What’s a Nice Girl Like You Doing In WYOMING?

During my recent visit to the University of Wyoming, I came across two women chattering away in Mandarin Chinese.  While one was Chinese, the other was from Saipan, a small island in the South Pacific that is within the US Commonwealth (like Puerto Rico or Guam). Her name is Jennifer “J.J.” Jang, and she’s a senior majoring in international studies and education.


I asked this poised young woman how on earth she landed in Laramie.  She turned down offers from New York University and the University of Florida in favor of the fresh air, outdoor activities, and laid back environment of the University of Wyoming.


Listen to how she made her college choice and what she thinks of her decision.



Mark Montgomery

College Counselor



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University of Wyoming–The Benefits of Attending A Wealthy State College

Often when I visit a college campus, I sit down with students to discuss their experiences. Such discussions initially unnerve the students (“Who are you, and what do you want?”).  But when they realize that I’m genuinely interested in learning about their college, they usually open up and share the good with the bad.

 

The young woman in this video, Allie Coit, is a third year student at the University of Wyoming. She had recently transfered to the university from Northwestern Community College.  She was delighted with her decision to continue her studies in Laramie, and she had some good things to say about the advantages of a larger universities (great facilities, for example).  She also admitted that the large size also caused her problems in navigating the bloated bureaucracy and advocating for herself.

 

Have a look at what she had to say about being a Wyoming student.

 

 

Note that this young woman transfered from one of Wyoming’s community colleges.  In what may turn out to be a trend in higher education, students are turning to their local community colleges to get their general education requirements out of the way, and then turning to the state flagship university to complete their major and obtain their degree.

 

Such a trajectory can save a family loads of money and still provide a student with an excellent education.

 

Mark Montgomery
College Counseling

 

 

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Three Reasons to Attend the University of Wyoming

university

I recently visited the University of Wyoming. Situated in Laramie, the university is the only four-year college in the entire state. As such, the entire population is focused on providing Wyoming students with the best in higher education. I met with Brooke Spicer, an Admissions Representative, and asked her what would make for a great college fit.  She offered up three solid reasons that students anywhere should consider the University of Wyoming.

Here is her response. In a nutshell, her three reasons were as follows:

First, Wyoming is a big state with a big spirit, and because the University has no competition for the hearts and minds of its people, students benefit from the support of the entire population. As she says, football fans travel seven hours–each way–and even if the team is losing–to see a Cowboys game. This spirit engenders a sense of pride in being a student in Laramie.

Second, the outdoor opportunities at the University of Wyoming are unparalleled. Hiking, biking, skiing, camping, sledding, spelunking–it’s all here. Anyone who likes the out-of-doors should consider trekking to Laramie for the sunshine and the access to unspoiled wilderness.

Finally, Wyoming is a relatively wealthy state in proportion to its population. With recent tax windfalls from surging oil and gas prices, the state’s legislators have decided to pour hundreds of millions of dollars into the University. The result is a construction boom–new library, a new business school, a new student union, technology investments and upgrades. And at the same time, tuition costs have been kept quite reasonable. So in terms of value, the University of Wyoming is a place where you get plenty of bang for your buck.

Thanks to the folks in the admissions office who welcomed me with open arms. I had a great day exploring the University of Wyoming.

Mark Montgomery
College Admissions Counselor

How to Go to College: The Unofficial Rules

This was recommended to me by a friend on Twitter. It is a very clear, explicit guide for approaching your college career.  Too many students leave for college believing that the “school rules” will be essentially the same as those they encountered in high school


Nothing could be further from the truth.


This guide should be required reading for every high school graduate and college freshman.


Read it the How to Go To College rulebook and let me know what you think.


https://www.wcsu.edu/sas/howto.asp



Carnival of Kids and Money

Well, this carnival is up a bit late, but it was worth waiting for.  The Carnival of Kids and Money is hosted by the Money Hacks.
My favorite posts at this carnival are:
Michael presents College Life: Is it Better to Live On-Campus or Off-Campus? posted at Michael Emilio.  It’s a great post that lays out the pros and cons of all the alternatives.  Furthermore, one’s decision depends a lot on what you hope to get out of college.  Plus, one’s decision might also depend on the type of college one attends.
David Cassell presents Masters Or Doctorate – Which One? posted at selectcoursesblog.com.  This lays out the basic differences between the two degrees.  I would add that one’s choice depends a lot on the field of study.  Further, one should try to calculate a “return on investment:”  what sort of salary do you expect after your degree, and how does that relate to the anticipated cost of the degree program?
Check out the Carnival of Kids and Money.  You’ll be glad you did.
Mark Montgomery
College Counselor

Directory of Summer Opportunities and Gap Year Programs

A client asked me the other day where she could find a directory of summer opportunities for high school students. I told her the best resource is maintained by Phillips Andover in Massachusetts. You can find the directory of summer programs here. It includes some excellent “gap year” or “interim year” programs, as well.

Mark Montgomery
College Search Expert and Counselor

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Quality of the Educational Experience: Questions to Ask Admissions Officers

A couple of my previous posts have focused on student-to-faculty ratios and class size averages as indicators of educational quality.
By and large, my conclusion is that these statistics are not all that helpful in uncovering the quality of the educational experience for a prospective undergraduate.
So what to do? How can we compare and contrast the educational services offered by different institutions? How can we get beyond these simplistic numbers?
Well, one place to start is the set of questions formulated by Loren Pope in his book, Colleges that Change Lives. I have already posted those here. The point is to ask more substantive questions about how courses are taught, and not to focus solely upon the size of the class.
But there are other questions that prospective students and their parents might ask in order to understand and predict what their experience might be like if they matriculated to a particular college or university.

  1. What is the “course load” for faculty members? How many undergraduate courses is each faculty member expected to teach every year? Is this number the same for all departments, or does it vary by discipline?
  2. What percentage of courses is taught by adjunct or part-time faculty? Is this percentage the same across departments, or do some departments rely on part-timers more than others?
  3. What percentage of courses has a waiting list? How does the college (or the individual department) determine who gets off the waiting list and when?
  4. How many campus lecture halls seat 100 students? 50 students? 500 students? How many seminar rooms are there? What is the ratio of lecture halls to seminar rooms?
  5. How small must a class be before it is canceled by the administration?
  6. What is the most popular course on campus (or in your department)? Is enrollment in this course capped? Who gets in, and who doesn’t?

As you ask these questions, you should not permit admissions people to give vague answers. They will hem and haw. They will will be imprecise.
But these figures do exist on campus, and they exist in the office of institutional research. The administrators in this office crunch the numbers. They have the facts. If you really want to know this information, you need to ask to be put in touch with someone in institutional research who can provide this information to you.
Still, you must not focus solely on the statistics. Every educational institution has administrative problems like the ones cited at Dartmouth in my previous post. You will never be able to guarantee that your son or daughter will not be shut out of a class. You will not be able to ensure that every course he or she takes is a gem.
But if you dig deeply enough, you may be able to figure out how forthcoming and honest the faculty and administration is about these difficulties, and you will learn how they are working to solve them.
Mark Montgomery
Independent College Consultant and
Former College Administrator

Answering Coach Questionnaires for NCAA Recruitment

Nancy Nitardy, a former Division 1 coach at Harvard, Dartmouth, and Indiana University, works with Great College Advice to ensure that athletes get the best educational and athletic experiences possible.
She applies her experience as a coach to advise students how to get their attention and get recruited for their teams. She and I work together with student athletes to ensure they get the best of both worlds: the athletic experience they desire and the academic experience they require. For more information about Nancy, click here.
She wrote the best book in the field, called Get Paid to Play, which is published by Kaplan. You should consider buying it, as it contains everything you need to know to navigate the athletic recruiting process.
Here is a video of Coach Nitardy explaining how to respond to college coaches’ requests for more information from the student athlete.

Consider purchasing her book: you’ll be glad you did!
Mark Montgomery
Great College Advice and Athletic Recruiting Assistance
Montgomery Educational Consulting

Division I vs. Division III: Sports as a Job, or Scholar-Athlete?

a hockey player logo

Today I spent another fun-filled day at the Colorado Crossroads volleyball tournament in Denver, where nearly 10,000 volleyball players are participating in this national qualifier event.

Parents were steadily coming up to my booth at the tournament (where I was, of course, dispensing some great college advice) to talk about their concerns. The topic of conversation that tended to dominate these discussions was parents’ concern that becoming a Division I athlete was too time consuming and ultimately detrimental to their students’ future success in college.

The first thing I said was that participation in sports was often an indicator of success in college. As varsity athletes tend to have higher GPAs and are more satisfied with their college experience.

However, these parents’ basic concern is valid. Being a Division I athlete is a huge commitment. One must eat, sleep, and breathe one’s sport, and a D1 athelete can plan on training throughout the year to stay in tip-top condition. Further, Division I athletes must commit to playing all four years if they want to keep their athletic scholarship.

But I spent a lot of time explaining that while Division III schools do not offer athletic scholarships, they do recruit athletes in a different way. Every school with a volleyball team (for example) wants to fill its roster with good players who can take a league championship. Thus many colleges offer other forms of scholarship money to entice an able player to join its team–and its student body.

For you see, colleges have needs that they are trying to fulfill. Not only do they need to round out their volleyball roster. But they need a tuba player, an editor of the school newspaper, and a tenor for the glee club. Think of admissions officers as social engineers: they need to populate the campus with a variety of folks to fill certain prescribed roles. The whole process is not quite so neat and clean as that (it’s not very scientific). But the art of the admissions officer is to build a well-rounded class. And in order to do this, they have to meet the needs of the coaches (among others).

So my advice to parents was to relax a bit. Their kids can still find colleges at which they can have a satisfying varsity athletic experience. And still focus on their school work and also allow them to explore other activities (study abroad, a new social cause, artistic pursuits, etc.).

While some kids are seeking the rush and excitement of serious competition a the Division I level. The majority of players that I met today at the Colorado Crossroads volleyball tournament will never be able to achieve that level of competition. But as I explained to these parents, their daughters will have myriad opportunities available to them. If they learn to play the college admissions and athletic recruiting games like a pro.

Speaking of a pro, I have been very fortunate to have Nancy Nitardy, author of Get Paid To Play, working with me at Colorado Crossroads. She is a former Division I swimming coach at Dartmouth, Harvard, and Indiana University. She works with me in advising athletes on their best athletic options. While I help the same students identify their best academic options. Together, Nancy Nitardy and I are able to provide great college advice for college-bound athletes, whatever their level of play.

Mark Montgomery
Montgomery Educational Consulting
Great College Advice

Colorado Crossroads Volleyball Tournament

If you’re looking for me in the coming days, you can find me at the Colorado Convention Center where I’ll be attending the Colorado Crossroads Volleyball Tournament hosted by the Front Range Volleyball Association. It’s a national qualifier, and I’ll be there to talk to students and families about college admission.
I’ll be joined by Nancy Nitardy, former Division 1 coach and the author of Get Paid to Play, a book on athletic recruiting published by Kaplan.
So if you have a hankering for some volleyball, drop by the Convention Center.
Mark Montgomery
Montgomery Educational Consulting
Great College Advice