Counselors Guide Magazine

Counselors Guide Magazine

Washington Monthly Ranks Liberal Arts Schools based on their contribution to the public good.

Below are the Washington Monthly's 2010 liberal arts college rankings. We rate schools based on their contribution to the public good in three broad categories:Social Mobility (recruiting and graduating low-income students), Research(producing cutting-edge scholarship and PhDs), and Service (encouraging students to give something back to their country). For an explanation of each category, click here. For more information about the overall goals of the rankings, click here. To learn more about our methodology, click here.


Click on Link Below to view Rankings
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/college_guide/rankings_2010/liberal_arts_rank.php

TOP 20 'VALUE' PICKS

PUBLIC 1. University of Virginia (Charlottesville) 2. City University of New York - Hunter College (New York, N.Y.) 3. New College of Florida (Sarasota) 4. Florida State University (Tallahassee) 5. University of Colorado-Boulder 6. State University of New York-Binghamton 7. University of Georgia (Athens) 8. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Blacksburg) 9. Texas A&M University (College Station) 10. University of Oklahoma (Norman) PRIVATE 1. Swarthmore College(Swarthmore, Pa.) 2. Harvard College(Cambridge, Mass.) 3. Wesleyan College(Macon, Ga.) 4. Princeton University(Princeton, N.J.) 5. Yale University (New Haven, Conn.) 6. Williams College (Williamstown, Mass.) 7. Rice University (Houston, Texas) 8. Massachusetts Institute of Technology(Cambridge, Mass.) 9. Amherst College (Amherst, Mass.) 10. Wellesley College (Wellesley, Mass.) Source: The Princeton Review

From The College Board

Twenty Questions to Ask Your School Counselor

Your school counselor is one of your best resources as you plan for college. Your counselor has information about admission tests, college preparation, and your education and career options. Here are some basic questions to help get your conversation started:

1. What courses do I need to take to be ready for college?
2. How should I plan my schedule so I'll complete them?
3. Which elective courses do you recommend?
4. Which AP^® courses should I consider taking?
5. When is the PSAT/NMSQT^® going to be given?
6. How should I study for the SAT^®, and is it given at this high school or do I need to go somewhere nearby?
7. Do you have any college planning sessions scheduled?
8. Do you have college handbooks or other guides that I can browse or borrow?
9. What activities can I do at home and over the summer to get ready for college?
10. What kinds of grades do different colleges require?
11. Are there any college fairs at this school, or nearby?
12. What colleges do other kids from our school go to?
13. What are the requirements or standards for the honor society?
14. Can you put me in touch with recent grads who are going to the colleges on my wish list?
15. Do you have any information to help me start exploring careers?
16. If my colleges need a recommendation from you, how can I help you know me better, so it can be more personal?
17. Are there any special scholarships or awards that I should know about now, so I can work toward them?
18. Can I see my transcript as it stands now, to see if everything is as I think it should be?
19. What forms do I use to apply for financial aid and where I can find them online?
20. How does our school compare to others, in terms of test scores and reputation?

Reality Check

Your school counselor may be the most accessible person on the planet, or may be juggling a thousand students and barely know your name. So, remember that the person who has the biggest stake in your academics is you. It's up to you to stay on top of opportunities and deadlines so you can take control of your future.

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Colleges' newest dorm dwellers: professors

www.washingtonpost.com

A growing number of colleges are placing professors and their families in residence halls. It's a practice borrowed from the early days of academia that has grown in popularity in recent years, especially at large urban universities looking to create a more personal, small-campus feel.

Four Ways to Get More Financial Aid

Q: We just received our son’s college financial aid package and were disappointed that there is a big gap between the amount we need and the amount we received. I’ve heard that it’s tough to negotiate with schools over tuition aid, but times are tough and we’d like another shot at making our case. Any help? — N. Cochrane, West Palm Beach, Fla.

A: April has the reputation of being all about taxes, but it’s also the time of year when families receive their college financial aid packages. And these days, more and more families don’t like what they see from their kids’ future alma mater.That’s for obvious reasons. College endowments are down 18.7% in thelast year alone, according to a study of 654 U.S. schools by theNational Association of College and University Business Officers.That’s the worst investment returns for colleges since the Great Depression. Simultaneously, 60% of colleges report adecline in gifts in 2009, while the average total long-term debt was $167.8 million in 2009, compared with $109.1 million the year before.

With colleges and universities tossing nickels around like manhole covers, what chance do you have in getting a better financial aid deal than the one in front of you right now? It’s not that bad, actually, if you apply the following tips:Take stock. Start by checking and re-checking your financial aid letter. If you neglected to mention a job loss, divorce or other personal family situation since you first filed your FAFSA, go ahead and mention it now. Colleges are amenable to beefing up financial aid offers to families that demonstrate a financial need. A letter to the college admissions office stating your case, plus afollow-up phone call should do the trick. Do it quickly, most colleges want a decision to attend by May 1.Play college offers off one another. If you have a better offer on the table from another college, make sure you let your school of first choice know about it. College admissions offices tend to be competitive over the applicants they've accepted. Consequently, they may bump the money up to make sure your son or daughter signs on the dotted line.

Look at private loans. While the federal government is taking a more prominent role over college loans, getting a private student loan maybe a better deal. Right now, the average interest rate on federal student loans is 7.9%, according to SimpleTution.com. But the average interest rate on a private student loan is a much more affordable 4%. Plus, after a lull due to the sour economy, more and more private college loans are becoming available.

While colleges don’t like to negotiate, they are open to a “do-over”if you can make a compelling case. The keys are to be honest, lay your cards on the table, and be diplomatic, even low-key, while you make that case. With the average cost of college at $26,273 (for privateschools) and $7,020 (for in-state, public schools), every dollar counts.

—By Brian O'Connell for MainStreet.com.

Important Dates


October 1 - Late Registration for ACT  10/23 Test


October 8 - Late Registration for SAT 11/6 Test


October 9 -  SAT and SAT Subject Tests

Eastern Connecticut State University - Makes top 100 Regional Universities

"From article in 2010 Student Horizons, Inc.

A Liberal Education. Practically Applied.

One of the elements of the engaged learning model advocated by the National Survey of Student Engagement and the Association of American Colleges and Universities is experiential learning opportunities such as internships and other hands-on experiences. Eastern Connecticut State University’s new admissions tag-line, “A Liberal Education. Practically Applied.”, recognizes the role that practical, hands-on experiences play in Eastern’s liberal arts curriculum.  

In the past, many Eastern graduates have had some form of practical experience — internships, student teaching, and other out-of-class experiences — but those opportunities have often been left up to the student to discover and implement.  

Commencing with the graduating class of 2014, an applied experience is now a graduation requirement for all students at Eastern Connecticut State University.  Experiences that will fulfill the requirement include internships, cooperative education placements, service learning and undergraduate research.  

Quote by ElsaM Nunez, President, Eastern Connecticut State University:

The progress we are making to become a premier public liberal arts university is not going unnoticed. This past August, we were informed that Eastern had made the list of the top 100 regional universities in the North by U.S. News and World Report.  We were the 28th public institution on the list.  Our university was also included on President Obama’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll and the Chronicle of Higher Education’s list of “Great Colleges to Work For,” both for the second year in a row. The Princeton Review also included Eastern on its list of 287 “Green Colleges” in the United States. 

New Article From Newsweek Discusses the Role of the college consultant

The New Rules of the Admissions Game

Six big changes on the road to yes.

Excerpt from article in Newsweek Education , September 12, 2010 by 

Six Big Changes In College Admissions

The new rules on the road to yes.More ›

1

Isia Jasiewicz

 

New Reality Six: Consider a Consultant

This all sounds like a lot to digest, and it is. That’s why the college-consulting industry is booming. According to a recent study by Lipman Hearne, a marketing and communications firm, 26 percent of high-achieving students (defined as those with scores above 1150 on the 1600-scale SAT or an ACT composite score of 25 or higher) now hire a private consultant in their college-application process. Membership in the Independent Educational Consultants Association has been growing at 20 percent annually, according to the group’s director, Mark Sklarow. “The current economy has meant that school districts are increasing caseloads for school-based counselors,” Sklarow says. “We’ve heard from so many families who say the school counselor not only doesn’t know their child but there’s just not enough time for them to help.” Since the field is unregulated, be wary. Interview multiple candidates for the job. Most important, remember that the only one whose qualifications really matter in college admissions is you. “Consultants could be useful for helping the less-prepared student find a better fit for school and get them through the application process,” says Amon. “But we admit students based on their merit alone.”

By CONOR DOUGHERTY    From The Wall Street Journal

GARY, Ind.—Fifteen years after high school, the working lives of Tremell Sinclair and Phyllis Sellars have evolved very differently, largely because of a single decision.

Ms. Sellars went to college; Mr. Sinclair didn't.

That decision has always shaped their economic prospects, but never more so than during the recent recession: Ms. Sellars kept her white-collar job, recently landing a pay raise, while Mr. Sinclair was laid off from his forklift driving job last year and only just found a new one—at a 46% lower salary.

View Full Image

Paul Octavious for the Wall Street Journal

Tremell Sinclair, right, a former forklift driver, finally found work after a long search, but at a much lower wage than before. He and son, Tremell Jr., at a high-school reunion in Gary, Ind.

The classmates illustrate a divide between the fortunes of Americans with college degrees and those without. It's not only that the college educated earn more, but that they are far more likely to keep their jobs when times get tough.

Emory University is starting a master's degree in development practice - Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis has started a bachelor’s degree in Africana studies -Jacksonville State University is starting a master of science program in sports management - Sacred Heart University is starting a bachelor of science degree in health science.

Center for Student Opportunity (www.csopportunity.org) helps students who will be the first in their family to attend college or are otherwise underserved in the college admissions process to realize their college dream


Follow the blog written by current students by clicking on the link to www.csopportunity.org

Central Connecticut State University's Fall Open House takes place on Sunday October 31st from 11:00 till 2:00P.M. For additional detail visit www.ccsu.edu

Your Ticket to College PSAT prep classes are forming now. This is a two-hour course offering a great introduction and review for sophomores and juniors for next month's PSAT! Contact us for more info.

Pathfinder Counseling LLC: Ask Pathfinder a College Question

pathfindercounselingllc.blogspot.com

Ask Pathfinder a college question and have the answer posted to this blog.

American University Sustainability Eat at TDR Tuesday the 28th! TDR will have a lunch that is made completely of ingredients from within a 150 mile radius of the café. From reducing green house gases, to supporting local farmers, and reducing the amount of pesticides, hormones, and antibiotics you consume, eating locally has immense benefits both to the individual and the community.

4 hours ago · Comment · 

Did you know that students at Pitzer College create a 4 year social responsibility plan?

REMINDER:  SEPTEMBER 24TH IS THE DEADLINE FOR LATE REGISTRATION FOR THE 10/9  SAT!

Ask Pathfinder a College Question

Welcome to my first Blog post!  Please feel free to ask a college question and I will post an answer on the blog.