Why College Admissions Has Dramatically Changed

The college admission process wasn’t nearly as anxiety-producing thirty years ago. Parents who haven’t been through it yet have heard horror stories from friends and relatives, but they don’t understand why things are so different now.

For one thing, more students are applying to college. Thirty years ago, half of high school graduates applied to college, but today more than two thirds submit applications. Back then, those who did apply usually stayed closer to home, often only applying to public universities in their state. Today’s students apply more widely. 

They also end up with more debt, and applications to expensive schools that don’t offer much aid have skyrocketed.

Parents are often shocked at how much more expensive college is today. College costs have outpaced inflation. The new, well-equipped science centers you see on so many campuses are expensive. Labor costs have gone up in higher education, just as in other industries.

The application process has become easier in some ways and more difficult in others. The Common Application means students no longer have to prepare a separate application for each college. The convenience of the Common Application and the anxiety about getting into a “good” school motivates students to apply to more colleges. In 1990, only 16 percent of students applied to six or more colleges; that percentage doubled 30 years later. Many students now apply to 10 or 15 schools, driven by fear of rejection. Additionally, test-optional policies have led to students to apply to schools that are unreachable, significantly increasing application numbers to highly selective colleges and universities.

Admissions officers are under pressure to keep increasing their application numbers. Colleges compete with rival schools to seem more selective and desirable, and to get high rankings, which has become a priority for families obsessed with “best” schools. 

Thirty years ago, students were often competing in a smaller applicant pool, with other students from similar backgrounds. Today, admission officers have expanded their recruiting efforts, both across the country and internationally. The deluge of applicants with near perfect grades and high test scores makes admission to highly selective colleges unpredictable, as admission officers choose one super-achieving student while turning down another as they attempt to craft the ideal freshman class. 

What has not changed is the number of available seats. Most colleges have not increased their capacity dramatically. When you have more students applying for roughly the same number of spaces, fewer students will be admitted.

To make the process less stressful, focus on the programs and characteristics that are most important to you in a college, and then count on your Journey Ahead counselor to recommend schools of varying selectivity that offer what you want.  Most importantly, the “best” college is the one that is the best fit for your student, not the one with the highest ranking, or the name you recognize.

Preparing for standardized tests

Although many colleges remain test optional, there are good reasons to prep for and take the SAT or ACT.  Most students feel some anxiety about taking college entrance exams.  A good test prep course or working one-on-one with a tutor can help alleviate some of this anxiety by allowing students to become familiar with the exams and test-taking strategies.  Here are some questions to ask if you are shopping for a test prep class:

Who will be teaching the class?  Some test prep companies use recent college graduates who had high SAT/ACT scores when they took the exam in high school. Be cautious if this is the case. There is a difference between scoring well on an exam and being able to teach others how to do well.  Be sure to ask about the training the instructors receive to help them become effective teachers, not just effective test takers.  The best programs either use experienced educators as instructors or use educators to train instructors.

What is the content of the class? Does each class session divide time equally between the different sections of the exams, or are whole sessions devoted to specific sections? Is more time spent on particular sections or particular skills development?  Additionally, ask how many full-length practice exams, using real exams, will be given during the course; the more, the better.  But, also ask how the practice exams are scored and shared with students.  Do they receive any personal feedback on their strengths and weaknesses on the exam?  Of course, you should always consider how you learn best, and then look for programs that are a good match for your learning style. Some students will do best with private tutoring, while other students can do well in a group setting.

What materials will be used in the class?  The best test prep classes and test prep tutors will use actual SAT and/or ACT exams for practice. They will not create their own exams.  While many test prep companies use their own proprietary study books, it’s helpful if they also incorporate the College Board’s and the ACT’s own study guides into the classroom.

What is the class size?  Look for smaller groups, and be sure to ask how much time is allocated in each class session to answering individual questions.

What is the refund policy?  If you think the course isn’t helping after a session or two, can you get a refund? What happens if you get sick or have a scheduling conflict that requires dropping out of the course?

Can the tutor provide references?  Checking references is especially important if you are considering hiring a private tutor.  However, keep in mind that what works well for one student isn’t necessarily the best fit for all students; in checking references, be sure to dig deeper in your questions to try to get a sense of the tutor’s style, approach, and ability to adapt to your or your child’s needs.

What is the tutor’s or prep class success rate?  Use caution here.  If a class or tutor suggests that all students who take the course will raise their scores by 100 or 200 points, it should set off warning bells.  Students in any class will learn and improve at their own rates; it is very rare to see the same increases across the board for all students.  Similarly, don’t be overly impressed by promises that you can retake the prep class for free if your scores don’t increase.  You want a course that helps the first time.  

Majoring in Peace and Conflict Studies

Majoring in Peace and Conflict Studies

With the political climate in the United States so divisive at this time, a major that focuses on ways to solve problems peacefully may resonate with you.  Peace and Conflict Studies focus on ways to improve the justice and peace in the world. The major analyzes universal issues such as racism, sexism, destitution, and war. The goal, of course, is to develop an ability to non-violently solve problems.

The study of this major is part theory and part experience. Some of the curriculum focuses on learning history and concepts. Students will learn about the philosophies of legendary peacemakers such as Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. 

There will also be plenty of opportunities for students to get hands-on experiences. The major includes lab situations that allow students to practice conflict resolution tactics. Students might simulate a meeting in an NGO (non-governmental organization), intern, or create their own group. 

Students learn how to analyze both local and global issues. Some programs are more globally-based while others focus more on the United States, but all programs delve into the diversity of human cultures. In addition, the major may offer study abroad opportunities for students. 

The major includes courses in the philosophy of social science, Marxism, the urban political economy, methods of peacemaking, the history of non-violence, and ecology. International law, the global political economy, postcolonial theory, and international relations are also frequently covered.

Peace and conflict majors gain a plethora of widely-used skills. Majors acquire an aptitude in strategic thinking, teamwork, communication, negotiation, and peaceful problem-solving. They gain research skills, writing skills, and the ability to look at a situation from multiple perspectives. Students leave with an understanding of the complexities of the world and its human issues.

Because the abilities honed in the major are applicable to almost any job, students have a wide variety of career options. Students typically go into careers in one of the following fields: government, law, humanitarian action, counseling, development, conflict resolution, global threat mitigation, and business. 

Government jobs may be in diplomatic roles, civil-military relations, the protection of human rights, and post-conflict aid. Careers in law may focus on subjects such as immigration, human trafficking, land and environment, and employment.

Students interested in humanitarian action may work for an NGO to aid in emergency response, healthcare, and social services for areas in crisis. 

In counseling, graduates might undertake work as trauma therapists. They may help communities heal from tragedies or deal with the emotional and psychological side of crisis repair.

Careers in development can focus on the following topics: the international economy, urban and housing, microfinance and small businesses, and sustainable agriculture. Students may also work towards improving the state of poverty, hunger, and homelessness at local levels. Some developmental jobs are more numbers-based, such as microfinance and the economy, while others have a strong humanitarian aspect. 

Peace and conflict majors going into conflict resolution may deal with mediation, inter-faith and intra-faith conflicts, violence prevention, and reconciliation. 

Global threat mitigation may address issues such as genocide, gender-based violence, climate change, terrorism, and war. Students might join an organization working to fight one of these threats, or they might found their own organization. 

Another option for students is to work in business. Graduates can employ the skills learned in their major in human resources, public relations, and contract negotiation. 

Finally, majors may use their writing, communication, and humanitarian skills in journalism or speech writing. For more information, visit bls.gov.

Career Paths for Peace and Conflict Studies Majors

· Business

· Conflict Resolution

· Counseling

· Development

· Diplomacy

· Education

· Global Threat Mitigation

· Government

· Human Rights Advocacy

· Humanitarian Action

· Law

· Non-Profit Management

· Restorative Justice

· Women's Advancement

What's an Honors College?

As seniors review their college lists, they might find themselves caught between their desire for the intimate learning environment of a liberal arts college and the options and experiences available at a large university.  One way to have the best of both worlds is through a university honors program. Many public and some private universities offer honors programs that provide great benefits, including preferential class registration, special honors classes, enhanced advising and enrichment programs.

Honors classes attract top professors who enjoy teaching bright, motivated students. In most programs, students are not required to take all honors courses, and often take one or two honors classes each semester along with their other classes. Honors classes are smaller and students can pursue a subject in more depth. Some programs require students to complete a senior project to receive an honors designation on their transcript.

Many schools offer separate honors housing. Having a residential community where students take their studies seriously can be especially important at schools that are known for a party atmosphere. Honors students are generally not required to live in honors housing, but it’s nice to have the option.

The University of Arizona and Arizona State University offer honors programs. These are such large universities, each with more than 30,000 students, that an honors program is a great way to create a sense of community and to be assured of having real contact with professors. Arizona State University’s Barrett Honors College creates a living-learning community featuring classrooms, advising center, computer room and residence halls. Honors advisors help students find opportunities for    research, internships and study abroad. Students who are interested need to apply both to ASU and the Barrett Honors College.

Some honors programs provide financial incentives. Penn State University’s Schreyer Honors College offers a renewable scholarship of $5,000 to all first-year students, and provides grants to students who study abroad. The school offers more than 300 honors courses each year. Like many honors programs, Schreyer boasts of high placement rates to graduate and professional schools.

Private schools can also have honors programs. At Boston’s Northeastern University, students have access to separate honors sections of courses, as well as interdisciplinary honors seminars. They can live with other freshmen honors students, and enjoy excursions to the theater and symphony.

These are just a few examples of the many honors programs available at colleges and universities across the country. While a few require a separate application, most schools will invite applicants with top grades and test scores to join their honors programs. These programs can offer terrific benefits, but as always, it’s important to do your research and make sure the school is a good match.

Majoring in Bioengineering

What makes a major “valuable?” Most would agree that competitive average starting pay, median mid-career pay, growth in salary, and wealth of job opportunities all contribute to value. Biomedical Engineering is one of the majors that is considered most worth your tuition, time and effort. But what is Biomedical Engineering? 

The terms bioengineering and biomedical engineering are often used interchangeably. Sometimes, however, bioengineering refers to issues involving animal health and/or plants and agriculture, whereas biomedical engineering refers to a focus on human health.  

There are four fields within biomedical engineering: clinical engineering, medical devices, medical imaging and tissue engineering. Clinical engineering involves operating and supervising the use of equipment within hospitals and medical facilities. Medical device engineering is concerned with the invention and operation of diagnostic devices; either devices that help cure diseases or devices that help the body operate normally such as pacemakers, diabetic pumps or dental implants. Medical imaging is concerned with the invention and use of equipment that takes images of the body to help diagnose and create treatment options for patients, including X-Ray machines and ultrasound equipment. Tissue engineering focuses on developing and implementing artificial organs. In some cases, this also includes inventing technologies to regrow organs or create entirely new ones. Other specialties within biomedical engineering are biomaterials,  biomechanics, rehabilitation engineering, and orthopedic engineering.

Bioengineering programs provide students with the scientific knowledge and engineering tools necessary for graduate study in the engineering or scientific disciplines, continued education in health professional schools, or employment in industry. Top notch programs provide students with a rigorous education in engineering and fundamental sciences, offer experience in state-of-the-art research in bioengineering, and teach the problem-solving and team-building skills necessary to succeed in a bioengineering career.  

All students begin with foundation courses in biology, physics, chemistry, and math. They then take courses in basic engineering principles, computer science, statistics, and applied math. The last two years of most undergraduate programs include courses in materials, fluid mechanics, signals and systems, biomedical imaging, and ethics, among others. Students often have the opportunity to choose electives tailored to their individual interests.   

Graduates with a bachelor’s degree in bioengineering often work in collaboration with health care professionals. Effective communication skills, the ability to work in multidisciplinary teams, and an appreciation of the ethical and regulatory constraints governing the development, manufacture, and distribution of health care products, are all required.   

Demand for biomedical engineers will be strong because an aging population is likely to need more medical care and because of increased public awareness of biomedical engineering advances and their benefits.  The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a 10% growth of job opportunities within this field, twice that for most engineering positions.  

Engineering programs should be ABET accredited, meaning they meet the standards established by the Accreditation Board for Engineering Technology.  Look for this accreditation when researching college programs.

http://www.abet.org Accreditation Board for Engineering & Technology. Includes information for students about the importance of accreditation, careers options, and student perspectives.     

Career Paths for Biomedical Engineering Majors

· Software and hardware engineering

· Medical device industry

· Innovative design and development

· Research and development

· Manufacturing

· Equipment testing and field servicing

· Clinical patient evaluation

· Technical documentation

· Sales

· Hospital equipment selection and support

· Teaching

· Management

· Undergraduate preparation for medicine, dentistry or law

Considering Applying Early Decision (ED)

What is Early Decision (ED)? Early Decision is a binding admissions decision plan.  In exchange for receiving an earlier admissions decision, students applying ED agree that, if they’re admitted, they’ll attend that college and withdraw all of their other college applications. Typically, Early Decision plans have deadlines in early November. Since ED is a binding agreement, students who’ve carefully and thoroughly researched their college options and decided with certainty that one particular school is their top choice are the best candidates for Early Decision. Some colleges also have a second ED round (ED2) with deadlines falling in early January.  For ED1, applicants will generally receive their decision before Christmas.  In the second ED round, students will receive their decision a month to six weeks before regular decision candidates are notified.

Will applying ED make it easier to get in?  Sometimes.  Early  Decision isn’t a “miracle cure” for students whose stats are far below those of the students typically admitted to that college. However, if you wouldn’t be a strong applicant during the regular admissions round, then it’s unlikely that you’ll be admitted simply because you apply under ED.  When a student’s grades and test scores put the student within the typical ranges for admitted students at a college, they can often have a better chance of admission during the ED round.  Keep in mind, however, that ED acceptance rates vary greatly from college to college, and the early applicant pool is often extremely well qualified.  At the most competitive colleges, the acceptance rates for ED applicants are still very low.  Many of the highly selective colleges, however, fill around half their class through ED; some fill a higher percentage, leaving little space in the regular round.

How will applying Early Decision affect financial aid? If you’re admitted during Early Decision, you’ll typically receive the same financial aid package that you would have received if you’d applied in the regular admission cycle.  However, one of the main disadvantages of an ED acceptance is that you won’t be able to compare financial aid offers from other colleges.  Because you’re giving up the right, it’s smart for families to use the Net Price Calculators on different college websites to get estimates of how financial aid may vary before making the ED choice.

What happens when I receive my ED admission decision? When you apply ED, you’ll receive one of three decisions: Admit, deny, or deferred.  If you’re admitted, you must immediately withdraw all applications from other colleges, and send in an enrollment deposit to the ED college.  If you’re denied (rejected), you can’t reapply to the college in the regular decision round and should immediately turn your attention to the other colleges on your list.  If you’re deferred, the college will take a second look at your application during the Regular Decision round, but you should immediately complete your applications to other colleges.

Making the Most of your High School Years

Entering high school can be overwhelming; you have far more options and opportunities than before, as well as greater expectations. The choices you make through high school will have an impact on your future education. It is important to choose wisely  both classes and extracurricular activities so that you can enjoy your high school years. 

Academics

Each year, try to increase your level of academic challenge in your coursework. However, while AP, IB, and honors level classes are impressive to universities, so are good grades. If taking every subject at the highest level will start to drop grades below a B, students should prioritize taking difficult classes in subjects they are either best at or most interested in. It may be better to have all As and a mix of AP and CP classes than Bs and Cs in all APs.  When choosing classes, try not to be influenced by your friends; choose courses that are best suited to you.

High school classes are challenging, and you should seek support before your grades tumble. Emailing teachers to set up time outside of class, looking into a school’s offerings such as lunch-time writing programs, utilizing free online study materials, or forming study groups with peers are all good ideas. Students can also hire tutors or take advantage of free local or virtual tutoring programs. 

Extracurriculars 

Extracurriculars allow individuals to find and pursue activities that interest them. Examples include sports, clubs, volunteering, artistic pursuits, internships, and other hobbies. Try out any extracurriculars that appeal to you, but remember depth of involvement is more important than quantity. 

Classes and extracurriculars can help you discover where your passions and strengths lie.  College admission officers look for depth of community involvement. Leadership roles are particularly appealing. 

Have fun and take time for yourself

High school is not just about getting high grades and building an impressive resume. It is also a great time to make friends and explore engaging activities. Check out any school-run events that interest you, such as school dances, sports games, or rallies. There is no right way to enjoy high school, but with the sheer number of opportunities and requirements, doing too much can be overwhelming. Build in time to take care of yourself. Self-care looks different for everyone, but ideas include getting adequate sleep, setting a weekly TV night, reading before bedtime, hanging out with friends, cooking or baking, finding time to exercise, and making time to be with those you love. 

Scheduling 

Balancing classes, friends, extracurriculars, and self-care time may seem daunting. For this reason, high school is a great time to learn how to create a schedule that works for you. Experimentation is key. While some students do homework best at night, others benefit from starting right after school. People need different amounts of time to complete assignments, so it is up to each student to discover when to start each project and how much time to devote to them. Finally, individuals crave different amounts of downtime and socialization. This delicate balance will change over time, but beginning to attune to this will have lifelong benefits. 

The high school years provide the opportunity to develop many important life skills as well as an academic education. Make the most of these years by embracing the experience!

What is a "Safety" School?

As the college admission process becomes more complex, students are beginning to wonder if they are assured acceptance to their so-called ‘safety’ schools.  This is a tricky question, and the short answer is: not really.  We also suggest that high school students apply to a range of colleges, including a few “targets, “reaches,” and “likelies.” Targets refer to schools where your test scores and GPA fall within the mid-range of the admit profile. Stretches, or reaches, are schools that have higher average test scores and GPAs than yours.  Likelies refer to schools where your scores fall above the 50th percentile of admitted students.  Some experts argue that these terms should be changed to the more accurate names of  “unlikely”, “possible”, and “likely”.  College admission is a complicated process, taking into account many factors and, as in life, there are simply no guarantees. 

Although SAT/ACT scores and your GPA can give you an idea of whether or not you might be admitted to a particular school, they are not the only factors considered during the admission process.  Test optional admission has further muddied the admission waters. Be sure to check all prospective colleges’ acceptance rates, as this is another indication of your chances.  Commonly considered a best practice, most universities now have holistic admission, which means that they emphasize the applicant’s complete academic record along with their life experiences, not just select pieces such as grades and test scores. Athletic accomplishments, legacy status, leadership roles, and involvement with music, art, and community service all potentially play important roles.  Keep in mind that it is better to excel and show leadership in a select few extracurricular activities than simply to participate in several. 

A common mistake made by prospective undergraduates is to assume they will be admitted to their likely school, and thus put less effort into its essays and applications.  They also may fail to show demonstrated interest, which is gaining popularity as a factor considered by admission departments.  These errors imply that a student does not really care about being accepted, and will likely not attend if they are.  The term “yield” refers to the percentage of admitted students who actually enroll, and is important to colleges because it affects their ranking and credit rating.  If the admission office doesn’t think you will actually attend, they will be less likely to accept you, even if your scores and GPA fall into the acceptable range.

There are a few exceptions to the “no more safety schools” concept.  Some colleges have open admissions, and if you have met their minimum requirements, and know you can afford to attend, you can be fairly confident about being accepted.  Community colleges also fall into this category.

In considering where to apply, it is important to submit applications only to schools you are truly excited about.  Make sure they are a good fit as far as academics, location, size, and financial needs.  If you can’t afford your safety school or if you would be unwilling to attend, it is not a safety at all!  Don’t rush your applications, and treat each school as if it were your first choice.