Ohio University in Athens for the Summer and Academic Year

Ohio University in Athens

Who knew it would be so difficult to find on-campus parking at Ohio University in Athens . . . in the middle of the summer? My tour guide stated that this summer was unusually busy on campus and likely due to students taking courses in preparation for the university changeover from quarters to semesters. The 2011-12 academic year will be the last year that Ohio University is on the quarter system.

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Photo of the student center at Ohio University

In addition to enrolled students taking courses this summer, there are 3 other cohorts on campus:

  • International students – I saw a lot of international students. I was surprised to see so many international students since there is a relatively small international community during the academic year (less than 8%). In fact, only about 17% of their student body are non-Ohio residents.
  • Rising Freshmen – OU encourages its freshman students in the Honors College to begin in the summer session. Those students participate in smaller learning communities. Administrators noted that the summer session is a program to help students transition to college and hopefully improve retention. The most recent graduation rate for OU is 69.7%.
  • Middle and high school students – There are a host of summer programs on OU’s campus for both day and residential students. Nike hosts several sports camps there each year. Additionally, OU hosts its own summer program for high school students. During my visit, I met with the directors of the summer programs and they have been fine-tuning this program since its inception. I will be meeting with them again during the academic year to learn more about upcoming changes.

As rising juniors and seniors are traveling this summer, I encourage them to take advantage of opportunities to visit area campuses. Even if you visit a campus that may not be of interest, you can still learn a lot about available options and make comparisons. When I use the term “area” I am referring to those campuses that are near your home or proximal to where you’re already traveling. I am not suggesting that families make special distant trips just for the sake of visiting – that can be very costly and time-consuming. Campus visits should be done more thoughtfully and strategically than that.

Please listen to our radio show on-campus visits and get more information about how you can make the most of your campus visits.

If your family is relocating, please keep reading . . .

If you’re anything like me, you’ve probably relocated before. As stressful as it is, I have moved eleven times since college. I moved from Palo Alto to New Hampshire. New Hampshire to Phoenix. Phoenix to Memphis. Memphis to New York City. New York City to San Francisco. San Francisco to Detroit. Detroit to Cleveland. Cleveland to San Francisco. San Francisco to Chicago. Chicago to San Francisco. San Francisco to Dayton.

Each time is a challenge, especially when relocating with children. I’ll be frank in sharing with you that much of my work is conducted in California, New York and Chicago but one of the things that keeps me based in Dayton is that I know how difficult it can be to navigate the school systems for my three children all over again in another city. However, if I had to move, I would bite the bullet and do it. For those who are listening and faced with a relocation, it may seem daunting but there are many more resources available today that can assist in the transition to a new community.

Marie Schwartz, who is the founder and President of Teen Life Media, based in Boston knows the relocation process well. In her move to Boston, she not only had to navigate the educational options in a new city, but in that process, became a resource to other families who were seeking options for their own children in the local area. My hope is that as we learn about Marie’s work and its expansion into other markets that it will make your family’s relocation feel a bit less daunting.

Listen for how to survive your next Relocation!

Etienne LeGrand on Closing the Achievement Gap in Atlanta

A popular term in our education lexicon today is “achievement gap.” Believe it or not, this term was first used in the 1960s, then after 1970, it started to appear more in popular press as well. With the introduction of No Child Left Behind at the start of the millennium, it’s almost become a household phrase.

We most often hear about this achievement gap in the context of the wide test score disparity between white students and black students. A persistent achievement gap can have severe consequences for schools as well as entire communities. More importantly, although it may be an educational indicator, it takes the resources of teachers, administrators, parents, businesses, and community-based organizations to tackle this pervasive problem throughout our education system. As a naïve doctoral student several years ago, I thought that the so-called achievement gap would be eradicated by now. Each year, we learn that there is more work ahead and many bright beacons in this fight are in our communities.

Etienne LeGrand, who is the co-founder and President of the WEB DuBois Society in Atlanta joined The Education Doctor Radio show to discuss some promising initiatives she leads. My hope is that as we hear the work that’s being done in her community it will stimulate and encourage others to implement initiatives in their own community, whether they are located in Bangor, Maine, San Diego, CA or Grand Rapids, MI.

Listen to how your WEB DuBois Society is Closing Achievement Gap in Atlanta

What College-Bound Students Can Do This Summer

Several months ago, I broadcast a show on summer programming. That show had a more general focus for students across the grade levels. As I mentioned than on that program, summer planning starts much earlier than we want to think. It must be a Law of Murphy, by now because every year, I talk with families about the importance of planning early for summer and invariably each year I get a surge of inquiries about summer programs in April and May. Yikes! J

Even if your summer is shaping into a blank slate, don’t push the panic button just yet!

Many high school students have about 2-3 weeks remaining in the school year. Summer is right around the corner but there are still some things that you can do to feel more prepared and less anxious about college admissions in the Fall. For Sophomores, junior year typically brings a jump in academic rigor on top of the increased attention to college visits and test-taking, For juniors who will be seniors next year, you know that the fall will be super busy with college applications on top of your coursework and other senior activities.

Lisa Bleich, college admission extraordinaire and founder of College Bound Mentor joined The Education Doctor Radio Show. Lisa is a former professor at Whittier College, an alum of Brandeis University, and the Harvard B-school. During the show, we count down, ala Letterman, our Top 10 Things that College-bound Students Can Do This Summer! You can be more prepared and less stressed about college admissions .  .  .  .

 

What College-Bound Students can Do this Summer!

Get your “Glee” on with tips for how to apply to college in visual or performing arts

The subtitle for this show could have been “So you think you can Dance? Sing? Play an instrument? Draw?” Or another subtitle could have been “It’s more than a Youtube video.” We discussed “How to apply to College in the Visual and Performing Arts.”

Many families may not realize until right before the admissions deadlines that the process for applying to major in the visual or performing arts or even if you want to participate in those areas as extracurricular, is a bit more nuanced. For example, the Common Application has a place where you can indicate if you’re applying to a college and want to pursue those interests. Some colleges even have special deadlines and regional auditions for those who want their talents to be considered in their admissions portfolio.

My guest featured in this segment is Halley Shefler, who formerly served as Dean of Admissions for the Boston Conservatory, played with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and recently founded ArtsEdge, which counsels students on visual and performing arts admissions. Halley shares with listeners those nuances and insider tips on how to apply to college in the visual and performance arts.

Please listen to this show BEFORE you even think about applying to college in the visual or performing arts!

How to Apply to College in Visual and Performing Arts

How to Choose the Colleges that fit YOU with “Colleges that Change Lives”

High school Juniors, have you listened to our podcasts focused on you? We have broadcast three prior shows as part of our Junior Series. The previous show has discussed campus visits, the SAT, ACT, and AP. A third show delved more into the SAT Math section since that part of the SAT often gives students a lot of grief!

In today’s show topic, we discussed another aspect of the college admissions process that is top of mind for many high school students and juniors especially. Whether you have done campus visits, taken the SAT, or asked your recommenders, the more critical question will be . . . “How do I choose the right colleges for me?” I use the term colleges as plural, instead of college singular, because I want to dispel the myth that there is only one college for a student.

There are about 3,800 colleges and universities in the US and several could be a fit for you in different ways. For example, a campus may have appeal because it’s near your favorite city or perhaps another college has a professor who is focusing on your area of interest. They can both be great colleges that match you academically, socio-emotionally, and financially. As students consider all the various options available, there are steps that students can follow to determine which colleges could be right for them to apply.

The other data point or research that I want to insert here is that studies have found that the breakdown in college graduation happens in the application process. Did you know this? So it behooves students and families to think through this process of choosing the right colleges in an informed and strategic way. Although there are many parents who are supporting their student with college selection, I can’t stress enough that the “You”  in this case, refers to the student. Parents may mean well but it really does a disservice to the student if the parents choose where the students apply! Strongly suggesting that a student applies to college because the parent is an alum is risky and likely to backfire. The parents can help but they must be careful about not doing and actually choosing the colleges where their son or daughter will apply. I do realize the parents are footing the bill but this process of choosing the right colleges that will be a fit starts with the student.

In this show, Marty O’Connell, Executive Director of Colleges that Change Lives shares some great steps that students should take towards finding those great matches. Prior to CTCL, Marty served in college admissions for twenty-eight years, most recently as vice president for enrollment and dean of admission at McDaniel College (Westminster, Md.), Now she has devoted herself to the Colleges That Change Lives mission: helping students and families better understand the college admissions process to find the best college fit possible.

As we warmly welcomed Marty to our shows, we also want to invite YOU to download the podcast and hear what Marty suggested. The steps we discussed may change the way you’re thinking of approaching this critical component of the college admissions process.

How to Decide Which Colleges