One of the things I love most about GPS is the community the girls have built and the fact that they remain a community long after they graduate from high school. Many of my daughter's best friends are still the ones she made as a seventh grader here, and when one of them recently suffered a terrible tragedy, those now grown women came running. Truth be told, I'm a little jealous of the bond they share.
Perhaps that's one reason why this article "Love your college without letting go of your high school" made me think of them and all the other GPS alums. Most of our students love to come back to campus; they love to stay in touch with teachers. Alums are eager to host current seniors when the girls are visiting college campuses, and they love touting their new college home to the girls. Many of them who stay close to home come back to assist with the musical, work for the summer camp office, or even teach, and these days they send us, their teachers and counselors, friend requests on facebook. And while all of them do not stay quite so connected to their alma mater in the same way, so many of them consider this campus their home.
Don't get me wrong, our alums love their college years, but they don't ever really let go of GPS. It's a common joke around here that when someone asks an older person where they went to school, they don't answer with the name of the college they attended. Instead they say "GPS, McCallie, etc." The ties are that strong.
Of course I hope they love their college (and not just the football team) just as much. I hope they find mentors and life-long friends. I hope they have amazing experiences that take them around the world. And while I very much want them to move forward and even away from Chattanooga, I hope they never totally let go of their high school.
Oh, and happy May Day, GPS!
Wednesday, April 30, 2014
Tuesday, April 29, 2014
An Exciting Time of Year
Tomorrow is May 1, otherwise known as the common reply date in the college world. Tomorrow is the day students have to make a decision about where they will attend college next fall. It can be nerve-wracking, but it is also one of the most exciting times of the school year.
I love it when a student stops by to tell me she's made the decision! Often beaming from ear to ear and proudly wearing her college sweatshirt, the college choice may, in fact, be the biggest decision she has made so far in her young life, and it feels awesome. After all the college tours, applications, essays, and sometimes interviews, she has run the gauntlet and successfully come out on the other side.
One of my seniors stopped by only an hour ago to tell me she's headed to Scotland! Yes, the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. It's a huge leap of faith on both her and her parents part, but you should have seen her face. Pure joy. Later today another of my students will celebrate an offer to play tennis at Birmingham-Southern College (it's a Division III school, so there are no formal papers to sign). She too is wearing a huge grin, but so is the senior who will take her considerable artistic talents to Middle Tennessee State next year.
You see, it is never about the name on the sweatshirt. It is about watching these wonderful young women grow up and navigate this often very complicated and frustrating process. It is about watching them figure out who they are, where they want life to take them, who they might want to be in the future. That is the joy they give back to us.
As the columnist Ellen Goodman once wrote, the college process is a rite of passage and one that pulls students in so many different directions. Next year my girls will be attending schools such as UCLA, Furman, Wheaton (IL), Colorado-Boulder, Georgia, Evansville, Lake Forest, Rhodes, Texas Christian University, Kentucky, U. of San Francisco, Duke, Virginia Tech, Sewanee, and Yale. One will be in Scotland, and one has decided to take a gap year next year, and she will do good work in another part of the world. And that is only a sample of where the class of 2014 will go.
Yes, this is a very exciting time of year. Decisions are being made, and congratulations are deserved all around. With only hours to go before we close the book on this year's college list, I am so proud of each and every member of this year's graduating class. I wish everyone could see the smiles on their faces.
I love it when a student stops by to tell me she's made the decision! Often beaming from ear to ear and proudly wearing her college sweatshirt, the college choice may, in fact, be the biggest decision she has made so far in her young life, and it feels awesome. After all the college tours, applications, essays, and sometimes interviews, she has run the gauntlet and successfully come out on the other side.
One of my seniors stopped by only an hour ago to tell me she's headed to Scotland! Yes, the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. It's a huge leap of faith on both her and her parents part, but you should have seen her face. Pure joy. Later today another of my students will celebrate an offer to play tennis at Birmingham-Southern College (it's a Division III school, so there are no formal papers to sign). She too is wearing a huge grin, but so is the senior who will take her considerable artistic talents to Middle Tennessee State next year.
You see, it is never about the name on the sweatshirt. It is about watching these wonderful young women grow up and navigate this often very complicated and frustrating process. It is about watching them figure out who they are, where they want life to take them, who they might want to be in the future. That is the joy they give back to us.
As the columnist Ellen Goodman once wrote, the college process is a rite of passage and one that pulls students in so many different directions. Next year my girls will be attending schools such as UCLA, Furman, Wheaton (IL), Colorado-Boulder, Georgia, Evansville, Lake Forest, Rhodes, Texas Christian University, Kentucky, U. of San Francisco, Duke, Virginia Tech, Sewanee, and Yale. One will be in Scotland, and one has decided to take a gap year next year, and she will do good work in another part of the world. And that is only a sample of where the class of 2014 will go.
Yes, this is a very exciting time of year. Decisions are being made, and congratulations are deserved all around. With only hours to go before we close the book on this year's college list, I am so proud of each and every member of this year's graduating class. I wish everyone could see the smiles on their faces.
Wednesday, April 23, 2014
Doing the College Search Differently
Not too long ago, our seniors offered several suggestions about what they would do differently if they could start the ninth grade all over again. Several of their ideas - things like "start looking at colleges early" and "it's only as stressful as you make it" - applied more specifically to the college search process. This high school senior in Pennsylvania adds to that list, offering her own advice about what she would do differently if she were to start the application process again.
Of particular interest to me is number four: "Stay away from College Confidential." Like other college sites, CC can be a fun website to investigate, but you cannot take everything on it as the gospel. Many people who contribute to those sites are frustrated, stressed, even angry sometimes. They need a place to vent, a place to work out their own issues. Sometimes they're looking for validation or sympathy, and what often happens is that the site does nothing more than add to everyone's stress level.
In the book Leaving Home by Connie Jones, the author writes about how it seems as if some people who have had a bad experience at a college (or elsewhere), almost want everyone to have the same bad experience. That way their own experiences are legitimized, and they don't have to acknowledge that they may in fact be at least partly to blame. I see that all the time. A student goes to college but comes home almost every weekend, and then she complains that there is nothing to do on campus. How would she know? She's never there on a Friday or Saturday night. However when she shares her story with her friends or with us, it's always the college's fault for the lack of activities or community spirit.
Like buying a car or a house, when a student is searching for colleges, she needs to do thoughtful and thorough research. Reading College Confidential or similar websites is fine, but you have to remember that it is only one source. Of course a campus visit is a must, but there are other resources as well. Consult several different guidebooks, talk to as many current students or alums as you can (preferably younger alums because the school has most likely changed since your mother or your uncle went to school there). Spend the night if you can, wander around campus on your own, make up your own list of questions to ask an admission counselor. An information session will only give you the basics, and you may have criteria that no one else is considering. And talk to your college counselor! Chances are she has visited the campus, and she has a vast data bank of stories and statistics to share with you.
Once you have done all the research, then you can make a much more informed and reasoned decision, and you can create your own list of colleges that are just right for you.
Of particular interest to me is number four: "Stay away from College Confidential." Like other college sites, CC can be a fun website to investigate, but you cannot take everything on it as the gospel. Many people who contribute to those sites are frustrated, stressed, even angry sometimes. They need a place to vent, a place to work out their own issues. Sometimes they're looking for validation or sympathy, and what often happens is that the site does nothing more than add to everyone's stress level.
In the book Leaving Home by Connie Jones, the author writes about how it seems as if some people who have had a bad experience at a college (or elsewhere), almost want everyone to have the same bad experience. That way their own experiences are legitimized, and they don't have to acknowledge that they may in fact be at least partly to blame. I see that all the time. A student goes to college but comes home almost every weekend, and then she complains that there is nothing to do on campus. How would she know? She's never there on a Friday or Saturday night. However when she shares her story with her friends or with us, it's always the college's fault for the lack of activities or community spirit.
Like buying a car or a house, when a student is searching for colleges, she needs to do thoughtful and thorough research. Reading College Confidential or similar websites is fine, but you have to remember that it is only one source. Of course a campus visit is a must, but there are other resources as well. Consult several different guidebooks, talk to as many current students or alums as you can (preferably younger alums because the school has most likely changed since your mother or your uncle went to school there). Spend the night if you can, wander around campus on your own, make up your own list of questions to ask an admission counselor. An information session will only give you the basics, and you may have criteria that no one else is considering. And talk to your college counselor! Chances are she has visited the campus, and she has a vast data bank of stories and statistics to share with you.
Once you have done all the research, then you can make a much more informed and reasoned decision, and you can create your own list of colleges that are just right for you.
Thursday, April 17, 2014
Our friend Jeff's cool college blog
Our friend, Jeff Schiffman, Senior Associate Direction of Admission at Tulane University, has a very cool blog that we often read. I mention it because recently he and I had the opportunity to co- present a session on the topic of demonstrated interest at the Southern Association of College Admissions Counselors conference in South Carolina, and he has a great post on the subject.
Demonstrated interest (how much interest you show in a college) is sometimes used as a factor when deciding whether to admit a student or not. You can show your interest in a variety of ways: campus visits, a conversation with an admissions rep at a college fair, a timely and concise email, or the optional statement are just some of the ways to show a school you are genuinely interested.
Tulane is not the only college that considers demonstrated interest as part of the admissions evaluation. Whether you know a specific college uses it or not, make every effort to let colleges know you are serious about attending (but make sure you are). The bottom line is colleges want to know you have done your research and are sure that the school is a good fit for you (and that you're a good fit for the college). While all fun things, college is more than football games, sorority life, and great dorms, and to get to know a school, you should check out the classes you will take, the professors you might have, the advising system, the special programs/institutes. Try to understand the campus culture, the climate for students of color, religious beliefs, and different cultural backgrounds. Of course you'll want to investigate student life and the off campus environment as well. That way when you are speaking with the admissions representative, you can draw clear connections between the school and your interests, talents, and the contributions you will make once you're admitted.
Although Jeff's blog is Tulane oriented, he addresses topics that are useful no matter what college you are considering. You might want to add it to your reading list like we did.
Demonstrated interest (how much interest you show in a college) is sometimes used as a factor when deciding whether to admit a student or not. You can show your interest in a variety of ways: campus visits, a conversation with an admissions rep at a college fair, a timely and concise email, or the optional statement are just some of the ways to show a school you are genuinely interested.
Tulane is not the only college that considers demonstrated interest as part of the admissions evaluation. Whether you know a specific college uses it or not, make every effort to let colleges know you are serious about attending (but make sure you are). The bottom line is colleges want to know you have done your research and are sure that the school is a good fit for you (and that you're a good fit for the college). While all fun things, college is more than football games, sorority life, and great dorms, and to get to know a school, you should check out the classes you will take, the professors you might have, the advising system, the special programs/institutes. Try to understand the campus culture, the climate for students of color, religious beliefs, and different cultural backgrounds. Of course you'll want to investigate student life and the off campus environment as well. That way when you are speaking with the admissions representative, you can draw clear connections between the school and your interests, talents, and the contributions you will make once you're admitted.
Although Jeff's blog is Tulane oriented, he addresses topics that are useful no matter what college you are considering. You might want to add it to your reading list like we did.
Wednesday, April 16, 2014
Best and Worst Jobs for 2014
Based on four main categories - environment, income, outlook and stress - CareerCast has published their annual list of the best and worst jobs to have for 2014. It will come as no surprise that careers in the STEM fields rank very highly, but a few of the best may surprise you. As for the bottom ten, a few of those surprised me too, but for the most part, I understood the ranking.
While you're reading, there are a couple of good sidebar stories you might want to peruse as well.
While you're reading, there are a couple of good sidebar stories you might want to peruse as well.
Tuesday, April 15, 2014
College admissions get crazier every day!
It's time for some common sense to make an appearance in the college admissions world, and it would be nice if we (schools, students, and parents) would stop fixating on the same colleges and universities every year. We all know - and this article backs it up - that there are a very small number of schools with ridiculously low admit rates. So Stanford had a 5% admit rate; Harvard and Yale came in around 6%. Does that really make a difference in the quality of education?
Have you ever really thought about why it's so competitive? Consider the quote in the article from the Duke University dean of undergraduate admission: "One of the ways that colleges are measured is by the number of applicants and their admit rate, and some colleges do thing simply to increase their applicant pool and manipulate those numbers." What does that mean? Well, the more applications you receive, the more students you can turn down. When your admit rate is lower, people start to think you're better than everyone else, and then more students apply, thereby driving the admit rate down every further. That's often the way Americans think: if it's hard to get into, then it must be better than all the others. But you know that's necessarily the case!
Why are you going to college? For the bragging rights and/or a bumper sticker? I'm not discounting the excellent education you can receive at any of the ultra-competitive institutions, but hopefully your college search has more meaning than that. I have visited too many colleges around the country and have found that incredible things are going on at campuses from coast to coast, not just a select few. If one of the competitive colleges really is a good fit for you, then that's one thing, but I want to suggest that there are other equally excellent opportunities out there.
Over the last few years, we have discovered some amazing colleges: the University of Tulsa, Quinnipiac University, the University of Dayton are just a few of those. They may be known to others, but we were not as familiar with them, and once we visited, we loved what we saw. Consequently we now have girls attending those institutions (or in the case of Dayton, one on her way), and they are loving their experiences and already doing great things on campus. I have no doubt that because they were willing to expand their horizons, the future will be bright. (By the way, those girls received some great scholarship offers at those three schools.)
The admissions process doesn't have to be so crazy. If you're willing to consider a wide variety of options and perhaps think outside the box, the process could be easier than you think.
Have you ever really thought about why it's so competitive? Consider the quote in the article from the Duke University dean of undergraduate admission: "One of the ways that colleges are measured is by the number of applicants and their admit rate, and some colleges do thing simply to increase their applicant pool and manipulate those numbers." What does that mean? Well, the more applications you receive, the more students you can turn down. When your admit rate is lower, people start to think you're better than everyone else, and then more students apply, thereby driving the admit rate down every further. That's often the way Americans think: if it's hard to get into, then it must be better than all the others. But you know that's necessarily the case!
Why are you going to college? For the bragging rights and/or a bumper sticker? I'm not discounting the excellent education you can receive at any of the ultra-competitive institutions, but hopefully your college search has more meaning than that. I have visited too many colleges around the country and have found that incredible things are going on at campuses from coast to coast, not just a select few. If one of the competitive colleges really is a good fit for you, then that's one thing, but I want to suggest that there are other equally excellent opportunities out there.
Over the last few years, we have discovered some amazing colleges: the University of Tulsa, Quinnipiac University, the University of Dayton are just a few of those. They may be known to others, but we were not as familiar with them, and once we visited, we loved what we saw. Consequently we now have girls attending those institutions (or in the case of Dayton, one on her way), and they are loving their experiences and already doing great things on campus. I have no doubt that because they were willing to expand their horizons, the future will be bright. (By the way, those girls received some great scholarship offers at those three schools.)
The admissions process doesn't have to be so crazy. If you're willing to consider a wide variety of options and perhaps think outside the box, the process could be easier than you think.
Friday, April 11, 2014
Financial Aid Appeals
We are often asked if students can appeal a financial aid package, and the answer is yes, of course. But before you do, there are a few things you should know.
First, you will most likely need to provide some sort of documentation that validates your request. For example, perhaps you have new medical bills or there has been a loss of employment. What colleges do not respond to is a request for more money simply because, well, simply because you want it. It helps if you can provide some information about "financial fit," and it can be helpful to have a specific amount of additional need in mind. Some schools might ask for your award letters from other institutions, but others don't care what you received from other schools.
Do talk about why you want to attend this particular college or university; explain why you're a good fit for this school and what your contributions to the community will be. In other words, build your case! Yes, it's kind of like admissions all over again, but you are asking for more money, and they want to know that there's a benefit for the school if they choose to give it to you.
I'm including below two good articles to read about financial aid appeals, but remember that all colleges do not approach financial aid in the same way. Ultimately you have to decide what you are willing to spend.
http://nyti.ms/1mXWCCU
http://bit.ly/Q9IyZ7
First, you will most likely need to provide some sort of documentation that validates your request. For example, perhaps you have new medical bills or there has been a loss of employment. What colleges do not respond to is a request for more money simply because, well, simply because you want it. It helps if you can provide some information about "financial fit," and it can be helpful to have a specific amount of additional need in mind. Some schools might ask for your award letters from other institutions, but others don't care what you received from other schools.
Do talk about why you want to attend this particular college or university; explain why you're a good fit for this school and what your contributions to the community will be. In other words, build your case! Yes, it's kind of like admissions all over again, but you are asking for more money, and they want to know that there's a benefit for the school if they choose to give it to you.
I'm including below two good articles to read about financial aid appeals, but remember that all colleges do not approach financial aid in the same way. Ultimately you have to decide what you are willing to spend.
http://nyti.ms/1mXWCCU
http://bit.ly/Q9IyZ7
Thursday, April 10, 2014
Need help planning a college tour?
Summer vacation is in the not too distant future, and although we hope you will enjoy your trip to the beach or wherever, it's also a good time to work in a few college visits. In fact, perhaps you can build this year's vacation around a college tour! After all, there are some outstanding schools to visit in some spectacular cities/states.
For example, if you're headed to New York City, you could look at Fordham, Hofstra, Columbia, Barnard, and NYU. Or you could venture outside the city and go see Syracuse, Colgate, Hamilton, Ithaca, Cornell, Hobart & William Smith, and Rochester. All of those are in a fairly concentrated area. You could also add on Skidmore, Bard, and Vassar..
Perhaps you'd rather spend some time in our nation's capital. There's so much to do in D.C., but check out all schools names "George;" Georgetown University, George Washington University, and George Mason University. Then add American University and the University of Maryland at College Park.
From there it wouldn't be difficult to travel over to Baltimore and spend some time at Johns Hopkins, Loyola, Goucher, and McDaniel. Or you can dip down into Virginia and see the University of Mary Washington, Lynchburg College, and James Madison University. Traveling even further south, you can see Virginia Commonwealth, the University of Richmond, and the College of William & Mary for a chance to run into Ben Franklin at the local convenience store in Williamsburg (it happened to me!). There's also UVA, Washington & Lee, Roanoke, and Virginia Tech.
All of these trips provide you with a chance to see a variety of schools, urban, rural, state universities and small liberal arts schools. That's what your trip should be about! Explore, investigate, and consider ALL your options before you narrow down your list.
Here are a few more of our favorite trips, but if you need more ideas, just let us know. We've got some great ideas for college tours on the west coast.
The Bluegrass Tour: Kentucky and Ohio are home to some of the finest liberal arts schools in the country. Travel through horse country and stop at the University of Kentucky, Centre College, Transylvania University, Xavier University, Miami-Ohio, and the University of Dayton.
The Windy City Tour: The Chicago area is home to some excellent schools that have been popular with GPS students over the years: Wheaton, Northwestern, the University of Chicago, Loyola-Chicago, and Lake Forest.
The Bluegrass Tour: Kentucky and Ohio are home to some of the finest liberal arts schools in the country. Travel through horse country and stop at the University of Kentucky, Centre College, Transylvania University, Xavier University, Miami-Ohio, and the University of Dayton.
The Windy City Tour: The Chicago area is home to some excellent schools that have been popular with GPS students over the years: Wheaton, Northwestern, the University of Chicago, Loyola-Chicago, and Lake Forest.
The Longhorn State: It's hot in the summer, but there are plenty of schools to visit on I-35. Start with SMU in Dallas, and if you're interested in the STEM fields, make sure you visit the University of Texas @ Dallas! It's a great school for those disciplines! The University of Dallas is also worth seeing. Then move on to TCU Ft. Worth, drive down to Waco to visit Baylor University, and then do yourself a favor and stop in Georgetown (outside of Austin) and see Southwestern University. Then you can finish up at that other UT, the University of Texas in Austin, and St. Edward's University, also in Austin. If you have time, keep going to San Antonio for Trinity University and then perhaps over to Houston to see Rice.
Wednesday, April 9, 2014
May 1 - The Common Reply Date
As most seniors know, May 1 is the "Common Reply Date," or the date by which they must make a decision and inform colleges whether they will accept their offer of admission or not. As members of the National Association of College Admission Counseling (NACAC), GPS follows this practice and expects all seniors to as well. Colleges that are also members of NACAC (which includes almost every school our students apply to) cannot require students to commit before the May 1 date, so if you are feeling pressure, please see your counselor immediately.
Students and families should also be aware of the following:
1. If you choose to remain on a waiting list, you still need to deposit at another institution so that you have someplace to go to school next year. Should you be offered a spot from the waiting list and you choose to accept it, then you must withdraw your name from the first college.
2. It is highly unethical to double-deposit, that is, accept two offers of admission. As NACAC members, GPS follows the Statement of Principles of Good Practice and will only send one final transcript on your behalf. Depositing at more than one school can also jeopardize your offer of admission.
3. Once students have made their decision, they should notify all of the colleges to which they've been accepted that they're not coming. That's only fair to the students who are on a waiting list, and it's just good manners. A simple email or phone call to the admissions office is all it takes.
4. All seniors must update their Naviance college list and designate the college or university they will be attending. Without that information, we will not send your final transcript.
5. The college office also wants to know about the scholarships you have received. Please take a few minutes and email us with that information.
Finally, if you are still wrestling with your college decision, take a few minutes to read this advice from the folks at NACAC.
Students and families should also be aware of the following:
1. If you choose to remain on a waiting list, you still need to deposit at another institution so that you have someplace to go to school next year. Should you be offered a spot from the waiting list and you choose to accept it, then you must withdraw your name from the first college.
2. It is highly unethical to double-deposit, that is, accept two offers of admission. As NACAC members, GPS follows the Statement of Principles of Good Practice and will only send one final transcript on your behalf. Depositing at more than one school can also jeopardize your offer of admission.
3. Once students have made their decision, they should notify all of the colleges to which they've been accepted that they're not coming. That's only fair to the students who are on a waiting list, and it's just good manners. A simple email or phone call to the admissions office is all it takes.
4. All seniors must update their Naviance college list and designate the college or university they will be attending. Without that information, we will not send your final transcript.
5. The college office also wants to know about the scholarships you have received. Please take a few minutes and email us with that information.
Finally, if you are still wrestling with your college decision, take a few minutes to read this advice from the folks at NACAC.
Wednesday, April 2, 2014
What do you want to be when you grow up?
Over our spring vacation, I had the opportunity to visit Colgate University and after having dinner with Michael Sciola, the Director of Career Services, I found myself thinking a great deal about the career choices my students will hopefully have upon graduation from college.
While the news has been full of articles declaring that the STEM disciplines are about the only healthy or lucrative fields to consider, my dinner conversation made me realize my students are overlooking a key part of the college search.
I'm pretty sure most of the girls do not visit the Career Services Department when touring schools, but they should. With a goal of building professional competencies from day one, Colgate's career services begins contacting students even before they show up on campus. Freshmen can take an on-line assessment that measures their interests, skills, and passions, and 87% of the current freshmen class has already visited or worked with the office in some way. Sophomores are invited back to school before spring semester for a three day career program that includes mentoring partnerships, alums, and parents. Students may also participate in a "Day in the Life" shadowing experience, and students can receive funding for summer internships. There is also the TIA or "Thought Into Action" program, a student incubator that allows students to develop real for-profit or non-profit ventures under the guidance of alumni or parent entrepreneurs. And those are just some of the programs that are offered.
Colgate is certainly not the only university that has such an involved career services office (Sewanee also comes to mind, and there are many others), but I was very impressed by the scope of their program and the priority the school has placed on the service. It also doesn't hurt that their alumni base is extraordinarily involved, something that was clear to me at almost every turn. Even students who major in communications or philosophy or Spanish or anthropology are able to connect with alumni, build professional networks, and find fulfilling jobs once they graduate from college.
So before you give up on that English degree, spend some quality time in the career services office and find out what help they offer. One thing is certain: don't wait until you are a senior. The sooner you connect with them, the better.
I'm pretty sure most of the girls do not visit the Career Services Department when touring schools, but they should. With a goal of building professional competencies from day one, Colgate's career services begins contacting students even before they show up on campus. Freshmen can take an on-line assessment that measures their interests, skills, and passions, and 87% of the current freshmen class has already visited or worked with the office in some way. Sophomores are invited back to school before spring semester for a three day career program that includes mentoring partnerships, alums, and parents. Students may also participate in a "Day in the Life" shadowing experience, and students can receive funding for summer internships. There is also the TIA or "Thought Into Action" program, a student incubator that allows students to develop real for-profit or non-profit ventures under the guidance of alumni or parent entrepreneurs. And those are just some of the programs that are offered.
Colgate is certainly not the only university that has such an involved career services office (Sewanee also comes to mind, and there are many others), but I was very impressed by the scope of their program and the priority the school has placed on the service. It also doesn't hurt that their alumni base is extraordinarily involved, something that was clear to me at almost every turn. Even students who major in communications or philosophy or Spanish or anthropology are able to connect with alumni, build professional networks, and find fulfilling jobs once they graduate from college.
So before you give up on that English degree, spend some quality time in the career services office and find out what help they offer. One thing is certain: don't wait until you are a senior. The sooner you connect with them, the better.
Tuesday, April 1, 2014
When Your Dream School Says No
Your college acceptance or rejection is not - I repeat, not - a judgment on who you are as a person. In today's New York Times, Frank Bruni pretty much says everything I tried to say yesterday to students who were not accepted into their "dream" school, only he says it so much better. "Your diploma is, or should be, the least of what defines you," he states, and "You're diploma will have infinitely less relevance to your fulfillment than so much else." Amen.
Even if you are not a senior in the midst of acceptances, rejections, and wait lists, this is a very good article to read. Students and parents: please take a few minutes and listen to what he has to say.
Even if you are not a senior in the midst of acceptances, rejections, and wait lists, this is a very good article to read. Students and parents: please take a few minutes and listen to what he has to say.
Do you have an interest in graphic design?
The University of Tennessee Knoxville's School of Art is hosting a graphic design open house on Friday, April 11 from 4:30-7:30 pm. Students will have the opportunity to speak with faculty and students, tour the studios, and hear about the department's alumni. For detailed directions or more information on the program, go to http://art.utk.edu/graphic_design/
This might be worthwhile even for students not particularly focused on UTK. Learning more about graphic design at one school will give you something by which to measure other programs. Just a thought.
This might be worthwhile even for students not particularly focused on UTK. Learning more about graphic design at one school will give you something by which to measure other programs. Just a thought.
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