State Department Makes Time to Speed Up Visas for Scholars

June 10th, 2009

By Mandee Heller Adler

Here’s some good news for families with foreign students who are applying for visas to study in the U.S.:

The U.S. State Department is moving to significantly speed up the delay-ridden visa-application process for foreign students and scholars. Apparently, the delays were caused by an increasing numbers of visa applications, staff shortages, and governmental security concerns

Amazingly, the department’s goal is to take a process that has been known to drag on for months and reduce it to two weeks.

To alleviate the situation, the department has brought in additional staff members, including both permanent and temporary workers, to deal with the backlog of visa requests and handle applications. The department has also revamped procedures to accelerate reviews.

What made them get their move on? Academic groups and scientific organizations like the National Academy of Sciences and the Association of American Universities were loudly complaining that researchers from abroad who are seeking to obtain or renew visas have frequently encountered months-long delays. As a result, some scholars who left the United States had been stranded, the groups say, while other researchers and students were discouraged from traveling to the United States for work or for academic meetings, according to The Chronicle of Higher Education.

Visas weren’t always so hard to obtain. The tougher visa rules were established after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Those rules were meant to weed out students or scholars who could be threats to national security but what also happened was that the tougher regulations caused visa delays that forced academics to alter their travel plans, deterring many from coming to the United States.

A total of 56,000 students or scholars world-wide were screened last year.

If you have any other college admissions questions for a college counselor, I’d be happy to answer them. I work with international students (9 countries and counting!) as well as those in the U.S. Please write me here or at my personal email which can be found on my International College Counselors college counseling website.

Mandee Heller Adler, Founder and Principal of International College Counselors

www.internationalcollegecounselors.com

By the way, my college advising company is opening a new branch of International College Counselors in NYC so now you can visit our college advisor NYC as well.

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U.S. News College Rankings and Their Meaning

June 8th, 2009

U.S . News & World report first published their America’s Best Colleges issue in 1983.   Since then, parents and students have been using this issue as a way to sort out schools in an organized way. 

Of course, as soon as the issue comes out, colleges see them too.  And the forces there begin strategizing how they might raise their college up in the ranks in the next issue.

U.S. News bases its rankings on multiple statistical measuring sticks, each weighted differently, and spread across seven major categories. These include: academic reputation, student selectivity, student retention, faculty resources, financial resources, alumni giving and graduation rates.

Clemson University’s fast rise in rankings from “38’ to “22” gives s a clearer picture of how rankings can be manipulated for more harm than good in terms of influencing public perception and student choice. 

As the New York Times reports, Clemson centered on reducing class sizes — many of them to below 20, a U.S. News benchmark. Clemson, according to the article, has also “more or less” stopped admitting “full-time, first-time undergraduates who are not in the top third of their high school classes” and is “constantly reassessing its SAT average through the admissions cycle.” 

The university has also reported to U.S.  News that it has ratcheted up the faculty salaries by about $20,000, which it has achieved by actually increasing spending (paid for largely through increased tuition), continues the article. 

Clemson also runs “multiple definitions to figure out where [they] can move things around to make them look best” in the rankings. The university has also encouraged as many alumni as possible to send in at least $5 to help bring up their giving rate.

In a separate article, the rankings of U.S. News have been criticized for making up numbers in the absence of real data.  In this case, Sarah Lawrence’s president, wrote in an op-ed in The Washington Post that because her college no longer collects or examines SAT scores, U.S. News officials have said that the magazine will just assume that the average SAT would have been one standard deviation (about 200 points) below the average of Sarah’s Lawrence’s peers.  In the rankings this translates to a college losing points in the category of “selectivity” because the report assumes that not using SAT score means a college is admitting less capable students.  Of course, this shouldn’t be presumed true. 

In this college counselor’s opinion, U.S News rankings are nothing more than beauty pageant as valuable as  Miss America.  The only way to truly rank colleges is in what the value is to you. Prospective students and families need to assess what really counts which is how well a college meets a student’s learning style and academic interests, how available the faculty are outside the classroom, whether students can get the courses they need to graduate, and what graduate schools and employers welcome its graduates.

If you have any other college admissions questions for a college counselor, I’d be happy to answer them.  Please write me here or at my personal email which can be found on my International College Counselors college counseling website.

Mandee Heller Adler, Founder and Principal of International College Counselors

www.internationalcollegecounselors.com

 

 

 

The original article sourced by the times and by me can be seen at

http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2009/06/03/rankings

 

The other article referenced can be found at

http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2007/03/12/usnews

 

In this interesting article, mathematicians have taken on the U.S. News & World Report for a whole different take on the rankings:

http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/37207/title/Math_Trek__Rating_the_rankings

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3-Year college degrees can save time and money, but is it worth it?

June 2nd, 2009

To save families time and money, there’s a new idea circulating around colleges and offices of college counselors everywhere: shaving a year off undergraduate programs.   In other words, shortening the usual four years of study into three. 

Different schools are looking at different approaches to making this a reality.   Some colleges will require summer work, others will cut course lengths and some might cut the number of credit hours required.

Proponents say a three-year program could, and will, provide the course requirements for a major and some general courses that have long been a standard of American education.

BACKGROUND

According to an article in The Washington Post, the four-year bachelor’s degree was designed in large part to provide a broad-based education that teaches young people to analyze and think critically, considered vital preparation to participate in the civic life of American democracy.

The three-year degree is the common model at the University of Cambridge and Oxford University in England. Such programs have also existed for several years at a number of schools, including Bates College in Maine and Ball State University in Indiana, which offers three-year degrees in about 30 areas.

A new survey conducted by Junior Achievement and the Allstate Foundation found that 55 percent of teens had changed their college plans because of the economy.

Some of the pros and the cons of the 3-year plan include:

PROS

• Three years give a boost for ambitious students who know what they want to study.

• It will be easier for families to afford college

• Students enter the workforce quicker and/or go on sooner for graduate study.

 CONS

•  An undergraduate’s social experience could be compromised.

•  College would tilt more toward job training and away from the broad-based education that many U.S. schools offer.

• Employers may then insist on a master’s before they employ anyone and this will increase the cost to students of the future.

• Parents will pressure their students to enter a 3 year program and then students will have a miserable time, taking an overload of courses, and missing the experience of college.

•  Students should enjoy these four years of freedom.  They have the rest of their lives to work. 

 From my experience as a college counselor, my thought is, if you’re smart and dedicated enough to graduate in 3 years, you can figure out how to do it on your own.   AP credits, summer courses, and college credits gained during high school can be used to reach this goal.  I work with a few high school freshmen now who are accumulating college credit. Their life goals may change in the next two years but the college credit can work favorable for them no matter what college or major they enter. I know more than a few students, including my sister, who graduated in three years or less without their colleges having to create a special program.

If you have any other college admissions questions for a college counselor, I’d be happy to answer them.  Please write me here or at my personal email which can be found on my International College Counselors college counseling website.

 Mandee Heller Adler, Founder and Principal of International College Counselors

www.internationalcollegecounselors.com

 For the article that served as a basis for these college counselor thoughts, see:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/22/AR2009052203681_Comments.html#

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College: Then and Now

May 29th, 2009

I came across an article I found interesting.  It lists the 17 biggest differences between college today and college 10 years ago and it’s amazing what a difference a decade can make. As a mother of two children under 5, I can only imagine how much more it will change in the next 10 years. 

For space reasons I am only going to list four of the ways college campuses have changed and these are the issues we find ourselves addressing most with the domestic and international students we work with at International College Counselors.

I’ve listed the two points that interest me the most at the top but otherwise this is exactly from the article. I have also included the URL below for those who’d like to read the entire piece.

1. Obsession about majors. Many schools encourage students to declare majors right when they come in. Many parents discourage students from considering majors in which there isn’t a clear path to a high-paying (or, at least, some kind of) job. And many students think it’s a point of special pride to do a double (or sometimes even triple) major. Not to mention picking up a minor or two on the side.   


2. Longer time to degree. The four-year college degree has largely faded, despite much hue and cry: Today, five, six, or even seven years is more common. Some reasons: more onerous requirements, bad advising, students working while at college, and students taking more semesters off. But the gravy train might be coming to an end: States are beginning to place caps on the number of semesters students can attend while paying in-state tuition. Hey, times are tough everywhere (especially in California and in Florida).



3. Community college explosion. Community colleges are flourishing, with new ones sprouting up all over the place. Indeed, more than 40 percent of U.S. college students now are enrolled at community (or junior or two-year) colleges. As before, community colleges are attracting students who are interested in getting associate degrees or some college experience before transferring to four-year colleges. But in a new twist, some students at four-year colleges now are picking up courses at community colleges from time to time–when they want to be closer to home, need less expensive credits, want to take classes with a professor rather than a TA, or can’t get into classes they need at their own school.



4. New online opportunities. In addition to distance-learning institutions, such as the University of Phoenix, Kaplan University, and Devry University, a number of big-name schools have put up selected courses at free, “opencourseware” sites. This is something great: top-notch professors in your own living room at no charge! Check out www.oyc.yale.edu (for Yale University), www.ocw.mit.org (for MIT), www.webcast.berkeley.edu (for UC-Berkeley), and www.ocw.consortium.org (for a general, worldwide directory).  



 

17 Ways College Campuses Are Changing http://www.usnews.com/blogs/professors-guide/2009/05/20/17-ways-college-campuses-are-changing.html

If you have any other college admissions questions for a college counselor, I’d be happy to answer them.  Please write me here or at my personal email which can be found on my International College Counselors college counseling website.

 Mandee Heller Adler, Founder and Principal of International College Counselors

www.internationalcollegecounselors.com

 

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AP GRADE REPORTING

May 23rd, 2009

To report the AP test or not to report the AP test, that is this week’s question. 

After taking one of the many various AP tests, there are usually three ways a student will feel:  Great!  Good.  And Awful.

If you think you did great or good, congratulations! 

If you’re sure you did awfully and scored a 1 or a 2, or you’re not sure how you did. You can withhold or cancel your score. 

Because AP grades are released in July, any request for changes in reporting must be received by June 15.

Note that it’s not likely that any one AP grade you submit, no matter how low, will fatally wound you.

Canceling vs. Withholding

Canceling AP grades

Canceling an AP grade permanently means you’ll never, ever see the grade and it’s deleted from your record forever.

The option to cancel a score helps a number of students.  Some of those students took an AP course but found it didn’t cover all the information on the test.  (And this happens more than we’d like to think.)  This option also encourages the risk takers, the students who take an AP exam in a subject they might not have taken the class for. (They’re the ones who study a lot on their own).

To cancel a score, you must notify the College Board by sending them assigned request by mail or fax with your signature. You should include in your letter:

  1. your full name, home address, birth date, and AP number(s)
  2. the year(s) that you took AP Exams
  3. the name, city, and state of the college you specified
  4. the name(s) of the exam(s) for which you want a grade canceled. 

This service is free but note that the grade report that you and your school receive will indicate that the grade has been canceled.

Withholding AP grades

Withholding a score means you may have one or more grades withheld from the colleges you indicated on your answer sheet.  This gives you the chance to see your scores before the colleges.

You may later release the grade to that college by sending AP Services a signed written request and a small fee.

What we suggest to the students we work with at International College Counselors is to not send your scores to any colleges in May.

Our reasoning is as follows: with your test, as explained to me by an AP representative, you only get to send your scores to one school free, any others are $15.   In other words, if you choose to withhold your scores from all the colleges until you see them, you’re only “losing” $15.   Many students can think of the $15 as “insurance”.  It’s easy to see your scores and then end them in if you want to.

You can withhold a score if you already sent them in, but if you took them this year, we recommend waiting until early July.  Beginning July 3, grades by phone are available for the 2009 exams.   It’ll cost you a few extra dollars to get your scores by phone, but it’s a very small price to pay in the larger scheme of things. 

To withhold a score, you must notify the College Board by sending them a letter with your signature. You should include in your letter:

  1. your full name, home address, birth date, and AP number(s)
  2. the year(s) that you took AP Exams
  3. the name, city, and state of the college you specified
  4. the name(s) of the exam(s) for which you want a grade withheld. (All your grades will still appear on the reports sent to you and your high school.)
  5. a check for the exact amount due made out to “AP Exams.” There is a $10 fee per grade, per college.

Note that unlike a canceled score, a request to withhold a grade does not permanently delete your grade. A withheld AP grade counts in your AP average and affects AP scholar designations. This means you can choose the scores that work to your advantage and feel confident to take some extra AP exams.

For more information on AP grade reporting services straight from the College Board go to:
http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/ap/exgrd_rep.html

If you need a college advisor or have any other college questions, I’d be happy to answer them. Please write me here or at my personal email which can be found on this International College Counselors website.

Mandee Adler, Founder of International College Counselors and lead college advisor
www.internationalcollegecounselors.com

<http://www.internationalcollegecounselors.com> > 

 

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Homeschoolers and college

May 20th, 2009

As a college counselor, I know that college is hard to get into for everyone. They are looking for the best and strongest candidates.  Some of those are homeschooled students.

This week I signed three homeschooled students to my college counseling business, International College Counselors.

First I want to say, good news for homeschooled students and their parents — the college admissions process for homeschooled students has become easier, and more and more homeschooled students are entering colleges. 

In the past, homeschooled students had to fight hard for equality in the admissions process because federal government guidelines made it unclear to universities how their eligibility to receive federal funds would be affected by admitting homeschoolers. This changed in November of 2003 when the U.S. Department of Education sent an official letter to all universities. The letter stated that the admission of homeschooled students to college would not jeopardize federal assistance and clarified the position on compulsory age and self-certification of completion of secondary education.

Subsequently, colleges made adjustments in their admissions process and, today, a majority of colleges, including Harvard University, evaluate homeschooled applicants using the same college admission requirements as those for traditional students.

Requirements for college admission vary by institution but the most common requests include a homeschool transcript, SAT, ACT or SAT II test scores, written essays, external recommendations, and an interview. Other requests may include a GED, student portfolios, a list of texts used, and/or entrance examinations. In addition to academics, schools are looking for well-rounded individuals who have participated in varied extracurricular activities.

The key is start early!  If you’re not working with a college counselor, like the ones we have here at International College Counselors, check with the admissions office to find out what the colleges you’re interested in require, and stick to the guidelines.  Keep detailed transcripts and make sure your student takes the classes required. Colleges prefer an ideal four-year preparatory program. Colleges also place more emphasis on other criteria when one, such as class rank, is missing.

Like traditionally schooled peers, homeschooled students can also qualify for federal financial aid like Pell grants, work-study, and federal student loans to

help pay for college.  You will need to check the requirements for these.  Start early so you have the time to prepare. 

On thing to note, the number of homeschooled students is rising.  This means, that like traditional students, they too will have to work harder to set themselves apart. 

 Mandee Heller Adler, Founder and Principal of International College Counselors

www.internationalcollegecounselors.com 

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College Advice for Summer Savings and Scholarships

May 20th, 2009

 In this economy, it’s understandable that high school students are looking for jobs. As an alternative, if students can’t find a way to earn money, summer can be used to save money. Picking the right summer activities can equal money in the form of a scholarship or big savings at your student’s school of choice. 
 
Through the dual enrollment program, students can take classes at a local college- free of charge. Dual enrollment allows high school students to earn postsecondary credit toward a career and technical certificate, an associate degree, or a baccalaureate degree. That saves money for a summer activity, and when it comes to paying for college!   Depending on your student’s major, classes in this category may include: languages, maths, sciences and English.  The college credit earned can also be applied to most schools students eventually attend.  This will save them (and you) the cost of the class they took.  

Going further, certain scholarships are available for students who show high interest in pursuing certain careers. By using the summer to take a qualified interest to a higher level, your student may become eligible for these scholarships. Taking classes at a local community college or school can also show colleges a deep interest in a particular scholarly area that may make your student eligible for school scholarships.

If you have any other college questions, I’d be happy to answer them. Please write me here or at my personal email which can be found on my website.

Mandee Heller Adler, Founder and Principal of International College Counselors
www.internationalcollegecounselors.com 

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College Admissions: FACTS every high schools student should know part 2

May 20th, 2009

Fact: Early Decision is still the “easiest” way to get into a top school
Rationale: If a student wants to go, he/ she will apply early
What you should do: Don’t wait until December to choose a school- you’ll miss the Nov 1 deadlines!
 
Fact: Money talks
Rationale: Schools are struggling financially and many (note- not all) are considering ability to pay when making admissions decisions
What you should do: If you don’t think you will get aid, do not apply for financial aid.  Parents can call financial aid offices to see if they are eligible in advance of sending in applications.
 
Fact: Science budgets are booming, and applicants (in particular FEMALES) are still not expressing interest in their applications. (I had two top admissions officers say to me- “if you have a female interested in science, we want them to consider our school!)
Rationale: As finance goes down, attention to engineering and the sciences is going up

What you should do: If science is a strength or interest, be sure to include it on your application

Mandee Heller Adler, Founder and Principal of International College Counselors

www.internationalcollegecounselors.com           

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College Admissions: FACTS every high school student should know

May 20th, 2009

I just returned from a whirlwind visit to NYC. I met with a myriad of schools and admissions officers, and came back with some interesting information I thought I would share. Some of it may be new news, some simply reminders of what is already known.  But, it’s all very current and helpful to keep in mind as we embark on the college admissions process:
 
Fact: Due to the collection of email addresses via the PSAT and PLAN, schools are able to reach out to more and more potential applicants via email.  
Rationale:  Schools want to sell YOU too!
What you should do:  RESPOND to emails if they ask you to.  Show interest and get involved.  It will help you learn about the school, and keeps you on the radar.

Fact: A key deciding factor for many admissions reps is how well you can communicate the “Why xxx school question.”  
Rationale: Schools want to know that you’ve done your homework, and they are simply not another checkmark on the common app.
What you should do:  When you visit schools or explore schools via the web, be sure to keep an eye out for programs, professors or clubs that interest YOU in particular.  Take notes (so you don’t forget), and don’t forget to communicate your knowledge in essays and interviews
 
Fact:  Schools are very focused on “increasing access” to minority groups, first generation students going to college, international students, etc.   
Rationale:  Schools are looking for diverse classes- not just diverse students
What you should do: If you are identified with a minority group, be sure to include it on your application. Also, get involved with something that reflects a connection to the minority group you are claiming to belong to (ie Latino Association, African Association, etc.)
 
Fact: The SAT scores are often judged in “bands,” especially when combined with a top transcript.  So, for example, Penn considers 1400-1600 a “band.” Below that 1400 and you are in a different category, but anywhere within the 1400-1600 is considered a strong score.
Rationale: Give or take a few points, a 1400 is still a good score, most especially when it is combined with a strong GPA
What you should do: Don’t stress about getting 10 more SAT points, focus on your classes and your career direction. Your transcript means the most!

Mandee Heller Adler, Founder and Principal of International College Counselors
www.internationalcollegecounselors.com           

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BEWARE THE SALES PITCH THAT’S NOT A SCHOLARSHIP

May 20th, 2009

“Congratulations on being nominated to attend the National Young Leaders Conference in Washington, D.C.”, reads the fancy script on the expensive feeling card complete with gold seal.   The card promises  “lifetime advantage” and valuable resume padding.  It’s hard to miss the words “elite”, “distinguished,” and “select.”
 
The letter is a marketing scam. These particular leadership conferences won’t enhance your college applications any more or less than that art club you joined but never attended.
 
Your child will meet other kids who are interested in government, attend workshops, hear speakers, and sightsee, but getting invited isn’t an “honor”. College admissions officers and college advisors are aware that attendance for most students depends on their ability to pay.
 
Solicitations for programs like these begin filling mailboxes, virtual and real, as soon as students reach middle school, and continue coming through college. Dozens of messages may be sent from one program, reminding you of enrollment deadlines and offering testimonials from participants and fundraising tips.  
 
According to the New York Times, The company that organized the conference, a direct-mail powerhouse called the Congressional Youth Leadership Council, runs an alphabet soup of such conferences that it says are attended by 50,000 students a year. It solicits recommendations from teachers and alumni of previous conferences, and it culls names from mailing lists, for which the council paid $263,000 in 2006 alone.
 
Other companies in this business include: the National Student Leadership Conference, People to People Ambassador Programs, Leadership Classroom, Envision, and the Congressional Youth Leadership Council.

Personally, it seems my name has ended up on someone’s list as well, and in the last week alone, I’ve fielded Congratulatory calls from America’s Who’s Who, the Cambridge Who’s Who, the princeton Who’s Who, and a couple of others.  And, for a mere $200-$900 dollars, I can have a plaque on my wall, a trophy, or a leather bound book in my office.  🙂
Mandee Heller Adler, Founder and Principal of International College Counselors
www.internationalcollegecounselors.com 

<http://www.internationalcollegecounselors.com> >

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