Tamar Lewin of the New York Times reports “the alphabet soup of college admissions is getting more complicated as the International Baccalaureate, or I.B., grows in popularity as an alternative to the better-known Advanced Placement program.”
Archive for the ‘Admissions’ Category
International program catches on in U.S. schools
Monday, August 23rd, 2010When a university over-extends admission to their freshman class
Thursday, August 19th, 2010Jacques Steinberg of the New York Times reports “the University of Iowa extended admission this year to several thousand more applicants than it could accommodate on campus in this fall’s freshman class.”
Advice on the college interview
Monday, 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
Thursday, 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.”
US colleges see highest enrollment jump in 40 years
Monday, 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
Thursday, 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.
Dealing with the college transition
Monday, June 21st, 2010Selbe Potter Ruggiero, Director of Clinical Services at the New Learning Therapy Center, writes about the number one health concern on college campuses, clinical depression. ”Many times college bound students realize that their lives will never be the same again as they venture into the unknown. Once they get on campus their reality is different.”
Take advantage of “summer melt”
Thursday, June 17th, 2010Audrey Kahane, a private college admissions counselor, gives advice on taking advantage of the “summer melt”, the time when students who submitted enrollment deposits decide over the summer not to attend the college.
Getting started on college applications
Monday, June 14th, 2010In the Washington Post, blogger Valerie Strauss gives a preview of the common application essay topics.
Getting real about super-selective colleges
Monday, June 7th, 2010In the Washington Post column, The Answer Sheet, college admissions consultant Bruce Vinik writes about the current inability to predict which qualified candidates will be accepted to the super-selective colleges such as Harvard, Princeton, Yale, Stanford, and their peers. ”I can tell which applicants are qualified to be admitted, but I can’t tell who these schools are actually going to take. The fact is that there are too many extraordinarily qualified applicants chasing a limited number of spaces at the most selective colleges.”