Welcome to the June 10, 2009 edition of carnival of college admission. This is the second time we've hosted the Carnival and I'm really excited to have all of these wonderful bloggers featured here on the site again...
Let's get started!
Choosing the Right College
Elizabeth Kraus presents Affordability and Flexibility: Two Great Reasons to Pursue Online Education posted at myUsearch.com, saying, "If you're heading to college next year or are considering going back to school, you might be wondering how on earth you will fit your college classes into your busy schedule. Laurelin Kruse, student blogger for myUsearch.com, suggests that you might want to consider an online degree as a flexible and more affordable college education option."
Mark Montgomery presents Adjunct Faculty and Student-to-Faculty Ratios: What Universities Don’t Know posted at Great College Advice, saying, "College marketing is sometimes out of touch with what is actually happening in the classroom. Sometimes, university administrators have no idea who is teaching the most students. But you should be asking the question--get them to pay attention!"
College Life
TJ Hanson presents You're Still Young - Earning Respect in the Workforce posted at The Digital Student Blog. It's a must read for any young adult looking to enter the workforce and make the bets possible impression.
Andrew Skinner presents What To Bring To College: Things You Might Forget posted at DormDelicious, saying, "A quick list of oft-forgotten items by freshman moving into the dorms."
Ray presents Best Student Credit Card Tips For Smart Credit Use posted at Money Blue Book. If you're going to be using credit cards in college (and who doesn't!) then you should definitely take a look. It even has a list of good cards for college students.
Diane presents What to Expect During Freshman Orientation posted at ULS Blog for International Students, saying, "No matter how many campus visits you made before being admitted, freshman orientation often gives students their first tastes of what college life will really be like."
Getting In To College
Linda Abraham from the Accepted Admissions Almanac graces us with an awesome article about the college admissions essay titled Yikes! My essay is too long!!! Her tips are golden!
Graduate Schools
GeekMBA360 presents An in-depth look into MBA Admission Consulting posted at GeekMBA360. It's a great, personal look at hiring an MBA Admissions counselor written by an up and coming student.
Other Cool Stuff
Lynn Mattoon presents Career Article - A College Degree Can Help You Get a Better Job, But What about an Online Degree? - CollegeJobBank.com posted at CollegeJobBank.com. A quick and useful summary, I think that Lynn's article does a great job of outlining why a online degree might be good for you.
Alvaro Fernandez presents Book Announcement: The SharpBrains Guide to Brain Fitness posted at SharpBrains: Your Window into the Brain Fitness Revolution, saying, "While most of us have heard the phrase “use it or lose it,” very few understand what “it” means, or how to properly “use it” in order to maintain brain function and fitness. Here's the story on how my interest turned into a blog and now a book!"
jim presents Is College Worth the Cost of Tuition? Yes. posted at Blueprint for Financial Prosperity, saying, "Based on some recent data, it's clear that going to college is worth the price of graduating, despite an increase in costs."
College Degrees presents Academic Credential Evaluations: What is Your Degree Worth? posted at The Degree People,
saying, "People who immigrate to the United States arrive in this
country with a wide variety of foreign degrees and other education.
Because of this, most people must have their degrees evaluated by a
foreign credential evaluation agency prior to getting a job or
enrolling in a higher education program in the United States."
Sarah Scrafford presents Top 10 Commencement Speeches for Tech Lovers posted at Online Colleges.
It's a great collection of speeches from the likes of Ray Bradbury and
Bill Gates that not only reminds you who said what, but also points you
to a copy of the speech itself!
That concludes this edition hosted on the Omniac Attack blog. Submit your blog article to the next edition of
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It's been said time and time again: Grades are by far the most important element of your college application. In the eyes of college admissions officers, high school grades reflect your comittment to learning, your desire to succeed, and your willingness to push yourself as you work toward your dream school.
When I meet with students, however, they largely consider GPA to be the least fascinating part of the college admissions process. Students always have questions about SAT and ACT tutoring, college essay help, and school search tips, but rarely does a kid sit across the table from me and ask "What about my grades?"
I think this is because students think that improving their grades is going to be hard work. And they aren't wrong. Bringing up your grades and improving your GPA requires more than just a twitch of your nose.
Yet, improving your GPA is easier than raising an SAT or ACT score. It's a lot easier than writing the perfect college essay. And it's a ton easier than doing hundreds of hours of community service or opening your own business to impress colleges.
So where do you start if you want to raise your GPA?
We suggest hiring a tutor. Our Omniac Tutors can cover any subject you throw at us and even come to your house to meet you!
And we don't think you should wait until finals week to get started working with someone. It's tempting to try to make things up at the end, but it's often not realistic. In addition, getting started early has quite a few advantages you probably haven't even thought about:
1. It's easier to catch up when you start early.
It is significantly easier for a tutor to help a student meet their academic goals before all of the damage has been done. Many of our clients call us the week before finals, hoping to use the last test to turn a D into a C. While we are always happy to help students patch things together at the last minute, all tutoring is more effective if it starts early and stays consistent. Learning is like losing weight; it can't happen all on one day!
2. Tutors help you focus on learning instead of your grade.
Most students get into trouble when they start to think that grades are more important than learning. A grade is temporary; you will get a new set every semester. If you are working smart, you should be focused on learning the material, not just getting your goal grade. Working with a tutor gives you the confidence you need to concentrate your efforts on understanding the class you are in now so that you can use that knowledge to learn more effectively in the future.
3. Busy schedules mean you have less study time.
Students with a long list of intensive extra curricular activities often don't have time to spend 3-5 hours on their own studying. While a student in an ideal setting would have an infinite amount of time to study and work, it's an unfortunate reality that most students don't have enough time to even do the homework they are given. A tutor can help make the most of the time you do have and aid you in prioritizing the elements that will help most when finals week does come calling.
4. Tutors keep you motivated by keeping you accountable.
A tutor is your study friend, there when you need a partner to keep you going or when you need someone to quiz you for that test coming up. They call you to remind you that you need to have all your math done by Friday before the test and they are there to answer questions at late hours when Mom and Dad are tired from a full day of work. In short, they've got your back when you need a lift to succeed!
5. Tutoring can help make your good grades great.
Are you consistently getting Bs? Always stuck at the low end of As, worried that you might drop lower? Why are you settling? Selective colleges don't mind the occasional B in a class, but you really should be earning As to impress the schools you dream about. Working with a tutor can streamline your work and push you to the point of real success! Think of tutors as personal trainers for your mind!
So go get a tutor. You'll thank me when your grades (and your college application) become that much stronger!
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Got other reasons that tutors rock? Leave them in the comments!
Do you think they made any part of the donation in coins? (Photo Credit: Flickr via Theiving Joker)
Several universities (including Purdue, UC Colorado Springs, and UNC Asheville) have recently received very large donations from a mystery donor! Chronicle of Higher Education
California is facing a 6% shortage of college trained workers by the year 2025. Yup, a college degree is more important than ever. Los Angeles Times
Do you have an unusual passion like solving Rubik's Cubes or collecting free stuff on the Internet? Weird hobbies can look very good on an application if framed correctly! About.com
Admissions officer from U of Georgia talks about some of the reasons applicants are denied. He strongly suggests reapplying as a transfer student if you still want to attend. AJC.com
Credit Card applications are everywhere on campus and college students are racking up more debt than ever before. WISTV.com
NYU changes it's testing requirements...one step closer to an SAT-free world! Now all you need to take is the ACT. Inside Higher Ed
National Association for College Admissions Counciling wants National Merit Scholarship to move away from PSAT, claiming that the Scholarship focuses too much on one day of testing. Pittsburgh Post Gazette
Even Princeton is starting to question the effectiveness of the SAT!
The GW Hatchet
New law makes it easier for students to earn financial aid through volunteer work. San Fransisco Chronicle
Tell your teachers it's Facebook's fault! (Photo Credit: Flickr via Laughing Squid)
New study, by Ohio State University, shows that Facebook users have
lower GPAs than non-users. Perhaps it's time to turn off your computer
and do some work? Information Week
Many high schools have students post rejection letters to a wall in the school as a show of camraderie. Examiner.com
The gap between higher and lower income students when it comes to admissions highlights the growing differences in the way students apply to college. Washington Post
If you didn't apply for financial aid during your initial admissions process, you can go back and change your preference. But there may be consequences... New York Times
New novel highlights admissions process from the view of the admissions office. Craziness ensues. San Fransisco Chronicle
Students could find trouble by expressing their desires to bring top atheletes to their college on Facebook. Associated Press
SAT 'at war with itself,' according to former UC president. It's another major hit against the beleagured test. Inside Higher Ed
Can pizza save the US school system? (Photo Credit: Bala via Flickr)
Idaho High School sells pizza ads on tests to raise money for printing paper. AP via Yahoo News
Five students in Mumbia, India expelled for doctoring their transcripts while applying to US Universities. The Times of India
Yale and other top universities have stopped mailing out rejection letters in favour of online notification. Yale Daily News
So-Cal charter school, High Tech High, opens as one of the most eco-friendly schools built to date. SignOnSanDiego.com
Texas state legislatures are considering new law that could make it easier for New Mexico students to get accepted to Texas universities. Beaumont Enterprise Local
New York Times releases new college admissions blog by national experts authored by famed writer Mr. Jacques Steinberg. Fox Business
During recession, students who can pay the full cost have better chance of being accepted into selective colleges. New York Times
The week before an ACT exam is always a stressful time for students. Many test takers try to cram last minute studying sessions into their already busy schedule to bring up their ACT score as much as they possibly can. Unfortunately, the ACT isn't a test for which one can study; it's an exam for which one has to practice!
Practicing is quite different from studying. It's quite likely that you already know all the math formulas, science theories, and grammar rules that you need to be successful on the ACT. Instead of trying to learn more, as you would for a traditional exam, any work you do at the last minute needs to focus on using the information you've already got.
With that in mind, let's take a look a five tips that can help you get the most out of the small amount of practice time you've got!
1. Get The Right Materials
There are a lot of ACT books out on the market. While Princeton Review, Kaplan, and others have books that promise to raise your score, trying to implement any of their techniques at the last minute is probably going to do more harm than good. Focus your efforts on trying actual problems out and get The Real ACT Prep Guide from the makers of the ACT. Doing real problems is the best way to get ready for what you're going to see on test day!
2. Don't Answer Every Question
Most students try to answer every question on the test, regardless of difficulty. This is a mistake! Instead of trying to do all 60 math questions in 60 minutes, focus on doing 40 or 50 questions as correctly as you can. Every question is worth the same number of points, so focus on getting the easy questions right first!
3. Bubble in Every Bubble
While you should take your time and answer questions slowly, you shouldn't leave any bubbles blank. The ACT doesn't mark off extra points for wrong answers, so you should always guess. The worst thing that can happen is that you get a question wrong, costing you nothing. The best thing that can happen is that you get a free point!
4. Do Timed Sections
While it's tempting to pick through the book you've purchased, you need to actually sit down and take a few timed sections. That means getting Mom or Dad to time you as you try to do as many questions as you can within the time limit. You might not have time to take an entire practice test, but a few timed sections can give you a much better sense of how many questions you can do and keep your accuracy up!
5. Get Up Early on Test Day
You have to get up early enough on test day to wake up your brain. That means that if the test is at 8:00 AM, you need to be awake and active by 7:00 AM at the latest. It's also a good idea to eat something resembling a real breakfast and engage your brain so that it's as awake as you are. I suggest a crossword, video game, or a fight with a sibling you don't like very much.
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Any other tips you've found useful on test day? Let us know in the comments!
If you haven't heard, things aren't going so well for the global economy. The Dow has dropped to half its previous value in just a few months, unemployment is rising to possibly double digits, and consumer spending and confidence are at nearly all-time lows.
So how does this affect America's colleges and universities? Are they immune to the slings and arrows of outrageous global catastrophes? Do their massive endowments shield them from the "real" world. Unfortunately...the answer is an unequivocal "no."
Last month, Harvard announced that it was cutting the travel budget for its admission department by 50%, slashing all out-of-state travel programs and reducing individual visits to only local high schools. Admissions Dean William R. Fitzsimmons stressed that Harvard will still strive to reach out to interested students through their "joint" programs:
Fitzsimmons said that joint travel trips—attended by larger numbers of
students, parents, and counselors—have proven more effective in
attracting prospective applicants. He added that Harvard will continue
to visit 127 cities with along with Georgetown, the University of
Pennsylvania, Duke, and Stanford.
When asked if he was worried that these cuts would hurt
Harvard’s perception of accessibility, Fitzsimmons acknowledged that
this is “always a concern,” but said that this was one of the purposes
of joint recruiting trips.
Teaming up with these colleges may help attract students who
might not attend an information session only for Harvard, Fitzsimmons
said. Joint trips with Princeton and the University of Virginia to
target students from lower income backgrounds are still on the books
for November. - Harvard Crimson
In short, don't expect to meet a Harvard Admissions officer at your school's counseling office. They simply don't have the money to come out and see you. Harvard isn't publicly funded, but its endowment lost over 20% of it's value in 2008.
On the other side of the spectrum, larger schools are finding that budget cuts are having a much more immediate and dire impact on their ability to enroll students. This year, San Jose State University was forced to deny admission to over 4,000 qualified applicants due to the state's budget crisis:
University officials blame
the budget for the enrollment cuts; overall the CSU system got 10
percent — $283 million — less than officials say they need. On Nov. 20,
CSU Chancellor Charles B. Reed asked every campus to cap enrollment
because funding hasn't kept pace with a growing student body. For San
Jose State, that meant a 9 percent reduction — 29,750 students in the
2009-10 school year, down from 32,750 in 2008-09. - MercuryNews.com
That cap resulted in the first time the university has ever turned away applicants who met the minimum qualifications for attending the university. Without time to plan for the cuts, San Jose State officials noted that they simply didn't accept the 4,400 most recent applicants.
I feel pretty terrible for those kids who tried to get into a safety school at the last minute, only to be denied on the basis of a state budget crisis. Next year, San Jose promises to think more carefully about applicants and design some way of selecting the most qualified rather than the "first" qualified.
These trends are only becoming more common as schools get final budget numbers and endowment results. If you're looking at colleges for the first time now, it's time to start asking them "How are you planning on dealing with less money?" They might have answers that will shock you.
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Got another college trying to cope with budget woes? Let us know in the comments!
Remind me what superpowers you have again... (Photo Credit: karla_k via Flickr)
Looking for an extra elective? Try one of the fifteen strangest college courses in America. We like "The Science of Superheroes" a lot! OnlineColleges.net
Essex Univerity study suggests that popular kids do better as adults than unpopular kids. Sorry, chess club kids. Parent Dish
Worried about the April crush of college admissions? Here are a few ways to try to ease the burden. Washington Post
Harvard is now offering courses on comic books. Soon, everyone will know The Watchmen. The Harvard Crimson
Middlebury College hopes to be completely carbon neutral by 2016. NECN.com
Steve Martin offers to foot the bill for a production of one of his plays that was banned from a high school campus for content. Entertainment Weekly
Manchester High School warns parents that their dead daughter can't go to prom due to her poor attendance. Fox News
Care about something enough...and put it on YouTube, and even high school students can get a meeting with with President. MSNBC
A student/parent essay points out that the economy is affecting not only financial aid at colleges, but also the very programs they offer. Wall Street Journal
The University of Missouri apparently has nothing better to do than sue a South Dakota school for copying a tiger logo. KansasCity.com
Cuts at Oregon schools result in free and reduced lunch programs being completely eliminated. RegisterGuard.com
Ten things to do when you get all your acceptance letters. Fox Business
At Omniac Education, we pride ourselves on helping students "learn to fish." That means that we are much more interested in teaching kids skills that help them learn on their own than in telling them the answers to questions on their homework. In addition, it also means that we hold students accountable for their work and effort, emphasizing to them that they decide between and A and a F every time they work on any academic project.
Yet, parents still totally have a key role to play in the process. While we want students to take the lead on raising their grades, parents are an incredibly vital part of the overall success or failure of the student. We simply cannot succeed without their help!
With that in mind, here are a few tips for parents who are eager to get involved and make a difference for their children:
5. Ask Your Tutor Questions
Tutors may have specific advice that pertains to your student, but are not comfortable shoving more information at you. Some kids need more attention than others, or struggle with different parts of the school process and usually your tutor will be able to isolate their specific issues. Direct attention to these areas a child is struggling can be more beneficial than glossing over all aspects. Give your tutor a chance to point those out to you.
4. Communicate With Your Child's Teacher
If a teacher knows the parents are putting in effort, they are quicker to tell you progress is being made. If you let the teacher know you are working with them to help your student, they tend to ease up a bit and provide extra opportunities that otherwise might not have been made available. ALWAYS be positive. Your dialogue should always be about solving a problem. “What can I do at home to help my son?” is so much nicer to hear than “Why is my student failing your class?”.
3. Enforce Homework Time.
If a student can’t manage their grades, they lose the right to manage their time. Pick a two hour time slot and expect your student to work without distractions the entire time. Put the dog outside, turn the TV off, and get them out of the computer room. If their homework is done, they can read a newspaper or magazine. When their grades come back up, don’t quit! Reading comprehension applies to every subject and is something every student can always improve on. Ask your tutor for additional materials if you feel like you don't have enough!
2. Check Your Child's Homework
You might think that you don’t know the math, so you can’t check the homework. In reality, parents can do a lot just by looking over the work. Students consistently hand in low quality work that can be spotted from a mile away. Is anything blank? Have the student read the section with this problem and then rewrite the example that is similar, or all of them if they use the phrase “I don’t get it”. Watch how fast blank papers turn into actual effort! Just knowing that you are going to look at it means that your student will work harder on it.
1. Set high standards.
Ask your student what score they are trying to get on their next test. They will probably tell you “a B would be nice”. WRONG! If you know before you take the test that you are only going to get a ‘B’ then you knew ahead of time that you needed to study more, but chose not to. There is only one correct answer: “100%, plus the bonus if there is one.” Just saying this out loud is a huge push in the right direction and can help students set goals that will challenge their current abilities.
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A huge thanks to our Academic Tutoring Director, Michael Fitch, for helping to write this blog post. Thanks, Mike!
Got any tips we missed? Put 'em in our comments...
It's easy to underestimate how complex the University of California admissions process can be for students. While the UC system has a reputation for excellence even among the best public colleges, it's shocking to look over the actual requirements that students must meet to apply. Many parents and students I work with assume that the UC application is much like the application to Arizona State or University of New Mexico and are shocked to find out how detailed their child's submission needs to be to even be considered!
This last month, however, the UC Board of Regents took a massive step toward simplifying their application process by eliminating the requirement that students take the SAT Subject Exams. According to the San Francisco Chronicle:
"UC was the only public education system in the country that made students take two SAT subject tests. The result: 22,000 high school graduates in California were disqualified in 2007 from applying to the university who otherwise would have been eligible." - SFGate.com
The change in UC admissions policy will be effective for the graduating class of 2012, but already speaks volumes about the role that testing is going to play in the UC system far beyond the next few years.
First and foremost, it's clear that the UC's interest in testing has declined dramatically. While rumors swirled that the changes to the SAT made in 2005 were largely the result of the University of California's influence and sway, it appears that the Board of Regents has focused their attention on GPA and college prep courses rather than expanded testing requirements. If they've already forced the SAT to redesign the test to suit their needs, they don't seem to think more forced dealings with College Board were a worthwhile use of their time when it came to the Subject Tests.
Secondly, it's widely believed that the Subject Tests are actually better indicators of college success than the original ACT or SAT themselves. The fact that the UC system opted to drop these test doesn't bode well for the future of the ACT and SAT. I wouldn't be surprised to see the primary tests continue to decrease in importance over the next few years. The dropping of the Subject Tests means that the UC system might even go test-optional at some point!
All in all, I think it's a massive victory for proponents of a smart, balanced application process. Some observers like Thomas D. Elias are even arguing that the changes reflect "an affirmation of higher standards combined with greater opportunity for students who have dealt with hardships and received poor counseling in high school."
It's hard to see anything but good in that!
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Got something to say about the SAT Subject Tests? Miss them already? Let us know in the comments!