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A special thanks to Robert Barkley for participating our Admissions Spotlight Series.  Mr. Barkley is the director of undergraduate admissions at Clemson University.  Joseph Fernandez from ParliamentTutors conducted this interview.

What do you consider the most significant parts of an application, the parts which applicants should prepare the most carefully?

The most important part of a student’s application file is the high school record/transcript.  The preparation there begins at the beginning of the high school career.  As to the application form itself, it is important that all information be as accurate and complete as possible.  Especially in these days of online applications, the student is doing the initial data entry efforts for what could be their collegiate academic record.  Something as simple as one single digit in a zip code can affect the receipt of an admissions decision.

What advice can you offer students in regards to their personal statements?  Perhaps you can offer some shining examples that you have seen in the past. 

I read a lot of appeal statements from students who’ve been denied admission.  Many of them focus on grades and the circumstances that affected the grades.  Rarely do they focus on what they learned (despite the grades), which is what you’re really trying to determine when evaluating an application.

Is there anything you frequently see on an application that you hope to never see again? 

On the section for international students…where we ask for visa information…I hope I never see a student provide us with credit card numbers and other personal information.

What common pitfalls should applicants be careful to avoid? 

Applicants need to remember that the application  is the beginning of a dialogue with the college/university.  The information provided is going to be read by adults.  Students need to be careful not to be over-casual in their approach, presenting information as might be shared with their friends.

Are there any myths about the application process which you would like to dispel? 

College Admissions is NOT “The Great SAT Contest”, nor is it “Rush Week” where we sit around and select our friends and people that we like.

What advice would you give to an applicant with below-average test scores but significant extracurricular experience? 

Let’s hope that the information on the transcript shows exceptional performance in the classroom.  Otherwise, the test scores would appear to verify the grades, and show an over-emphasis on out-of-class activities.

Do you frequently have to turn away applicants whom you wish you could admit? If so, what could those applicants do to be admitted? 

They need to realize that many students graduate annually as transfer students.  If they are set on GRADUATING from a specific college or university, they need to explore transfer options that can put them on track towards a degree.

How much faith do you have in the ability of the SAT to predict success at in college? 

The SAT and ACT are excellent tools for helping to predict college success, but should not be used as the sole indicator.  Other factors (most importantly the high school transcript, grades, GPA, strength of curriculum, etc) must be figured into the decision as well.

What do you look for in a recommendation letter? 

Honesty and a true sense of perspective.

Joseph Fernandez is an SATTutor with Parliament Tutors, a NewYorktutoring and test preparation service.

I’ve mapped out the differences between the SAT and ACT in terms of the available accommodations useful for ADHD students.  While the options are largely identical in name, in practice the ACT has significant advantages.

Specifically, the ACT allows students granted extended time to largely work at their own pace within a five hour total time limit (five hours and 45 minutes if taking the ACT with writing).  This means students can take breaks after each section as needed, and for as long as they prefer.  If a student finishes the test before the time limit, he or she is free to leave.   This flexibility may be invaluable for an ADHD student.

In contrast, with standard accommodations the total testing time for the SAT is five hours and 11 minutes (the experimental section is eliminated for students with extended time).  However, if a student also receives extra and/or extended break time, which may be critical for an ADHD student, the total testing time could be increased by an hour or more.  While snacks are allowed, a student in this situation could find him/herself not eating lunch until 3 PM!  The stress of such a long day can be very difficult for an ADHD student, and his/her performance on later sections will almost certainly be negatively impacted.

While I don’t recommend choosing the ACT solely because of the available accommodations, the advantages should certainly be considered when choosing which test to take.  For those students who prefer the format of the SAT, they should absolutely take the SAT.  In the end, the ability to get more questions correct is the most important variable.

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Today’s guest post was contributed by Jenn Cohen, owner of Jenn Cohen Tutoring and President and Chief Word Nerd of Word-Nerd.com, an SAT vocabulary website.  She specializes in tutoring ADHD students for the SAT, PSAT and ACT.  You can find her on Twitter @satprepforadhd and @SheldonWordNerd.

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I’m often asked, “What can I do to help my middle-school child get ready for college?” Here are what I call the 3 R’s and 3 T’s of college readiness – 6 skills you can teach your children in middle school and even earlier:

Resilience:  A vital skill – for college and life – is learning to pick yourself up when you fall, learning what every moment has to teach you, and staying in the game when things get tough. Athletes learn this, as do Girl Scouts selling cookies. Children need to fail to learn. If you teach them to avoid failure, or sweep away all the broken pieces too quickly, you prevent their growth and learning.

Reflection: Colleges look for students who view situations from multiple points of view, in class and out. Before your child moves on from a sticky situation, help them mine it for learning. Ask open-ended questions like “What could you have done differently?” “What does this look like from the other person’s perspective?”

Refresh: Help your child develop a “refresh” button – whether they use prayer or yoga, running or just counting to 10 and taking a deep breath when situations get tense, neuroscience studies show that people with the ability to let go of stress through some form of meditative practice live longer, healthier, happier lives.

Take Time:  The earlier your child learns to manage and plan their time the better. Get out a calendar or online planning tool and help them plan their schedule weekly, blocking out time for the most important activities first. Want them to learn more and get better grades? Teach them to block out time to study above and beyond what’s assigned in school. Going on a family vacation? Encourage your children to go on the web and help with planning.

Take Action: Middle school is a great time to take on activities with your child that build a foundation for their independent thinking, learning and service in high school and college. Many of the best family projects are low cost and great for building family connection too – such as working in a local soup kitchen, at a town cleanup day, or visiting a museum.

Take Note: At Story To College we want everyone to write with ease and confidence not only on college admission essays, but also in college and on the job. If you want to become a better writer, the #1 thing is to write more often. Even 15 minutes a day – in a journal or a file on your computer – will help to keep your ideas flowing and make it easier every time you face a new writing assignment.

The most important thing is to help your child identify and pursue their passions and, wherever possible, work and learn side-by-side with them in the middle school years.

Via: Accredited Online Universities Guide

According to survey results released recently by the Lemelson-MIT Invention Index, students see barriers to pursuing STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) degrees. This is indeed cause for concern since America is behind other countries in the number of students studying and entering these professions. According to an article in the Huffington post:

Sixty percent of respondents ages 16 to 25 to the Lemelson-MIT Invention Index, which seeks to gauge innovation aptitude among young adults, named at least one factor that prevented them from pursuing further education or work in science, technology, engineering and math fields (known as STEM). Thirty-four percent said they “don’t know much about these fields,” while a third said “these fields are too challenging.” Twenty-eight percent said they weren’t “well-prepared in school to seek out a career or further … [their] education in these fields.”

Alleyoop

Alleyoop, a college readiness network for students and their families, is addressing this issue by providing help in these specific areas:

What is College Readiness?

What does college readiness mean to us? It is so much more than getting accepted. An astonishing five out of six middle and high school students will not succeed in college. The cost in terms of lost potential (and tuition) is huge. College readiness is our mission, and it is our belief that it starts with mastering math.

Why Math?

Teens who master math are more likely to be successful in high school (and success in high school leads to success in college). We conducted dozens of parent and teen interviews and one theme was persistent – teens need help with math. Alleyoop offers teens the ability to practice their subject of choice at their own pace, whether they are struggling or just want to get ahead. Soon we’ll be adding virtual college guidance, English curriculum and career exploration!

How Do We Prepare Teens for College?

We are here to help teens succeed in school now and college later with our personalized learning plans, step-by-step math videos and one-on-one tutoring. We recommend just the help teens need, exactly when they need it. Alleyoop is structured as a game, with missions (a learning plan) built around achievements and Yoop rewards. We are teen tested, partnering with teens to build an environment that reflects how they like to learn. It’s empowering, it’s relevant and it’s a game.

Math Doesn’t Suck

Danica McKellar is a New York Times bestselling author, internationally-recognized mathematician and advocate for math education. A summa cum laude graduate of UCLA with a degree in Mathematics, Danica has been honored in Britain’s esteemed Journal of Physics and the New York Timesfor her work in mathematics, most notably for her role as co-author of a ground-breaking mathematical physics theorem which bears her name (The Chayes-McKellar-Winn Theorem).

Danica has written a book, Math Doesn’t Suck, to help middle school students (especially girls) realize their math potential, even when they think it might be difficult. An excerpt from her book explains her motivation:

I was terrified of math.

I remember sitting in my seventh grade math class, staring at a quiz as if it were written in Chinese—it might as well have been a blank sheet of paper. Total brain freeze.

Nothing made sense, I felt sick to my stomach, and I could feel the blood draining from my face. I had studied so hard, but it didn’t seem to make any difference—I barely even recognized the math problems on the page.

When the bell rang and my quiz was still blank, I wanted to disappear into my chair. I just didn’t want to exist.

If you had told me that ten years later I would be graduating from college with a degree in mathematics, I would probably have told you to get your head examined.

As it turns out, though, no head examination necessary! I did in fact develop a love of math through the eighth grade and into high school, and made up tons of cool tricks and ways of remembering things along the way—tricks that I’m now going to share with you in this book!

Does your student hate math?

If you have a student that hates math or says they don’t understand it, perhaps it’s just because they haven’t been educated properly or found the right tools and explanations to help them succeed. Alleyoop and Danica McKellar’s book might open the door and lead them to pursue a STEM degree in college. At the very least, these tools will help prepare them for college by improving their math skills.

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Parents and students have long been looking for ways to stay in touch during the college years that were both economical and convenient. Vonage has developed a new app that meets both those criteria, while providing superb call quality and availability to all devices.

Can you imagine a future where you and your student’s smartphone comes with unlimited data, but without a calling plan? Living in this brave new world doesn’t mean you have to abandon voice communication. The new Vonage Mobile app for iPhone and Android brings this new reality closer with free worldwide talk and text to all other users of the app. Whether your phone is connected over 4G, 3G, or Wi-Fi, your entire address book is only a tap away. Just remember that calls still use a portion of your data plan.

Vonage Mobile certainly isn’t the first smartphone app to provide free calling and text messaging from mobile phones, so what make this different? Unlike Skype for iPhone and Android, which maintains a separate address book, Vonage Mobile integrates your existing address book -  which means free app-to-app calls and text messages are available without needing to reconnect with people who already provided contact information. And the Vonage Mobile multi-invite function lets you invite anyone (or everyone) from your contact list with one simple text. Skype requires you to search for users and invite each person one at a time.

Vonage Mobile doesn’t limit calls to people with the app, or even to people who have a smartphone. You can call direct from Vonage Mobile to virtually any phone number on the planet. You can dial internationally without needing to activate special services with your mobile carrier. And most importantly, you can do this with the address book on your phone and your existing mobile number.

There is a cost associated with calling phones directly, but according to Vonage, the app offers international calling with per-minute rates that average 70 percent less than major mobile carriers and 30 percent less than Skype. This savings estimate is based on per-minute rates to the top 50 countries called. Billing is also more convenient, with payment integrated directly into your iTunes or Android Market account, instead of maintaining billing in a separate login.

Vonage combines exceptional call quality with an integrated phone experience to offer a more complete calling solution.  Unlike other free voice apps, which often echo badly or sound like you’re talking on tin can, when calling app-to-app Vonage delivers what they call ‘high-def’ voice quality, which is much better than a standard cell phone call.

To see a demo of the app, go check out the “Magic of Vonage Mobile” video on YouTube at the following link:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kaRcnY1xZxM

Here is a quick feature recap:

• Free domestic and international calls and texts to anyone with the Vonage Mobile app.
• When calling a landline or phone directly, you get international calling with per-minute rates averaging 70% less than major mobile carriers and 30% less than Skype.
• In-app credit purchases are tied directly to your iTunes or Android Market account.
• Inviting multiple people right from your address book via SMS or email is easy.
• Vonage Mobile automatically identifies contacts who already have the app.
• Your mobile number double as your caller ID (so your friends won’t be surprised by an unfamiliar app-assigned number)
• Works on Wi-Fi and 3G/4G worldwide.

If your student is planning a study abroad experience in college or traveling abroad over the summer for an internship or volunteer opportunity, you can stay in touch easily and give yourself and your student some much needed peace of mind. This free calling app gives parents and students the BEST option for international travel.

If better call quality to any of your existing contacts isn’t enough to make you try out Vonage Mobile, there’s just one more thing you should know. Vonage is currently offering free calls from virtually anywhere in the world to the United States, Canada, or Puerto Rico. There are a few circumstances where free calling may not work, like business calls, premium and special service numbers, and satellite phones, but for the most part, free really means free. You also need to stay under 3000 minutes per month, but who talks that much anyway?

Download Vonage Mobile now and check it out on your iPhone or Android phone. Invite your family and friends so you have someone to text or call, then let us know what you think.

Via: OnlineEducation.net

You can’t always get what you want

But if you try sometimes, you just might find

You get what you need.

If you have a teenager in the house, they have probably learned this lesson long before the college application process. As you grow older (and hopefully wiser) you experience this reality in life and come to realize that those forks in the road often mean greater opportunities for growth and adventure. Your teen, however, might not be as open to this philosophy, especially when it comes to their college choices.

Here’s the good news, however. I have 5 very GOOD and LOGICAL reasons to take a another look at your 2nd choice colleges:

1. Everything happens for a reason–How many times have we all said this to our children? There could be a dozen reasons why their 1st choice college didn’t offer them admission or enough financial aid to attend. Admissions counselors tell us that each application is a subjective process and they can’t admit everyone. While it might seem like a rejection to your teen, in reality it’s their decision that your student might not be a good fit for their college. Take that as a cue to move on and find the college that feels they ARE a perfect fit!
2. In the light of day everything seems different–College choices are often made based on peer pressure, parent pressure and status. After all the hype and stress of applying, it’s easier to sit down and look at the choices your student made in a more objective light. The pressure of applying is now gone and all you need to do is thoughtfully evaluate those colleges that have offered admission. The ball is now in your court–you get to decide!
3. A closer look might reveal a hidden gem–Take some time and diligently investigate the colleges further down on the list that have offered acceptance. Compare offers, visit their campuses again, talk to current students and be open to discovery. You never know what you might unearth in the process.
4. Those other colleges on your list are more than sloppy seconds–Your 2nd and 3rd choice college made the list for a reason. Don’t look at them as sloppy seconds, but realize that they could have been your 1st choice all along. How many of us have passed over life choices, only to realize later that we discounted their value and missed out on amazing opportunities.
5. What you NEED is always better than what you WANT–It’s true. We often want things that aren’t always the best for us. We teach our kids to pursue needs before wants; the same can be true for the college choices. Your teen may want an Ivy League logo on their vehicle, but what they need might be a small private university with smaller classes and individual attention.

Parenting a college-bound teen means you will be facing disappointment throughout the college admissions process. Use those opportunities to teach some life lessons that your student can take with them to college. If they learn these lessons before they leave home, college will be a much more enjoyable experience.

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For 5 reasons why your 2nd choice college might be your BEST choice, visit my colleague Wendy David-Gaines’ blog (POCSMom). Wendy was a (POCSmom) Parent of a College Student and was once a pre-POCSmom as well. She likes to help parents de-stress during the college process and has written a book of stories and anecdotes to help parents see the lighter side of college. You can also subscribe to her FREE monthly newsletter for some great POCSmom tips

What did I LOVE about Nancy’s book? She allowed the reader to go inside her own college admissions process with her son and experience all the trepidation and angst that goes along with it. She adds humor by describing parent archetypes so you can avoid those types of behaviors during the process. Her ”5 Tips” sprinkled throughout the book simplify each step in the process and her “Top Tips” from college experts put you inside the heads of those who are “in the know” about college admissions.

Quite honestly, every page of her book had me laughing and saying, “Man oh man, do I remember that statement coming out of my daughter’s mouth!” Then Nancy helps you put it all into perspective and get you to the other side of the drama giving you insight into the perfect mental and emotional response.

Here’s an excerpt from her book of a conversation between Nancy (denoted as “me”) and her son (denoted as “teen”) related to college selection:

Me: What about Texas?

Teen: I don’t think I can go anywhere where they speak with southern accents.

Me: But you have a Pittsburgh accent. This really isn’t the place to start throwing stones.

Me: (after deep breath) What about Ohio? There are so many great schools in Ohio.

Teen: I’m not going anywhere that borders our state.

Me: (rough calculations look like he’s eliminated five additional states and Ontario; I am determined to figure this out) And why is that?

Teen: It just doesn’t feel right.

Or this conversation related to college visits:

Son: I’ve seen enough, let’s go.

Parent: But we haven’t even parked the car yet.

Son: You don’t think I can tell already? I DON’T like it here.

Parent: But we’re finally here. Let’s get out and look around.

Son: Nope. You go ahead if you want to. I’m just gonna wait here.

Zing! Every parent can relate to these types of conversations from their college-bound teens and Nancy knows how to get you through them with a little humor and a dose of common sense coping tactics.

After reading this review, I know that you MUST have your own copy and here’s your chance to win one. Nancy has donated a copy for me to give away to one parent and here’s what you will need to do to be eligible for the drawing:

1. Leave a comment here with your name and email address; then…
2. Go to my Facebook Fan page and leave a comment on my wall telling me why you NEED Nancy’s book.

On February 8th, one lucky parent will win a copy of College Bound and Gagged to peruse its content and learn all they need to know about surviving the college admissions process.

Good luck!