Determining Academic Strength of a College's Major/Department

When considering which schools to apply to, it is important to understand that different institutions specialize in different fields of study. Understanding the academic direction you’d like to pursue is a key factor in selecting your future college, as some majors may be stronger than others in a particular school. Here are some pointers on how to determine the strength of a department at each college or university:

Courses: Look at how many undergraduate courses are offered through the department, as opposed to cross-listed courses from outside the department that still fulfill requirements. Are there courses dedicated to your department only as a way to ensure specialized time and attention is devoted to your major? Additionally, check if the department offers specializations and/or concentrations in the 3rd and 4th years. Research each concentration to see if it interests you. The availability of concentrations demonstrates the breadth and depth of the major.

Funding: Check to see if there are grants available for students to perform research within each department. If a department offers ample scholarship and grant opportunities, it not only reflects their budget, but also their commitment to allocating a portion of those funds to benefit students. Furthermore, research the sources of these funds (i.e. The National Endowment for the Arts or National Science Foundation). Certain foundations, due to their prestige, may generate more funding for department amenities and grants. You can compare grant and award availability by searching for your desired college or university on http://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator.

Faculty: Research the faculty members in your desired department to determine if their work and experience aligns with your interests. You can check the department’s size to see if it consists of just a handful of members or a substantial team. It is also helpful to connect directly with the departments at various schools and set meetings with faculty. This can give insight into the accessibility of faculty members and their willingness to make time for students.

Publications: Publishing work is difficult and takes a substantial amount of time and effort. Delving into this realm to see which faculty members within the department have research published may sound meticulous, but it may be worth your time to determine the reputation of the school’s major and its professors.

Each department and each college or university is unique and possesses its own distinctive characteristics. Some may have strengths where others have limitations. It’s important to weigh the pros and cons of each college and university’s department in order to determine which is the best fit for you academically.

AI and College Essays

AI tools like ChatGPT are disrupting educational norms, including the college application essay. A simple prompt typed into ChatGPT can instantaneously produce content across broad subjects. While educators grapple with handling this new technology, you should know its impact and implications as you write your college application essays.  

While colleges and universities develop their AI policies and invest in AI detection software, educators at all academic levels recognize its inevitable use by students. Some believe AI can enhance rather than impede learning, but there is no widespread agreement about the appropriate use of AI by college students.

Along with ChatGPT, its creator, OpenAI, developed one of several tools to help educators differentiate between AI-generated and human-written text.  

Chat CPT acquires new content from every single user. Chances are high that it will reuse content from one person’s essay elsewhere. With improving detection devices, opportunities both for plagiarism and detection are ever-expanding.

You can prompt ChatGPT to write about your passion for a particular field of study or your exuberance, charging past an impenetrable goalie to win a soccer game. But don’t expect ChatGPT to express your euphoria. It may offer flowery adjectives without replicating your authentic experience. The results are often cliché and flat.  

ChatGPT can’t expand an original thought. It generates existing information to fill in the blanks of your queries. It cannot differentiate, evaluate, or advise what content would make the strongest point in your essay. Also, its simplistic language can reduce your clever wit to a watered-down version of your ideas.

Business Insider and Forbes independently asked college admission readers to critique ChatGPT-generated college application essays. The readers agreed the essays could pass as actual student work (without AI detection software), but the essays were rated “mediocre” and considered middle school-level quality.

While AI can deliver an entire essay in nanoseconds, it can never replicate your unique voice, articulate your heart, or express your intellect. Writing, rewriting, and editing your college application essay may be tedious, but creating a cogent, well-written essay will impress readers, and help you develop lifelong skills. 

How to Do High School Well

Adults will tell you: “Enjoy high school - these are the best years of your life!” But many teenagers would not agree. What can you do to make sure that your high school years are truly special?

Get involved. Join a club or activity that interests you and participate fully. Which one doesn’t much matter. Just follow your passions in finding a club that suits you or get together with a friend or two and start your own group. Extracurricular activities are what make high school fun and give you a place to belong.

Challenge yourself. It might be tempting to take the easier route with grade-level classes, but try that AP or honors class and move beyond your comfort zone. Don’t fear the teacher whom everyone says is really demanding—the best teachers are those who will encourage you to think outside the box and to stretch your mind.

Ask for help. There’s no glory in doing it all yourself; ask for help when you need it. Meet with your English teacher after school for help with an essay or ask your math teacher to explain a difficult concept. In this way, you’ll establish relationships with your teachers outside of the classroom and perhaps find yourself with a true mentor.

Try not to focus on being with the “popular” kids. High school students tend to form cliques of like-minded individuals. Make your friends based on shared interests and values. Welcome opportunities to get to know new friends throughout high school.

Take care of yourself. That means eating well, getting an adequate amount of sleep and exercise, and finding ways of managing the stress that comes with being a high school student.  Learn to manage your time well so you don’t get caught with last-minute assignments. Set aside time each day to work on each subject, even getting ahead in reading or other assignments when you can. Make sure you build in time for fun and relaxation. Go for a run, play with your dog, read a novel, chat with a friend—anything to break up long hours of study.

Do good—volunteer. Helping others will make you feel good about yourself. Look for volunteer activities that you generally care about, not those you think will look good on your resume. 

Don’t sweat the small stuff. You’ll encounter a lot of petty ideas and petty people during your high school years, but you don’t need to get caught up in focusing on things that really will not matter. Spend your time and effort on those things that are important to you.

Keep your grades in perspective. Of course, you’ll want to do the best you can in each of your classes, but don’t a few low grades on your transcript convince you that you’ll never get into college. There are wonderful colleges out there for students who’ve shown a range of achievement; there’s a place for every student who truly wants an education.

Maximizing Merit Aid

Have you wondered what you can do to improve your chances of getting merit aid from a college? An intriguing study from the University of Rochester in New York may hold some clues.  Jonathan Burdick, their Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid, analyzed the characteristics of students who received merit awards from Rochester. He looked at specific applicant characteristics to see which ones make a difference in the size of a student’s merit scholarship offer. 

Rigorous high school courses. For every AP, IB, or Honors course a student took in high school, his or her merit award at Rochester increased an average of $400.

Grades in core academic courses. Every “A” grade in a core academic course in high school translated into an extra $62 of merit money.

Test scores. For every 10 additional points students scored on the SAT, they received an average of an extra $115. For every 1 point on the ACT composite, they earned an average of $425 extra in merit money.

Interviewing. Students who scheduled an admission interview with the University of Rochester received, on average, $250 more in merit money. Students who proactively kept in touch with admissions and financial aid—even after they were admitted—were likely to receive an average of $3,000 more in merit money.

Teacher recommendations. Every teacher letter of recommendation that the admission committee rated as “excellent” correlated with an average of $1,800 more in merit awards. 

Being on time. Students who had all parts of their application into admission on time (including mid-year grade requests) earned an average of $400 more in merit money.

Applying for financial aid. Regardless of their actual financial need, students who filled out the FAFSA and CSS Profile financial aid applications received, on average, $2,500 more in merit money.

Geographic diversity. Out-of-state students received an average of $2,000 more in merit money at Rochester than in-state students.

Burdick’s data were specific to the University of Rochester, and in sharing his findings, he was careful to point out that some of the differences were not by conscious design. Still, students hoping for merit scholarships at other colleges would be wise to take these findings to heart.  Grades, high school courses, test scores, teacher recommendations, and personal contact with colleges don’t just matter to your admission chances; they may very well make a difference in how large a merit scholarship you are offered when admitted.

Tradeoffs - Can Your College Be Your Everything?

When you’re putting together a college list, you will probably find some things you love and some things you’re not crazy about at each school. It’s like choosing a partner. You might have a wish-list of 37 characteristics, but if you hold out for every single one, you could be alone for a long time. There’s not one perfect person, or one perfect college. You need to make tradeoffs. 

One student will travel anywhere in the country, as long as the college is prestigious. Another student is willing to trade the prestige of attending a highly selective college for a scholarship at a less competitive school, which will leave him debt-free at graduation.  And another is willing to tolerate a cold Midwest winter if it means he’ll get Division I football.

Many students say they want to experience life in a big city where they’ll have access to lots of internship opportunities, nightlife, restaurants and great shopping. After growing up in the suburbs, they love the idea of being able to walk outside their dorm and into the energy of an urban environment. It is true that going to Boston University or NYU can be very exciting, but it’s important to understand the tradeoff that comes with a big urban school. There may not be a traditional, grassy campus with a central quadrangle. And with so many attractive options luring students away from campus, you can lose the sense of community that you often find at schools located in college towns. You’re likely to encounter crowds of people as you walk to class every day, and that makes a school feel lively, but the tradeoff is a more impersonal atmosphere. 

There are always tradeoffs. The goal is to find a school that meets your most important needs. Writing “must have” and “would be nice” lists may help you to evaluate potential colleges. When you know what you must have and what you are willing to give up, you are more likely to be happy with the decisions you make and to have a happy and successful college experience.  

This process of establishing priorities doesn’t begin or end with college applications. A high school freshman or sophomore who plans to take every available Honors and AP class and become immersed in extracurricular activities needs to be willing to live with intense academic pressure and a lack of free time. For students who genuinely love learning and enjoy being very involved in school, this may not seem like such a sacrifice. For other students, the idea of spending their high school years studying all the time, obsessing over SAT scores, filling every free hour with community service and feeling like they never have a minute to relax isn’t worth the possibility of getting into the most competitive college. 

In the future, you may need to decide whether it’s more important to rise to the top of your profession, or to balance family life with career success. When you are clear about your priorities, you can make more satisfying choices throughout your life. 

Communications Major Explained

Communication Studies is one of the more popular majors on many campuses. Sounds interesting and marketable, but what is it, and, can it help you get a job? 

This interdisciplinary major encompasses the entire range of communication from face-to-face conversation to mass media and interpersonal understanding.

Communication Studies is a generalist path with a curriculum that can be tailored to work in a variety of industries. Most colleges require students to have some familiarity with the broad spectrum of communication issues. At some colleges students may concentrate in an area of particular interest. Advertising, Broadcasting, Communication Technology and Production, Journalism, and Public Relations are a few of the concentrations that might be available. Typical courses are likely to include Interpersonal Communication, Group Communication, Persuasion, Mass Media and Society, Cross-Cultural Communication, TV & Film Production, and Ethical and Legal Issues in Media. Courses in economics, finance, management, marketing, political science, psychology and sociology can also help.

Practical experience is critical for Communications students. Whether you host a campus radio program, work as a producer for the university TV station, or write for the campus newspaper, hands-on involvement that you can list on a resume is key. Participating in internships, co-op programs and study abroad will also help you bridge the transition from college to workplace. 

There are thousands of undergraduate Communication Studies programs. The challenge is to identify colleges and programs that most closely fit who you are and what you want to do. Because all types of colleges offer Communications majors, institutional, not just departmental, fit should be your top priority. Some departments include the study of communication disorders, while others do not. Some programs are grounded in the liberal arts, concentrating on analytical, speaking and writing skills, all of which are highly transferable to a wide range of careers. Other departments are more professionally focused, offering curricula that are more workplace driven. You can study communications either through identified majors, or by designing your own course of study, tailored to your specific interests. 

Communications Studies is a modern marriage of theory and application, combining liberal arts education with practical, professional training. In our global information age, enterprises from businesses and educational institutions to engineering firms and medical providers all must communicate effectively with their constituents, their customers, and the public. Over $1 billion is spent annually on employee and membership communications, and even more goes toward external communications. Job competition is strong, with preference given to candidates with industry-specific knowledge, communications training, and appropriate internship or volunteer experience. 

The career choices for communications professionals are incredibly diverse. Degrees in Communications lead to a wide range of career paths including advertising, broadcasting & film, marketing, media relations, personnel, and sales. Less obvious career options include community relations, customer service, corporate training, international relations, and publishing. Communications graduates also work in fundraising, social media management, tourism, website management, and risk management.  For more information visit the National Communication Association at www.natcom.org.

Career Paths for Communications Studies Majors

· Broadcaster

· Community Relations Representative

· Corporate Trainer

· Customer Service Representative

· Editor

· Event Planner

· Fundraiser

· Human Resources Professional

· Journalist

· Marketing & Advertising Professional

· Media Specialist

· Political Professional

· Sales Manager

· Social Media Manager

· Writer

Are you Applying for STEM Degree? Here's What You Need to Know

Although overall college enrollment numbers have plateaued, or more recently, dropped, the demand for STEM degrees has steadily risen over the years. In the face of the increasing demand for qualified graduates, competition for seats in STEM programs has become far more rigorous. In order to present a competitive application to a strong STEM program, students need to prepare themselves as early as possible. Desirable STEM applicant qualities can fall under two general areas: hard academic skills and soft interpersonal skills. 

Academic skills: Above all else, students seeking entry into a STEM program must have strong Math and Science skills, regardless of the discipline they are choosing – Sciences, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics. High school students need to take on the most challenging coursework available at their individual schools and do their very best to succeed in those classes. Students are advised to increase the level of rigor each year with at least at least 4 years of Mathematics; sciences such as Biology, Chemistry and Physics (including advanced science classes whenever possible); 4 years of English; as much foreign language and social studies, including History and Government, as you can fit in your schedule. If available, aim to complete AP/CP/Advanced/Honors-level classes, and if your grades are not as strong as you would like, get help and don’t give up. The trajectory of your grades matters, as your admission reader is looking carefully at your transcript to determine the likelihood of your success in the advanced rigor of the university classroom. Some students may even be able to take additional coursework at their local community college. It is also necessary to check the standardized test requirements of your chosen colleges.

Hands-on participation in a variety of STEM activities is another component part of a successful application. Some examples include participation on a Robotics Team (not one at your school? Start one!), Math and Science Olympiads, FIRST LEGO League, online courses, a STEM club at your school, or a summer program or internship. A part-time job can also give you some extra exposure and first-hand experience. Think outside the box and you’ll find a myriad of exciting opportunities. 

Tell your science story! Knowing why you want to study a particular STEM major will go a long way towards impressing colleges that you have the right stuff. Use the essay options in your application to share your passion, experience, enthusiasm, depth of interest and excitement about your chosen field. Think about your career goals and explore some of those options by interviewing men and women in the field, reading outside the curriculum and looking for opportunities to job shadow professionals. 

Interpersonal skills:  In addition to the hard skills necessary – challenging coursework, solid grades and test scores, strong extracurriculars and essays – colleges want to see evidence of soft skills. The future depends upon both the proven qualifications of STEM graduates and on the human qualities possessed by the women and men entering these specialized fields. As high school students build upon their academic records, they should always be open to opportunities that showcase their problem-solving, creative thinking and   collaborative abilities; their proficiency in communication, adaptability, flexibility and balance; and their sense of social responsibility. Think Humanistic Engineering – the production and design of things that are useful to people. As you consider how to demonstrate these qualities, think about ways to showcase your collaborative abilities by perhaps organizing a school club or working on the school paper and creating a new column to include a STEM article in every edition.

Ways of demonstrating leadership skills during your high school career could include being STEM Club President or taking the lead on directing the school play, getting a group of students together for a community service project, or asking your AP Physics teacher if you could tutor the younger physics students. All STEM fields require the development of new ideas. How can you show that in action? Spearhead a recycling effort in your school, present solutions to the traffic problems in the school parking lot to the School Board or get a group together and design something to be used by fellow students.

Again, explore opportunities that you can show an admission officer: list them on a resume, let them be shared in a recommendation and/or write about them in your essays. Balance the hard with the soft, stay focused and you’ll be successful.

Big Fish or Little Fish?

Would you rather be a big fish in a small pond, or a little fish in a big pond?   As you start your college search, this is an important question for both students and parents to consider.

Many people assume that it’s better to attend the most selective college possible, even if your high school grades, test scores, and other measures place you towards the lower end of the college’s student body.  The rationale behind this “small fish in a big pond” line of thinking is that students will always benefit from being surrounded by smarter peers, as well as enjoy the perceived prestige of the more selective school.

Yet, research suggests otherwise.  Multiple studies have shown that students who opt to be a top student at a less selective college (in other words, a big fish in a small pond) tend to feel more competent, have better college GPAs, and higher career aspirations than students who just squeaked into a more selective college.   This is true even when the student attending the less selective college had a less impressive admissions profile (i.e., high school GPA, test scores) than the student who picked the more selective school.

Author Malcom Gladwell also points out how being a big fish in a small pond can be especially beneficial to students planning to pursue STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) degrees and STEM-related careers.   At a presentation at Google Zeitgeist, Gladwell discussed how many students who begin college intending to major in STEM fields switch to non-science and math majors.  Those whose scores are in the bottom third were most likely to switch majors.

The equation doesn’t change based on the selectivity of the college, noted Gladwell.  A student’s SAT scores may put them in the bottom third of peers at a highly selective university, or at the top of their peers at a less selective school.  But, the odds of the student persisting through to graduation in a STEM major will be greater at the less selective college where they are in the top third. 

“As human beings, we dramatically underestimate the cost of being at the bottom of a hierarchy,” said Gladwell in his presentation.  “We form our self-assessment and confidence based on our standing relative to the group, not the entire world.”   Being among the top students in a college – regardless of its selectivity – makes a student likely to see themselves as capable of keeping up with the group.

Of course, there are many reasons for choosing a college.   A student and their parents may prefer the programs, location, financial aid, extracurricular activities, or a host of other characteristics of one college over another.  A motivated student can also succeed at a variety of institutions, regardless of how he or she compares to campus peers.  Students who are likely to be “big fish” among their classmates at a highly selective college will reap the same benefits as they would by attending a less selective school.  

 Deciding if you’ll be better suited to being a big fish in a small pond or a small fish in a big pond is an important part of finding a college that will be the best match for you.