Okay, guys I'm looking forward to commenting on your preliminary lists. But a brief detour.
I think all of you probably wonder if you should go to the college 'down the road' a bit from your home.Of course there are advantages to going to college within, say, 300 miles of your home. Easier to get home for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and other holidays.But remember I think going to a college should be like moving to a new 'hometown.' You need to be part of a community.You need to adjust to a community, a new community where you might just know 2 or3 people if that many. Part of anyones education to adapting to new surroundings and new friends.You can also make yourself over. If, for example, you were the class cut up in high school you can make yourself over about any way you please if you are in a new community.
So sure, come home at Christmas. But if you come home every weekend or on all 'holidays' then you might lose a great opportunity to have new experiences.College is a learning experience beyond just hearing lectures.
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Friday, February 11, 2011
Picking a college. Three
Hey, you highschool juniors in E....Your questions have been great. I'm holding responses to your questions in the hope I may answer them in a post. Don't worry, I read each one and in a few days will respond.
Now a majority of students I have worked with,a pattern becomes clear. Like a first love most of you have a college you are mad to be accepted at. And if you don't get accepted at your first love, then with broken heart you go to one of your state public university. That's fine. But I suggest you broaden your horizon. As a said in my earlier post:There is a college looking for you. Look wider and you may find that college.
First, then, I suggest you go by groups to start your college search.
I'll suggest a pattern that I follow and then you can adjust it to your situation.
So here we go.
I know your parents, and probably you, wonder how you might get into an Ivy League school.
Harvard, Yale, Princeton,Dartmouth---sure, there are other Ivies, but in our part of the country these are the Ivy League.Columbia and Penn and Cornell are Ivies, but they are large school with many graduate students and most first year college seekers from our part of the country usually find these last three a bit forbeidding. And we must add what I call Ivy League WEST. Standford, Cal, Tech, Cal Berkeley.
Group two are eastern colleges that are highly selective, but maybe you are not familiar with. In the public mind these schools may not be well known but they are fine schools just a little below the Ivies in prestige.Let me suggest a few.Williams, Lafayette,Colgate,Lehigh, Bucknell, and Holy Cross (for you papist::). There are a lot of schools in this category---I call them Ivy League "Lite." These are eastern schools, but you can make your own lists if you're not big on the East.
Group three are schools that are selective, yes, but for one reason or another are somewhat easier to get in to. Again there are lots of schools in this category so I've picked a state---OHIO---and mention several in that state that may be looking for an Okie if---and it can be a big if---the applicant ranks at least in the top quarter of his/her highschool graduating class. You might look at:Denison, Oberlin,Hiram, Wittenberg,Ohio Wesleyan. Okay, you haven't heard of these, but to people who know colleges these are fine schools.
Group four are schools within our general area: Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas.They are generally comparable to the schools in Group Three. But a bit easier to get into. Four should be checked. Trinity University ( San Antonio), Austin College, Southwestern (Georgetown, Texas), and Hendrix College (Conway, Arkansas)
Now let's say you didn't set yourself on fire with the books in highschool. Are you destined to sell pencils on a street corner? Absolutely not. As life has it you may someday interviewing your best friend---a Dartmouth grad---for a home loan. But remember, you don't go to college just to get a better job. You go to college to get an INTRODUCTION to learning, and knowledge. You also will known, then, that learning and knowledge are mainly up to the individuals. So I recommend you guys in this group check out the schools in our home state. There are several that you can be accepted to. The school is the guide. But what you make of it is up to you.
Now a majority of students I have worked with,a pattern becomes clear. Like a first love most of you have a college you are mad to be accepted at. And if you don't get accepted at your first love, then with broken heart you go to one of your state public university. That's fine. But I suggest you broaden your horizon. As a said in my earlier post:There is a college looking for you. Look wider and you may find that college.
First, then, I suggest you go by groups to start your college search.
I'll suggest a pattern that I follow and then you can adjust it to your situation.
So here we go.
I know your parents, and probably you, wonder how you might get into an Ivy League school.
Harvard, Yale, Princeton,Dartmouth---sure, there are other Ivies, but in our part of the country these are the Ivy League.Columbia and Penn and Cornell are Ivies, but they are large school with many graduate students and most first year college seekers from our part of the country usually find these last three a bit forbeidding. And we must add what I call Ivy League WEST. Standford, Cal, Tech, Cal Berkeley.
Group two are eastern colleges that are highly selective, but maybe you are not familiar with. In the public mind these schools may not be well known but they are fine schools just a little below the Ivies in prestige.Let me suggest a few.Williams, Lafayette,Colgate,Lehigh, Bucknell, and Holy Cross (for you papist::). There are a lot of schools in this category---I call them Ivy League "Lite." These are eastern schools, but you can make your own lists if you're not big on the East.
Group three are schools that are selective, yes, but for one reason or another are somewhat easier to get in to. Again there are lots of schools in this category so I've picked a state---OHIO---and mention several in that state that may be looking for an Okie if---and it can be a big if---the applicant ranks at least in the top quarter of his/her highschool graduating class. You might look at:Denison, Oberlin,Hiram, Wittenberg,Ohio Wesleyan. Okay, you haven't heard of these, but to people who know colleges these are fine schools.
Group four are schools within our general area: Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas.They are generally comparable to the schools in Group Three. But a bit easier to get into. Four should be checked. Trinity University ( San Antonio), Austin College, Southwestern (Georgetown, Texas), and Hendrix College (Conway, Arkansas)
Now let's say you didn't set yourself on fire with the books in highschool. Are you destined to sell pencils on a street corner? Absolutely not. As life has it you may someday interviewing your best friend---a Dartmouth grad---for a home loan. But remember, you don't go to college just to get a better job. You go to college to get an INTRODUCTION to learning, and knowledge. You also will known, then, that learning and knowledge are mainly up to the individuals. So I recommend you guys in this group check out the schools in our home state. There are several that you can be accepted to. The school is the guide. But what you make of it is up to you.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Picking a college 2
Since my last posting, I have received several comments and a handful of e-mails. Just a reminder: I do not like to make recommendations about particular colleges. If I slip and DO make a particular recommendations, remember the person who asks my opinion must make the final decision.
Before I get into the procedure I believe can be helpful, let me deal with a question on the minds of students AND parents, ie, should a potential student consider how well the school is known by the general public. I had this question decades ago when I was applying for a fellowship to work on a doctor's degree. To make it brief, I narrowed the offers down to Duke and Emory. I took the Emory offer and when I told my sainted mother her reply was "why didn't you pick a school people had heard about?" ZAP!!!
I don't believe prospective employers really care WHAT college you graduated from. Sure, they want you to have a degree--it shows you can stick to something. But whether you graduated from, say, Kansas State or Bucknell,really makes little difference.
Not considering the Ivy League schools, most students and parents basically know a college by its football team. Thus, in my grandson's catholic middle school most of the kids want to go to Notre Dame. Most don't even know about Georgetown, unless by chance they are a close follower of basketball.
Three students I had in a class at a highly ranked high school illustrate my point. Jerry wanted to go to Georgetown. But his scores on the SAT were good but not that good. Out of kindness I ask my father-in-law, a graduate of Georgetwn and a close friend of the Chancellor at the school to see if the school would take a chance on letting Jerry come to the school. To my surprise, Georgetown accepted Jerry. Alas, Jerry 'candied' out and emrolled in our state university. Jim, a state champion swimmer, joined by his parents was crazed to go to Yale. Great academically and national champion in swimming. His parents asked me to tutor Jim on the vocabulary test on the SAT. He retook the test---the first time he took the test he did well but not up to Yale's standard. He did better the second time, but still not enough---so Jim, like, Jerry, went to one of our state universities.And then another Jim was set on Washington and Lee, but at the last minute wen to our hometown---very good University.
Before I get into the procedure I believe can be helpful, let me deal with a question on the minds of students AND parents, ie, should a potential student consider how well the school is known by the general public. I had this question decades ago when I was applying for a fellowship to work on a doctor's degree. To make it brief, I narrowed the offers down to Duke and Emory. I took the Emory offer and when I told my sainted mother her reply was "why didn't you pick a school people had heard about?" ZAP!!!
I don't believe prospective employers really care WHAT college you graduated from. Sure, they want you to have a degree--it shows you can stick to something. But whether you graduated from, say, Kansas State or Bucknell,really makes little difference.
Not considering the Ivy League schools, most students and parents basically know a college by its football team. Thus, in my grandson's catholic middle school most of the kids want to go to Notre Dame. Most don't even know about Georgetown, unless by chance they are a close follower of basketball.
Three students I had in a class at a highly ranked high school illustrate my point. Jerry wanted to go to Georgetown. But his scores on the SAT were good but not that good. Out of kindness I ask my father-in-law, a graduate of Georgetwn and a close friend of the Chancellor at the school to see if the school would take a chance on letting Jerry come to the school. To my surprise, Georgetown accepted Jerry. Alas, Jerry 'candied' out and emrolled in our state university. Jim, a state champion swimmer, joined by his parents was crazed to go to Yale. Great academically and national champion in swimming. His parents asked me to tutor Jim on the vocabulary test on the SAT. He retook the test---the first time he took the test he did well but not up to Yale's standard. He did better the second time, but still not enough---so Jim, like, Jerry, went to one of our state universities.And then another Jim was set on Washington and Lee, but at the last minute wen to our hometown---very good University.
Sunday, February 6, 2011
College 'picking.'
I'll have to leave the "scam man"(MadPriest) and his "enablers"(life is a conspiracy against YOU) to continue their "dance" while I devote several posts to a group of high school juniors who are trying to find their way to choosing a college to attend next year.
I had the opportunity to meet with these high scool juniors in a forum called "Where Shall I Go?". The forum was held in a high school in a city about 75 miles from my hometown. All of us had a great discussion, and I am continuing with my thoughts here on my blog. A few startibg points.
There is a college looking for you. The USA has over 2500 colleges and universities. And one or several schools would be delighted if you came to their campus as a student.
A college education is just a beginning of your education. When we oldsters look back, we see that most of our knowledge comes AFTER college. A college education is just a small part of the knowledge you will obtain in your lifetime.
The college you go to need not be loaded with 'nobel' prize professors. All the teachers you will have know more than you do. Take advantage of their intelectual achievements.
You should look upon the college experience like moving to a new town. All aspects---classroom time dorm life---yes, even the food you will eat---all of these and many others--- are things you need to check out. In most probability you will live at your campus for 4 years.
Don't be defensive. The colleges you look at need you just as much or more than as you need the colleges. You are the consumer; the college is the seller.
I'll be back here in a couple of days. I have some observations you might want to consider. If you have question, you might want to wait to see my predelictions. And then fire away.
Of course I can't choose for you. But my experiences in helping students find the "right" college may be of help.
I had the opportunity to meet with these high scool juniors in a forum called "Where Shall I Go?". The forum was held in a high school in a city about 75 miles from my hometown. All of us had a great discussion, and I am continuing with my thoughts here on my blog. A few startibg points.
There is a college looking for you. The USA has over 2500 colleges and universities. And one or several schools would be delighted if you came to their campus as a student.
A college education is just a beginning of your education. When we oldsters look back, we see that most of our knowledge comes AFTER college. A college education is just a small part of the knowledge you will obtain in your lifetime.
The college you go to need not be loaded with 'nobel' prize professors. All the teachers you will have know more than you do. Take advantage of their intelectual achievements.
You should look upon the college experience like moving to a new town. All aspects---classroom time dorm life---yes, even the food you will eat---all of these and many others--- are things you need to check out. In most probability you will live at your campus for 4 years.
Don't be defensive. The colleges you look at need you just as much or more than as you need the colleges. You are the consumer; the college is the seller.
I'll be back here in a couple of days. I have some observations you might want to consider. If you have question, you might want to wait to see my predelictions. And then fire away.
Of course I can't choose for you. But my experiences in helping students find the "right" college may be of help.
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