College Spotlight--Davidson College (visiting 11/3/11)

Link: Davidson College

Davidson is a highly selective independent liberal arts college for 1,920 students located 20 minutes north of Charlotte in Davidson, N.C. Since its establishment in 1837 by Presbyterians, the college has graduated 23 Rhodes Scholars and is consistently regarded as one of the top liberal arts colleges in the country. Through The Davidson Trust, the college became the first liberal arts institution in the nation to replace loans with grants in all financial aid packages, giving all students the opportunity to graduate debt-free. Davidson competes in NCAA athletics at the Division I level, and a longstanding Honor Code is central to student life at the college.

Davidson is a national leader on affordability initiatives, with need-blind admission and meeting 100 percent of demonstrated financial need with a combination of grants and student employment. Davidson was the first liberal arts college to eliminate the loan component in financial aid packages.

Personal relationships with your professors and classes limited to 20 students allow for the development of creative, collaborative relationships resulting in a unique academic experience

A variety of options and opportunities set Davidson apart including its strong Honor Code, committment to community service and Division I athletics

Fast Facts
Take a quick glance at facts and statistics about Davidson that define the college as a unique and exciting educational environment.

College Spotlight--Haverford College (visiting 11/2/11)

Link: Haverford College

One of America's leading liberal arts colleges, Haverford is a close-knit intellectual community located on a serene campus just outside Philadelphia. Founded on the Quaker values of individual dignity, academic strength, and tolerance, we combine a rigorous academic program with an informal atmosphere of mutual respect and collaboration among students, faculty and staff.

Studenst approach work and study — as well as debate and conflict — with an awareness of the greater good. Haverford's Honor Code is one of the oldest in the country, and one of the few with a social dimension — we seek to appreciate and trust each other while working together and speaking candidly about our differences.

A beautiful and stimulating environment, Haverford's self-contained campus on more than 200 acres features award-winning architecture and landscaping. The campus itself is a nationally recognized arboretum, with more than 400 species of trees and shrubs, a 3.5-acre duck pond, multiple gardens, and wooded areas. Our location on the outskirts of Philadelphia offers easy access to its wealth of activities and cultural institutions, as well as the rest of the Mid-Atlantic region.

The College operates more than 50 academic, athletic, and residential buildings. The most recent additions are the Marian E. Koshland Integrated Natural Science Center and the Douglas B. Gardner '83 Integrated Athletic Center. Haverford's Magill Library boasts more than a half million of its own volumes and has access to nearly two million more through its unusual Tripod computerized catalog system, which integrates our library with those of neighboring Bryn Mawr and Swarthmore Colleges. In addition to Magill's main resources, we house a number of special collections including the Quaker Collection, the C.C. Morris 1904 Cricket Library, and numerous rare books and other treasures; we also maintain three smaller music, science, and astronomy libraries on campus.

Haverford students are entrusted with freedom and responsibility from their first days on campus, an act of trust aimed at developing the whole person and creating a lasting bond between individual and institution. Students leave Haverford with an increased sense of independence, curiosity, and confidence, as well as lasting bonds with friends and faculty. Whether 'Fords go on to advance their educations, enter the workforce, travel the world, or better the world in one of any number of ways, they leave grounded and well-equipped for rich, dynamic lives.

View the College's Common Data Set, which many colleges and universities use to provide statistical information.

College Spotlight--Boston College (visiting 10/27/11)

Link: Boston College

Boston College is one of the oldest Jesuit, Catholic universities in the United States. U.S. News and World Report ranks Boston College 31st among national universities.

Boston College confers more than 4,000 degrees annually in more than 50 fields of study through nine schools and colleges. Faculty members are committed to both teaching and research and have set new marks for research grant awards over the last ten years, more than $45 million in the last year alone.

The University has made a major commitment to academic excellence. It is in the process of adding faculty positions, expanding faculty and graduate research, increasing student financial aid, and widening opportunities in key undergraduate programs, such as foreign study, internships, community service, and personal formation.

Boston College has experienced tremendous growth in recent years, including a 75 percent increase in undergraduate applications over the past decade. During the same period, a remarkable increase in revenue from voluntary giving has helped to move the University's endowment to approximately $1.4 billion, among the 40 largest in the nation.

Why Boston College? Click here for 20 reasons — we encourage you to find more

College Spotlight--Brown University (visiting 10/25/11)

Link: Brown University

Located in historic Providence, Rhode Island and founded in 1764, Brown University is the seventh-oldest college in the United States. Brown is an independent, coeducational Ivy League institution comprising undergraduate and graduate programs, plus the Alpert Medical School and the School of Engineering.
With its talented and motivated student body and accomplished faculty, Brown is a leading research university that maintains a particular commitment to exceptional undergraduate instruction.

Brown’s vibrant, diverse community consists of 6,000 undergraduates, 2,000 graduate students, 400 medical school students, and nearly 700 faculty members. Brown students come from all 50 states and more than 100 countries.

Undergraduates pursue bachelor’s degrees in more than 70 concentrations, ranging from Egyptology to cognitive neuroscience. Anything’s possible at Brown—the university’s commitment to undergraduate freedom means students must take responsibility as architects of their courses of study.

Graduate students study in more than 70 programs. The broad scope of options vary from interdisciplinary opportunities in molecular pharmacology and physiology to a master’s program in acting and directing through the Brown/Trinity Repertory Consortium.

Brown students have a lot to smile about. Named by the 2010 Princeton Review as the #1 College in America for Happiest Students, Brown is frequently recognized for its global reach, many cultural events, numerous campus groups and activities, active community service programs, highly competitive athletics, and beautiful facilities located in a richly historic urban setting.

There's an App for that!

Thanks to a new Class of 2013 "An Admiral's Perspective" follower comes a recommendation for what sounds like a handy app for your next college road trip:

Fiske Interactive College Guide 2012

By Sourcebooks, Inc

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/fiske-interactive-college/id418350915?mt=8

Of course, College Counseling and the Severn library have hardcopies of this book for your reference.

College Spotlight--Dickinson College (visiting 10/20/11)

Link: Dickinson College

Dickinson College, founded in 1773, is a highly selective, private residential liberal-arts college known for its innovative curriculum. Its mission is to offer students a useful education in the arts and sciences that will prepare them for lives as engaged citizens and leaders. The 180-acre campus of Dickinson College is located in the heart of historic Carlisle, Pa. The college offers 42 majors with an emphasis on international studies, has more than 40 study-abroad programs in 24 countries on six continents and offers 13 modern languages.

Quick Facts

• 2,365 full-time students
• 43 U.S. states and territories and 41 foreign countries represented
• 10:1 student-faculty ratio
• More than 50 percent of students study abroad
• 26 percent participate in varsity athletics

History

Dickinson College is an institution steeped in history. Its grounds have been the site of notable revolutionary experiences; its limestone buildings are monuments of ancient architecture; its paths have been walked by remarkable men and women; and its founding spirit runs deep and propels us forward today. Learn More 

Mission

Chartered in 1783, just days after the conclusion of the American Revolution, Dickinson’s founder envisioned the college offering a distinctively original form of American education—one that was rigorously rooted in the traditional liberal arts and was also ultimately useful. As we face the challenges and complexities of the 21st century, Dickinson continues to seek direction from this revolutionary heritage within a contemporary context. Learn more

Diversity

Dickinson College is a diverse community that includes individuals from majority populations, historically under-represented populations, international students and scholars, and individuals from various socioeconomic levels—all having a wide variety of ideas, attitudes and beliefs. Learn more 

College Spotlight--Elon University

Link: Elon University

Elon University is a selective, independent, private university renowned as a national model for engaged learning, along with excellence in the liberal arts and sciences and professional programs. Elon's beautiful and historic campus in central North Carolina is designated as a botanical garden.

Elon’s rich intellectual community is characterized by active student engagement with a faculty dedicated to excellent teaching and scholarly accomplishment. The curriculum is grounded in the traditional liberal arts and sciences and complemented by distinctive professional and graduate programs. Elon students put knowledge into practice, fulfilling their roles as global citizens and informed leaders motivated by concern for the common good.

Elon sends more undergraduate students to study abroad than any other master’s-level school in the nation, and was named one of the top three universities in the nation for community service by the federal government’s Corporation for National and Community Service. In addition, 78 percent of students complete internships, one-third of students hold at least one campus leadership position, and about 250 students annually work with faculty members on undergraduate research projects.

In its 2011 "America's Best Colleges" guide, U.S.News & World Report rates Elon the #2 Southern University and among the top 86 colleges and universities in the nation "where the faculty has an unusual commitment to undergraduate teaching."Newsweek-Kaplan named Elon the nation's "leader in engaged learning" and one of 25 featured colleges in its 2010 guide, and Princeton Review ranks Elon among the nation's 373 "best colleges." Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine, USA Today, Princeton Review and the Fiske Guide to Colleges all name Elon one of the nation's "best value" private universities.

Elon's 600-acre campus is recognized by Princeton Review as one of the nation's most beautiful college environments. The campus has been designated a botanical garden, and includes the 56-acre Elon University Forest, a land preserve and natural area for scientific research.

Elon's 358 full-time faculty teach in more than 50 undergraduate majors. The university includes Elon College, the College of Arts and Sciences; the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business; the School of Communications; the School of Education; and the School of Law. Master's programs are offered in business administration, education and interactive media, and doctoral programs include physical therapy and law. Elon operates on a 4-1-4 academic calendar, including a four-week term in January.

Elon's 5,032 undergraduate and 677 graduate students come from 48 states, the District of Columbia and 49 other nations. About 25 percent are from North Carolina, with 9 percent each from New Jersey and Massachusetts, 7 percent each from Maryland and Virginia, 6 percent from Pennsylvania and 5 percent each from Connecticut and New York.

Elon Phoenix athletics include 16 intercollegiate men's and women's sports in NCAA Division I (FCS football), and Elon is a member of the Southern Conference. In addition, many students actively participate in 18 intramural and 21 club sports.

Elon was founded by the Christian Church (now the United Church of Christ) in 1889, and its core values have remained constant throughout history: close relationships between faculty and students, a culture that supports constant innovation, and a strong sense of community. Each Tuesday morning, students, faculty and staff gather around Fonville Fountain for refreshments and fellowship during "College Coffee." Weekly chapel services in historic Whitley Auditorium provide an interfaith worship experience. Daily events, spontaneous gatherings and sidewalk conversations are the hallmarks of this friendly and welcoming academic community.

Elon University is a member of Project Pericles®, a national organization of colleges and universities committed to make socially responsible and participatory citizenship an essential part of our educational program - in the classroom, on the campus, and in the community.

Myths about Scholarships

Top 10 Myths About Scholarships

September 23, 2011

By Beckie Supiano

New Orleans–For all of the good information available to help students figure out how to pay for college, there are also more than a few urban legends  about who gets money and why. Mark Kantrowitz, publisher of the web sites FinAid and FastWeb, tried to clear up some of these misunderstandings at a session of the NACAC meeting here on Friday, where he shared ten myths about college scholarships.

1. Only straight- “A” students win scholarships: Students with better grades and test scores are more likely to win scholarships, Mr. Kantrowitz said, but some of the money does go to “B” and “C” students. Not every scholarship considers academic qualifications, Mr. Kantrowitz said,  including one of his favorites, a contest to make the best prom outfits out of duct tape.
2. Only minority students win scholarships: White students are actually disproportionately likely to win awards, as Mr. Kantrowitz shows in a recent paper.
3. My child will get a full-ride scholarship: There are some full-ride scholarships out there, but Mr. Kantrowitz has calculated that only 0.3 percent of students win enough money to cover their cost of attendance. Two-thirds of the students who win scholarships receive less than $2,500.
4. Only athletes win scholarships: Only a small fraction of institutional aid is awarded based on athletics, Mr. Kantrowitz said, and the average athletic scholarship only covers about a third of the cost of college.
5. Only the poor win scholarships: Mr. Kantrowitz has found that middle-income students are more likely to win private scholarships than their low-income peers. Private scholarships are not usually based on financial need.
6. Scholarships are just for high-school seniors: Students can apply for some scholarships as early as kindergarten, Mr. Kantrowiz said, and can continue to apply for some after beginning college.
7. The cost of private high school is earned back in scholarships: Students who attend private high schools do win a bit more in scholarships–about $1,000 of institutional and private money combined. But that pales in comparison to the cost of sending a child to a private high school, Mr. Kantrowitz said.
8. $6.6-billion in scholarships went unclaimed last year: Claims like this one are based on an outdated–and unrelated–study about employer tuition assistance, Mr. Kantrowitz said. “There are a handful of scholarships that go unclaimed, but that’s because they can’t be claimed,” he said. Sometimes no one meets the criteria.
9. Colleges will just reduce other aid if a student has a scholarship: It’s important to know a college’s outside-scholarship policy, Mr. Kantrowitz said, but most try to ensure that students keep some financial benefit for winning a scholarship.
10. Applying for scholarships is more work than it’s worth: Searching for scholarships is easy with the help of sites like his, Mr. Kantrowitz said, and it’s no harder to apply for them than for admission. Small scholarships and those requiring essays tend to be easier to win, as fewer students apply. “The bottom line,” Mr. Kantrowitz said,  ”is if you don’t apply for a scholarship, you’re not going to win it.”

Reprinted from The Chronicle of Higher Education blog "Head Count"  (http://chronicle.com/blogs/headcount/top-ten-myths-about-scholarships/28862

 NACAC: National Assoc of College Admission Counseling

Beckie Supiano is a staff reporter who covers financial aid, admissions, and the role of religion in the college experience.

College Spotlight: High Point University (visiting 10/18/11)

Link: High Point University

At High Point University, every student receives an extraordinary education in an inspiring environment with caring people. HPU is a liberal arts university with outstanding professional programs and experiential opportunities.

The university has approximately 3,300 undergraduate and graduate students from more than 50 countries and more than 40 states at campuses in High Point and Winston-Salem. It is ranked by US News and World Report 6th among comprehensive universities in the South and in the top 100 nationally. The university has an economic impact statewide in excess of $370 million per year.

HPU announced in October 2007 that it was doubling its investment in academic programs, student life, scholarships and construction of new facilities. The university’s board of trustees approved doubling the investment in the university from $110 to $225 million over a period of three years. The campus transformation is made possible through gifts, bonds and operating revenues.

HPU has completed the construction of eight new buildings and two stadiums, the renovation of 16 buildings and the acquisition of 50 acres of land, with the campus now at 140 acres total. The board has approved the construction of a parking deck, new restaurants, a tennis complex and four new residence halls to accommodate the growth of traditional day students from 1,500 to 3,000 by 2010. The university enrolls an additional 1,200 students in its graduate school and evening degree programs.

The university offers 68 undergraduate majors, 33 minors and seven graduate-degree programs. It is accredited by the Commission of Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, and is a member of the NCAA, Division I and the Big South Conference.

College Spotlight: St. Mary's College of Maryland (visiting 10/18/11)

Link: St. Mary's College

Officially St. Mary's is the State of Maryland's public honors college, designated by law in 1992 in recognition of the quality of the undergraduate education. At its heart, it is a place where students are challenged to create their own path. All students at St. Mary's are honors students. This isn't a place where a small group of students are selected for an honors program. Rather, the entire school is an honors college. Every student has access to discussion-oriented classes and one-on-one interactions with faculty. It is an intellectual community that includes everyone. It's not about being the smartest-just smart.

St. Mary's is a public institution, dedicated to providing a premier education for students with disparate backgrounds and worldviews. A fifth of our students are first-generation college students, a quarter are from states other than Maryland or from other countries, and a fifth are students of color. The honors college difference means that students make life-long friends both with those who share their views and others who challenge their thinking.

The honors college prepares students for the future by challenging students' limits. In a world where people will change careers multiple times, being educated for the future is the only lasting education.

The College on the River

Located on a horseshoe bend of the St. Mary's River just upstream from the Potomac River and Chesapeake Bay, St. Mary's College occupies the land where settlers founded the fourth oldest permanent English settlement in North America (1634). The colony's "Act of Toleration" made St. Mary's City an early site of religious freedom and remains an abiding precept of life at the honors college.

National acclaim

It is not just the river and our 361-acre waterfront campus. It is people who are drawn to it and to the concept of an honors college. Creative individuals, who write music, conduct experiments, build computers and put their beliefs into action. Don't just take our word for it. As one of the top 100 liberal arts colleges in the nation, St. Mary's is ranked prominently in the major college guides.

Surprising Value

As one of only two public honors colleges in the nation, St. Mary's offers the same challenging academics and individualized attention as a small, private liberal arts college. "Public" means we're devoted to accessibility, diversity and affordability--including a reasonable price and a full range of financial aid programs. The honors college is the best of both public and private education.

Scholar Athletes

Another feature of the honors college is that varsity athletes do not have to choose between being a serious athlete and a serious student. They are both. We offer Division III athletic programs and are proud of our scholar-athletes in action.

Learn More

There are many ways to learn more about St. Mary's. Request information by mail or download Information. Do you want to visit, meet with a professor, chat with a coach, and experience our beautiful waterfront campus for yourself; or just browse some fun facts? The choice is yours. Let us know how we can help.

It's in the WATER.

It's in the PEOPLE.

It's why we're HERE.

College Spotlight: Salisbury University (visiting 10/13/11)

Link: Salisbury Sea Gulls

Salisbury University is a premier comprehensive Maryland public university, offering excellent, affordable education in undergraduate liberal arts, sciences, pre-professional and professional programs, including education, nursing, social work, and business, and a limited number of applied graduate programs.  Our highest purpose is to empower our students with the knowledge, skills, and core values that contribute to active citizenship, gainful employment, and life‑long learning in a democratic society and interdependent world.  

Salisbury University cultivates and sustains a superior learning community where students, faculty, and staff engage one another as teachers, scholars, and learners, and where a commitment to excellence and an openness to a broad array of ideas and perspectives are central to all aspects of University life. Our learning community is student-centered; thus, students and faculty interact in small classroom settings, faculty serve as academic advisors, and virtually every student has an opportunity to undertake research with a faculty mentor. We foster an environment where individuals make choices that lead to a more successful development of social, physical, occupational, emotional, and intellectual well being.

SU At-A-Glance

• Founded:  1925
• Location: Wicomico County, Maryland  more..
• 8th President:  Janet E. Dudley-Eshbach, Ph.D. (Appointed July 1, 2000)  more...
• Carnegie Classification:  Master's L: Master's Colleges & Universities (Larger Programs)
• 42 Undergraduate Programs
• 14 Graduate Programs
• 4 Post Baccalaureate Certificate Programs
• Student/Faculty Ratio:  17:1
• Number of Countries Represented: 69
• Number of States/Territories Represented: 32
• Percent Out-of-State: 14.2%
• Percent minority & nonresident alien: 21%
• Percent female: 57.7%
• Percent that are undergraduate: 91.7%
• Percent full-time (undergraduates):  92.5%
• Most Popular Majors
• Rankings

College Spotlight: University of South Carolina (visiting 10/13/11)

Link: University of South Carolina

The University of South Carolina welcomes students from diverse backgrounds—freshmen from around the United States, transfer students from state technical colleges, international students from more than 100 countries, graduate students from other prestigious institutions, and students transitioning from one of the University's regional campuses to Columbia.

What they all find is a tradition-rich and growing institution with a host of opportunities—from challenging academics, to 300 clubs and organizations, to volunteer and service projects. The Horseshoe is the University's picturesque and historic campus, a gathering place for studying, sunbathing, Ultimate Frisbee—you name it. (Take a virtual tour of campus.)

A few blocks from main campus, the University's unique research and innovation district, Innovista, is taking shape with two large facilities, the Horizon Center and Discovery Plaza.
Other new or future facilities include:

• the $22 million Arnold School of Public Health Research Center
• West (Green) Quad, the world's largest "green" dorm
• the state-of-the-art Wellness and Fitness Center
• the Greek Village's 20 fraternity and sorority houses
• the South Carolina Honors College residence hall
• the 34,800-square-foot Dance and Marching Band facility
• the Gamecocks' new riverfront baseball stadium
• the academic enrichment center for student-athletes

South Carolina is a pioneer and national leader in the first-year experience, including its acclaimed University 101 program that helps students adjust to college life. The First Year Reading Experience also brings together more than 3,000 students from the freshman class the week before fall classes begin to discuss a book as a common point of reference. The 2010 selection: Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer.

College Spotlight: Vanderbilt University (visiting 10/13/11)

Link: Vanderbilt University



Cornelius Vanderbilt had a vision of a place that would “contribute to strengthening the ties that should exist between all sections of our common country” when he gave $1 million to create a university in 1873.

Today, that vision has been realized in Vanderbilt, an internationally recognized research university in Nashville, Tenn., with strong partnerships among its 10 schools, neighboring institutions and the community.

Vanderbilt offers undergraduate programs in the liberal arts and sciences, engineering, music, education and human development, as well as a full range of graduate and professional degrees. The combination of cutting edge research, liberal arts, nationally recognized schools of business and divinity and a distinguished medical center creates an invigorating atmosphere where students tailor their education to meet their goals and researchers collaborate to solve complex questions affecting our health, culture and society.

Vanderbilt provides a gateway to greatness, drawing the best and brightest students from across the nation and around the world. Vanderbilt alumni can be found in Congress, on the judicial bench, in the pulpit, heading corporations, conducting innovative medical research, writing for and appearing on the stage and screen, and playing in the NFL and major league baseball.

An independent, privately supported university, Vanderbilt is the largest private employer in Middle Tennessee and the second largest private employer based in the state.

Enrollment by School

• College of Arts and Science: 4,285
• Blair School of Music: 211
• Divinity School: 249
• School of Engineering: 1,327
• Graduate School: 2,228
• Law School: 615
• School of Medicine: 618
• School of Nursing: 882
• Owen Graduate School of Management: 577
• Peabody College: 1,702
• Division of Unclassified Studies: 27
• Total: 12,721

Facebook & College Admissions

(Due to copyright issues, the following 9/21/11 USA Today article cannot be reprinted. Click on the link to read a very timely and informative warning.)

LINK:  "More college officials learn about applicants from Facebook"