Keith O’Brien, contributor to the Boston Globe, reports “you won’t hear this from the admissions office, but college students are cracking the books less and less. They come with polished resumes and perfect SAT scores. Their grades are often impeccable. Some elite universities will deny thousands of high school seniors with 4.0 grade point averages in search of an elusive quality that one provost called ‘intellectual vitality.’ The perception is that today’s over-achieving, college-driven kids have it–whatever it is. They’re not just groomed; they’re ready. There’s just one problem. On campus, the students aren’t studying.”
What happened to studying?
July 29th, 2010Advice on the college interview
July 26th, 2010The Washington Post offers advice on the college interview. ”The point of the interview is to show that you are a good person and that you are polite and interesting and have a sense of humor about yourself and the unnerving admissions process. That means you have to be, as you have been told many times, yourself, which is not so easy in those circumstances.”
Finding applicants who plagiarize
July 22nd, 2010Scott Jaschik, a contributor to InsideHigherEd.com, examines the use of plagiarism-detection software Turnitin.com in the college admissions process. ”Some admissions officials, like those at Penn State, welcome the service. They feel that the problem is serious enough that they need help. Others, however, are skeptical, saying that the push by Turnitin will shift the focus away from more serious issues in college admissions and suggests that colleges aren’t capable of uncovering plagiarism themselves.”
Do part-time professors hurt education?
July 19th, 2010Christopher Magan, staff writer for the Dayton Daily News, reports “as college costs and enrollment continue to rise, many universities are turning to lower-paid part-time professors to educate students. The percentage of full-time professors teaching college classes has plummeted nationally during the past 35 years from 70 to 50 percent. Unions representing professors characterize the shift as a staffing crisis that hurts student achievement.”
The coveted but elusive internship
July 15th, 2010New York Times writer Hilary Stout reports on the difficulties of finding a summer internship. ”Between the sputtering economy and updated federal guidelines governing the employment of unpaid interns, many students have had a tougher time than they anticipated in landing resume-enhancing experience this summer.”
Six ways to raise a smart kid
July 12th, 2010Lynn O’Shaughnessy, contributor to moneywatch.com, reports on a new study that finds “a strong correlation between the number of books a family owns and a child’s academic track record.” O’Shaughnessy also reports on a study by Freakonomists Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner, who determined six factors for a child’s success in school.
The six positive factors for a child’s success in school are:
- The child has educated parents.
- The parents have high socioeconomic status.
- The parents are involved in the PTA.
- The mother was at least 30 at the time of her first child’s birth.
- The parents speak English at home.
- The child has many books at home.
Four reasons the library should affect your college choice
July 8th, 2010Jeff Greer, contributor to the US News and World Report, writes “if you talk to a college admissions officer or a high school guidance counselor about things to do when you visit a college campus, one of the first things they say is to visit the libraries on campus. Bring a book or some schoolwork, sit down, and soak up the environment. Can you see yourself there for four years?”
Here are four key questions to ask:
- What is the staff like?
- How much does the library system and its librarians interact and work with the faculty?
- What’s the atmosphere like?
- Check the library system website and digital resources. Do they offer enough resources at any hour of the day?
US colleges see highest enrollment jump in 40 years
July 5th, 2010The USA Today reports that “the nation’s colleges are attracting record numbers of new students as more Hispanics finish high school and young adults opt to pursue a higher education rather than languish in a weak job market.”
What colleges are really looking for in applicants
July 1st, 2010The Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA) has released their 2010 survey of independent college consultants, which lists this year’s “Top Ten Strengths and Experiences College Look for in High School Students.” Here are the results:
- A rigorous high school curriculum that challenges the student and may include AP or IB classes.
- Grades that represent strong effort and an upward trend. However, slightly lower grades in a rigorous program are preferred to all As in less challenging coursework.
- Solid scores on standardized tests (SAT, ACT). These should be consistent with high school performance.
- Passionate involvement in a few activities, demonstrating leadership and initiative. Depth, not breadth, of experience is most important.
- Letters of recommendation from teachers and guidance counselor that give evidence of integrity, special skills, positive character traits, and an interest in learning.
- A well-written essay that provides insight into the student’s unique personality, values, and goals. The application essay should be thoughtful and highly personal. It should demonstrate careful and well-constructed writing.
- Special talents or experiences that will contribute to an interesting and well-rounded student body.
- Demonstrated leadership in activities. Colleges want people who will arrive prepared and willing to take leadership of student activities and events.
- Demonstrated intellectual curiosity through reading, school, leisure pursuits, and more.
- Demonstrated enthusiasm to attend, often exhibited by campus visits and an interview, showing an interest toward attending the college.
Results are available for the June 12th ACT
June 28th, 2010Results from the June 12th ACT are now available online at www.actstudent.org.