Non-Traditional Ways to Apply to College

If you frequently post videos of yourself on YouTube, you may think it’s great that Tufts University is accepting YouTube videos as part of its admissions process.

It’s not the only thing students are required to submit, of course–there are still the written essays and other requirements–but a video is an option that about 1,000 of the school’s 15,000 applicants chose this year, the New York Times reports.

It’s interesting to see how schools like Tufts are adjusting their admissions process to recognize that applicants are tech-savvy and appreciate the change to introduce themselves in different ways.

Dartmouth applications have gone paperless, which the Boston Globe reports made it easier for students to include links to Web sites, videos, and blogs. And remember that what’s on your Facebook page is open to being seen by admissions officials, too.

One benefit we see to this new wave of college admissions is that the videos are another way for students to portray themselves and how they could add to the student body. Sometimes students perform better in person than on paper, and other schools seem to recognize that, such as Olin College and its Candidates Weekend for the top 250 prospective applicants that includes a design project, team exercises, and individual interviews.

It’s a common way in which people audition for reality shows, and it may become a more popular method for students seeking to make college a reality, too. In this digital age, it will be interesting to see how many colleges follow Tufts’ acceptance of YouTube videos. Tufts is believed to be the first, but did your school accept videos, on YouTube or submitted in another form? If you applied to Tufts, did you submit a video?

–Lori Johnston

Additional reporting by Delaney Young

Add comment February 25th, 2010

New York University Students to Write for the New York Times

Part of the fun of going away to college is the opportunity to learn all about a new town or city. For many college graduates, even those who have moved away after they finished school, their college town will always hold a special place in their hearts.

One group of students that probably enjoys getting to know their new town more than most are those over at New York University, located in Greenwich Village, one of the hippest and trendiest neighborhoods in New York City. The university has, among many other world-renowned programs, an excellent journalism program. This program is about to get even better, considering the fact that the New York Times is giving some talented students a lucky break by hiring them to cover the local Village beat.

The Local East Village is a new website that features—you guessed it—hyper-local news that is happening right where NYU students live, study, and have fun. The site will launch this fall as a joint effort between the Times and the Arthur L. Carter Institute at NYU. Students will report and write on the daily happenings in the East Village. If you are an aspiring journalist, then you’ll know this is one cool byline to have on your resume.

In a time when newspapers and magazines have taken a direct hit in a flailing economy, there are some critics who say that the Times is not helping matters by using unpaid student labor to launch a new money-making initiative. I can certainly understand where this negative response is coming from, as I have sadly watched content at the newsstand diminish over the past several years. Still, I’m choosing to focus on the positive here, which is that these lucky NYU journalism majors are going to get a chance to be published writers well before they graduate.

–Barbara Bellesi

Add comment February 24th, 2010

Thank You Cards Are Important Step in College Admissions Process

Early action and early decision notifications might have already gone out weeks ago, but if you applied regular decision, chances are you’re counting the days on the calendar until April. And unlike the characters on “Lost,” time travel is not an option, though there are certainly things you can do to keep yourself busy so that time goes by just a little faster. Like write thank you cards, for example.

You remember thank you cards, right?

There are so many techie gadgets coming and going these days that it’s easy to forget how to pick up a pen—a real pen!—and write out a thank you card to someone who has helped you during the college admissions process. But regardless of where we are in cutting-edge technology, an old-fashioned thank you card is a great way to remember those who advised and mentored you as you searched for and applied to schools.

Thank you cards don’t need to be fancy—you can pick up a pack of plain cards at any office supply store or supermarket. A simple sentence or two like “Thank you for all of your assistance during the college admissions process” will do.

Why handwrite a card when it’s so easy to email? It goes back to the idea of being old-fashioned—many years ago, people had a lot more time on their hands and were able to write long letters to friends and family members. A short, handwritten thank you note shows that you are taking time out of your hectic schedule to thank those who took time out of their hectic schedules to help you. While each student has their own unique team of helpers, here are some key people who should make your thank you list:

1. Your guidance counselor. Yes, it is his or her job to be there to answer your questions about college applications and transcripts. But that doesn’t mean that you can’t thank your guidance counselor for a job well done.
2. Your recommendation letter writers. One day, you will be asked to write a letter of recommendation—which is not always an easy task, by the way–and you will appreciate what your teachers have done for you. But don’t wait for that day to come—send a note to all of your teachers, coaches, and staff members that had your back by writing a rec letter.
3. The admissions counselor who gave you your campus interview. Just as you will for each job interview you have four years from now, you should write a note to the admissions counselor who interviewed you on campus and thank them for your time. This note is important because it is two-fold: yes, you are expressing your thanks, but you are also reminding the admissions counselor of who you are—and why you are still very interested in attending their school.
4. Coaches and professors. If you are being recruited for a sport or a specific program, there’s a very good chance that you met various important people in athletics or academics. Can’t remember all of their names? Go to the college’s website and search the directory, or else send a general note to the department to express your appreciation.

Other people you might consider adding to your list include your SAT or ACT tutor (if you have one) and the current college student who shared his or her dorm with you for an overnight campus visit.

After writing countless drafts of college essays, a simple thank you should be a piece of cake. In this case, no one will tease you for being old-fashioned.

–Barbara Bellesi

2 comments February 23rd, 2010

Olympic Curling Attracts Wide Audience

Ah, the Vancouver Olympics. I tend to get a bit attached to my TV whenever the Olympics are on, but instead of getting absorbed in the aerial tricks of Shaun White or the lightning-fast speed of Lindsay Vonn, I have a new obsession: curling.

Curling is not a new sport, though it seems that many people, like me, are just noticing it now. It actually is said to have originated in Scotland during the 16^th century, and it did make a few appearances in the Olympics in the early 20^th century before its official return to the Winter Games roster in 1998.

I think the draw of curling is that it looks like something a regular person can actually do, like bowling. Of course, bowling always looks easy—especially on Wii—until I actually hurl the heavy ball with a resounding thud directly into the gutter. Even though I still feel that I could actually be a contender for the Olympic curling team going to Sochi in 2014, I suspect that my first try at curling would instead involve my sliding ungracefully across the ice on my stomach and bumping my head into one of those heavy granite “rocks.”

My Olympic pipe dream aside, I would love to try curling one day and am quite jealous of those colleges and universities that have teams. Check out this partial list of schools who have competed or still compete in national curling competitions—not surprisingly, these schools are in states notorious for rough winters, so curling must be a good way to warm up during the frigid months:

Bowling Green State University

Cambridge Community College

Carroll College

College of St. Scholastica

Gustavus Adolphus

Harvard University

Hibbing Community College

Lake Forest College

Madison Area Tech

Marquette University

Michigan Tech University

Minot State University

Moorhead State University

North Dakota State University

Rutgers University

St. Olaf College

University of Minnesota at Duluth

University of Minnesota at Morris

University of Wisconsin—most campuses, including Milwaukee and Madison

Williams College

Winona State University

–Barbara Bellesi

Add comment February 22nd, 2010

O Canada! O College!

All eyes are on Canada these days, particularly Vancouver, where the 2010 Winter Olympics are well underway. (Did you see the Opening Ceremonies? So cool.) In true Olympic spirit, I was pretty pumped to see Canada’s Alexandre Bilodeau win a gold medal in men’s moguls on his own turf, even though he did beat American skier Bryon Wilson.

I hear it’s pretty fun to go to college in Vancouver in general, but how awesome would it be to be a college student there now? If students don’t have the chance to break away from campus to go to any of the events, I’m sure there are tons of opportunities for on-campus viewing of the Olympics.

Let’s take a look at some of the colleges and universities in British Columbia where they are cheering on the “true North strong and free”:

• Emily Carr University of Art & Design
• Corpus Christi College
• Douglas College
• Drake Medox College
• University Canada West
• University of British Columbia
• Arbutus College
• Eton College
• Fairleigh Dickinson College—Vancouver
• Langara College
• La Salle College
• MTI Community College
• New Image College of Fine Arts
• Pacific Coast Community College
• Royal Canadian College
• Simon Fraser University
• Vancouver Academy of Music
• Vancouver Academy of Dramatic Arts

That’s just a short list. I haven’t touched all of the community colleges and career colleges that are part of Vancouver and the greater British Columbia area.

So it seems that American high school students aren’t the only ones with lots of choices when it comes to higher ed. However, when it comes to campuses with Olympic spirit, it seems that colleges in Vancouver have everywhere else beat—at least until the torch is extinguished.

–Barbara Bellesi

1 comment February 19th, 2010

Guns on Campus?

It’s so sad to hear about campus shootings like the one that happened last week at the University of Alabama in Huntsville, where a female professor allegedly shot and killed three professors and wounded others at a faculty meeting.

This latest tragedy brings back chilling memories of the Virginia Tech massacre in 2007, and even the shootings by a University of Georgia professor in my town last spring. Business professor George Zinkhan killed his wife and two others while they were rehearsing a play off campus. It happened close enough to the Athens, GA school for some students to be worried about their safety while police seached for Zinkhan, who later killed himself.

Campus violence has led Arizona legislators to consider allowing professors to carry guns on campus. The argument by advocates, including groups like Students for Concealed Carry on Campus, is that faculty and possibly eventually students would be able to defend themeselves in the event of a school shooting.

Opponents of the plan include the Campaign to Keep Guns Off Campus, which has the support of 120 institutions in 30 states. The group’s director told the New York Times that 26 states forbid guns on college campuses, and that Utah is the only state that allows on-campus possession of those age 21 and up. The remaining states don’t have rules on the books about the issue.

You can check out the U.S. Department of Education to research crime and safety stats at schools you’re considering. CollegeBound also has covered the issue, with stories that talk about what schools are doing to keep campuses safe and alert students and faculty of emergencies.

What do you think about professors being allowed to carry guns on campus? Will it help stop campus shootings, or could it make matters worse?

–Lori Johnston

1 comment February 18th, 2010

College Mascots: Big Dog on Campus

If you were able to break away from the Olympics at all last night, you might have noticed that there was another fierce competition on TV: The Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show.

Some might call it crazy, some might call it a doggie beauty pageant, but Westminster is truly one of the most anticipated competitions of the year. And if you’re a dog lover like I am, then you’ll forgive me for turning away from curling and figure skating to watch and see who won Best in Show.

Last night, a beautiful Scottie named Sadie (see photo) was crowned (well, given a silver bowl) the top dog of the two-day competition. Seeing the crowd react to the country’s new favorite canine got me to thinking about other popular dogs—namely, those that are given the distinction of college mascot.

Although dogs—including Scotties–are a popular college mascot, they do tend to be overwhelmed by the other mascots in the world of college sports. When you come up against the Texas Longhorns or Blaze, the dragon mascot at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, you’d wonder how a cute little furball could ever compete?

While a smackdown involving college mascots might leave even King Husky at Northeastern whimpering, that hasn’t stopped man’s best friend from becoming big dog on campus. Check out this list of campuses that are proud of their canine mascots; Bulldogs and Huskies certainly seem to be a popular choice. Don’t see yours on the list? Leave a comment and tell us about it. Woof!

Campuses with Bulldog Mascots (some in costume, some living and breathing)

Butler University—Butler Blue II (see photo. He’s real AND he’s on Twitter!)

Georgetown University–Jack

Gardner-Webb University—Lulu and Mac T. Bulldog

McPherson College—Ben

Adrian College—Bruiser

University of Redlands—Buddy

Mississippi State–Bully

Western Illinois–Colonel Rock “Rocky”

University of Georgia—Uga (get it?)

Yale–Handsome Dan

University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez—Tarzan

Louisiana Tech—Tech

Fresno State—Timeout

Truman State–Spike and Simone

Go You Huskies!

Michigan Tech–Blizzard T. Husky (check him out in the racecar!)

University of Washington– Harry the Husky

Northeastern–King Husky

U Conn—Jonathan

Houston Baptist University—Mingo

Bloomsburg University of PA–Roongo

And don’t forget our other doggie friends:

Southern Illinois Carbondale—Saluki (see him in action on the court!)

Siena College–Bernie, the St. Bernard

Texas A&M–Reveille, the collie

Boston University–Rhett the Boston Terrier

Agnes Scott College—Scottie

Carnegie Mellon—Scottie

University of Albany–Great Dane

John Jay College of Criminal Justice—Bloodhound

University of Indianapolis—Greyhound

–Barbara Bellesi

Add comment February 17th, 2010

Colleges and Universities Named after U.S. Presidents

On Presidents’ Day, we’re usually too busy enjoying our long holiday weekend to put much thought into why we have a day off in the first place. So this year, we’re going to remind you in the only way The CollegeBound Network can—with a roundup of colleges and universities that are named after U.S. presidents.

Getting anything named after you is a pretty big deal, but the fact that some of the greatest schools in the country are named after some of the greatest presidents in history says a lot. (It also says we need to get working on electing a female president, but that’s for another blog). Take a look:

The George Washington University, Washington, DC. When President George Washington died in 1799, his will called for 50 of his shares in the Potomac Company to go towards financing a university in the District of Columbia. An act of Congress in 1821 created Columbian College, which, after changing names a few times, became George Washington University in 1904.

GW President Steven Knapp has said that President Washington sought a center of higher education that focused on open discussion and that brought people with different perspectives together. “We are a globalized version of the university that George Washington envisioned,” President Knapp has said. (Thanks to Menachem Wecker, writer and editor at George Washington Today, the university’s official news source, for that information)

Washington and Lee University, Lexington, Virginia. The struggling Liberty Academy got back on its feet thanks to an endowment by President George Washington worth thousands of dollars in James River Canal stock. The school was renamed in his honor. (Years later, Confederate General Robert E. Lee was president of the college for a brief time beginning in 1865, and so that is why his name was later added as well.)

Jeffery Hanna, executive director of communications and public affairs at Washington and Lee wrote to us in an email, “In a letter to the trustees acknowledging the institution’s new name, Washington wrote, ‘To promote Literature in the rising Empire, and to encourage the Arts, have ever been amongst the warmest wishes of my heart.’ Generations of Washington and Lee students have been inspired by the first president’s generosity. The University prides itself not only on the uncommon educational experience that blends the liberal arts with professional programs, but also on its dedication to educating students for character and preparing them for the moral responsibilities they will face as citizens and leaders.”

Lincoln University of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Lincoln University, Pennsylvaia. The school got its start as the Ashmun Institute in 1854 but was named after President Abraham Lincoln in 1866. Lincoln would be very happy to know that this Pennsylvania college has always supported the education of African-Americans and now attracts highly diverse and international students to its campus. Notable Lincoln alumni include Langston Hughes, poet, and Thurgood Marshall, the first African-American U.S. Supreme Court Justice.

James Madison University, Harrisonburg, Virginia. The mission statement of the school is: “We are a community committed to preparing students to be educated and enlightened citizens who lead productive and meaningful lives.” Seems like our 4th president would be proud of his namesake.

Here are some others:

Franklin Pierce College, Rindge, NH
Harry S. Truman College, Chicago, IL
Monroe College, Bronx and New Rochelle, NY
Roosevelt University, Chicago, IL
Truman State University, Kirksville, MO
Washington and Jefferson College, Washington, PA
Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO

Our list is by no means exhaustive. There are a number of other two-year and four-year colleges across the country named after presidents, not to mention graduate schools within universities, like the Clinton School of Public Service at the University of Arkansas.

Did we leave your school off our list? Leave a comment below and let us know what students on your campus are doing to make their presidential namesake proud. Happy Presidents’ Day!

–The CollegeBound Network

Add comment February 15th, 2010

Ithaca College Students Go to the Olympics

The 2010 Winter Olympics officially start tonight with Opening Ceremonies in Vancouver, and I’m pretty pumped for it. Though I will be watching from the comfort of my couch, I know I’ll still be cheering when I see Team USA carry the flag during the Parade of Nations.

Of course, my excitement won’t come close to matching that of the Ithaca College students who are going along for the ride as part of the NBC Sports internship program. NBC Sports has chosen 31 students from the Park School of Communications at Ithaca to go and live in the international media village in Vancouver for the duration of the Winter Games and work alongside media professionals covering the events. Talk about getting some valuable experience for your resume!

This is not the first time Ithaca College has gone to the Olympics. In fact, students have interned with NBC sports at the Olympics in Beijing and in Turin, too. NBC obviously sees something wonderful in Ithaca’s communications program, which means that Ithaca would be a great addition to the college wish list for aspiring communications or journalism majors.

Like many college internships, these NBC Sports positions are unpaid, but considering the amount of behind-the-scenes experience these interns will be getting, I don’t think anyone really cares. Besides, having an NBC credit on their resume before they even graduate will probably pay off more later than getting a small paycheck now.

Good luck to Team USA and those lucky and talented Ithaca College students. We’ll be rooting for all of you!

–Barbara Bellesi

Add comment February 12th, 2010

Study Finds Students Have Major Financial Stress

Do you ever feel your math classes aren’t going to be useful after graduation? Sometimes I wish that everything I learned in algebra and calculus could have helped me come up with a formula where nobody had to worry about paying for college.

And students are facing more financial stress these days. Maybe a parent lost a job this year, which can deflate tuition savings, as 80 percent of college students are financially dependent on parents. Or a part-time job isn’t panning out because the company doesn’t have the money or the business to keep you on staff.

All this, plus the stock market woes, has caused 95 percent of college students to say the nation’s economic crisis impacted their family’s finances last year, and 93 percent have seen an effect on their own bank account, according to a new survey by the National Endowment for Financial Education. As you might already know, financial stress could have an impact on your relationships, health, and overall well-being.

If you’re feeling less than financially confident, talk to your parents about what you’re feeling, what their bank account or college savings plans are looking like right now, and ways you can work harder to pursue scholarships and financial aid.

Here are three other things you can do:

1. Put yourself on a budget: The study discovered a 3 percent increase in budgeting by students who felt the greatest impact from the crisis. But it also found a 60 percent increase in credit card debt and a 26 percent increase in students using one credit card to pay off another. Splurging on outfits for frat parties or those late-night pizza orders can add up.

2. Resist the urge to drop out: The study found a 169 percent increase in the students dropping classes and an 106 percent increase in students taking a leave of absence from school. It may just be harder to return once you’ve been away for a while.

3. Educate yourself: Even learning the definitions of financial terms could be a huge help as they become a regular part of your college vocabulary.

–Lori Johnston

1 comment February 11th, 2010