Hobart and William Smith Colleges - Finger Lakes #2

As a GPS student you should be very familiar with the benefits of an all girls' school but most of you would never consider a women's college, right? Hobart and William Smith Colleges (it's plural because they are two separate schools) offer a unique coordinate program that ensures neither guys nor girls ever feel they are at a single sex school. The admission office, deans and student governments operate independently but students eat and take classes together and even share residence halls. Situated on the shore of Lake Seneca, environmental research takes place daily aboard the Colleges' 65' steel-hulled research vessel, The William Scandling. The campus of 2,000 is very socially conscious, logging over 100,000 hours of community service annually. Service learning is also structured into most study abroad excursions, of which 60% of student partake. An added bonus: HWS is test optional!

Fun College Courses

I'm not sure these fun college courses are what your parents think you should be studying, but check out some of the options that are available at some college and universities across the United States.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/galleries/2011/10/06/hot-college-courses-mad-men-south-park-and-more-unique-classes.html

Four Colleges in Finger Lakes region of New York

I was recently invited to a counselor fly-in to tour 4 distinct schools in the picturesque NY region known as the Finger Lakes, home of 11 magnificent lakes. Follow my posts for the next 4 days as I highlight each of the schools visited!

University of Rochester is a tier one research institution of 5,000 students, the majority of which will conduct and possibly publish research results as undergrads. They are one of the very few schools in the country with an Optics Department, think hybrid between physics and engineering, and Optics is a high demand field, especially for women. Rochester offers a unique "tution free" fifth year during which students can take classes outside their major for enrichment and exploration. (Room and board bills still apply!) Students are focused learners who spend a lot of time studying but also singing, since Rochester is also home to the famed Eastman School of Music. The reading room of the library was packed on an October Monday afternoon around 5:30 pm -- a quiet respite from the activities on a the quad just outside.

Thinking Outside the Box

Looking for scholarships? Perhaps you need to think outside the box when you're considering where to apply.  In the last few weeks, we have received information about academic scholarships at a variety of colleges, but they're not always the one's GPS girls think about first.  So if you're interested, you might want to take a look at Villanova, Ohio Wesleyan, Montana State or the University of Montana, Presbyterian, or the University of Kansas.  Not interested?  The point is that you need to look at a variety of schools, not just the same ones everyone else is considering. Sometimes that's where you'll find the money.

My visit to Oglethorpe University

It's been quite a few years since I last visited Oglethorpe University in Atlanta, and I had forgotten what an attractive campus it is.  Located in Buckhead, not too far from Lennox Mall, this small liberal arts schools of around 1,000 students is a wonderful option for some GPS students.

Interested in developing not only good students but active citizens, Oglethrope offers an interesting Core Curriculum that is interdisciplinary in nature.  Not being a math person myself, I found it fascinating that you could take a course in math as a language to satisfy that requirement, something I think would have helped me view mathematics in a different light. And that's just one example of the courses offered in the Core. Though the sciences are strong at Oglethorpe (among other things), it is also the home of Georgia Shakespeare, a professional theater company.

If you're looking for a college that offers a close community with caring professors, this is a good school to consider. Plus you have all of Alanta at your fingertips.

The Benefits of Failure

In order to be successful, does it help to have some failures under your belt? Read on to find out.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/18/magazine/what-if-the-secret-to-success-is-failure.html?ref=education

The Commericialization of the College Campus

It seems you can't get away from commericals anywhere anymore!  Just how are companies commercializing the college campus? Read and see for yourself.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/11/business/at-colleges-the-marketers-are-everywhere.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&ref=education