriptions of the websites and posts that preceded that, see the archives and the website review I posted on December 14, 2010.
Seniors: Don't get overwhelmed - JUST GET BUSY!
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
The Last Hurrah!
Labor Day is a little more than two weeks away! Don't despair. There's still time for those of you entering senior year to begin work on your applications - especially, the dreaded essay! Just a reminder - I will resume bi-weekly blogs on September 21. If you plan to take the first SAT of the 2011-2012 school year on October 1, the deadline for registration is September 9. Go to The College Board site to register - www.collegeboard.org . (Users of the site will notice that they have changed from a .com to .org.)
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
If August Is Here, September Can't Be Far Behind
I hate to be a killjoy, but it is now the first week in August and in about a month - yes, just four short weeks - most of you will return to school. I'll be back on September 21. Remember that the first SAT of the 2011-2012 school year will be held on October 1. The deadline for registration is September 9. For more information, go to www.collegeboard.com.
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
The College Application Essay
Years ago, it seemed only a handful of colleges used the Common Application. Actually, when I began my career as a counselor, only fifteen schools used the program and it was, as I found out on their website, their Pilot Project year. Now, over 400 programs use the Application and 134 schools use it exclusively. Many of those 134 are quite exclusive as well, e.g., Williams, Brown, Yale, et. al.
On the Common Application home page, www.commonapp.org, under "Additional Resources", you'll find a link to the National Association for College Admission Counselling, www.nacacnet.org, which provides valuable information on parent and student resources. There is also a link to the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators, www.nasfaa.org.
Those rising juniors who know the schools to which they plan to apply as seniors, can begin their applications now. The Application website provides online and print versions of its first year and transfer applications. The preview of the 2011-2012 application can be accessed online. It provides six topics from which you may choose to write a 250-500 word essay. One of the selections is "Topic of your choice". The LEAST you should do this summer is prepare a rough draft. Even if your senior English teacher plans to cover this in next year's curriculum, this is a head start you will not regret having taken.
I rate essays for a major educational testing program and I can commiserate with application essay readers in admissions offices. Nothing stands out more than a well written, creative essay. Of the hundreds, if not thousands, of essays they must read, I'm sure the majority neither have these qualities nor give the reader a real sense of the writer's voice, of who he is. As a former English teacher, I know that one great tip we have imparted through the years is, "Read your essay aloud". Things that would have been missed in a silent edit of your essay will be picked up and language that is confusing and stilted will not go unnoticed, nor will run-on sentences, which this one has become! All kidding aside, a great website which will help you navigate this process is www.englishclub.com. Just search "College Application Essays Help" and you'll be taken through a series of "lessons" (six in all) that will help you write a good, if not great, application essay. As the saying goes, you've only got one chance to make a good first impression. The college application essay is your chance to do that.
Bi-weekly posts will resume on September 21, 2011.
HAVE A WONDERFUL SUMMER!
On the Common Application home page, www.commonapp.org, under "Additional Resources", you'll find a link to the National Association for College Admission Counselling, www.nacacnet.org, which provides valuable information on parent and student resources. There is also a link to the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators, www.nasfaa.org.
Those rising juniors who know the schools to which they plan to apply as seniors, can begin their applications now. The Application website provides online and print versions of its first year and transfer applications. The preview of the 2011-2012 application can be accessed online. It provides six topics from which you may choose to write a 250-500 word essay. One of the selections is "Topic of your choice". The LEAST you should do this summer is prepare a rough draft. Even if your senior English teacher plans to cover this in next year's curriculum, this is a head start you will not regret having taken.
I rate essays for a major educational testing program and I can commiserate with application essay readers in admissions offices. Nothing stands out more than a well written, creative essay. Of the hundreds, if not thousands, of essays they must read, I'm sure the majority neither have these qualities nor give the reader a real sense of the writer's voice, of who he is. As a former English teacher, I know that one great tip we have imparted through the years is, "Read your essay aloud". Things that would have been missed in a silent edit of your essay will be picked up and language that is confusing and stilted will not go unnoticed, nor will run-on sentences, which this one has become! All kidding aside, a great website which will help you navigate this process is www.englishclub.com. Just search "College Application Essays Help" and you'll be taken through a series of "lessons" (six in all) that will help you write a good, if not great, application essay. As the saying goes, you've only got one chance to make a good first impression. The college application essay is your chance to do that.
Bi-weekly posts will resume on September 21, 2011.
HAVE A WONDERFUL SUMMER!
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Summer Vacation
This is the penultimate (Look it up!) post until Wednesday, September 21. In this post, I will propose a new twist to an old topic. The September "Back to School" theme of "How I Spent My Summer Vacation" will become "How You Should Spend Your Summer Vacation". I'd like to suggest a few things that you should do this summer to help you reach your goals.
1. Define Your Goals
Students in middle school and beyond can use the sites I've written about this past year to help achieve this end. My post of December 14, 2010 lists some good ones where you can find career and interest inventories to help you pinpoint career interests.
2. Investigate Possible Careers
Hopefully, you've used some of the information I've posted to enroll in a summer program that will assist you in this endeavor. www.bls.gov and www.careercornerstone.org are two excellent websites.
3. Investigate Training for Specific Careers
The websites above will help you find out what kind of educational background a specific career requires. You can find out more about these programs and schools at www.collegeboard.com and www.unigo.com.
4. Visit Specific Schools
Actually travel to places where you might enroll after high school. At the very least, use the sites mentioned to find out more about a school. In addition to these and individual college websites, www.campustour.com provides virtual tours of many campuses. www.neighborhoodscout.com gives a wealth of information about the region and city in which a school is located. www.thefire.org gives information as to the school's protection of the individual's Constitutional free speech rights.
5. Determine Entrance Requirements and Prepare for Entrance Exams
Students should be sure they have the proper courses to fulfill entrance requirements. These can be found on the school's website or by looking up the school on www.collegeboard.com. If you need to take a class/classes that you haven't scheduled, you'll have to notify your counselor as soon as possible. Students entering junior year in the fall should spend some time preparing for SAT's. Those entering senior year who haven't taken the SAT should be sure to apply to take the first one to be given on October 1, 2011. Register by September 9, 2011. Go to the College Board site for more information.
6. Begin Your College Application
Hopefully, those students who are entering senior year have done all of the previous things on the list and should spend some time this summer to prepare as much of their college applications as possible, specifically THE DREADED ESSAY! More on that next time!
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Safe and Sound - Part II
In my last post, I wrote about ways to ensure that you'll be able to keep a "safe body" while on campus. This week I'll write about the "sound mind" portion of the equation.
In his pamphlet, "What is a College Education? (and How to Get One)" published by the National Review Institute, Jeffrey Hart, professor emeritus of English at Dartmouth College, writes about Allan Bloom's, The Closing of the American Mind. Hart states that,
"Bloom's great theme throughout is that ideology has invaded
the academy to an absolutely unprecedented degree, closing the
American mind - at least the academic American mind - to the
truths about human nature as it actually is and has aspired to
be."
Often on college campuses, speech codes and victim group sensitivies trump the rights of the individual to express, debate or even examine ideas that run counter to the pervasive campus ideology. It is important to know if your school of choice is tolerant of and, even better, fosters individual intellectual freedom. The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, FIRE, is an organization whose mission
"is to defend and sustain individual rights at America's
increasingly repressive and partisan colleges and
universities. These rights include freedom of speech,
legal equality, due process, religious liberty, and
sanctity of conscience - the essential qualities of
individual liberty and dignity. FIRE's core mission
is to protect the unprotected and to educate the
public and communities of concerned Americans about
the threats to these rights on our campuses and about
the means to preserve them."
The Foundation has taken an active role in adjudicating specific cases where a student's Constitutional rights have been violated. One such case involved a student who actively and openly opposed the construction of a parking garage on campus. While this issue may seem mundane, the student was expelled. He filed suit in cooperation with a First Amendment attorney who is a FIRE Legal Network member. Not only was the student's expulsion reversed, the university president was held personally liable for damages owed to the student.
By going to FIRE's website, theFIRE.org, and surfing FIRE's Spotlight, you can find information on speech codes and rights violations at over 400 academic institutions. Each school's page also displays FIRE's red, yellow or green light speech code rating and links to the campus' current policies "restricting individual rights, as well as that campus' advertised commitments to freedom of expression".
Another way to judge a college's adherence to the philosophy that it is a "marketplace of ideas" is to see who has been invited to speak on campus and what the reception of the speaker was like. Were they allowed to present their views or heckled and disrupted to such an extent that they were unable to present? College, among other things, is supposed to be a place for the civil exchange of ideas - a place where one is encouraged to perfect how to think not what to think. If your college won't encourage that, you're not going to get your money's worth!
In his pamphlet, "What is a College Education? (and How to Get One)" published by the National Review Institute, Jeffrey Hart, professor emeritus of English at Dartmouth College, writes about Allan Bloom's, The Closing of the American Mind. Hart states that,
"Bloom's great theme throughout is that ideology has invaded
the academy to an absolutely unprecedented degree, closing the
American mind - at least the academic American mind - to the
truths about human nature as it actually is and has aspired to
be."
Often on college campuses, speech codes and victim group sensitivies trump the rights of the individual to express, debate or even examine ideas that run counter to the pervasive campus ideology. It is important to know if your school of choice is tolerant of and, even better, fosters individual intellectual freedom. The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, FIRE, is an organization whose mission
"is to defend and sustain individual rights at America's
increasingly repressive and partisan colleges and
universities. These rights include freedom of speech,
legal equality, due process, religious liberty, and
sanctity of conscience - the essential qualities of
individual liberty and dignity. FIRE's core mission
is to protect the unprotected and to educate the
public and communities of concerned Americans about
the threats to these rights on our campuses and about
the means to preserve them."
The Foundation has taken an active role in adjudicating specific cases where a student's Constitutional rights have been violated. One such case involved a student who actively and openly opposed the construction of a parking garage on campus. While this issue may seem mundane, the student was expelled. He filed suit in cooperation with a First Amendment attorney who is a FIRE Legal Network member. Not only was the student's expulsion reversed, the university president was held personally liable for damages owed to the student.
By going to FIRE's website, theFIRE.org, and surfing FIRE's Spotlight, you can find information on speech codes and rights violations at over 400 academic institutions. Each school's page also displays FIRE's red, yellow or green light speech code rating and links to the campus' current policies "restricting individual rights, as well as that campus' advertised commitments to freedom of expression".
Another way to judge a college's adherence to the philosophy that it is a "marketplace of ideas" is to see who has been invited to speak on campus and what the reception of the speaker was like. Were they allowed to present their views or heckled and disrupted to such an extent that they were unable to present? College, among other things, is supposed to be a place for the civil exchange of ideas - a place where one is encouraged to perfect how to think not what to think. If your college won't encourage that, you're not going to get your money's worth!
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Safe and Sound - Part I
One of the suggestions that unigo.com makes on its campus tour checklist is that you tour the city and town around campus. While you are not planning to buy a home, you will be living in or near this community for the better part of the next four years and, as with real estate, one of the prime considerations is location, location, location! Depending on the distance the campus is from your family home, you may not be able to leave the environs often during your college years so you need to know as much as you can about the area surrounding your campus.
A site which is actually geared for prospective real estate buyers is invaluable for those searching not only for a college that fits their wants but a community that suits their needs, specifically safety. www.neighborhoodscout.com is touted as a "Neighborhood Search for Home Buyers and Real Estate Investment". You can search an address or neighborhood by city, state or zip code or actually click on a state on the map. You will be taken to information about the area which includes a "Crime Rates" tab. You will be able to locate the "10 Safest Cities" in that state. If you put in the college's actual address, (You can use the location of the admissions building.) you can get details for that specific area. These details include a shaded map of the area which denotes the safest to least safe areas.
You could and should visit the college's security division and ask for this information but keep in mind that they are part of the institution. The local police department or precinct would also have these statistics but someone may not be available to you on your visit. Another source would be the school paper but not all security incidents may be reported. Overall, www.neighborhoodscout.com might provide the most detailed and accurate information regarding the degree of safety and security you can expect in a specific locale.
A site which is actually geared for prospective real estate buyers is invaluable for those searching not only for a college that fits their wants but a community that suits their needs, specifically safety. www.neighborhoodscout.com is touted as a "Neighborhood Search for Home Buyers and Real Estate Investment". You can search an address or neighborhood by city, state or zip code or actually click on a state on the map. You will be taken to information about the area which includes a "Crime Rates" tab. You will be able to locate the "10 Safest Cities" in that state. If you put in the college's actual address, (You can use the location of the admissions building.) you can get details for that specific area. These details include a shaded map of the area which denotes the safest to least safe areas.
You could and should visit the college's security division and ask for this information but keep in mind that they are part of the institution. The local police department or precinct would also have these statistics but someone may not be available to you on your visit. Another source would be the school paper but not all security incidents may be reported. Overall, www.neighborhoodscout.com might provide the most detailed and accurate information regarding the degree of safety and security you can expect in a specific locale.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
College Campus Tours and Visits
While I've written in previous posts about websites on which you can find vitual tours of college campuses (collegeboard.com, unigo.com, and www.campustour.com), nothing beats actually visiting the campus of a school in which you're interested. You can find out most of what you need to know to arrange a tour on the school's website. Many of the colleges that require pre-registration to visit, ask you to do so online. In order to get the most out of the trip, you should have a plan of action. After all, you don't want to possibly travel many miles just to take a hopefully pleasant stroll around campus with a guide who's probably a Work Study student and might know less about the university than you do!
On the homepage of unigo.com there is a site index on which you'll find the link "Checklists and Worksheets". A mere click brings you to a comprehensive three page "College Visit Checklist" that you can review and even bring with you on your visit. (What you might consider "nerdy" - checklist, clipboard, etc. - might be perceived as conscientious and well-thought-out to those you meet while at the college of interest.)
Under the preparation section of the list there are two items I would add. Notify a college representative whom you might have already met at a college fair or high school visit that you are visiting the school. If you are involved in a sport which you would like to play in college, notify the athletic department as well. Obviously, most of the sought after, scouted players already have a relationship with the athletic department. But if the school has an intramural or even club team for a certain sport, there are coaches and advisors for that also. The same holds true if you have a certain talent. If you play an instrument, act, sing in the choir, cheer, or tutor, notify the advisor of the pertinent club or group on campus. Anything that you can use to stand out from the crowd, put a face to the name - anyone you can meet who might take an interest in your gaining admission to that school is an asset.
A lot of the answers to the questions on the checklist can be found on the college's website or on other sites such as Unigo. You might want to jot down brief answers to the ones you already know. Shortly after your visit, while it's still fresh in your mind, take a few minutes to write your impressions of the college on the back of the checklist. In that way you can save the checklist and use it as a resource when you narrow down your choices as to which schools you will actually apply.
One question which is not included that I feel is very important is, "How are dormitory accomodations and roommates decided?" Unless you have special needs, freshman year assignments are often random but many schools allow accepted students to ask to room with other accepted students whom they already know. Find out if assignments after freshman year are made on a lottery or point system. Personally, I feel the lottery system is lazy and doesn't reward students who work harder to earn prime dorm locations/choice of living companions.
In the next post, I'll write about intellectual freedom and physical safety on campus.
On the homepage of unigo.com there is a site index on which you'll find the link "Checklists and Worksheets". A mere click brings you to a comprehensive three page "College Visit Checklist" that you can review and even bring with you on your visit. (What you might consider "nerdy" - checklist, clipboard, etc. - might be perceived as conscientious and well-thought-out to those you meet while at the college of interest.)
Under the preparation section of the list there are two items I would add. Notify a college representative whom you might have already met at a college fair or high school visit that you are visiting the school. If you are involved in a sport which you would like to play in college, notify the athletic department as well. Obviously, most of the sought after, scouted players already have a relationship with the athletic department. But if the school has an intramural or even club team for a certain sport, there are coaches and advisors for that also. The same holds true if you have a certain talent. If you play an instrument, act, sing in the choir, cheer, or tutor, notify the advisor of the pertinent club or group on campus. Anything that you can use to stand out from the crowd, put a face to the name - anyone you can meet who might take an interest in your gaining admission to that school is an asset.
A lot of the answers to the questions on the checklist can be found on the college's website or on other sites such as Unigo. You might want to jot down brief answers to the ones you already know. Shortly after your visit, while it's still fresh in your mind, take a few minutes to write your impressions of the college on the back of the checklist. In that way you can save the checklist and use it as a resource when you narrow down your choices as to which schools you will actually apply.
One question which is not included that I feel is very important is, "How are dormitory accomodations and roommates decided?" Unless you have special needs, freshman year assignments are often random but many schools allow accepted students to ask to room with other accepted students whom they already know. Find out if assignments after freshman year are made on a lottery or point system. Personally, I feel the lottery system is lazy and doesn't reward students who work harder to earn prime dorm locations/choice of living companions.
In the next post, I'll write about intellectual freedom and physical safety on campus.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
My Niece and Naviance
In the last post, I wrote about attending a college representative's visit to your high school as a way of sizing up your possible local competition. On collegeboard.com there is a feature which helps you see how you "stack up". You enter information about your GPA, rank in class and courses taken, etc., and it helps assess your chances for admission to a particular school. Often colleges try to accept a geographically diverse student body and try not to accept too many students from one region and especially not from one school. The Naviance guidance delivery system is a resource to which many schools now subscribe that can help you find out more about with whom you're competing.
The website, www.naviance.com, is interesting but does not allow general access to detailed information. However, if a school district is a subscriber, the information is very extensive and tailored to the individual high school. Students and parents also have access as part of a "Family Connection". The system offers a feature which shows how successful students from the subscriber school have been in gaining admission to specific colleges and universities. I believe this feature is only available to the school's guidance professionals and other personnl. I've only had limited exposure to this system. At the party my niece had for her son's first birthday, she enthusiastically took the time to give me an overview of the program. She, too, is a counselor and, yes, she generously took time from her hosting duties to share this new knowledge with me. What can I say? We're guidance geeks!
I was pretty impressed. If you're fortunate enough to have this tool at your disposal, take the time to learn it and the opportunity to use it.
The website, www.naviance.com, is interesting but does not allow general access to detailed information. However, if a school district is a subscriber, the information is very extensive and tailored to the individual high school. Students and parents also have access as part of a "Family Connection". The system offers a feature which shows how successful students from the subscriber school have been in gaining admission to specific colleges and universities. I believe this feature is only available to the school's guidance professionals and other personnl. I've only had limited exposure to this system. At the party my niece had for her son's first birthday, she enthusiastically took the time to give me an overview of the program. She, too, is a counselor and, yes, she generously took time from her hosting duties to share this new knowledge with me. What can I say? We're guidance geeks!
I was pretty impressed. If you're fortunate enough to have this tool at your disposal, take the time to learn it and the opportunity to use it.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Virtual Tours and Other Tools
OK - You've got a few places in mind in which you and your family can justify spending THOUSANDS of dollars! What's next? You need to get up close and personal - visit the campus. This part of the process may seem daunting. You may have a few dozen places of interest all over the country. Luckily, you have an invaluable tool at your disposal - the Internet.
When you look up a specific college on www.collegeboard.com, you are often given a link which will take you directly to the college website. Many times that site will include a virtual tour of the campus. There is another site, www.campustour.com, which provides virtual campus tours for many colleges and universities. As stated in a previous post, www.unigo.com is another excellent resource which links to campus tours as well. While these virtual tours are not a substitute for actually visiting a specific school, something you see or learn from the website may rule out a campus or make it a definite "must see".
Another way to learn about a school is through college fairs or a college representative's visit to your high school. These events are often only as good as the rep sent by the college. However, it is a good way to pick up brochures and applications if the school does not accept the Common Application which I'll cover in a future blog. (Many schools have online application procedures but having a paper copy will help you prepare a rough draft.) If a college representative does visit your school, it's a good idea to attend the session even if you have already visited the college and have decided to definitely apply. If it's a group session, you'll get an idea of which other students in your school are considering that college and you can "size up" your local competition. Try to meet with the rep personally. Be sure to take her card or get contact information such as an email address so that you can get in touch with a follow-up email if you have further questions. If you decide to apply to the college, email the rep to let her know. Considering all the students a rep visits with, she may not remember you but anything that might put a face to the application papers is worth a try!
When you look up a specific college on www.collegeboard.com, you are often given a link which will take you directly to the college website. Many times that site will include a virtual tour of the campus. There is another site, www.campustour.com, which provides virtual campus tours for many colleges and universities. As stated in a previous post, www.unigo.com is another excellent resource which links to campus tours as well. While these virtual tours are not a substitute for actually visiting a specific school, something you see or learn from the website may rule out a campus or make it a definite "must see".
Another way to learn about a school is through college fairs or a college representative's visit to your high school. These events are often only as good as the rep sent by the college. However, it is a good way to pick up brochures and applications if the school does not accept the Common Application which I'll cover in a future blog. (Many schools have online application procedures but having a paper copy will help you prepare a rough draft.) If a college representative does visit your school, it's a good idea to attend the session even if you have already visited the college and have decided to definitely apply. If it's a group session, you'll get an idea of which other students in your school are considering that college and you can "size up" your local competition. Try to meet with the rep personally. Be sure to take her card or get contact information such as an email address so that you can get in touch with a follow-up email if you have further questions. If you decide to apply to the college, email the rep to let her know. Considering all the students a rep visits with, she may not remember you but anything that might put a face to the application papers is worth a try!
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Feeder Schools
We're just about at the point where you'll have whittled down your list of college possibilities from a hundred or more to a few dozen or less. In the past few posts, I've written about finding schools with good programs in the areas of study in which you're interested. If you have a goal in mind that includes graduate study, you should consider whether your choices are good "feeder schools".
I've written about what a great resource Dr. Sowell's Choosing a College is. In it he speaks about schools that are good "feeder schools", those from which many respected graduate programs accept applicants. By reading Dr. Sowell's book, I found out that the Office of Institutional Research at Franklin and Marshall College issued a publication called, Baccalaureate Origins of Doctorate Recipients: A Ranking of 4-Year Private Institutions. I contacted the research office at Franklin and Marshall and they no longer issue the publication but Dr. Alan Caniglia was kind enough to respond to me and give me a lead that resulted in finding an article out of the University of Illinois. "Graduate and Research Programs" gives synopses of different sites that offer rankings and information about graduate programs. Studies are referenced that show which pre-professional undergraduate programs graduate the most students who get into graduate programs. I found the article at http://www.library.illinois.edu/edx/rankings/rankgrad.html The National Research Council in Washington is given as a source as it is in Dr. Sowell's book. However, these printouts are not free. Your guidance office or library might have a volume of the printouts entitled, Baccaulaureate Origins of Doctorate Recipients from US Universities.
What I found most helpful in the University of Illinois article was the synopsis of a great FREE article that was written by Elizabeth Bernstein, staff reporter for The Wall Street Journal. The article is entitled, "Want to Go to Harvard Law?" and was published in September 2003. It is available at http://wsjclassroom.com/college/feederschools.htm on The Wall Street Journal Classroom Edition site. (I am struck by the number of times in these posts that I've referred to something I've found through The Wall Street Journal. It is a fantastic resource!) The article gives a list of the most effective feeder colleges and the methodology by which they were chosen. It is an excellent tool for students whose career goal necessitates graduate school.
That may have seemed like a very detailed and roundabout way to direct you to a site I could have given you in one paragraph. In December I posted about "leads", detecting information from a site that leads you to another where you learn even more. That's what I did to find this information. You should be doing the same. In this advanced technological age you can find information in a matter of hours that formerly might have taken days or even weeks. I remember snail-mail and microfiche! (I just asked my 20 something daughter how to spell that word and she said, "What's that?" You kids have it easy!)
I've written about what a great resource Dr. Sowell's Choosing a College is. In it he speaks about schools that are good "feeder schools", those from which many respected graduate programs accept applicants. By reading Dr. Sowell's book, I found out that the Office of Institutional Research at Franklin and Marshall College issued a publication called, Baccalaureate Origins of Doctorate Recipients: A Ranking of 4-Year Private Institutions. I contacted the research office at Franklin and Marshall and they no longer issue the publication but Dr. Alan Caniglia was kind enough to respond to me and give me a lead that resulted in finding an article out of the University of Illinois. "Graduate and Research Programs" gives synopses of different sites that offer rankings and information about graduate programs. Studies are referenced that show which pre-professional undergraduate programs graduate the most students who get into graduate programs. I found the article at http://www.library.illinois.edu/edx/rankings/rankgrad.html The National Research Council in Washington is given as a source as it is in Dr. Sowell's book. However, these printouts are not free. Your guidance office or library might have a volume of the printouts entitled, Baccaulaureate Origins of Doctorate Recipients from US Universities.
What I found most helpful in the University of Illinois article was the synopsis of a great FREE article that was written by Elizabeth Bernstein, staff reporter for The Wall Street Journal. The article is entitled, "Want to Go to Harvard Law?" and was published in September 2003. It is available at http://wsjclassroom.com/college/feederschools.htm on The Wall Street Journal Classroom Edition site. (I am struck by the number of times in these posts that I've referred to something I've found through The Wall Street Journal. It is a fantastic resource!) The article gives a list of the most effective feeder colleges and the methodology by which they were chosen. It is an excellent tool for students whose career goal necessitates graduate school.
That may have seemed like a very detailed and roundabout way to direct you to a site I could have given you in one paragraph. In December I posted about "leads", detecting information from a site that leads you to another where you learn even more. That's what I did to find this information. You should be doing the same. In this advanced technological age you can find information in a matter of hours that formerly might have taken days or even weeks. I remember snail-mail and microfiche! (I just asked my 20 something daughter how to spell that word and she said, "What's that?" You kids have it easy!)
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Choosing a College, Continued
In the third post in this series on choosing a college, we are moving from websites to books. You remember those compilations of fact and fiction produced on tree pulp for general consumption. I guess that definition would have to be revised in this "Kindle" generation. Forget the social commentary. In this post I intend to focus on the Princeton Review's publication, The Best 373 Colleges.
In Choosing a College, Dr. Thomas Sowell seems not to place much stock in many of the college guides he reviewed. However, his book was published in 1989 and the Princeton Review series was first published in 1992. Had Dr. Sowell been able to include it in his treatise, I think he may have found many worthwhile features. This post will concentrate on a few that I think are most beneficial.
-The book provides a guide as to what a student should do during each year of high school to enable her to be admitted into college.
-It provides tips for getting financial aid in the form of scholarships and grants.
-It provides listings of "great schools" for 15 of the most popular undergraduate majors and the rationale for inclusion in the lists. The book gives detailed descriptions of how schools were selected from their surveys which included admisnistrative personnel and students.
-The Review presents 62 top 20 rankings in eight categories:
Academics/Administrative
Quality of Life
Politics
Demographics
Town Life
Extracurriculars
Social Scene
School by Type
-There are three "honor rolls" dealing with Financial Aid, Fire Safety and Green Rating.
In Part 3 of this volume, the schools that have been rated as the 373 best are then presented in complete profiles that contain facts and impressions by which you can decide to include or exclude the specific institution from your list of application possibilities.
It's a very good guide which I can personally recommend. Regarding good college guides, Dr. Sowell writes that,
Guides that are in your home can be read
whenever the time and the mood are right,
over a period of weeks and months.
Special things about particular colleges
can be underlined and comments put in the
margins to be looked at perhaps months
later, when you are ready to decide where
to send your applications - and still later
again, when making your final choice among
the colleges that accepted you. (p. 149)
Come to think of it, can you do all that with a Kindle? For these reasons and those listed above, I believe that the Princeton Review's, The Best 373 Colleges is a very wise investment.
As we begin the Spring Season (in reality, Spring Training), the constraints of other commitments will confine these blogs to a biweekly schedule. (I always liked alliteration!) The next post will be on March 16.
In Choosing a College, Dr. Thomas Sowell seems not to place much stock in many of the college guides he reviewed. However, his book was published in 1989 and the Princeton Review series was first published in 1992. Had Dr. Sowell been able to include it in his treatise, I think he may have found many worthwhile features. This post will concentrate on a few that I think are most beneficial.
-The book provides a guide as to what a student should do during each year of high school to enable her to be admitted into college.
-It provides tips for getting financial aid in the form of scholarships and grants.
-It provides listings of "great schools" for 15 of the most popular undergraduate majors and the rationale for inclusion in the lists. The book gives detailed descriptions of how schools were selected from their surveys which included admisnistrative personnel and students.
-The Review presents 62 top 20 rankings in eight categories:
Academics/Administrative
Quality of Life
Politics
Demographics
Town Life
Extracurriculars
Social Scene
School by Type
-There are three "honor rolls" dealing with Financial Aid, Fire Safety and Green Rating.
In Part 3 of this volume, the schools that have been rated as the 373 best are then presented in complete profiles that contain facts and impressions by which you can decide to include or exclude the specific institution from your list of application possibilities.
It's a very good guide which I can personally recommend. Regarding good college guides, Dr. Sowell writes that,
Guides that are in your home can be read
whenever the time and the mood are right,
over a period of weeks and months.
Special things about particular colleges
can be underlined and comments put in the
margins to be looked at perhaps months
later, when you are ready to decide where
to send your applications - and still later
again, when making your final choice among
the colleges that accepted you. (p. 149)
Come to think of it, can you do all that with a Kindle? For these reasons and those listed above, I believe that the Princeton Review's, The Best 373 Colleges is a very wise investment.
As we begin the Spring Season (in reality, Spring Training), the constraints of other commitments will confine these blogs to a biweekly schedule. (I always liked alliteration!) The next post will be on March 16.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
You Deserve a Break Today!
Due to the fact that many schools have winter recess this week, I will not post an article today. I would not want my regular readers to miss an installment. I hope that you are somewhere warm and fun! If you've brought your laptops along, there are plenty of posts in the archives which would be worth your time if you haven't read them already. I will return on Wednesday, March 2 with a post you won't want to miss! (It's really not all that, but I'm going for suspense here!)
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Unigo Revisited
In a blog way back on December 1, 2010, I raved about a website, www.unigo.com, founded by Jordan Goldman who partnered with The Wall Street Journal to provide a free service where over 30,000 "college students tell you what colleges won't". If you aren't familiar with the site, it's definitely worth your time to explore it.
In the previous post I wrote about the interesting videos of panel discussions featuring college admissions personnel and administrators that are available on the site. They also provide rankings as to which schools, according to their findings, are the safest, most political, most intellectual etc. As part of the discussion on choosing a college, I'd like to revisit Unigo to discuss its college match and college search features. If you search a specific college by name, you will see an updated college profile containing information about size, cost, etc. and student reviews.
The college match feature is especially interesting. In less than thirty questions, the search seems to cover all the bases regarding cost, size, entrance difficulty, location, etc. but also addresses safety and social issues such as drugs and drinking. Questions are written in a very conversational style. A portion of one such question follows:
-Looking for a fresh start someplace new? Which of these fake communities seems to be calling your name?
o Carbon Copytown. Everyone here is very much alike. Blending in will be easy.
o Eclectic Falls. This quaint village is as diverse as it is fun and exciting.
Your results are updated as you answer each question. You're given a percentage of how well you match specific colleges which meet the criterion the question addressed. To keep your interest, the questions are sprinkled with little "factoids" like, "More women graduate from high school but more men have bachelor's degrees". Some questions allow you to select more than one answer. You can also find colleges by state and majors.
I presented the first post specifically addressing college search and matching tools in mid-January. That article focused on the search and match features on The College Board site, www.collegeboard.com. If you take one or, better yet, both of these inventories, you'll come away with some very good leads as to colleges that will meet your needs. Many schools have some kind of winter break coming up soon. Juniors should plan to use at least some of that time productively to advance their post high school plans.
In the previous post I wrote about the interesting videos of panel discussions featuring college admissions personnel and administrators that are available on the site. They also provide rankings as to which schools, according to their findings, are the safest, most political, most intellectual etc. As part of the discussion on choosing a college, I'd like to revisit Unigo to discuss its college match and college search features. If you search a specific college by name, you will see an updated college profile containing information about size, cost, etc. and student reviews.
The college match feature is especially interesting. In less than thirty questions, the search seems to cover all the bases regarding cost, size, entrance difficulty, location, etc. but also addresses safety and social issues such as drugs and drinking. Questions are written in a very conversational style. A portion of one such question follows:
-Looking for a fresh start someplace new? Which of these fake communities seems to be calling your name?
o Carbon Copytown. Everyone here is very much alike. Blending in will be easy.
o Eclectic Falls. This quaint village is as diverse as it is fun and exciting.
Your results are updated as you answer each question. You're given a percentage of how well you match specific colleges which meet the criterion the question addressed. To keep your interest, the questions are sprinkled with little "factoids" like, "More women graduate from high school but more men have bachelor's degrees". Some questions allow you to select more than one answer. You can also find colleges by state and majors.
I presented the first post specifically addressing college search and matching tools in mid-January. That article focused on the search and match features on The College Board site, www.collegeboard.com. If you take one or, better yet, both of these inventories, you'll come away with some very good leads as to colleges that will meet your needs. Many schools have some kind of winter break coming up soon. Juniors should plan to use at least some of that time productively to advance their post high school plans.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Pardon the Interruption!
Due to unforeseen circumstances, I will be unable to post today, February 9. I will return next Wednesday to continue the series of posts related to choosing a college. I apologize for any inconvenience.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
The State of Boys and Girls State
I'm going to interrupt this series of blogs about choosing a college to discuss something of a more timely nature: the Boys and Girls State programs. American Legion units in 49 of the 50 United States (with the exception of Hawaii) will begin their selection process the middle of this month for these week long summer programs. This year New Jersey Boys and Girls State sessions will run from Sunday, June 19, through Friday, June 24. The goal of the programs is to teach students completing their junior year of high school how local, county and state government works. Leadership skills, as well as an appreciation of the rights and responsibilities of citizenship, are developed.
A descriptiion of the structure of Girls State, which is also that of Boys State, follows:
At Girls State, each girl, as she registers, becomes a citizen
of an assigned city. The citizens set up city governments
and elect city officials. The City Councils then enact
ordinances to govern the cities. The city officials enforce
the ordinances. Two cities constitute a county. The county
governments are organized by the election of a Board of
Freeholders, a Sheriff, etc. for each county. The elected
officers then proceed to function in all county matters, as
provided by the Constitution and the laws of the State of
New Jersey. The counties together become the state. Each girl
is assigned to one of two parties - Federals or Nationals - so
they may see how political parties function. They develop
their own party platforms and discuss issues they choose.
All of the elections are carried our according to the
existing laws of New Jersey. Following the State Primary
Elections is the General Election, when the citizens elect the
Girls State Governor. From the Assembly and Senatorial
Districts they elect the members of the Girls State Assembly
and Senate. An Inaugural Ceremony is held and the Girls
State Governor-elect and other state officials are given
their oaths of office. The two branches of the legislature
organize, author, and pass bills. The Governor decides whether
to sign the bill into law or veto them.
Wow, what a civics lesson and all in one week! Two delegates from each individual state program are selected to attend Boys Nation and Girls Nation where delegates are taught about and simulate the Federal government.
Usually schools recommend lists of eligible candidates to local Legion units. Leadership, character, scholarship, loyalty and service to school and community are among the traits that eligible juniors must exhibit. The Legion post reviews the list and interviews the candidates to select their representative(s) for the program.
I was a delegate to New Jersey Girls State almost forty-five years ago! (DON'T DO THE MATH!!!) I consider selection one of my greatest honors and participation one of the most worthwhile of my endeavors. The civics in action lessons the program taught have been invaluable throughout my life. If you are interested, go to www.boysandgirlsstate.org and see your guidance counselor.
A descriptiion of the structure of Girls State, which is also that of Boys State, follows:
At Girls State, each girl, as she registers, becomes a citizen
of an assigned city. The citizens set up city governments
and elect city officials. The City Councils then enact
ordinances to govern the cities. The city officials enforce
the ordinances. Two cities constitute a county. The county
governments are organized by the election of a Board of
Freeholders, a Sheriff, etc. for each county. The elected
officers then proceed to function in all county matters, as
provided by the Constitution and the laws of the State of
New Jersey. The counties together become the state. Each girl
is assigned to one of two parties - Federals or Nationals - so
they may see how political parties function. They develop
their own party platforms and discuss issues they choose.
All of the elections are carried our according to the
existing laws of New Jersey. Following the State Primary
Elections is the General Election, when the citizens elect the
Girls State Governor. From the Assembly and Senatorial
Districts they elect the members of the Girls State Assembly
and Senate. An Inaugural Ceremony is held and the Girls
State Governor-elect and other state officials are given
their oaths of office. The two branches of the legislature
organize, author, and pass bills. The Governor decides whether
to sign the bill into law or veto them.
Wow, what a civics lesson and all in one week! Two delegates from each individual state program are selected to attend Boys Nation and Girls Nation where delegates are taught about and simulate the Federal government.
Usually schools recommend lists of eligible candidates to local Legion units. Leadership, character, scholarship, loyalty and service to school and community are among the traits that eligible juniors must exhibit. The Legion post reviews the list and interviews the candidates to select their representative(s) for the program.
I was a delegate to New Jersey Girls State almost forty-five years ago! (DON'T DO THE MATH!!!) I consider selection one of my greatest honors and participation one of the most worthwhile of my endeavors. The civics in action lessons the program taught have been invaluable throughout my life. If you are interested, go to www.boysandgirlsstate.org and see your guidance counselor.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Two or Four Year College - "Pulling a Rudy"
In the last post I began a discussion of resources with which to help students find colleges to which to apply. I reviewed the site collegeboard.com which is invaluable in this effort. Unlike other college match sites, one of the first questions it asks the student is whether they're looking for a two or four year program. If the student responds, "No Preference", the college match results produced will not preclude two year programs. A lot of people may falsely stigmatize two year programs as being a last resort for students who "can't get in anywhere else". While sometimes true, that's an unfair generalization.
There are numerous reasons not to rule out a two year program. This post will concentrate on some major ones.
-Some students are interested in careers that require Associate's Degrees or even Certification rather than a four year Bachelor's Degree. Many of these jobs are in the technical or applied sciences. People interested in being a Veterinary Technician or Drafter often are employed with certification or a two year degree (Associate). For students who are unsure of their level of interest in a certain area, this can be a very good option rather than spending upwards of $30,000 a year to find out. Once employed in the field, they can decide if they are interested in advancing to a career that requires further study such as Veterinary Medicine or Architecture.
-Students who decide late that they even want to go to college may be able to "prove themselves" to a college with tougher academic and testing requirements than they acquired in high school. I call this "pulling a Rudy". That's a reference to the movie where the character, Rudy, used his good record in a two year program to transfer to Notre Dame. Many two year programs have bridge programs or articulation agreements with four year colleges where, upon completion. a two year graduate can enter into the four year college as a junior. The Baccalaureate Degree you get at graduation reads the name of the four year college or university, not the community college where you began.
-You've probably already figured out that the transfer option previously mentioned is a great way to save money as well. On the average, a community college costs less than half of what a four year state school charges. At a community college you can take core degree requirements at a much lower cost. Just be sure that the four year program you want to transfer to has an articulation agreement with the two year college or will accept the majority of your credits. Consider your college budget. I went to a very fine state university which was relatively inexpensive. Students who had to transfer there from pricier programs were seldom happy. You always want to trade up.
-If the above reasons aren't sufficient to at least pique your interest in alternatives to applying to a four year program immediately after high school, consider the USA Today article of January 18, 2011. The article by Mary Beth Macklein, which can be found at www.usatoday.com is entitled "Report: First Two Years of College Show Small Gains". In it she refers to a report based on a book, Academically Adrift: Limited Learning on College Campuses.
One of the study's conclusions is that, "Nearly half of the nation's undergraduates show almost no gains in learning in their first two years of college." The authors also found that students spent 51% of their time socializing and recreating; 24% sleeping; 9% working, volunteering or in student club activities; 9% attending class and only 7% studying. Sounds like a sweet deal but, unless you have no need to take loans to subsidize this life style, is it really worth going into thousands of dollars in debt?
There are numerous reasons not to rule out a two year program. This post will concentrate on some major ones.
-Some students are interested in careers that require Associate's Degrees or even Certification rather than a four year Bachelor's Degree. Many of these jobs are in the technical or applied sciences. People interested in being a Veterinary Technician or Drafter often are employed with certification or a two year degree (Associate). For students who are unsure of their level of interest in a certain area, this can be a very good option rather than spending upwards of $30,000 a year to find out. Once employed in the field, they can decide if they are interested in advancing to a career that requires further study such as Veterinary Medicine or Architecture.
-Students who decide late that they even want to go to college may be able to "prove themselves" to a college with tougher academic and testing requirements than they acquired in high school. I call this "pulling a Rudy". That's a reference to the movie where the character, Rudy, used his good record in a two year program to transfer to Notre Dame. Many two year programs have bridge programs or articulation agreements with four year colleges where, upon completion. a two year graduate can enter into the four year college as a junior. The Baccalaureate Degree you get at graduation reads the name of the four year college or university, not the community college where you began.
-You've probably already figured out that the transfer option previously mentioned is a great way to save money as well. On the average, a community college costs less than half of what a four year state school charges. At a community college you can take core degree requirements at a much lower cost. Just be sure that the four year program you want to transfer to has an articulation agreement with the two year college or will accept the majority of your credits. Consider your college budget. I went to a very fine state university which was relatively inexpensive. Students who had to transfer there from pricier programs were seldom happy. You always want to trade up.
-If the above reasons aren't sufficient to at least pique your interest in alternatives to applying to a four year program immediately after high school, consider the USA Today article of January 18, 2011. The article by Mary Beth Macklein, which can be found at www.usatoday.com is entitled "Report: First Two Years of College Show Small Gains". In it she refers to a report based on a book, Academically Adrift: Limited Learning on College Campuses.
One of the study's conclusions is that, "Nearly half of the nation's undergraduates show almost no gains in learning in their first two years of college." The authors also found that students spent 51% of their time socializing and recreating; 24% sleeping; 9% working, volunteering or in student club activities; 9% attending class and only 7% studying. Sounds like a sweet deal but, unless you have no need to take loans to subsidize this life style, is it really worth going into thousands of dollars in debt?
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Choosing a College
By this point you should have an idea of what you would like to do and how to prepare for it. Does your career of interest require college, trade or technical school or even apprenticeship, a topic we'll investigate in the future? For those who require a college degree, the biggest dilemma which now presents itself is which college to choose. An invaluable book which I've referenced in the past is, Choosing a College by Dr. Thomas Sowell. The book doesn't seem to be available from Amazon.com but you may be able to find it in the library. (You remember the library, that brick building somewhere near the center of town with those pre-Kindle paper things called books!?!) Dr. Sowell is a brilliant economist who is quite prolific in writing about economics, education and history. As stated previously, the book was first published in 1989. While some of the information about specific schools is dated, the philosophy and technique underlying the college choice process is relevant and that's the major purpose of the book.
There are numerous resources available to help you in your search. Since I wrote about the College Board in the last post outlining use of PSAT results, I'll begin with that. There are many features of www.collegeboard.com that are excellent resources for students, parents and education professionals. The college search and match features are well worth investigating. If you know of a college in which you're interested, you can search it by name and get a complete profile of one of over 3,500 schools. If you haven't a clue or only have a school or two that you know of, use the college match feature. You are asked a series of questions which, based on your responses, will match you with specific schools that meet your preferences as to size, cost, majors and a host of relevant characteristics. You can then use the list of results to further refine your choices.
An excellent feature on this site is the side by side comparison. You can compare up to four colleges at one time. Once you put in the names, a one page "side by side comparison" results which gives you location, admissions criteria, size and cost. In addition, there is the "How do I stack up?" feature which lets you put in personal information as to your grades and test scores and results in a comparison of how you "stack up" against the competition at that school. You can save all of these results in a personal account which you can set up free of charge as a PSAT/SAT taker. This site is definitely a keeper!
There are numerous resources available to help you in your search. Since I wrote about the College Board in the last post outlining use of PSAT results, I'll begin with that. There are many features of www.collegeboard.com that are excellent resources for students, parents and education professionals. The college search and match features are well worth investigating. If you know of a college in which you're interested, you can search it by name and get a complete profile of one of over 3,500 schools. If you haven't a clue or only have a school or two that you know of, use the college match feature. You are asked a series of questions which, based on your responses, will match you with specific schools that meet your preferences as to size, cost, majors and a host of relevant characteristics. You can then use the list of results to further refine your choices.
An excellent feature on this site is the side by side comparison. You can compare up to four colleges at one time. Once you put in the names, a one page "side by side comparison" results which gives you location, admissions criteria, size and cost. In addition, there is the "How do I stack up?" feature which lets you put in personal information as to your grades and test scores and results in a comparison of how you "stack up" against the competition at that school. You can save all of these results in a personal account which you can set up free of charge as a PSAT/SAT taker. This site is definitely a keeper!
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
It's January and Junior Year
When I began this blog, I thought I should begin with junior year in high school. However, there is so much preliminary work that should be done before that. On the www.college.gov site, mentioned in an earlier post, they use three main sub-headings the first of which is "Why Go?". If you have been following the blog, you have, hopefully, done the suggested career exploration and have an idea in mind as to the kind of career(s) you would like to have and the type of post-secondary training/education it requires. If not, review some of the previous posts and go from there. From this point we're going to discuss how to find the place that moves you forward toward your career goal.
By this time juniors should have received the results of the PSAT/NMSQT they took in October. Many sophomores may have taken the test as well, although they are not yet eligible for the National Merit Scholarships for which juniors may qualify. If you took the test and have not received your results, be sure to see your guidance counselor.
If used properly, these results are invaluable to help you prepare for the Scholastic Aptitude Test required by most college admissions offices. The ACT (American College Test) is another test which many schools use as part of their application process and will be discussed in a future post. The PSAT provides you with your scores (ranging from 20-80) on each of three subtests: critical reading; mathematics and writing skills. More importantly, they give you a percentile by which you can see how your scores stack up against other students in your grade level who took the test. A score of 48 in critical reading, roughly what would be a 480 on the SAT, doesn't seem so great. However, when you see that that score was better than 69% of the other students in that grade level who took the test, it's much more competitive. These other students are those who will compete against you for college admissions. As a visual, in a room of 100 students in your grade throughout the country who took the test, you did better than 69 of them. Looks a lot better, doesn't it?
If you don't want to bank on the rest of your group sleeping through segments of the SAT, use your PSAT scores to prepare. Your test booklet should have been returned to you so now you can actually review the specific questions you got right or wrong. The results also give you the level of difficulty of each question and the specific skill it was meant to assess. They also provide an analysis of which skill areas you can improve and provide suggestions as to how to do so.
On the second page of your results you are given a code with which you can fully access the College Board website and use its services for free. The MyRoad program offers the ORA Personality Profile, mentioned earlier. If you don't have a career goal in mind, this will help you. Even if you have a life long dream of a specific job, take the profile to see if it produces results compatible with your plans. It may even broaden the scope of possibilities.
Collegeboard.com provides information on the SAT, which they also administer, and suggestions as to how to prepare. There's a lot of money in SAT preparation. Many students hire private tutors who "tutor to the test", giving them tips and exercises to hone their test skills in general and SAT taking specifically. The Princeton and Kaplan Review(s) along with Huntington and Sylvan Learning Center(s) are just a few among many companies that charge handsomely for these services. Books are available for those who are self-starters and can discipline themselves to prepare at a much lower cost. Among over 1500 titles amazon.com lists when you search "SAT prep" are: The Official SAT Guide by the College Board
; Kaplan SAT 2011; Barron's SAT and McGraw Hill's 12 SAT Practice Tests
There is an interesting online test prep program at www.grockit.com.
No matter what plan(s) you follow, don't just wing it. DO SOMETHING! At the very least, READ - not just subjects you enjoy but pick up something technical if you're a poet and poetic if you're a scientist. You can be both. Decipher it - read with a dictionary - understand it - seek the guidance of a parent or teacher. In May or June many juniors with take the SAT for the first time. (I recommend the May date, as it provides a question/answer service which can be further used to prep for the test if you decide to take it again.) Colleges use a composite of the highest scores for each section of the SAT(s) a student takes.
It may not seem so now, especially for those of us in colder climates, but Spring is just a blink away!
By this time juniors should have received the results of the PSAT/NMSQT they took in October. Many sophomores may have taken the test as well, although they are not yet eligible for the National Merit Scholarships for which juniors may qualify. If you took the test and have not received your results, be sure to see your guidance counselor.
If used properly, these results are invaluable to help you prepare for the Scholastic Aptitude Test required by most college admissions offices. The ACT (American College Test) is another test which many schools use as part of their application process and will be discussed in a future post. The PSAT provides you with your scores (ranging from 20-80) on each of three subtests: critical reading; mathematics and writing skills. More importantly, they give you a percentile by which you can see how your scores stack up against other students in your grade level who took the test. A score of 48 in critical reading, roughly what would be a 480 on the SAT, doesn't seem so great. However, when you see that that score was better than 69% of the other students in that grade level who took the test, it's much more competitive. These other students are those who will compete against you for college admissions. As a visual, in a room of 100 students in your grade throughout the country who took the test, you did better than 69 of them. Looks a lot better, doesn't it?
If you don't want to bank on the rest of your group sleeping through segments of the SAT, use your PSAT scores to prepare. Your test booklet should have been returned to you so now you can actually review the specific questions you got right or wrong. The results also give you the level of difficulty of each question and the specific skill it was meant to assess. They also provide an analysis of which skill areas you can improve and provide suggestions as to how to do so.
On the second page of your results you are given a code with which you can fully access the College Board website and use its services for free. The MyRoad program offers the ORA Personality Profile, mentioned earlier. If you don't have a career goal in mind, this will help you. Even if you have a life long dream of a specific job, take the profile to see if it produces results compatible with your plans. It may even broaden the scope of possibilities.
Collegeboard.com provides information on the SAT, which they also administer, and suggestions as to how to prepare. There's a lot of money in SAT preparation. Many students hire private tutors who "tutor to the test", giving them tips and exercises to hone their test skills in general and SAT taking specifically. The Princeton and Kaplan Review(s) along with Huntington and Sylvan Learning Center(s) are just a few among many companies that charge handsomely for these services. Books are available for those who are self-starters and can discipline themselves to prepare at a much lower cost. Among over 1500 titles amazon.com lists when you search "SAT prep" are: The Official SAT Guide by the College Board
; Kaplan SAT 2011; Barron's SAT and McGraw Hill's 12 SAT Practice Tests
There is an interesting online test prep program at www.grockit.com.
No matter what plan(s) you follow, don't just wing it. DO SOMETHING! At the very least, READ - not just subjects you enjoy but pick up something technical if you're a poet and poetic if you're a scientist. You can be both. Decipher it - read with a dictionary - understand it - seek the guidance of a parent or teacher. In May or June many juniors with take the SAT for the first time. (I recommend the May date, as it provides a question/answer service which can be further used to prep for the test if you decide to take it again.) Colleges use a composite of the highest scores for each section of the SAT(s) a student takes.
It may not seem so now, especially for those of us in colder climates, but Spring is just a blink away!
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