278. Summer College News

Here are some links to today's stories

about college access and success.

by

Joe Rottenborn

Executive Director, Mahoning Valley College Access Program (MVCAP)

1. The changing face of America's youth, by John D. Sutter - #cnn http://t.co/fgXh3Qp - "For the first time in national history, the majority of young people in two states -- California and New Mexico -- now identify as Hispanic, according to census data released this year.In eight additional states -- Nevada, Arizona, Texas, Mississippi, Georgia, Florida, Maryland and Hawaii -- white children are in the minority compared with peers from other racial and ethnic groups combined, according to data analyzed by William Frey at the Brookings Institution."

2. When a Part-Time Job Is Your Extracurricular Activity, By Lily Altavena - http://nyti.ms/oKPWW1 - "Similarly, Ann McDermott, the director of admissions for the College of the Holy Cross in Massachusetts, said that she looked favorably on any summer job, especially when there was a financial need.“I applaud any student who is either helping themselves or helping their family,” she said. “You do still need to pay attention to the bottom line, and that is a dollar amount.”

3. E-phemeral E-Books, by Steve Kolowich - Inside Higher Ed: http://bit.ly/q4Q7bw - "At a time when many customers are making decisions with one hand on their wallets, academic presses are looking to stoke interest in their electronic versions by offering digital rentals for a reduced price. For example, instead of buying a paperback or e-book for $20 at the Stanford University Press website, students and scholars can pay $5 to access an e-book for 14 days, or $10 for 60 days."

4. 25 Colleges With the Highest Hidden Price Tags, by Lynn O'Shaughnessy -http://t.co/9DYYdTg via @cbsmoneywatch - "When my friend Betsy asked me for advice a few months ago, I told her that Alex should stay away from art schools and apply to regular colleges and universities that offer art degrees instead.Why? Many art schools, as well as schools of music, are extremely expensive, but their financial aid packages are often laughable."

5. District Dossier: Investigators Offer a Look Inside Atlanta's Cheating Scandal, by Christina Samuels - http://t.co/zAKt2z3 - "The conclusion in the report is scathing and unequivocal: "Without question, cheating occurred in [Atlanta Public Schools] on the CRCT in 2009 and previous years. The erasure analysis is no longer a mere red flag, but is supported by confessions and other evidence of cheating in 78.6 percent of the elementary and middle schools we investigated."

6. The 10 Most Expensive Public Business Schools For In-State Students, by Lindsay Dittman - http://huff.to/mS3Gdg - "Though all ten business schools are good (all ten made it into the top 40 best business schools rankings and seven made it into the top 25), the prices are still astronomically high (and figures don’t even include room and board, books, and other miscellaneous costs). The survey noted that four of the ten schools charged state resident more than $40,000 for the school year."

7. The NERDIEST Colleges, by Lindsay Dittman - http://huff.to/rjkYOL - "Modern nerds fit into a more important category: people that pursue what they want with all their heart. They confidently participate in what they love, even if what they love is totally bizarre. They're the future Nobel Laureates, astronauts and engineers, but also the champions of bygone eras, the lovers of mustaches, bike-jousting and campus-wide Rube Goldberg machines."

8. How Can I Find the Right Extracurricular Activities for Me? - College Admissions Q&As (usnews.com) - http://t.co/TbkooLK - "It's no secret that colleges are seeking students who involve themselves with activities outside the classroom. Sports, community service, and student organizations are all great ways to supplement a strong GPA. However, some students often find it challenging to identify an activity they're passionate about. Tami G. from Pine Bluff, Ark., wants to know how that specific scenario could impact her college application and if there are other ways to find groups she might find exciting."

9. Is the White House Committed to Addressing the Role Poverty Plays in the Achievement Gap? by Liz Dwyer - http://su.pr/2GPNL2 (@GOOD stuff) - "More money is coming to the U.S. Department of Education's year-old Promise Neighborhoods program. Modeled after Geoffrey Canada's successful Harlem Children's Zone (HCZ) initiative, the Promise Neighborhoods program awarded $10 million in 2010 to 21 mostly nonprofit and higher education-based applicants . . . . In comparison, over the past year and a half, the Obama Administration has put more than $4 billion toward its Race to the Top (RTTT) competition, making it the single-largest discretionary program in the history of the USDOE."