I reviewed a question the other day on LinkedIn. The question was this:  what can you do with a major in philosophy? I thought I would share my response with you.

Here’s the question:

Is philosophy a good major?  Why?  Just wondering what you can get with a philosophy major or if it’s worth the time and money.

And here is my response:

Good question. I get this sort of question a lot in my line of work.

The answer to your question does not lie in the opinions of others. It must come from within yourself.

What can you do with a liberal arts major?

Let’s be philosophical. Some value college as training for a profession. Others, who tend to pursue degrees at liberal arts institutions, see college as a process of training the mind. As you may have experienced, most folks who hear this question. Immediately begin thinking about the economic value of a philosophy degree–immediately upon graduation. But what they don’t know, is that plenty of philosophy majors at liberal arts institutions go on to very successful careers.

Did you know, for example, that statistically one of the best majors with the highest percentages of acceptance to medical school is (drum roll….) philosophy? Medical schools like people who have thought deeply about what it means to be human, to appreciate beauty, and to have thought theoretically. Medicine has plenty of technicians, but not an awful lot of deep thinkers. And medical schools value deep thinkers.

Furthermore, in a liberal arts context, I firmly believe that it matters little what you major in. What matters more is what you can do–the skills you acquire (a second language, computer programming skills, strong economics, scientific research skills). You can acquire some of these skills even as you complete a philosophy major. Or you may acquire them in graduate school or in the working world after graduation.

It’s possible that you can prepare for several careers (as you are statistically apt to have at least seven before you retire) simply by training your mind to be flexible, creative, analytical, and quick. If you read Daniel Pink’s book, A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future. For example, you may be convinced that philosophy actually is much better training for careers of the 21st century than accounting or marketing or biology, even.

Finally, you ask whether the degree is “worth” the time and money. Well, be philosophical: define “worth.” Certainly a philosophy major does not have immediate, tangible value that is easily calculated in “return on investment” (ROI) terms. Such a calculation is easier with a professional degree (MBA, JD, Engineering) or with a licensing program (e.g. teaching/education).

But if you define “worth” more broadly, you might agree with Socrates: “The unexamined life is not worth living.” So maybe you want to examine human nature, appreciate the concept of beauty, think about what constitutes the “good life.”

While I respect the opinions of those who pooh-pooh the value of a philosophy major, I wonder how many of them have actually ever taken a philosophy course. How many of them know successful people in business, the arts, the law, journalism, medicine, and other professions who pursued a liberal arts degree and majored in philosophy?

So what can you do with a major in philosophy?

So to reiterate by returning to your question: “what can you get” with a philosophy degree? On the one hand, absolutely nothing. On the other, everything.

People who major in philosophy can work in artificial intelligence, science policy, medicine, law, banking, and just about any business you can imagine. Philosophy majors work in high tech. They work in government. They run organizations.

The skills of analysis, logic, and problem solving are relevant to any profession.

In the end, doesn’t the answer to your question depend on many variables well beyond your choice of major?

As was inscribed above the entrance to the Oracle at Delphi: “Know Thyself.” Start there, and the answer to your question will be come, well, self-evident.

What if I can’t decide my major?

Most young people have a difficult time settling on a major. Despite the Oracle at Delphi, most teens are just getting to know themselves and figure out what is important to them. If your family has a teen who is struggling to make this sort of decision–and struggling to create a solid college plan, give us a call at Great College Advice. We helps students wade through these tough decisions and create an action plan.

Mapping College Journeys. It’s what we do.

The post What Is Value of a Major in Philosophy (or the Liberal Arts in General)? first appeared on College Admission Counseling.

• Pay attention to each student’s needs
• Alleviate stress for both student and parent
• Give the student a competitive edge
• Eliminate the confusion
• Save money

Personalized Attention

College selection and application is a very time-consuming process. Counseling—of all types—requires time and energy from a professional. But school guidance counselors are overworked and have less time than perhaps they once did to give personalized college counseling.

The National Association for College Admissions Counseling (NACAC) recommends that a college counselor work with no more than about one hundred students per year. However, a study by the National Association for College Admissions Counseling (NACAC) measured the degree to which school counselors are overworked.

• Nationwide, the average college counselor in a public high school serves 315 students. In Colorado. The public school student-to- counselor ratio is 553:1.
• The student-to-college-counselor ratio is higher in large schools: nationally, in schools of more than 2000 students, the ratio is 654:1. Colorado has 18 high schools of this size–all along the Front Range.

Choosing a college is not something that is easily left to computer programs and mathematical algorithms. The admissions process, while seemingly quite simple on its face. Can necessitate different strategies and tactics for each individual student. As public schools continue to reduce the number of guidance counselors. Parents are turning to private counselors to ensure that their children get the direction they need and deserve.

Alleviate Stress

Choosing a college can be stressful for a variety of reasons. First, parents, who have been nurturing their children since the day they were born, have a hard time delegating this important decision to their children. Second, students are not always equipped to make this first great life decision: most students have not made their own educational decisions or chosen their schools. They may not possess the self-knowledge to make this decision, and may need to work through a process to develop a strong set of criteria on which to base this decision.

To make matters worse, the junior and senior years of high school can be very difficult for students. They have many competing priorities to balance: improving their grades, deepening their extracurricular commitments, and preparing for those annoying SAT and ACT tests (and don’t forget the difficulty of maintaining a social life!). For these reasons—and many others—the college selection and application process becomes a vortex of anxiety for everyone.

An experienced college consultant can help reassure nervous parents. Guide students through a process of self-discovery, and ensure that all the administrative pieces are managed with efficiency and accuracy. The transition from high school to college should be an exciting time in a young person’s life, full of anticipation and promise, and a professional college counselor can maintain the focus on the excitement—and not the stress.

Competitive Edge

College admissions today seems much more competitive than ever before. More and more students are applying to college, and each student is applying to more colleges. Acceptance rates at selective colleges continue to decline. So how can college-bound students give themselves a competitive edge?

As noted above, high school guidance counselors are overburdened. So more and more families are turning to private consultants to help select the right colleges and guide the student through the admissions process. According to the Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA). An estimated 22% of freshmen at private, four-year colleges have used some kind of consulting services in the admission process.

Private day and boarding schools have more robust college counseling programs than do public schools. The student to counselor ratio at a private school may be as low as 50:1, compared to the national average of 315:1. Obviously, some students are getting more help than others.

Good guidance in selecting the right schools and in completing the application can make the difference between acceptance and rejection. We can help your son or daughter develop an appropriate college selection and admissions strategy to give them the best possible chance of reaching their educational goals.

Eliminate The Confusion

One of the great benefits of the Internet age is that students and parents have much more access to enormous amounts of information. With literally thousands of websites devoted to college selection and admission, parents and students can learn more about college admission than ever before.

But knowledge is not bliss: the overwhelming quantity of information that does little to clarify our vision and answer our individual questions. Which information is useful and Which sources can I trust? Which information applies to my child’s particular situation? The huge expansion of available information has created a new burden of having to sift through zillions of bits and bytes for useful tidbits.

An experienced college consultant can help do the sifting for you. By focusing primarily on your student, the counselor can pull the information that is directly relevant to the student’s situation. And because a good counselor also knows colleges well, he can select colleges that closely match the student’s needs, abilities, and ambitions.

Save You Money

In today’s economy, almost all parents are looking for a bargain in higher education. The biggest sources of financial aid and scholarship money in the United States are the colleges and universities themselves. Colleges award better financial aid and scholarship packages to the students that best match their institutional values and priorities. Thus for the price-sensitive family, it is crucial that the student select colleges that are a perfect fit. Not only for the student, but for the college.

While we can never guarantee a particular outcome, we have a strong record of helping families reduce the overall cost of a college education by carefully selecting the right colleges to which to apply. Even families that do not expect any financial aid often find that working with us can save them tens of thousands of dollars in tuition bills.

So while hiring an educational consultant may seem like a hefty cost. Many families are surprised at how much money they can save by hiring an experienced college consultant.

Read five more reasons to hire a college consultant.

Mark Montgomery
Educational Consultant

The post Why Hire An Educational Consultant? first appeared on College Admission Counseling.

The post Get Into the Best Colleges For You first appeared on College Admission Counseling.

TRANSCRIPT:

So, when I’m working with some of my students from overseas, whether it’s from China or from the U.K. or Australia, one of the first things that the family and the student begins to think about in the process of deciding which university to choose in the United States, is the major. This academic specialty that the student will pursue. And I spend a lot of time explaining that. In the United States, we really do have a different approach. Or a different view of the importance of major and choosing the school.

So to give you an example, I’m here at the campus of the University of Washington in Seattle. And we attended an information session and it was made very clear to us that while the University of Washington has 118 different majors – that’s a lot of different majors – the choice of major is not at all considered in the admissions review. So, as you put your application in, you may mark on there which major you prefer. But you are not being accepted to that major when you are accepted to the university. There are a few exceptions to that and technicalities where there are some direct admissions to particular majors, but those are very much the minority.

Choosing Once You Arrive

Generally speaking, here at UDub, the major is not considered in admissions. Then, you choose your major when you get to the university and you apply to the major when you’re here. Some of the majors are open to anyone, it doesn’t matter. Some of them may have a few requirements. And, as long as you meet those requirements, you’re automatically in. And then there are some majors though, like computer science, business, nursing, that you have to apply, there is a whole application process that you go through in the first or second year to be accepted to that major. So that happens here at UDub after you’ve already matriculated to the university. That’s when you decide what your major is. And, in the case of these very competitive majors, that’s when you’re accepted to your major.

So, again, for students who are coming from other countries who are looking at a place, whether it’s the University of Washington or the University of Virginia or even Harvard or Princeton or Yale, the major is something that is chosen once you arrive on the campus after you have already been admitted. Some schools do require that you have a choice of a major as you enter, but that’s really a minority. So the American view of this is quite a bit different from, say, the U.K. or China or Hong Kong. You choose your major after you’ve arrived.
 
Great College Advice

The post Educational Consultant on Choosing a Major in the United States first appeared on College Admission Counseling.

If you plan on coming to the United States as an international student. Do not plan on paying your tuition through a lucrative full time job. In general, students cannot work. There are, however, several important exceptions to this rule.

In contrast to off-campus work, prior authorization is not needed to work on-campus. On-campus work is limited to 20 hours per week while school is in session, and can be full-time during official school breaks.

Schools offer something called Curricular Practical Training (CPT), during which foreign students can engage in employment. CPT usually takes the form of a required internship within an academic program. That is, the internship is an integral part of an established curriculum. Such as working in a physical therapy clinic if you are studying to be a physical therapist in school. In most cases, the student must be registered for at least one academic year before applying for CPT authorization from the school. There is no fee, but the student must receive authorization prior to employment.

More commonly utilized for employment right after graduation is post-completion Optional Practical Training (OPT). A student on OPT must apply to USCIS for approval before graduation by submitting: Form I-765, the filing fee and required documentation. The student’s job must be related to his or her program of study. A student does not need to have a job to apply for OPT. However, only 90 days of unemployment are allowed.

Students on OPT are still on an F-1 visa and are given one year of work authorization for every level of school completed. For example, if you complete your bachelor’s degree in fine arts, then you can request a year of OPT and work in an art gallery. If you return to school and obtain a master’s degree in art history. Then you can request another year of OPT and work in a museum or other art-related setting.

Even more useful these days, if you are in a science, technology, engineering or mathematics-related field (STEM), you can request an additional 17 months. Permissible STEM fields for the OPT extension are found at: https://www.ice.gov/sevis/stemlist.htm. Utilizing a STEM extension often gives technology-savvy foreign students the time to find an employer, who will sponsor them for a work visa such as an H-1b in order to remain legally in the United States after the OPT expires.

Laurie Woog
The Woog Law Office, LLC
Practice Devoted to Immigration and Naturalization Law

Blog post brought to you by:
Andrea Aronson
College Admissions Advisor
Westfield, NJ

The post International Student Immigration Issues #5: Can I Work While I’m Studying in the U.S.A.? first appeared on College Admission Counseling.

Here is a list of some of the most important things to remember while you study in the United States so that you don’t find yourself faced with a violation of the F-1 regulations:

• Make sure that your data is always current in the SEVIS system. What is SEVIS? SEVIS stands for the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System, a database maintained by the U.S. government that holds information on all international students in the United States, including their addresses, school programs, work authorizations, and other data. While the school’s Designated Student Officer (DSO) is responsible for entering information into the SEVIS system. To keep your record in order, you are responsible for getting that information to the DSO.
• Always have a current paper copy of your I-20.  An I-20 is a SEVIS-generated document issued by your school which contains your personal, financial and academic information, and is signed by you and the DSO.
• Do NOT engage in employment off-campus without proper authorization. F-1 Visa students are not allowed to work, except in very limited circumstances. (We’ll explore this topic in more detail in a future blog post.)
• Maintain a full course load; “full-time” means 12 credit hours for undergraduates and 9 credit hours for graduates during the entire fall and spring semesters.
• Keep your school and USCIS informed of any address changes. International students must report any change of address within 10 days. Since some students move frequently, it is easy to forget this rule, but it is very important. There is no reason to risk an interruption or premature conclusion to your studies in the U.S. because you forgot to tell USCIS you moved into a new apartment.

Before going overseas, always make sure you are allowed to travel and that you have proper documentation to return to the U.S. Remember to check with your DSO about travel regulations, particularly during the summer. You must carry an original I-20 with a recent travel signature, and a passport valid for at least 6 months. The F-1 visa in your passport must be valid. If not, you will need to make an appointment to apply for a new F-1 Visa if you are still eligible.

When travelling, you should also carry the following:

The post International Student Immigration Issues #4: Maintaining the F-1 Visa While Studying In the United States first appeared on College Admission Counseling.

Here are some of the questions we encounter most often from international students.

Q. What is the “presumption of immigrant intent” that I keep hearing about?

A. This means that the United States government, and therefore the embassy or consular staff, assumes that every visa applicant wants to stay in the U.S. permanently. Even if you are applying for a temporary visa, you must prove that you intend to return home after your authorized period of stay concludes. See our previous blog about the type of proof you will need to show this intent.

Q. How long will it take for me to obtain my visa?

A. There are various factors that affect the waiting process, such as an applicant’s country of origin, age, name, marital status or field of study. For example, applicants who study or have worked in sensitive areas may be subject to extended security checks. Some of these fields include munitions; nuclear technology; rocket systems; chemical, biotechnology and biomedical engineering; advanced computer/ microelectronic technology; information security; sensor technology; etc. To allow time to overcome any unforeseen problems that might arise, students are encouraged to apply for their visas several weeks before they plan to travel, or more, depending on the country.

Q. Can I bring my wife and child with me to the U.S. while I am on a student visa?

A. Yes, you may bring dependents. They will need visa interviews as well and should receive F-2 visas. You should make sure you have proof of your relationship to your spouse and/or children such as marriage and birth certificates, family registers, etc. It is best for families to apply for their visas at the same time. However, if your spouse and children must apply later, they should bring a copy of your passport and visa, along with all other required documents. F-2 visa holders are not allowed to work in the U.S.

Q. What if my application for a visa is denied? What can I do?

A. Consular officials have a great deal of discretion to approve or deny a visa. Their decisions are not normally subject to review or appeal. However, it may be possible to ask the chief of the consulate to reconsider the decision, or to ask for an advisory opinion at the Department of State in Washington, D.C. on a legal issue. If your visa application is denied, you may want to consult an attorney for assistance in describing all the facts of the case, any additional evidence, and to try to obtain a different decision.

Q. Do I have to have an interview if I apply to change my status in the U.S. from visitor (B-2) to student (F-1)?

A. No, you do not. If you request a “change of status” from one category to another while remaining in the U.S., you send your request to USCIS, a division of the Department of Homeland Security, on Form I-539. There is no interview for this process. However, you will need to maintain valid nonimmigrant (temporary) status in order to effect this change. This means that you cannot apply to change status after your authorized stay expires. Also, in some cases, USCIS will not approve a change to student status unless you informed the consulate at your B-2 interview that you were thinking about eventually studying in the U.S.

Let us know if you have any more questions that we haven’t addressed here!
Andrea Aronson
College Admissions Specialist
Westfield, NJ

The post International Student Immigration Issues #3: Frequently Asked Questions About the Student Visa first appeared on College Admission Counseling.

If you are planning on attending a college or university in the United States, you will need to obtain a student visa (F-1). The educational institution in the U.S. should have a staff member whose job it is to send you important information about what to do in order to obtain your visa.

However, actually getting the visa can be tricky, and there is no guarantee that the consulate will agree that you are entitled to your visa. Therefore, in order to increase your chances of an approval, it is best to be fully prepared for the visa interview. Note: Canadian citizens do not need to obtain a visa in their passports.

Familiarize Yourself With The Process Of Obtaining A Visa

Once you obtain an “I-20” from your school in the United States. You can start the process of obtaining your student visa. Make sure you review and understand the following steps to take after you enroll in college and receive your I-20.

• Ask the International Student Services officer or Designated School Official (DSO) at your school in the U.S. for as much advice as possible about applying for your visa. Review your university’s website for international students
• Review the website of the U.S. Consulate or Embassy in your country that processes student visas to see if there are any special procedures of which to be aware. The consulates are part of the United States Department of State
• Follow the embassy or consulate’s instructions to schedule an interview for your F-1 student visa. Many consulates recommend that appointments be made no more than 90 days from the intended date of travel. But some can make earlier arrangements for interviews. For example, the U.S. Embassy in Beijing recommends that all students and exchange visitors should make appointments for visa interviews two months before their programs start. The summer months are obviously very busy times for processing prior to the start of the fall semester in the U.S.
• Pay the visa application and SEVIS fees
• Keep all receipts and notifications of payments
• Complete the DS-160 online application form.

Bring Proper Documentation To Your Appointment

• Make sure your passport is valid for at least 6 months. Renew your passport far enough in advance so that you have a valid passport at the time of your interview.
• Form I-20
• School admission letter
• Completed visa application (see above) and DS-160 confirmation page
• Two 2″x 2″ photographs that conform to Department of State specifications
• Receipts for the visa application fee and SEVIS fee
• Financial evidence: You must demonstrate that you have sufficient funds to cover your tuition and living expenses in the U.S., such as bank statements, bank accounts, income tax returns, business registration, etc. It is important to show you can support yourself in the U.S. without working.
• Remember that an F-1 visa means you intend to return to your home country after you conclude your studies in the U.S. Thus, at your interview, you must bring documentation that will help prove that you have many ties to your country, such as:
  • Proof that you own property, proof of family ties
  • A letter from an employer promising you a job when you return, bank accounts, etc.
• In China and other countries, you may be asked to provide some or all of the following:
• • • Transcripts and diplomas from previous institutions you attended
    • Scores from standardized tests required by the educational institution such as TOEFL, GRE, SAT, etc.
    • Research/Study Plan: Detailed information about your planned studies in the U.S. including the name and e-mail address of your advisor or head of your department in the U.S.
    • Resume or CV: Detailed information about your academic and professional experience.

How To Handle The Visa Interview

The visa interview can be stressful even if it is short. Make sure you answer the consular officer’s questions politely and truthfully. Any fraud or dishonesty can result in the denial of a visa at the interview or a later date. Here are some brief tips for the interviewing process.

• You may be asked if you intend to work in the U.S. as a student. You must make sure the consular officer understands that you do not intend to work in the U.S. while you are enrolled in school full-time and that you are aware that students are not allowed to work in the U.S.
• If you are interviewing for a visitor visa instead of a student visa, but think that there is even a small possibility that you will want to change your status to be a full-time student, then you should disclose this intent to the interviewing officer. Otherwise, you may have trouble changing from B-2 to F-1 in the U.S. In addition, if you intend to take a “short term course of English language study,” fewer than 18 hours per week, you can receive a B-2 visa. Again, this intent should be disclosed to the consular officer.
• In China and some other countries, consular officials may ask what you plan to do after receiving your diploma. It may be helpful to explain how your U.S. education will be useful in China in the future. However, again, answers should be truthful. Not every applicant has a specific plan before coming to the U.S.
• The consular official may inquire more deeply into your family’s finances. For example, if a student must borrow a lot of money to pay for his or her U.S. education, the consular officials may question how the applicant is going to pay back the loans upon returning to his or her home country.

Remember that the above information is just a guide. And does not cover every situation or the requirements of every embassy or consulate. Make sure you know what is required for the interview in your particular country.

Andrea Aronson
College Admissions Counselor
Westfield, NJ

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