Is "Student Quality" the Only Determinant of the Quality of a College Education?
In Atlantic Monthly's November 2005 issue, Richard H. Hersh, former president of Trinity College and author of "Declining by Degrees" points to research showing "that simply going to college, any college, makes a major difference in a young person's psychological development: students come away with improved cognitive skills, greater verbal and quantitative competence, and different political, social, and religious attitudes and values. But although the researchers found wide variations in learning within each college or university, they were unable to uncover significant differences between colleges once the quality of the entering students was taken into account."
For more information, read Hersh's article at: http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200511/measuring-college-quality.
Richard H. Hersh is a former president of Hobart and William Smith Colleges and Trinity College; a co-director of the Collegiate Learning Assessment Project; and co-editor of Declining by Degrees: Higher Education at Risk.
My mission is to empower youth with: - The knowledge about career possibilities, and the education and training needed to attain them - The creative-thinking and emotional skills that make for good career decisions and which employers prefer; - And the resilience needed to flourish in life.
Sunday, November 26, 2006
Monday, November 20, 2006
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
Social Tone on Campus
A Mom’s Eye View of Campus Life ™
First in a Series
© What’s Your Major? SM
Liberal, Conservative or Moderate…..Oh My!
The social tone, or campus culture, is one of the most important factors that can make or break your child’s happiness at a college. It’s also one of the most difficult campus qualities to understand.
Steven W. Lawry, president of Antioch College, points out that “‘campus culture’ and ‘campus climate’ can be very difficult terms to define or phenomena to describe…they are characterized largely by a complex set of values and value judgments, they are also terms that don’t easily invite agreement….”
College is the first opportunity to get new and challenging inputs that will shape your child’s self-image and passions. But a bad reaction to campus life could show itself in your child’s detachment, boredom or feeling of isolation.
It’s important that your child “own” this aspect of college selection. Your role requires a shift from being a decision-maker to a decision-facilitator.
Diversity Rules!
Colleges strive for diversity, as one of the most important influences that shape learning. Diversity can take many forms: political, religious, social, economic or even geographic. The impact of these diversities on a student’s experience at a college is palpable, once living there. But it is difficult to anticipate from a traditional college tour. And the diversity statistics reported by a specific college often stop with the number of minority or international students enrolled.
The National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) defines educational enrichment, in part, as a result of the “serious conversations” students have with people who are “very different from you”, in addition to those who are of a different race or ethnicity. However, for your child to receive knowledge effectively at college, he or she must feel comfortable with the living and learning environment. An urban, northern-bred student might be miserable at a southern, rural campus. Success depends on “what” the current climate on campus actually is, how pervasive it is in the classroom and in student housing, and how your child responds. You can make your child aware of the benefits of diversity and encourage openness.
It’s Isn’t Easy Being….Liberal
Academia is all about foraging new ideas, so you might assume that most colleges offer a liberal living and learning environment. There are no published statistics about whether a college is liberal, conservative or moderate. You have to assess this intuitively, and judge whether your child will fit in.
At top liberal schools, The Princeton Review says that "a bohemian ideal is enforced” and the environment is "Utopian-liberal", giving a parent a pretty clear idea of what lifestyle is expected. "Hippies, hipsters, and geek chic" are common sights on the Bard College campus, the most liberal campus, according to U.S. News and World Report. However, students say that the reality is that "most people here are friendly, social, and pretty normal." On the other hand, "If you're uncreative or conservative you probably wouldn't fit in."
The Princeton Review provides rankings of 361 colleges, based on such touchy-feely aspects of campus life as political persuasion, marijuana and drug use, the prevalence of religion, the popularity of student government, and the students’ level of acceptance of the gay community on campus. Of Warren Wilson College, The Review says: "(It’s) mildly famous" for their "extreme liberalism…a haven for hippies and very left-wing people. (Students are) identifiable by their dread locks, Phish t-shirts, [and] political buttons, (and they) "like good organic wholesome food" and "hand-rolled cigarettes" and typically know "some botanical-ornithological basics." Students say that: “Wilson is known as a hippie college, but there is a startling diversity of other kinds of alterna-creatures here.”
So It’s Cool to Be Conservative?
Conservatism reaches the classroom, according to Young American’s Foundation top Ten Conservative College’s list. A stated mission and programs that emphasize can identify a conservative college:
· Principles of smaller government
· Strong national defense
· Free enterprise
· Traditional values
Furthermore, according to YAF, conservative studies center on Western Civilization “instead of straying toward the study of Marxism, feminism, sexuality, postmodernism, and other modern distractions…”.
Hillsdale College, the “most conservative” on The Princeton Review’s list supports: ‘limited government,’ its role as ‘a defender of free markets and conservative values,’ and its emphasis on learning from ‘original texts’, (which) is appreciated by its largely ‘conservative, white, (and) Christian’ students...”. Students agree that “‘typical students are smart and religious’ at Hillsdale; they ‘go to church every Sunday and (their) religious beliefs come out in (how they speak and act)’.”
At other top conservative colleges, the Princeton Review says:
· “Students here ‘do not accept anything other than 100 percent manners, 100 percent class, 100 percent preppy, and 100 percent conservative all the time.’".
· “…(there is) a campus environment "full of Christians that get along great with each other, but have a hard time knowing how to treat anyone that isn't exactly like them."
Two-thirds (63%) of the students surveyed in the 2004-05 Post-Secondary Planning survey from the National Research Center for College & University Relations (NRCCUR) prefer a “moderate social environment” on campus, 12% prefer a conservative environment and 25% prefer a liberal environment. Furthermore, more than 40% of the students prefer a denominational church-related college, and Catholic or Baptist schools are most favored.
That said, the larger the campus, the more likely it is that extreme liberalism or conservatism will not dominate the environment. On the other hand, minority groups can cling together at larger schools, making it harder to experience diversity, unless diversity is “institutionalized” – made a priority -- in the classroom and student housing environments.
Collaborative Versus Intense Learning Environments
Bottom line, a supportive academic and social environment is the single best indicator of student satisfaction, according to the NSSE. In fact, when NSSE results are statistically compared with US News and World Report college rankings, a “supportive campus environment” is best correlated best with colleges that retain second-year students and have the highest graduation rates. You should compare the retention and graduation rates for the colleges on your final list by looking them up on the College Board College Matchmaker, or other, college search engine.
Collaborative learning, by definition, puts the professor and the student on the same side. Learning is a result of the social experience working together to solve a problem, complete a task, or create a product. College advisor Loren Pope, author of “Colleges That Change Lives,” says that collaborative/supportive environments encourage campus living and learning between students, and with faculty, where students “explore their interests, goals, spirituality, and values in myriad ways.”
Brown University positions itself as the best of all possible colleges experiences, with a “collaborative university-college model”; one “in which faculty are as committed to teaching as they are to research, embracing a curriculum that requires students to be architects of their education.” An example of collaborative learning-in-practice are “interdisciplinary courses”, available on many campuses, which enable students to enter and leave with very different technical skills, but learn to master the skill of collaboration. These courses require the collaboration of teachers from different departments. An indication of a college’s level of commitment to collaborative learning is the number of interdisciplinary courses they offer.
On a recent tour of the College of William & Mary, a tour guide explained that learning there is completely collaborative. According to the guide, a student experiences this right in the classroom, where the “tone” of instruction is encouraging, not competitive.
The Hierarchy of Needs at Competitive Colleges: Food, Clothing, Shelter….and Studying?
If your child wants to be in a highly selective academic environment, but would thrive best in a collaborative learning environment, you should insist on specific examples of the school’s philosophy in practice. Make sure that that philosophy is not just randomly realized. It should truly impact all students.
To contrast with collaborative learning, the “Students Guide to Colleges” uses the term “intellectual fervor” to rate how much students from selected colleges talk about academics: “All the time, sometimes, or hardly ever.” An obsession with learning can be a positive or negative experience for your child. It is not an attribute of campus life that a college is likely to advertise.
A student describes an intense learning environment as “a culture of doing things the hard way…(with) competitions of how many hours you spend studying before you sleep/take a shower.” Likewise, you can get a sampling of opinions about the intensity of academic competition on campus by asking randomly selected students.
A recent graduate of the Cleveland Institute of Art (CIA), recently attended summer course at Columbia’s film program, putting him in the position to compare the two learning environments. He preferred the “much less intense” atmosphere at CIA, because the “intensity” of Columbia’s students limited his day-to-day experiences with fellow students and his ability to learn through others.
Georgetown University could be expected to have an intensely competitive learning environment. In their information sessions, a parent was recently told that, while it’s highly competitive to get in to Georgetown, once in, the students “pull each other through the program” and become like a family. It would be best to confirm statements like this by asking for specific examples of institutionalized collaborative/supportive programs and philosophy from “unofficial” college representatives.
Sizing Up Your College Choices
The best time to dig deep into a college’s culture is after you’ve determined that the college meets your academic and financial and practical needs, and you’ve visited once. When you’re ready to put together your final list of eight to ten colleges that meet all of your basic criteria, you need further evaluate your child’s chances for success at them:
1. Read about the college’s mission statement and strategic plan, and look at the President’s message, on the web site. Ask to see the most recent student satisfaction survey, which should be on file in the President’s office.
2. Don’t assume that a college that is affiliated with a religious institution will express that heritage in daily campus life. The influence of that institution may or may not be dominant on campus.
3. Ask the tour guide and college representatives about the social tone, campus culture (or campus climate) and to provide examples of how they experience it.
4. Visit your final choice colleges a second time, after you’ve been accepted but before you accept the financial aid offer. On this visit:
ü Pay attention to verbiage used in event posters, student newspapers, and presentations. And ask random students on campus for their opinion about the campus climate.
ü Take advantage of overnight stay programs that are commonly offered by the Admissions Department.
ü Have your child visit or call the residence halls, explaining that he/she is a prospective student and ask the same questions that you asked of the tour guides and official representatives.
5. To fully understand how diversity and collaborative learning impacts daily campus life, take the extra effort to interview faculty members (especially those in your child’s field of study). Be sure to ask for specific examples or data, about the following questions:
How does the institution encourage activities where students from different backgrounds meet and work together? Ask for examples where the activities impacted the majority of students, not just members of club or academic program.
How often do students work in teams to complete assignments, solve problems, or apply course content?
How frequently do students engage in service learning or take part in community-based projects, to fulfill class requirements?
How many students collaborate on research with faculty members?
How many interdisciplinary courses are offered? Are they open to all students?
How many students are involved with living and learning communities? How is the faculty involved with these communities?
7. Since retention and graduation rates are correlated with student satisfaction, look them up on the College Board College Matchmaker, or other, college search engine, and compare your final choice colleges.
8. Consult student-written guides and forums about campus life, which are available for selected campuses. The most popular guides are:
“The Insider’s Guide to The Colleges,” The Yale Daily News
“Students’ Guide to Colleges”, the Penguin Group
“The Big Book of Colleges ‘07”, College Prowler
Visit online forums, where you can read comments and pose questions to experienced parents and students:
www.collegeconfidential.com
www.campusdirt.com
9. You may want to have a discussion with your child about the importance of campus diversity and culture to his or her happiness as a student. But don’t expect tremendous insight. Your child’s personality is still in a formative stage and he or she has a limited worldview.
10. Resist the urge to judge the campus morals and values, superficially. What you think is best for your child might not, in fact, be best. Listen beyond what your child says about a campus. He or she wants to please you and may be telling you what you want to hear. Look for signs of genuine enthusiasm.
First in a Series
© What’s Your Major? SM
Liberal, Conservative or Moderate…..Oh My!
The social tone, or campus culture, is one of the most important factors that can make or break your child’s happiness at a college. It’s also one of the most difficult campus qualities to understand.
Steven W. Lawry, president of Antioch College, points out that “‘campus culture’ and ‘campus climate’ can be very difficult terms to define or phenomena to describe…they are characterized largely by a complex set of values and value judgments, they are also terms that don’t easily invite agreement….”
College is the first opportunity to get new and challenging inputs that will shape your child’s self-image and passions. But a bad reaction to campus life could show itself in your child’s detachment, boredom or feeling of isolation.
It’s important that your child “own” this aspect of college selection. Your role requires a shift from being a decision-maker to a decision-facilitator.
Diversity Rules!
Colleges strive for diversity, as one of the most important influences that shape learning. Diversity can take many forms: political, religious, social, economic or even geographic. The impact of these diversities on a student’s experience at a college is palpable, once living there. But it is difficult to anticipate from a traditional college tour. And the diversity statistics reported by a specific college often stop with the number of minority or international students enrolled.
The National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) defines educational enrichment, in part, as a result of the “serious conversations” students have with people who are “very different from you”, in addition to those who are of a different race or ethnicity. However, for your child to receive knowledge effectively at college, he or she must feel comfortable with the living and learning environment. An urban, northern-bred student might be miserable at a southern, rural campus. Success depends on “what” the current climate on campus actually is, how pervasive it is in the classroom and in student housing, and how your child responds. You can make your child aware of the benefits of diversity and encourage openness.
It’s Isn’t Easy Being….Liberal
Academia is all about foraging new ideas, so you might assume that most colleges offer a liberal living and learning environment. There are no published statistics about whether a college is liberal, conservative or moderate. You have to assess this intuitively, and judge whether your child will fit in.
At top liberal schools, The Princeton Review says that "a bohemian ideal is enforced” and the environment is "Utopian-liberal", giving a parent a pretty clear idea of what lifestyle is expected. "Hippies, hipsters, and geek chic" are common sights on the Bard College campus, the most liberal campus, according to U.S. News and World Report. However, students say that the reality is that "most people here are friendly, social, and pretty normal." On the other hand, "If you're uncreative or conservative you probably wouldn't fit in."
The Princeton Review provides rankings of 361 colleges, based on such touchy-feely aspects of campus life as political persuasion, marijuana and drug use, the prevalence of religion, the popularity of student government, and the students’ level of acceptance of the gay community on campus. Of Warren Wilson College, The Review says: "(It’s) mildly famous" for their "extreme liberalism…a haven for hippies and very left-wing people. (Students are) identifiable by their dread locks, Phish t-shirts, [and] political buttons, (and they) "like good organic wholesome food" and "hand-rolled cigarettes" and typically know "some botanical-ornithological basics." Students say that: “Wilson is known as a hippie college, but there is a startling diversity of other kinds of alterna-creatures here.”
So It’s Cool to Be Conservative?
Conservatism reaches the classroom, according to Young American’s Foundation top Ten Conservative College’s list. A stated mission and programs that emphasize can identify a conservative college:
· Principles of smaller government
· Strong national defense
· Free enterprise
· Traditional values
Furthermore, according to YAF, conservative studies center on Western Civilization “instead of straying toward the study of Marxism, feminism, sexuality, postmodernism, and other modern distractions…”.
Hillsdale College, the “most conservative” on The Princeton Review’s list supports: ‘limited government,’ its role as ‘a defender of free markets and conservative values,’ and its emphasis on learning from ‘original texts’, (which) is appreciated by its largely ‘conservative, white, (and) Christian’ students...”. Students agree that “‘typical students are smart and religious’ at Hillsdale; they ‘go to church every Sunday and (their) religious beliefs come out in (how they speak and act)’.”
At other top conservative colleges, the Princeton Review says:
· “Students here ‘do not accept anything other than 100 percent manners, 100 percent class, 100 percent preppy, and 100 percent conservative all the time.’".
· “…(there is) a campus environment "full of Christians that get along great with each other, but have a hard time knowing how to treat anyone that isn't exactly like them."
Two-thirds (63%) of the students surveyed in the 2004-05 Post-Secondary Planning survey from the National Research Center for College & University Relations (NRCCUR) prefer a “moderate social environment” on campus, 12% prefer a conservative environment and 25% prefer a liberal environment. Furthermore, more than 40% of the students prefer a denominational church-related college, and Catholic or Baptist schools are most favored.
That said, the larger the campus, the more likely it is that extreme liberalism or conservatism will not dominate the environment. On the other hand, minority groups can cling together at larger schools, making it harder to experience diversity, unless diversity is “institutionalized” – made a priority -- in the classroom and student housing environments.
Collaborative Versus Intense Learning Environments
Bottom line, a supportive academic and social environment is the single best indicator of student satisfaction, according to the NSSE. In fact, when NSSE results are statistically compared with US News and World Report college rankings, a “supportive campus environment” is best correlated best with colleges that retain second-year students and have the highest graduation rates. You should compare the retention and graduation rates for the colleges on your final list by looking them up on the College Board College Matchmaker, or other, college search engine.
Collaborative learning, by definition, puts the professor and the student on the same side. Learning is a result of the social experience working together to solve a problem, complete a task, or create a product. College advisor Loren Pope, author of “Colleges That Change Lives,” says that collaborative/supportive environments encourage campus living and learning between students, and with faculty, where students “explore their interests, goals, spirituality, and values in myriad ways.”
Brown University positions itself as the best of all possible colleges experiences, with a “collaborative university-college model”; one “in which faculty are as committed to teaching as they are to research, embracing a curriculum that requires students to be architects of their education.” An example of collaborative learning-in-practice are “interdisciplinary courses”, available on many campuses, which enable students to enter and leave with very different technical skills, but learn to master the skill of collaboration. These courses require the collaboration of teachers from different departments. An indication of a college’s level of commitment to collaborative learning is the number of interdisciplinary courses they offer.
On a recent tour of the College of William & Mary, a tour guide explained that learning there is completely collaborative. According to the guide, a student experiences this right in the classroom, where the “tone” of instruction is encouraging, not competitive.
The Hierarchy of Needs at Competitive Colleges: Food, Clothing, Shelter….and Studying?
If your child wants to be in a highly selective academic environment, but would thrive best in a collaborative learning environment, you should insist on specific examples of the school’s philosophy in practice. Make sure that that philosophy is not just randomly realized. It should truly impact all students.
To contrast with collaborative learning, the “Students Guide to Colleges” uses the term “intellectual fervor” to rate how much students from selected colleges talk about academics: “All the time, sometimes, or hardly ever.” An obsession with learning can be a positive or negative experience for your child. It is not an attribute of campus life that a college is likely to advertise.
A student describes an intense learning environment as “a culture of doing things the hard way…(with) competitions of how many hours you spend studying before you sleep/take a shower.” Likewise, you can get a sampling of opinions about the intensity of academic competition on campus by asking randomly selected students.
A recent graduate of the Cleveland Institute of Art (CIA), recently attended summer course at Columbia’s film program, putting him in the position to compare the two learning environments. He preferred the “much less intense” atmosphere at CIA, because the “intensity” of Columbia’s students limited his day-to-day experiences with fellow students and his ability to learn through others.
Georgetown University could be expected to have an intensely competitive learning environment. In their information sessions, a parent was recently told that, while it’s highly competitive to get in to Georgetown, once in, the students “pull each other through the program” and become like a family. It would be best to confirm statements like this by asking for specific examples of institutionalized collaborative/supportive programs and philosophy from “unofficial” college representatives.
Sizing Up Your College Choices
The best time to dig deep into a college’s culture is after you’ve determined that the college meets your academic and financial and practical needs, and you’ve visited once. When you’re ready to put together your final list of eight to ten colleges that meet all of your basic criteria, you need further evaluate your child’s chances for success at them:
1. Read about the college’s mission statement and strategic plan, and look at the President’s message, on the web site. Ask to see the most recent student satisfaction survey, which should be on file in the President’s office.
2. Don’t assume that a college that is affiliated with a religious institution will express that heritage in daily campus life. The influence of that institution may or may not be dominant on campus.
3. Ask the tour guide and college representatives about the social tone, campus culture (or campus climate) and to provide examples of how they experience it.
4. Visit your final choice colleges a second time, after you’ve been accepted but before you accept the financial aid offer. On this visit:
ü Pay attention to verbiage used in event posters, student newspapers, and presentations. And ask random students on campus for their opinion about the campus climate.
ü Take advantage of overnight stay programs that are commonly offered by the Admissions Department.
ü Have your child visit or call the residence halls, explaining that he/she is a prospective student and ask the same questions that you asked of the tour guides and official representatives.
5. To fully understand how diversity and collaborative learning impacts daily campus life, take the extra effort to interview faculty members (especially those in your child’s field of study). Be sure to ask for specific examples or data, about the following questions:
How does the institution encourage activities where students from different backgrounds meet and work together? Ask for examples where the activities impacted the majority of students, not just members of club or academic program.
How often do students work in teams to complete assignments, solve problems, or apply course content?
How frequently do students engage in service learning or take part in community-based projects, to fulfill class requirements?
How many students collaborate on research with faculty members?
How many interdisciplinary courses are offered? Are they open to all students?
How many students are involved with living and learning communities? How is the faculty involved with these communities?
7. Since retention and graduation rates are correlated with student satisfaction, look them up on the College Board College Matchmaker, or other, college search engine, and compare your final choice colleges.
8. Consult student-written guides and forums about campus life, which are available for selected campuses. The most popular guides are:
“The Insider’s Guide to The Colleges,” The Yale Daily News
“Students’ Guide to Colleges”, the Penguin Group
“The Big Book of Colleges ‘07”, College Prowler
Visit online forums, where you can read comments and pose questions to experienced parents and students:
www.collegeconfidential.com
www.campusdirt.com
9. You may want to have a discussion with your child about the importance of campus diversity and culture to his or her happiness as a student. But don’t expect tremendous insight. Your child’s personality is still in a formative stage and he or she has a limited worldview.
10. Resist the urge to judge the campus morals and values, superficially. What you think is best for your child might not, in fact, be best. Listen beyond what your child says about a campus. He or she wants to please you and may be telling you what you want to hear. Look for signs of genuine enthusiasm.
Monday, October 16, 2006
Thursday, October 12, 2006
SAT and ACT Concordance
According to Nancy Rawlings from ACT, who presented at the National Association for College Admissions Counseling Conference in Pittsburgh last week, ACT and The College Board will join together to conduct a concordance study to determine how the ACT Composite Exam correlates with the new SAT Total scores.
Tables on how the ACT English and Writing Tests correlate with the new SAT writing test will be available in January 2007.
Rawlings also said that 62% of colleges are not requiring writing tests, at the current time.
Tables on how the ACT English and Writing Tests correlate with the new SAT writing test will be available in January 2007.
Rawlings also said that 62% of colleges are not requiring writing tests, at the current time.
Monday, October 09, 2006
More Help Needed for the Non-College Bound
According to “The 70% Solution: Meeting the Need for High Skills” by Kenneth Hoyt, http://www.ericdigests.org/2001-3/70.htm) about 70% of high school graduates enter college each fall, but only 30% of them are predicted to eventually earn a four-year college degree. Hoyt directed the Counseling for High Skills (CHS) project at Kansas State University, which was founded in 1992 with a $3.3 million grant from the DeWitt Wallace-Reader's Digest Fund.
Hoyt references the 1997 Occupational Outlook Quarterly, which projected that no more than 25% of job openings between 1996 and 2006 would require a college degree or more. In fact, almost two in five job openings expected required no more than two to three weeks of on-the-job training and no specified kind or amount of formal education.
The CHS project goals were to provide training for high school counselors in order to make this shift in the needs of students. Hoyt conducted a survey of 39,940 currently enrolled students in 2,145 sub-baccalaureate career-oriented programs in 361 postsecondary institutions in 14 states.
Results show a high level of motivation to learn by these students and a high-perceived rate of success and satisfaction with employment after graduating from the program. However, friends were the most common source of information about the program that they chose to attend. Only one out of ten students said their high school counselor provided this information.
Hoyt is calling for a shift in focus among high school counselors to accommodate the needs of students who are bound for sub-baccalaureate programs. Specifically, he recommends that counselors “recognize and emphasize that the concept of ‘excellence’ is applicable to all kinds and levels of education” and that there be an emphasis on more variety of opportunities for quality postsecondary career-oriented education that are available at the sub-baccalaureate level without devaluing the social and economic benefits of four-year colleges.
Furthermore, he suggests that the nearly 300,000 four-year college graduates for each year receive preparation and placement help to secure employment in occupations not requiring a four-year college degree. This is a comprehensive and meaningful study that demonstrates unmet need in high school guidance and the negative societal impact, if the situation is left unchecked. Like Dr. Kenneth Gray’s book, “Other Ways to Win,” the much-needed change is said to begin with a change in counselor attitudes. Hoyt believes this change in attitudes will occur when counselor receive adequate information about this need.
Hoyt references the 1997 Occupational Outlook Quarterly, which projected that no more than 25% of job openings between 1996 and 2006 would require a college degree or more. In fact, almost two in five job openings expected required no more than two to three weeks of on-the-job training and no specified kind or amount of formal education.
The CHS project goals were to provide training for high school counselors in order to make this shift in the needs of students. Hoyt conducted a survey of 39,940 currently enrolled students in 2,145 sub-baccalaureate career-oriented programs in 361 postsecondary institutions in 14 states.
Results show a high level of motivation to learn by these students and a high-perceived rate of success and satisfaction with employment after graduating from the program. However, friends were the most common source of information about the program that they chose to attend. Only one out of ten students said their high school counselor provided this information.
Hoyt is calling for a shift in focus among high school counselors to accommodate the needs of students who are bound for sub-baccalaureate programs. Specifically, he recommends that counselors “recognize and emphasize that the concept of ‘excellence’ is applicable to all kinds and levels of education” and that there be an emphasis on more variety of opportunities for quality postsecondary career-oriented education that are available at the sub-baccalaureate level without devaluing the social and economic benefits of four-year colleges.
Furthermore, he suggests that the nearly 300,000 four-year college graduates for each year receive preparation and placement help to secure employment in occupations not requiring a four-year college degree. This is a comprehensive and meaningful study that demonstrates unmet need in high school guidance and the negative societal impact, if the situation is left unchecked. Like Dr. Kenneth Gray’s book, “Other Ways to Win,” the much-needed change is said to begin with a change in counselor attitudes. Hoyt believes this change in attitudes will occur when counselor receive adequate information about this need.
Sunday, October 08, 2006
Do Colleges "Lie" with Statistics?
I reviewed an article by Newsweek reporter and college/career advisor Marty Nemko’s “How Some Colleges Deceive Students, Parents”, which can be found at:
http://www.martynemko.com/pub/articles/college-deception.shtm.
Dr. Nemko is the author of “The All-in-One College Guide: a more-results, less-stress guide to choosing, getting into, finding the money for, and making the most of college.” He was dubbed, “The Ralph Nader of Education” by ABC-TV and holds a PhD specializing in evaluation of education from the University of California, Berkeley.
Dr. Nemko finds fault with several key statistics reported by colleges in the context of admissions recruiting. As I read the article, I changed my view on a key issue. I originally thought I was going to say that Nemko is fueling the fire of dissatisfaction. I maintain, though, that, for its flaws, we do have a college admissions process that strives to meet divergent, and admirable goals in ensuring equal access, while still maintaining a competitive environment that pushes colleges to excel; to ensure their survival and “thrival” (my word).
I had some misconceptions, though. I thought that most reported statistics in the FAQs distributed by school were consistent in their context. Additionally, I thought that most independent college guide books further ensure consistency by serving as the clearinghouse for such data.
I now realize that the FAQs certainly have the potential to be misleading and incomplete and that I need to pay better attention to any footnoting or “extra words” in the description of the statistic. Also guide books can certainly be outdated, and I don’t know how often this happens. However, on campus visits, I have been “corrected” on data reported in The Fiske Guide (or the admissions officer “spun” it another way for me, and I didn’t perceive the subtle difference). And I have read that sometimes colleges “miss” the opportunity to provide all the leading guides with all the updated needed in time for publication. (Would Dr. Nemko suggest this is intentional in a “down” year?)
Either way, bottom line, it’s a good idea to check the most critical facts, when using these data for final college selection, especially if they are important criteria in the decision.
Mr. Nemko dives deeper yet by accusing some colleges of actually “hiding” (read: misrepresenting) their total cost of attendance and graduation rates, since the average four-year graduation rate is lower than many students expect. (He quotes the four-year graduation rate at 37% at the time of his writing. Note the article is not dated.) It’s true that a fifth or sixth year can be a highly significant additional and unplanned cost, but this is largely within the control of the student. So I think Nemko’s furor is only partially justified on this point.
There are several other issues that Dr. Nemko has with reported statistics. However, for most of them, I feel he has failed to show intent to “lie with statistics”, as he puts it, since he has not shown examples where disclosures aren’t published along with the statistic. Naturally colleges are looking to present themselves in the best light, so the buyer must beware. However, when I go on campus visits, I think it’s amusing that statistics are quoted…or asked about….as if they mean anything to the individual student’s choice to attend. A statistic is only a directional indicator and, as an advisor, I am looking for all important indicators to be positive, when making a recommendation.
However, what’s important is different to different clients. The most important data points in the final analysis are invariably qualitative. I have never heard of a situation where a data point variance against another college has swayed a decision to attend or not to attend a specific school. So do colleges “lie with statistics”? I think they might “massage” the data to a most favorable point. But if we conclude that they “lie”, I say, so what?!
I do like Dr. Nemko’s suggestion to check on the diversity of a campus (assuming it’s important to some students) not by statistics, but by what kind of diversity classes are offered and what resources are available. And I like Dr. Nemko’s warning on guaranteed multi-year financial aid packages, i.e., to check if they will be adjusted for inflation or if the composition of the package will shift toward a higher percentage of loan versus grant over time. However, I have yet to meet a financial aid officer who has any authority to speculate or promise on these matters. So I highly doubt if a written commitment can be attained, as Dr. Nemko advises.
http://www.martynemko.com/pub/articles/college-deception.shtm.
Dr. Nemko is the author of “The All-in-One College Guide: a more-results, less-stress guide to choosing, getting into, finding the money for, and making the most of college.” He was dubbed, “The Ralph Nader of Education” by ABC-TV and holds a PhD specializing in evaluation of education from the University of California, Berkeley.
Dr. Nemko finds fault with several key statistics reported by colleges in the context of admissions recruiting. As I read the article, I changed my view on a key issue. I originally thought I was going to say that Nemko is fueling the fire of dissatisfaction. I maintain, though, that, for its flaws, we do have a college admissions process that strives to meet divergent, and admirable goals in ensuring equal access, while still maintaining a competitive environment that pushes colleges to excel; to ensure their survival and “thrival” (my word).
I had some misconceptions, though. I thought that most reported statistics in the FAQs distributed by school were consistent in their context. Additionally, I thought that most independent college guide books further ensure consistency by serving as the clearinghouse for such data.
I now realize that the FAQs certainly have the potential to be misleading and incomplete and that I need to pay better attention to any footnoting or “extra words” in the description of the statistic. Also guide books can certainly be outdated, and I don’t know how often this happens. However, on campus visits, I have been “corrected” on data reported in The Fiske Guide (or the admissions officer “spun” it another way for me, and I didn’t perceive the subtle difference). And I have read that sometimes colleges “miss” the opportunity to provide all the leading guides with all the updated needed in time for publication. (Would Dr. Nemko suggest this is intentional in a “down” year?)
Either way, bottom line, it’s a good idea to check the most critical facts, when using these data for final college selection, especially if they are important criteria in the decision.
Mr. Nemko dives deeper yet by accusing some colleges of actually “hiding” (read: misrepresenting) their total cost of attendance and graduation rates, since the average four-year graduation rate is lower than many students expect. (He quotes the four-year graduation rate at 37% at the time of his writing. Note the article is not dated.) It’s true that a fifth or sixth year can be a highly significant additional and unplanned cost, but this is largely within the control of the student. So I think Nemko’s furor is only partially justified on this point.
There are several other issues that Dr. Nemko has with reported statistics. However, for most of them, I feel he has failed to show intent to “lie with statistics”, as he puts it, since he has not shown examples where disclosures aren’t published along with the statistic. Naturally colleges are looking to present themselves in the best light, so the buyer must beware. However, when I go on campus visits, I think it’s amusing that statistics are quoted…or asked about….as if they mean anything to the individual student’s choice to attend. A statistic is only a directional indicator and, as an advisor, I am looking for all important indicators to be positive, when making a recommendation.
However, what’s important is different to different clients. The most important data points in the final analysis are invariably qualitative. I have never heard of a situation where a data point variance against another college has swayed a decision to attend or not to attend a specific school. So do colleges “lie with statistics”? I think they might “massage” the data to a most favorable point. But if we conclude that they “lie”, I say, so what?!
I do like Dr. Nemko’s suggestion to check on the diversity of a campus (assuming it’s important to some students) not by statistics, but by what kind of diversity classes are offered and what resources are available. And I like Dr. Nemko’s warning on guaranteed multi-year financial aid packages, i.e., to check if they will be adjusted for inflation or if the composition of the package will shift toward a higher percentage of loan versus grant over time. However, I have yet to meet a financial aid officer who has any authority to speculate or promise on these matters. So I highly doubt if a written commitment can be attained, as Dr. Nemko advises.
Saturday, October 07, 2006
Holland's Theory
Holland’s Theory
About five years ago, I discovered John Holland’s work in correlating personality types with occupational classifications while researching Multiple Intelligences Theory, in work as a children’s educational publisher and marketing director.
An unexpected result of this research was that Holland’s work validated my desire to make a career change. I had been having an increasing sense of dissatisfaction with my job over ten years’ time, despite a track record of success, in a creative environment that offered challenging peers and assignments.
Over time, in my work, I had had an increasingly gnawing sense of not doing anything important, although my awards and appointments suggested otherwise. After researching standards for career education for work, witnessing my high school children’s struggles with career awareness, and acknowledging that my own career had evolved more through luck than through planning or preferences, my curiosity about Holland’s Theory was peaked. I took the Self-Directed Interest Survey.
At first, I was troubled and confused by the results, which indicated an overlap between the Enterprising and Social categories, since I actually thought of myself as Artistic. (This week’s readings clarify, however, that two or more categories are quire common.) As a marketer, the Enterprising label made sense but the Social category took me by surprise.
Although I had started my undergraduate studies in secondary education, I had never completed my certification, thinking the job was wrong for me, being a twenty-one-year old college graduate, and having been intimidated by my student teaching experience: supervising eighteen-year-old boys in remedial reading.
Since 1978, then, I had not envisioned myself in a helping profession. I felt that I was on an irrevocable career track, which was my destiny. It was 1998 now, and I found that I had force-fit myself into a profession that, while “creative” (and satisfying my Artistic self-concept), defined success by profits, rather than by bringing “good work to the world“ (which is how I thought of the helping professions and what I increasingly wanted, as I was affected by corporate management decisions being made that seemed incongruous).
I had justified my occupation to myself until this time, because I believed (from parental influence) that being “responsible” meant “making the best financial situation for my family.” My efforts to create “good work” were transferred to a corporate environment, which paid very well and satisfied me for awhile, since I worked in the “social expressions” (greeting card) industry and then in the children’s education business. I felt that the product itself brought a better quality of life to the world.
Inwardly, however, my self-concept was not fully realized through my work, because I always felt that working in a corporate environment, supervising the creators of these wonderful products, was a step away from the personal satisfaction for which I was looking.
When I started to reexamine the career fields identified under the “Social” category, I recalled how much I enjoyed my Psychology classes in college. It had never occurred to me to modify my undergraduate path in education. I had not had the benefit of a career counselor or advisor to guide me, when I had the bad experience in student teaching, and needed to plan for the future. Also, intellectually, my parents had me playing second fiddle to my math-inclined older brother. Lacking confidence in my teaching ability, I backed away from getting the certification and completed college with a “Bachelor of Arts” in Speech and Theatre Arts, which was the only degree I could have completed by my desired graduation date. I never considered taking a different direction, (for example, staying in school a little longer to complete a Psychology degree).
In 2001, however, I decided to make the change that I knew by now was right for me. I was able to envision a fork in the road in my work as an educational publisher, and I developed a workbook for families called “What’s Your Major?” I presented the work to the local community college and was hired to teach some classes, based on my book. The experience was so rewarding that I decided to become an independent educational consultant, which will satisfy my self-concept as a Social personality.
About five years ago, I discovered John Holland’s work in correlating personality types with occupational classifications while researching Multiple Intelligences Theory, in work as a children’s educational publisher and marketing director.
An unexpected result of this research was that Holland’s work validated my desire to make a career change. I had been having an increasing sense of dissatisfaction with my job over ten years’ time, despite a track record of success, in a creative environment that offered challenging peers and assignments.
Over time, in my work, I had had an increasingly gnawing sense of not doing anything important, although my awards and appointments suggested otherwise. After researching standards for career education for work, witnessing my high school children’s struggles with career awareness, and acknowledging that my own career had evolved more through luck than through planning or preferences, my curiosity about Holland’s Theory was peaked. I took the Self-Directed Interest Survey.
At first, I was troubled and confused by the results, which indicated an overlap between the Enterprising and Social categories, since I actually thought of myself as Artistic. (This week’s readings clarify, however, that two or more categories are quire common.) As a marketer, the Enterprising label made sense but the Social category took me by surprise.
Although I had started my undergraduate studies in secondary education, I had never completed my certification, thinking the job was wrong for me, being a twenty-one-year old college graduate, and having been intimidated by my student teaching experience: supervising eighteen-year-old boys in remedial reading.
Since 1978, then, I had not envisioned myself in a helping profession. I felt that I was on an irrevocable career track, which was my destiny. It was 1998 now, and I found that I had force-fit myself into a profession that, while “creative” (and satisfying my Artistic self-concept), defined success by profits, rather than by bringing “good work to the world“ (which is how I thought of the helping professions and what I increasingly wanted, as I was affected by corporate management decisions being made that seemed incongruous).
I had justified my occupation to myself until this time, because I believed (from parental influence) that being “responsible” meant “making the best financial situation for my family.” My efforts to create “good work” were transferred to a corporate environment, which paid very well and satisfied me for awhile, since I worked in the “social expressions” (greeting card) industry and then in the children’s education business. I felt that the product itself brought a better quality of life to the world.
Inwardly, however, my self-concept was not fully realized through my work, because I always felt that working in a corporate environment, supervising the creators of these wonderful products, was a step away from the personal satisfaction for which I was looking.
When I started to reexamine the career fields identified under the “Social” category, I recalled how much I enjoyed my Psychology classes in college. It had never occurred to me to modify my undergraduate path in education. I had not had the benefit of a career counselor or advisor to guide me, when I had the bad experience in student teaching, and needed to plan for the future. Also, intellectually, my parents had me playing second fiddle to my math-inclined older brother. Lacking confidence in my teaching ability, I backed away from getting the certification and completed college with a “Bachelor of Arts” in Speech and Theatre Arts, which was the only degree I could have completed by my desired graduation date. I never considered taking a different direction, (for example, staying in school a little longer to complete a Psychology degree).
In 2001, however, I decided to make the change that I knew by now was right for me. I was able to envision a fork in the road in my work as an educational publisher, and I developed a workbook for families called “What’s Your Major?” I presented the work to the local community college and was hired to teach some classes, based on my book. The experience was so rewarding that I decided to become an independent educational consultant, which will satisfy my self-concept as a Social personality.
Friday, October 06, 2006
Work Importance Locator
The Work Importance Locator
ONET’s Work Importance Locator is a self-administered a card sorting device that uses a ranking and weighing process to analyze an individual’s needs from among six categories: Achievement, Independence, Recognition, Relationships, Support and Working Conditions. Further, the instrument facilitates the exploration of specific job that are organized in “zones” (categories), according to the level of preparation (experience, education and training) required.
My WIL results were consistent with my values, and also consistent with the Super Value Scale on some dimensions. In WIL, I received equal top scores (28 each) for “Independence” and “Relationships.” My next most important value was (at 22) Support.
In Super’s Value Scale, my top score was for Variety (91%) but independence, mental challenge and creativity were also high (86%). (In retrospect, those results suggest to me that I have high expectations for my job, and need to get a lot out of it.)
I administered the WIL to Chris, a college senior. He completed the sort without asking questions, after initial instructions were given. He scored high on Achievement (30) and Independence (28). Chris believes that he is an “outlier” in many facets of life, and that his WIL results are probably not typical. As a college senior, he initially felt that this test was too late in his education to be helpful, but I explained that he might make several job changes over his career life. Chris felt that the job choices were a broad sampling with a variety of skills represented, which gave a lot of data to consider. However, he thought some job titles were over-specified (i.e., “string musical instrument repair”), when a less broad description should also be relevant to the job zone.
Chris also argued that the value of “never being pressured to do something that things that go against my sense of right and wrong” (which he had rated a 4) was a measure of “Independence”, rather than “Relationships.” He also rated “being busy all the time” as low (1), explaining that he would not suffer if he didn’t have enough to do, because he has an active mind.
From this experience, I think the WIL is highly useful, and I attribute its effectiveness to the card sorting design. It encourages the client to make a complete map of what’s important to him, and to commit to the whole map in one conclusive step. Since the respondent can revisit the indicators as many times as he likes, I think the results should be more conclusive (compared with Super’s online Value Scale, where the client can not change answers or see ahead or behind into the (often repetitive) questions, which tend to be repetitive. The minor wording changes, without the benefit of being able to change answers, could cause a client to become unsettled and to reconsider previous answers). There is not chance of that in the WIL, which is why I prefer it to the Super Value Scale, although if we had tested both either on paper, or online, my conclusion might be different.
Based on my scores, I could see that the WIL does not capture “artistic” or “creative” job goals, and rather labels them “try out my own ideas”, which is not the same thing, in my opinion. I cannot explain why the Super Value Scale did not reflect my high priority for work relationships, like the WIL did. Thus, my only discomfort with the WIL is the limited number of variables, which are not verified through repetition, as with Super. However, my concern is somewhat offset by the tool’s “total picture” approach, giving the opportunity for complete consideration before scoring.
ONET’s Work Importance Locator is a self-administered a card sorting device that uses a ranking and weighing process to analyze an individual’s needs from among six categories: Achievement, Independence, Recognition, Relationships, Support and Working Conditions. Further, the instrument facilitates the exploration of specific job that are organized in “zones” (categories), according to the level of preparation (experience, education and training) required.
My WIL results were consistent with my values, and also consistent with the Super Value Scale on some dimensions. In WIL, I received equal top scores (28 each) for “Independence” and “Relationships.” My next most important value was (at 22) Support.
In Super’s Value Scale, my top score was for Variety (91%) but independence, mental challenge and creativity were also high (86%). (In retrospect, those results suggest to me that I have high expectations for my job, and need to get a lot out of it.)
I administered the WIL to Chris, a college senior. He completed the sort without asking questions, after initial instructions were given. He scored high on Achievement (30) and Independence (28). Chris believes that he is an “outlier” in many facets of life, and that his WIL results are probably not typical. As a college senior, he initially felt that this test was too late in his education to be helpful, but I explained that he might make several job changes over his career life. Chris felt that the job choices were a broad sampling with a variety of skills represented, which gave a lot of data to consider. However, he thought some job titles were over-specified (i.e., “string musical instrument repair”), when a less broad description should also be relevant to the job zone.
Chris also argued that the value of “never being pressured to do something that things that go against my sense of right and wrong” (which he had rated a 4) was a measure of “Independence”, rather than “Relationships.” He also rated “being busy all the time” as low (1), explaining that he would not suffer if he didn’t have enough to do, because he has an active mind.
From this experience, I think the WIL is highly useful, and I attribute its effectiveness to the card sorting design. It encourages the client to make a complete map of what’s important to him, and to commit to the whole map in one conclusive step. Since the respondent can revisit the indicators as many times as he likes, I think the results should be more conclusive (compared with Super’s online Value Scale, where the client can not change answers or see ahead or behind into the (often repetitive) questions, which tend to be repetitive. The minor wording changes, without the benefit of being able to change answers, could cause a client to become unsettled and to reconsider previous answers). There is not chance of that in the WIL, which is why I prefer it to the Super Value Scale, although if we had tested both either on paper, or online, my conclusion might be different.
Based on my scores, I could see that the WIL does not capture “artistic” or “creative” job goals, and rather labels them “try out my own ideas”, which is not the same thing, in my opinion. I cannot explain why the Super Value Scale did not reflect my high priority for work relationships, like the WIL did. Thus, my only discomfort with the WIL is the limited number of variables, which are not verified through repetition, as with Super. However, my concern is somewhat offset by the tool’s “total picture” approach, giving the opportunity for complete consideration before scoring.
Thursday, October 05, 2006
College Essay Tips
What has your essay got to do with your campus visit? Everything! In your college application essay, make it known if the college is your first choice, and why. On the college web site, research the college mission, history, president’s message, and program structure to get a full understanding of what you can expect as a student. Then visit when school is in session and talk to current students. The buildings will be open then, and you will see the level of congestion on campus. Ask students to describe the attributes of the college that exceeded their expectations (and what disappointed them.) Take the student-guided tour and get a feel for the lifestyle on campus; the “big programs”; whether academic orcampus organizations. If possible, speak with a student and instructor in your program. Try to connect with them and then ask for their support in the admissions process. Can they make a call or write a letter to the Admissions Department on your behalf?
Be true to your passions. The extracurricular activities that you discuss on your application should be selective, and reflect your core values. Do you truly excel in your extracurricular activities? You should be deeply and consistently involved, preferably in a leadership role. If you have championed something new or accomplished an important goal for an organization, make sure to show the impact that you’ve personally made. And if so, do you have leadership qualities that can make an impact on this campus? Describe your vision!
Be true to your passions. The extracurricular activities that you discuss on your application should be selective, and reflect your core values. Do you truly excel in your extracurricular activities? You should be deeply and consistently involved, preferably in a leadership role. If you have championed something new or accomplished an important goal for an organization, make sure to show the impact that you’ve personally made. And if so, do you have leadership qualities that can make an impact on this campus? Describe your vision!
Wednesday, October 04, 2006
Scholarship Resources
Scholarship Resources (Compilation)
Best Web Sites/Search Engines for Scholarships
http://www.collegeanswer.com/paying/...hip_search.jsp
Sallie Mae's site will provide access to an award database that contains more than 2.4 million scholarships worth over 15 billion dollars, and is expanded and updated daily.
www.Scholarshipexperts.com
Scholarship Experts™ was created by Group 77, Inc., in July 2000, and is based in Orange Park, Florida.
www.finaid.org
This is a great site with lots of information available as well as a search function called FastWeb. FastWeb requires (free) registration and development of a profile.
www.petersons.com
The Peterson site is sponsored by Thomson Publications, a major publisher of educational materials. There is a strong grants search engine that you must register (for free) to use.
www.ducktapeclub.com This very popular website has a strong search engine that contains an excellent representation of scholarships.
www.ja.org Sponsored by the Junior Achievement organization. This site’s search engine boast a database of more than 8,000 private scholarship programs that offers over $35 million from more than 150,000 scholarship awards.
www.scholarships.com This interesting site offers a free search after registration and profile development. The search results include an indication of the value of the scholarship, maximum awarded, due date and relevance to your situation as well as a way to select offerings that are placed in a “my scholarships” folder.
www.princetonreview.com
This site, sponsored by The Princeton Review, provides a free search engine (registration and profile required). This site also offers a personal folder that includes a number of organizing tools as well as a registration service that matches you to schools.
www.Fastweb.monster.com
The largest and oldest online free search service on the Internet is FastWeb (fastweb.monster.com). According to the Web site, parents and prospective college students can search 600,000 scholarships worth more than a billion dollars.
www.Freschinfo.com
Free Scholarship Search at freschinfo.com is another site with a database and search engine for matching students with scholarships.
www.College-scholarships.com
College scholarships and information about financial aid is available at college-scholarships.com. The site is for college-bound students, parents and high school counselors who want to keep abreast of the latest information about scholarships and financial aid.
www.Guaranteed-scholarships.com
One of the more unusual scholarship Web sites is guaranteed-scholarships.com. This site lists scholarships offered at some colleges and universities that are unlimited in number and require no interview, essay, portfolio or any other kind of competition.
http://www.brokescholar.com/
Broke Scholar is a free search engine that lets you search through a database of more than 650,000 college scholarships.
http://www.collegetoolkit.com/
Search for scholarships by state, religion, sport, etc. Some scholarship applications available from this site. Site also includes other financial aid information.
http://www.clubscholarship.com/
Clubscholarship.com has over 500,000 awards in a searchable database that allows users to browse for the best matches. It also has a school search feature, EFC calculator, and Financial Aid Forum.
http://www.free-4u.com/
Mega scholarship site with links to special interests and specific majors.
http://www.collegenet.com/mach25/app
Fill out a questionnaire and receive information on scholarships that match your characteristics from a base of 600,000 awards.
Microsoft Millenium Minority Scholarships
www.gmsp.org
Scholarships.com
www.scholarships.com
FastWEB
www.fastweb.com
ISAC
www.isac1.org/ednet/ednet.html
MACH25 - Breaking the Tuition Barrier
www.collegenet.com/mach25
Minority On-line Information Service
www.sciencewise.com/molisFreSch
www.freschinfo.com
ExPAN Scholarship Search
http://www.collegeboard.org/fundfind.../ssrchtop.html
StudentAwards.com
www.studentawards.com
U.S. News.edu
http://www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/dol...lar/search.htm
Foundation/Corporate Scholarships and General Resources (Compilation)
Foundation/Corporate Scholarships and General Resources
Peterson's Scholarship Alamanac 2005
The Scholarship Handbook 2005
Scholarships, Grants, and Prizes 2005
Peterson's Scholarship Almanac 2005.
The Scholarship Book 11th Edition : The Complete Guide to Private-Sector Scholarships, Fellowships, Grants, and Loan (Scholarship Book) by Daniel J. Cassidy and Ellen Schneid Coleman Research Group
How to Go to College Almost for Free by Ben Kaplan
Scholarships -- Business Suppliers for scholarships
Sourcetool - The B2B Search Engine. -- www.SourceTool.com
Scholarship Handbook 2006 (College Board Scholarship Handbook) by College Board
Free $ for College for Dummies by David Rosen and Caryn Mladen
Peterson's Scholarships, Grants & Prizes 2006 (Peterson's Scholarships, Grants & Prizes) by Thomson Peterson's
Kaplan Scholarships 2006 (Kaplan Scholarships) by Gail Ann Schlachter and Douglas Weber
The Scholarship Scouting Report: An Insider's Guide to America's Best Scholarships by Ben Kaplan
Scholarships for Women That Totally Rock! by Ben Kaplan
Money-Winning Scholarship Essays and Interviews: Insider Strategies from Judges and Winners by Gen S. Tanabe and Kelly Y. Tanabe
Adult and Non-Traditional Scholarships That Totally Rock! by Ben Kaplan
The College Board College Handbook 2006 : All-New 43rd Edition (College Handbook) by College Board
The College Board Scholarship Handbook 2007 : All-new 10th Edition (College Board Scholarship Handbook) by College Board
Gates Millennium Scholars
http://www.gmsp.org/(gri2c5bfehq5rx5...)/default.aspx
AFL-CIO Union Sponsored Scholarships and Aid
DISCOVER Card Tribute Award Scholarships - For High School Juniors ONLY! FiSCA National Scholarship Program Imation Computer Arts Scholarship
The Sallie Mae Fund State Farm Companies Foundation Achievement Scholarships The Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation
CORPORATE SCHOLARSHIPS
Theodore R. and Vivian M. Johnson Scholarship Program
Wal-Mart Community Scholarship
Burger King Scholars Award Prudential Spirit of Community Awards
Chevrolet Michelle Kwan REWARDS Scholarship
Coca-Cola Scholars Program
Federal Aviation Administration
North Florida Equal Employment Opportunity Council Scholarship
Florida Minerals Association Scholarship
Robert G. and Gail F. Knight Scholarship
The Player's Championship Scholarship
Toyota Community Scholars Award 2006
Mike Shinn Distinguished Member of the Year Award
Adobe Systems
Delta Air Lines
Eli Lilly & Co.
ExxonMobil Corporation
Freescale Semiconductor
Fulfilling the Legacy Scholarship Program
GE "Lloyd Trotter" African American Forum Scholarship
Johnson & Johnson January
Lockheed Martin Corporation
Microsoft Corporation
Northrop Grumman Corporation
NSBE International Studies Scholarship NSBE Fellows Scholarship Program PRAXAIR Homeland Security Summer Research Team Program for Minority-Serving Institutions
Rochester Institute of Technology - Future Faculty Career Exploration Program
Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowship for New Americans
Grambling State University's Summer Engineering Technology Program for Women of Color
HABS/HAER/HALS Summer 2005 Documentation Program
Dell/UNCF Corporate Scholars Program
Fermilab SIST Program FOCUS Fellows Program
Research Experiences for Undergraduates - U. Maryland East Asia and Pacific Summer Institutes Program (EAPSI)
AAAS Mass Media Science & Engineering Fellows Program
NSPE Auxiliary Scholarship Virginia D. Henry Memorial Scholarship
The Maureen L. & Howard N. Blitman Scholarship to Promote Diversity in Engineering
The Paul H. Robbins, PE Honorary Scholarship
The Steinman Fellowship
The Milton F. Lunch Memorial Internship Malcolm Pirnie, Inc.
Scholars Program/Internship
L'Oréal Women in Science Fellowship Program
Gates Millennium Scholarships
Young Epidemiology Scholars (YES)
Competition NISH National Scholar Award for Workplace Innovation & Design Student Inventors Scholarships
Coca-Cola Two Year College Scholarships Holocaust Remembrance Scholarships
Ayn Rand Essay Scholarships
Xerox Scholarships for Students Sports Scholarships and Internships
Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund
FinAid: The Smart Students Guide to Financial Aid scholarships
William Randolph Hearst Endowed Scholarship for Minority Students
Guaranteed Scholarships
BOEING scholarships
(some HBCU connects) Historically Black College & University Scholarships International Students Scholarships & Aid Help
College Board Scholarship Search
Burger King Scholarship Program
Siemens Westinghouse Competition
GE and LuLac Scholarship Funds
College Net's Scholarship Database Fed Scholarships/ Aid 25
Scholarship Gateways from Black Excel Scholarship & Financial Aid Help
FAFSA On The Web (Your Key Aid Form & Info) Aid & Resources For Re-Entry Students
HBCU Packard Sit Abroad Scholarships(study the world)
INROADS internships Black Alliance for Educational Options
Scholarships Science Net Scholarship Listing Grad Fellowships For Minorities Nationwide Rhodes Scholarships at Oxford http://www.aorn.org/foundation/scholarships.asp
AORN Foundation - Association of Operative Registered Nurses On-line scholarship applications for students interested in nursing. http://www.asainc.org/national/scholarships.shtml
Armenian Student's Association of America
Nonprofit organization provides scholarships for Armenian-Americans.
Culinary Scholarships There are several organizations that offer scholarships for culinary school. The James Beard Foundation makes dozens of scholarships available for study at institutions around the world, some for full-time study and some for cooking demonstration seminars. Awards are based on financial need and aptitude. Find out more by visiting www.jamesbeard.org.
Awards for hospitality including culinary arts are available through the American Culinary Federation at www.acfchefs.org. The ACF website also includes a useful directory of accredited institutions.
Les Dames d'Escoffier International offers scholarships for women in culinary studies. For more information visit www.ldei.org.
http://www.engineeringedu.com/scholars.html
Part of a comprehensive site on engineering career information.
http://www.freschinfo.com/Weekly newsletter of scholarship and financial aid information. Also has list of contests students can enter to win money for college.
http://www.iie.org/programs/gilman/index.html List of financial resources for students who wish to study overseas.
http://www.studyabroaddirectory.com/...ship/index.cfmSearchable data base for students who need financial assistance to study over seas.
http://www.guaranteed-scholarships.com/http://www.hispanicfund.org/This site lists scholarships for Hispanic students and universities who participate in the Hispanic Fund scholarship program.
http://www.hsf.net/This site lists scholarships for Hispanic students, including some for undocumented students.
http://www.ed.gov/offices/OPE/PPI/HOPE/index.html Information about this scholarship provided by the US Department of Education.
http://www.internationalscholarships.com/Scholarship resource for international students wishing to study abroad.
http://www.nursewebsearch.com/nursing_scholarships.htmExtensive linked list of scholarships for the nursing profession. ROTC Information for students interested in obtaining Reserve Officer Training Corps scholarships from the Army, http://www.goarmy.com/rotc/
Navy https://www.nrotc.navy.ml or Air Force http://www.afrotc.com/
http://www.scholarshiphelp.org/Comprehensive college preparation site focuses on how to obtain scholarships. Very strong on strategy and evaluating which scholarships are worth the time and effort to compete for.
Best Web Sites/Search Engines for Scholarships
http://www.collegeanswer.com/paying/...hip_search.jsp
Sallie Mae's site will provide access to an award database that contains more than 2.4 million scholarships worth over 15 billion dollars, and is expanded and updated daily.
www.Scholarshipexperts.com
Scholarship Experts™ was created by Group 77, Inc., in July 2000, and is based in Orange Park, Florida.
www.finaid.org
This is a great site with lots of information available as well as a search function called FastWeb. FastWeb requires (free) registration and development of a profile.
www.petersons.com
The Peterson site is sponsored by Thomson Publications, a major publisher of educational materials. There is a strong grants search engine that you must register (for free) to use.
www.ducktapeclub.com This very popular website has a strong search engine that contains an excellent representation of scholarships.
www.ja.org Sponsored by the Junior Achievement organization. This site’s search engine boast a database of more than 8,000 private scholarship programs that offers over $35 million from more than 150,000 scholarship awards.
www.scholarships.com This interesting site offers a free search after registration and profile development. The search results include an indication of the value of the scholarship, maximum awarded, due date and relevance to your situation as well as a way to select offerings that are placed in a “my scholarships” folder.
www.princetonreview.com
This site, sponsored by The Princeton Review, provides a free search engine (registration and profile required). This site also offers a personal folder that includes a number of organizing tools as well as a registration service that matches you to schools.
www.Fastweb.monster.com
The largest and oldest online free search service on the Internet is FastWeb (fastweb.monster.com). According to the Web site, parents and prospective college students can search 600,000 scholarships worth more than a billion dollars.
www.Freschinfo.com
Free Scholarship Search at freschinfo.com is another site with a database and search engine for matching students with scholarships.
www.College-scholarships.com
College scholarships and information about financial aid is available at college-scholarships.com. The site is for college-bound students, parents and high school counselors who want to keep abreast of the latest information about scholarships and financial aid.
www.Guaranteed-scholarships.com
One of the more unusual scholarship Web sites is guaranteed-scholarships.com. This site lists scholarships offered at some colleges and universities that are unlimited in number and require no interview, essay, portfolio or any other kind of competition.
http://www.brokescholar.com/
Broke Scholar is a free search engine that lets you search through a database of more than 650,000 college scholarships.
http://www.collegetoolkit.com/
Search for scholarships by state, religion, sport, etc. Some scholarship applications available from this site. Site also includes other financial aid information.
http://www.clubscholarship.com/
Clubscholarship.com has over 500,000 awards in a searchable database that allows users to browse for the best matches. It also has a school search feature, EFC calculator, and Financial Aid Forum.
http://www.free-4u.com/
Mega scholarship site with links to special interests and specific majors.
http://www.collegenet.com/mach25/app
Fill out a questionnaire and receive information on scholarships that match your characteristics from a base of 600,000 awards.
Microsoft Millenium Minority Scholarships
www.gmsp.org
Scholarships.com
www.scholarships.com
FastWEB
www.fastweb.com
ISAC
www.isac1.org/ednet/ednet.html
MACH25 - Breaking the Tuition Barrier
www.collegenet.com/mach25
Minority On-line Information Service
www.sciencewise.com/molisFreSch
www.freschinfo.com
ExPAN Scholarship Search
http://www.collegeboard.org/fundfind.../ssrchtop.html
StudentAwards.com
www.studentawards.com
U.S. News.edu
http://www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/dol...lar/search.htm
Foundation/Corporate Scholarships and General Resources (Compilation)
Foundation/Corporate Scholarships and General Resources
Peterson's Scholarship Alamanac 2005
The Scholarship Handbook 2005
Scholarships, Grants, and Prizes 2005
Peterson's Scholarship Almanac 2005.
The Scholarship Book 11th Edition : The Complete Guide to Private-Sector Scholarships, Fellowships, Grants, and Loan (Scholarship Book) by Daniel J. Cassidy and Ellen Schneid Coleman Research Group
How to Go to College Almost for Free by Ben Kaplan
Scholarships -- Business Suppliers for scholarships
Sourcetool - The B2B Search Engine. -- www.SourceTool.com
Scholarship Handbook 2006 (College Board Scholarship Handbook) by College Board
Free $ for College for Dummies by David Rosen and Caryn Mladen
Peterson's Scholarships, Grants & Prizes 2006 (Peterson's Scholarships, Grants & Prizes) by Thomson Peterson's
Kaplan Scholarships 2006 (Kaplan Scholarships) by Gail Ann Schlachter and Douglas Weber
The Scholarship Scouting Report: An Insider's Guide to America's Best Scholarships by Ben Kaplan
Scholarships for Women That Totally Rock! by Ben Kaplan
Money-Winning Scholarship Essays and Interviews: Insider Strategies from Judges and Winners by Gen S. Tanabe and Kelly Y. Tanabe
Adult and Non-Traditional Scholarships That Totally Rock! by Ben Kaplan
The College Board College Handbook 2006 : All-New 43rd Edition (College Handbook) by College Board
The College Board Scholarship Handbook 2007 : All-new 10th Edition (College Board Scholarship Handbook) by College Board
Gates Millennium Scholars
http://www.gmsp.org/(gri2c5bfehq5rx5...)/default.aspx
AFL-CIO Union Sponsored Scholarships and Aid
DISCOVER Card Tribute Award Scholarships - For High School Juniors ONLY! FiSCA National Scholarship Program Imation Computer Arts Scholarship
The Sallie Mae Fund State Farm Companies Foundation Achievement Scholarships The Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation
CORPORATE SCHOLARSHIPS
Theodore R. and Vivian M. Johnson Scholarship Program
Wal-Mart Community Scholarship
Burger King Scholars Award Prudential Spirit of Community Awards
Chevrolet Michelle Kwan REWARDS Scholarship
Coca-Cola Scholars Program
Federal Aviation Administration
North Florida Equal Employment Opportunity Council Scholarship
Florida Minerals Association Scholarship
Robert G. and Gail F. Knight Scholarship
The Player's Championship Scholarship
Toyota Community Scholars Award 2006
Mike Shinn Distinguished Member of the Year Award
Adobe Systems
Delta Air Lines
Eli Lilly & Co.
ExxonMobil Corporation
Freescale Semiconductor
Fulfilling the Legacy Scholarship Program
GE "Lloyd Trotter" African American Forum Scholarship
Johnson & Johnson January
Lockheed Martin Corporation
Microsoft Corporation
Northrop Grumman Corporation
NSBE International Studies Scholarship NSBE Fellows Scholarship Program PRAXAIR Homeland Security Summer Research Team Program for Minority-Serving Institutions
Rochester Institute of Technology - Future Faculty Career Exploration Program
Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowship for New Americans
Grambling State University's Summer Engineering Technology Program for Women of Color
HABS/HAER/HALS Summer 2005 Documentation Program
Dell/UNCF Corporate Scholars Program
Fermilab SIST Program FOCUS Fellows Program
Research Experiences for Undergraduates - U. Maryland East Asia and Pacific Summer Institutes Program (EAPSI)
AAAS Mass Media Science & Engineering Fellows Program
NSPE Auxiliary Scholarship Virginia D. Henry Memorial Scholarship
The Maureen L. & Howard N. Blitman Scholarship to Promote Diversity in Engineering
The Paul H. Robbins, PE Honorary Scholarship
The Steinman Fellowship
The Milton F. Lunch Memorial Internship Malcolm Pirnie, Inc.
Scholars Program/Internship
L'Oréal Women in Science Fellowship Program
Gates Millennium Scholarships
Young Epidemiology Scholars (YES)
Competition NISH National Scholar Award for Workplace Innovation & Design Student Inventors Scholarships
Coca-Cola Two Year College Scholarships Holocaust Remembrance Scholarships
Ayn Rand Essay Scholarships
Xerox Scholarships for Students Sports Scholarships and Internships
Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund
FinAid: The Smart Students Guide to Financial Aid scholarships
William Randolph Hearst Endowed Scholarship for Minority Students
Guaranteed Scholarships
BOEING scholarships
(some HBCU connects) Historically Black College & University Scholarships International Students Scholarships & Aid Help
College Board Scholarship Search
Burger King Scholarship Program
Siemens Westinghouse Competition
GE and LuLac Scholarship Funds
College Net's Scholarship Database Fed Scholarships/ Aid 25
Scholarship Gateways from Black Excel Scholarship & Financial Aid Help
FAFSA On The Web (Your Key Aid Form & Info) Aid & Resources For Re-Entry Students
HBCU Packard Sit Abroad Scholarships(study the world)
INROADS internships Black Alliance for Educational Options
Scholarships Science Net Scholarship Listing Grad Fellowships For Minorities Nationwide Rhodes Scholarships at Oxford http://www.aorn.org/foundation/scholarships.asp
AORN Foundation - Association of Operative Registered Nurses On-line scholarship applications for students interested in nursing. http://www.asainc.org/national/scholarships.shtml
Armenian Student's Association of America
Nonprofit organization provides scholarships for Armenian-Americans.
Culinary Scholarships There are several organizations that offer scholarships for culinary school. The James Beard Foundation makes dozens of scholarships available for study at institutions around the world, some for full-time study and some for cooking demonstration seminars. Awards are based on financial need and aptitude. Find out more by visiting www.jamesbeard.org.
Awards for hospitality including culinary arts are available through the American Culinary Federation at www.acfchefs.org. The ACF website also includes a useful directory of accredited institutions.
Les Dames d'Escoffier International offers scholarships for women in culinary studies. For more information visit www.ldei.org.
http://www.engineeringedu.com/scholars.html
Part of a comprehensive site on engineering career information.
http://www.freschinfo.com/Weekly newsletter of scholarship and financial aid information. Also has list of contests students can enter to win money for college.
http://www.iie.org/programs/gilman/index.html List of financial resources for students who wish to study overseas.
http://www.studyabroaddirectory.com/...ship/index.cfmSearchable data base for students who need financial assistance to study over seas.
http://www.guaranteed-scholarships.com/http://www.hispanicfund.org/This site lists scholarships for Hispanic students and universities who participate in the Hispanic Fund scholarship program.
http://www.hsf.net/This site lists scholarships for Hispanic students, including some for undocumented students.
http://www.ed.gov/offices/OPE/PPI/HOPE/index.html Information about this scholarship provided by the US Department of Education.
http://www.internationalscholarships.com/Scholarship resource for international students wishing to study abroad.
http://www.nursewebsearch.com/nursing_scholarships.htmExtensive linked list of scholarships for the nursing profession. ROTC Information for students interested in obtaining Reserve Officer Training Corps scholarships from the Army, http://www.goarmy.com/rotc/
Navy https://www.nrotc.navy.ml or Air Force http://www.afrotc.com/
http://www.scholarshiphelp.org/Comprehensive college preparation site focuses on how to obtain scholarships. Very strong on strategy and evaluating which scholarships are worth the time and effort to compete for.
Friday, September 29, 2006
What Duke is Looking For - August 2006 Visit
What Duke Is Looking For
According to Jennifer Dewar, Senior Admissions Officer, Duke seeks students who are engaged in learning, and connect with and challenge the learning process: students who may have had extracurricular or life experiences giving them the potential to impact campus.
Duke’s web site seeks students “who make intelligent and interesting mistakes, students who understand that only in risking failure do we become stronger, better, and smarter….(students who are) “open to change,” (and) “ambitious and curious” According to Ms. Dewer, nearly 19,000 applications were received for 1630 undergraduate openings for 2006-07.
According to Jennifer Dewar, Senior Admissions Officer, Duke seeks students who are engaged in learning, and connect with and challenge the learning process: students who may have had extracurricular or life experiences giving them the potential to impact campus.
Duke’s web site seeks students “who make intelligent and interesting mistakes, students who understand that only in risking failure do we become stronger, better, and smarter….(students who are) “open to change,” (and) “ambitious and curious” According to Ms. Dewer, nearly 19,000 applications were received for 1630 undergraduate openings for 2006-07.
Thursday, September 28, 2006
Tips for Your "First-Choice" College Esaay
In your college application essay, make it known if the college is your first choice.
From the college web site, research the college mission, history, strategic plan, major initiatives, president’s message, and program structure.
On your campus visit, investigate how these attributes become reality in the day-to-day culture. Talk to students and professors in your program.
After getting a full understanding of the college's uniqueness, summarize it briefly in your essay, and explain why it appeals to you.
Do you have leadership qualities that can make an impact on this campus? Describe your intentions with enthusiasm!
From the college web site, research the college mission, history, strategic plan, major initiatives, president’s message, and program structure.
On your campus visit, investigate how these attributes become reality in the day-to-day culture. Talk to students and professors in your program.
After getting a full understanding of the college's uniqueness, summarize it briefly in your essay, and explain why it appeals to you.
Do you have leadership qualities that can make an impact on this campus? Describe your intentions with enthusiasm!
Monday, September 25, 2006
The “Special Needs” of Unfocused Kids:
An Adverse Economic Impact that Begins in High School and Lasts a Lifetime
Many teens go to college because they have no idea what they want to do or what options are available…and many drop out. Many academically average students, seeing no other alternatives, head off to a two or four-year college, despite being academically and/or emotionally ill prepared. About 70% of high school graduates enter college each fall, but only 30% of them are predicted to earn a college degree.
According to Suzy Wakefield, author of “Unfocused Kids” (Eric Clearinghouse on Counseling and Student Services, 2004), detachment, lack of hope, and lack of motivation may affect as many as 40% of high school students. Many become “phantom kids”, who get lost in the system and do not make a claim to their right for career education. The “worst case” scenario, over ten percent of high school graduates in 2002, (10.3%) did not go to college and are unemployed.
Unemployability is Exacerbated by Uncertainty
More than one out of ten (12.3%) of college graduates say they “just sort of drifted into their major:
28% changed their majors once
18% changed majors two or three times
2% changed majors four or more times.
A total of 48% change majors at least once.
While being undecided about a major is not in and of itself a problem during college, the lack of decision about a student’s career options ultimately complicate the discouraging employment prospects. There will be 57 jobs requiring a college degree for every one hundred students who earn one. And there will be an oversupply of about 300,000 college graduates who will find it necessary to enter occupations that do not demand a four-year college degree.
Most college students aspire to the professional ranks, yet professional work is only 20% of all employment in the US. And less than 5% aspire to technical careers, which is the fast-growing segment of high-skills employment in the economy.
Parents Can Help Support Guidance Counselors (If They Learn How)
Public school guidance counselors have an average 450-550-student caseload. For college counseling, there is an average 654 students for every advisor. According to the National Association of College Admissions Counselors, the result is that the average public school counselor can devote one hour per year per student to college counseling.
Over eight percent (83%)of parents said planning or their child’s future college or work is the most important of 19 topics about which they would most like information.
Nearly 80% (78%) of students believe that their parents are primarily responsible for helping plan for a career or job. Friends (1 in 3), not counselors (1 in 10), are the most common source of information about the institution they attend.
Yet, two-thirds of college graduates say they had to figure out their career choices on their own. Nearly half (46%) says that no one, outside of school, has advised them on career options or options to further their education.
An Adverse Economic Impact that Begins in High School and Lasts a Lifetime
Many teens go to college because they have no idea what they want to do or what options are available…and many drop out. Many academically average students, seeing no other alternatives, head off to a two or four-year college, despite being academically and/or emotionally ill prepared. About 70% of high school graduates enter college each fall, but only 30% of them are predicted to earn a college degree.
According to Suzy Wakefield, author of “Unfocused Kids” (Eric Clearinghouse on Counseling and Student Services, 2004), detachment, lack of hope, and lack of motivation may affect as many as 40% of high school students. Many become “phantom kids”, who get lost in the system and do not make a claim to their right for career education. The “worst case” scenario, over ten percent of high school graduates in 2002, (10.3%) did not go to college and are unemployed.
Unemployability is Exacerbated by Uncertainty
More than one out of ten (12.3%) of college graduates say they “just sort of drifted into their major:
28% changed their majors once
18% changed majors two or three times
2% changed majors four or more times.
A total of 48% change majors at least once.
While being undecided about a major is not in and of itself a problem during college, the lack of decision about a student’s career options ultimately complicate the discouraging employment prospects. There will be 57 jobs requiring a college degree for every one hundred students who earn one. And there will be an oversupply of about 300,000 college graduates who will find it necessary to enter occupations that do not demand a four-year college degree.
Most college students aspire to the professional ranks, yet professional work is only 20% of all employment in the US. And less than 5% aspire to technical careers, which is the fast-growing segment of high-skills employment in the economy.
Parents Can Help Support Guidance Counselors (If They Learn How)
Public school guidance counselors have an average 450-550-student caseload. For college counseling, there is an average 654 students for every advisor. According to the National Association of College Admissions Counselors, the result is that the average public school counselor can devote one hour per year per student to college counseling.
Over eight percent (83%)of parents said planning or their child’s future college or work is the most important of 19 topics about which they would most like information.
Nearly 80% (78%) of students believe that their parents are primarily responsible for helping plan for a career or job. Friends (1 in 3), not counselors (1 in 10), are the most common source of information about the institution they attend.
Yet, two-thirds of college graduates say they had to figure out their career choices on their own. Nearly half (46%) says that no one, outside of school, has advised them on career options or options to further their education.
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
College Consultant Proud to be a Helicopter Parent
Helicopter parents didn't just hatch or crawl out from under a rock. Our society has created them. We parents are the children of the 60s, and our kids have been (so they say) softened by our love.
Yet, this is the same society that has damaged the college enrollment process. Ruthless competition in schools becomes ruthless competition in the workplace.
There is less time for family values, as a result of overvaluing of prestige and earning power. Or the simple economics of single, working parents, or families where both parents need to work. The convenience of electronic communication has replaced person-to-person contact, increasing our kids' sense of insolation and detachment.
Some estimates say that 40% of our high school students are "unfocused" and see no relationship between their schooling and their future place in the work world. If you trouble yourself with a global view, you have no choice but to think: “Dang, it's a scary world for these kids.”
It's no wonder that parent (uh, we) hover!
We/Helicopter parents “obsess” about the most prevalent and unnerving transition issues in college. Thankfully, serious mental health issues seem to affect the minority of college students. But they often can’t be discovered unless a parent is highly intuitive and willing to jump in or seek help, when the situation calls for intervention.
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