Profiles in Education 10/26/22 edition is published quarterly by Anton Media Group.

Six Steps To Get The Most Out Of A Campus Visit

Checking out a college campus near you is a great idea, even if you don’t know what you want to major in or what type of college you want to go to. College visits can give you a sense of what might be important to you in a college and what college life is all about. Here are six suggestions for planning your visit and getting the most out of it.

1Decide where and how Find out what colleges are nearby and think about planning a visit. There may be programs at your school that arrange group trips to colleges. You could also get a group of friends together and visit the campus by car or public transportation. A family trip is another option, and it allows you to involve your family in the process.

2

Prepare for your visit

Before you set out, get a map of the college campus (the college’s website usually has one) and pick out places of interest. Call the college’s admission office to schedule a guided tour of the campus or to ask about the best times to visit.

3

Take your own tour

Just wandering around the campus on your own or with friends can be the best way to get a feel for what a college is like.

4

Explore college facilities

Ask a student where the best place to eat is and have lunch there. Visit the library. Check out the gym or the theater. Ask an admission officer if you can tour a dorm and a classroom. Find the spots on campus where students gather; hang out there and get a feel for the character of the college.

5

Make connections

Talk to current students. Ask the students at the next table or sitting on a nearby bench what they like best about the college or what they like best about being in college in general.

6

Make notes

During your visit, write down some notes about your experience. What did you see that excited you? Do you feel you could explore the library for days? Can you picture yourself on stage in the theater? Do you want to get a closer look at the equipment in a lab? Are there aspects of the college that you don’t like? If so, what are they?

What now?

When you visit a college, just relax, observe and have fun. There’s no pressure.

—College Board

Campus Visit Checklist

Visiting a college campus helps you get a sense of what a college — and life at that college — is like. This can help you decide whether the college is right for you.

When planning your campus visits, make sure to allow time to explore each college. While you’re there, talk to as many people as possible. These can include college admission staff, professors and students. Below are some other things you can do while visiting. Note that some activities, such as meeting with an admission officer or staying overnight in a dorm, might need to be set up in advance.

Gather Information

Find out what you need to do to apply and see if the college’s class and major offerings are what you want:

· Take part in a group information session at the admission office.

· Interview with an admission officer.

· Pick up financial aid forms.

· Sit in on a class that interests you. If classes aren’t in session, just see what the classrooms are like.

· Meet a professor who teaches a subject that interests you.

· Talk to students about what they think of their classes and professors.

· Get the names of the people you meet and their business cards so you can contact them later if you have questions.

Explore the Campus

Get a feel for student life and see if this college is a place where you will do well:

· Take a campus tour.

· Talk to current students about life on campus and the college.

· Check out the freshman dorms and stay overnight with a student, if possible.

· Visit the dining hall, fitness center, library, career center, bookstore and other campus facilities.

· Talk to the coaches of sports that you may want to play.

· Walk or drive around the community surrounding the campus.

Check Out Campus Media

Tune in to learn what’s happening on campus and what’s on students’ minds:

· Listen to the college radio station.

· Read the student newspaper.

· Read other student publications, such as department newsletters, alternative newspapers and literary reviews.

· Scan bulletin boards to see what daily student life is like.

· Go to the career center and learn what services it offers.

· Browse the school’s website and any campus blogs.

Questions to Ask During Your Visit

Here are some questions you may want to ask your tour guide or students you meet on campus:

· What are the best reasons to go to this college?

· What’s it like to go from high school to college?

· What do you do in your free time? On the weekends?

· What do you love about this college?

· What do you wish you could change about this college?

· Why did you choose this college?

· What is it like to live here?

—College Board

Be prepared and enjoy your visit.

New York Tech Mini-Research Grants Program Expands To Focus On Girls In STEM

Reinforcing its commitment to undergraduate research and to building a pipeline for students to pursue science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields, New York Tech is expanding its Mini-Research Grant Awards (MRGA) program to focus on attracting girls to STEM studies. This expansion is made possible by funding from the American Association of University Women (AAUW). Harlem Village Academies in New York City, and Brentwood High School and Uniondale High School on Long Island have committed to participating in the expanded program.

“We’re proud that New York Tech’s commitment to undergraduate research and to diversifying the STEM pipeline at all academic and socioeconomic levels encourages research activity among high school students, and we are optimistic about welcoming more girls into the program, thanks to our high school partners and our generous funders,” said Niharika Nath, Ph.D., New York Tech professor of biological and chemical sciences, who founded and leads the MRGA program.

In 2021, New York Tech’s MRGA program received 127 research project submissions from high schools throughout the New York metropolitan area and beyond and awarded 30 research projects from 20 high schools with grants of $300. The awards, also made possible through the support of Voya Foundation, are applied to expenses incurred by the high school researchers during new or continuing research in STEM and related disciplines during the academic year. The participants must have plans to compete in a science competition and present their work at New York

Tech in May 2023.

In addition to the $300 grant, high school awardees will experience tours of New York Tech’s New York City and Long Island campuses, interact with undergraduate student clubs, and engage with a research robot that facilitates engagement and learning activities.

Also part of the MRGA review committee are Rosemary Gallagher, D.P.T., Ph.D., associate professor of physical therapy, Wenjia Li, Ph.D., associate professor of computer science, and Amy Bravo, senior director of Career Success

and Experiential Education. New York Tech undergraduate and graduate students also will assist in the grant review process, which will take place in January 2023.

“Opening the pipeline for underrepresented populations in STEM education and career opportunities is key to removing barriers for students,” said Rebecca Grella, Ph.D., a scientist and educator at Brentwood High School.

Applications for the sixth annual Mini-Research Grant Award for high school students are now being accepted.

—New York Institute of Technology

Dua Hanif (left) and Isabel Chilpe and Amanda Sanchez

SAT Program Results Show Increased Participation

As schools and communities continue to recover from impacts of the pandemic, SAT testing capacity and SAT test-taking have increased. The 2022 SAT Suite of Assessments Annual Report shows that 1.7 million students in the high school class of 2022 took the SAT at least once, up from 1.5 million in the class of 2021. Most of these students took the SAT through SAT School Day, the in-school program that dramatically expands access and equity. And as SAT test-taking rebounds, College Board survey results continue to show more than 80 percent of students want to be able to send their scores to colleges.

SAT School Day

Nearly 1.1 million students in the class of 2022 took the SAT through the SAT School Day program, which provides schools, districts, and states a way to offer the SAT to juniors and seniors in school, on a weekday, often at no cost to students. Overall, more than 63 percent of SAT takers in the class of 2022 took the SAT on a school day, the highest percentage to date, compared to 62 percent of the class of 2021, and 49 percent of the class of 2020. SAT School Day participation has increased more than 18

percent over the past year, up from 930,000 in the class of 2021.

“Students want to take the SAT to show what they’ve learned and to connect with scholarships and colleges,” said Priscilla Rodriguez, senior vice president, College Readiness Assessments at College Board. “Thanks to partnerships with schools,

districts, and states, and with the vital support of educators, SAT School Day helps make it possible for students from all backgrounds to access the SAT to raise their hands and be seen.”

Mean Scores

The average SAT total score declined

slightly for the class of 2022—1050 compared to 1060 for the class of 2021. In the class of 2022, 43 percent of SAT takers met or exceeded both the Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (ERW) and Math college readiness benchmarks, which indicate a high likelihood for success in credit-bearing college coursework.

Participation for the class of 2022 continues to be impacted by lingering effects of the pandemic, so we caution comparing these performance results to previous classes.

PSAT/NMSQT

Approximately 3.6 million students participated in the PSAT/NMSQT in the 2021-22 school year, up from 2.06 million in the 2020-21 school year which was greatly affected by the pandemic.

The PSAT/NMSQT is the only qualifying test for the National Merit Scholarship Program, an academic competition for recognition and scholarships. PSAT-related assessments also provide students with benefits like connection to free, personalized SAT practice on Khan Academy; more than $350 million in scholarship

Rabbi Dr. Je rey Kobrin | Rosh HaYeshiva/Head of School Ira M. Miller | Dean Rabbi Dr. Noam Weinberg | Principal

Filling Out The FAFSA Form

Filling out the FAFSA form can be a straightforward and easy process. Below are some tips to help you along the way.

Creating an Account

We strongly recommend you create your account before starting your FAFSA form. Your account username and password combination, called your FSA ID, gives you access to certain information online and allows you to sign your FAFSA® form and promissory notes electronically. While you can get your FSA ID as you’re completing the FAFSA form online, getting it ahead of time and using it to fill out the FAFSA form on fafsa.gov cuts down on errors and delays.

If you’re a dependent student, one of your parents whose information is reported on the FAFSA form will also need an FSA ID so that your parent can sign your application electronically. If your parent doesn’t have a Social Security number (SSN), your parent won’t be able to create an FSA ID (which requires an SSN). This means you’ll have to select the option to print a signature page when you get to the end of your FAFSA form on fafsa.gov.

Gathering the Documents Needed to Apply

The FAFSA questions ask for information about you (your name, date of birth, address, etc.) and about your financial situation.

Depending on your circumstances (for instance, whether you’re a U.S. citizen or what tax form you used), you might need the following information or documents as you fill out the FAFSA application:

· Your Social Security number (it’s important that you enter it correctly on the FAFSA form!)

· Your parents’ Social Security numbers if you are a dependent student

· Your driver’s license number if you have one

· Your Alien Registration number if you are not a U.S. citizen

Federal tax information, tax documents, or tax returns, including IRS W-2 information, for you (and your spouse, if you are married), and for your parents if you are a dependent student:

· IRS Form 1040

· Foreign tax return or IRS Form 1040-NR

· Tax return for Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, or Palau

· Records of your untaxed income, such as child support received, interest income, and veterans noneducation benefits, for you, and for your parents if you are a dependent student

· Information on cash; savings and checking account balances; investments, including stocks and bonds and real estate (but not including the home in which you live); and business and farm assets for you and for your parents if you are a dependent student

Keep these records. You may need them again. Do not mail these supporting records to FAFSA.

Getting Help

If you need help filling out the FAFSA form, use

FAFSA Application Noteworthy Changes

The beginning of the 2023–24 FASFA cycle has started on Oct. 1. The application is available until June 30, 2024. Some funds are limited, so it’s a good idea to apply as soon as possible.

As part of the planned phased updates outlined in the FUTURE Act and FASFA Simplification Act, changes were made to the FAFSA form.

Changes for 2023-24 include:

· Removal of questions related to Selective Service registration,

· Removal of the drug conviction questions and corresponding eligibility worksheet,

· Removal of associated help text, validation logic, edits, comments, and messaging related to the Selective Service and drug conviction questions, and

· Addition of a demographic

survey with questions related to gender, ethnicity, and race.

For a complete description of all the changes to the 2023–24 FAFSA form, refer to the Summary of Changes for the Application System Guide (https://fsapartners.ed.gov).

Federal Student Aid (FSA) has also announced that it has fixed a previously known issue affecting dependent students who used the IRS DRT in their initial application and later tried to change their status to “independent” in subsequent transactions. Students who were initially determined to be dependent and used the IRS DRT, or whose parent used the IRS DRT, had been unable to submit a correction in which their dependency status was now “independent.” This issue has now been resolved and users should no longer encounter this problem.

Students can apply online via fafsa.gov.

these free tools:

In the online FAFSA form, select the white question mark icon next to a FAFSA question to view a “tool tip” that provides information about how to answer that question.

You can visit the “FAFSA Help” page, where you can view trending FAFSA topics, browse FAQs, search for more information, or select “Contact Us.”

Once you select “Contact Us,” you’ll have the option of emailing us with your question or, during business hours, chatting (in English or Spanish) with live technical support staff.

Contact the financial aid office at the college or career school you plan to attend.

Starting Your FAFSA Form and Providing Your Basic Personal Information

The FAFSA form is available on Oct. 1 for the next school year. Fill it out as soon as possible on or after Oct. 1 to meet FAFSA federal, state, and school deadlines.

Listing Colleges and Career Schools

While completing the FAFSA form, you must list at least one school to receive your information. The schools you list will use your FAFSA information to determine the types and amounts of aid you may receive.

Determining Your Dependency Status

The FAFSA form asks a series of questions that determine whether you are a dependent or independent student for purposes of applying for federal student aid. If you are a dependent student, you must report parent information, as well as your own information, on your application.

Signing and Submitting the Form

Before your FAFSA form can be processed, you’ll need to sign and submit the application. Here are some tips as you finish your FAFSA form:

Be sure to sign with your FSA ID (your username and password) so your FAFSA form will be processed as quickly as possible. (If you log in to the form by providing your FSA ID, you won’t be asked for it again when it’s time to sign. However, if you’re providing parent information, one of your parents will be required to sign your application.)

While your online FAFSA form will be processed much quicker if you (and your parent if you’re a dependent student) sign your FAFSA form with your FSA ID, you have the option to print out, sign, and mail in a signature page to the address listed on the page.

Visit www.studentaid.gov for more information.

—Department of Education

Art And Culture Converge At Seaford Middle School

opportunities; and information about their potential to succeed in Advanced Placement®.

Digital SAT

As announced earlier this year, students testing in international test centers in March 2023 will take the digital SAT. Students in the U.S. will take the digital SAT starting in March 2024.

“The digital SAT will be easier to take, easier to give, more secure, and more relevant,” said Priscilla Rodriguez. “We’re not simply putting the current SAT on a digital platform— we’re taking full advantage of what delivering an assessment digitally makes possible. We’re listening to educators and students and we’re adapting to meet their evolving needs.”

paper-and-pencil test, and nearly 90 percent of testing staff said administering the digital SAT was as good or better than the paper-and-pencil version.

The digital SAT will also be more secure. Right now, if one test form is compromised, it can mean canceling scores for whole groups of students.

A digital SAT means every student will have a unique test form, making it practically impossible to share answers.

After transferring the design onto linoleum, Hailey Doris used a lino cutting tool to carve the skull.

Seaford Middle School sixth-graders learned some new artistic techniques while also expanding their knowledge of other cultures.

Students learned about Day of the Dead, a Mexican holiday in the fall in which families welcome back the souls of deceased relatives and symbolized by sugar skulls. Teacher Stephanie Lucia taught students about the customs and traditions associated with

Day of the Dead before having them make their own sugar skulls using printmaking techniques.

First, sixth-graders traced the skull design before transferring it onto linoleum. They used lino cutting tools to carve it before eventually stamping it onto paper and adding colorful designs.

—Seaford School District

The digital SAT will be far shorter, closer to two hours than three, and despite the reduced length of the test, students will have more time per question. Reading and writing passages will be shorter, with one question tied to each—which is particularly meaningful for English language learners and students with disabilities.

The digital SAT has been piloted and studied with thousands of students around the world, and more than 80 percent of students said the test experience was better than the

With the transition to digital tests, College Board is addressing inequities in access to technology. Students will be able to use their own laptop or tablet, or a school issued device. If a student doesn’t have a device to use to take the SAT on a weekend, College Board will lend them one for use on test day. College Board’s new digital testing application was built with access in mind. The app works even if the internet drops, and a student won’t lose work or time if their battery dies.

As part of the digital SAT score report, every student will get information about careers as well as two-year and four-year college options.

Students will still have access to free practice resources on Khan Academy. And students taking the SAT Suite will continue to connect to scholarships and the College Board National Recognition Programs.

—College Board

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