394. College Access and Success News

Here are links to recent news on college access and success.

by

Joe Rottenborn
Executive Director, Mahoning Valley College Access Program (MVCAP)

1. Read The Joe Rottenborn Daily ▸ today's top stories on college access and success via @rottenbornj ▸ http://paper.li/rottenbornj

2. Is it OK for Someone to Proofread Your College Application Essay? - College Admissions Q&As (http://t.co/YL8VAMpm) http://bit.ly/sXOnvK

3. Do colleges with test-optional admissions inflate ratings? http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/class-struggle/post/admissions-101-do-colleges-with-test-optional-admissions-inflate-their-us-news-ratings/2011/12/20/gIQApEvD7O_blog.html?tid=sm_btn_tw - "A growing number of colleges do not require SAT or ACT tests. Does that help, hurt or do nothing for a school’s U.S. News ranking?"

4. The Hazards of Being a Stealth Applicant, by Lynn O'Shaughnessy - http://www.thecollegesolution.com/the-hazards-of-being-a-stealth-applicant#.TvKffx58XNU.twitter via AddThis - "You could reduce your chances of getting accepted into college if you are a stealth applicant, who never contacts the university before you apply."

5. Tweet-like College Admission Essays Spark Debate: http://www.articlesbase.com/college-and-university-articles/tweet-like-college-admission-essays-spark-debate-5487866.html#.TvKf4o5Y2aY.twitter via ArticlesBase - "The new format integrated in the college admission essays that asks students to respond in as brief as a tweet, has triggered debates participated by students, parents and even school administrators."

6. Action teams tackle St. Paul achievement gap, recommend other big changes at SPPS Twin Cities Daily Planet http://bit.ly/swqoDm - "Slide is one of a series of recommendations from nine District Action Teams — see pdf at end of article for full PowerPoint presentation."

7. Will $60 Million For Early Learning Help Close The Achievement Gap? http://shar.es/WHwd2 - "Last week Washington state won a $60 million federal grant for early learning. We take a closer look with leading experts on early childhood education in Washington and other states. How will the state spend the money? Will it help close the achievement gap for low–income kids?"

8. Cost vs. benefit steers debate over future of integration aid http://t.co/wy2UiQMB http://www.startribune.com/politics/statelocal/135974858.html

9. 'Financial Aid Offers in Florida' - http://EzineArticles.com/6762362 - "There are several financial-aid programs given to students. Each of the programs has different requirements and qualifications. Every university and college in the United States of America have scholarship offerings to students . . . ."

10. Autopsy: FAMU band member died within an hour of beatings, by Douglas Stanglin - http://usat.ly/tZJ8Ho via @USATODAY - "CNN reports that some band members have said Champion died after taking part in a rite of passage called "crossing Bus C." One member, who CNN says spoke on condition of anonymity, described the ordeal in which students "walk from the front of the bus to the back of the bus backward while the bus is full of other band members, and you get beaten until you get to the back."

11. Ohio State gets bowl ban, other penalties - Tribune Chronicle - Warren, OH: http://bit.ly/s53koq via AddThis - "The NCAA also issued a public reprimand and censure, put the Buckeyes on probation through Dec. 19, 2014, and reduced football scholarships from 85 to 82 through the 2014-15 academic year."

12. Study Links Winning Football and Declining Grades, by Mary Pilon: http://nyti.ms/tBcKoJ - “Our results support the concern that big-time sports are a threat to American higher education,” the paper’s authors — Jason M. Lindo, Isaac D. Swensen and Glen R. Waddell — wrote. They said their work was among the first to take a look at the “nonmonetary costs” of college sports."

390. College Access and Success News

Here are links to recent news on college access and success.

by

Joe Rottenborn
Executive Director, Mahoning Valley College Access Program (MVCAP)

1. Read The Joe Rottenborn Daily ▸ today's top stories on college access and success via @rottenbornj ▸ http://paper.li/rottenbornj

2. Charter schools: Wave of the future? by Steve Kastenbaum – Schools of Thought - http://schoolsofthought.blogs.cnn.com/2011/12/15/charter-schools-wave-of-the-future/ via CNN - "The Center for Research on Education Outcomes at Stanford University studied charter school performance in 16 states. Researchers concluded that 17% of charter schools reported academic gains that were significantly better than traditional public schools. But 37% of charter schools performed at rates below their public school counterparts. The remaining 46% showed no significant difference. The Rand Corp., a nonprofit research foundation, looked at charter schools in eight states and found that, on average, charter schools as a whole aren't producing results that differ substantially from traditional public school systems. However, the study showed that students at charter high schools are between 7% and 15% more likely to graduate than their traditional public school counterparts."

3. eCheating: Students using high-tech tricks, by Greg Toppo – http://usat.ly/urySpd via @USATODAY - "Common Sense Media, a non-profit advocacy group, finds that more than 35% of teens ages 13 to 17 with cellphones have used the devices to cheat. More than half (52%) admit to some form of cheating involving the Internet, and many don't consider it a big deal. For instance, only 41% say storing notes on a cellphone to access during a test is a "serious offense." Nearly one in four (23%) don't think it's cheating at all."

4. You've Got Application Questions? We'll Have Answers, on Facebook, by Jacques Steinberg and Rebecca R. Ruiz: http://nyti.ms/vL2LEv - "We invite applicants who might be finishing their applications — or seeking to make sense of their early application news — to log on and draw on the expertise of these three counselors."

5. Budget compromise would preserve maximum Pell grant, NIH funding, by Libby A. Nelson Inside Higher Ed: http://bit.ly/tsdSWi via AddThis - "The bill, HR 3671, draws from ideas put forward in Republican and Democratic spending plans earlier this year: it would preserve the maximum Pell Grant at $5,550, but change the program’s eligibility criteria, making as many as 100,000 of its 9 million recipients ineligible. The grants could be used for a total of 12 semesters, not 18, as in the past -- a change that would affect an estimated 62,000 beneficiaries and take effect July 1, 2012."

6. 9 States Win Race to Top Early Learning Grants, by Michele McNeil - http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/campaign-k-12/2011/12/states_win_race_to_top_early_l.html via @educationweek - "Nine states will share $500 million in Race to the Top early learning grants, the U.S. Department of Education confirmed this morning. They are: California, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Ohio, Rhode Island, and Washington. They will get grants ranging from $50 million to $100 million, based on the state's student population. "Investing in early learning is one of the smartest things we can do," U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan said during the White House announcement of the winners this morning."

7. Ohio's Race to the Top: Early Learning Challenge Grant Application for Initial Funding - http://www2.ed.gov/programs/racetothetop-earlylearningchallenge/applications/ohio.pdf -"Nearly 75% of high-needs children in Ohio enter school without the skills they need to succeed in kindergarten."

8. Outsourced city school tutoring program deeply flawed, report says, by Fern Shen Baltimore Brew http://bit.ly/oJZNNL - “This is a classic case of outsourcing a vital education program to private contractors without adequate public monitoring and regulation,” Jacobson told The Brew today. “Therefore, no one knows if tutored students are making academic improvement, even though the federal law states improving academic achievement as the program’s purpose.”

9. What research exposed about market-based ed reform in 2011, by Matthew Di Carlo - http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/post/what-research-exposed-about-market-based-ed-reform-in-2011/2011/12/14/gIQAOJ3zwO_blog.html?tid=sm_btn_tw - "There were also several studies taking a look at the effects of the so-called “no excuses” model (most famously used by KIPP), which is generally characterized by an extended day/year, intensive tutoring, stepped-up recruitment and performance pay of teachers and administrators, strict discipline and data-informed instruction via interim assessments. Perhaps most notably, we received the first round of results on a pilot program in Houston, in which 20 regular public schools are being “converted” to the “no excuses” model. The preliminary results for the Houston intervention’s first year were, however, mixed. There were no discernible gains in reading, to go along with strong increases in math achievement, which seemed to be in no small part driven by the schools’ tutoring program (further discussion here)."

10. The 10 lowest college graduation rates in D.C., Md. and Va., by Daniel de Vise - http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/college-inc/post/the-10-lowest-college-graduation-rates-in-dc-md-and-va/2011/12/13/gIQAnfSVsO_blog.html?tid=sm_btn_tw - “Show me a city with a high-school dropout factory and I will show you a college in the same city with an even lower graduation rate,” said Kevin Carey, an Education Sector researcher who has studied graduation rates at length. “Apparently there’s no number so low that it automatically triggers loss of accreditation. There’s no number so low that it causes state leaders to consider shutting an institution down.”

11. College Dropout Factories by Ben Miller and Phuong Ly Washington Monthlyhttp://www.washingtonmonthly.com/college_guide/feature/college_dropout_factories.php?page=all - "But the term “dropout factory” is also applicable to colleges. The Washington Monthly and Education Sector, an independent think tank, looked at the 15 percent of colleges and universities with the worst graduation records—about 200 schools in all—and found that the graduation rate at these schools is 26 percent. (See the table at left for a listing of the fifty colleges and universities with the worst graduation rates.) America’s “college dropout factories,” in other words, are twice as bad at graduating their students as the worst high schools are at graduating theirs."

388. College Access and Success News

Here are links to recent news on college access and success.

by

Joe Rottenborn
Executive Director, Mahoning Valley College Access Program (MVCAP)

1. Read The Joe Rottenborn Daily ▸ today's top stories on college access and success via @rottenbornj ▸ http://paper.li/rottenbornj

2. NAEP Scores: Achievement Gap in D.C. Still Wide Education News - http://shar.es/oTbKI

3. More on the D.C. Achievement Gap and Michelle Rhee's Legacy - http://bit.ly/u20rqW

4. Chicago Teachers Union Organizes Parents Against CPS ‘School Actions’ -http://www.enewspf.com/latest-news/school-news/29530-chicago-teachers-union-organizes-parents-against-cps-school-actions-.html

5. Maya Cole: Why I will vote against Madison Prep http://bit.ly/uBtOk3

6. Researchers Probe 'Myths' Around Math Gender Gap, by Sarah D. Sparks - http://t.co/cMCj6Ybx via @educationweek

7. Start the scholarship search with fact-finding http://t.co/nxBiwOEU & The Charlotte Observer Newspaper: http://t.co/8g9wlTX2 via @AddThis

8. Vanderbilt, Duke are South's most selective colleges - http://t.co/nq2Xv3VW via @nashvillebiz

9. Rice is most selective college for admissions in Texas - http://t.co/4F4i0JrT via @HOUBizjournal

10. On College: What struggles do you reveal on your college application? - San Jose Mercury News http://t.co/WSInAjqR

290. 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. Separate but Equal? by Scott Jaschik - Inside Higher Ed: http://bit.ly/p7xxKG - "But part of Peace College's announcement was quite different from the pattern: the college announced that once it admits men, some courses will remain single sex. The official announcement said that "the new coeducational institution will continue to be student-centered. One way is ... to offer select single-gender courses in targeted disciplines where research shows that women and men learn differently and that each benefit from a single-gender classroom. As a coeducational institution, all classes will be accessible to all students."

2. Does Performance Funding Work? by Doug Lederman - Inside Higher Ed: http://bit.ly/qg9Cur - "Based on that premise, several states -- including Ohio and Indiana -- have altered their formulas for allocating state funds in recent years, but those programs are too new to offer any evidence of their efficacy. But several other states have had performance-funding programs in place for much longer, and in a paper released this spring at the annual meeting of the Association for Institutional Research, two scholars studied Tennessee's -- the country's "oldest and most stable performance funding program" -- for insights into how such programs affect retention and graduation rates. Not very much, the authors report."

3. 20 Things High School Seniors Should Be Doing Now, by Lynn O'Shaughnessy - http://t.co/pogJ1cX via @cbsmoneywatch - "Time is running out for high school seniors, who will soon be overwhelmed with college applications. Teenagers will be less stressed if they take advantage of the last month of summer to get a jump on the college admission process. Here are 20 things they can be doing now:"

4. College Bound: Efforts to Save Pell Grants From Cuts Ramp Up, by Caralee Adams - http://t.co/8L2sC2j via @educationweek - "Advocates have dubbed July 25 "Save Pell Day" to draw attention to potential reductions in the federal program that gives grants to needy students to attend college. A website dedicated to the cause encourages supporters to send elected officials tweets and emails asking them to fund the $5,550 maximum Pell Grant. The site also asks students to use blogs and Facebook to share information on the potential impact of Pell cuts."

5. South Korea to Replace All Paper Textbooks With Digital Content http://t.co/VKOLwHd via @educationweek - "France, Singapore, Japan and others are racing to create classrooms where touch-screens provide instant access to millions of pieces of information. But South Korea—Asia's fourth-largest economy—believes it enjoys an advantage over these countries, with kids who are considered the world's savviest navigators of the digital universe."

6. Amazon to Start Renting Out Electronic College Textbooks, by Christopher F. Schuetze - http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/25/us/25iht-EDUCBRIEFS25.html?src=recg - "The company announced last week that electronic versions of textbooks would be available for rent for periods of between 30 and 360 days. Once books are rented, the lending period can be extended by as little as a day. “Tens of thousands of textbooks are available for the 2011 school year,” according to a press release from Amazon, from publishers including John Wiley & Sons, Elsevier and Taylor & Francis. Amazon claims that rentals can save students up to 80 percent compared with the original price.

7. R.O.I., By Cecilia Capuzzi Simon - http://nyti.ms/pmJSnr - "So as a strictly financial calculation, does the investment pay off? . . . But if schools of applied learning aren’t asking the tough questions about the financials of a degree, potential students should, says Anthony P. Carnevale, director of Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce. “No one’s telling them what it’s worth. Certainly the colleges aren’t.”

8. Web restrictions draw ire of some educators, by Greg Toppo - http://usat.ly/olF2kS via @USATODAY - "Filtering software and school rules designed to keep out violence and pornography are also blocking key educational and otherwise useful sites, teachers say, including Facebook, Twitter and YouTube — not to mention Google and National Geographic."

9. Why ‘no excuses’ makes no sense: Revisiting the Coleman report, by Gary Ravani - The Answer Sheet - http://t.co/07F3tn0 via @washingtonpost - "Perhaps the single best-known piece of social science research ever done in this country is the study produced by sociologist James Coleman in 1966 under the authority of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, commonly called “the Coleman Report.” Coleman’s work is the second largest social science research project in history, covering 600,000 children in 4,000 schools nationally. Coleman concluded that school-based poverty concentrations were negatively impacting school achievement for the minority poor."

10. Action steps can close racial gap, by Donna Y. Ford http://t.co/xeTRwIr via @Tennessean"The pervasive achievement gap is the greatest problem facing schools."

11. Racial gap hinders academic progress, by Dwight Lewis http://t.co/tUiz7Wn via @Tennessean - “Some individuals in this country still believe that the achievement gap exists because children of certain backgrounds — namely, low-income or minority children — are inherently less capable than others,” Jason Kamras, the 2005 National Teacher of the Year, has written. “Nothing could be more false.”

12. Consumer Corner: What's a college degree worth? Plenty. by Marcella S. Kreiter - http://t.co/cjjbQIc via @upi_top - "The bottom line is that getting a degree matters, but what you take matters more," said Anthony P. Carnevale, director of the Center on Education and the Workforce. Michael Greenstone and Adam Looney of The Hamilton Project agree. "Higher education is a much better investment than almost any other alternative, even for the 'Class of the Great Recession' (young adults ages 23-24)," they said on the project's Web site. "In today's tough labor market, a college degree dramatically boosts the odds of finding a job and making more money. . . ."

273. Review of 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. Read The Joe Rottenborn Daily ▸ today's top stories via @rottenbornj ▸ http://t.co/UftEiOc

2. Column: Why DREAM Act is right for U.S., young people, by Arne Duncan - http://usat.ly/knc93Z via @USATODAY - "Leaders in Congress have introduced the DREAM Act to create opportunities for patriotic young people to attend college even though they don't have documentation. They will have to go through a rigorous process to qualify for the DREAM Act. They must prove that they came to the United States before the age of 16, have lived here for at least five years, do not have a criminal record, are not removable from the country and possess good moral character. They will also need to earn a diploma or a GED certificate, and they must have earned admission to an institution of higher education or serve in the military. Once they're in college or serving in the armed forces, they will have the chance to earn legal status."

3. 'Times' Ticks On, by Steve Kolowich - Inside Higher Ed: http://bit.ly/jRX3Uo - "The Times Company, which has seen its annual revenues fall by about 30 percent in the last five years, has waded into the waters of higher education more deliberately than some of its peers -- most notably the Washington Post Company, which now pays for its journalism operations largely off the back of Kaplan Inc., one of the country’s largest degree-granting enterprises."

4. New Voice for Asian Students, by Allie Grasgreen - Inside Higher Ed: http://bit.ly/kymGhJ "Yet overall rates of growth do not fairly represent the complexity of Asian demography and educational attainment. The U.S. Census Bureau has identified 48 different ethnic groups within the AAPI racial category, and some fare far less well than others. For example, about half of Southeast Asian and Pacific Islander students (such as Vietnamese and Native Hawaiian) will leave college without earning a degree; they are three to five times more likely to drop out than are East Asian (such as Japanese and Chinese) and South Asian (such as Korean and Indian) students."

5. Do We Need 20 Million More College Grads? by Lynn O'Shaughnessy - http://t.co/2bvqanB via @cbsmoneywatch - "The report suggests that the country needs far more college graduates than it is currently producing. In fact, the country will require 20 million more college-educated workers by 2025. That’s 12 million more workers than the country is currently on target to produce."

6. Turnaround Schools, Education Week, June 28, 2011- http://www.edweek.org/ew/collections/turnaround-schools/index.html - "In 2009, the federal government overhauled the Title I School Improvement Grant program, increased its value to $3.5 billion with money from the recovery act, and spelled out four turnaround options from which perennially failing schools would have to choose to get a share of the funding. (Roll over the chart at right for descriptions of each model and the breakdown of SIG money-receiving schools that chose to use it)."

7. Even for Cashiers, College Pays Off, by David Leonhardt - http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/26/sunday-review/26leonhardt.html?_r=1&src=rechp -"The evidence is overwhelming that college is a better investment for most graduates than in the past. A new study even shows that a bachelor’s degree pays off for jobs that don’t require one: secretaries, plumbers and cashiers. And, beyond money, education seems to make people happier and healthier. “Sending more young Americans to college is not a panacea,” says David Autor, an M.I.T. economist who studies the labor market. “Not sending them to college would be a disaster.”

8. Teacher Evaluation System Examines Classroom Performance, by Sam Dillon - http://nyti.ms/l1etaX - "For classroom observations, nine criteria — “explain content clearly,” “maximize instructional time” and “check for student understanding,” for example — are used to rate the lesson as highly effective, effective, minimally effective or ineffective. These five observations combine to form 75 percent of these teachers’ overall ratings; the rest is based on achievement data and the teachers’ commitment to their school communities. Ineffective teachers face dismissal. Minimally effective ones get a year to improve."

9. Asian-American and Pacific Islander Students Are Not Monolithically Successful, Report Says, by Jennifer Gonzalez - http://chronicle.com/article/Asian-AmericanPacific/128061/ - "In fact, nearly half of all Asian-American and Pacific Islander students, known as AAPI students, attend community colleges, and many of their ethnic groups have some of the lowest high-school-graduation and college-degree-attainment rates in the United States."

10. Study: California Community College Completion Rate Low http://www.educationnews.org/?p=153831 - "The report shows that 70% of students who enrolled in a California community College still had not completed a degree or a certificate or transferred to a four-year school after 6 years. When the data was broken down by race, it showed that the number of Latino and black students who failed to achieve any of the above objectives was between 75% and 80%."

11. 8 Strategies for Starting Your College Application Process, by Peter Van Buskirk - http://www.usnews.com/education/blogs/the-college-admissions-insider/2011/06/27/8-strategies-for-starting-your-college-application-process - "Over the course of the summer, I will devote this space to providing guidance regarding application preparations. The following are strategies for starting the process. In the coming weeks, I will focus on tips and strategies for refining your presentation."

12. Ask the Financial Expert: "How Does the Federal Financial Aid Process Work?" by Scott Goodman -http://wp.me/p1q4lk-sh - "For the federal government to determine a student’s financial aid eligibility, the student must first complete its aid application known as the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The FAFSA requires specific income and asset information from both the parents and student. Independent students do not need to list their parents’ information."

263. Review of College News

Here are some links to today's stories aboutcollege access and success.
by
Joe Rottenborn
Executive Director, Mahoning Valley College Access Program (MVCAP)

1. On College Forms, a Question of Race, or Races, Can Perplex, by Susan Saulny and Jacques Steinberg - http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/14/us/14admissions.html?_r=1&ref=us -"But students can now choose from a menu of new boxes of racial and ethnic categories — because the Department of Education started requiring universities this past school year to comply with a broad federal edict to collect more information about race and ethnicity. The change has made it easier for students to claim a multiracial identity — highlighting those parts of their backgrounds they might want to bring to the fore and disregarding others, as Ms. Scott considered doing with her Asian heritage."

2. For Mixed-Race College Applicants, Question of Boxes to Check, by Susan Saulny and Jacques Steinberg - http://nyti.ms/lWYZHw - "Multiracial students confess to spending sleepless nights worrying about how best to answer the race question on college applications. Some say they wonder whether their answers will be perceived as gamesmanship or a reflection of reality."

3. Where Low-Income Students Go to College - http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2011/06/14/qt#262452 - "Students who grow up in poverty are nearly four times likelier to enroll in for-profit colleges than are other students, and they are far likelier to attend those institutions than they were a decade ago, according to a study released today by the Institute for Higher Education Policy. The study finds that about half of students at all income levels enroll in community colleges as their first postsecondary institution. But of the rest, students who do not grow up in poverty are far likelier to attend four-year public or private institutions (37 percent), while those from poor backgrounds are about equally as likely to attend for-profit institutions (19 percent) as public or private ones (21 percent)."

4. States with the Best and Worst Educated Lawmakers, by Lynn O'Shaughnessy - http://moneywatch.bnet.com/spending/blog/college-solution/states-with-the-best-and-worst-educated-lawmakers/5675/?tag=col1;blog-river - "In reaction to the complaints, The Chronicle of Higher Education conducted an analysis of the educational attainment of the nation’s roughly 7,000 state lawmakers. The research pinpointed which states have the most educated legislators and which ones the least.Below you’ll find the states where the greatest and least number of legislators have earned a bachelor’s degree or higher. Across the country, 74.7% of state lawmakers possess at least a bachelor’s degree."

247.Unstack the Odds-GO TO COLLEGE:STEPS 9-10

Unstack the Odds: Help All Kids Access College—and Graduate!

by
Joe Rottenborn
Executive Director, Mahoning Valley College Access Program (MVCAP)

18. GO TO COLLEGE: STEPS 9-10

9) Schedule a campus visit with your parent(s) or other supportive adult(s); evaluate your visit to consider “goodness of fit.”

If you're (still) trying to decide which college to attend, make a(nother) visit! Generally, you'll "feel" whether the college is a good match for you--that is, somewhere you'll thrive and just not survive. Since the deadline for responding to colleges' offer of admission is May 1, visit now; spend the night in a dorm room and attend a class, if you can, but be sure to call ahead to make arrangements.

For some thoughts on those visits, see the following links:

A) Lynn O'Shaughnessy, CBS moneywatch.com, "The College Visit: Top 7 Things You Must Do"--http://moneywatch.bnet.com/saving-money/blog/college-solution/the-college-visit-top-7-things-you-must-do/1796/?tag=col1;blog-river

B) Caren Osten Gerszberg and Nicole Gerszberg, The New York Times: The Choice, "Advice From Mother and Daughter on Visiting Colleges,"--http://thechoice.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/04/06/advice-2/?src=twt&twt=NYTimesCollege

10) Complete and submit online or paper applications for admission by deadlines.

71. You can use the link "Online Applications" in the left margin of our blog: http://mvcap.blogspot.com/

72. To apply to several colleges, use the link "The Common Application" in the left margin of our MVCAP blog or at this URL: https://www.commonapp.org/CommonApp/default.aspx

246.Unstack the Odds--GO TO COLLEGE: STEP 8

Unstack the Odds: Help All Kids Access College—and Graduate!
by

Joe Rottenborn

Executive Director, Mahoning Valley College Access Program (MVCAP)

18. GO TO COLLEGE: STEP 8

8) Select 3-6 colleges to apply to, based on the following student data:

a. strengths and interests;

b. desired career fields and corresponding academic programs;

c. high school curriculum completed;

d. grade-point average;

e. ACT/SAT scores; and

f. opportunity for financial aid, related to need (EFC) and merit (GPA, ACT/SAT score.)

62. Read blogs of 6 students on their college admission decisions at this link: http://bit.ly/xGU2J

63. Parents, Read This if Your Child Is Applying to College - Professors' Guide (usnews.com): http://bit.ly/5qwBPI

64. College Applications: 7 Things to Do Now - CBS MoneyWatch.com: http://bit.ly/4uF9EB

65. College interview advice from an admissions director: http://bit.ly/8lxtl5

66. AdmissionsAdvice.com: Seven Rules For College Admissions Success: http://bit.ly/C1TEw

67. 5 simple tips for writing your college application essay: http://bit.ly/5iCVm

68. How to get the best letters of reference - CharlotteObserver.com: http://bit.ly/2nkg7V

69. Straightforward college admissions advice from Vanderbilt's dean: http://bit.ly/3RFXEb

70. To see all Ohio colleges and universities, use that link under "OBR" in the left margin of our MVCAP blog: http://mvcap.blogspot.com/

185. MVCAP fyi

See free MVCAP e-books on college admissions and financial aid for sharing, printing, and downloading at our online resource library: http://issuu.com/mvcap

1. Plea to Expand Enrollment at Top Colleges, by Jacques Steinberg- http://nyti.ms/dOMLs9

‎"Twenty of the wealthiest, most selective private colleges enroll a total of about 20,000 first-year students each year. If they enrolled 30,000, there would be a significant reduction in the number of rejection letters sent to highly qualified students."

2. Ready for the Transfer Wave? by Marc Cutright - Inside Higher Ed: http://bit.ly/hrOgya

"These new community college students, however, still intend to get the bachelor’s degree, even if there’s an unanticipated detour on the route. So it is likely that we’ll see even stronger growth in demand for transfer credit acceptance. The issue is that students entering higher education through community colleges generally have not been as successful at getting four-year degrees."

3. College Affordability A Top Priority, New Study Shows - http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/02/03/college-affordability-a-t_n_818273.html

"Reducing college costs -- which was picked as the best means of helping Americans with financial woes by 63 percent of the nationally representative 1,004 Americans surveyed -- beat out social security (58 percent) and cutting taxes (48 percent) as well as "reducing the deficit" (40 percent), "providing financial help to people whose owe more on their mortgage than their house is worth" (22 percent) and others. . . ."

4. Study Finds Social-Skills Teaching Boosts Academics, by Sarah D. Sparks - http://t.co/ZtGPwvp via @educationweek

"In the report published today in the peer-reviewed journal Child Development, researchers led by Joseph A. Durlak, a professor emeritus of psychology at the University of Chicago, found that students who took part in social and emotional learning, or SEL, programs improved in grades and standardized-test scores by 11 percentile points compared with nonparticipating students."

5. For-Profit Colleges and Foes Await U.S. Rules, by Tamar Lewin - http://nyti.ms/i97XKt

“The for-profits want to underscore the importance of the needy population they serve. Critics want to undermine the sector. It’s very hard to separate fact from fiction, given all that’s taken place.”

6. Loan-Default Percentage at For-Profit Colleges Would Double Under New Formula, by Goldie Blumenstyk - http://chronicle.com/article/Loan-Default-Rate-at/126250/

"According to the department's figures, of the nearly 3.4 million students entering repayment status in 2008, 466,000 would be considered in default under the three-year measurement, while just under 239,000 were in default under the two-year calculation. About 222,000 of the defaulters in the three-year calculation attended for-profit colleges, 186,000 attended public colleges, and about 58,000 attended private nonprofit colleges."

7. Teens Answer: Why I Had a Baby, by Belinda Luscombe - http://t.co/9sIx0bg via @TIMEHealthland

"It is real hard being a single mother. I'm no longer with their father. Teenage males aren't looking for responsibilities at a young age. My mother and sister were also teenage mothers. It's hard for me to get a job, so now I'm being supported by my mother. . . . If I had a chance to wait 'til I was stable I would take it."

8. Default rate for repayment of for-profit college loans hits 25 percent, by Nick Anderson - http://t.co/waGrtOW via @washingtonpost

‎"The 25% default rate in the for-profit sector, part of an Education Department report to be published Friday, was up from a 21% rate estimated in December 2009. Loan defaults are on the rise throughout higher ed because of economic troubles. The three-year default rate for public colleges is now about 11%, up from about 10% in the previous report. The rate for private nonprofit colleges is about 8%, up from about 7%."

9. BBC News - Rich-poor pupil gap 'not closing,' by Sean Coughlan: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-12344501

"But this study from the University of Manchester says schools alone are not going to be able to bridge this divide. It says that previous attempts to narrow the gap have not made "substantial sustained improvements". The review, published by the British Educational Research Association, says schools can make a big difference to some individual pupils - and individual schools in disadvantaged areas can have high results.
But overall it suggests that schools have struggled to break the stubborn link between a poor background and low academic achievement."

10. 13 reasons I applied to 13 colleges, by Mackenzie Mennucci - http://t.co/gqnbjJj

"On that sunny September afternoon, somehow I came to the conclusion that it would be a bloody brilliant idea to apply to 13 colleges. I’m still trying to figure out why."

11. 6 Steps to Beating the Shortage of Financial Aid, by Kim Clark - US News and World Report: http://t.co/2NYtoq1

‎"Although nearly every college student wants a scholarship to help pay tuition, only about 50 percent of college students are expected to receive free money in 2011 and 2012. And the shortage of scholarships is expected to be especially severe in 2011 and 2012. But financial aid experts say there are six steps students can take right now to improve their odds of being in the lucky 50 percent:"

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1. Recent grads finding jobs - in their living rooms, by Jessica Dickler -http://t.co/dMEGo9a via @CNNMoney

"She's one of a growing number of young professionals choosing to work from home as telecommuting opportunities have jumped nearly 400% in the past three years, according to job-search site FlexJobs.com."

2. Oversigning offenders won't be curbed by NCAA's toothless rule, by Andy Staples - http://bit.ly/g6iYgS /via @SI_24Seven

"When Football Bowl Subdivision schools across the nation begin signing football players on Feb. 2, they'll have to adhere for the first time to an NCAA bylaw that limits them to 28 signees between Signing Day and May 31. Unchanged is the rule that declares schools can bring in only 25 new scholarship players each academic year."

3. On education reform, safe is for losers, by Richard Whitmire - http://usat.ly/eD79K7 - RT @USATODAY

"On this round of the trusted National Assessment of Educational Progress, only one in five high school seniors scored proficient in science. Worse, only a handful scored at the advanced level — not an encouraging sign as the nation faces international economic competition based more on brains than brawn."

4. A January Deadline Met, but the Applications Continue, by Uyanga Tamir - http://nyti.ms/gwqYWP

"So here I am, a second semester senior still filling out applications and writing good old essays. Since the bigger wave of applications has passed, I also have started my scholarship search. Most of the scholarships that are available have deadlines in the second semester, which is convenient for all students. To those other students who believe that second semester of senior year is going to be a breeze, it really will not be if you are serious about your future. Life does not get easier, only more challenging – something that I anticipate with enthusiasm and readiness."

5. Shielding Education and Research, by Doug Lederman - Inside Higher Ed: http://bit.ly/fhRsZM

‎"The president's speech was relatively short on details about programs he would seek to shield from the overall five-year freeze on domestic spending he proposes; it made no mention of Pell Grants or other financial aid (which many college leaders fear could face cutbacks if Republicans stick to their goal of slashing domestic spending) . . . ."

6. The Same Boxes to Check, by Scott Jaschik - Inside Higher Ed: http://bit.ly/fitseI

"The Common Application has rejected a proposal that it add optional questions on sexual orientation and gender identity. The board of the organization issued a statement suggesting that colleges have other ways to indicate support for applicants who are gay or who don't identify with traditional gender categories, and that adding the questions could pose problems."

7. Deal Stopped in Its Tracks, by David Moltz - Inside Higher Ed: http://bit.ly/fDrCtZ

"Though Cuyahoga would keep all tuition from in-county students in this program, it would have to give 70 percent of tuition from out-of-county students to Academic Partnerships. Ross noted that the college would pilot two course offerings of 30 students to see if the model made financial sense, then expand it if deemed appropriate."

8. Enrollment Management, Inc.: External Influences on Our Practice -http://www.usc.edu/programs/cerpp/docs/EnrollmentManagementInc.ReportFINAL_002.pdf

A report on the enrollment management industry, by Scott Andrew Schulz and Jerome A. Lucido, both of the University of Southern California

9. Top Schools See Record Applications for 2015 - http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/01/25/top-schools-see-jump-in-a_n_812455.html#s227215&title=University_of_CaliforniaLos

‎"This year, the ten University of California campuses all attracted large volumes of applicants, with UCLA topping the list with a record 61,498 applications. Among private schools, Columbia University saw a massive 32 percent increase in applicants from last year, for a total of 34,587 applications."

10. Is College Tuition Too Low? by David Leonhardt - http://nyti.ms/fBBp08

‎"In essence, Mr. Becker and Mr. Posner are calling for a higher list price for public colleges. Well-off families would be able to pay this higher list price. Their children would still go to college, graduate and, far more often than not, earn enough of a wage premium to make college a fabulously good deal. Middle- and lower-income families, on the other hand, would not have to pay more than they’re now paying."

11. Census Data Show Rise in College Degrees, but Racial Gaps in Education, by Alex Richards-http://chronicle.com/article/Census-Data-Reveal-Rise-in/126026/

"For instance, the census estimates that in 2009, 28 percent of Americans 25 and older had at least four-year degrees. But the rate for black Americans was just 17 percent, and for Hispanic Americans only 13 percent."

12. Proficiency Eludes U.S. Students on Science NAEP, by Erik W. Robelen - http://t.co/2J5jeSL via @educationweek

‎"Only one in five high school seniors scored at least proficient on the exam. Meanwhile, 34 percent of 4th graders and 30 percent of 8th graders were deemed proficient or better in science on the 2009 National Assessment of Educational Progress, known as “the nation’s report card.”

13. Application Boom Begets a New Strategy, by Eric Hoover - http://chronicle.com/blogs/headcount/the-application-boom-begets-a-new-strategy/27800

"So Rutgers decided to allow applicants to submit their academic information—courses, grades, grade-point averages, and class rank—via an online form called the Self-Reported Academic Record. Students who decide to enroll must then ask their high schools to send an official copy of their transcript by July 15, so the admissions staff can verify the information they had submitted. In other words, the university must process transcripts only for those students who enroll."

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1. Me, in 500 Words or Less, by Michael Campbell - http://nyti.ms/eqkrD4

‎"The essays are my chance to reveal myself as an individual with substance beyond scores and merit beyond my transcript. If I fail to do so, I will become little more than a statistic in the eyes of admissions. If I succeed, I may prove myself a worthy candidate for acceptance."

2. Goodbye DADT, Hello ROTC, by Dan Berrett - Inside Higher Ed: http://bit.ly/hZMcLE

"It also effectively ends what has been a vexing problem for higher education, including at Columbia -- given our desire to be open to our military, but not wanting to violate our own core principle against discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation," continued Bollinger. "We now have the opportunity for a new era in the relationship between universities and our military services."

3. Spare the Rod, Pay the Prof, by Steve Kolowich - Inside Higher Ed: http://bit.ly/ig5ERr

‎"Instead, the university is offering to share tuition revenues from online students with colleges and departments that accommodate them. In the College of Arts and Sciences, professors — who are not generally given bonuses for developing new courses — are offered $5,000 to adapt a course to the online medium."

4. 'The Global Auction' by Scott Jaschik - Inside Higher Ed: http://bit.ly/fByZ2t

‎"Start asking hard questions about your reasons for going to college, which college is likely to offer you a high-quality education, and what your chances are of finding a job that meets your expectations after graduation. If you’re aiming high, be prepared for a long and intense competition that doesn’t end when you enter the job market. If you do not see yourself at an elite university, is it better to go for a two-year rather than four-year college education and then opt for further training while employed?"

5. Top College Role Models Of 2010 - http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/12/20/top-college-role-models-o_n_799011.html#s201958

"They showed their true selves. And in 2010, they accomplished monumental things. Below, see 11 inspiring college students, campuses, groups and professors who lead by example this year -- and may renew your confidence in younger generations."

6. 100-Headed Monster That Digests College Applications! by Ruth Starkman - http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ruth-starkman/100headed-monster-digests_b_798907.html

‎"At large universities additional temporary readers, usually 100 or so, are hired on for the reading season from December to February. They are the first line of people reading your applications. These "external" temporary readers undergo several weeks of training before the reading process and continue to receive support from the fulltime admissions personnel after the reading starts. External readers are a hugely mixed group of people from high school academic counselors to alumni to retired or part-time faculty from many different universities."

7. Why Don't Professors Like to Teach? by Lynn O'Shaughnessy - http://t.co/ThEkjhK

"The reason is simple, according to a policy paper by the Center For College Affordability and Productivity. Professors are rewarded for staying out of the classroom. The big money in the higher-ed world is in research. It’s definitely not in teaching a bunch of undergraduates Psych 101 or holding office hours."

8. Cutbacks Force Some Early Colleges to Close Down, by Mary Ann Zehr - http://t.co/ThIN94j via @educationweek

‎"Over the past two-and-a-half years, two such schools have closed in Georgia, and a District of Columbia high school greatly scaled back its school-within-a-school early-college program. In Ohio, Youngstown State University is transferring responsibility for an early-college high school on its campus to the nearby Eastern Gateway Community College because it can no longer afford to sponsor it."

9. Early Decision Up, Yet Still Small Part of Admissions Pie, by Caralee Adams - http://t.co/Qr19mFc

"Early decision is when a student applies to his first-choice school and, if accepted, the decision is binding. Early action is similar to early decision, but the student doesn't have to commit immediately. She can still apply to other colleges and wait to make a decision until spring. About 18 percent of colleges offer early decision and 24 percent have early action plans, according to the 2010 State of Admissions Report by the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC). These plans are more common at private colleges."

10. Families Struggle To Compare Financial-Aid Offers, Survey Finds - http://chronicle.com/blogs/headcount/many-families-struggle-to-compare-student-aid-offers-survey-finds/27748

"Nearly two-thirds of respondents said the contents of individual award letters were clear and easy to understand, but more than half said that letters from different colleges were hard to compare. Almost seven-eighths of respondents said award letters should be standardized."

11. 30 Ways to Rate a College - by Alex Richards and Ron Coddington - http://chronicle.com/article/30-Ways-to-Rate-a-College/124160/

‎"That indicates a lack of agreement among them on what defines quality. Much of the emphasis is on “input measures” such as student selectivity, faculty-student ratio, and retention of freshmen. Except for graduation rates, almost no “outcome measures,” such as whether a student comes out prepared to succeed in the work force, are used."

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1. Is Going to an Elite College Worth the Cost? by Jacques Steinberg - http://nyti.ms/fczdLB

"The sluggish economy and rising costs of college have only intensified questions about whether expensive, prestigious colleges make any difference. Do their graduates make more money? Get into better professional programs? Make better connections? And are they more satisfied with their lives, or at least with their work?"

2. Early Admissions Decisions Pour In For Class Of 2015 - http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/12/17/early-admissions-decision_n_798239.html

"Thus far, Elon University in North Carolina has accepted the highest percentage of applicants with an 84 percent rate, followed by American University at 72 percent and Dickinson College at 69 percent. The colleges that accepted the lowest percentage of early applications include Stanford University, 13 percent; Georgetown University, 17 percent; and Dartmouth College (25 percent). Duke University accepted 29 percent of its early applicants, a record amount.

Notable for students applying regular decision is that some of the schools reported filling nearly half of the class of 2015 in the early round -- the University of Pennsylvania accepted 49 percent of incoming freshmen, John Hopkins University admitted 42 percent and Dartmouth 40 percent."

3. Even with free tuition, hurdles remain for raising number of college graduates, by David Jesse - Hechinger Report http://t.co/ctzrZe1

"Just 54 percent of the first recipients are either still in college or have graduated, a stark reminder that it will take more than money to achieve the president’s ambitious goal of leading the world in college attainment by 2020. Nationally, getting students through college has long been a challenge: only half of those who start certificate or degree programs at two- and four-year institutions finish within six years, U.S. Education Department data show.

“We took the first hurdle down [not having money for college] and now can see all the hurdles behind it,” said Michelle Miller-Adams, a visiting scholar at the W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research in Kalamazoo and author of the first comprehensive study of the initiative."

4. Pell Grants Face Uncertain Future, by Tamar Lewin - http://nyti.ms/hvhhWx

"Earlier this year, Congress passed legislation that provided an extra $36 billion over 10 years to the Pell grant program and increased the maximum grant to $5,550, up from $4,050 five years ago. But with a new Congress arriving in January and determined to cut spending, it is unclear whether that expansion is sustainable."

5. Early admit rate increases slightly, by Emily Wanger - http://www.yaledailynews.com/news/2010/dec/15/early-admit-rate-increases-slightly/#

"Other Ivy League schools that have released their early admissions decisions include Brown, Dartmouth, the University of Pennsylvania, and Cornell. Brown admitted just under 20 percent of its early applicant pool, a 3 percent decrease from last year, according to the Brown Daily Herald. Dartmouth admitted 4 percent fewer early applicants than it did last year according to the The Dartmouth, with 25.5 percent acceptance for the class of 2015. Penn admitted 26 percent of its early applicant pool, a 5 percent decrease from last year, according to the Daily Pennsyvanian."

6. Representative Kline Eyes Way to Stop Rule Restricting For-Profit Colleges,by John Lauerman- Bloomberg http://t.co/OoxPlei via @BloombergNow

"Kline, a Minnesota Republican who will become chairman of the education committee in January, said he would rather that nonprofit and for-profit colleges be required to disclose graduation rates, costs, and graduates’ debt burdens to all applicants. The so-called gainful employment rule is scheduled to go into effect in 2012, and Kline said he has been looking at ways of “stopping” it."

7. Misrepresenting the GAO's Revision, by Tom Harkin - Inside Higher Ed: http://bit.ly/f0K8ut

"We’ve found that 95 percent of for-profit students end up saddled with debt (as compared with 16 percent of community college students), and that 57 percent of students at 16 for-profit schools withdrew without a diploma in a single year. Most recently, we documented a startling increase in the amount of military education benefits flowing into this sector in the last year."

8. Notre Dame Responds To Lizzy Seeberg Controversy - http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/12/17/lizzy-seeberg-notre-dame_n_798126.html

"In response to the Tribune's article, Notre Dame's Vice President of Communications Janet Botz wrote to the university community that because of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, the school could not discuss any disciplinary cases."

9. Applying to College: Advice From a Grizzled Senior, by Dan Treadway - http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dan-treadway/advice-on-applying-to-col_b_798350.html

"First things first, do not pick a school strictly because it has one very specific major that you're interested in. I can't tell you how many aspiring doctors I met freshman year that ultimately became passionate art history aficionados, or how many future TV directors that discovered that their true interest lies in history. Once you get to college you'll discover that students usually change their major as often as they change their clothes. Go to a well-rounded school that can offer you a substantive education in several disciplines. Being stuck in a town you don't like, at a school you don't like, in a major that, after investing tens of thousands of dollars, you realize you don't like, is no fun."

10. How Important Is the College You Choose? by Jacques Steinberg - http://nyti.ms/f3D4nE

"But, as also noted in the article, those studies are more than a decade old — predating the surge in the prices of elite private colleges (at least for those paying full freight) as well the rise in student loan debt. Never mind that the prices of some public universities have been soaring too, especially in struggling states like California."

11. Serious Mental Health Needs Seen Growing at Colleges, by Trip Gabriel - http://nyti.ms/fvllYl

"Stony Brook is typical of American colleges and universities these days, where national surveys show that nearly half of the students who visit counseling centers are coping with serious mental illness, more than double the rate a decade ago. More students take psychiatric medication, and there are more emergencies requiring immediate action."

12. High remediation rates cast doubt on reforms - http://voices.washingtonpost.com/answer-sheet/community-colleges/high-remediation-rates-raise-q.html

"Newly released figures show that nearly 75 percent of city high students entering City University community colleges could not pass placement exams in reading, math and writing this year, requiring remediation.That’s up from 71 percent in 2009 but down from 2002, when 82 percent needed remediation, according to the New York Daily News. So after eight years of Klein reforms, the remediation rate has gone from 82 percent to nearly 75 percent.

Not exactly a record to be proud of."

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1. The 'Real World' Skills You Acquire During the Admissions Process, by Ann Derry - http://nyti.ms/fXKjFn

"In short, applying for college isn’t just a hideous process to be endured. It is excellent preparation for the rest of your life — a step into the “adult world” when you acquire basic skills like writing a résumé, setting goals, doing research, organizing your thoughts and your time, persevering to get what you want, following through."

2. The President Just Saved You $2,500 In Tuition, by Kalpen Modi - http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kalpen-modi/the-president-just-saved-_b_794952.html?ir=College

‎"Political pundits and talk show hosts who have reported on the tax deal (which includes extending tax breaks for all Americans) have overlooked the president's fierce advocacy on this issue of college affordability and have even suggested that he has made a deal that ignores young people. This couldn't be further from the truth."

3. The BEST Gifts For College Students - http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/12/10/student-gift-guide_n_794694.html#s203192

"Below, check out our top picks for student gifts this holiday season, as well as some suggestions offered by HuffPost readers."

4. Are Ivy League Professors Good Teachers? by Lynn O'Shaughnessy - http://t.co/natO40I

"When I recently wrote a post on the 25 colleges and universities with the best professors, none of the Ivy League schools made the list. In fact, the eight Ivy League schools were nowhere to be seen even among the top 100 schools on the best professor list."

5. China’s Army of Graduates Faces Struggle, by Andrew Jacobs - http://nyti.ms/eMPsYd

“College essentially provided them with nothing,” said Zhang Ming, a political scientist and vocal critic of China’s education system. “For many young graduates, it’s all about survival. If there was ever an economic crisis, they could be a source of instability.”

6. Students Know Good Teaching When They Get It, Survey Finds, by Sam Dillon - http://nyti.ms/fxurdm

"Classrooms where a majority of students said they agreed with the statement, “Our class stays busy and doesn’t waste time,” tended to be led by teachers with high value-added scores, the report said. The same was true for teachers whose students agreed with the statements, “In this class, we learn to correct our mistakes,” and, “My teacher has several good ways to explain each topic that we cover in this class.”
The questionnaires were developed by Ronald Ferguson, a Harvard researcher who has been refining student surveys for more than a decade."

7. Education Secretary Arne Duncan Rethinks His Goals, by Sam Dillon - http://nyti.ms/eEQQi6

"But with Republican deficit hawks taking control of the House next month, Education Secretary Arne Duncan will no longer have billions of dollars to use at his discretion."

8. Online And For-Profit Colleges Face Aid Audits by Education Dept, by Goldie Blumenstyk - http://chronicle.com/article/OnlineFor-Profit-Colleges/125705/

"The department, which has been beefing up the compliance-office staffing in its Office of Federal Student Aid, expects to conduct about 300 program reviews of student-aid operations next year, in contrast to about 200 this year."

9. Is an internship the new entry-level job? by Natalie Avon - http://bit.ly/glFFX7 #cnn

"Full-time employment has dropped 9 percentage points among 18-to-29-year-olds since 2006, leaving only 41 percent of millennials with full-time jobs, according to "Millennials: A Portrait of Generation Next," a report released by Pew Research Center in February. These statistics hit home for the 1.5 million students preparing to graduate with a bachelor's degree."

10. Kick start: College in High School, by Virginia Shank - Tribune Chronicle - Warren, OH - http://t.co/nCTZOj1

"YSU initiated its College in High School program in 2007 with a handful of area school districts through a grant from the state education department's Educational Service Centers. The purpose was to encourage dual enrollment classes in math and science for high school students. YSU started by offering calculus in six Mahoning County districts, but the university expanded the program to include school districts in Trumbull County as well. This year some 27 in the area are participating, explained Marla Carano, program coordinator at YSU."

11. Souring on Business? by Dan Berrett - Inside Higher Ed: http://bit.ly/i04XGn

‎"But as the current economic downturn drags on and hiring continues to lag, interest in business among undergraduates appears to be static, even flagging in some circles, according to federal and college data and a nationwide survey of incoming freshmen."

12. A Lack of Leadership, by Doug Lederman - Inside Higher Ed: http://bit.ly/ec9Ne6

"For too long, policymakers and higher education leaders have engaged in a 'we need to change, but you go first' conversation," the three write. "Meanwhile, costs have skyrocketed, attainment has stagnated, and the public has grown skeptical. Failing to act will not result in catastrophic failure in American higher education, but a slow and steady erosion of confidence, investment, and quality."

13. Shortage of Math and Science Graduates Is a Myth, by Walt Gardner - http://t.co/K0ouJ3g

"A record 49,562 doctorate degrees were awarded in the 2008-09 academic year, representing a 1.6 percent increase over the 2007-08 year. According to the foundation, the growth was largely due to increases in the number of degrees in science and engineering. In 2009, 67.5 percent of all doctorates were in these two fields, a 1.9 percent increase over the previous academic year. Yet despite this growth, companies continue to insist that they need to recruit abroad because of a shortage domestically. The more likely explanation is that they prefer looking overseas because H1-B visa holders are willing to work for below-market wages."

14. No Jobs? Young Graduates Make Their Own, by Hannah Seligson - http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/12/business/12yec.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&ref=homepage&src=me&adxnnlx=1292245263 -

"In October, Mr. Gerber started the Young Entrepreneur Council “to create a shift from a résumé-driven society to one where people create their own jobs,” he says. “The jobs are going to come from the entrepreneurial level.”

15. Colleges Lock Out Blind Students Online, by Marc Parry - http://chronicle.com/article/Blind-Students-Demand-Access/125695/

"Roughly 75,000 students at colleges and trade schools are visually impaired, according to Education Department figures. Barriers to access could deny them equal learning opportunities. And colleges are finding that the problems are lawsuit bait, generating litigation and complaints."

16. Senator concerned about colleges' treatment of vets, by Mary Beth Merklein - http://usat.ly/hSmWQB - RT @USATODAY

"The report found soaring enrollments — and revenue — at 30 for-profit colleges by students whose education is covered by the Defense Department or by the Post-9/11 GI Bill, passed by Congress in 2008 to ensure that Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans could attend college at no cost. Enrollments increased from 23,766. in 2006 to 109,167. last year and reached 100,702. by the first half of this year."

17. When Will Black Churches Start Their Own Schools? by RiShawn Biddle - http://dropoutnation.net/2010/12/10/black-churches-start-schools/

"If education is truly the most-important civil rights issue of this era, it means that black churches must play their part in ensuring that every child in the pews and communities they serve are educated in cultures of geniuses. It is as important for them to step up and embrace school reform as it was for them to combat Jim Crow segregation fifty years ago. For these churches, they can learn this important lesson from another civil rights movement — the effort by Catholics to receive equal treatment in public schools: You must take education into your own hands and start your own schools for the children in your flock."

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