I recently found a new networking site focused on serving just medical students. If you know of someone stufying medicine, let them know about:
http://www.medicalstudents.com/
What other sites are out there offering similar opportunities to other student groups???
College Selection - For Profit Programs - Choose Wisely
There has been much press recently regarding for-profit colleges, specifically some of the recruiting practices used to enroll prospective students. While the press is concerning and certainly there are problems with some for-profit recruiting, this remains an education option for many students. Those considering a for-profit education simply need to do the in-depth research and develop the right questions to successfully navigate the research process for such programs.
This post will provide an overview of the research needed to make an informed decision about for-profit colleges and their programs. The chances of a successful education experience will increase greatly if critical fact-finding is done at the beginning.
CAREER SELECTION
- What led you to this career field?
- What do you know about the career such as best places to be in the field, ease of entering the field including how long you have to 'pay your dues' in order to grow, required training and experience, employment trends (on the grow, static or on the decline)...
- Tip: Do several job shadows to learn more about the 'real-world' of the job and its role in the industry.
- How did you identify this program? Professional or personal recommendation? Advertising? College or Career Fair? Other?
- When was the college/program founded? What is its academic and professional experience in the field you want to pursue?
- Is the college independently owned or owned by a corporation, in other words who controls your education experience?
- Is the college accredited? By what body? Is it an accreditation that is valued by professionals in the field you are pursuing? Is the program accredited by a professional organization in your proposed field?
- Specifically, how will this program help you meet your career goals?
FACULTY/PROGRAM
- What are the credentials and professional experience of those who will be teaching you?
- What practical experience do you gain during the program such as internship or externship opportunities?
- What is the reputation of the college/program in the community, regionally if offered in a multi-state area? Do employers value a degree or certificate from this college/program? Do employers hire students from this program?
- What other programs are available that offers an education in your career of interest?
- Are course credits transferable to other institutions such as traditional 4-year colleges?
- Tip: Seek feedback from past students in the targeted program as well as prospective employers.
PROGRAM COMPLETION
- What percent of students completed the program? Why did students leave the program prior to completion? How does this program/college completion rate compare with similar programs?
- What do program graduates say about their education, career placement and professional opportunities upon program completion?
- Are there other avenues to gain experience and opportunities in the desired career field?
PROGRAM FUNDING/DEBT LOAD
- What is the average student debt load upon graduation? How does the debt load compare to the average beginning earnings?
- What is the availability of federal financial aid versus private student loans?
- Tip: Student loans are still due even if the program is not completed and they cannot be discharged in bankruptcy.
THE FUTURE
- What is a realistic income projection both as starting wage and as a seasoned professional?
- What are the opportunities for advancement?
- Tip: Do not rely solely upon income and opportunity information provided by Admissions Recruiters. Instead, check such sources as professional associations, the Bureau of Labour Statistics and the like to gain a realistic view of the career.
Asking questions like these will allow you to get the 'full story.' make wise education decisions and minimize costly 'do-over's.'
Devon O'Brien, M.Ed. ~ Destination College & Beyond LLC
www.DCB-creatingfutures.com ~ planning@DCB-creatingfutures.com
Creating Futures through Education ~ Career ~ Life!
Not Scared of Selectivity
Community college students can successfully transfer to some of the nation’s most selective four-year institutions and perform as well as those who start as freshmen, if they are given appropriate academic and social support, a new report on a five-year project by the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation finds.
The Community College Transfer Initiative, started in 2005, provided about $7 million over four years to eight four-year institutions — Amherst College, Bucknell University, Cornell University, Mount Holyoke College, University of California at Berkeley, University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and University of Southern California — in an effort “to promote sustainable, long-term increases in the number of high-achieving community college students from low-income families transferring to the nation’s selective four-year institutions.” These institutions worked with nearby community colleges to eliminate kinks in the transfer process and also offered potential transfers specialized orientation and ongoing tutoring to smooth the transition. In recent years, some of the participating institutions — like Mount Holyoke — have formalized such transfer programs for the long term.
The foundation kicked off a conference on transfer programs Wednesday and released its report as part of that event.
From 2007 through 2010, nearly 2,000 community college transfer students enrolled in these eight institutions because of the project. Prior to it, many of these more selective institutions did not have structured programs to assist community college transfer students and, as a result, often did not enroll many.
About 65 percent of the transfer students were at least two years older than “traditional” students of their same academic level at these four-year institutions. Most reported that they had worked between high school and college, delaying their studies. Also, 41 percent of them identified themselves as the first in their family to attend a four-year institution.
Emily Froimson, director of higher education programs at the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation, noted that further information about the performance of these community college transfer students is to come in a more comprehensive report in December. Still, she said the data would show that the transfer students assisted by this program had comparable grade point averages and graduation rates to those of native students at these eight institutions.
This success, Froimson argued, is important to highlight because qualified community college students are not always encouraged to apply to more selective four-year institutions, even though this may be a good move for them.
“We know from research that high achieving low-income students will graduate at higher rates if they go to more selective institutions,” Froimson said. “Why? We’re not sure at the moment. We just know that [attending a more selective institution] matters more, in particular, for low-income students in a way that it doesn’t for higher-income students. They’ll graduate at the same rates regardless of where they attend.”
It is Froimson’s hope, she said, that the results of this project can bring together community colleges and selective four-year institutions, which have often ignored one another, in new, more productive ways. And it is not just the four-year institutions that have preconceived notions, she added.
“We have heard from some of our own scholars that their students are told, ‘You won’t fit in [at a selective college]’ or that ‘These types of institutions don’t take students like you,’ ” Froimson said. “Mostly, it’s just a lack of familiarity with these institutions or the fact that a [community college] counselor may have more familiarity with that state college down the street. In terms of transfer, it’s easier than they think.”
Also among some of the report’s preliminary findings, the program’s transfer students felt positively about their integration, both academically and socially, into their new four-year institutions. About 70 percent reported that “they were either well-prepared or very-well prepared for academics at the four-year institution.” Just a bit more than a quarter of them said they had had “serious academic difficulties during the previous academic year.” Finally, only 19 percent reported ever “having thought about dropping out.”
Minds changed at the four-year level as well. The report notes that some schools and departments within participating institutions initially were unwilling to take on these community college transfer students because of worries about their academic preparation. Though Froimson did not wish to identify any of these initial doubters, she was able to characterize them broadly.
“There were challenges in particular in areas where faculty have more control over department admissions,” Froimson said. “It wouldn’t surprise me if the hesitance was there simply from lack of experience with community colleges. … [Science, technology, engineering and mathematics] fields were generally harder to work with. Although, I don’t know if that was because of faculty perceptions as much as the challenges of transfer and sequencing.”
— David Moltz of Inside Higher Ed
The Community College Transfer Initiative, started in 2005, provided about $7 million over four years to eight four-year institutions — Amherst College, Bucknell University, Cornell University, Mount Holyoke College, University of California at Berkeley, University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and University of Southern California — in an effort “to promote sustainable, long-term increases in the number of high-achieving community college students from low-income families transferring to the nation’s selective four-year institutions.” These institutions worked with nearby community colleges to eliminate kinks in the transfer process and also offered potential transfers specialized orientation and ongoing tutoring to smooth the transition. In recent years, some of the participating institutions — like Mount Holyoke — have formalized such transfer programs for the long term.
The foundation kicked off a conference on transfer programs Wednesday and released its report as part of that event.
From 2007 through 2010, nearly 2,000 community college transfer students enrolled in these eight institutions because of the project. Prior to it, many of these more selective institutions did not have structured programs to assist community college transfer students and, as a result, often did not enroll many.
About 65 percent of the transfer students were at least two years older than “traditional” students of their same academic level at these four-year institutions. Most reported that they had worked between high school and college, delaying their studies. Also, 41 percent of them identified themselves as the first in their family to attend a four-year institution.
Emily Froimson, director of higher education programs at the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation, noted that further information about the performance of these community college transfer students is to come in a more comprehensive report in December. Still, she said the data would show that the transfer students assisted by this program had comparable grade point averages and graduation rates to those of native students at these eight institutions.
This success, Froimson argued, is important to highlight because qualified community college students are not always encouraged to apply to more selective four-year institutions, even though this may be a good move for them.
“We know from research that high achieving low-income students will graduate at higher rates if they go to more selective institutions,” Froimson said. “Why? We’re not sure at the moment. We just know that [attending a more selective institution] matters more, in particular, for low-income students in a way that it doesn’t for higher-income students. They’ll graduate at the same rates regardless of where they attend.”
It is Froimson’s hope, she said, that the results of this project can bring together community colleges and selective four-year institutions, which have often ignored one another, in new, more productive ways. And it is not just the four-year institutions that have preconceived notions, she added.
“We have heard from some of our own scholars that their students are told, ‘You won’t fit in [at a selective college]’ or that ‘These types of institutions don’t take students like you,’ ” Froimson said. “Mostly, it’s just a lack of familiarity with these institutions or the fact that a [community college] counselor may have more familiarity with that state college down the street. In terms of transfer, it’s easier than they think.”
Also among some of the report’s preliminary findings, the program’s transfer students felt positively about their integration, both academically and socially, into their new four-year institutions. About 70 percent reported that “they were either well-prepared or very-well prepared for academics at the four-year institution.” Just a bit more than a quarter of them said they had had “serious academic difficulties during the previous academic year.” Finally, only 19 percent reported ever “having thought about dropping out.”
Minds changed at the four-year level as well. The report notes that some schools and departments within participating institutions initially were unwilling to take on these community college transfer students because of worries about their academic preparation. Though Froimson did not wish to identify any of these initial doubters, she was able to characterize them broadly.
“There were challenges in particular in areas where faculty have more control over department admissions,” Froimson said. “It wouldn’t surprise me if the hesitance was there simply from lack of experience with community colleges. … [Science, technology, engineering and mathematics] fields were generally harder to work with. Although, I don’t know if that was because of faculty perceptions as much as the challenges of transfer and sequencing.”
— David Moltz of Inside Higher Ed
7 Strategies to Avoid the College Debt Trap
September 5, 2010
Is it worth it to pay $200,000 for a liberal arts education, especially if it means taking out loans? One of my 20-something Kiplinger colleagues answers bluntly: "If I had realized how much debt I was getting into, I would have gone to my state school instead of an expensive private college."
As important as education is in today's world, families need to find more affordable ways to pay for it. Mark Kantrowitz, publisher of FinAid.org and FastWeb.com, has calculated that total student-loan debt exceeds revolving credit (mostly credit-card debt).
Here's my guide for parents about avoiding the student-debt trap:
Save as much as you can. It's never too late to start, especially if you live in a state that gives you an income-tax break for contributions to state-sponsored 529 plans. Plus, money withdrawn from 529 accounts and used to pay for qualified college expenses is tax-free.
Don't let the total cost of college discourage you. If it seems intimidating, aim for a more manageable goal -- such as saving enough to pay first-year expenses or one-third of the total cost (the rest could be covered by a combination of current income, both yours and your child's, and financial aid). Remember, every dollar you save is a dollar you won't have to borrow.
Be straight with your kids about what you can afford. Have the "college talk" with your teenagers before they start their search so that they know what fits into your budget and how much they'll have to contribute. At a minimum, kids should be expected to earn their own spending money.
Choose schools strategically. You're looking for colleges that deliver good value -- a high-quality education at an affordable price. That might mean a state institution, or it could mean a pricey private school that offers a generous financial-aid package. To better their chances for a scholarship, students should focus on schools at which their GPA or other achievements would make them a standout.
Think outside the box. Students can follow the example of one of our top Kiplinger editors, who started at a lower-cost community college and then transferred to a four-year school. And more colleges are offering online classes to keep costs under control. Taking Advanced Placement classes in high school can slice a year off your child's education and cut your expenses by 25 percent. Uncle Sam will help pay the bill if your child joins the military. You could also take advantage of the growing number of colleges offering accelerated, three-year degree programs.
Or, here's a radical thought: Your child may be better off passing up college, at least for a year. Not everyone is ready for college at 18. It might literally pay if your child takes a year off to mature, earn some money and figure out what he really wants to study. Education and training are critical in today's economy, but rather than spend time and money on a degree from a four-year institution, it might be more appropriate for some kids to consider a one- or two-year certificate program from community college in a field such as health care or engineering.
Borrow smart. If your family must borrow to pay the bills, stick with government-sponsored Stafford loans for students and PLUS loans for parents (or a home-equity line of credit, if you qualify). Current interest rates on government loans are 6.8 percent for students (lower if you're eligible for financial subsidies) and 7.9 percent for new PLUS loans (for more information on student loans, go to StudentLoans.gov). With that combination, you shouldn't have to resort to more-expensive private loans.
Run the numbers. Perhaps the most important mathematical exercise your child will ever have to do -- and the most widely neglected -- is figure out how much it will cost to pay back her student loans. At FinAid.org, you can use the Student Loan Advisor calculator to determine the monthly payment amount based on a future salary.
Let's say your daughter plans to major in accounting, with a projected starting salary of $47,200. If she wanted to hold the loan payments to 10 percent of her monthly income and repay the loans over 10 years, her monthly payment would be $393, assuming a student-loan interest rate of 6.8 percent, and her maximum manageable debt would be $34,200.
Pick a marketable major. Majors that are most likely to yield an immediate job offer after college are accounting, business administration, computer science, engineering and math, according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers. But students can still major in liberal arts and make themselves attractive to potential employers by choosing subjects that are marketable. As an editor, I always counsel budding journalists who are majoring in something as general as "mass communications" to add a minor or a concentration in another subject -- business, health or computer skills, for instance. As the editor of a personal-finance magazine, I can attest that our most attractive job candidates are those who combine writing ability with knowledge of the subjects we cover. That applies to other fields as well. If your daughter is majoring in economics, she should take accounting. If she's studying history or government, she could learn a foreign language. An English major could take classes in technical writing. Then she'd have a better shot at landing a well-paying job to help pay back those college loans.
By Janet Bodnar
Featured in “The Washington Post”
Is it worth it to pay $200,000 for a liberal arts education, especially if it means taking out loans? One of my 20-something Kiplinger colleagues answers bluntly: "If I had realized how much debt I was getting into, I would have gone to my state school instead of an expensive private college."
As important as education is in today's world, families need to find more affordable ways to pay for it. Mark Kantrowitz, publisher of FinAid.org and FastWeb.com, has calculated that total student-loan debt exceeds revolving credit (mostly credit-card debt).
Here's my guide for parents about avoiding the student-debt trap:
Save as much as you can. It's never too late to start, especially if you live in a state that gives you an income-tax break for contributions to state-sponsored 529 plans. Plus, money withdrawn from 529 accounts and used to pay for qualified college expenses is tax-free.
Don't let the total cost of college discourage you. If it seems intimidating, aim for a more manageable goal -- such as saving enough to pay first-year expenses or one-third of the total cost (the rest could be covered by a combination of current income, both yours and your child's, and financial aid). Remember, every dollar you save is a dollar you won't have to borrow.
Be straight with your kids about what you can afford. Have the "college talk" with your teenagers before they start their search so that they know what fits into your budget and how much they'll have to contribute. At a minimum, kids should be expected to earn their own spending money.
Choose schools strategically. You're looking for colleges that deliver good value -- a high-quality education at an affordable price. That might mean a state institution, or it could mean a pricey private school that offers a generous financial-aid package. To better their chances for a scholarship, students should focus on schools at which their GPA or other achievements would make them a standout.
Think outside the box. Students can follow the example of one of our top Kiplinger editors, who started at a lower-cost community college and then transferred to a four-year school. And more colleges are offering online classes to keep costs under control. Taking Advanced Placement classes in high school can slice a year off your child's education and cut your expenses by 25 percent. Uncle Sam will help pay the bill if your child joins the military. You could also take advantage of the growing number of colleges offering accelerated, three-year degree programs.
Or, here's a radical thought: Your child may be better off passing up college, at least for a year. Not everyone is ready for college at 18. It might literally pay if your child takes a year off to mature, earn some money and figure out what he really wants to study. Education and training are critical in today's economy, but rather than spend time and money on a degree from a four-year institution, it might be more appropriate for some kids to consider a one- or two-year certificate program from community college in a field such as health care or engineering.
Borrow smart. If your family must borrow to pay the bills, stick with government-sponsored Stafford loans for students and PLUS loans for parents (or a home-equity line of credit, if you qualify). Current interest rates on government loans are 6.8 percent for students (lower if you're eligible for financial subsidies) and 7.9 percent for new PLUS loans (for more information on student loans, go to StudentLoans.gov). With that combination, you shouldn't have to resort to more-expensive private loans.
Run the numbers. Perhaps the most important mathematical exercise your child will ever have to do -- and the most widely neglected -- is figure out how much it will cost to pay back her student loans. At FinAid.org, you can use the Student Loan Advisor calculator to determine the monthly payment amount based on a future salary.
Let's say your daughter plans to major in accounting, with a projected starting salary of $47,200. If she wanted to hold the loan payments to 10 percent of her monthly income and repay the loans over 10 years, her monthly payment would be $393, assuming a student-loan interest rate of 6.8 percent, and her maximum manageable debt would be $34,200.
Pick a marketable major. Majors that are most likely to yield an immediate job offer after college are accounting, business administration, computer science, engineering and math, according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers. But students can still major in liberal arts and make themselves attractive to potential employers by choosing subjects that are marketable. As an editor, I always counsel budding journalists who are majoring in something as general as "mass communications" to add a minor or a concentration in another subject -- business, health or computer skills, for instance. As the editor of a personal-finance magazine, I can attest that our most attractive job candidates are those who combine writing ability with knowledge of the subjects we cover. That applies to other fields as well. If your daughter is majoring in economics, she should take accounting. If she's studying history or government, she could learn a foreign language. An English major could take classes in technical writing. Then she'd have a better shot at landing a well-paying job to help pay back those college loans.
By Janet Bodnar
Featured in “The Washington Post”
Common Application, Common Mistakes
For those who may not have noticed, or are new to the game of college admissions (which probably accounts for 99.9% of those reading this and other college admission blogs), the Common App has changed for the next class of applicants.
Some of the changes are obvious -- such as the reformatting of choices available in reporting SAT and/or ACT scores -- while others are more nuanced, making them all the more likely to lead to mistakes by the applicant, with often unintended, and, sometimes undesirable results.
It is all the more important, then, and incumbent upon the applicant, to read ALL instructions, thereafter, to carefully and thoroughly follow them.
Jeremy Spencer, Director of Admissions at Alfred University (writing for About.com:College Admissions) notes six of the most common mistakes made in the college application process. Read, The Six Most Common Blunders of College Applicants. Many of these errors of commission or omission translate directly from mistakes made on the Common App. These include, but surely are not limited to, missing deadlines, applying Early Decision instead of Early Action, and using the wrong college name in the essay.
Clearly, there is more to completing the Common App than simply filling in the blanks. Even those blanks require you, the applicant, to be concise, clear, and, most assuredly, accurate.
And let's not forget about those pesky short answers, where much more than "check the box that applies" is required.
Allen Grove, of About.com Guide, notes 5 Short Answer Mistakes that could, all things considered, sink what would otherwise be a meritorious application.
And then, there are the supplemental applications, addenda required by many colleges, both public and private.
Surely, you will want to put your best foot forward, presenting yourself and your credentials in the best possible light, most favorable (in the eyes of a college admissions officer) to acceptance at the college of your choice.
The Common App is, in most instances, the centerpiece of your admissions table, and you will want to set it with the knives, forks, and teaspoons properly laid out and pointing in the right direction.
A bit of old-fashioned advice from The College Whisperer as you embark on the road toward college admissions -- engaging the Common App early in your travels, and meeting it head on: Take advantage of all available resources, from your high school guidance counselor to the expert advice of an independent college planning counselor (and, yes, on occasion, even the wisdom of your parents). Along that road there is many a bump and often a detour or two. You drive, most certainly, but always seek the assist of essential navigation to gain the much-needed competitive edge.
Some of the changes are obvious -- such as the reformatting of choices available in reporting SAT and/or ACT scores -- while others are more nuanced, making them all the more likely to lead to mistakes by the applicant, with often unintended, and, sometimes undesirable results.
It is all the more important, then, and incumbent upon the applicant, to read ALL instructions, thereafter, to carefully and thoroughly follow them.
Jeremy Spencer, Director of Admissions at Alfred University (writing for About.com:College Admissions) notes six of the most common mistakes made in the college application process. Read, The Six Most Common Blunders of College Applicants. Many of these errors of commission or omission translate directly from mistakes made on the Common App. These include, but surely are not limited to, missing deadlines, applying Early Decision instead of Early Action, and using the wrong college name in the essay.
Clearly, there is more to completing the Common App than simply filling in the blanks. Even those blanks require you, the applicant, to be concise, clear, and, most assuredly, accurate.
And let's not forget about those pesky short answers, where much more than "check the box that applies" is required.
Allen Grove, of About.com Guide, notes 5 Short Answer Mistakes that could, all things considered, sink what would otherwise be a meritorious application.
And then, there are the supplemental applications, addenda required by many colleges, both public and private.
Surely, you will want to put your best foot forward, presenting yourself and your credentials in the best possible light, most favorable (in the eyes of a college admissions officer) to acceptance at the college of your choice.
The Common App is, in most instances, the centerpiece of your admissions table, and you will want to set it with the knives, forks, and teaspoons properly laid out and pointing in the right direction.
A bit of old-fashioned advice from The College Whisperer as you embark on the road toward college admissions -- engaging the Common App early in your travels, and meeting it head on: Take advantage of all available resources, from your high school guidance counselor to the expert advice of an independent college planning counselor (and, yes, on occasion, even the wisdom of your parents). Along that road there is many a bump and often a detour or two. You drive, most certainly, but always seek the assist of essential navigation to gain the much-needed competitive edge.
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