Create Your Own Hoops
At this moment when so many are completing their studies in high school, college, or graduate school, we’d like to share artist Grant Snider’s inspiring message to a graduate: To get an education, you must jump through many hoops. Some are ultra-competitive. Others require perfect timing. Many will seem unreachable at first. There will be moments of boredom. You will be burned. And even embarrassed. But often, your imagination will be sparked. With luck and coordination, you will reach the final hoop… and arrive at a place where hoops are scarcely seen. Should you stop jumping? No! Now you must create your own hoops. Good luck, graduates!
Who Does College Admissions Serve?
Anyone who tells you that the college admissions process doesn’t involve at least some anxiety and effort probably applied to an open-admit school. Everyone else accepts a risk, no matter how slight, of rejection. Putting yourself out there can be scary. The most constructive way to mitigate that fear and risk is to make sure you meet the highest academic, extracurricular, and testing standards of the institution to which you seek admission. In fact, treating the college application project as a transformational journey designed to clarify your goals for life after high school graduation is the smartest way to approach this crucible. Yet, when all is said and done, your best may not be good enough. My insightful friend and colleague Aly Beaumont has a lot to say about how The Admissions Process Is Not Necessarily About You! At this time of year, social media is filled with posts of…
Greater Rochester Getting-into-College Fair (Pittsford)
We all know what traditional college fairs are like: huge venues hosting tons of colleges, universities and military services where students and families can gather information, brochures, and lots of first impressions. But is that all there is to the admissions process? Obviously, determining where you want to go is important. Equally essential is learning how to get in! We’re thrilled to announce the first Greater Rochester Getting-into-College Fair. How is this different from a conventional college fair? Instead of campus reps, you’ll meet amazing local experts with answers about every aspect of college admissions: Independent college consultants SAT & ACT test prep professionals FAFSA and student loans specialists College student success coaches College savings and 529 advisors NYS Excelsior and scholarship experts The experts at this fair will offer guidance and insights for high school students of all ages along with parents and educators. Look forward to…
Why US Colleges Are Still So Popular
I recently had the pleasure and privilege of presenting an SAT and ACT strategy session to a group of young adults. This in itself is hardly unusual, as I’m basically always teaching teens, except for when I’m training adults. The particularly awesome aspect of this engagement was that these 75 students were located in Nigeria, as part of a week-long bootcamp organized by EducationUSA. This non-profit network supported by the U.S. Department of State promotes U.S. higher education to international students and supports those students through the application process. The globe-spanning distance separating Zoom participants was the only truly remarkable aspect of this seminar. In all other ways, the students asked the same questions and shared the same concerns as any U.S. high schooler, excepting, perhaps, the concerns about TOEFL/IELTS testing and passport concerns. Rest assured, teenagers everywhere struggle with timing on the reading sections of the tests and worry…
Evaluating College ROI
College is definitely, at least in most cases, a pricy proposition. Attending community college or earning substantial scholarship awards can defray the financial costs of college, but higher education demands a considerable time commitment as well. Considering just how much college students (and their families) invest in higher education, questions about the return on that investment only make sense. Any attempt to evaluate potential ROI from attending college requires the juggling of a variety of complex terms along with a stomach for uncertainty. College major alone dramatically influences potential earnings after graduation. What other factors should smart shoppers consider? Net Price Net price is the average cost of attendance, which includes tuition, fees, books and supplies, and living expenses, minus aid received from all sources. Net Present Value (NPV) The net present value is how much a sum of money in the future is valued today. This metric includes costs,…
Sal Khan on Testing, Admissions, and Equity
Is Sal Khan the most respected individual in education today or just one of the most respected individuals in education? The founder of Khan Academy, the gold standard in academic training videos, has done more to “provide a free, world-class education for anyone, anywhere” than, well, anyone, anywhere. While Sal’s been busy launching yet another free academic resource, he recently shared his thoughts on testing, test-optional admissions, and equity in an insightful interview with THE Journal. Here are some of his more salient points along with some editorial commentary: THE Journal: Is the SAT still relevant, now that many colleges and universities have made test scores optional for admission? SK: When I talk to admissions officers, behind closed doors, they will tell you that making tests optional did not remove the need for them to get a signal of college readiness from applicants. The reality is that savvy students continue…