Breaking news! The SAT is changing!

This is big news in the world of college admissions and you heard it hear first! This won't impact current juniors or seniors but it's interesting information for those of us who get to live through the college process year after year. Eric Hoover explains it all below:
 

The Chronicle of Higher Education

College Board Plans an ‘Improved’ SAT

Eric Hoover

February 26, 2013

For months the College Board’s new president has hinted that change was coming to the SAT. Now he has made the organization’s intentions clear.

In an e-mail to College Board members on Monday, David Coleman said the group would better connect elementary and secondary schools with colleges and universities by developing “a more innovative assessment that sharply focuses on a core set of knowledge and skills that are essential for readiness, access, and success,” and that are “most important to prepare students for the rigors of college and career.”

The College Board, in collaboration with college and high-school officials, he wrote, will soon revise the nation’s most famous test so that it “mirrors the work that students will do in college.”

Although Mr. Coleman’s e-mail was short on specifics, he said the organization’s development of “an improved SAT” would be guided by three broad objectives: to increase the test’s value to students, schools, and colleges. As for the latter, he wrote, the College Board would ensure that the revised examination “meets the evolving needs of admission officers, faculty, and other administrators, and that the SAT remains a valid and reliable predictor of college success.”

Last year Mr. Coleman told The Chronicle that he hoped to align the SAT with the Common Core standards, which could further alter the identity of an exam that was long ago conceived of as a measure of students’ innate abilities. Mr. Coleman has also criticized the SAT’s required essay, which measures how students write—but not so much what they write.

“As kids move on to colleges and careers, you have to be accountable to evidence,” Mr. Coleman said in an interview last spring. “Since we’ve given them no source material, we have to say, ‘Wait a minute, what have we done?’ We’ve created this as a performance.”

The College Board plans to hold meetings throughout the nation to solicit input on the SAT’s redesign. If someone’s kind enough to invite me to any of those sessions, I’ll be sure to bring the punch.

Published by: TSM

Colorado College Recap

Last fall, Mrs. Prugh wrote a post about our visit to Colorado College and we neglected to hit the Publish button (it must have been all those November 1 applications we were working on!)

Here is a long overdue recap of our visit to Colorado College back in September!

On our way to Colorado Springs to visit Colorado College, we drove past snow that had dusted the ground the night before and were impressed by the spectacular views on the way out of the city. It is also an easy trip from Denver, as the school is about an hour and a half from the Denver airport. Upon our arrival at Cutler Hall,  which houses Colorado College's admissions office, we happened to run into Roberto Garcia, the Director of admissions, who was kind enough to show us some of the highlights of the campus.

 Colorado College is a small liberal arts college that is known for its innovative Block Plan. Students take one course at a time for three and a half weeks, typically completing four blocks each semester and eight blocks each year. Students are in class from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., making campus quiet during our visit but it is clear to see the amazing opportunities that are offered at CC, which is what the students call the school. We were able to see new construction in their athletic facilities and the amazing view of Pikes’ Peak from the football field. The CC mascot is a Bengal tiger who is just waiting to be named by a creative student!

 We toured the Cornerstone Arts Center, which was built in 2008 and not only houses a 450 seat theatre modeled after a classical amphitheater but also serves as a living performance space, with public catwalks and video projection systems. One of my favorite parts of the Arts Center was a chalkboard with words and phrases coined by Shakespeare- who knew that he came up with “Knock, knock! Who’s there?”

 The beautiful campus itself is an easy walk to downtown Colorado Springs. There is also a shuttle from campus that runs to the downtown area making it very easy for students to explore.

Here are a few pictures from our tour:

The poetry wall in the performing arts center

Downtown Colorado Springs (walking distance from campus)

 

Imagine attending a soccer game with that kind of view!

 

Published by: LP

Updates from Boston University

Recently our office recieved a mid-year update from Boston University with information about their "record breaking" applicant pool.

I've copied and pasted the email from BU below:

This is an extraordinary year for Boston University, and I would like to tell you a little bit about our applicant pool for the Class of 2017.

• Early Decision applications increased an unprecedented 40% over last year. Our regular decision applicant pool stands at 52,669--a 20% increase over 2012

• Applications from international students increased 39%

• Students applied from all 50 U.S. states, Washington D.C., Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, and 149 countries

If you'd like to read more about BU's applicant pool, please see this article recently published by BU Today.

As you can see, this is another record-breaking applicant pool for BU, and combined with a freshman class size of 3,800 (100 fewer students than last year), 2013 will certainly be the most competitive year in our history for admission. I hope that in sharing this information, you and your colleagues will be better able to answer questions from your students and families when admission decisions are announced in the spring.
Published by TSM

Fox Day @ Rollins College

FOX DAY @ Rollins College

Winter Park, Florida

Fox Day at Rollins College happens once a year when a statue of a fox appears quite mysteriously and without warning on the center of a perfectly manicured green in the middle of campus. The appearance of the fox kicks off a day of celebration. Classes are cancelled for the day, no tests or assignments due. Moonbounces come to life and special feasts appear. Fox Day, hmmm.... a wonderful surprise, but so was my entire visit to Rollins.

The campus is picturesque, Lake Virginia is out the back door, and the front of the school spills into the main boulevard of Winter Park, which is rife with outdoor cafes and hip shops. The buildings have a Spanish flair, with everything a student could wish for, the library even has a "pillow room" in case you need a quick rest! The fitness center has a full offering of classes at all hours and great equipment, and I have NEVER tasted college cafeteria food quite like at Rollins; I have to wonder how many schools offer grilled Mahi Mahi salad. The campus pool overlooks Lake Virginia and really beautiful. Future constructions plans include a state of the art science center and an inn right on campus to house visitors.

As I toured the campus I questioned how students could maintain their focus with all these distractions, not to mention the spectacular weather. While my surroundings had impressed me, it was the performance of the Rollins students during class that made the greatest impact and left a lasting impression. The first class I attended was about U.S.-Mexican relations.In a class of eleven students, typical for Rollins, each student was engaged, prepared, and passionate about the primary document (the Monroe Doctrine) that they were assessing. This level of enthusiasm and involvement is typical for the small liberal arts classes at Rollins. It is no wonder they have created a campus of active and involved learners who reach out into the community and take full advantage of one of numerous study abroad opportunities.

Thank you to Rollins for a wonderful visit!

Published by: SKC

 

 

Gap Year Fair at GDS on February 22

If you are interested in learning more about what it means to take a Gap Year or the opportunities and programs available to students interested in a Gap Year, consider attending the Gap Year Fair at Georgetown Day School on February 22nd. The program will include a presentation from 6:00-6:30.

The program details are here:

http://www.usagapyearfairs.org/events-schedule/washington-d.c

If you are wondering why anyone would consider a Gap Year, check out the following statement and article by the Dean of Admissions at Harvard about the advantages of taking a year off:

http://www.admissions.college.harvard.edu/apply/time_off/index.html

If you have any questions, talk to your college counselor!

 

Published by: TSM

Breakfast with the President of Oberlin College

Recently, Mrs. Maglio and I had the opportunity to attend a breakfast hosted by Oberlin College. The president of Oberlin, Marvin Krislov, spoke to a group of local college counselors about the school and we learned some really interesting facts. President Krislov came to Oberlin in 2007 after having worked at the University of Michigan and he is so invested in the Oberlin community that he holds office hours for students every Tuesday night at 10 p.m. in their library! Here are some of the highlights that we learned at breakfast:

·         Oberlin has an art museum on campus that is ranked as one of the top five teaching art museums in the country.

·         They are known for being a liberal arts college but they are also extremely strong in the sciences and have a science facility that is only ten years old.

·         Over 90 percent of their students hail from outside of Ohio.

·         There are students of 23 different faiths on campus.

·         They have a rental car program where students can borrow a car for trips off campus and the city of Cleveland is only about a 20 minute drive.

·         Oberlin is very committed to financial aid. 70 to 80 percent of students receive need-based financial aid and they meet 100 percent of demonstrated need.

·         One of Oberlin’s most famous alumnae is the recent Golden Globe winning actress and writer Lena Dunham.

 The breakfast was a great way to learn more about this wonderful liberal arts college. Oberlin is only about six hours away by car so we encourage students to go check it out! There is currently one Visitationg graduate enrolled at Oberlin - check with your college counselor to learn more.

Speaking of six hours away, there are many wonderful liberal arts colleges in Ohio....
Thank you for a lovely breakfast Oberlin!

Published by: LP

Maddy Mudd '12 loves Appalachian State!

Maddy Mudd stopped by the College Counseling Office recently to tell us how happy she is at Appalachian State University! She loves being in Boone, North Carolina and she said that she would love to see more Visi girls look at Appalachian State! She was kind enough to answer a few questions about her time at school so far.

 

1.       What is your favorite part about college?

There are always new people to meet! App State has about 15,000 undergraduates so there are still lots of people that you don’t know but you are always running into your friends as well. Maddy said that she feels like she is always busy!

 

2.       What are you involved in?

Zeta Tau Alpha- Maddy admits that she is someone who never wanted to be in a sorority but she had the opportunity to join a new sorority that was starting on campus. She loved the idea of being a part of a new group and helping to create traditions with 117 other girls.

President of her Residence Hall- Maddy represents her entire residence hall in their Student Government Assocation

She is also Prose Editor for the Literary Magazine!

 

3.       What do you miss about Visitation?

Maddy misses the traditions at Visitation, which is another reason why she is excited to create new traditions through her sorority.

 

4.       What do students wear to class?

Maddy said that because the school is a little bigger, there is every different type of person. Some people wear sweats, some people dress up but it is great because everyone can find their niche.

 

5.       What classes are you taking this semester?

Maddy’s Freshman Seminar is called Arts, Community and Change and she is taking that one because she is in the Arts House residential living community. She is also taking Principles of Sustainable Development and now intends to major in Sustainable Development! She is also taking Biology and Society, Sociology and World Religions.

 

6.       What is your favorite class?

Maddy loves her Principles of Sustainable Development class, even though it is also her hardest.

 

7.       What do people do on the weekends?

Maddy said that most people stay on campus during the weekends. Football is huge at App State and the team is moving from Division 1A to Division 1 next year. She said that there is a lot of tailgating and tons of school spirit! Maddy said that people also go camping, go on hikes, and see dollar movies on campus. She also told me that hammocking and slacklining are huge there!

 

8.       What advice would you give to seniors?

Maddy said that she would recommend not getting senioritis too soon! She felt that her upward trend in grades and strong grades in her senior year really impressed the colleges where she was applying.

 

Thank you to Maddy for giving me the scoop on App State! We are so happy that she is loving college and doing well so far (she already got an A on her first Principles of Sustainable Development test!) Maddy would love to talk to any students who are interested in App State so please let any of the college counselors know if you would like her contact information.

 Published by: LG