Considering Early Action or Early Decision? MIT Freshman Explains His Choice

January 21, 2009 by Thomas / 5 Comments

Today we discuss the Early Action/Early Decision concept with Ahmed Hussain of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

The college admissions process, while very exciting, can be one of the most stressful times of a teenager’s life. The most basic process of selecting a college or university can be truly an overwhelming one for students.

As if there were not enough different options to consider, at the time of application students learn there are different types of admission selection processes. Whether to choose the traditional application route or the Early Action or Early Decision option can make the entire application process seem truly daunting.

To help students gain greater insight into this decision, we spent some time talking with Ahmed Hussain, MIT class of 2012. His tentative major is economics but Ahmed is on a premed track (as with many other schools, there is no pre-medicine major at MIT). The Houston, Texas native is exploring a number of minors including either brain and cognitive sciences, urban studies, or biology.

In our discussion, Ahmed explains why those admissions essays can be very helpful in the decision-making process, why MIT was not his first choice, and how non-binding Early Action decisions (as opposed to Early Decision) allow a student to even reverse course late in the process.

What application method (EA/ED/other) did you use when applying to MIT? What methods did you use with other schools and which schools did you consider?

I chose to apply to MIT through the early action process, which is nonbinding and nonrestrictive, meaning you can apply EA to any other school that also is nonrestrictive. I actually did consider applying to Brown University’s binding early decision. Applying early decision generally means you sign a contract stating that if accepted in the ED round of review, you promise to enroll in that school. All was good until I reached their essay question, “Why do you want to go to Brown?” I realized that I couldn’t answer that question. It dawned on me, so to speak, that my personality is incompatible with the atmosphere at Brown, and what I thought was cool about them suddenly wasn’t so much anymore (lack of a set curriculum, small town, these kinds of things which could definitely be pluses for others). So that essay question really forced me to consider if I actually did want to go to there. And really, I’m thankful that Brown had that question on their application. If I had gone through with the application and gotten in, I would have been bound to the school and I would be totally miserable right now.

I had the same experience with the University of Pennsylvania application. That question was simply a roadblock for those two schools. So I dropped Brown and UPenn from my list of applications and chose to do early action at MIT and the University of Chicago because these schools were both at the top of my list and they both had open EA policies. For comparison, I wrote my “Why Chicago?” essay in one sitting in something like 15 minutes; the words just flowed perfectly. I realized that I really was in love with the school, and this definitely showed through on the essay. I reckon this had a lot to do with why I got in–they could see that I truly wanted to be there.

Why did you choose that specific method?
I did early action to take advantage of the fact that I had my applications ready to go by the November deadlines. Applying EA, I figured, would give my application another chance to get reviewed–once for the early cycle and once again for the regular cycle if I got deferred. It was a matter of hedging my bets with what I had, not so much about wanting to know my fate before January.

Did you ever consider other forms of application and if so why did you ultimately reject that form?
I applied early to MIT and UChicago. I also applied regular decision to schools I was interested in but not crazy about: Dartmouth, Columbia, Duke, Washington in St Louis, NYU, Vanderbilt, and Williams, with Baylor, Tulane, and St Louis Universities as safeties. I was accepted in the early action round to the University of Chicago and deferred to regular decision by MIT. A few days later, I formally matriculated at Chicago. However, March came around and I was accepted to MIT and everywhere else except the Ivy League schools. Suddenly I had a huge variety of choices and I had a real decision to make. I quickly eliminated all schools except MIT, UC, and Vanderbilt. I thought about accepting Vanderbilt’s offer since it included an extremely generous scholarship, but after visiting all three schools (Vandy, UChicago, MIT) and talking the decision over with my parents, teachers, and counselors, I decided to rescind my matriculation to UChicago and attend MIT for many different reasons. I outline these in my blog admissions post.

I knew I wanted to do some sort of early program, and it just so happened that my top two schools, MIT and UC, had nonbinding EA policies. I never really considered the idea of doing early decision, since the only two schools that I had become enamored with did not have binding programs. This was convenient, too, since I definitely didn’t want to be bound to a school. I’m skeptical of the early decision philosophy. I have nothing wrong with early action, to be clear. It’s just the idea of being under contract to attend an institution. My mind changed even after matriculating to one school; I would not have been able to attend the institute of my best fit if that school’s policy had been more restricting. What ED basically does is force 16 and 17 year old kids to definitively decide where they want to be for the next four years before they fully know what their options are. It may seem trivial, but having gone through the process, the six months between November 1 and May 1 are invaluable to reanalyze your college preferences. You really need all the time you can get to make such an important choice, and I just feel like the early decision policies take that away from you. Take a step back, look at all the facets of every school. Try to visit them. Be objective for a bit. Look at some facts and statistics. Subjectivity (emotional attachment, the “feeling” you get at a school after visiting) is fine but you have to make sure that you see all sides of the choice.

Looking back, I probably would have made the mistake and did early decision at UChicago if their program was ED instead of EA. I ended up changing my mind after matriculating there, so it scares me that some people are attending schools that are not offering them the best experience for them. Early decision forces you to decide before you know what your options are. The problem is, even if you think you’re ready to commit to a school, there’s still the chance that you learn something new and decide maybe another university is a better fit. With ED, it’s much harder to fix that situation, if it’s even possible at all.

Many people insist that the ED concept only benefits the college? Do you agree with that assessment? Why or why not?

I wouldn’t go so far as to say that early decision benefits only the colleges. There are many advantages to applying early action, and some of these advantages still hold true for ED: The chance to have your application reviewed twice (though I’m not sure if this actually provides a statistical advantage, but it definitely helps ease the mind) and having only two months of tension instead of five. But it’s a trade off. Take these advantages and resign yourself to being locked in, or forgo the benefits altogether. Early Decision benefits both the college and the student in a sort of imperfect compromise. The reason some colleges like ED is that it gives them concrete enrollment numbers for the upcoming class. They don’t have to worry about yield rates since ED admits are bound to matriculation, so it makes it easier for the admissions offices to draw a picture of the freshman class.

Having been through the whole admissions process, is there any piece of insight you could give other students who are applying that was unknown to you at the time you went through the process?
Get started on your essays as early as possible. Or don’t–that’s fine too, if you crank out the best work under pressure. This is completely acceptable and don’t let any adults dog you down about it too much. As long as you’re sure you can write quality material in time, work under the conditions that suit you best. That being said, make sure you allot yourself at least two days to revise your essays. It’s always good to wait a day or two and reread what you think was your final draft. You’ll find syntax or vocabulary that you can change to make the essay flow much better. In the interest of essay “flow,” be sure to read your applications aloud. This helps you identify awkward sentences and constructions that you may not have noticed proofreading your paper silently.

And don’t stress. If you work under the conditions that suit you best, you won’t have to go crazy over deadlines. If you are struggling to meet postmark or submission dates, you’re doing it wrong.

Make sure you have a strategy. Apply to safety schools. It could be an off year. Across the country, college admissions are being turned upside down with such an influx of applications. You can never be too sure. You don’t want to be the kid who applied only to reach schools and now has nowhere to go. Once you’ve applied to your safeties, and you’ve sent all your materials to every other school, RELAX. Seriously. Enjoy your senior year. It’s over. You’ve done all you can do. It’s in a higher power’s hands now–whether you believe that power is a deity or the admissions committees or both, it’s up to you. You did your best. No need to fret about it anymore. Hang out with your friends. Go outside. Roll down a hill. Take a mental health day! Go on a road trip! You deserve it! Be with your friends as much as possible–chances are, if you move far away you’ll see them only three times a year for the next for years. Maximize your enjoyment. Make sure to thank your teachers and parents for all their efforts. Mostly, put admissions as far back in your mind as possible. December 15 and March 15 will come when they come. No sense in moping around over the dates months in advance.

Of course don’t let your grades fall in school–universities reserve the right to rescind admissions offers. They’re not going to care if your eight As turn to six As and two Bs, but Cs, Ds, and Fs are worrisome…Senioritis can be fun, but don’t let it get too bad.

Editor’s Note: Ahmed is also a blogger for the MIT admissions page. , but he does not appear here as an official representative of their admissions office. Interested readers can find additional insights at ahmed ’12. Our thanks to Ahmed for contributing the accompanying photos.

Choosing a College – Consider State University Value-Added Honors College

January 11, 2009 by Thomas / One Comment

In today’s tough economic times, state universities are receiving a more thorough look from students who are searching for a quality program at an affordable price.

If you are one of the individuals looking at this option, one concern could be the sheer physical size of the school and the equally large numbers of students on state campuses. However, even if you are thinking of a small liberal arts college option, you might be surprised to learn that such focused study is likely available at your state university in the form of an Honors College.

James Madison Honors College

Featuring numerous study abroad programs and dual major options, James Madison Honors College first year students follow a common curriculum including two Madison courses: a year-long Writing course and a yearlong introductory course on Public Affairs. Under the auspices of Michigan State University, Madison offers students courses with as few as eight students and major options such as International Relations, Political Theory and Constitutional Democracy, Social Relations, and Comparative Cultures and Politics.

However, students attending James Madison utilize the same admissions procedures and pay the same costs as students attending Michigan State University. Still the school has featured a number of Rhodes, Marshall, Truman and Fulbright Scholars and graduates seeking a higher degree at such prestigious institutions as Harvard, Yale, the University of Chicago, Stanford, Georgetown, Cornell, Columbia, Duke, and the London School of Economics.

Lauren E. Youngdahl, a 2004 graduate of the James Madison Honors College, indicates that the choice of JM represented a chance to experience the best college atmosphere possible.

“The appeal of James Madison was it was a ‘small’ college within a ‘big’ university,” explains Youngdahl. “So I could have, in my opinion, the best of both worlds.”

Her desire for a strong liberal arts background, one that focused on analytical thinking and writing was a key factor in her selection of James Madison.

From the small class sizes to the highly esteemed faculty members who are experts in their fields (no TA’s), the program delivered. She also noted the impact of high expectations of the professors regarding student work. Adding to the challenges were highly-motivated classmates, individuals who also pushed the work standards.

“I quickly learned there was no ‘skating’ by,” states Youngdahl. “And hard work was given a new definition.”

For her studies, Youngdahl was able to pursue several interests.

“I had interest in the International Relations major,” she explains. “I paired that with a Marketing degree from the Eli Broad Business School, something that was not available in any other program at MSU.”

Two other critical components of the program, the field experience and senior thesis also were key for the graduate.

“I played golf at MSU, so the best way to accommodate both my academics and athletics was to work as the Assistant Tournament Director for the Golf Association of Michigan,” states Youngdahl of her field experience. “I would say a majority of my classmates did internships with legislators, attorneys, etc. – which many of them then became.”

“And, my senior year I had a class that was dedicated solely to writing a thesis. The subject was on the evolution of Asia as a world leader; and I did my paper on the Japanese automakers and their rise to success in the United States.”

The Honors College at the University of Maine

The Honors Program at the University of Maine is one of the oldest in the United States, having begun in the early 1930s within the College of Arts and Sciences. At that time, there were believed to be no more than a half a dozen such programs for undergraduates in the country.

Becoming a full-fledged college in 2002, The Honors College at the University of Maine is home to approximately 650 students. As with James Madison, its smallness is demonstrated by a fundamental commitment to investigate diverse academic areas and challenge students in a supportive intellectual environment, using a process that seeks always to engage fellow students and enthusiastic, distinguished faculty in thoughtful, provocative discussions.

The program features first- and second-year preceptorials, third-year tutorials, and like Madison culminates with a thesis. Its students also demonstrate a lengthy track record of success, being named Cooke Fellows along with Goldwater, Udall, and Smith Scholars.

Rachel Groenhout, now a graduate student in the Netherlands offers similar thoughts regarding her Honors College experience at the University of Maine in Orono right down to the reading and writing focus.

“I was invited to the Honors College at my University in the summer before freshman year,” explains the 2004 graduate. “I decided to give it a try because I would be able to take Honors Courses that would satisfy general education requirements that might otherwise be done through College English, Psychology, etc.

“The special Honors Sections featured a small class size (about 15 students) and a more active student experience: reading, discussing in class and weekly or monthly papers,” she adds. “This appealed to me far more than attending class in a lecture hall and only studying for a midterm and a final exam without doing anything in between.”

Similar expectations at Maine also had students completing some type of thesis senior year to earn their honors degree. The French major presented her research by authoring the work in that language.

“This was unquestionably the formative experience of my undergraduate career. For students going on to grad school, completing a first thesis with the supervision and the support of the Honors College staff is the ultimate preparation for more autonomous research work in graduate school.”

However, Groenhout insists those students with no initial interest in graduate study will also receive enormous benefit from the experiences.

“For those who don’t go on to graduate school, you’ll still have the satisfaction of having once written an academic publication. My master thesis is underway at the moment…and will probably be better than my Honors thesis…but I think no other thesis or dissertation will ever capture my heart and soul the way that the first one did.”

Groenhout offers one other caveat that students may well want to consider.

“In a time when more and more people are graduating from college, and grades are notoriously inflated, having completed an Honors degree gives your transcript and resume a little something extra,” she notes. “Whether you do it for personal satisfaction or to remain competitive on the job market, Honors is a win-win opportunity.”

The Economic Factor
Professor Charlie Slavin, the Dean of the Maine Honors College, indicates that interest is up in the college. However, he is not certain that all of the increase comes because of the fiscal issues facing students currently.

“As for now, it’s hard to say,” states Slavin. “We seem to have had a great deal of interest over the past year in the Honors College, but, again, there might be many reasons. We’ll probably know soon whether the current financial crisis causes precipitous changes in demand for or interest in the College.”

Still, there is little doubt that the Honors option is seen as a quality program that also carries with it great affordability. That concept is especially important to students who desire to continue on to graduate school.

“We always have anecdotal stories of students,” continues Slavin, “of those who enter with an eye already on professional schools (law, medicine). They want to be able to finish their undergraduate experience (more or less) debt-free while still having the credentials to compete well for graduate school acceptances. They know they will incur debt during that training.”

And as for why the experience of Honors College is so meaningful to so many students, Slavin offers his assessment.

“Our Honors Curriculum includes a major interdisciplinary core component that requires all of our students, regardless of their majors, to take intellectual risks,” states Slavin. “They are engaged in challenging academic inquiry outside their disciplines. I often refer to our engineers reading Plato and our artists studying the philosophy of quantum mechanics. This is the key to the honors concept.”

Honors Worthy of Consideration

In a Time magazine article from 2006, writer Nathan Thornburgh offered an assessment and rationale for considering state university honors colleges.

First, it may well be harder than ever to get into an Ivy League, but in presenting his eight strategies for kids and parents to use to find happiness beyond the ranks of the traditional elite schools, Thornburgh offers:

“Take the Honors Route – Big state schools trying to attract top students are increasingly establishing honors colleges. These schools within schools often feel like cloistered liberal-arts colleges but still have access to the superior resources of a large research university.”

For those who also love the athletic environment that a school can provide, Thornburgh adds:

“Another upside is that while you’re getting a more personalized education, you still have the chance to watch your school win a football game every once in a while.”

Slavin offers a similar assessment.

“It’s common in honors education to talk about ‘liberal arts college experience at a large university.’ I’m always a bit hesitant.

“It’s not the same, nor should it be,” insists Slavin. “Yes, there are some similarities: small classes, integrated curricula, closer personal attention. However, the real strength of our Honors College is the integration of those things with the cutting-edge research, and opportunities for students to be involved in this research, which takes place all across a major research University.”

Setting a New Trend

Cost-conscious students may want to think about bucking the elite trend, perhaps beginning a new pathway that represents a discerning consumer with a bent for both quality and value.

However, those who do so will definitely be in the minority at least for now.

“Our society still values name,” notes Slavin, a Princeton grad. “Regardless of education or credentials, there is an advantage to having a diploma with a certain name.”

Slavin notes the slow process of change.

“This is changing, more and more students from public institutions are winning major national fellowships (Rhodes, Truman, Goldwater, etc.) and getting acceptances to the most elite professional and graduate schools. But it’s hard to change people’s biases.”

Hard maybe, until you talk to students like Youngdahl and Groenhout. Listening to them, state university Honors Colleges appear to offer everything a student could want.

And most important for the cost-conscious student, they do so at a more affordable price.

Ethics 101 – Resume Integrity an Important Matter

December 8, 2008 by Thomas / 3 Comments

When it comes to your resume, think twice about embellishing your past experiences.

A recent report card from the Josephson Institute paints current high school students in a very negative manner. Citing “entrenched habits of dishonesty” among young people, the survey of more than 30,000 high school students indicates that more students are lying, cheating, and stealing than ever before.

Ironically, we had a disillusioned student leave a comment on the site just after the report card was made public. Coming as a response to our article, The 11 Top Reasons Why Students Drop out of College, the writer not only revealed a significant level of discouragement, he offered a possible solution:

“I am Soooooooooo burned out of this entire experience!!! What would happen if I were to just say that I had the degree on my resume? Anyone ever tried that? How many employers actually check?”

Hopefully, it was a tongue-in-cheek response. But if it wasn’t……..

Honesty and Integrity
Whenever I hear someone propose such a solution, even when the option is thrown around in jest, I can’t help but turn to the very public and humiliating story of George O’Leary.

During a seven-year period, O’Leary resurrected a moribund Georgia Tech football program. Guiding the team to five winning seasons in his final six years, O’Leary was named the Atlantic Coast Conference ‘Coach of the Year’ award in both 1998 and 2000, and was also named the ‘Bobby Dodd National Coach of the Year’ in 2000.

In 2001, the University of Notre Dame, a proud academic institution that routinely graduates more than 90% percent of its student body, selected George O’Leary to be its new head football coach. His appointment resonated with Notre Dame boosters and football fans everywhere.

His selection was seen as an apparent “pull oneself up by the boot straps” kind of story that epitomized the American work ethic. An insignificant football player at a small university, O’Leary had languished long and hard as an assistant football coach before his revival of the football program at Georgia Tech.

Called the perfect candidate by school officials (right down to his Irish name), this hard-working, outstanding leader of young men was deemed the perfect choice to restore storied Notre Dame football to its former golden days. Yet, what began as a true “feel good” story rapidly disintegrated into one of the saddest of public moments for both a coach and an institution that prided itself on integrity and accomplishment.

Reporters Begin Checking Resume
First, one reporter, seeking to find some interesting quotes from the University of New Hampshire regarding O’Leary’s collegiate playing days, made a call to former members of the coaching staff at the school. The reporter was surprised to learn that no one on the coaching staff remembered O’Leary.

Further research failed to find any school records that verified that O’Leary had ever played football for the tiny Division 1AA program. Confronted with this information, O’Leary acknowledged he had embellished his resume.

No, he was not a three-time letter winner at the school as his resume indicated. Injuries and health problems had kept him from receiving any playing time.

Provided with this insight, Notre Dame initially stood by its candidate. After all, O’Leary was reported to be a man of integrity and his tenure as coach at Georgia Tech coincided with the school’s reemergence as a national football power. Notre Dame, at the assurances of O’Leary, were told that his embellishment of his playing record was a singular blunder and that there was nothing else for the university to be concerned with.

A Graduate Degree?
However, the University was soon confronted with further fabrication.

O’Leary’s resume included his having earned a masters degree from NYU in 1972. That graduate degree was extremely important because to work at the collegiate level, even as a coach, one generally must have some form of higher degree.

Yet, it seems that once again Notre Dame’s candidate had taken the liberty to embellish his achievements. Though NYU acknowledged O’Leary had been a student there, their records indicated that he had never earned a graduate degree.

Amazingly, these fabrications had been part of O’Leary’s resume since 1980 when he had filled out an application for an assistant coach position at Syracuse University. These concoctions had never been truly scrutinized until his appointment as head coach at one of America’s most storied institutions.

A stunned national sports audience read with great chagrin of O’Leary’s foibles and their effects on his coaching career. Elders at the time noted that once again ethical shortcomings in one’s youth had come back to not only haunt, but perhaps in this case, even destroy a man’s career.

At the time, much of George O’Leary’s amazing fall from grace was seen as a snapshot of what is wrong with collegiate athletics. O’Leary saw it differently, blaming it on ‘resume padding.’

In submitting his resignation to Notre Dame, one he had been asked to submit, he acknowledged: “In seeking employment I prepared a resume that contained inaccuracies regarding my completion of course work for a master’s degree and also my level of participation in football at my alma mater. These misstatements were never stricken from my resume or biographical sketch in later years.”

A Lesson for All
Any student thinking of falsifying his or her academic record or resume would do well to give careful consideration to the story of George O’Leary. There are numerous lessons that can be learned from the situation, not the least of which involved many, many years of hard work all undone in a matter of days because of ethical transgressions committed at an early age.

Ironically, at the time, employers did not initially check on O’Leary – the checks were actually done by reporters seeking not to confirm or undo, but to report on what was believed to be an interesting and worthy story.

However, since that time, public institutions began putting fact-checking measures in place. After all, no employer wants to ever be exposed to the public level of embarrassment the University of Notre Dame was subsequently subjected to.

In response to the earlier comment from one of readers, “What would happen if I were to just say that I had the degree on my resume? Anyone ever tried that? How many employers actually check?”

The answer is yes at least one notable person has tried it. And the second answer is yes, many employers now check.

As to “What would happen if I were just say that I had the degree on my resume?” Well, this story clearly reveals that blatant falsifications can come back to haunt you at the most inopportune time imaginable.

Flickr photos courtesy of MDB 28, Glenn and Telethon.

Your Personal Online Brand – It Begins with your Facebook Profile

November 16, 2008 by Thomas / 3 Comments

With admission officers joining employers in examining Facebook and MySpace profiles, it is time that students understood the importance of establishing their personal online brand.

The verdict is in!

This past week, the results of a survey from Kaplan Inc. revealed that colleges have begun looking at potential applicants’ social-networking profiles such as Facebook and MySpace during the admissions process. According to Kaplan, 10% of admissions officers are now including a student’s social-networking site profile when making this important decision.

Perhaps even more important to students are two other figures, 38% and 25%, respectively. These are the percentages of profile pages that admission officials indicated ‘negatively affected’ their views of the applicant (38%) as compared to those that ‘positively affected’ their opinions (the 25%).

Profile and Privacy Settings
Given this development, students should give careful consideration as to the information and the photo(s) placed on their profile page. As for interests, it may seem humorous to list ‘wine, women, and song’ while that profile picture of you holding two cans of beer, even if done in jest, may seem harmless. However, face it, such information is not likely to set well with a college admissions officer or a potential employer.

As for your site, there is little doubt today that you should utilize the available privacy settings to ensure that only those you invite have access to the information on your page. This step is as important for your personal safety against online predators of various forms as it is to protect your basic image.

But in regards to privacy options, students need to realize that group permissions for certain subgroups can expose you to other viewers. Accepting a group en mass might seem relatively innocuous (your elementary school classmates, for example) but such blanket permissions can inadvertently expose students to other site viewers that you might, in retrospect, wish did not have access to that information.

Your Personal Brand
While students should use these privacy settings to limit outside access to personal information, it is important to realize that one of your most important steps in life today is the creation of your online image or brand. Today’s new media along with the capabilities of the Internet require students to think very carefully about the brand they want to cultivate.

And by brand, we mean the basic concept that is generally associated only with businesses. A brand in essence is “a collection of images and ideas” that goes on to “convey the essence of a company, product or service”. However, today it is being applied to you as an individual based on the image you create online.

In essence, every piece of personal information placed online is one step in creating your own personal collection of images and ideas (your brand). And since every piece of information on the Internet is archived or cached, any item you post has the potential to be accessed by others, including employers and college admission folks.

Most importantly, even if you decide to take it down later, it will remain available to the rest of the world on the Internet.

Two Simple Tests
Therefore, it is imperative that students give very careful consideration to the brand they want to create. While it can sometimes be challenging to determine where the boundaries are in such matters, we have heard of two simple checks that will serve you well, the ‘Mom/Grand Mom’ check and the ‘Front-page’ check.

As silly as it may sound, when getting ready to post something online, ask yourself, what would your mother or grandmother think if they were to see the information? Is this something that would in any way serve to decrease their overall opinion of you? If the answer is yes, think twice about posting that information. Your future boss or that admissions counselor will have an even harsher view than your mother or grandmother.

The front page check likely sounds more sophisticated, it just asks you to consider a different audience. Ask yourself, what would happen if the information posted online were to make its way on to the front page of your local newspaper? Would it be a source of embarrassment or would it enhance your image in the community?

Though privacy settings give most users a certain level of comfort, the fact is that anything posted online will remain online for the indefinite future. Once there, it has the potential to be seen by others. So give very careful thought to everything you post.

To Cultivate Your Personal Brand
Because the material you place online can seriously impact your future opportunities you need to actively cultivate your personal brand. To ensure a positive presence online, give careful consideration to each of the following:

1. The Google Search Process – The first step to ensuring a positive brand is to imagine that someone is about to “Google” you. If they were to do so, what would the Google search engine turn up first?

If it is your Facebook page, then examine that page carefully to ensure that what people see projects you in a positive light. Think of this page and your profile as being your online portfolio – include pictures of you working, performing, competing and volunteering as well as your resume. Include some written work that would help readers begin to understand who you are and what is important to you.

2. Creating your Own Web or Blog Page – Even better than a Facebook page, Kai Davis, a University of Oregon student and blogger, suggests you should create a separate web page or blog that features you at your best. With all the software options available on the Internet, setting up a page today is extremely easy.

Davis insists that the most important thing to remember “is to ‘own’ a search term in this digital age. Having a blog or a web page with some unique content, essays, discussion, resume, etc., will help position you above other candidates for jobs or internships.”

3. Buying a Domain Name – If you are ready to consider such a page, then you should think about buying a domain name as well. Workforce experts insist that “you should own a domain name that matches (as close as possible) your name.” The process of purchasing your name or one very similar is quite easy and relatively inexpensive. More importantly, it will provide you with your ‘own’ search term exactly as Davis describes.

Your Brand Matters
The bottom line is that the material you post has the potential to seriously impact your future opportunities. It might be during the college application/scholarship process or it could be much later when you turn to the world of work (or it could even come that fateful day you take the plunge and decide to run for political office).

Remember, your online brand does matter – be sure to treat it with the utmost care.

Flickr photos courtesy of Vicky Tgaw, SitMonkeySupreme, Jofus/JoeTheDough and AJC1.

Five Reasons Why You Should Consider Attending Your State University

November 8, 2008 by Thomas / 3 Comments

Often times, during the college application process, the average high school senior gives very little consideration to his or her state university.

For many students, the state school may seem too close to home. For others, it could be that the school is simply too large.

But most often, for those who have worked so hard to put themselves in the position of being able to go to college, the local university simply does not carry enough prestige.

While this viewpoint is understandable, students should begin the college selection process with a careful look at what their state university has to offer. There are many features to review when considering a school, but there are five great reasons why that review should begin with an in-depth look at your local university.

Higher Admission Rates
If you have put together a solid four years of high school then your chances of being accepted at your local state university are very good. Getting in may seem like a forgone conclusion, but those applying to the elite schools like Harvard, Yale, and Princeton, face some of the lowest acceptance rates going (less than 10% at last check).

However, even schools like Boston College, UCLA and Davidson routinely reject roughly three out of every four applicants. Admission rates trend much higher at state colleges, with in-state candidates generally receiving priority status.

Affordability
State universities represent some of the best educational bargains available. Private college costs today average $33,000 per school year but it is not uncommon to see costs topping $40,000 annually and a few have reached the $50,000 a year plateau.

In contrast, the University of Florida costs in-state students less than $12,000 a year. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the school heading the Kiplinger top 100 best buys, has a sticker price of a shade under $14,000. With average after-aid costs totaling less than $5,000 per year, students at UNC can attend four years and still put some hard earned dollars aside for the possibility of graduate school.

Diverse Curricula and Program Options
Most experts will tell you, everything academically available at an elite college can be found at many state universities. In fact, the vast majority of state universities offer very strong degree programs and can claim a lengthy history of successful and high-powered graduates.

With almost unlimited major and career options, students attending a state university can still major in business yet minor in a foreign language, study engineering while minoring in communications, even obtain a general liberal arts degree if they see fit. The options are truly endless.

And with that wealth of options available, there is less pressure to have a major set when you begin your studies. At a state university, you can actually change your major and move to a different program within the school, often doing so while still keeping your credits. Transferring out to another school to change majors can be very costly in terms of dollars and time.

Diverse Campus Activities
The size of the state university means that a wealth of extracurricular options will be available. While most schools will offer some level of sports as well as leadership opportunities, the number of special-interest clubs, newspapers, theater and music options are far greater at state universities. At the University of Georgia alone there are more than 500 student clubs and organizations.

In addition, the state university will by its nature see a very diverse student body, including socio-economic and academic diversity. Though they do hand-pick students, the elite schools try desperately to find ways to ensure some level of diversity on their campuses. At a state college, the less rigorous entrance criteria ensures that social diversity happens naturally.

Proximity to Home
Part of the college experience is the opportunity to get away from home and spread one’s wings. However, there will actually come a time when some of mom’s home cooking will seem like dining out and that old bed in your room will offer a familiar comfort you never knew existed.

Being at your local state school means you have the chance to get home at least for all the major holidays, and if is not too far from home, even for a weekend from time-to-time. In addition, the sheer number of students from across the state guarantee a chance to hitch a ride to within a few miles from home.

Editors note: The list of the best school buys at Kiplinger.com features primarily state universities.

Flickr photo courtesy of bnp.

When Jobs Fail, there’s Always Business School

April 16, 2008 by The Digital Student / 0 Comments

You may not have found a job or you got lucky and graduated with a career, but business school is always a possibility in your future. BusinessWeek rates the top 50 business schools for undergrads, and to make things easier, we’ve done it here at GoCollege too.

50. Rutgers University (New Brunswick, NJ), $10,949/year, 780 students. Accounting and finance is best (marketing and management, not so much)
49. University of Miami (Coral Gables, FL), $34,720/year, 2,089 students. Small classes but not great recruitment.
48. University of Minnesota-Carlson (Minneapolis), $10,498/year, 1,863 students. Limited program offerings and easy classes, but good recruitment within the Twin Cities area.
47. University of San Diego (San Diego, CA), $32,564/year, 1,077 students. Great personable professors, but the jobs are not so great.
46. University of Florida-Warrington (Gainesville, FL), $3,372/year, 2,177 students. Big classes that are mostly taught by TAs are disappointing.
45. Loyola College-Sellinger (Baltimore, MD), $42,730/year, 926 students. Small classes and one-on-one attention gets high marks.
44. University of Georgia-Terry (Athens, GA), $5,622/year, 2,388 students. Academically rigorous courses, and it’s hard to get into top level classes.
43. University of Maryland-Smith (College Park, MD), $7,968/year, 2,877 students. Wall Street hasn’t seen many student representation.
42. Boston University (Boston, MA), $34,930/year, 1,979 students. Good curriculum but tough grading system and not-so-good recruiting disappoint.
41. Case Western Reserve University-Weatherhead (Cleveland, OH), $33,538/year, 405 students. Small classes are great, but there’s a lot of work.
40. Binghamton University (Binghamton, NY), $6,012/year, 870 students. Close-knit administration is a bonus.
39. Michigan State University-Broad (East Lansing, MI), $10,090/year, 2,065 students. Good classes, not as good teachers/administration.
38. Pennsylvania State University-Smeal (University Park, PA), $14,343/year, 5,492 students. Good supply of recruiters, but the cost is high for some.
37. University of Wisconsin-Madison (Madison, WI), $7,460/year, 1,312 students. Too many classes are taught by TAs and not professors, but recruitment is high.
36. Baylor University-Hankamer (Waco, TX), $25,340/year, 2,565 students. Strong focus on ethics, but not strong in recruitment.
35. Santa Clara University (Santa Clara, CA), $33,000/year, 1,860 students. Great recruiting within the Silicon Valley area but not much elsewhere.
34. Northeastern University (Boston, MA), $31,899/year, 2,921 students. Co-op opportunities are aplenty.
33. University of Washington (Seattle, WA), $6,385/year, 1,750 students. Small community and close-knit professors, but hard to find jobs on the east coast.
32. Texas Christian University-Neeley (Fort Worth, TX), $24,865/year, 1,727 students. Solid leadership program coupled with tough marks and difficult recruiting makes finding jobs hard.
31. Texas A & M-Mays (College Station, TX), $7,266/year, 3,856 students. Honors classes perform better than other classes, which aren’t as challenging.
30. Bentley College (Waltham, MA), $32,896/year, 3,810 students. Small classes shine, and finance and accounting majors get the best jobs.
29. The College of William & Mary-Mason (Williamsburg, VA), $9,164/year, 453 students. Broad curriculum and intimate environment with great professors.
28. Babson College (Babson Park, MA), $34,112/year, 1,799 students. Students need to run a business for the entrepreneurship program. Work and grading is difficult.
27. Fordham University (New York), $32,720/year, 1,866 students. Strong focus on ethics and integrity but jobs aren’t easy to find.
26. Rensselaer Polytech Institute-Lally (Troy, NY), $35,885/year, 374 students. Big focus on technology and personal professors win points.
25. Lehigh University (Bethlehem, PA), $35,610/year, 1,434 students. Faculty is well-liked, but recruiting is more difficult (accounting majors do better than marketing)
24. Miami University-Farmer (Oxford, OH), $11,875/year, 2,025 students. Accounting and finance programs get the jobs, but advising program isn’t recommended.
23. Southern Methodist University-Cox (Dallas, TX), $33,170/year, 917 students. Professors are accessible and recruiting occurs within the Dallas area.
22. Carnegie Mellon University-Tepper (Pittsburgh, PA), $37,544/year, 450 students. Intense work but school is small and quantitative skill focus is a plus.
21. Wake Forest University-Calloway (Winston-Salem, NC), $34,330/year, 415 students. A great workload that helps prepare students but also hurts them in the job hunt.
20. University of Richmond-Robins (Richmond, VA), $38,850/year, 670 students. Classes are small and students have a good relationship with professors.
19. Georgetown University-McDonough (Washington DC), $35,740/year, 1,297 students. Good DC location gives political focus.
18. University of Illinois (Urbana-Champaign, IL), $12,232/year, 2,649 students. New building under construction with good staff and faculty.
17. University of Southern California-Marshall (Los Angeles, CA), $35,810/year, 3,497 students. Extensive alumni helps students find jobs.
16. Indiana University-Kelley (Bloomington, IN), $7,958/year, 4,069 students. Curriculum combines finance, marketing, strategy, and operations.
15. Washington University-Olin (St. Louis, MO), $35,524/year, 758 students. Good professors and administration, but recruiting falters.
14. Boston College-Carroll (Boston, MA), $35,674/year, 1,970 students. Lessons can be applied to real world and the career-services staff is accommodating.
13. Villanova University (Villanova, PA), $34,900/year, 1,804 students. Accounting program is top-notch, but marketing majors again feel out in the dark.
12. University of North Carolina-Kenan-Flagler (Chapel Hill, NC), $5,340/year, 658 students. Outstanding global focus and emphasis on technology makes the school shine.
11. University of California Berkeley-Haas (Berkeley, CA), $8,384/year, 700 students. Harsh grading with high-caliber faculty.
10. University of Texas-McCombs (Austin, TX), $8,908/year, 3,969 students. Good recruiting and accounting program.
9. Massachusetts Institute of Technology-Sloan (Cambridge, MA), $34,986/year, 246 students. Quantitative skills taught well and undergrads are challenged with MBA courses if desired.
8. New York University-Stern (New York, NY), $36,524/year, 2,335 students. Focuses on finance and is perfectly situated by Wall Street for great job opps.
7. Brigham Young University-Marriott (Provo, UT), $3,840/year, 1,616 students. Emphasis on ethical business leaders of the future.
6. University of Michigan-Ross (Ann Arbor, MI), $12,585/year, 1,069 students. Strict grading upsets students, but curriculum and teamwork win brownie points.
5. Emory University-Goizueta (Atlanta, GA), $34,336/year, 622 students. Hard-working professors and career service advisers.
4. Cornell University (Ithaca, NY), $19,291/year, 708 students. Challenging coursework prepares students well for business work.
3. University of Notre Dame-Mendoza (South Bend, IN), $35,187/year, 1,626 students. Powerful program with “die-hard alums.”
2. University of Virginia-McIntire (Carlottesville, VA), $8,690/year, 652 students. Excellent faculty and good starting salaries.
1. University of Pennsylvania-Wharton (Philadelphia, PA), $35,916/year, 2,519 students. Highly-esteemed students, faculty, and alumni.

Is business school in your future?

Things You Wish You Knew Before Applying to College…

April 9, 2008 by The Digital Student / 3 Comments

1. Applying to college is like taking another class at school. You can either take it as a “summer class” and get started early or you can worry about it as an additional “course” come your senior year of high school in the fall.
2. Leadership and commitment are extraordinarily valuable assets and are extremely important on your college application.
3. You need to believe in yourself. Little do you know where you’re really headed — nobody really has the right idea. Have a good attitude and work ethic towards other courses and you’ll be surprised. Never undercut yourself.
4. Statistics change. What happened two years ago may not hold true anymore. Just because your friend got into Yale in 2004 with “worse grades than you” doesn’t mean that your chances are better than his.
5. Read. A lot. Reading in college is going to have to become second nature. Getting a head start will only help you grow intellectually and will build up some motivation for later.
6. Volunteer early. Don’t just get into community service just because your college application demands it. It actually makes you feel very good.
7. Research scholarship opportunities. They vary from state to state and from school to school. You may be on your own on this one as some college counselors don’t have all the resources. Thankfully, you do.
8. Stand out. That’s what all colleges demand: someone who will be an asset to the school rather than an ordinary student. Write a college essay that matters. To get an idea of what works and what doesn’t, just don’t write on the same topics that your friends have written on.
9. Study your college and make a case. Read documentation on the school. Then, when the application asks you “why do you want to go to THIS school?” you need to have an answer that will blow them away.
10. Build up your vocabulary. Your SATs and ACTs need them. So do you. You’ll come across those words in college more than once and you’ll sound a lot smarter.
11. Challenge yourself. Trust me, you’ll be challenged in school, and if not in college, in the real world, so it’s better to get a head start now. Plus, it’s a great learning experience for you. Take AP or IB courses. Enroll in independent study courses or in classes at your local college. Always keep learning.
12. Be nice to your teachers. They write your recommendation letters.
13. Seek out the safety schools. Look hard and you shall find something that will make you happy. It will also make your life a lot less stressful.
14. Take your SAT IIs alongside the relevant AP class. It saves a lot of studying down the road. If that means you’re taking an SAT II in 9th grade, do it. Better to prepare earlier than to have to study all over again a few years down the road.
15. Assert yourself. Don’t be shy. Leadership is important. Colleges seek out the leaders of tomorrow, so be one today.
16. Explore internships. Find out what you’re passionate about and pursue it in the “working world.” Some people realize that they’re not cut out for that line of work, so getting a head start gives you more insight on whether you can live with it for years or whether it’s time to make a change.
17. The common college application can be recycled. You can send them to different schools (with the proper edits) without worrying about rewriting an entire new application.
18. Be yourself. Don’t be your parents’ child. Go to a school you love, not one that your parents love.
19. College interviews aren’t that bad. Present yourself as you normally would (be yourself — there’s no need to play dress up) and just talk about what interests you in the school. Interviewers want to get to know the real you. Just talk and you’ll be fine.
20. Ivies aren’t always worth it. They don’t necessarily offer better educations than your local schools or your “safeties.” The best school for you may not necessarily be the highest-ranked institution.
21. Apply early action if you can (when there are no penalties). You may grow impatient.
22. Organize yourself. You’ll need to continue it in college. Get a notebook and a daily planner that can keep you up to speed on your homework assignments. PDAs are fine too.
23. Your college counselor is a resource. Take advantage of him/her. Build that relationship today.
24. Consider competitions. Math and science buffs should look into the Intel Science Talent Search, the Siemens Westinghouse Competition, the Olympiads (in your field), or the International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF).
25. Don’t slack off. You’ll pay for it one day.
26. Build a relationship with your teachers that is more than about grades. In the grand scheme of things, grades matter little.
27. Halloween is the day before the Early Decision/Early Action admissions deadline. Finish your college application a lot earlier.
28. Get your recommendation letters in order. Teachers are asked by hundreds of students for these letters yearly. Be first or at least early.
29. Don’t pass up the merit award. It may never come back to you again.
30. Check financial aid deadlines and don’t be late.
31. Focus. Do your assignments. Do your homework. Slacking off will not pay.
32. Rely on yourself. In college, you’re the boss. A college coach may help, but at the end of the day, it’s all you.
33. You’re no different than the others. Well, maybe you are. But if your friends get rejected, take heed! Don’t say “it won’t happen to me.”
34. Create your own opportunities. Sometimes, you won’t get into the prestigious geography team, but your interest in politics can get you started on your own Congress Club. That will also make you a leader.
35. Relax. Don’t stress out. You’re not alone in this.
36. Don’t dismiss smaller schools. Liberal arts colleges may be great for you and perfect for what you’re pursuing. Single-sex schools can also offer superior learning experiences in a much smaller and closer-knit community than you’ll find in larger schools.
37. Visit the campus. You might really love it on paper, but until you visit it, you can never be so sure. Why do you think job applicants are interviewed before they’re hired?
38. Got a question? Call the school. They’re not screening calls and won’t hold it against you if you have a question about the application process or about coursework. Don’t be afraid to initiate.
39. Plan for the best but prepare for the worst. You need to be realistic about the entire situation. There are lots of schools out there — not only Ivy Leagues — but schools that really will be your perfect match. Seek and you shall find.

What other tips do you have to offer?

Class of 2012: Welcome to Free Agency

April 1, 2008 by The Digital Student / 0 Comments

So the long winter wait is over and those envelopes are arriving, thick and thin, yes and no, accept and reject (or waitlisted!). You’re now about to make one of the most important decisions of the next few years of your increasingly independent life and it’s important that you take advantage of all information available.

More often than not, students know little about the school that they’re about to attend. This isn’t an entirely awful thing – you can probably figure out how to make the most of your time anywhere. Some will want to stay close to home while others will flee to an opposite coast. Some might have a dream city in mind or desire nothing less than cheering on the big time football team from the student section on fall Saturdays. Maybe it’s the big campus green or the bustling student center that caught your eye on the official tour. Maybe mom and dad went there or maybe you really like the name of the place. Sadly, somewhere along the way, you probably forgot about the classroom component.

Beyond the artificial reasons for wanting to attend college, there’s the inescapable reality of the time that will be spent studying. After all, for most people, college is still an academic experience with an eventual undergraduate degree and then job or more advanced studies. Therefore, it’s important to familiarize yourself with the academic expectations of a school before you wind up blowing time and money on endless courses that serve no interest to what you want out of college.

Schools have different curriculums. Some require a subset of courses that all students take (a “core” curriculum). Others have a certain number of general education requirements (e.g. two semesters of a physical science, four semesters of a foreign language, etc). Still, others advance entirely open curriculums where students can take almost anything offered in course catalogs alongside their major area of study. One school might allow more advanced placement than another (which could save you both time and money). Another school might allow you to pass/fail (that is, elect not to receive a letter grade against your grade point average, unless you fail the course) the majority of your classes if you choose. Nonetheless, these things vary and you’ll want to know how they work before you end up confronting them firsthand.

Thankfully, the bulk of this information can be found on nearly all college websites, but it’s unlikely that it’s included in official welcoming admissions material. This information is there to win you over (maybe with a water bottle or bumper sticker or t-shirt), as schools are aware that they’re competing for you, still free agents. They’re out there making pitches as best they can, but as an admissions office, they care little of what will become your own academic experience. That, as so much of what you’ll learn in college, is up to you to discover.

Top 7 Mistakes Students Make on their College Applications

November 30, 2007 by The Digital Student / One Comment

Do you want to get into that college of your dreams? Then don’t screw up the opportunity to shine. Here’s what you want to avoid when you’re filling out that college application.

1. You include grammatical and spelling errors. Keep in mind that the admissions counselors has this packet of paper on front of them and this is how you’re presenting yourself. Review your credentials carefully and have someone proofread it to ensure that you don’t overlook anything.

2. You forgot to sign the documents. It’s another way to make a bad impression. If you’re not meticulous enough, you’ll certainly lose points with the person reviewing your app.

3. You didn’t read properly. Don’t misunderstand what is being asked. If it says “Last Name, First Name,” don’t fill out the form with your first name preceding your last name. Don’t say you live in the United States when it asks which county you reside in.

4. Illegible handwriting. Come on, this is your application to enter the schools of your dreams! Don’t make it more difficult for the admissions counselor who has to wade through tens of thousands of applications. Better yet, if you can get ahold of a typewriter or apply online, do it.

5. Not submitting your application online. Since college applications are a long process and cannot be completed after just an hour, you may want to save your changes and revisit the app several times, getting your content reviewed in the process. Make sure that when everything is said and the book is sealed that you actually submit your application! It’s one thing to save it; it’s another thing to ensure that it was sent.

6. Using an inappropriate email address. Just like you want to be a little careful when you present yourself online, so too you want to ensure your email address is of a professional nature. If you include too many sixty nines or four twenties, you may not score brownie points (even if they contain… oh, nevermind) with the people who will review your application.

7. Having someone else write your college application. Okay, seriously. If you’re going to delegate part of your application to a friend and part to a family member and you two have grossly different styles of writing, you can expect to be rejected without reconsideration. It is obvious when someone else writes your college application if the voice changes. Do it yourself. You’ll likely have to work on your own for at least part of college, so it helps to prepare now when the answers are all about you. (Trust me, this is a lot easier than your final exams.)

Take the application process seriously. It’s a little tough, there’s a lot of information, but you’ll be a lot more confident about your decision when you’ve gotten it out of the way. Remember, this is it, and many colleges bypass the interview almost entirely.