Why Attend New York University? One Man's Response

As I explained in a previous post, I recently asked a group of friends and acquaintances about their experiences in selecting a college or university. This account comes from Jason Schaltz, an IT consultant for CGI. He attended New York University.
“For me, I chose the best place for what I wanted to study. I first wanted to get into finance somehow, so I searched out the best undergrad schools for finance. I went to all the ranking websites and such and eventually New York University made it to my first choice.
There was some other great things about it, I love living in the city and I thought it would be a great place for internships and jobs, but the main reason for picking it was because it was one of the best schools for what I wanted to learn. I eventually changed my major to management and decided to get into consulting, but luckily, it was good for that too. I am very happy with my choice, no regrets whatsoever.
Anyway, I think the best thing to do, if you can afford it, is to actually visit the colleges you are looking at and do the tour thing there, but take what they say with a grain of salt, they are trying to sell the school after all. After you do that, go around and find kids on campus and ask them what they’re studying and how they like the place. They will probably be happy to tell you and won’t give you any BS.
For more unbaised reviews, try this website, CollegeProwler.com. It was pretty accurate for NYU.”
Jason points to the fact that schools are businesses, even if they are also supposedly serving the public good by educating new generations of young people. He suggests cutting through all the hype generated by the admissions office (a.k.a. the “sales and marketing” office) by talking to actual “customers” of the university. As a consumer of educational services, students need to learn to do their own research, to cut through the malarkey, and learn for themselves whether the “service provider” (or, the college) provides what the student wants and needs.
As Jason also points out, there are some good resources available to help students in their research. But often, with so many colleges and universities to choose from (and research!), it often makes sense for students and their families to turn to an expert to at least help them narrow down the list. That is one of the primary functions of an independent educational consultant.
Mark Montgomery
Montgomery Educational Consulting

Which College to Choose? Follow the Money! (or, the Road To Rhodes)

As I explained in a previous post, I recently asked a group of friends and acquaintances about their experiences in selecting a college or university.
Below, a graduate of Rhodes University in Memphis recounts how she chose her college.Rhodes college
“I followed the money. When looking at schools, I sought out schools that had good reputations for liberal arts and hands-on instruction. Although I was accepted to my top picks, I ultimately chose the school that offered me the most money, even though it was at the bottom of my list.
Was this a good choice? It’s hard to say. I do believe that students should ultimately follow their gut instinct, but I also think that college is what you make of it. I knew that I could survive anywhere, so it was the right decision for me to get a quality education for a good price. If tuition was not a concern, I would have chosen the school that I felt best complemented my personality, learning style and interests. (And I probably would have had a more positive collegiate experience.)
I suggest to students that they pick a dealbreaker quality. What one thing is most important to them? Be it cost, location, course offerings, etc. Then eliminate all schools that don’t fulfill the qualifications of their dealbreaker. What is left is generally a short list, so then I suggest that they trust their instincts and pick the school that feels right and fulfills their key requirement.”
This correspondent went on to pursue two graduate degrees, and is now an information specialist and reference librarian in Memphis.
Her strategy is an excellent one, and one that many students and parents don’t consider. There are literally thousands of colleges in the US, and hundreds of excellent ones. If money is a consideration, build your college list around that principal criterion. Many colleges are willing to pay top dollar (by giving substantial tuition discounts and scholarships) to well-qualified applicants.
Do NOT sell yourself short. If you have talents and academic abilities, be prepared to show them off during the admissions process. And depending on the audience for whom you are prepared to show off, you may get money thrown at you!
Mark Montgomery
Montgomery Educational Consulting

Numbers of College Applications WAY Up This Year

The New York Times reported in an article yesterday that the numbers of applications to Harvard, Princeton, Dartmouth, Cornell, and many other colleges are way up this year. Part of this increase is due to demographics, part of it is due to the ease of electronic submissions, and part of it is due to the increased demand for a quality education.
Here is a short chart of the increases:
Harvard: 19%
University of Chicago: 18%
Amherst College 17%
Northwestern 14%
Dartmouth 10%
Cornell 8%
Princeton 6%
University of Virginia 4%
With the competition so stiff, can you afford not to have the help you need to find and apply to the college of your dreams?
Mark Montgomery
Montgomery Educational Consulting

Boys Lack Organizational Skills

I’ve noticed that most of the high school guys I work with lack some basic organizational skills. They come to my office with files that are completely jumbled. That is, if they come with files at all. Some waltz into my office without so much as a pencil.
I’m not the only one who recognizes that boys often have poor time management and organizational skills. A recent article in the New York Times investigated this phenomenon, and followed a private tutor who works with boys to get organized. She imparts the skills necessary to help them manage their time, keep track of their assignments, and remain on top of their schoolwork. Here is some what she does to help her clients:
She requires her clients to have a three-ring, loose-leaf binder for each academic subject, to divide each binder into five sections — notes, homework, handouts, tests and quizzes, and blank paper — and to use a hole puncher relentlessly, so that every sheet of school-related paper is put into its proper home.
Students must maintain a daily planner; they are required to number the order in which they want to do each day’s homework and draw a box next to each assignment, so it can be checked off when completed.
Homework must be done in a two-hour block in a quiet room, with absolutely no distractions: no instant messaging, no Internet, no music, no cellphone, no television.
While some girls need help getting organized, at least three-quarters of her students are boys, Ms. Homayoun said. Girls usually adopt her methods more quickly.
I find that many of my clients benefit from imposing the same sort of organizational rigor as they go through the college search process. Depending on the client, I set them up with files and notebooks, and help them keep track of their deadlines. Sometimes it is as simple as helping them enter information into their PDA, cell phone, or other device. Sometimes we resort to good, old-fashioned pen and paper.
Getting organized is a key to success in college. Today’s children often have parents who look up their homework assignments on Power School or some other website, and then are able to browbeat their kids into doing their homework. There are positive aspects to using technology to keep track of a child’s progress. But I think the negative impact has been less evident–perhaps until now. If parents are constantly following their kids around to ensure they have all their homework done, when is the kid going to be personally accountable? How will kids develop organizational skills if parents (and tutors and consultants) do it all for them.
As this article points out, boys need to be taught how to organize. They need to be given the tools to manage their time independently–well before they get to college. This is part of what I offer as a service to my clients: basic instruction in how to get organized and stay on top of the very complicated college admissions process.
Mark Montgomery
Montgomery Educational Consulting

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Carnival of Education #150: Step Right Up!

The Education Wonks have done it again! They have opened the latest edition of the Carnival of Education.
Here are some of my favorite posts from this week’s round-up:
Yale freshman Sam Jackson looks at the complicated issue of whether colleges and universities should have complete access to the high school disciplinary records of applicants. Disclosing youthful transgressions can sometimes sink a kid’s chances of getting into top flight schools, or so many high school guidance counselors think. But some argue that kids should ‘fess up and disclose the disciplinary action, and to talk about how they have turned around their behavior. Of course, it all depends on what the infraction is: carrying a loaded gun into school is not the same as forgetting to take the Swiss Army knife out of your backpack after your return from a weekend hike.
High School Volleyball Coach has compiled some excellent information about athletic scholarships.
And Campus Grotto makes a good case for attending college…because the experience is more than just the academics and the professional training. College life is important in a whole host of ways.
Have a look at all the other great posts, too.