Sports Attributes To Consider
A key aspect of college life for many students is sports, so make sure to consider the
following:
Sports (School and Professional) – What kind of competitive sports does the
school compete in? Division I, Division II, or Division III? What is the athletic feel of
the campus? Can you attend professional games nearby?
Wanna Play Ball? – Varsity athletics are monitored carefully. If you’re an athlete, you’ll
have to meet certain testing and grade standards before you can be a college player.
Coaches use the NCAA Clearinghouse to determine an athlete’s initial eligibility, so
make sure to research this during your college application process. Remember that
while college athletics seem glamorous, and it is flattering to be recruited, playing
varsity college athletics takes a huge commitment from students. You had better
LOVE your sport before you make the decision to participate in college. Of the
many advantages to playing sports in college, an important one is that the coach
and athletic department can provide academic support when you need it. First-year
athletes are often required to appear for a certain number of hours per week at a
“study table;” this ensures the athletes are spending enough time on academics since
the team takes so much of their time.
Rec Facilities – Check out the recreation centers on campus. Do they have workout
facilities, basketball courts, tennis court, etc? Do they offer exercise or yoga classes?
You might as well take advantage of these, as the fees are part of your bill!
Club Sports – Club sports are extremely popular with students. These teams
don’t get the media and fan attention the varsity sports do, but they are often
quite competitive and intense. They get less funding than varsity sports, yet many
students feel they are actually more fun than the college teams.
Intramurals – Most colleges offer intramurals of all types, including flag-football,
soccer, ping-pong, and every other sport or event you can imagine. Intramurals are
often very relaxed and fun, as they just require coming out and having a good time.
----------------------------------------
-Read Getting To The Quad for FREE - Online
-Get a copy for $0.99
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Tips For Choosing A School - Part II
Academic Attributes To Consider
Rather than look at commercial rankings that may not measure what you want,
think about what will make you successful in the classroom, such as these various
elements:
Teaching – Find out things about the faculty. Are they there because they want
to teach or because they want to write and do research? Will you have graduate
assistants or full-time professors? If you need to discuss something with them, will
your faculty be accessible to you?
Class Size & Teacher To Student Interaction – What are your options for courses?
Will you only take huge lecture classes or, if you prefer, will you have the opportunity
for smaller courses? If it’s important to you that your teachers know you and notice
how you’re doing in the class, try observing a class in session and try to evaluate the
faculty/student interaction.
Retention – What is the freshman retention rate? What is the transfer rate, i.e. are
students happy to attend this school? What percent return for the second year?
What was the college GPA for last year’s freshman class? How many students
graduate within 4 years or 5 years? Learn about the career placement office and ask
for facts and figures about what students do after they leave the college.
Grading – Ask current students about what kinds of attributes for grading are
typically used in the classroom. Are there mostly objective tests or are there ample
chances for group collaboration and projects. Will you get experience doing class
presentations and is class discussion both encouraged and active? How often will
you get feedback on your course progress? How much writing will you be required
to do?
Academic Requirements – Known as core requirements, gen-eds (general
education), distribution requirements, etc. These are the classes or categories of
classes that you will have to take in order to graduate, regardless of your major. Learn
about the core course requirements and learn how current students feel about them.
Are the selections interesting and worthwhile or are they a drudgery? Check out the
math and foreign language requirements, especially as these tend to vary greatly.
Teacher To Student Ratio – This number can be misleading and easily manipulated
but you should consider the accessibility and availability of faculty members. Ask
your tour guide, friends you know at the school, or even complete strangers the size
of his/her largest and smallest classes during the first year and later years. Then think
about what environment is best for you.
Academic Services – Find out about academic services. What if you need extra
help? Are tutors/help centers available to everyone? If you’re undecided about a
major, what assistance does the college provide? If you have personal or health
problems, are there accessible services for students?
Major/Minor Offerings – If you change your mind about majoring in chemical
engineering, will there be other options available to you? Are there numerous areas
of academic study? For what is the school well known?
Class Offerings – Read the course listings, often available online. Would you have
enough options in course selection?
----------------------------------------
-Read Getting To The Quad for FREE - Online
-Get a copy for $0.99
Rather than look at commercial rankings that may not measure what you want,
think about what will make you successful in the classroom, such as these various
elements:
Teaching – Find out things about the faculty. Are they there because they want
to teach or because they want to write and do research? Will you have graduate
assistants or full-time professors? If you need to discuss something with them, will
your faculty be accessible to you?
Class Size & Teacher To Student Interaction – What are your options for courses?
Will you only take huge lecture classes or, if you prefer, will you have the opportunity
for smaller courses? If it’s important to you that your teachers know you and notice
how you’re doing in the class, try observing a class in session and try to evaluate the
faculty/student interaction.
Retention – What is the freshman retention rate? What is the transfer rate, i.e. are
students happy to attend this school? What percent return for the second year?
What was the college GPA for last year’s freshman class? How many students
graduate within 4 years or 5 years? Learn about the career placement office and ask
for facts and figures about what students do after they leave the college.
Grading – Ask current students about what kinds of attributes for grading are
typically used in the classroom. Are there mostly objective tests or are there ample
chances for group collaboration and projects. Will you get experience doing class
presentations and is class discussion both encouraged and active? How often will
you get feedback on your course progress? How much writing will you be required
to do?
Academic Requirements – Known as core requirements, gen-eds (general
education), distribution requirements, etc. These are the classes or categories of
classes that you will have to take in order to graduate, regardless of your major. Learn
about the core course requirements and learn how current students feel about them.
Are the selections interesting and worthwhile or are they a drudgery? Check out the
math and foreign language requirements, especially as these tend to vary greatly.
Teacher To Student Ratio – This number can be misleading and easily manipulated
but you should consider the accessibility and availability of faculty members. Ask
your tour guide, friends you know at the school, or even complete strangers the size
of his/her largest and smallest classes during the first year and later years. Then think
about what environment is best for you.
Academic Services – Find out about academic services. What if you need extra
help? Are tutors/help centers available to everyone? If you’re undecided about a
major, what assistance does the college provide? If you have personal or health
problems, are there accessible services for students?
Major/Minor Offerings – If you change your mind about majoring in chemical
engineering, will there be other options available to you? Are there numerous areas
of academic study? For what is the school well known?
Class Offerings – Read the course listings, often available online. Would you have
enough options in course selection?
----------------------------------------
-Read Getting To The Quad for FREE - Online
-Get a copy for $0.99
Sunday, March 1, 2009
College Prep Courses and The Economy
Perhaps nothing, except the anxiety before the birth of a first baby, can match the concern parents feel about prepping for college. There is the same desire to control the process and fear that making a mistake can ruin a child’s future.
via the NYT
----------------------------------------
-Read Getting To The Quad for FREE - Online
-Get a copy for $0.99
Tips For Choosing A School - Part V
Financial Aid Attributes To Consider
Colleges are generally very generous about awarding financial aid to talented and/
or needy students. As you’re comparing colleges, here are some tips about making
good financial decisions:
Debt – Since much of your financial aid might be in the form of loans, ask yourself
if you are comfortable taking on debt. The loans are often repayable over 10 years,
and are not repayable until you’ve left school, but they are a long-term commitment,
nevertheless. Consider taking out loans as a form of financial management. If you
have investments sufficient to cover your college costs, and those investments are
earning interest, it might make good financial sense to take low-interest loans and
preserve the investment for a longer period of time.
Financial Aid % – Ask your prospective college if they will meet 100% of your
financial need, as determined by the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student
Aid). If not 100%, then what percentage can you expect?
Payment Plans – Does the college have special payment plans? Monthly payments
and pre-payment are plans that can make the bills easier to manage.
Scholarships – Apply for every independently-sponsored scholarship you can.
Make time for them. They are “gravy” in the full spectrum of college financial aid, but
organizations and corporations actively seek qualified applicants for their generous
awards.
Alternatives – If the net costs turn out to be too expensive, look at other alternatives
to the four-year residential college experience: live at home for a year or so, attend a
two-year college first, look into military benefits for college, attend college part-time
and work full-time to save money, take a year off to work and earn tuition money, or
enroll in a college that offers co-op (a program whereby students alternate work,
gaining experience and earning money, with on-campus classes).
----------------------------------------
-Read Getting To The Quad for FREE - Online
-Get a copy for $0.99
Colleges are generally very generous about awarding financial aid to talented and/
or needy students. As you’re comparing colleges, here are some tips about making
good financial decisions:
Debt – Since much of your financial aid might be in the form of loans, ask yourself
if you are comfortable taking on debt. The loans are often repayable over 10 years,
and are not repayable until you’ve left school, but they are a long-term commitment,
nevertheless. Consider taking out loans as a form of financial management. If you
have investments sufficient to cover your college costs, and those investments are
earning interest, it might make good financial sense to take low-interest loans and
preserve the investment for a longer period of time.
Financial Aid % – Ask your prospective college if they will meet 100% of your
financial need, as determined by the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student
Aid). If not 100%, then what percentage can you expect?
Payment Plans – Does the college have special payment plans? Monthly payments
and pre-payment are plans that can make the bills easier to manage.
Scholarships – Apply for every independently-sponsored scholarship you can.
Make time for them. They are “gravy” in the full spectrum of college financial aid, but
organizations and corporations actively seek qualified applicants for their generous
awards.
Alternatives – If the net costs turn out to be too expensive, look at other alternatives
to the four-year residential college experience: live at home for a year or so, attend a
two-year college first, look into military benefits for college, attend college part-time
and work full-time to save money, take a year off to work and earn tuition money, or
enroll in a college that offers co-op (a program whereby students alternate work,
gaining experience and earning money, with on-campus classes).
----------------------------------------
-Read Getting To The Quad for FREE - Online
-Get a copy for $0.99
Tips For Choosing A School - Part III
Lifestyle Attributes To Consider
Colleges can be found in the middle of nowhere or in the middle of a huge city.
They can be in suburbia or in rural counties. This is a time for you to think about
what resources you actually need and would use during your college days. Think
about the activities you have enjoyed in high school and decide whether you’ll want
to continue some or all of those; this might help you focus on the lifestyle you’re
looking for. Consider the following aspects:
Cultural Offerings – What do students do off-campus? What kinds of concert
venues, museums, theater, restaurants, etc. are nearby? Colleges are usually very
good at providing plenty of social and enrichment activities for students, so look at
a student newspaper and look for upcoming events. Stop by the student activities
center and read posters on bulletin boards. Ask current students what activities they
do on and off campus.
Student Body – Consider geographic, ethnic, racial, religious and academic diversity.
Do many or most of the students go home on weekends? If so, you’ll find the campus
to have a different feel at various times. Are most of the students from your region of
the country? If not, decide if you’re comfortable being the sole Hawaiian adjusting
to your first Boston winter.
Student Support – If you get into trouble while you’re in school (physical, emotional,
academic, legal), what kind of support system is available to help you out?
Housing – On-campus, off-campus, antiquated, brand-new. What will your housing
options be during your freshman year and beyond? If you seek a residential
community, evaluate the quality of the residence halls, but don’t dwell on them too
much. They probably won’t be as nice as your home bedroom, but you can decorate
and personalize your room, and you’ll be surprised at how quickly you can feel good
about where you’re living.
• Past Freshman Year – When all ages of students live on campus, a good sense
of community occurs. Find out if you could continue to live on campus in later
years if you wished to do so. Also, many colleges offer wonderful older student
apartment-style housing, which might be something to look forward to.
• How Are Roommates Paired Up? – It is seldom a good idea to room with a
high school friend. While it would be comfortable to have someone to hang
out with the first few days, college is a time for you to make and enjoy new
relationships, and that can be difficult if your high school friend is also your
roommate. Besides, best roommates are seldom best friends. If the college
invites you to complete a survey about yourself for the purposes of assigning
a roommate, you’ll want to be honest with yourself and about yourself, or you
could end up with a roommate who is totally incompatible with your lifestyle.
Organizations – Can you get involved in many types of activities? What
extracurricular activities do students do? If fraternities and sororities exist on
campus, are they a big part of campus life? Do you want adventures? What activities,
organizations, and opportunities will be available to you? Will there be sufficient
chances for you to try new things? Will you be able to practice your leadership skills
in extracurricular activities?
Safety – Your safety on campus is always important. Get the real story from current
students. Published campus crime statistics can be helpful, but it’s best to learn how
safe students, themselves, feel on a daily basis.
----------------------------------------
-Read Getting To The Quad for FREE - Online
-Get a copy for $0.99
Colleges can be found in the middle of nowhere or in the middle of a huge city.
They can be in suburbia or in rural counties. This is a time for you to think about
what resources you actually need and would use during your college days. Think
about the activities you have enjoyed in high school and decide whether you’ll want
to continue some or all of those; this might help you focus on the lifestyle you’re
looking for. Consider the following aspects:
Cultural Offerings – What do students do off-campus? What kinds of concert
venues, museums, theater, restaurants, etc. are nearby? Colleges are usually very
good at providing plenty of social and enrichment activities for students, so look at
a student newspaper and look for upcoming events. Stop by the student activities
center and read posters on bulletin boards. Ask current students what activities they
do on and off campus.
Student Body – Consider geographic, ethnic, racial, religious and academic diversity.
Do many or most of the students go home on weekends? If so, you’ll find the campus
to have a different feel at various times. Are most of the students from your region of
the country? If not, decide if you’re comfortable being the sole Hawaiian adjusting
to your first Boston winter.
Student Support – If you get into trouble while you’re in school (physical, emotional,
academic, legal), what kind of support system is available to help you out?
Housing – On-campus, off-campus, antiquated, brand-new. What will your housing
options be during your freshman year and beyond? If you seek a residential
community, evaluate the quality of the residence halls, but don’t dwell on them too
much. They probably won’t be as nice as your home bedroom, but you can decorate
and personalize your room, and you’ll be surprised at how quickly you can feel good
about where you’re living.
• Past Freshman Year – When all ages of students live on campus, a good sense
of community occurs. Find out if you could continue to live on campus in later
years if you wished to do so. Also, many colleges offer wonderful older student
apartment-style housing, which might be something to look forward to.
• How Are Roommates Paired Up? – It is seldom a good idea to room with a
high school friend. While it would be comfortable to have someone to hang
out with the first few days, college is a time for you to make and enjoy new
relationships, and that can be difficult if your high school friend is also your
roommate. Besides, best roommates are seldom best friends. If the college
invites you to complete a survey about yourself for the purposes of assigning
a roommate, you’ll want to be honest with yourself and about yourself, or you
could end up with a roommate who is totally incompatible with your lifestyle.
Organizations – Can you get involved in many types of activities? What
extracurricular activities do students do? If fraternities and sororities exist on
campus, are they a big part of campus life? Do you want adventures? What activities,
organizations, and opportunities will be available to you? Will there be sufficient
chances for you to try new things? Will you be able to practice your leadership skills
in extracurricular activities?
Safety – Your safety on campus is always important. Get the real story from current
students. Published campus crime statistics can be helpful, but it’s best to learn how
safe students, themselves, feel on a daily basis.
----------------------------------------
-Read Getting To The Quad for FREE - Online
-Get a copy for $0.99
Tips For Choosing A School - Part I
The Big Picture
The first step in choosing a school is perhaps the hardest step — getting to know
yourself. Before you can decide if a school is the right place for you, you must first
learn what you need and want out of the college experience. This takes a great
deal of thought and the answer evolves over time. While you’re focusing on selfevaluation,
think about the attributes offered by schools such as:
Price – Consider the price of tuition, room, board, books and living expenses. Think
about financial assistance.
Public v. Private – Consider the differences in the academic experiences.
Reputation – Will your diploma be worth what you “pay” for it?
Size – Do you want a gigantic student body and campus or a smaller, intimate
setting ?
----------------------------------------
-Read Getting To The Quad for FREE - Online
-Get a copy for $0.99
The first step in choosing a school is perhaps the hardest step — getting to know
yourself. Before you can decide if a school is the right place for you, you must first
learn what you need and want out of the college experience. This takes a great
deal of thought and the answer evolves over time. While you’re focusing on selfevaluation,
think about the attributes offered by schools such as:
Price – Consider the price of tuition, room, board, books and living expenses. Think
about financial assistance.
Public v. Private – Consider the differences in the academic experiences.
Reputation – Will your diploma be worth what you “pay” for it?
Size – Do you want a gigantic student body and campus or a smaller, intimate
setting ?
----------------------------------------
-Read Getting To The Quad for FREE - Online
-Get a copy for $0.99
Thursday, February 19, 2009
College Visits - Part V
Post-Visit
- Journal – Jot down some notes after each college visit. Write down your impression
of the school, what you liked/disliked, things that stand out in your mind. After you
visit several schools you’ll have trouble keeping all those details straight and the
more you can remember about each visit, the better, when it comes time to make
a final decision about which school to attend.
- Thank You Notes – Take the time to write a personal note to anyone you meet on
your visit: admission counselors, professors, students, etc.
----------------------------------------
-Read Getting To The Quad for FREE - Online
-Get a copy for $0.99
- Journal – Jot down some notes after each college visit. Write down your impression
of the school, what you liked/disliked, things that stand out in your mind. After you
visit several schools you’ll have trouble keeping all those details straight and the
more you can remember about each visit, the better, when it comes time to make
a final decision about which school to attend.
- Thank You Notes – Take the time to write a personal note to anyone you meet on
your visit: admission counselors, professors, students, etc.
----------------------------------------
-Read Getting To The Quad for FREE - Online
-Get a copy for $0.99
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)