Promoting Involvement of Recent Immigrant Families in Their Children's Education
http://www.gse.harvard.edu/~hfrp/projects/fine/resources/research/golan.html
This is a somewhat academic article, but it provides a conceptual framework and
a list of best practices for counselors who wish to strengthen parental
involvement among Hispanic immigrant populations. A lot of what is put forth in
the article is fairly basic if you are used to working with new arrivals from
any country…and I must admit I am weary of everything that purports a
“one-size-fits-all” model. However, it is helpful to see this very complex issue
broken down into a few manageable steps (at least to use as a jumping off
point…).
The issue is perhaps best stated by the article’s authors:
“Many researchers have found that parent involvement in schools is an effective
strategy for promoting student achievement. Yet schools struggle with ways to
recruit and involve parents, especially recent immigrant parents. The barriers
that discourage immigrant parents from participating in schools are not
insurmountable. This article presents specific practices that are effective at
recruiting and working with typically hard-to-involve parents. Although the
needs of immigrant parents are similar to those of U.S.-born parents (e.g., both
desire information about school policies, school programs, and their children's
academic and social progress, access to support services, and meaningful
opportunities to participate in their children's education), the ways to meet
these parents' needs effectively differ. The PIQE program offers a model for
meeting some of the key needs of Hispanic immigrant parents, the fastest-growing
community in the United States, according to the 2000 Census.”
In short, the article offers a training model for teachers and immigrant
families, which was developed in partnership with the Parent Institute for
Quality Education (PIQUE). PIQUE is a community-based organization that
increases parent knowledge and skills in an effort to support the academic
achievement of their children. The authors state that low-income Hispanic
immigrant families find the school system impersonal and nonresponsive, and that
PIQE employs informal education techniques that promote social interaction and
change. They use “dialogue to build community and social capital, situating
educational activity in the lived experience of participants, and raising
participants' consciousness about their situations and their own power to take
informed action.”
The authors suggest the following: 1) address parents’ direct needs; 2) make
personal connections; 3) raise awareness and concern around student achievement
and the need for parent involvement; 4) establish a clear and common goal; 5)
demystify how the school system works; 6) suggest concrete actions that parents
can use to support their children's academic success; 7) use methods that have
been proven to support learning and increase the likelihood that new behaviors
will be adopted; and, 8) create a sense of community and a peer support network
that will continue beyond the term of the class. Each item is expounded upon
within the article and attached study.
Thacker hopes to get a different spin on polices to decrease the emphasis on standardized tests, to limit the percentage of a class admitted through early decision, and a commitment to admitting students regardless of their financial means—Hear Hear!
The following is a direct cut and paste. I thought it was worth your read.
In ''College Unranked: Affirming Educational Values in College Admissions," Lloyd Thacker offers advice for prospective college students. Among the actions and questions he urges students to consider are the following:
What is
Your Hook
http://education.yahoo.com/college/essentials/articles/college/admissionshook.html
Looking through the suggested articles, I was thrilled to come across this one.
Semester grades were just posted this week and after weeks of lectures about
college, the college admission process, choosing a college and college research
came to head after I met with my class and discussed their college options by
GPA, test scores and personal strengths. The article, “What is your Hook?”
clarifies the idea that students need to work on putting together an application
that presents their “best” personal self. The article breaks down what colleges
are looking for into five categories: grades, standardized test scores,
recommendations, application essays, and the college interview. But beyond the
top five the article discusses the X factor: the hook.
The article suggested several possible hooks including: Personal Achievements,
Special Talents, Geographic Diversity, Extra-curricular Activities, Ethnic
Heritage and Socio- Economic Backgrounds, Leadership, Athletic Talent and Legacy
I thought this was a fabulous article and I will share this article with my
students. I teach in a low-economically diverse population and I am always
trying to convince my students how special they are and how much they bring to
the “college table,” but I believe this article will hold more weight and
credibility, not to mention many teenagers want proof of what I share with them
on a regular basis.
This article has also brought to life reasons and clarity behind many of the
success stories on our campus. Just this past week one of our AVID seniors was
accepted to Cornell University with a 3.0 and less than 1000 on his SAT. This
articles explains that this student had the “hook,” and he was able to use his
situation, his story to win over the acceptance from one of the top universities
in this country!
FairTest,
University Testing:"Test-Optional" Colleges
http://www.fairtest.org/univ/optional.htm As I browsed through the websites
that we could take an article from to do this assignment, the link entitled,
“Colleges Without SAT Requirements” caught my eye. I have been working with a
student that has a hard time in writing and missed the deadline to take the old
SAT. He is now deathly afraid of taking the new SAT because of the new writing
module. I was anxious to go see what I could find out.
The link led me to a website with the title, “FairTest, University Testing:"Test-Optional"
Colleges”. (http://www.fairtest.org/univ/optional.htm.) Noticing that it was an
organization’s website helped to confirm that the information would be
legitimate.
The article is fairly short, but the basics are that there are over 700 colleges
and universities that do not use the SAT/ACT in their admission decisions. The
premise is that they have been unable to prove that that this score can predict
the success of the student in their college. Some schools require that it be
submitted for counseling/placement purposes, but some colleges do not even
require that it be submitted.
The article is then followed by a link to an alphabetical list of these 700
colleges. I took a look and was surprised at some of the schools on the list,
yet excited for my student that I have been helping! What a relief it will be to
the student to find this out (and by relieving the pressure, he may actually do
well on the test)!
Other links lead to an updated listing, an article on the profile of these
schools, and a few other items. Excellent information!
Extracurricular Activities - Life Outside the Classroom
www.collegeboard.com/article/0,3868,2-7-0-113,00.html I chose this article
because I liked that it talked about the importance of extracurricular
activities to the college admissions process. The article discussed the issue of
colleges not only considering academics but looking at what a student does
outside the classroom as well. It notes how extracurricular activities reveal a
great deal about a student such as (1) How they’ve made a meaningful
contribution to something (2) Whether they can maintain a long-term commitment
(3) Whether they can manage their time and priorities (4) What their
non-academic interests are.
I also like the way that the article stresses that colleges are not interested
in seeing you “do it all.” Many of the students that I work with often feel that
they have to be involved in every school activity so that they can put it on
their applications. I always tell students that colleges want to see that they
have been in one or two activities for an extended period of time rather than
being involved in several different activities for shorter periods of time. It
is never too early to begin getting involved! I tell my students that
extracurricular activities are very important and often times will be a deciding
factor in whether similar types of students get into a college over another. I
also tell them that colleges are looking for what they will bring to the
university that is unique and special.
I feel that the article should have put more of an emphasis on the importance of
doing community service as an extracurricular activity. Overall the article
offered some good tips on getting involved in outside activities.
Taking the
College Search to the Web
http://collegeapps.about.com/library/weekly/mcurrent.htm?once=true&
I chose this article because I speak with several students daily who are just
starting to think about the possibility of going to college, but have no idea
where to start. I was interested in what this article had to say.
I found this article to be very general and simplistic. It first discussed search engines and how to utilize them to compile a list of colleges to consider, yet didn’t go into detail about how to conduct a specialized search and modify it to meet your needs. It then went briefly into college information sites and how they offer general information on college admission, financial aid and other issues related to the college search. Finally, the article addressed college web sites. I found this portion to be very easy to follow. It discussed what to look for when you enter a college’s home page.
Though simplistic, there were two things that I really liked about this article. First, it provided links throughout each section that could easily be accessed. Secondly, it provided a word of caution about websites and weaknesses, and how to not believe everything you read online unless you know where the information is coming from.
In working with a student population where the majority of graduates are the first ones to ever receive a high school diploma in their family, this website may be one I would recommend to those who never thought college could be a possibility.
*The World Wide Web made the college search easier for today’s students. You can use search engines like Yahoo or Alta Vista to find the right college. You can also use various specialized search engines provided by certain web sites. To start your search, write down what you are looking for in a college. Try different search engines for different results. In your search, visit college information sites for general information about admissions. Sometimes these web sites offer free search engines for colleges and scholarships. Your next step is to visit the college web site. Check the admission office from the college home page. You can also visit the home pages for the academic departments. Also check the college online catalogue and look for majors of your interest. College web sites can also include links to student organizations, student’s news papers. Read current students homepages and contact them for further information about the college. Not all the web sites are of the same quality. It is very important not to judge the college by the quality of the web sites. Always contact the admissions offices for information. Analyze the information you read on the Web. Information on certain web sites may be tailored to serve the sponsor companies, or it may introduce negative remarks on one student’s home page. Although the internet now is a fairly quick and easy way to do your research, no technology can ever take the place of a student’s feet on the campus.
Choosing the Right Course: College Prep, Career Tech or Both?
http://www.ucop.edu/pathways/ucnotes/november04/news1.html
College preparatory education and career technical education (CTE) are often
thought of as incompatible or as having different agendas. Nevertheless, a
growing number of students, parents and educators are discovering a way to merge
college prep and non-college prep courses. The University of California,
California Department of Education (CDE), Regional Occupational Program (ROP)
and other groups have been working together to promote increased academic rigor
in CTE. "A recent CDE analysis showed that since 1983 UC has approved 3,335
career-technical courses that meet requirements in 890 public comprehensive high
schools. These include many courses in agriculture (e.g., Agricultural Biology,
Agriculture Economics and Veterinary Science) and visual arts/design (e.g.,
photo and film making), as well as a handful of courses in business economics,
health/medical sciences and other areas."
Some career pathways, academies and magnet schools around California expect or
require students to complete a career-technical sequence of courses in addition
to their "a-g" course requirement. Students who do pursue CTE paths will enhance
their admission prospects during the comprehensive review process. UC Berkeley's
Acting Director of Admissions Mary Dubitzky encourages students to expand upon
these learning experiences by discussing them in their personal statement when
they apply.
"While integrating state academic standards into Career Technical Education
curriculum is not only answer to helping reform our high schools, it is an
important piece of the puzzle in helping students and schools perform at higher
levels," says Ron Fox, administrator of CDE's Intersegmental Relations Office. I
agree with his statement.
10 Things You
Should Consider When Choosing a College
http://education.yahoo.com/college/essentials/articles/college/collegeselectionlist.html
When I meet with high school college bound students I tell them that it is not
about finding the best school, but rather finding the best school for them. 10
Things You Should Consider When Choosing a College is an article that summarizes
10 factors a students should consider when looking at different universities.
The first thing to consider is SIZE. Do you want a small school, medium size or
large school? What would you as a student be most comfortable with? What size
high school you went to can also affect what type of college you are looking
for. The second factor is TYPE of school. What is it exactly you are looking
for, is it a major you want to pursue? Or is it a specialized school, perhaps a
single sex or religious affiliated college? There are many different types of
colleges and universities. Think about what you may like or not like when
picking a type of school. The third and fourth factors are both very important
and go together; LOCATION and DISTANCE FROM HOME. There are two main location
variables. Big city, small town and warm weather versus cold weather? Maybe a
student wants top step out of the box and try to go to school in a place
different from where they have lived their whole life. Perhaps they want to stay
close to home. COST/SCHOLOARSHIPS and FINANCIAL AID play a large role in the
decision about college. How much will the school cost, how much can my parents
and/or I afford. Is there a possibility of financial aid? All of these factors
play a role in picking there right school and the school you can afford. STUDENT
POPUATION is the 6th factor that is important in the college selection process.
What type of student body the campus has. What type of student population you
want. Do you want a school with a large social atmosphere or one where students
study all day long; all things to consider about students population. When
students graduate from high school many know what they want to study in college,
however many do not. MAJORS and REQUIREMENTS are something to think about when
you apply to a college. If you want to be an art major, but there is no art
school you may not want to apply to that school. Many liberal arts colleges have
general education requirements you have no interest in taking, all good factors
to consider. If you are a sports guru, you may need a college with SPORTS and
EVENTS. Some of that social atmosphere may not be for some students. ACTIVITIES
and SPECIAL PROGRAMS are another very important thing to think about when
choosing a college. If you are interested in study overseas, that is one. Or
perhaps you want to be a part of the university newspaper of television station.
First you must make sure that the school you choose offers the program you are
looking for. Last and definitely not least the article says and I always tell my
students the same, follow YOUR GUT FEELING. GO visit the school you are
interested see if you get a good vibe when you are on the campus. It is very
important to see the school to know what it is like. I believe that all of these
factors and variables in choosing a college are important. You just have to
weigh out what is most important to you and then start the process; otherwise it
can be very overwhelming. Just remember if college is the best four years of
your life, you can choose how to make it that way.
*By highlighting 10 general areas to
consider, the article provides a framework for students to evaluate colleges on
more that academic reputations, first impression, or any other single
characteristic. While there is nothing surprising about the "10 things"
included, the way it is presented is a helpful way to frame research or a
conversation. I particularly liked that most of the descriptions provided
questions that help students apply the criteria to their thoughts and
experience.
Two things that were not noted and, in fairness, are probably beyond the scope
of this brief article, but which I think need be said frequently are (1) there
is no single "best match", and (2) don't use financial considerations in your
first "filter'.
Still, I liked the list and the approach, and believe that the information in
the article would be useful to any student, and could also be used well in a
counseling situation.
The 10 Things are: Size, Type, Location, Distance from Home, Cost / Scholarship
and Financial Aid, Student Population, Majors and Requirements, Athletics and
Events, Activities and Special Programs, Your Gut Feeling
*The simple things I liked about the
article are:
a) It is like an outline and is numbered. Therefore it is easy to read and scan.
A fact I find most students would be willing to read and remember than if it was
in a long article.
b) The language presented is very simple. So, I could share it with students -
teenagers, and their parents.
c) The article brings us to the basic needs of a student on a campus- or basic
life for example majors, events, etc... Size, Type, Location -distance from
home, Cost, Student Population, Activities, etc.
d) The article does not hint to Ivy schools, or to Popular schools- As a matter
of fact, the article ends the 10th thing to consider is "gut feeling" , it tells
the student not think of who else is going there or who is pushing the student
to that school.
This final point is close to my heart- as I see that many of the parents at my
school choose the college for their child and do not guide or open the doors for
the student to consider other factors.
*is the most useful one I found for
students beginning the college search process. The college search sites all have
a list of variables they ask to be able to hone in on a list of colleges for a
particular student. The problem is that many times a student hasn't taken
sufficient time to actually consider the important factors and how they relate
to their individual situation and choices. This article helps students take the
time to actually consider those factors which include 1) size 2) type 3)
location 4) distance from home 5) cost/scholarship & financial aid 6) student
population 7) majors and requirements 8) athletics and events 9) activities and
special programs 10) your gut feeling.
This article has a very student friendly way of getting them to identify what
they really want in a college experience. The questions the article asks leads
students into an evaluation of their personal likes and dislikes, expectations
and needs. It encourages them to trust their instincts which is something I
haven't seen mentioned elsewhere but is very valid. We can do research for a new
car using reports from Consumer Guide but when it comes to buying one, it is our
gut that tells us whether we'll be happy with our choice.
This article is also a very strong advocate for a student driven college search.
It empowers students to think independently, despite parents an an occasional
college counselor breathing down their necks. It sees the process from a
student's point of view and really helps them fine tune it.
How many
college applications? Finalizing your college list
http://collegeboard.com/article/0,1120,5-25-0-102,00.html?orig=sub The
College Board article on finalizing your college list makes some excellent
general points. I am a proponent of narrowing down your applications to a
manageable number and the College Board gives good reasons for this. The time
and cost involved with applications should definitely be considered along with
the probability of your getting in. In addition, the College Board makes a good
point about taking someone else’s spot if you apply to too many schools
especially if you have no intention of ever going to many of them.
In regard to the concept of safety, good match and reach schools, I think that the College Board may have over-simplified the process. After the student researches various schools and identifies the ‘best fit’ schools, he/she should use this concept of safety, good bet and reach schools if the student’s ideal school(s) is a reach school. However, if the student’s list of desired schools only includes safety and/or good match schools, I do not see a need for the student to apply to the reach schools. Moreover, if the student’s good match schools have rolling admission, the student may want to apply to these schools first and wait for an answer as long as the answer comes before the deadline to apply to safety schools. In addition, sometimes students apply to schools just to have the satisfaction of saying “I got accepted” without ever having any intention of going; this ends up producing a lot of unnecessary work for those involved in the admissions process. I understand that having college options gives the student the liberty of changing his/her mind but sometimes people abuse the process.
*This article provides a
general guideline for students and parents regarding the number of colleges a
student should apply to. The three categories that students should be
considering are safety, target and reach schools. The article suggests that
students look at submitting applications to a range of five to eight schools.
The article breaks down how those five to eight schools should fit into each of
the three categories listed above. The article then summarizes three reasons for
limited the number of college applications: 1) cost, 2) time and effort required
to fill out applications, and 3) potentially taking a spot away from another
otherwise qualified student.
I generally agree with the view of this article. The college application process
can be daunting for some so limited the number of colleges can significantly
reduce the level of stress for students and parents. However, doing so requires
focused research and developed decision-making skills.
There are a couple of points that I disagree with. First, the number of schools.
Eight years ago, I would have agreed that 5-8 schools might be sufficient but
with the increase in competitiveness, the lines separating reach, target and
safety have become harder to predict. I might recommend that students apply to a
few more colleges (perhaps 7-10). Second, in my experience, students are not
necessarily concerned about taking a spot away from another student. College
admissions is a very competitive business, so students are often looking out for
#1. As far as the cost of applications, it is a concern for some but not a
concern for others. Compared to the cost of attending a school, a $40-$70
application fee is small potatoes.
Overall, this article gives valuable advice for helping to simplify the college
application process but provides reasons that may or may not apply to students.
Choosing the College Right for You
http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0BTR/is_1_22/ai_78839334
The article starts off with the college search experience of a girl. She chose
Stanford University because it was located somewhere where it was sunny and had
a strong economics department. She found a college that made her happy by
figuring out exactly what she needed.
The article states that in order “to find the college that will meet your needs,
interests, and goals, you have to take charge of your college search.” Students
should concentrate on where they would be happy at by finding out more about
themselves instead of figuring out what brand name college they can get into.
The first step to the college process is to know yourself. Some of the questions
students should ask themselves are:
1. What are my interests?
2. How independent am I?
3. How far will I go?
4. Am I serious about athletics?
5. What are my career plans?
6. How will this compare to high school?
7. How do I learn best?
8. How smart am I, really?
Students should then find a school that fits their needs.
1. Public or Private?
2. Small or Large?
3. Urban, Rural, or Suburban?
4. Mix or Match?
5. Two-Year or Four-Year?
6. Is Liberal Arts for you?
From Foster Care
to College Life by Julee Newberger
http://www.connectforkids.org/content1552/content_show.htm?attrib_id=315&doc_id=54403
The organization site can be
accessed at connectforkids.org.
This article can be viewed as a primer for those of us that may have been
unaware of the challenges that foster children face in their pursuit of college,
much less their lack of consideration of that pathway.
The article speaks to the major difficulties that foster students face with
respect to their preparation for high school, financial aid challenges, lack of
effective mentors and significant challenges in the college setting.
It has been my experience to this point that a condensed and authoritative guide
to foster kids that seek a college education does not exist, and programs and
agencies are not effective in addressing the problems in this area.
The article raises the important questions and highlights various measures that
have been initiated to address needs in this area.
A Hot New Twist on the Old
College Try
http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/content/jul2004/sb20040721_8133.htm
liked the whole idea of this website
simply b/c it allows people w/ similar interests to communicate w/ each other
from all over the nation. Also b/c it involves young entrepreneur's who have
revolutionized communication.
Young people from the colleges listed are allowed to "chat" w/ one another in
addition to posting their websites allowing others to see what they are
interested in.
The facebook.com began as a way for Harvard students to learn about one another
and no allows over 190,000 members.
Also linked to this article is the popular friendster.com - that I had learned
about from a friend of mine who is a Harvard graduate. Another example of how
internet based conversations have changed the way we all have come to know one
another.
As in this class - people from different parts of the country can communicate w/
one another as if they were in the next room. Of course, it doesn't necessarily
give us any more insight to the college search process - but it's interesting
none-the-less.
Chicana College Aspirations and the Role of Parents: Developing Educational
Resiliency
http://jhh.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/3/4/338
Iread a study in the Journal of Hispanic Higher Education, Vol. 3, No. 4,
338-362 (2004) entitled Chicana College Aspirations and the Role of Parents:
Developing Educational Resiliency by Miguel Ceja. “The study provides a Chicana
student’s perspective of the role of parents in the development of college
aspirations. Qualitative interviews with Chicana high school seniors shed light
on the different ways these students perceive and come to understand the manner
by which their parents influence and shape their educational goals and
aspirations The findings of this study point to the pertinent role of parents in
the development of educational aspirations” ( Vol. 3, No 4, 338-362). This study
reaffirmed my belief of the important role that parents play in their children
educational aspiration especially among the Latino community. In my opinion,
articles like this will only help us in our profession find better methods to
address the needs of the Latino high school student. As well as find creative
ways to get the parents involved.
Six Benefits of Community Colleges
http://www.collegeboard.com/article/0,3868,4-21-0-8169,00.html
As a transfer student myself, I chose this article on community colleges for its
outline of reasons students may pursue community college after high school. The
article is written very concisely for high school students and keys in on how
each of the six major reasons can benefit them. The article defines the function
of the community college for its range beyond the transferring process,
including preparing students for entry-level careers and for adults who want to
learn a new skill or technology that has developed since their entry into their
careers.
Finances, uncertainty about college, exploration of majors, low high school
GPA/skills building, pursuing a career-oriented degree, and requiring a flexible
schedule are described as reasons students opt for community college. Although
the community college has the transferring component, and many of the six
reasons point towards this direction, the article points out the benefits of a
two-year, career-oriented Associate degree many four-year institutions do not
offer.
Throughout the article, there are “notable alumni” that are highlighted. These
individuals all started their education and career at a community college and
have gone on to be exceptional professionals, including Thomas Golisano,
Chairman, President & CEO, Paychex, Inc. and Bonnie J. Campbell, Former
Director, Violence Against Women Office, Department of Justice.
On a side note, the link “Transferring from a Community College”
(
http://www.collegeboard.com/article/0,3868,4-21-0-36,00.html )
is a good supplement to this article for students who are planning on pursuing a
four-year degree.
Independent Counsel
http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200410/confessore
“Independent Counsel,” by Nicholas Confessore is about private college
consultants and their often high price tags. The article comments on the irony
of the individuals employing consultants as being the least likely candidates to
need them. Generally, these students already have high grade point averages,
have had childhoods filled with enrichment programs and come from financially
advantaged families.
College admission officers report that in regards to talented kids, extra
college counseling is “superfluous.”
There has been a lot of controversy over one mentioned consultant, Katherine
Cohen, the founder of the consulting firm, IvyWise. Ms. Cohen’s top rate for her
services is $32,995 for her “junior/senior platinum package.” According to Ms.
Cohen, this is for over 100 hours of work. She also reports that one third of
her clients are pro bono. Confessore cites, "In Cohen's hands, applying to
college looks a little like deploying a brigade to Iraq."
Howard Greene, an independent consultant and former associate dean of admissions
at Princeton focuses on the attention that can be provided to students. "We
enjoy the luxury of being able to spend 24/7 focused on this very complex
process of educational planning. It's what high school counselors would like to
do for families if they had the ideal environment."
Confessore reports that families are coming to see consultants primarily to help
their children increase their performance on "soft measures," such as teacher
recommendations, extracurricular activities and the college essay. According to
Confessore, grade inflation and the recentering of the SAT, (fixing the curve to
increase average scores)enabled students to look better on the "hard" portions
of their applications, thus the emphasis now on the "soft" stuff.
Elite
Universities Look to Boost Economic Diversity
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1905729
This NPR report focuses on a
troubling trend in American higher education – few graduates from the top
colleges and universities come from low income families. Specifically, less than
5 percent of students from the top American colleges and universities come from
the nation’s poorest families. As a result, some schools are beginning to
embrace “economic affirmative action.”
The University of Virginia is highlighted as one of the elite American
universities. According to Jack Blackburn, Dean of Admissions at UVA, there are
fewer low-income students applying to the school and even fewer are being
admitted. Of the more than 15,000 applicants for the 2004 academic year, only
eight percent of the accepted students qualified for Pell Grants. He goes on to
make a comparison from 15 years ago, when 33% of the applicants qualified for
need-based aid, to now when less than 25% do. Blackburn says, “It’s becoming
very homogeneous and we don’t like that word. I think it’s a failure that we
haven’t done the job that we should in trying to reach those students.
Richard Kahlenberg of the Century Foundation looked at 140 of America’s most
selective universities and found that almost 75% come from the country’s
wealthiest families while just 3% come from the bottom quarter of the economic
scale. Kahlenberg says, “We’ve made some good progress on racial diversity but
the dirty secret of higher education is that there has been very, very little
progress made on economic diversity.”
From his study of nineteen elite schools, William Bowen, former President of
Princeton University, found that economically-privileged students are six times
more likely to end up in the pool of applicants than underprivileged students.
“The root problem is the advantages associated with coming from a well-situated
family accumulate over time. It’s just very hard for poor families to invest
enough in children young enough to offset all of that.”
Many universities are creating programs to bridge this economic gap among
students. Access UVA, a 16-million dollar annual program, will replace all loans
to all low-income students with full scholarships. This new program follows the
vision of the school’s founder, Thomas Jefferson, who viewed diversity not to
just include gender and race, but also the rich and the poor. The school is also
implementing a policy to increase aid so that no student graduates with more
debt than the cost of an in-state student education for one year ($14,500).
Harvard, Princeton, the University of Maryland and several other schools will
also increase grant aid to attract low-income students.
Bowen argues that although these programs are important signals to schools about
the need for economic diversity, they may not be enough. He believes that these
financial perks for accepted students won’t necessarily increase the admission
rates of high-performing and resilient low-income students. Bowen’s study showed
that when financially poor students who have overcome many obstacles are
compared to wealthy students at the same level of SAT scores, their chances of
acceptance are no better than the rich students. Bowen advocates class-based
affirmative action. Bowen’s research suggests that if admissions departments
gave low-income applicants the same credit based on their economic status as
they do to the children of alumni, the percentage of disadvantaged students at
elite schools would rise from 11 percent to 17 percent.
Greg Foster, a researcher at the Manhattan Institute, disagrees and believes
that there are not enough college-ready high school students to improve these
numbers. He places the blame directly on the nation’s K-12 school system for
failing to prepare most low-income students for college. His study shows that
“we have tapped out the population of people who have the minimum qualifications
even to apply to a four-year college.”
UVA administrators are hopeful that their program will increase the number of
low-income students by simply encouraging more to apply. In this way, the
mainstream can be broadened so that “all students can swim.”
The
Benefits of Higher Education for Individuals and Society
http://www.collegeboard.com/prod_downloads/press/cost04/EducationPays2004.pdf
This website provides recent data (2004) on the differences that college
education can, actually does, make in a person's life, and similarly, the the
society.
It is statistically based, which means, of course, there are exceptions, but if
you want to know whether
the earnings, lifestyles, and behavior patterns that correspond to the different
levels of education are meaningful, this report has the answers. Some results
are predictable and well known, such as the correlation between income and
education, but others may not be as readily understood, such as the relationship
between education and community service, smoking, and elementary school
readiness.
The information is from a very reliable source, and has major implications for
the public policies at the federal, state, and local levels. It is also the key
to reducing, if not eliminating the "haves" and "have-not" gap in society. For
me, as a College Counselor, it underscores the value in my pursuit of this
career, because it can make a difference.
Risk, Resilience and Futurists: Changing the Lives of Our Children
http://raisingresilientkids.com/resources/articles/futurists.html
This article is not exactly tied to college counseling, but I took the
opportunity to once again do a little multi-tasking and dig around for some info
on Dr. Robert Brooks. Dr. Brooks was a key note speaker at last year’s IECA
(Independent Educational Consultants Association) conference in Boston. He is a
favorite guest lecturer in local New England school districts. I was so drawn
into his presentation (he’s a very dynamic speaker) that I retold his lecture to
several of my friends in the weeks that followed. I had meant to follow up and
find his book…or better, his website. And voila! There is one!
The article that I picked, “Risk, Resilience and Futurists: Changing the Lives
of our Children” is similar to the lecture outline that he followed—it’s
basically a preview of his book. While I think his comments are generally geared
to the parents of younger children as is this article, the applications Dr.
Brooks’ parenting principles to the college search and admissions process are
nonetheless valid (afterall, I heard him speaking to a room full of college
counselors).
Feel free to skip to the section “Resilience and the ‘Resilient Mindset’ .” Here
Dr. Brooks outlines his five strategies for helping to raise more resilient
children. I think these are great tips to consider for middle-schoolers as well
as freshmen and sophomore children (perhaps a bit late to lay on a parent of a
junior or senior). I particularly like the advice regarding decision-making and
problem solving. This would support the premise that the college search process
really belongs to the student. As parents and counselors we also need to find
ways to prepare a student for rejection and the consequences of past mistakes
(whether they be in the classroom or otherwise), and the final strategy speaks
to this.
College-Bound, 8 Heed
Their Inner MapQuests
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/10/31/education/31WE.html?pagewanted=1
| This recently written article
from the New York Times Education section discusses the college search and
application process through the eyes of eight high school students.
According to the National Association for College Admission Counseling, more
students applied than ever before, with the number expected to increase
until 2015. The reason behind this is because the children of the Baby
Boomers are now coming of age to attend college. Difficulty to get into
selected universities is prevalent because of fierce competition. The majority of this article centers on the life of eight different high school seniors and juniors. Each comes with varying SAT scores, extra curricular activities, and choices for colleges. A couple will be the first members of their family to ever attend a university. The determination of which college to attend depends on the individual needs of the applicant. One is waiting for the college that offers her the most scholarship money. Another looks for physical appearance of the campus and safety. Many are applying for early action or decision. Some students rely on parents for assistance with the application process, while others must look to themselves or school counselors for help. The majority are realistic in their choices, while a few aim high hoping to improve SAT scores. This article was enlightening and informative about today’s students. They appear to be very educated and knowledgeable about the college search process. Many know exactly what they want and what’s needed to get there. |
The Road to College
http://teenink.com/Past/2004/April/17688.html
The Most Important Factors in College Admission Decisions” by Howard and Matthew
Greene
http://www.greenesguides.com/cgi-bin/content/display_article.cgi?id=60
Howard and Matthew Greene discuss the importance of grades, testing, and
extracurricular involvement in their article “The Most Important factors in
College Admissions Decisions. According to the article, which sites a survey of
NACAC members, the two most important factors in admissions decisions are grades
and test scores. The second most important factors are academic rigor of a
student’s classes and class rank. Least important, are counselor
recommendations, essays and extracurricular activities; however the article
states that these factors do help influence the decision when a student is a
borderline admit. The article goes on to state that although things like
counselor recommendations, essays and extracurricular activities are of
relatively little importance at larger selective state-run institutions, the
opposite is true of the smaller more selective colleges and universities and
therefore, students who apply to these schools should pay special attention to
these "extras" when completing their application. The article concludes by
saying that a student who has done well but not perfectly, in challenging
curriculum, has scored well on the standardized tests and participated in a
variety of extracurricular activities will have a very good chance of acceptance
at a selective school.
Who Needs Harvard by Gregg
Eastbrook, Atlantic Monthly, October 2004
http://www.ctcl.com/Who_Needs_Harvard.pdf
Gregg Eastbrook explores
the subject of our national obsession of trying to get kids into name colleges.
He writes about the “25 Gotta-Get-Ins” and how parents and students become
crazed about seeking admission to these elite schools. He gives the following
reasons for this increase in anxiety: a rise in population, a rise in affluence
and a rise in the awareness of the value of education. He lists many other
schools that are considered to be “slightly less good” than these 25 and speaks
to why they can be just a good of a choice as the elite ones.
Eastbrook writes about research that “drops a bomb on the notion of
elite-college attendance as essential to success later in life” and that these
colleges are “no longer the exclusive gatekeepers to graduate school.” Many
other schools have improved the quality of their education in recent years by
increasing the amount of qualified professors (this being a result of the GI
Bill drawing more talented people into academia). Many schools other than the
elite 25 have seen their endowments grow as our country has become more generous
to a wider variety of schools.
The article discusses how the old “WASP insider system is out”. This system was
based in the reasoning that if you were an Ivy grad then it was assumed that you
had an upper middle class, Protestant background. Now going to an Ivy reveals
nothing about your background and favoritism is on the decline.
Eastbrook notes the irony in the fact that as there is less reason to be
obsessed with admission to these elite schools the hysteria is increasing. Is
there any reason that a diploma from one of the 25 Gott-Get-In’s is still an
advantage? These schools still do offer excellent networking opportunities,
students from them do make high salaries as compared to some other schools and
there is a pool of high achieving students who attend that increase the quality
of the academic experience. Also, students from disadvantaged backgrounds do
tend to profit from exposure to the socialization they learn in elite
schools, when they are around kids from well off families.
Historically Black
Colleges and Universities
http://education.yahoo.com/college/essentials/articles/college/historically_black_colleges.html
The article speaks briefly about different aspects of HBCUs that make these
schools different from other colleges and universities, and not just on the
racial level. There are 117 HBCUs in the US, all with the mission to educate
black men and women. These schools range from all levels of competitiveness.
There has recently been a resurgence of applicants to HBCUs and these students
are looking more to find others like them to share their cultural heritage
rather than their choices being based solely on the racial aspect. Many students
feel a stronger bond with professors and staff at these schools and oftentimes,
families build legacies around a certain school also encouraging students from
these families to apply.
The bottom line of the article, however, is that students must not forget to
truly evaluate the HBCUs they are applying to. Many times, students get caught
up with the racial and cultural implications of the school, but forgets to check
other factors such as if the school has their major or what its reputation is
among employers. I thought this was a great point to wrap up with because
although HBCUs are unique, they are still institutions of higher education that
need to be compared to the other colleges and universities that are not part of
the HBCU.
My site has been a favorite for me
for some time, http://www.union.edu/Admissions/Applying/deans_promise.php.
An Admissions Dean's Promise:
Follow this advice and I guarantee you'll get into your best college by Dan
Lundquist.
I appreciate that I can direct parents and students to a site that is written by
someone sitting on the other side that is calm, honest and focused on keeping
some sanity in the admissions process for the entire family. While many of the
links are specific to Union, so many more are just good, common sense articles
designed to put families at ease, especially for parents coming back to the
process for the first time since they went through it 20 plus years and many
changes ago.
Secondary
Schools Should Work to Involve Parents in Educational Planning Process
http://www.act.org/news/releases/2004/4-6-04.html
This article, which is a synopsis of a report by ACT, Inc and which includes a
link to that report, supports the findings that parents, and especially “at
risk” students’ parents, should be aggressively involved in planning for
college and the future. The report and supporting article document that
involving parents in the postsecondary planning process beginning in middle
school, shows the success that schools have had in sending typically at-risk
students to college. In addition, the report incorporates several postsecondary
planning information resources including NACAC’s Parents and Counselors
Together Program (PACT) and a number of postsecondary planning practices at two
urban high schools based on an ACT study.
The report and supporting article concentrates on four key areas where schools
should be vigorously involving parents, and especially parents who have not gone
to college themselves, early into the process
1. Academic Preparation – including program and course selection
2. Understanding and using assessment information
3. Formulating postsecondary plans
4. Learning about and obtaining Financial Aid
Richard J. Noeth, director of ACT’s Office of Policy Research and co-author of
the report, states that “ It’s important to start this planning process
early, as many decisions that students make in middle school can have
implications on what options they will have later on.”
This report and synopsis is very informative and shows how we, in the College
Counseling field, need to work as much, if not more, with parents in order for
them to be supportive and reliable in helping their students in the major
decisions that will affect the rest of their lives.
Tough
Road to College for Latinas by CBS News
Correspondent Sandra Hughes
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/07/30/sunday/main633154.shtml
Living and working as a counselor in a community very similar to the one
described in the article “Tough Road To College for Latinas”
http://www.cbsnews.com/sections/home/main100.shtml,
I found myself both identifying and agreeing with the author; ‘FACT: Although
Latinos are currently the nation’s largest minority population, they are the
least educated, trailing all other groups in college degrees and leading the
country in high school dropouts.’
This article focuses on a small private college, Mount St. Mary’s, located in
Los Angeles. Quoted in the article are Latina (Mount St. Mary’s is an all
female school) students, along with faculty members. The students describe the
obstacles that Latinas have before them on the road to high education; which
include family, Latino culture, and finance. One student shares how her parents
hold the belief that women are expected to live at home (and contribute
financially) until marriage.
The president of Mount St. Mary’s speaks on the high (90%) percentage of women
attending the college who receive some form of financial aide. The college
currently has a second campus in the heart of Los Angeles, and ‘has shifted
its focus to the changing population of the city it serves’.
I plan on sharing this article with my staff and my Latino students (my school
has a high Latino student population). Many of my Latino middle school students
move on only to become high school dropouts. Mount Saint Mary’s College
mission to afford the opportunity to pursue a college education to capable
students, regardless of their academic or social background, will hopefully give
some incentive and hope.
Summer
Days: A To-Do List for Soon to be Seniors
Princeton Review.com
http://www.princetonreview.com/college/research/articles/prepare/seniorSummer.asp
This article provides helpful information for students who are interested in
getting a jump start on their college search. The common theme throughout the
entire article is to remind seniors that they should not waste the three months
of summer vacation. They could use this time to make the beginning of the school
year less stresful and more enjoyable. This article just begins to show the
students how many activities there really are in a college search. Yet, the tone
of the article does not make the students panic, it just provides a realistic
view of how intense the next few months of their lives are going to be.
Common sense tips such as reminding students to use the internet, take campus
visits, talk with your friends who are coming home from college, start writing
college essays, and adding a meaningful activity like volunteering or taking
enrichment classes to their summer plans. Under each helpful tip, there are
additional articles that students can access to get even more information about
what colleges are looking for in applicants, how to write an admission essay,
how to start researching schools on the internet, SAT test prep, and financial
aid advice.
This is a good article that is written in a way that students will find
interesting and benificial. It will not bore them, or make them feel like they
are being lectured or nagged. I think that this would be a helpful article to
print out and give to the students as they head home for summer break.
An Internet Road Map for the College-Bound Student
http://www.nacac.com/p&s_steps_0102internet.html
I liked it because it was written to
the student. So many times articles are written to the counselor then we have to
relay the information to the student. We can use this article as a spring board
to talk to our students about the process of an internet search then give them a
copy of this article to use as a guide. The writer layed out very simple steps
for the process of doing a internet search of colleges. She gave good links in
the major search areas. A major key in this article was the paragraph on
reliability. Too many times a young audience forgets that what they see in print
may not always be the truth. I have already put this in my favorites.
I chose to summarize an article I
found on the gocollege.com website. This is a website that several classmates
have recommended and I wanted to investigate. I found the article in the
“goxpert” section. Because of distracting blinking ads, I sized my window to
contain just the article.
http://www.gocollege.com/articles/articles_home.shtml
(sorry, I couldn't get this to be a live link...don't know why)
The Gentle Art of Separation
By Tommy Thomas
Director of College Counseling
The Lawrenceville School
Lawrenceville, NJ
The author, Tommy Thomas, is an experienced school college counselor, as well as
a father of four (two have gone through the college process). The article is
written in a casual, heart-felt manner. He writes from the point of view of the
college process being a family ritual that masks the more important process of
separation: children developing identities with far less emphasis on family. It
is an emotional transition for all.
He discusses how important family values are in making decisions, as well as
resiliency, respect, listening skills and caring about the process- not just the
result. Choosing a college is not about a good education (that can be had almost
anywhere), but going for “fit.”
The quality of the relationship and support given during the process counts. If
it is good, then kids will trust parents with their vulnerabilities in the
future. The transition to college is inherently stressful; concentrate on what a
student most wants and needs after high school, not on strategizing. Encourage
independence and self-confidence, even if it means making mistakes or failures
for the student.
Colleges look for quality and substance first: good grades and challenging
courses in high school. Then colleges look at the writing portions of
applications. Above all be yourself, that's what each student does best. All
kids want to finish high school with a flourish. As parents and counselors, be
prepared to accept that gift, whatever it may be.
This article is geared towards parents, but is also appropriate for counselors
and students. It is short, easily readable and I would suggest giving to every
student to read and then pass on to his/her parents. It also reinforces
priorities for college counselors.
Tips
for Finding College Match
http://collegeboard.com/article/0,3868,5-25-0-52,00.00.html
This article doesn't contain any earth shattering information or controversial
ideas, but it is great in that it identifies the key criteria that most sites
recommend students consider when starting a college search. Its almost
glossary-like in its explanations of each of the fields that collegeboard uses
in its search engine (ie. size, location, academic programs, campus life, cost,
diversity, retention and graduation rates) It describes the WHY of each of the
categories which I think would be helpful to students as often they haven't
considered such factors before when thinking about colleges. (Up until this
point I find that kids are more worried about whether the college would accept
them as opposed to whether or not they would be happy going there.) I bookmarked
this page and will use it as an intro to the internet college search activities
in our college prep classes.
I found a great article on finding
your college match. The article is at http://collegeboard.com/article/0,3868,5-25-0-52,00.00.html
If you can't find it under that just go to www.collegeboard.com and look for the
title of the article under "articles". Title "Tips for Finding
Your College Match-characteristics you should consider".
I liked this article because it was written for the student, not the counselor
or the parent. The article points out 7 key areas a student should consider when
choosing a college. The key areas are, size, location, academic programs, campus
life, cost, diversity, retention and graduation rates.
A few key things that jumped out at me were, in the section "size" the
writer asks the student to look beyond the raw number of students attending when
considering size. The department he or she is considering may meet the size requirements.
I thought that was a good thing to point out becuase many times that is
overlooked.
Under "academic programs" the writer made a great suggestion to
research the reputation og the program you are interested in.
Another key point he made was to consider the retention and graduation rate of
the school, the higher the retention and graduation rate of the school chances
are the school is meeting the needs of a greater number of students.
One last key point made spoke right to the student. It was in the link on
location. "Bottomline- Ultimately you determine what experience you have at
college...."
Right to the point, wouldn't you say?
Overall I think the writer pointed out some key issues for the students to
consider. The article was well organized and it gave a links to other brief
articles that pertained to the information in the article.
I appreciated the article very much.
I liked it's simplicity and basic explanations. It is an article that could be
easily read by both students and parents to help prepare for the college search.
I would recommend it for Juniors who are prepared for the college search and for
Seniors in the panic mode.
The article lists 7 criteria's for students to consider when deciding what type
of college to look for. These areas are Size of student body, Location, Academic
Programs, Campus Life, Cost, Diversity, Retention and Graduation Rates.
It breaks down the 7 criteria's into simple paragraphs and allows for extended
reading/discussion for topics if the reader is interested.
I recommend this article for counselors to give students at the initial meeting.
It is a great way for the student to begin taking a part in the college search
process.
Elite
Colleges Not Necessarily Best Ticket
http://www.princeton.edu/pr/news/00/q1/0126-krueger.htm
This article was written by a Princeton University Economist. The primary
finding in the article is that “a school's selectivity, as measured by
matriculants' average SAT scores (in 1976), does not correlate with students'
later income (in 1995).” In other words, going to a highly selective school
(think Harvard, Stanford, Yale or Princeton) does not mean that one’s future
income will be higher than someone else who attended a less selective school
(such as the University of Texas, Cal State Northridge or Michigan State
University). The underlying assumption the author makes is that the best measure
of a school’s selectivity is a matriculant’s SAT score. The authors did find
that there was a correlation between matriculants’ SAT scores and future
earnings when the matriculant came from a financially disadvantaged background.
The author says this indicates that “colleges that provide more tuition
assistance to children from lower income families are pursuing the right path”
because the impact upon these students future earning power is significant.
I am not convinced that the methodology used by the author is the best,
especially when one subscribes to the view that the SAT is really just another
form of an intelligence test. Few would argue that intelligence (as measured by
a standardized IQ test) is the best predictor of future income. Other measures
of school selectivity that could have been used would be cumulative high schools
GPA or the percentage of applicants admitted by the school. Moreover, the ACT
results of matriculants were not considered in the research, so that students
opting not to take the SAT were eliminated from the data set. I would like to
see similar analysis performed on a group of students based on GPA and then
based on the schools percentage of applicants accepted. The author tracks income
nearly 20 years after college entrance, or about 16 years after college
graduation. It is impossible to analyze or even to keep track of variables
across the group over such a long period of time.
In sum, this is a good article and one which should be shared with Ivy-crazed
families who may think that enrolling at any college that isn’t an Ivy will
result in a tarnished resume. The findings here can also be used to support
schools deploying scholarship dollars to financially disadvantaged students
since the benefit there seems to have proven to be strong.
http://www.teachersandfamilies.com/open/parent/firstfam2.cfm
"First in the Family: A college preparation guide for parents who did not
attend college" by Margaret Jennings, Ed.D.
Since 70% of my students will be the first in their families to go to college, I
wanted to research information on working with these students and their families
regarding college searches. As I've written in previous postings, it can be very
frustrating to see bright, capable students who don't even apply or who turn
down acceptances to out-of-area colleges that are far superior to our state
college because of family concerns, esp. for females, or fear that the financial
aid package will not be matched in subsequent years. As I read several articles
on the topic of first generation college students, I was dismayed by the
statistics and more determined that intervention is needed. Though I know many
of my classmates will be going into independent practices which generally serve
higher socioeconomic clients, many of you have expressed interest in doing pro
bono work and the first generation students are certainly well-deserving
candidates!
This article is a very simply worded, reader friendly introduction to college
for parents who did not attend college. In working at a community college years
ago with low-income single parents who were in a type of welfare-to-work, I
quickly learned that people who come from homes where there has been no
college-going tradition don't even know the questions to ask because they don't
know what they don't know! Dr. Jennings addresses the importance of parent
support to students going on to college; the differences between four- and
two-year colleges; the differences between commuting to a college and living in
campus housing; timelines for the college search process; how to decode college
brochures and information (using the yes, maybe, and no, or wastebasket, bins
similar to what other websites recommend); financial aid; what parents can do to
support their child's decision to attend college; and common concerns and fears
that parents face when they send their child away to college.
I was especially struck, and saddened, by statistics she shares which indicate
that only 36% of first generation students hope to earn a bachelor's degree or
higher as compared to 78% of students who have at least one parent who has a
degree. Other statistics show that only 45% of first generation students take
the SAT or ACT, compared with 82% of students with a college-educated parent.
Finally, only 26% of first generation students apply to a four-year institution
as compared with 71% of students from college-educated families. Jennings then
discusses the advantages of a four-year degree, including a census statistic
that college grads earn about $900,000 more over a lifetime, are less likely to
be unemployed, report being happier and more satisfied with their lives, have
longer working lives and career mobility, and are more likely to vote, take
leadership positions in their communities, and are less likely to commit crimes.
What parent wouldn't want their student to earn a four-year degree?!
Jennings also addresses the advantages of living on campus, a concept that is
often not warmly received by immigrant parents. Among the reasons Jennings notes
is a great sense of involvement and belonging to the college; the presence of
learning communities which have a positive effect on student learning; higher
graduation rates; more informal contact with faculty; and great gains in
self-concept, autonomy, and self-sufficiency. Jennings also touches on practical
aspects such as reduced commuting costs, bundled costs such as free internet
connections, cable TV, furnished rooms, etc., and the ease of mealtimes, free of
the need to shop, cook, and clean up!
Jennings also gives a basic but broad overview of financial aid, encouraging
parents to forget the "sticker price" since few students pay this
amount.
Finally, she gives parents ways to decode college marketing materials and help
their child select colleges that will be a good fit for them. She encourages
parents and their students to
sort incoming college "search pieces" into what amounts to
"yes", "no", and "maybe" boxes, and encourages
them to classify colleges by any number of measures (size, location, cost,
diversity, reputation, etc.) and by reach schools, safe bets, and good
possibilities.
For a parent who has no history of college themselves, Jennings article is
encouraging, comforting, and gives a broad overview or starting point. I hope to
start a workshop/support group for such parents and am especially interested in
using her statistics. In another article I read, I learned that those who begin
at community colleges, especially first generation students, tend to fit school
around other priorities (work, relationships, etc.), whereas those who begin at
four-year colleges tend to build their lives around school. So I believe it is
critical that we encourage capable first generation college-goers to begin at a
four-year college if at all possible.
Top Ten Ways to ‘Test Drive’ a College
http://www.educationalconsulting.org/parents_testdrive.html
“Top Ten Ways to ‘Test Drive’ a College” is an article posted on the
IECA website. It is one of several IECA articles that college counselors,
students and their parents will find easy to read, and one that provides
current, practical information on just what a student should focus on during an
onsite college visit. Although not an artful or graphically designed web page,
the format is straight-forward and right to the point. The writer breaks down
each sub-topic into segments, and gives many examples throughout the article.
The information in the article was based on an actual survey of IECA
member-consultants, and offers some creative recommendations for exploring
college campuses. However, the article does manage to squeeze in a few plugs for
the IECA organization, but it is done in a fairly pleasant manner. I have made
copies of this article and distributed it to my students, who seemed to enjoy
reading it and commented on its relevance.
While you are on the IECA website, check out another intrresting and relevant
article, entitled, “Top 10 Things Colleges Look For in a Student”.
https://app.commonapp.org/index.cfm?APP=AppOnline&ACT=Display&DSP=CollegeInfo
I have selected this site from commonapp. org because I feel it is so very
useful. This obviously is not a subjective or instructive site, nor does it
pretend to be. It is useful for students, parents, and professionals who want to
go directly to a school to get more admissions information. If a student
accesses this site, they can then easily navigate to all of the colleges and
universities who accept the Common Application.
There are seven columns of information from which to choose: College, Web Site,
Email, Supplement, Accepts Common App Online, Early Decision, Early Action and
Telephone.
By “clicking” on the title of any one of 225 colleges in the “College”
column, the user is has immediate information about specific application
information about that particular institution. For instance, if the user clicked
on American University, a box pops open listing the college address, phone
number, fax number, web address, school type description, deadline information,
application fee data, listing of required tests, listing of required Common App
forms, and supplementary materials information.
By “clicking” on a specific line of the “Web Site” column next to the
name of a college/university, the user is instantly sent to the school Homepage.
At that point, the users can directly their search to either a specific or
general area of interest.
By “clicking” on a specific line of the “Email” column next to the name
of a college/university, an automatic email box to the school link appears and
the user can then send a message directly to the institution’s admissions
office.
By “clicking” on a specific line of the “Supplement” column next to the
name of a college/university, a copy of the Common App supplement appears. The
user needs to have a copy of Adobe installed to read this information. Not all
colleges require a supplement to the Common App. In those instances, the line is
blank. Some supplements can be filled in online and either electronically
submitted or printed/mailed. Some blank supplements have to be printed, filled
in by hand, and mailed directly to the university admissions office.
The “Accepts CA Online” column next to the name of a college/university uses
a “check” to indicate whether or not the institution accepts electronic
submission of the Common Application. Most institutions prefer that. Only a
handful of colleges and universities prefer the Common App to be submitted via
“snail mail.”
The “Early Decision” column next to the name of a college/university shows a
“check” to show the user whether or not the institution offers the Early
Decision option to applicants.
The “Early Action” column next to the name of a college/university, shows a
“check” to indicate whether or not the institution offers the Early Action
option to applicants.
The “Phone” column next to the name of a college/university posts the
institution’s admission telephone number. Most numbers are toll free, with a
few exceptions. The user can access this information to call various admissions
offices concerning questions, campus visitation, and contacting admissions
officers.
I recommend the Common App to all my students. I can’t think of one student in
recent memory who did not use this mode of application submission. This
particular arm of the Common Application website wraps up a lot of information
in a succinct and useful chart form.
The 70% Solution: Meeting
the Need for High Skills
ERIC/CASS Digest
http://www.ericfacility.net/databases/ERIC_Digeests/ed446324.html
In an article published in 2000, Kenneth Hoyt and James Maxy reported some
rather grim statistics concerning the need to educate high school students on
the idea of possibly considering enrolling in post-secondary sub-baccalaureate,
career-oriented education, as opposed to 4-year colleges. They claim that
approximately 70% of high school graduates enter college each fall, but only 30%
will eventually obtain a four-year degree and those who do graduate will create
an annual over-supply of about 300,000 college graduates who will have to find
employment which does not demand a four-year degree. Jobs which require only one
or two years of post-secondary education had the fastest growth rate. I found
those statistics to be very disquieting--unfortunately I doubt those numbers
have improved any since the study was done or the report published.
Using a "customer satisfaction" approach to data collection, Hoyt
collected information from schools and currently enrolled and former students,
which would help prospective students make better decisions re: postsecondary
choices. Some of the more interesting findings about students who enroll in
postsecondary, sub-baccalaureate, career oriented programs were:
(1)53% of students under 25 were male, 58% of students over 25 were female.
(2)Most said they made their educational decisions based on info they got from
friends (1 in 3), as opposed to counselors (1 in 10).
(3) 2/3 were employed part-time or full-time while enrolled.
(4) Motivation to learn was not a problem.
(5) Eighty percent rated their institution as outstanding or good and said that
they would chose the same institution again if they had it to do over again.
(6) 2/3 said the first job they got after leaving the institution was better
than the last job they had prior to entering the institution.
This was a fascinating article with a bottomline conclusion that high schools do
students a disservice if they don't:
(1) Advise students that the concept of "excellence" is applicable to
all kinds and levels of education.
(2) Provide all secondary school leavers with a set of general
employability-adaptability-promotability skills necessary in the information
society.
(3) Emphasize the variety of career opportunities available with high quality
postsecondary sub-baccalaurate career-oriented education, without devaluing the
benefits of four-year colleges.
(4) Help the 300,000+ four-year college graduates prepare for and obtain
employment which does not require a four-year college degree.
(5) Make high quality career development assistance to all high school students,
but especially women, minorities, and disabled persons.
This is something we as counselors really need to bear in mind when we're
counseling students. Not all students are candidates for a four-year university
degree and all students should receive career counseling and be made aware of
the educational requirements for entering careers of particular interest to
them.
Apply
to College: Essay Skills
http://collegeboard.com/apply/essay_skills/0,,5-26-0-0,00.html
An excellent resource to support students in writing their essays is "Apply
to College: Essay Skills," on collegeboard.com. It presents the essay as
"...a chance to explain yourself, to open your personality, charm, talents,
vision, and spirit to the admission committee."
This material is based on information found in The College Application Essay, by
Sarah Myers McGinty. It has three sections: "Before You Write,"
"Writing the Essay," and "Sample Essays".
In "Before You Write," a focused free-write is presented as a way to
help identify a topic. Sample essay questions from various schools are provided
in three categories: the "you" questions, the "why us"
questions, and the "creative" questions.
In "Writing the Essay," the article outlines the three-step process
commonly used in classrooms: prewrite, draft, and finally, edit. This section
suggest a number of engaging ideas that can stimulate brainstorming. Three basic
essay styles are presented: the standard essay, the less is more essay, and the
narrative essay.
"Sample Essays" presents two essays with critiques. This section is
particularly valuable, as it shows in great detail what distinguishes a lively,
vivid essay from a plodding, dull one.
Of all the essay sites I've looked at, this is the best.
The
Campus Visit
http://education.yahoo.com/college/essentials/articles/college/campus_visit.html
This extensive article on "The Campus Visit" was provided by
Peterson's.com, author not listed.
The article urged students visiting the college campus to take the initiative in
gathering information on that all important visit. This was perhaps the most
detailed instructional article I have found on the topic, but one I will share
with my students.
The writer suggests to start observing right in the admissions office with how
friendly and attentive the staff is. Some very detailed suggestions are offered
like looking for the same students appearing repeatedly in activities,a Greek
dominated situation, and are there any community related activities highlighted.
The newspaper could reveal the level of activism encouraged by the school,
censorship issues, students'interests, and the amount of cultural options
available.
Students can assess the true character of a college student body by looking
around on the tour at the bulletin board postings in the dorms for activities,
student concerns, what is available in the surrounding community. Walking
through the buildings on the tour one could see condition of the facility, and
outdated or up to date equipment and technology. Checking out the dorms for
crowding, noise level, and security tips was extensively covered.
"The Chronicle of Education" was sited as a source for checking on any
crimes committed on a campus since it's not likely the tour guide is going to
share that information.
The article suggested the student visit the activities center, health and
student services, the gymnasium or field house, and the library with suggestions
for what to look for in each area.
Having lunch covers two bases: 1. the food, quantity, quality, variety, healthy
or not, and 2. visit with other students and strike up a conversation about the
courses, profs, workload, social life, etc.
On the way out of town, check out the surrounding area for places to shop, dine,
work, and hang out. Is it going to be necessary to have a car to get around
town? This article is chocked full of excellent tips to make the most of the
visit.
http://www.collegedata.com/content/content_choosearticle_tmpl.jhtml?articleId=10001&_DARGS=%2Fcontent%2Fcontent_subtocdisp_frag.jhtml_A&_DAV=choose
This article, entitled "What Is Your Ideal College?" helps students
think about the factors that they consider most important in their college
experience. It encourages the student to first think about his own values and
how he will measure success in college. The article then lays out several
categories of college experience and suggests specific questions the student
should ask in each category. Categories include Academics and Reputation,
Student Life, Affordability, and Housing.
I think this article can really help students ask themselves the right questions
as they begin to consider which schools to look at more carefully. These are the
kinds of considerations that can help a student recognize what is really
important to her, so she may not be so likely to go along with parents' or
friends' ideas about the best college for her.
By the way, the site where I found this article is new to me, and I think it has
a lot to offer students. There are many articles about many aspects of college
searching, applying, and financing. A student can even enter a profile
(including things like GPA, SAT or ACT scores, and number of hours spent in
extracurricular activities), then specify a college, and the College Chances
feature "calculates" the chances of being admitted. (The possibilities
are Reach, Maybe, and Good Bet.)
NACAC site: Surviving
Your College Search: The Adventure Begins
By Jennifer Gross
http://www.nacac.com/p&s_steps_0900search.html
This article is both philosophical and practical. It is written for a student
audience and addresses the beginning steps to the college search. It starts by
asking the student to reflect on what he/she likes, how he/she envisions the
“perfect” or “ideal” campus experience might be, moves on to helpful
tips on maintaining boxes of collegiate literature and ends with how to
formulate a preliminary list of 20 or so college picks. The tone of this piece
is non-threatening and encouraging, and I can see how a student might accept the
advice offered without feeling intimidated.
On the philosophical side, the article asks the student to self -examine as to
likes and dislikes for his/her future college experience. Furthermore, it asks
the student to accept his/her peers who know from birth that they want to be
brain surgeons or lawyers and to say “OK, so I am not sure what I what to do
with the rest of my life….” Once likes and dislikes are determined, the
student can collect college material and divide it into piles for future use as
he/she sees fit.
The notion of having three boxes, “Yes”, “No” and “?”, makes a lot
of sense to me. The Dean of Columbia University spoke at my daughter’s school
last spring and promoted this very idea. He said he used this system when his
own child applied to college. Now, Ms. Gross has a great idea of what to do with
the “No” literature…..Recycle these pamphlets and brochures to the
guidance counselor so someone else might benefit.
Finally, Gross addresses the notion of “going fishing” –checking out those
15 -20 targeted schools on a preliminary basis. She asks the student to maintain
a realistic approach here. (Balance schools out so less competitive schools are
in the mix). She ends by saying that the voyage could be a lot of fun –
something a nervous junior or senior just might just want to hear.
Tips for Finding Your College
Match
http://collegeboard.com/article/0,1120.5-25-0-52,00.html?org=sub
The article from the College Board on Tips for Finding Your College Match is
clearly written and has several good points that students and parents should be
asking when evaluating schools. First, it points out that the student must
create a criteria that meets their needs and desires, ie. size, location, and
school's culture. Once the student has an idea of what they want, they then need
to evaluate potential schools with the following questions in mind:1) Size of
student body=range of majors offered, size of classes, access to professors,#of
books in the library, as well as the library hours.2)Location=in a large
community or small town;does the community accept and embrace the students?
3)Campus Life=the extracurricular activities=lots to choose from? Close to
outdoor activities; is there ethnic or religious activities to participate in?
Does the school have fraternities/sororitie-do they influence campus life? Are
their houses on campus? How many students participate? What about housing?
Guaranteed for all 4 years, or just for freshman? Do the freshman have to live
on campus? Can they have cars? What does parking costs? How are dorms
assigned?-Freshman year and after the freshman year? 4)Costs of the school=be
sure to look beyond the tuition, room&board etc. Find out about the
endowment...how generous is the school with scholarships, grants and other
aid...is the aid for merit or need based? Sometimes private schools can be
cheaper that the state schools because of the monies available.5) Diversity=is
that important to you? What are the percentages of caucasions,African Americans,
Asians, and international students. Is there socioeconomic diversity? 6) What is
the retention rate of students returning each year? What is the graduation
rate=4 years to graduate, or longer? These are all questions that students and
their parents need to ask the schools they are interested in possibly applying.
Hopefully the student and parent will be able to ask in person when they are
touring schools. I found this article easy to read and understand, and one the
student can easily absorb.
Tourettes
Syndrome
http://www.tourettesyndrome.net/college_search.htm
The college search process is a daunting task for any student. For a student
with disabilities, it can be overwhelming. This article, written by Judy Simon,
LSW, provides a summary of the steps she took to find an appropriate college
program for her son, who has Tourette's Syndrome, Obsesssive-Compulsive
Disorder, and ADD. The family worried that, although their son was very
intelligent, his lack of social skills, emotional control, and organizational
skills would prevent him from ever making it to college at all.
The article provides a clear summary of the family's college search process. One
website that Judy found to be very helpful was using the USNEWS website. They
were able to find a tremendous amount of information on the USNews site and on
each college's own website. On the USNews website, if you click on
"education," then on "colleges," look at the rankings and
click on any individual college, then click on "disability" you can
find much specific information.
Judy cautions that some schools focus more on physical disabilities as oppposed
to learning issues. For them, the best schools were those colleges which listed
the specific supports they offer. You can figure out from the accommodations
whether they are more geared toward students with physical than neurobiological
disabilities.
For families considering colleges for a student with learning differences, this
articlel offers practical tips, including books, websites, and colleges.
Petersons
& U101
http://www.petersons.com/ugchannel/articles/evaluate.asp
“How
Colleges Evaluate your Applications”, I found humorous and informative.
Ms. Thomas guides the reader through the relevant parts of the
application. Admissions’
officers’ are quoted adding some weight to the discussion.
Nothing is clear cut, but there is a better feel for the process. Most
importantly, the article reminds students that their value as a human being is
not rejected, solely the information
disclosed on the paper application.
http://www.petersons.com/ugchannel/articles/earlydecision.asp “Early Decision”, also written by Charlotte Thomas is a good summary. This takes the reader through the pros and cons of selecting Early Decision. Not in great detail, Ms. Thomas captures the readers attention and alerts them to the pertinent issues.
A brand new web site on my horizon is u101. This has some
wonderful articles for parents and students.
http://u101.com/articles/get-accepted/parents-seniors-tips.shtml
“The Stress of the College Quest: A Parent and Student
Primer” is excellent for rising seniors. I hope to pass this along to my
juniors. This article alerts the students to what is coming up for them during
their senior year. The stress involved for both “sides”, which is sometimes
ignored by the other party. Easy to read and short. Perfect for a teenager’s
attention span.
http://u101.com/articles/get-accepted/admission-essay.shtml “Before Writing Your College Admission Essay, Know Who You Are.”
This is a light-hearted discussion introducing the student to what is expected of an admission essay. The time has come to do some soul-searching. However, it makes the student feel that the task is not insurmountable. I found that it relays what I try to tell my students very effectively,. Probably more so than I am able to do.
http://u101.com/articles/get-accepted/planning.shtml “Timeline for Getting Ready to Go to College” This is another short article reinforcing the same information in another format. Reinforcement never hurts.
Historically
Black Colleges and Universities
http://education.yahoo.com/college/essentials/articles/college/historically_black_colleges.html Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU’s) account
for 117 of the institutes of higher education in the United States, and are
becoming an increasingly more popular option for many African American students.
An all Black college/university provides a unique and inviting experience for
many Black students looking to surround themselves with motivated and successful
people of the same culture and traditions. Many students attribute their
interest in HBCU’s to this sense of community that cannot be experienced at a
traditionally white campus. Others emphasized the pleasure in being able to
relate to professors and other staff and faculty; a relationship [they say] that
creates a feeling of closeness. This powerful community of Blacks presents
students with plethora of role models, many whom inspire a large percentage of
them to continue with postgraduate studies. Many students are excited to
continue a long family tradition, noting the feeling of pride associated with
their connection to the history and development of the institution. The
experience can be very emotional.
Campus
Visit To-Do List: Visiting Schools Post-Acceptance and Making Final Decisions
http://www.princetonreview.com/college/apply/articles/decision/acceptance.asp
There are thousands of articles about how to find the right
college or how to write a favorable college essay, but there are fewer articles
that help students make the final college decision. This article addresses what
students can do after they know which schools accepted, wait-listed, and
rejected them. The article suggests:
1. Make a list of pros and cons
2. Call the admission office to help answer questions
3. Go on a college overnight visit
4. Attend some classes as part of the visit
5. Go with your gut
This brief article provides students with useful ideas and relevant links. I was
happy to read that the article stressed seeing the campus again. For many
students, it has been months since they last visited a campus and a second visit
will either confirm their original ideas about the campus or raise some new
questions. Also, many students visit campuses during the summer when there are
not many students on campus. Sometimes students get a very different feeling on
campus when school is in session. I enjoyed this article and would use it with
students who are struggling to make that final decision about where to send the
deposit.
Second Tier, Not
Second Best
http://www.collegeconfidential.com/college_search/second_tier.htm
This is also a good article. It discusses the importance of looking beyond the ivy league, which is sometimes difficult for exceptional students. There any hundreds of extremely competitive schools all throughout the United States where students can get wonderful liberal arts educations similar to that of an ivy league school, the problem is that many people are not aware of them. The article goes on to site information and statistics regarding earning potential and financial success and how it is not necessarily correlated with attending ivy league schools. I found this to be a problem that I did not know how to address when I started working as a counselor last year. Many of my top students would only be happy if they were accepted to what they considered to be the "best" or most well known schools. It is important to assist them in broadening their view and this article would help to do just that.
2 Year College
http://education.yahoo.com/college/essentials/articles/college/transferring_to_four_year_college
Increasingly, the choice
of attending a two-year college as the first step towards graduation from a
four-year college is being acknowledged as a bona fide option. There are several
excellent reasons why a student who is planning to ultimately graduate from a
four-year institution would begin their college careers at a two-year school.
For many graduating high school students, starting at a two-year college is an
excellent choice for several reasons. Some are: reducing the high cost of
college for the first two years; for those students who need to raise their
grades, community college offers a “second chance”; and for those students
who are still looking to “find themselves” two-year programs help to save
thousands of dollars during their search.
Counselors who are advising students who plan to attend a two-year institution
before matriculating at a four-year college, should be sure to point out the
need to plan course work that will fulfill requirements needed for general and
major requirements. It is best if the four-year college’s transfer
requirements have been researched by the students as soon as possible.
Culinary Schools
http://education.yahoo.com/college/essentials/articles/college/culinary_school.html
The article is brief and gives a little hint of the repetitiveness
of the job (assembling 3000 pastries or cutting greens for salads) but also the
diversity within the field - chef, sales in catering, administration in food and
beverage management. There was also a brief mention of the two major
professional organizations.
Perhaps the most important/helpful to me was the listing of degree's one can get
within the field. I know that Johnson and Wales offers many specialty areas, I
didn't know the extent of the listing.
Again, the article is not long, but allowed me to grasp an insight into the
culinary world.
Touring
Campus Next Step Magazine
http://www.nextstepmagazine.com/NSMPages/printarticledetails.aspx?articleid=890
This article is a great reminder of the simple but necessary
elements of the college visit. A great approach for students.When all is said
and done and read in regards to the college search nothing can replace an actual
visit to the college. Spending time on the campus talking to students and
teachers, eating in the dining halls, etc is the only way to get a true sense of
a college. Often students are making decisions based on trends, rumors and
guidebook generalities. The visit is a crucial part of the process.
The only way to truly assess a school is to spend time there. It is better to go
on a day when students are in class. Avoid the summers and holidays as they
don't accurately reflect the atmosphere.
Another important aspect of the college tour is also taking a tour of the
region. Finding out about the community a college is in, is as important as the
college itself, after all 60% of learning takes place outside the classroom.
Also limit your visits to two schools a day, otherwise they all run together and
become one dark hole of information.
Crucial to visiting is also to keep an open mind. There are many factors that
might influence your visit. A bad tour guide or a rainy day shouldn't cloud your
judgement. Spend as much time as it takes to become familiar. One hour isn't
enough time.
Basic Tips for touring
1. Call Ahead-make an appointment
2. Ask Questions of students, faculty
3. Don't visit more than 2 schools a day.
4. Visit with an open mind
Tips for Finding A College Match - Characteristics Your Child Should Consider http://www.collegeboard.com/parents/article/0,3708,706-708-0-21174,00.html
This is a good basic article for parents of high schoolers to read when their child is starting their college search. The article suggests that students identify their priorities, research characteristics of schools and then develop a list of schools based on this information. The article defines the following areas as those the student should be attentive to in developing their list of schools - size of student body (including range of academic majors, extracurricular possibilities, amount of personal attention, number of books in the library), location (including distance from family home; urban, suburban, rural), academic programs, campus life (including what the balance is between academics, activities and social life; housing) cost, diversity (including the mix of students based on geographic, ethnic, racial, religious factors) retention and graduation rates.
*This online
article aids a student in narrowing down their college search. The article helps
students with a list of criteria by which to measure the colleges they wish to pursue.
The criteria include Size, Location, Academic Programs, Campus Life, Cost,
Diversity and Graduation Rates (as a measure of quality). Each topic is
discussed in general terms to help the student better understand that particular
aspect of the decision process. The two topics, Location and Academic Programs,
each have a link that discusses the topic in a little more detail. The article
is a valuable introduction to the college search process. I am planning on
having my students read the article at the beginning of next year.
College
Planning for Students with Learning disabilities
http://www.kidsource.com/kidsource/content3/college.planning.LD.html
This article outlined the importance a detailed college planning for students with learning disabilities, which I feel is an often overlooked aspect of college counseling. Appropriate and accurate Individualized Education Plans should be up to date and play a prominent role in the college selection process. The article also covers special skills the student may need to have, potential interpersonal problems that may arise, strength of learning disabilities programs, and questions that should be asked before making the final decision. I found that the list of questions was the best part of this article and I plan on using this list when assisting my learning disabled students throughout their college selection process. All of these factors must be considered by students with learning disabilities and their families before selecting a post secondary institution. It is a very good article.
The New SAT
http://education.yahoo.com/college/essentials/articles/college/new_sat.html
This articles main points are as follows:
-The new SAT will be introduced in March, 2005.
-Changes in the Verbal section include name change, elimination of the analogy
section in favor of critical reading questions.
Addition of paragraph-length critical reasoning questions.
-Changes in the Math section to include: Algebra II, elimination of the
comparison questions.
-Introduction of a third component: Writing. Includes a 25 minute essay which
will be scored like the current SAT II Writing essay and a multiple choice of
gramar and usage questions.
-The highest possible score on the new test will be 2400.
Alumni
give high marks to residential liberal arts education
http://www.ups.edu/news/releases/2002-03/satisfaction.shtml
A comparative alumni
survey from the classes of 1970-1995 was conducted by an independent research
firm commissioned by a consortium of the nation's leading liberal arts colleges.
It found that the undergraduate experience students encounter at small,
residential liberal arts colleges is more effective in producing meaningful and
lasting benefits than at other types of colleges. These alumni reported the
following:
*Closer interaction with professors, greater involvement in extra curriculars, a
greater emphasis on values and ethics, and a sense of community.
*They are more likely to hold a graduate degree and have graduated in four years
or less.
*They report a higher level of satisfaction with their education.
*They have strong personal values and place importance on giving back to their
communities.
How to Beat Test Stress
http://education.yahoo.com/college/essentials/articles/college/teststress.html
I was drawn to this article because I think it is a major issue
for almost every student facing "test day". Understanding where the
physical and emotional symptoms of stress come from and how best to deal with
the fear associated with it is often critical to top performance on these tests.
This article offered some insight into practical ways to deal with the thoughts
that produce stress. Basically it offered tips for students to use stress in a
productive way by:
1) shifting thoughts to be positive rather than negative ( I never do well on
standardized tests to I'm well prepared for this test.)
2) preparing for the test with a test prep class focusing on your weakest areas.
This preparation is a "stress rehearsal".
3 by reviewing what you have already studied days before the test rather than
trying to learn new material
4) having everything ready to go the night before the test - pencils, admissions
card, calculator, test center location
5) getting a good nights sleep the night before and eating a healthy breakfast
the day of the test
6) keeping the test in perspective - your life will go on regardless of how you
do on the test
7) replacing negative thoughts with positive self-talk during the test
8) skipping difficult questions and returning to them after answering all of the
easy questions
9) taking deep breaths during the test to help your mind remain clear
10) planning something fun to look forward to after the test
The Princeton Review
Index
http://www.princetonreview.com/college/research/articleIndex.asp
I have never really spent time and fully explored the Princeton Review
website. I find that many of these sites that you have to register with are
extremely time consuming and I get distracted and have trouble staying on task.
Nevertheless I spent the time to register and read some of their interesting
articles.
What I found most interesting is bits of advice on the process of applying to
colleges. I feel many of my students, but more importantly the parents, are
overwhelmed by the process. In addition to the list of schools it is an enormous
organizational nightmare that most families don't know where to begin. The site
talked about the organization process but the advice that I most valued was when
it described the recommendation process.
It advised the student to schedule an initial meeting with the teacher he or she
would like to write the recommendation. If the teacher agrees then schedule
another meeting with the specific information compiled in a packet with a cover
letter explaining which schools you'll be applying to and their applications
deadlines. Also include the letters of recommendation forms, stamped and
addressed envelopes, and a resume of your activities or other writings to help
enhance your recommendation. In addition the student should always waive their
right to read the letter of recommendation. Schools feel the writer will give
more accurate indication of your strengths and weaknesses if they know they
won't be seeing it.
I thought this was great advise and I will use this site and another articles as
a resource.
What
Makes A College Good? By Nicholas Confessore. The Atlantic Monthly. November
2003
http://www.theatlantic.com/issues/2003/11/confessore.htm
This article summarizes the criticism of "U.S. News &
World Report" and other college rankings with regard to their ability to
accurately measure how well colleges are doing educating their students. It
discusses a new survey called the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE).
George Kuh, head of Indiana University’s Center for Postsecondary Planning and
Research, launched this survey in 2000.
Student engagement measures how effectively students use the resources at their
disposal. Research has shown that “engagement” can be reliably measured by
surveying students themselves. Based on these facts, NSSE is administered to
students rather than college presidents, provosts, and admissions offices.
Critics allege that U.S. News-style data are not “widely accepted indicators
of excellence” but rather identify “America’s Most Advantaged Colleges.”
More specifically, the data measure “an institution’s wealth in
resources—from smart students, to accomplished faculty members to large
endowments.” As explained in the article:
“university administrators are devoting increasing amounts of time and money
to improving the things that build prestige, whether or not those things improve
the educational experience of the undergraduates the institution is meant to
serve.”
In contrast, NSSE asks questions that directly relate to the level of the
engagement of students. Sample questions include:
How often do students perform certain tasks (writing papers, frequency and
length of papers)?
How often do students talk with faculty members, inside and outside of the
classroom (grades? assignments? career plans?)
What kinds of experiences have students participated in as an undergraduate
(internship, study abroad, work on research project with a professor)?
How do students divide their week among different tasks (preparing for class,
working on campus, extracurricular activities, commuting, caring for dependents,
etc.)?
How do students apply the knowledge they have learned (integration)?
In the first year NSSE was administered, 276 institutions participated in the
survey. Today more than 730 schools, representing 58% of undergraduate
enrollment at four-year institutions in the United States are in the NSSE
database. A major drawback is that NSSE does not make its results available to
the public. Institutions were unwilling to participate in the survey unless they
alone could decide whether to reveal their results. It currently serves as a
self-improvement tool for institutions.
The article stated that applicants and parents could ascertain similar
information collected on NSSE by asking admissions offices and campus tour
guides the same kinds of questions asked on NSSE.
How much contact do students have with professors?
How often do they write papers?
How do students receive help selecting classes?
What do students like about the campus?
How many undergraduates study abroad?
The article contains a link to a “pocket-guide checklist” of questions to
ask while visiting campuses.
Students
Choosing Colleges Based on Aid
http://townonline.com/westford/news/local_regional/we_covwecollege05132004.htm
This article talks about
the impact the economy is having on college choice. Students who have done their
research, visited the schools and prioritized their choices are changing their
minds once they see what type of merit awards are being offered from schools
that were not their first choice. Second and third tier schools are attracting
top students because they are offering very enticing monetary awards. One
student says he knows the school he chose isn't ranked as high as his other
options, but his first choice offered no money and the school he is attending is
giving him a free ride.
Broken
Ranks: U.S. News' college rankings measure everything but what matters. And most
universities do not seem to mind
By Amy Graham and Nicholas Thompson
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/features/2001/0109.graham.thompson.html
This article discusses
the obligations of colleges to measure and report how much students are learning
and holding them accountable to those standards. It suggests that data should be
available to parents and students so that they can make informed decisions about
college choices.
Very few schools offer information about graduation rates past six years or on
important factors like student satisfaction with teaching. The article claims
that students don’t have solid information about what they will learn and the
quality of this factor. Students must make choices based on shiny marketing
brochures and fancy websites.
Addressed are several reasons why this type of information is not available.
Firstly, it is hard to measure college education because students take such
different paths. Second, academia has eagerly offered precise and quantitative
evaluations of everything but itself. This suggests that administrators scorn
outside accountability and standards and prefer making decisions in more social
situations. Third, many schools would be embarrassed to admit how little
attention they actually pay to their students and what actually happens on their
campuses.
The author holds rankings and guide books such as US World and News Report
accountable for paying little attention to measures of learning or good
educational practices, even though it ranks colleges in long lists of the sort
that Americans love.
If publications would request colleges to pay more attention they may help the
problem rather than add to it. Other issues in US News lead to
misrepresentations such as stating average faculty salary has a negative
correlation with student satisfaction and learning and the more that a school
emphasizes publishing papers, or searching out patentable technology, the less
it emphasizes access and commitment to students.
US News has many arguments regarding the ways in which they currently measure
schools and state that: "would, indeed, like to have more indicators that
measure the actual educational experiences of students and the post-graduate
outcomes of their experience. We have been concerned about this for years."
U.S. News also claims that making a real effort to measure learning would be
prohibitively expensive.
In 1998 the National Survey on Student Engagement (NSSE) conducted a study that
basically assessed “The more a student puts into her education, the more she
learns, provided she's working on the right tasks”. There were issues with
this study including research institutions not wanting to put the time in to
answer the questions and other schools that were hesitant to have the results of
the studies publicized.
This article concludes by suggesting that US News take the time to revamp their
ratings and include some of the NSSE results in them.
www.edupass.org
This web site is designed for international students who plan to study
in the US for their undergraduate, postgraduate or professional degrees as well
as international students who are already studying in the US. The site began as
a part of Mark Kantrowitz’ website www.finaid.com
and expanded to become a site on its own in 1998 due to heavy demand from
international students. The contact and owner information on the site is very
clear, thus making the viewer feel it is a reliable site. Taking into account
the fact that the user’s native languages are not English, the site avoids
colloquial expressions, and the language used is clear and net.
The content is comprehensive, covering the advantages of a US education and
stating the percentage of the 580.000 international students by country. It
includes a very useful ESL component, as well as an ESL Cafe with interactive
grammar and vocabulary exercises. Resources for Teachers of English are also
included. Useful information for foreign students on the site consist of general
admission requirements of colleges, testing information, application calendar,
financial aid search, differentiating between grants and loans, calculating
college costs, passport and visa requirements, and traveling tips. Cultural
differences is explained extensively, making the reader familiar with the US
culture and giving tips ranging
from personal space to dining.
The links provide invaluable information on housing, moving in, having a
phone installed and so forth. The existence of student exchange programs and
credential evaluation services are underlined. There is also academic
information for prospective postgraduate students, disclosing the fact that
Medical, Law, Dental and Veterinary degrees require an undergraduate degree,
which is not the case in other countries. Quicklinks also include access to a
dictionary, exchange rates, weather conditions and so forth. Perhaps, the most
important component on this website is the “Ask the Advisor”section where
the students can consult the web page owner, asking their own questions on
topics that are not covered.
This site is the most useful resource an international student planning to
study in the US can have. The glossary for beginners which covers every aspect
of an American education is a very valuable tool. Students are informed about
every single part of living in the US as well as choosing a college and choosing
a major. Moreover, information on the site is updated regularly, making it up to
date and reliable for its users.
Visiting Your Guidance
Counselor by The Princeton Review
http://www.princetonreview.com/college/research/articles/prepare/counselorvisit.asp
This article is one of many available on The Princeton Review’s website. While
very brief, the article is concise in its advice and provides very useful links
to related articles and next steps. This article provides advice to the 12th
grade student regarding how to maximize the effectiveness of a visit to a
guidance counselor. It provides students with ideas of how to prepare for the
meeting, as well as sixteen questions to consider asking the counselor. If every
student came to his/her counselor this well prepared, the meetings would truly
be effective.
*This is a great article for students to read before making an appointment with their guidance counselor. The article gives the student realistic scenarios of how a counselors schedule can be and that the counselor is not there to micromanage your progress. The article stresses that it is important that a student does wait last minute and expect the counselor to be able to put on top of the list to be seen.
The article also gives excellent advice for preparing the student before they come to their counseling session. The article also provides links for the student to practice free full-length practice SAT which I think is an excellent tool. I will be incorporating some of this article into the briefings that I give to newly enlisted personnel. I think the advice that is given is good way to let them know that doing pre-investigating will help them to have a more satisfying counseling session that would be very productive.
Our First Annual
College-Admissions by The Atlantic Monthly
http://www.theatlantic.com/issues/2003/11/admissions.htm
Discusses our current college admission system and how parents and students have
somehow come to the conclusion that "going ivy" is a win, while being in a
safety school is a loss. It discusses that the mystery in college admissions is
how one factor in selecting a desirable college by simply being hard to get into
ever became the factor for influential Americans. It goes on to compare the real
admissions system vs. the trophy admissions system and gives many great examples
of what we should be looking for in a school rather than what "social status"
thinks we should consider.
Tips for finding your
college match: Characteristics you should consider from Collegeboard
http://collegeboard.com/article/0,1120,5-25-0-52,00.html?orig=sub
Over the last year, I have consistently
found that the College Board has a wonderful array of articles. Whether it be on
a college search, test prep, or financial aid, I can always find a useful
article. The thrust of this article on college search is that students
"need to identify priorities" and to research "overall" characteristics that
every school has in common. These characteristics are: size of student body,
location, academic programs, campus life, cost and diversity.
How to Beat Test
Stress from Yahoo College by Peterson's
http://education.yahoo.com/college/essentials/articles/college/teststress.html
The article, “How to Beat Test Stress,”
on the Yahoo! College site caught my eye as anxiety and tests seem to go hand in
hand. This is directly applicable to the college counseling world as many of our
students will more likely than not be stressed about the college entrance exams,
and we will want to do everything possible to help eliminate this stress.
In summary, this piece mentions that positive thinking and preparation are the
most important factors in fighting test stress. The article is cleverly broken
down into three sections: get ready, get set, and go.
“Get ready”…Learn to manage stress by shifting negative thoughts into positive
thoughts. Prior to and during the test, it is essential to remain positive. Take
a proactive approach by preparing for the test itself (i.e. take a prep course,
get a test prep book, etc.). Take practice exams as this will help the student
grow accustomed to their anxious feelings.
“Get set”…Review the material prior to the test (don’t cram new material).
Prepare for the test date (have detailed directions to the test site). Be well
rested and have essentials ready to go (admission card, pencils, calculator,
snacks).
“Go”…Keep in mind all the preparation that has been carried out for the test.
Stick to the plan. Stay positive.
This article was compiled by Peterson’s, and even though there are several links
and advertisements to Peterson’s website, the information is unbiased and
constructive. Some might feel that “staying positive” during stressful events is
easier said than done, but this piece does provide some helpful ways to help
manage test stress.
How Many Applications?
http://www.collegeboard.com/article/0,3868,5-25-0-102,00.html
The issue of how many schools to apply to
comes up every year with our seniors. Some are only at looking at schools in
state. In Maine, that clearly simplifies the search and application process.
Many will only apply to reasonable and safety schools. Others have their hopes
set on one of the more prestigious schools. The most schools I've ever had a
student apply to was 12. My colleague had a student last year who applied to
over 25 schools! So my interest was piqued by the title of this article.
This is a short and concise article on the college board website. It describes
the reach, reasonable and safety categories as they apply to colleges, and
recommends that students compile a list of five to eight schools that cover all
three categories. It also recommends that students do their homework upfront,
saving both time and money in the application process.
Colleges Without SAT
Requirements
http://www.fairtest.org/univ/optional.htm
While I believe this is a great source,
valuable site and generates all sorts of discussion, I feel the need to share
their “mission” and statement offered at the homepage. It states: the National
Center for Fair and Open Testing is an advocacy organization working to end the
abuses, misuses and flaws of standardized testing and ensure that evaluation of
students and workers is fair, open, and educational sound.
They provide a list either alphabetically or by states of colleges that don’t
use the SAT or ACT for admitting. You can go directly to this list at:
http://www.fairtest.org/optinit.htm
This is a very comprehensive site that profiles four different universities that
Fair Test used in a 70 page report on Test Scores Do Not Equal Merit.
Bates College, Muhlenberg College, California State University System, and the
Texas Public University System were the four schools profiled. Each one has
their own link.
Basically, it is argued that test scores are not a great predictor of academic
success and the result of “test score optional” often leads to the university to
have a class with greater diversity, more academically capable students, and
that the tests don’t offer anything more significant to what admissions already
know about the student.
The big concern is the over reliance on the test and “scores from a three hour
exam add little of value to an applicant’s portfolio.” Also, since the U. S.
Supreme Court endorsed the concept of “holistic admissions”, relying less on
these test scores that emphasis ethnicity, income and age is one way to comply
with the courts.
There is also a link to the 24 page UC Regents Report on Facts and Fantasies
about UC Berkeley Admissions: A Critical Evaluation of Regent John Moores’
Report.
Somewhat wordy and academic but I agree with most of what I could understand and
think SAT scores can be misleading and should not be the ticket of entry to
higher education.
That site:
http://www.fairtest.org/pr/UC_Regents_Report.html
A Parents Guide to the
College Search
http://www.union.edu/Admissions/PerfectSchool/ParentsGuide.php
find this article to be very calming for parents. It is straightforward and lays
out what a parent should be doing to help their child through this process. I
also appreciate the "let them take the lead" sentiment.
Dan Lundquist is a wonderful writer. His article, Two Modest Proposals (also
available on the website) is the most well thoughout and sane take on the Early
Decision controversy and its effect on the state of college admissions that I
have heard. I also like the article Inside the Black Box which gives students
and parents a good idea of what the admissions decision entails.
Taking The College
Search To The WEB
http://collegeapps.about.com/library/weekly/mcurrent.htm?once=true&
This article provides information about how to conduct a college search using
the Web. The article differentiates between search engines, college information
sites and college websites and discusses the way in which each may be used
effectively in the college search process.
This author of this article states that search engines and college information
sites are excellent vehicles for finding general college information and
compiling a list of colleges to consider. The real research about specific
colleges, contends the author, begins with specific college web sites.
The article outlines specific areas to explore on a college website, including:
admissions, academic departments, faculty pages, links to student organizations,
homepages of current students, etc.
Finally, the author provides caveats about using the Web in the college search
process and reminds the reader that, while the Web is an excellent vehicle for
conducting a college search, there is no substitute for actually visiting a
college in person.
The article, as well as the sidebars, presents links to other sites with
information relevant to the college search (e.g. financial aid, college testing,
college essays, etc.). Sponsored links are distinguished from others.
Articles about writing
the college essay
http://education.yahoo.com/college/essentials/articles/college/admissionshook.html
http://education.yahoo.com/collegeessentials/articles/collegewinning_essay.html
http://education.yahoo.com/college/essentials/articles/collegeadmissionsessay.html
I chose three articles that provided
information about writing the college essay. Since this seems for many students
to be one of the most difficult parts of the college application process, I
thought each one of these articles was helpful in focusing the student and
getting them started. Consecutively, each of these articles seemed to expand on
the information previously provided.
The first article gave suggestions for "finding your hook." Finding a unique
characteristic to write about makes a good starting point for an essay about
yourself.
The second article on writing a winning essay gives some specific do's and
don't's for writing about yourself. I thought these few simple rules such as the
importance of proofreading were key to remember.
The third article on "Making Your Essay Stand Out" gave a list of ten tips. Once
again I found these suggestions helpful for the student just starting their
dreaded first draft of their application essay.
10 Things You Should
Consider When Choosing a College is an article from Yahoo Education
http://education.yahoo.com/collegeessentials/articles/college/collegeselection.list.html
The article was very helpful for
students who are just starting to think about college and where they may want to
go. It discusses the different sizes, the different types of colleges (single
sex, co-ed, public and private). The different locations where colleges can be
found, big cities, small towns, on different coasts, etc. It also talks about
how far from home the student may want to be and cost (which is the main
consideration for many). The different types of student population, ethnic,
commuter, Greek, etc. And lastly is covers majors, athletics (should you choose
a school with or without, activities/programs and the students gut feeling about
the particular school.
The article was great for beginners and gives students 10 criteria on which to
base their decisions.
Deciding what college to apply to is a very stressful and confusing process for
most H.S. seniors. I found this article to be informative, helpful, easy to read
and not overwhelming. It outlines for a student all the issues they should
consider when deciding which colleges to apply to. It encourages a student to
consider what is the best "fit" for them not just what is considered the "best"
school. I liked the simplicity and to the point format of this article.
Making Your Decision
http://education.yahoo.com/college/essentials/articles/college/collegedecision.html
I liked this article because just like the first it is to the point, not
overwhelming and very helpful in its suggestion. Again the student must consider
all the issues that came up when they first choose their list of schools.
Elite Colleges Not
Necessarily Best Ticket to High Earnings
http://www.princeton.edu/pr/news/00/q1/0126-krueger.htm
This title interested me because this is the reasoning parents and students
always use when I try to steer them to match colleges. I am always told,
sometimes quite forcefully, that the name of the college influences the pay they
will receive later.
The article discusses this myth and virtually denies that it is true. Several
studies are quoted that seem to support this statement for the most part.
However, one study suggested that a truer picture would be painted by looking at
the colleges that students applied to. In other words, the student who was truly
ambitious probably applied to the more prestigious colleges and even though they
weren't accepted, they were higher earners later in life. (Ambition obviously
counts here).
The subset of students who did not follow the norm were students from low income
families. It appears that if they attend a more prestigious college, their
earning power did increase.
I found the article very interesting and assume that it has some validity given
the nature and status of the colleges and foundations that supported the
research.
*Where a students applies
to college is a more powerful predictor of future earnings than where a student
attends. In other words, a student’s ambition is a better predictor of earning
potential.
- There is a substantial payoff to attending schools with a higher tuition.
- Students from financially disadvantaged backgrounds benefit most from
attending a high selective college.
*I chose to read the article
“Elite Colleges Not Necessarily Best Ticket to High Earnings” because I work in
a community that firmly believes that a person’s future is completely determined
by the college the person attends. This article is an abstract from a larger
paper, Estimating the Payoff to Attending a More Selective College by Stacy Berg
Dale and Alan Krueger.
The article references a study that looked at a college’s selectivity and
students’ later income, finding that there is no correlation between the two
with students from a financially disadvantaged background being the exception.
The research also seemed to show that a larger predictor of future earnings was
the entire list of colleges to which the student applied. This information seems
to say something about the student’s ambition, which would naturally affect
their future experiences and earning potential.
As I mentioned above, I spend a great deal of time talking with parents and
students who have a high level of anxiety over getting into a “good” college.
They honestly believe that if they do not get into a “good” college (often one
more selective than is reasonable) that their future negatively impacted to the
greatest of extremes. What’s even worse is that they define a “good” college as
one who’s name is recognized and respected by the community or appears on some
nationally published list. They often forget that fit is an important factor in
determining the quality of the educational experience.
*This is an interesting article, because it contradicts previous findings that
students who attend a prestigious college will have higher earnings than
students who attend a less selective one. However, the study upon which the
article is based did find that students who were economically disadvantaged did
earn more by attending more selective colleges. One thing that I found very
interesting is that the researchers “found that where a student applies is a
more powerful predictor of future earnings success than where he or she
attends.” The researchers call this occurrence the “Steven Spielberg Effect,”
because the movie mogul was rejected by the film schools at USC and UCLA, but
still went on to be very successful. The 50-page working paper upon which this
article is based is also available at the above link. This article would be
something good to share with students.
Colleges That Change
Lives by Loren Pope
http://www.ctclonline.com/change_lives.html
I got lost looking at so many
sights and eating up all of the information…I feel like a glutton! The more I
read, the more similarities I saw, however I feel I have so much to learn and
do! I fell in love with the Loren Pope sight, 40 colleges that change lives.
These are not always your glitzy colleges; these are Liberal Arts colleges that
synthesize classroom and real life learning. I want to go back again and again.
The website is
http://www.ctclonline.com/change_lives.html. There is an explanation of why
the colleges were selected and then you con go on tours (a weakness of mine. I
love to see the different campuses and learn what makes them unique).
The links lead you on a trail of wonderful sites and valuable information for
both students and parents..
Freshman Fears- The
Princeton Review
http://www.princetonreview.com/college/research/articles/life/freshmanfears.asp
The article "Freshman Fears" from The Princeton Review is well-written, packed
with words of advice from college students as well as suggestions that every
first year student should know. It offers insights into the world of college
life to calm the fears of those who are worried about their first year away from
home.
Real life situations are profiled such as "How do I pick a major and what if I
can't handle the work?" Suggestions such as using the support systems on campus,
as well as approaching peers and professors provide information in a way that is
both informative and useful. The article combines practical advice with humor to
relieve some of the stress from the elusive first year of college.
I would recommend all first year students and high school seniors planning to
attend college to read this article. It successfully blends wisdom and humor
along with real life quotes from other students to answer many questions that
students may have but are too afraid to ask. All and all, a great article to
pass on to all those interested.
I read this series of
articles in the Atlantic Monthly a few weeks ago and found all of the articles
interesting. In the first article, the author contends that the college
admissions system is designed to be a "matchmaking system," but, in reality, is
currently "a battlefield in a brutal competition for prestige."
The New College Chaos
http://www.theatlantic.com/issues/2003/11/fallows.htm
The second article, "The New College Chaos,” discusses the college admissions
system as becoming more chaotic and unpredictable and more corporate and “marketized.”
Topics such as merit aid, “expressed interest,” and applicant stress are also
discussed. I found this article informative in its historical perspective on
college admissions and the current, “national hysteria about college
admissions.” Some interesting quotes from this article include: “eighty percent
of the [extra] applications are going to twenty percent of the schools;” “With
highly selective institutions there is no way to predict with confidence whether
a student will get in” “…the level of stress on young people as a serious
national health issue,” “…the clear message from the admissions establishment to
parents is, Please back off” and “The changed, more businesslike landscape means
advantages for the well-informed, connected students, and disadvantages for
everyone else.”
The other articles in this issue of the Atlantic Monthly, “The Late-Decision
Program,” “What Makes a College Good?” “The Selectivity Illusion, and “The Bias
Question,” are also informative and interesting. The college admissions section
of the November Atlantic Monthly is a “must read” for counselors and parents of
prospective college students.
College Locator
http://www.ecola.com/college/
This site provides a list of colleges, in alphabetical order, for the state
that the student selects. From the list of colleges, the student can click on
the link for the college he/she is interested in, and the link takes them to
that college's web site. I think this site is useful, in that it means that
students don't have to know or look up the address for a college that he/she
wants to explore. Also, looking at a list of colleges for a particular state
might spark a student's interest in colleges he/she might not otherwise have
thought of. Although this site is more of a directory than an article, I still
think it would be helpful.
The College Search for the
ADHD Student By Nina Tenny LCPC, NCC
http://add.org/content/school/search.htm
The college search process for the ADHD student is longer and requires more
planning than the typical student. Almost all colleges have some type of support
program that varies from subject tutoring (open to all students) to full
comprehensive support services. Acquiring the proper support at the college
level requires a current psycho educational evaluation and a child who is
willing and able to self-advocate. The college search itself should involve a
professional that is familiar with learning disability programs at the college
level. Peterson’s Colleges with Programs for Students with Learning Disabilities
is recommended as a resource book for starting the process. College success is
based upon high school success. A child who is mainstreamed and able to focus
will probably be more successful in college. However, problems will be
exacerbated at the college level because of the freedom and less structure. Easy
and proper planning are key components to success in college.
College Issues for Students
with AD/HD
http://www.help4adhd.org/en/education/college/collegeissues
This article gives information on selecting the right college for a student with
AD/HD. It includes a list of screening questions to determine the level of
services available at the schools they are considering. It also outlines for the
students how to obtain help at the college level and gives additional
information on resources. The article is on the website for the National
Resource Center on AD/HD.
Atlantic Monthly, November 2003
1. Our First Annual College-Admissions Survey (general exploration of the
American college-admissions system)
http://www.theatlantic.com/issues/2003/11/admissions.htm
2. What Makes A College Good? (behind the scenes on college rankings and do they
measure how well a college educates?)
http://www.theatlantic.com/issues/2003/11/confessore.htm
3. The New College Chaos (too many applications and too little reliable
information to use for college admissions officers)http://www.theatlantic.com/issues/2003/11/fallows.htm
4. The Selectivity Illusion (are selective schools really offering quality?)
http://www.theatlantic.com/issues/2003/11/peck.htm
5. The Bias Question (one researcher is arguing that blacks do better than
matched ability whites on the harder questions of the SAT)
http://www.theatlantic.com/issues/2003/11/mathews.htm
6. The Late Decision Program (the safety at the end)
http://www.theatlantic.com/issues/2003/11/ganeshananthan.htm
Each year between MAY and AUGUST, NACAC
(National Association for College Admission Counseling) maintains a
space-availability survey" which is continually updated for schools seeking
students. This is a wonderful and profound resource for the student who didn't
get into his/her applied schools. It offers them a second chance to research
schools whose admissions requirements weren't met and includes many state
schools and small or new private institutions. With the huge increase in
applications and in numbers of applications from individual students, it is
getting harder to define the "safety" school for discriminating students. The
idea that schools still solicit after the April push and welcome late enrollers
is a definite plus for those who started too late or those whose mailboxes have
produced only "thin envelops".
One hitch, often all scholarships have been offered by April, so there is little
available financing support for those who apply after the deadline.
Work Hard, Stay Sane, Get In
http://www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/college/articles/brief/03impress_brief.php
It contains so much of the information we
try to get across to our juniors as we begin the college application process. In
fact, it will serve to reinforce the concepts that we continually try to "drive
home" to our students, but because it comes from a well-respected source (US
News and World Report), it lends its credibility to the topics we try to cover
as counselors. These topics include: how to build a strong transcript; when and
why to take honors and AP or IB courses; the truth about extracurricular
activities (the commitment to a few rather than an long list of many is more
highly valued); what student athletes need to do in order to maximize their
options for admissions; standardized testing; making connections at prospective
schools through visits and interviews; and building a relationship with your
guidance counselor (a very important piece, but I have yet to read an article
that covers the topic as well as well as this one). There are numerous other
wonderful articles linked from the same page as this article, but many of them
focus on one particular topic while this article covers many topics at once. I
also like that there is a focus throughout on "staying sane," reminding students
and their families that this can be a very stressful time, and caution needs to
be exercised when approaching the college application process. This paragraph
really drove the point home for me:
"For many ambitious kids...high-stress high school routine may seem like an
unpleasant but unavoidable strategy for landing a slot at a selective college.
Driven by anxiety and mistaken ideas about what admissions officers expect, too
many teenagers treat high school as an endurance test, taking on more tough
courses and activities than they can handle and leaving little time for friends
or sleep. This single-minded focus often means "the battle is lost in terms of a
healthy high school education," says Scott White, a guidance counselor at
Montclair (N.J.) High School, who sees more students than ever suffering from
anxiety, depression, anorexia, and panic attacks."
National Group Issues Guidelines for Improving Access to College By BETHANY
BROIDA
http://chronicle.com/temp/email.php?id=329q8l6vwz98pe6qkqek1xtbirtf9q47
The result of a report recently released by the group, Pathways to College
Network, details almost 100 suggestions to make college within reach for the
underprivileged in our society. It focuses on standard curriculum, financial
aid, support programs as well as economic and racial statistics.
Our federal constitution nowhere empowers the federal government to take any role in education; it is the state laws that govern school attendance. As prescribed in the California Education Code, section 48200, in California, there is a compulsory education law that requires children between 6 and 18 to attend school. Therefore, we all have a right to educational opportunities to prepare us well for unlimited opportunities and access to higher education; consequently, it’s a privilege to get there.
However, there are gaps in access and achievement. If we had educational equity, all would have access to a good education to prepare for higher education and through schools get support to help students to achieve higher goals.
I believe it is the responsibility of any and all educators to offer those in the lower economic strata, with the desire to achieve, without the available resources, the information necessary to pursue to any and all roads leading to economic opportunities previously unknown to them. Professor Linda Darling-Hammond of Stanford University, “values every student in the U.S. Every single one has a right to high quality education from grades K through 12. Then they should have access to higher education as a right.” Ergo, the Master Plan.
Post-Secondary Planning Survey Analysis:
An In-Depth Look at Current Trends and Preferences Among College-Bound Students"
by the National Research Center for College & University Admissions (NRCCUA)
Joseph D. Rei, Ph.D., Executive Director
www.nrccua.com/documents/ECFAGuide2004.pdf
The NRCCUA's annual post-secondary planning survey gathers data from 24,000 high
schools and over 1.6 million students in the class of 2004. In all states except
for North Dakota, females outnumbered male participants. The statistics compiled
included preferences in: career choice, specialized colleges, religious
denomination, social campus environments, types of colleges and extra-curricular
activities participation.
The
Stress of the College Quest: A Parent and Student Primer
http://u101.com/articles/get-accepted/parents-seniors-tips.shtml
This was a very simple, basic article designed to help both parents and teens
recognize each other's emotions in the college planning process. It encourages
students to accept responsibility for their education and take control of the
college process. It encouraged parents to take a supporting role in the process
and to recognize how college has changed since they may have gone.
There were helpful links to other articles on financial aid and essay writing
that were particularly helpful. I thought the information was accurate, timely,
and not overwhelming to the audience.
My Career? I Don’t Know
by Whitney DuPree
http://www.act.org/news/student/whitney/career.html
ACT’s website has a student section that posts “Student Stories”. Both high
school and college students share the things that they have learned during the
college application process and their journey towards higher education. Students
keep a journal of their process and you can link to their different entries,
which include experiences with testing, career exploration and choosing a
college. I think that this is a good resource for the students that we work with
because it will help to show them that they are not alone in the process. I
looked at an entry from Whitney who is currently a senior at Kenwood Academy in
Chicago, IL. Whitney’s entry on career planning demonstrates the uncertainty
that many students have in regards to the future. She discusses career
assessments and conversations with her counselor as tools to help her figure out
a path. Her suggestion to students, “Remember college attendance will prepare
you for your future and that test information merely points you toward a
possible direction,” is good advice for students who rely too much on test
results. I will definitely suggest that my students check out the different
journals.
The Admit Maze
http://www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/college/articles/premium/04in.php
The article talked about how students are being turned down from their first
choice college even though the number of students accepted has increased. For
example, a student named Elizabeth Stender was rejected from all of her top
choice college even though she had put in an amazing amount of work. It was very
disturbing to see that after all she had done, she was still rejected from most
of the schools she had applied to.
The article was great in that it gave out several insiders tricks on how to
increase one’s chance of getting into a college. The article pointed out in
detailed how applying early decision can double or even triple one’s chance. The
article also wrote about the problems surrounding early decision as well.
Another part of the article was about the holistic admissions process. It is a
comprehensive way a reviewing a student, instead of just looking at his or her
score and GPA. Of course the article pointed out that some people agreed with
the policy and some did not.
Very informative information regarding the waitlist was included in the article.
I was very surprised to learn that most of the people on the waitlist do not get
in. The schools seem to just give a false hope to many students who do not
realize this fact.
The article also recommends the students to show their high interest in the
school they really wish to attend. Also it recommends that the students write
well in order to increase their chance of getting in. Finally the article points
out the dangers of senioritis.
All in all, the article writes much information regarding the college
admissions. The article emphasizes that just having high scores is not enough
these days.
The 70%
Solution: Meeting the Need for High Skills
http://www.ericfacility.net/databases/ERIC_Digests/ed446324.html
This article is full of information some of which I find to be extremely
interesting and very helpful other information I couldn’t understand a use for a
college counselor.
There are some eye-opening (at least for me) statistics such as the job rate for
certain jobs demanding a graduate degree are growing faster than others. Sounds
like a plug for graduate school. I found the article to be difficult to read – a
sort of legalese style that required a few rereads such as “What kinds of
persons enroll in postsecondary sub-baccalaureate career-oriented educational
institutions and programs?” Now maybe it’s just me... but that should be at
least 3 separate sentences! There was also information that didn’t seem to
belong. There is a useful section called “A Recommended Course of Action” and a
“Conclusions” section that ties the information
All in all I think this is a helpful albeit difficult to read article. But worth
the effort.
*The Educational Resources Information Center published this article based on
research performed by Kansas State University. The premise of the article is
that “70% of high school graduates enter college each Fall, only 30% of them
are predicted to eventually obtain a four-year college degree.” A grant was
donated to Kansas State University to develop a project called “Counseling for
High Skills.” The purpose of this project was to develop tools for high school
guidance counselors to help them guide students to consider a post-secondary
career-oriented education.
The study collected data from high school students based on surveys. This data
was to be used to help students decide on a good course of continuing education
and to make better informed decisions. Results of the study showed that school
counselors need to expand their role in advising students on alternate,
career-goal educational opportunities that might not require a 4 year college
degree. Conclusions showed that school counselors are anxious to meet the needs
of their students in helping them realize their potential in the workplace.
*This article details how the Counseling For High Skills (CHS) project went about collecting data from current students so that counselors might be better able to help and inform high school students as to what form of post-secondary education might be best for them. It was surprising to learn how few jobs actually require a four-year degree, but the article also stressed the importance of more technical/work based learning programs. Using a customer satisfaction type survey, CHS polled current college students and obtained data detailing their satisfaction with numerous aspects of their education and chosen school. This information, in turn was used to create recommendations to high school counselors on how best to handle the needs of their students.
*This
article suggested that 70% of high school graduates that enter college each
Fall, only 30% of them are predicted to eventually obtain a four-year college
degree. It is this notion that the author utilizes to introduce the Counseling
for High Skill Program.
The mission for the Counseling for High Skills (CHS) project (headed by Dr.
Hoyt), sought to increase the knowledge, expertise, and commitment of school
counselors in helping almost all high school students consider enrollment in
some kind of post-secondary career-oriented education. This articles purpose was
to report the major activities carried out and the major findings produced from
the Counseling For High Skills Project that led to its goals. One of these
activities that Hoyt suggested was to use a "customer satisfaction" method for
data collection. According to Hoyt, the findings of the article reported that
counselors demonstrated that the usefulness of career development information
did indeed contribute toward the helping students in making more informed and
reasoned decisions regarding post-secondary education
The article was well written and easy to follow along in its procedures and
studies. Assisting counselors with data and information that magnifies their
efficiency to a higher skill level, in turn, significantly correlates toward
higher levels of students decision making skills regarding their post-secondary
knowledge and plans.
How about Divorce and
college Admissions
http://www.wacac.org Fall 2003 Newsletter
The author attributes finding a college to that of looking for romance. The
applicant starts the initial search, starts to restrict the field after finding
characteristics he/she likes or dislikes, the relationship is more intimate, the
decision is closer--wham! the student is in college. O'Brien describes the young
"wide-eyed" high school student who is caught up in a whirlwind of wonderful
college facts, brochures, etc. coming from each and every school. The author
feels that at best the "college choice" is such a marriage, at worst a crap
shoot. What to do when the college is not as wonderful as the brochure--the
article goes on to tell along with clearly stating that the student need not
feel like a failure.
I feel that this is a wonderful article to have copies of to hand out to
students as they go off-I am presently dealing with this issue at home right
now, and kids need to know that "freedom" of a choice made at 17 or 18 can be a
very liberating thing.
Elite Colleges Not Necessarily the Best Ticket to High Earnings
http://www.princeton.edu/pr/news/00/q1/0126-krueger.htm
A summary of a research paper by
Princeton University economist Alan Krueger and Stacy Berg Dale of the Andrew
Mellon Foundation published in the National Bureau of Economic Research which
found that attending an academically elite college “does not boost your earnings
potential compared to a less elite college.” However, students from financially
disadvantaged backgrounds were the exception. For them attending an academically
elite, i.e., more selective college, resulted in higher income. The researchers
call their findings the “Steven Spielberg Effect”, referring to the film
director who was rejected at USC and UCLA as an example that personal
characteristics other than SAT scores influence measurable success. Of course
Harmon neglects to mention the college Spielberg actually attended, Long Beach
State, dismissing it as a “a less prestigious program” as if the college were
nameless and had nothing to do with Spielberg’s success and therefore not worth
mentioning.
Harmon fails to mention that the actual Krueger-Berg Dale study also found that
attending a college that charges a high tuition does in fact correlate to higher
income in an individual’s working lifetime. In the preface to the Krueger-Berg
Dale study the researchers state: “However, the average tuition charged by the
school is significantly related to the students’ subsequent earnings. Indeed, we
find a substantial internal rate of return from attending a more costly
college.” What must we conclude from their conclusion? Don’t highly selective
colleges charge the highest tuition?
This is incomplete reporting at best, lazy at worst, exacerbated by sloppy
analysis of the original paper Harmon is summarizing.
In a 2003 presentation of his research study at the Wisconsin Center for the
Advancement of Post Secondary Education Forum on The Abuse of College Rankings
Professor Ronald Ehrenberg cites: “With one exception, virtually all studies by
economists suggest that attending higher quality colleges, as measured by the
average SAT scores of entering students at the institution, is associated with
higher post-college earnings and higher probabilities of enrolling in top
graduate programs.” The one exception noted in Ehrenberg’s footnote is the
Kreuger-Berg Dale study .
I chose this article because I have seen several parents that are caught up in
the competition to get their children into the “right college” in order to
guarantee their future. This article more or less disputes this fact, in that
the researchers believe that it is “ambition” that will prove to be successful,
not necessarily the college. Apparently, they found that the schools the
students chose to “apply” to were more telling about the student’s ambition in
regards to the quality of school they chose, rather than actually attending that
particular school.
They also found that students from financially disadvantaged backgrounds, did do
better financially when attending a more academically elite college.
Behind the Counselor-0-Matic
http://www.princetonreview.com/college/research/articles/find/behindCOM.asp
It seems really easy and effective -- you plug in
your preferences and you get a list based on different levels of selectivity.
Perfect.
This article is really geared to students, and uses language to appeal to young
folk. It almost sound too good to be true. First, they explain how Counselor-O-Matic
uses a point system to evaluate your own preferences in what you're looking for
in a college, and then gives a percentage rating of the fit of a college for
you. I actually like the way they do this: If you say you want a coed college,
but Wellesley fits all your other criteria, they will still recommend Wellesley
as a 90% fit. In other words, Counselor-O-Matic will challenge your
requirements, almost, as it seems as if in a dialogue with you, and get you to
expand your original notions of what it is that you want. It gets you to expand
your ideas, and it also gives a range of approximate matches, exploring options
and expanding preconceived notions. This is very seductive. I was compelled to
try it myself, and since I'm not a gullible person, this meant that it was
pretty convincing to me.
This is what Counselor-O-Matic cutely calls "the
Fuzzy search", and they admit that that occasionally leads to terrible fits.
The second part of what Counselor-O-Matic does is that is figures out what the
selectivity index is of the schools that you think would be a good match for
you. Based on "the numbers" (although it admits it can be a bit off on special
interests like art, the military, etc.) it assigns a selectivity index based on
three factors: your high school record (a bit less than 50%), your standardized
test scores (about 20% -- low, if you ask me) and extracurriculars the rest.
How easy it is to figure out these complete unknowns. This is so seemingly
accurate and irresistable -- but if only that were always the case!!! Still,
pretty hard to resist.
I’ve chosen to review an article about Princeton Review’s Counselor-O-Matic
online college search tool, and I also spent some time using the counselor o
matic myself! The article does a good job of describing the main features of
Counselor-O-Matic, namely that it includes both a “fuzzy” element and a
“selectivity” element. The “fuzzy” element refers to the qualities you’re
looking for in a school – the things that will make you happy – and may include
such things as size, location, and composition of the student body. The
“selectivity” element obviously asks for your test scores, GPA, extracurricular
activities, and the rigor of your coursework to determine where you would have a
good chance of being accepted. The counselor-o-matic then combines your answers
to these different parts of the online questionnaire to formulate a list of
schools to which you might consider applying. The article does a great job of
describing what I think is a pretty solid online tool for formulating an initial
list of colleges. I will add, though, that I found one of the counselor-o-matic’s
questions particularly interesting – it was a YES/NO question: “One or both of
my parents is a celebrity, a famous mogul, or an infamous tabloid regular
feature.” Sort of interesting – not sure how they factor this in!
Pay for College
http://moneycentral.msn.com/articles/family/funds/contents.asp?p=2
The article stresses 4 steps to paying for college. Each step has other articles
linked to it. It also has links to other websites such as FAFSA. I thought that
it was a very good simple approach to explaining the financial aid process which
sometimes proves to be overwhelming to most parents. It goes over items from
tax-savvy tips to scholarship searches. Paying for college is the biggest
emotional and financial decisions of people's lives. We are talking about their
two most precious assets - their kids and their money. I think this article
provides valuable information about this perplexing process.