Why Johns Hopkins isn’t just for pre-meds, anymore

Motto: “The truth shall set you free” (Veritas vos liberabit)

The first research university in America, Johns Hopkins prides itself on motivation, collaboration, and a restless intellectual vitality. The main campus is nicely situated in a Baltimore neighborhood but balances the city-feel with numerous quads and classic-style buildings. and clear parameters. During my recent visit, I was impressed with the way the university had transformed its campus into more communal spaces where students could work collaboratively. What a way to build a strong community!

Here are a few quick facts about Johns Hopkins every applicant must know:

Acceptance: 11.5% (close to 50/50 ratio men to women)

Freshmen from out of state: 88%

Most popular majors: public health studies, international studies, biomedical engineering

Housing: Freshmen and sophomores are required to live on campus

4-year Graduation rate: 82%

IMG_3990
Johns Hopkins Homewood campus is in Baltimore with easy access to all the city has to offer.

Academics: Although its had a strong pre-med reputation for years, Johns Hopkins is actually more diverse than you may realize.  A diverse curriculum through nine divisions, curious students, and passionate teachers create Johns Hopkins’ unique educational experience. And a 2-week intersession during January keeps the learning fun and unique!

Social: Students are provided with a whole host of social outlets on and off campus. Over 350 clubs and organizations keep students active throughout the year, but the annual Spring Fair gets the school ecstatic and draws the local community in as well. With being in Baltimore there are also many ways that students can get involved in community service. . . .free public transportation helps too!

Financial: Johns Hopkins offers need-based financial aid and grants. 100% of need is fully met. Although the tuition and fees are $66,197, the average financial aid package is $37,931. 69% of students receive scholarships.
What do you think about this college? What else would you like to learn about it? Please post your comments below.

 

 

5 tips for the best campus visit

This spring is a great time for high school juniors, and perhaps sophomores, to visit college campuses. It takes advance planning and can be costly to travel to colleges. To get the best return on your investment of time and money, here are some tips for getting the most of your campus visits:

  1. The student should reserve the campus visit – while it may save time for mom or dad to make the reservation for campus visits, it does a disservice to the student (future applicant). There will be information requested on the campus inquiry form that the student can best answer. Being on the website to reserve the visit will allow the student to research the campus beforehand. Likewise, if the student has to create an account to register for a campus visit, that same login may be used for his/her application. By making the reservation for campus visits, the student is taking ownership in their own college admissions process.
  2. Visit different types of colleges – on too many occasions, families only want to visit the brand-name or most selective colleges. It can be helpful to visit those colleges and learn about their distinctive features. However, there are many other colleges that have great program offerings that should be visited also. When a student only visits the brand-name colleges then it sets the expectation that those are the only colleges that will be a good fit for the student.
  3. Take good notes for each visit – after one or two visits, the distinctions for each campus will become a blur. I suggest that students take notes on the academic, social/campus life and financial factors. The notes can be done through a combination of a checklist and free-hand notes of campus impressions. Students should focus on what matters to them in their notes. For example, rather than memorizing all the clubs/activities available on a campus, focus on the activities that interest you. This will keep you from being overwhelmed with all the details for each campus.
  4. Meet other students – the tour guide should be one of several students that you meet during your campus visit. Oftentimes, when students visit a campus, they will let the tour guide overly influence their impression of the college. I suggest talking to students who are NOT campus ambassadors to get a flavor for different campus experiences.
  5. Do separate tours – when possible, it is a good idea for parents to participate in a separate tour from the student. This gives each family member an opportunity to learn new information about the campus. The student will also have a chance to ask questions that they may be embarrassed to ask while parents are present. At the end of the tour, you can share what you learned!

Where have you visited lately?

What to Wear to a College Fair or Campus Visit

If the title of this article captured your attention, you are asking a great question, “What should I wear to a college fair?” or “What should I wear to this campus visit?” The answer is not always obvious based on what I see teenagers (and sometimes their parents) wearing to these events.

NOT

Here are some quick tips and I will start with what not to wear:

  • Cut-off jeans
  • Shirts with the backs cut out
  • Graphic T-shirts with obscene or explicit language/images
  • Heels that are 6 inches high (when your feet hurt, it’s hard to listen!)

Hopefully, these brief tips do not leave you saying “I need to go shopping!”

YES

Here are a few suggestions for what you can wear:

  • Comfortable, clean shoes
  • A collared shirt
  • Pants, belted at the waist, i.e. not sagging
  • Jeans are OK as long as they are worn neatly!

A good rule of thumb if you’re still wondering  . . . . when in doubt, dress up! 

Which fairs will you visit? Safe travels and be sure to take our comparison checklist with you to make sure you make the most of a college fair!

wear

 

 

Campus visits this spring for college-bound Juniors

ithaca college campus

Spring is a great time for high school juniors to visit college campuses. Many colleges offer special events for juniors to preview their campuses and learn more about college life. Here are several upcoming events:

campus visit teen
High school Juniors should take advantage of spring campus visits!

Prior to your campus visit, students should review the college’s website and prepare questions to ask during the visit. (Note to parents: Please let your student schedule the visit, not you!) On the day of the visit, remember to take notes and have an open mind and a good attitude throughout. From the moment you arrive on campus, you’re being interviewed.

Many parents have asked me whether 9th and 10th graders should visit colleges as well. The age-old response is “it depends.” There are a number of colleges that have special events for sophomores, fewer that offer events for freshmen. If your teen is ready and has a good attitude about it, then it’s OK for them to visit colleges in those early high school years. I would, however, encourage you to limit the visits that you do during freshman and sophomores years to avoid burnout.

How Athletes can still Study Abroad at Colgate

According to my campus tour guide, there’s “no such thing as bad weather [at Colgate] only bad clothing!” That’s important for families to hear because many students may overlook this wonderful campus because of its location/weather. Besides . . . there are tunnels to connect the buildings.

Reasons to attend Colgate

Colgate has a lot to offer to students who attend there. It’s a small-to-midsize college with an active student body of just less than 3,000 students.  Colgate students are active in Greek life (40%), engaged in community service (majority), and likely to study abroad (approx. 70%).

My tour guide also mentioned that community service is so important to the undergraduate students there that it’s “hard to leave without getting involved.” One popular program is Sidekicks. This is a Big Sibling-type of program, whereby Colgate students mentor local kids in the area.

One of Colgate’s themes is Global Engagement. This theme is encouraged through a number of different types of study-abroad programs at Colgate. The typical program may last for a semester-long, with courses co-taught between a Colgate professor and faculty in the host country. Students can choose from 26 different study abroad groups, like the Economics group which studies in Geneva, Switzerland.

Study abroad for Student-Athletes

What about the athlete who can’t spend the full semester away? There are a number of “extended study” programs. The extended study is a 3-week long program that begins with the academic class. After the class ends, the extended study abroad is then led by the faculty members who taught the class.  What an innovative approach to reinforcing and applying what was learned in the classroom!

Buxton School: For the outdoorsy, curious student who wants a community

buxton_school

The Buxton School, located a stones-throw away from Williams College, is truly a unique high school. Across grades 9-12 there are about 85 students. That alone doesn’t tell you much about all the opportunities that this school provides to its student body.

Bali-Buxton Program and School-wide Trip

I was particularly impressed by the Bali-Buxton program. Do you know of another high school exchange program with Indonesia? Well, Buxton offers this opportunity for their students. An instructor from Indonesia spends time at Buxton in the spring. Students then spend three weeks in the summer learning the language, arts, and culture in Indonesia. Throughout the school year, students learn traditional Balinese dance on their home campus. When the students visit Indonesia in the summer, they perform the traditional dance there, as well.

Every year, the entire school takes a trip together. Recent trips have been taken to El Paso, Nicaragua, and even Cuba. Generally, the trips are domestic with an abroad trip taken every four years. Parents . . . don’t worry . . . the trips integrate an academic component along with taking advantage of local culture.

Nature all around campus

The outdoorsy student will appreciate the rugged, hilly setting of Buxton. The view from the main hall is breathtaking and nature is all around. In the winter, students can participate in ski and snowboard trips three times a week. Year-round outdoor activities are plentiful, like gardening and chopping wood (that’s more like work than a fun activity, huh?). The campus is on the site of a farm, so the buildings are somewhat spread apart. Students spend time outdoors every day by walking to class, going to their dorm, walking up the hill to the music or art studio. By the end of my tour, I felt like I had a real workout.

Is Bard Early College right for you?

If you’ve taken a standardized test earlier than 10th grade or perhaps been identified as “gifted and talented,” then you may have received a mailing from Bard at Simon’s Rock Early College. I learned on a recent visit that the majority of students typically found out about this special college through a direct mailing. (Before this visit, I didn’t know that direct mail was that effective!)

What is Bard at Simon’s Rock Early College?

Students apply to Bard at Simon’s Rock Early College after their 10th or 11thgrade of high school. Unlike the “early college” programs offered in some public high schools in the US, students at Bard are directly enrolled in college, not high school. One of the slogans on campus is “High school dropout, College graduate.” Students at Bard at Simon’s Rock Early College have foregone the traditional rites of high school, such as prom and the senior skip-day.

3 Types of Students that may be a fit for Bard

There are three types of students that may find this Bard experience appealing:

  1. A student who has already exhausted the curriculum at his current high school – this student may have already taken all the available AP courses or the highest levels of math and science courses in high school. If your senior year schedule is likely to be overfilled with study halls, then Bard at Simon’s Rock Early College may be a fit.
  2. A student who is unchallenged in high school – this is a dangerous place to be, for sure. We all know though that there are far too many students who claim that they’re “bored” or “unchallenged” in high school. Bard at Simon’s Rock Early College may be a fit but the next option must be met . . . .
  3. A student who is “ready” for college – Being ready for college requires maturity, independence, a healthy dose of curiosity, and more. Students who apply to Bard at Simon’s Rock Early College must have the academic and social-emotional wherewithal to excel in such a program. The admissions officers mentioned that they may communicate with a student for a year before the student applies for admissions. This kind of attention and care is important with the transformational experience of college. In other words . . . college ain’t for punks! 🙂

Bard at Simon’s Rock Early College is a separate campus from its sister, Bard College. The 400 students at the Early College campus reflect a diverse, global community of students where the innovative, independent thinkers (aka smart kids) are really cool.

Top 3 Must-haves at Hamilton College

New students at Hamilton College get 2 things – an adviser and a reference librarian. These two people

Hamilton College
Hamilton College

are important to the Hamilton student’s success because Hamilton is a school with no course requirements. In short, students can take courses that interest them. Students must, however, take 3 writing-intensives which is similar to most other colleges. A student described the open course selection well when she stated, “Open is good, but you have to have some foresight.” The adviser certainly helps in that area. The reference librarian, of course, is important because Hamilton students will spend a lot of time conducting research and studying in the library.

Although the student body is academic-minded, the weekends on campus offer numerous options for fun and hanging out with friends. The “barn” on-campus features late-night, “dry” entertainment, like casino night or live music. After a good time at the barn, the on-campus diner serves breakfast from midnight to 3 am! Nothing quite like eating pancakes at 2 am. . . they always taste better then!

Now, what do you think are the Top 3 must-haves at Hamilton College? 🙂

University of Virginia President Resignation and Freshman Class of 2016

Two years in office for a district superintendent may be acceptable. When it comes to a University President, however, two years is really no time at all. The last president of University of Virginia-Charlottesville held that office for 20 years. Dr. Teresa Sullivan, the new female president who came into office in 2010 with such high hopes, an impressive resume, and a scholarly research record will only hold office for two years when she leaves on August 15, 2012:

The announcement Sunday shocked the university community and signaled potential hard times ahead for the flagship university, an institution founded by Thomas Jefferson and unaccustomed to instability. The previous president, John T. Casteen, stayed for 20 years. When she exits on Aug. 15, Sullivan will have served two years and two weeks, the shortest presidential tenure in the school’s history. Helen Dragas’s handling of Teresa Sullivan’s ouster confounds many who know her. Sullivan attributed her departure to “a philosophical difference of opinion” between herself and U-Va.’s governing board of visitors. It was unclear when the rift began, but its existence surprised the Charlottesville community.

via University of Virginia president to step down – The Washington Post.

This will be an awkward time for entering Freshman Class of 2016 who will arrive on campus in August to greet new roommates as many of them embark on their first experience away from home in the “adult” world of college life. Freshmen and

upperclassmen at UVA can’t possibly know what to expect this 2012-2013 school year. Will there be any faculty or administrative backlash as a result of the president’s resignation? With a new president comes many changes to a university’s academic, fiscal, and social culture.

The transition to a new environment for the Freshman Class of 2014 will be felt in the dorm room, classroom, and every nook and cranny of the Charlottesville campus. The university may have a look and feel that’s quite different from what Freshmen experienced in the admissions process.

My urging to Freshmen Class of 2016 is to get involved with the hiring of the next president however they can. The role of the university President is too important to the success of students’ next four years to be a bystander.

UVA President at 2012 graduation with Katie Couric. -from Washington Post
UVA President at 2012 graduation with Katie Couric. -from Washington Post

Teen traveling for summer camps?

Charlottesville Summer Camp

As a parent of 1 pre-teen and 2 teenagers, I sometimes feel like my entire spring is spent planning their summer camps. Finding a camp that fits well with our summer goals is actually not so hard. The most time-consuming aspect is figuring out all the travel arrangements for residential programs. It is not always possible for my husband or me to travel with them. So figuring out the Unaccompanied Minor policies can take the better part of several weeks. For example, my younger son is participating in a program in Virginia. I was so excited to find a ticket into Charlottesville for about $150. I was ready to book the ticket when I realized that their age minimum to fly as an adult is 15. For my well-traveled 13-year-old, there would be an additional fee of $100 and the flight must be non-stop!! Yikes! Where can you fly non-stop on US Airways? Certainly not to Charlottesville, VA, unless it’s already in driving distance.

To save families some time on figuring out the unaccompanied minor airline policies, here is a summary:

American Airlines:

Children 8 through 11 years of age must travel with another passenger at least 16 years of age or they will be considered Unaccompanied Minors. For travel on American Airlines, American Eagle, and AmericanConnection unaccompanied children may travel on nonstop, direct and connecting flights. If the itinerary includes a connection to/from another airline, including codeshare and oneworld partners, the unaccompanied children will not be accepted.

Children 12 through 17 years of age – Use of the Unaccompanied Minor service is not required, but is available upon request.

via American Airlines Offers Information For Traveling With Children And Infants On AA.com

Delta:

The Unaccompanied Minor Program ($100 fee) is required for all children 5-14 years old when traveling alone. Ages 5-7  can only travel on nonstop flights. Ages 8-14 can travel on nonstop and connecting flights. The program is optional for children age 15 – 17.

via Children Traveling Alone

Southwest:

Children ages five through 11 traveling without an accompanying Passenger age 12 or older must travel as an Unaccompanied Minor (UM) on Southwest Airlines. Southwest will charge $50 each way ($100 roundtrip) in addition to the air fare per child for UMs to travel.

via Unaccompanied Minor

United:

Children 5 to 11 years of age who are not accompanied by  someone who is at least 18 years of age on the same aircraft are considered unaccompanied minors. Ages 5 to 7 may only travel on nonstop flights. Ages 8 to 11 may travel on any flight (nonstop or connecting) operated by United or United Express. However, travel will not be allowed on the last connecting flight of the day — unless the connecting flight is the only published service to that destination. Unaccompanied minors are not accepted on flights which require an overnight stay in order to make a connection.

via United Airlines – Children traveling alone

Virgin America:

Children 5-14 may travel unaccompanied on non-stop flights only. Virgin America assistance is required. Young adults 15 through 17 are considered adults unless the parents or guardians wish unaccompanied minor services to be provided by Virgin America. The charge for Unaccompanied Minor service is $75 for short-haul flights (flights less than 2 hours in duration), $100 for long-haul and medium-haul flights (flights more than 2 hours in duration), or $125 for International flights on Virgin America (arriving or departing from Mexico).  Unaccompanied Minor reservations cannot be made online.

via How can my child travel unaccompanied?

Where is your student going this summer?

 

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