Collegebound Consulting

U-Illinois considers move to Common Application

Currently U-Illinois accepts applications only through a proprietary application system.  It is likely, however, that U-Illinois will soon follow the path taken by other public universities (i.e. U-Michigan, U-Connecticut, U-North Carolina, and U-Virginia) and join the Common Application system.  (see below)

http://www.news-gazette.com/news/education/2012-01-17/some-counselors-object-possible-change-ui-application.html

It is not at all clear that U-Illinois will make this change in time for your college applications next fall;  if Illinois does go to the Common Application, it will mean less work for the applicants. 

What is more interesting to me, and meaningful for applicants, is the shift in recruitment strategy that is behind the proposed change.  This indicates to me a concerted effort to bring in more out-of-state applicants, who pay more than double the tuition than Illinois residents pay.  According to this article, "This year, 22.5 percent of the entering freshman class came from out of state, up slightly from 20.6 percent a year ago, according to UI records."  When College Bound Consulting began in 2007, about 10% of the entering class at U-Illinois came from out-of-state.   U-Illinois must continue to balance its student body with representation from all counties in the state. So, as Illinois accepts more students from elsewhere, that can only mean that the admissions selectivity will increase for the Chicagoland applicant spots.

Bottom line:  No matter the application system in use this year or next, the state's budget woes have made it tougher to get into U-Illinois.

What does your Facebook page say about you?

Here is a word of warning for the high school Class of 2012:

As you continue to work on and submit college applications, be aware that according to USA Today, "The number of college admissions officials using Facebook to learn more about an applicant quadrupled in the past year..." Admissions officials are looking at Facebook for both positive and negative evaluative purposes. Specifically they cited interest in evidence of essay plagiarism, vulgarities, underage drinking, digital personality, and digital literacy skills.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/story/2011-09-21/facebook-google-college-applicants/50497248/1

What does your Facebook page say about you?

Job Opening for Hinsdale teenager

Work experience during high school is a wonderful way to explore a possible career path, while demonstrating responsibility and earning some cash!

Dr. Carrie Thangamani, who recently took over the Hinsdale orthodontics practice of Dr. Elise Harnois, has posted a job opening in her office. She seeks a teenager (16 or older) to help with sterilization in the office. During the school year, the job is 3 days per week (generally Mon, Tues, Thurs). The job applicant would be expected to fill additional hours during the summer vacation. If you are interested, please contact Dr. Thangamani's office at 630-323-1201.

Preparing for Success in Tomorrow's Workforce

All College Bound students hear about the importance of reading,
particularly during the summer. Today's NYTimes Op-Ed page provides an
interesting reading opportunity, a column about the new mind-set that will
be essential to succeeding in tomorrow's workplace. As Thomas Friedman
points out, "this is not your parents' job market". Today's college graduates
need to ditch the grand life plan and be prepared to adapt.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/13/opinion/13friedman.html?scp=3&sq=friedman&st=cse

Those of you who are intrigued by this idea can look next year for the book
called "The Start-Up of You" by Reid Garrett Hoffman, the founder of
LinkedIn.

Are the Liberal Arts still relevant?

This Boston Globe article shows that while many universities are eliminating humanities programs, due in large part to economic pressure, others are redoubling their focus on the liberal arts. I can understand why parents today want their kids to study "practical" disciplines. A Fats Domino quote sums up the lot of too many college graduates today: "A lot of fellows nowadays have a B.A., M.D., or Ph.D. Unfortunately, they don't have a J.O.B." Yes, some degrees are more directly in demand by employers today.

That said, I agree with those who champion the liberal arts as necessary, even practical, disciplines.  The article points out that without the humanities, "students won’t develop the kind of critical thinking, imagination, and empathy necessary to solve the most pressing problems facing future generations." The most "employable" degrees --business and engineering, for example--do not necessarily preclude familiarity with the humanities. I am impressed with schools (like Brandeis) that integrate the liberal arts into all of their undergraduate offerings.

-Molly

 

 

On-line Learning - Coming to a Campus Near You

As public universities grapple with the cost of educating students, online education is becoming a more common option. This NYTimes article identifies concerns with on-line learning at the University of Florida, University of Iowa, and University of North Carolina.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/05/us/05college.html?_r=1&ref=todayspaper

What does this mean for you?  When you visit large public universities, ask the Admissions office about the percentage of classes which are offered on-line. And think about what this means for your educational experience.

 

Recent College Visits

The last three weeks have been a whirlwind of college visit activity for me.  My fall 2010 college tour included visits to: Loyola University - Chicago, Valparaiso, St. Mary's College, Notre Dame, U-Dayton, Wittenberg, U-Cincinnati, Xavier, U-Kentucky, Transylvania, and Centre College. 

For those of you who like the quick response college application questions, here are my very brief reactions to the schools.  Please let me know if you are interested in the extended response.  I'd love to share more information about these schools.

Loyola:  Lake Shore campus under major construction until 2012; 80% of students live on or around Lake Shore campus; other campus on Michigan Ave near Water Tower; life in the city

Valparaiso: strong music, meteorology and engineering programs; massive new student union, very generous alumni; great opportunities to get involved; faithful student body

St. Marys:  one great big sorority; empowering women; relaxed atmosphere; 80% Catholic; stringent writing requirements and one year of foreign language during college required for graduation

Notre Dame:  beautiful campus and facilities; stronger sense of tradition than any college anywhere; now offering merit scholarships, only open to those who apply EA

Wittenberg:  looks like a small Northeastern college; nice balance between academics and athletics; students continue to be involved

Dayton:  why isn't this school better known?  very nice progression of housing over four years; perfectly sized at 7100 undergrads; wide array of majors; strong campus community

U-Cincinnati:  huge upside surprise;  recently finished $2billion in renovation; completely unique vertical campus (buildings built three stories down);  leader in co-op education

Xavier: growing urban, Jesuit Catholic school;  notable socio-economic diversity; brand new Business School and Learning Center; extensive core curriculum; super men's and women's basketball

U-Kentucky:  great size for public university;  six hour drive from Chicago; fantastic value for out-of-state students; SEE BLUE

Transylvania: surprising in every way; best school that you've never heard of; new president is former Goldman-Sachs banker; Thomas Jefferson signed original school charter

Centre College:  small, rural school;  spectacular performance center offers students incredible cultural activities; fantastic science programs; very studious, friendly students; dorms get an A+

Financial Aid Planning

As important as it is to meet college application deadlines, it is just as important to meet the requirements and deadlines for financial aid.  This article entitled, "Looking Ahead: Student Debt and the College Admission Process" offers an excellent overview on financial aid today for families at all stages in the college admission process.  If you are thinking about college, then it is not to soon to be thinking about financial aid.

http://www.nacacnet.org/PublicationsResources/steps/Articles/Pages/StudentDebt.aspx

High school seniors, do NOT wait for an acceptance letter before you begin the financial aid process.

There are two financial aid applications: FAFSA and the CSS/Financial Aid Profile.  FAFSA is the Free Application for Federal Student Aid.  For all schools, you will need to complete the FAFSA online as soon after January 1 as possible.  Several hundred colleges and universities require that students submit the CSS/Profile in addition to the FAFSA in order to be considered for financial aid.  The CSS/Profile is primarily used by private schools, but there are exceptions.  For example, the University of Michigan requires both the FAFSA and CSS/Profile.

Go to collegeboard.com for more information about the 2011-12 CSS/Profile, which is now available.

College Admissions Trends

Yesterday NACAC (National Association of College Admissions Counseling) released its 2010 State of College Admissions report.  This report is based on data for those students who applied to college for Fall 2009 admission.

Highlights from the report:

* The number of high school graduates peaked in 2008-09, is expected to decline through 2014-15, and rebound to the peak number of 3.4 million by 2018-19.

* At colleges that offer a binding Early Decision (ED) application option, the rate of acceptance for ED applicants is 15 percentage points higher than the rate of acceptance for students who apply under the regular decision option.  This gap in the acceptance rates is twice what it was just four years ago.

Early Decision is not offered by all colleges and universities, and is not a viable option if you are seeking financial assistance.   If a college that you have visited and loved offers ED, however, you would be wise to consider this option.

Old School Writing Workshop: Helping students master the fundamentals of good writing

We (Anita and Molly) launched the Old School Writing Workshop (OSWW) in the Fall of 2009 in response to the need, described by parents we know, for better writing instruction for our children. Most seem to agree that while we are blessed to live in communities that offer our children an excellent education, our grade school kids lack competence in the core writing skills crucial to their success in high school, college, and the "real" world. The need for better instruction is compounded by the effects of communication technology: our children live in a world where the ever-more-casual written and spoken word dominates their lives. Still, parents know that strong communication skills --those that include proper grammar, strong vocabulary, well-supported opinions, and audience awareness-- can set students (and adults, for that matter) apart. With all of that in mind, last summer we set out to offer the community a writing course focused on the "old school" skills that parents once took for granted as part of any complete education. The result of our efforts is the Old School Writing Workshop. Twelve middle-school students have completed the OSWW Fundamentals course. Starting in Fall 2010, Kate Dulla will co-lead all OSWW programs, including the Fundamentals session, with Molly.

What can you expect your middle-school child to gain from participating in the OSWW Fundamentals course? One message we try to convey clearly to parents and students is this: strong writing skills do not develop overnight. The process is more organic and messy than it is linear; it involves periods of struggle and success, and skills must be refined continually. For students to improve, they have to put forth consistent, focused effort over years. The OSWW is a jump start for writers committed to improving. Commitment means work: those kids who put in the effort to carefully do their homework (about 30-45 minutes per week) gain the most. After the workshop ends, students are better prepared to tackle their writing assignments with confidence; parents, should they choose to be involved (something we strongly suggest), should have a solid understanding of how they can help their student progress. What we promise is that kids leave the class with a better understanding of parts-of-speech, proper grammar and punctuation, sentence structure, and good paragraph construction; each student also will be familiar with effective self-editing/revision skills. It is then up to them, with the support of their parents, to exercise those writing muscles with discipline. To help kids and parents with that, we will be offering more programs, like Spot Tutoring , to meet the writing needs of kids entering or already in high-school.