2017 College Fair Guide by Community Journals

2017 COLLEGE GUIDE COLLEGE FAIR – FREE TO THE PUBLIC

o t H i y g a h W e r e E h t d u g c n a i t g i o d i n r ! B

GREENVILLE COUNTY COLLEGE FAIR – TD CONVENTION CENTER Monday, Sept. 18, 9–11:30am & 5:30–8:30pm; Tuesday, Sept. 19, 9–11:30am GreenvilleCountyCollegeFair.org | Like us on

Dr. April Clayton Ph.D., Johns Hopkins School of Medicine Biomedical Research Fellow, National Institutes of Health Laboratory of Viral Diseases

“The academic challenges of Erskine prepared me for graduate school and sparked my passion for research.” Erskine helped April go from small Southern town to big-time research. With her degree in biology and chemistry, she went on to earn her Ph.D. at Johns Hopkins. Now she’s a biomedical research fellow at the National Institutes of Health, working to understand some of the world’s most challenging viral diseases. For more than 175 years, Erskine has equipped students for lives of significance and service through rigorous scholarship in a family-like Christian academic community. So, no matter how big your dreams may be, research Erskine, and discover the advantages of starting small.

KNOW. BE KNOWN. know.erskine.edu

Erskine College

Closely Connected Our small size means some big advantages! You’ll get to know almost everyone, including your professors. And professors may become mentors, even friends.

CHRISTIAN LIBERAL ARTS COMMUNITY

Erskine College has been equipping young people to flourish in lives of learning, serving, and leading for more than 175 years. Our rich heritage of thoughtful scholarship, Christian commitment, and intentional community provides an academic experience that’s as distinctive as our students, faculty, and graduates. Vibrantly Academic Erskine is nationally ranked among the best liberal arts colleges. No matter what you study, you’ll be personally challenged and profoundly inspired. You’ll work hard, think creatively and critically, explore options, and question assumptions across a variety of subjects.

Beautifully Located Due West of what? Not sure. But we do know that from tree-lined green spaces, gardens and gathering spots to stately architecture, comfortable hangouts, and convenient Wi-Fi, our campus in Due West, South Carolina, is a great place to learn and live. Intentionally Residential Living on campus provides great opportunities for fellowship and leadership. In a community like this, character is refined through meaningful relationships. Distinctively You

Authentically Christian What we learn and how we live are inseparable foundations for an excellent education. Erskine is committed to Christian authenticity. While we pursue knowledge, we seek grace and wisdom to answer the big questions.

Call it a custom-fit college experience. At Erskine, your unique talents, interests, and contributions really matter. You help shape the experience for others, while they do the same for you.

GLAD YOU ASKED WHAT IS THE BEST THING ABOUT YOUR SCHOOL? It’s our combination of excellent academics and a close-knit, vibrant community in an authentically Christian setting. WHAT IS HOUSING LIKE? Our residence halls are clustered into two residential areas. Both men’s and women’s residences are equipped with high-speed wireless internet and function like large, comfortable homes. WHAT ARE THE BEST HANGOUTS? The best hangout on campus is Watkins Student Center, which includes Snapper’s, a grill and rec area with pool and ping-pong, a large study area and TV lounge, and Java City. You also have access to 95 beautiful acres of tree-lined campus. WHAT ARE YOUR MOST POPULAR MAJORS? Erskine’s most popular majors include Biology, Business, and Psychology. Students also enjoy semester-long study-abroad opportunities. HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE STUDENT/PROFESSOR RATIO? It’s about more than just ratios. Even big schools can have low ratios. At Erskine it’s about face time. Our student-professor ratio is 12:1, but more importantly, very few classes have more than 25 students. That means more face time and more meaningful interactions with experienced quality faculty inside and outside the classroom. WHAT ARE THE STEREOTYPES ABOUT YOUR SCHOOL AND ARE THEY TRUE OR FALSE? People often confuse our rural setting with being “in the middle of nowhere” where there’s nothing to do. The truth is that aside from the many activities on campus, Erskine is just 20 minutes from almost anything you need, a couple of hours from two of the largest cities in the Southeast, and about three hours from the beach. WHAT SPECIAL ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS? Don’t overlook a college because you think it’s too expensive. Erskine is actually very affordable for South Carolina students. In fact, many SC LIFE scholars attend Erskine for around $10,000 a year. Bridging the Way to Higher Education

About This Guide TABLE OF CONTENTS:

Introduction History of Greenville County College Fair........................................6 Planning Committee.............................6 List of Participants...................................7 Schedule for Fair......................................8

How to Get the Most Out of a College Fair................................ 10 Get With the Program.......................... 11 College Rankings........................... 12-13 Enduring Value of the Liberal Arts..... 14-15

Performing Arts: Parents, Don’t Be Afraid.................................. 16

A Young Picasso or Beethoven Could be the Next Edison............... 17

Engineering – A Modern Creative Discipline...................... 18-19

Differences Between 2-Year and 4-Year Schools............................ 20 For the Ladies: Why Choose a Women’s College..................... 22-24 Financial Aid.................................... 27-28 Finding Colleges that are Affordable.................................... 29 Prep Smarter: How to Make the Most of SAT/ACT Preparations.....30-31

HOW TO USE THIS GUIDE This Guide will provide students and parents with valuable and

timely articles related to college research, financial aid, test prep, college applications, and other important topics. Today, when

college costs are rising and admission to selective institutions is

becoming more difficult, it is important for students and parents to consider the many factors that go into planning for and applying to college. The articles and advice expressed here can be very

Greenville County College Fair – Fall 2017

valuable in helping students and parents focus on things that are important. There is a detailed schedule of the Greenville County

College Fair on September 18 & 19. In addition, Seminars related to college admission and financial aid will be held on Monday

night the 18th. These are wonderful opportunities to learn more in-depth about the process from experts in the fields of college admission and financial aid.

Ten things to know about The college is regionally accredited meaning your credits can move with you. We offer transfer admissions and credit transfer options to many four-year institutions. We make education affordable. You can save $5,000 per semester compared to public four-year colleges. Small classes mean more attention. We have instructors with real-world experience who care. Graduates earn 40% higher income than those with only a high school diploma. Internships and externships provide hands-on experience. 100+ programs across three academic divisions are offered. Industry partnerships mean local employers have a voice in what you learn. Classes are available close to you with five campuses and online offerings. gvltec.edu â&#x20AC;˘ (864) 250-8000

Helping people love what they do for a living: Business &Technology Health & Wellness Public Service, Arts & Sciences Economic Development and CorporateTraining

College Fair History & Committee History of The Greenville County College Fair – 27 years of helping students About 25 years ago, Xanthene Norris with the Greenville Urban League and Becky

Godbey with Greenville Tech, partnered with Christ Church Episcopal School to

hold the first Greenville County College Fair. In the next several years, LaBarbra Sampson of the Greenville County School District and Charlie Brock at Furman

became involved. In time, the Fair expanded and relocated from CCES, to Fluor, to

McAlister Square. It was at that time that India Fulkerson of Greenville Tech began to take a major role in the planning of the Fair. Through her organization and work with CACRAO (Carolinas Association of College Registrars and Admission Officers), it has evolved into one of the foremost college fairs in the Southeast.

The City of Greenville and Mayor Knox White have recognized the value and

added its support as well through the use of the TD Exposition Center -- see how we have expanded! There are now over 100 colleges and 3,500 students who participate in the Fair and it has expanded from one evening to two days with several educational seminars for parents and students.

It is a wonderful opportunity for students and parents to get a great deal of

information about all aspects of the college-going process and should not be

missed by those who are thinking of and considering various college options. (See the “Using A College Fair” on page 8.)

We hope all gain from this experience. Best wishes – The Greenville College Fair Planning Committee

THE GREENVILLE COUNTY COLLEGE FAIR PLANNING COMMITTEE: CO-CHAIRS

ALLYSON BROWN, Furman University

JULIO HERNANDEZ, Clemson University

COMMITTEE MEMBERS

DEBBIE BAREFOOT, Community member

JUDY BENEDICT, Giraffe Web Development & Design TARSHA BROWN, Greenville Technical College RUBY DAWKINS, Urban League of Upstate BILL DINGLEDINE, Educational Directions JENY KERSCHER, Furman University

BJ LINDLEY, Greenville County Schools

HEATHER NAJMABADI, St. Joseph’s Catholic School RICKEY PULLEY, Urban League of Upstate ROB RHODES, Greenville County Schools

LINDA SCHULZ, Christ Church Episcopal School SARAH STEELE, Southside Christian School

ELIZABETH WHITLEY, North Greenville University

We’re making BOLD moves… come make YOURS! Voice. Value. Vision. Learn more at Converse.edu 6

Greenville County College Fair – Fall 2017

Mid Atlantic Christian University Mississippi State University Montreat College Newberry College North Carolina A&T State University North Greenville University Paul Mitchell the School Columbia Pfeiffer University Presbyterian College Purdue University Queens University of Charlotte Roanoke College Saint Louis University Salem College Samford University Savannah State University Shaw University South Carolina Army National Guard South Carolina State University Southern Wesleyan University Spartanburg Methodist College St. Andrews University State University of New York Cortland Sweet Briar College The American University of Paris The Art Institutes The Citadel Toccoa Falls College Tusculum College Universal Technical Institute University of Alabama University of California Berkeley University of Georgia University of Mary Washington University of Mount Olive University of North Carolina Asheville University of North Carolina Charlotte University of North Carolina Greensboro University of North Carolina Pembroke University of North Carolina School of the Arts University of North Georgia University of South Carolina Aiken University of South Carolina Beaufort University of South Carolina Columbia University of South Carolina Upstate University of Tampa Valdosta State University Vanderbilt University Virginia Military Institute Virginia Tech Warren Wilson College Western Carolina University William Peace University Wingate University Winston-Salem State University Winthrop University Wofford College

(20712) 8/17

Agnes Scott College Anderson University Appalachian State University Arclabs Welding School Armstrong State University Auburn University Augusta University Barton College Belmont Abbey College Benedict College Bob Jones University Brevard College Campbell University Carson Newman University Catawba College Charleston Southern University Claflin University Clemson University Coastal Carolina University Coker College College of Charleston College of Coastal Georgia Columbia College Columbia College Chicago Columbia International University Converse College Denmark Technical College East Tennessee State University ECPI University Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Erskine College Fayetteville State University Florida State University Francis Marion University Furman University Gardner-Webb University Georgia College Greenville Technical College Hollins University Jacksonville State University Johnson & Wales University Johnson C. Smith University Kennesaw State University Kenneth Shuler School of Cosmetology King University King’s College Lander University Landmark College Lees-McRae College Lenoir-Rhyne University Limestone College Living Arts College Livingstone College Long Island University Mars Hill University Marshall University Meredith College

List of Participants

#3 Most Affordable Christian University in the U.S.

Liberal Arts Focused • Regionally Accredited

bju.edu Bridging the Way to Higher Education

College Fair Schedule

Greenville South Carolina

Monday, September 18: 9:00–11:30 am 5:30–6:15 pm

Public Schools (Bussed in) arrive to attend College Admission 101 – An Insider’s Look at the College Application Process

– Mark Fox, Director of Admission, Presbyterian College

Graduation Plus is an innovative program that provides opportunities for students to graduate with college credits and/or advanced technical certifications. The Class of 2017 received

$128

Over the past five years, seniors have earned

$588.3 million in scholarship offers.

GCS graduation rate continues to improve, with 86.8% of students graduating in four years.

– Harper Haynes, Senior Assistant Director of Undergraduate Admission, Vanderbilt University

– Julia Hodges, Assistant Director for Market Research, Assessment, and Training, University of South Carolina

– Brand Stille, Vice President for Enrollment, Wofford College

– Joel Vander Horst, Dean of Enrollment Management, Newberry College

6:00–8:00 pm

Private Schools & General Public – all who did not/could not attend in AM

7:45–8:30 pm

Shaking the Money Tree – Financial Aid for College – Mike Fox, Vice-President, Loan Programs, SC Student Loan

Tuesday, September 19: 9:00-11:30 am

Public Schools (Bussed in) arrive to attend

Why Attend?: • Begin the next phase of your educational journey. • Meet admission representatives from colleges and universities from across the country.

4,182 3,000+

601

• Learn about college majors, extra-curricular offerings, the admission process, and much more. • Discover how to find the right college fit for you. • Attend the evening seminars to gain valuable information regarding financial aid and the college application process.

For More Information visit greenvillecountycollegefair.org or facebook.com/GreenvilleCountyCollegeFair

Greenville County College Fair – Fall 2017

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Bridging the Way to Higher Education

Taming The Beast: How To Get The Most Out Of A College Fair

ou walk through the doors into a sea of people and tables. Each table is full of literature about a college and is manned by an eager, smiling young admission officer or by a gregarious alum. Panic strikes! Where do you go first? Should you pick up information from every display? Your dream school seems to be surrounded by an unruly mob of students and parents – how will you get your turn? Welcome to the typical college fair

Before You Arrive: • Have specific questions in mind – not the ones anyone can find out online (don’t waste your or the admission officer’s time) – but ones that are specific to you. If you need ideas, look further in this Guide! • BRING A SUPPLY OF STICK-ON, SELF-ADDRESSED LABELS (include

at the Greenville County College Fair) to carry literature you collect – it comes by the pound. Maybe your parent will even lug it for you!

may well discover something to your liking! Have some fun!

What to ask/say to the representatives:

• Arrive early. Parking may be an issue.

How to navigate the fair: your email!). Unless you are wild about writing your name and address over and over and over and over … Use the labels to fill out the ever-present cards that the colleges collect to build their mailing lists. That way, you can catch the representative’s eye first and ask your questions while everyone else in your group is still writing. • Bring a tote bag (those will be provided

• Pick up a map of the tables, if one is available. The colleges are usually put in alphabetical order, but schools which draw a bigger crowd (such as the local state university) may be in a special area or separate room. • Pick up a list of the colleges present, which is almost always available. • Having arrived early (you did, didn’t you?) you can take a minute and plan your stops—circle the colleges on the list in which you are the most interested and go there first. You will beat the crowd and have a more personal chat with the rep. • Stop by each college on your list, collect information, and ask questions. If you make it to each one, you will have time to explore some schools that are not currently on your list. Ask the same questions and you

She was feeling it Briana Burgins (’18) remembers the first time she visited the Francis Marion campus like it was yesterday. It was the week after spring commencement, so there weren’t many people around. It was quiet. It was peaceful. It was home. Three years later, Burgins’ feeling has turned to reality. The rising senior from High Point, N.C. is a Dean’s List student majoring in Biology with collaterals in both Chemistry and Spanish. She’s a Patriot Mentor in FMU’s new Center for Academic Success and Achievement (CASA), an Arthur Ashe scholar, a star on the women’s basketball team, and a young woman who is very much at home.

• If the rep is a local alum, find out if they do interviewing for admission at the school. (You may be seeing this person later and will need to make a good impression!) Where is he or she from originally? What drew him or her to that college or university? • What things are you interested in – academics, extracurricular, sports, etc. – that you want to know about. Hey, this is going to be your “home” for four years, make sure they have the things you want and like. • What’s big/new/happening on their campus that people are currently excited about? • How do they evaluate applicants (grades, GPA, essays, interview, test scores, all of these? Only a few?). And, what are their applicants like (what sort of courses, test scores, regional diversity, etc.) • Be sure to thank the representative for coming when you are finished and grab a business card! Write a thank you note if this is a place in which you are interested! Good Luck!

DON’T:

1. Before you go, put together a preliminary list of colleges you’re interested in.

1. Don’t ask anything you can easily Google.

2. Pick 3-5 schools from your list that you definitely want to talk to. Time is of the essence.

2. Don’t ask general questions.

“FMU was just the best choice,” says Burgins. “The people here, this place, it just embraces you. It is really something.”

#YourFMUStory

4. Ask specific questions that invite a personal response.

Greenville County College Fair – Fall 2017

• Ask first if he or she is an admission officer or a local alum.

MAKE THE MOST OF THIS EXPERIENCE

3. Talk to a rep from a school you’ve never heard of, especially one who has no one in front of them.

Great stories begin here - Francis Marion University www.fmarion.edu/myFMUstory

DO:

• Introduce yourself – name, school, year in school (or graduation date).

5. Ask specific questions relevant to your major.

3. Don’t ask a rep to compare their college to another. 4. Don’t start the conversation with your rep by asking if they attended the institution for which they work. 5. Don’t have a closed mind on what colleges you may be interested in.

Get With The Program (of Emphasis, That Is) Juniata’s Program of Emphasis Offers Academic Self-Discovery When a ‘Major’ Falls Short By Genna Welsh Kasun (Editor’s note: Although almost every college has a list of “majors,” Juniata has been doing something slightly different over the years)

tudents at Juniata have been designing their educations for more than 40 years and the tool that helps them do so—the Program of Emphasis (POE)—is a central reason why 90 percent of Juniata graduates are employed or in graduate school within six months of graduation. Recent Juniata graduates are working at Abbott Laboratories, Disney, the FBI, GEICO, Google, Highmark Healthcare, the Museum of Fine Arts Houston, NBC Universal, the U.S. Department of State and Vanguard. They attend graduate school at places like Brown, Cornell, Harvard, Johns Hopkins, Notre Dame, Princeton, Stanford and the University of Pennsylvania. Unlike a “major,” which often distracts students, and parents, from the real reason they attend college – to learn in area(s) of interest that will help future growth—the POE keeps students focused on building an education that will serve them for a lifetime. When Katie Houston arrived at Juniata College, in Huntingdon, Pa., she wanted to study biochemistry. But, that didn’t mean that one ‘major’ defined her entire life. So, she shifted her thinking using the POE system and found it to be a main reason for her success. “I learned that embracing your interests, even if they are not necessarily

traditional, will take you farther,” says Houston, a 2012 graduate who is a doctoral candidate and National Science Foundation graduate research fellow at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in the polymer/materials division of the chemistry department. She’s also a volunteer curator for a local art museum. She couldn’t have imagined both paths back in her freshman year. As a student with a biochemistry emphasis, Houston was required to take organic chemistry. When the time came to take that class, she feared she wasn’t ready. Rather than insisting she do so, her adviser suggested postponing it and replacing it with something else. Houston filled the slot with a theatre class—a decision that reawakened a passion in her she had all but dismissed. “That one small decision had immeasurable aftermath,” Houston says. Houston worked with her adviser, Richard Hark, a professor of chemistry at the College, to design a Program of Emphasis incorporating biochemistry and art. Juniata’s POE is a vigorous, challenging, but fluid plan of education action that enables students to evolve their thinking, align their interests with emerging (and traditional) career opportunities, and become well-prepared college graduates that employers want to hire. Students author

their own POE but are guided by two academic advisers during the selfdiscovery process. Long before pursuing her doctorate in Chapel Hill, Houston took organic chemistry, and,

when she did, she aced it. She excelled in other chemistry courses as an undergraduate, while also taking a theatre course in France and analyzing pigments of 18th-century portraits in London with Professor Hark. Even though Houston graduated from Juniata in 2012, her academic partnership with Hark continues as they still collaborate and co-publish. “He is a role model to me because he has been so successful while staying true to himself and his interests,” Houston says. Houston isn’t the only Juniata graduate who used the POE system to catalyze a passion that now defines her life’s work. Thalia Chance-Chin, a 2015 Juniata graduate, came to Juniata from Florida. She chose Juniata wanting a school where she could play field hockey while also concentrating on her academics. She also wanted a place where she could “customize my major for the industry in which I wanted to work.” Combining her interests in business and graphic design, Chance-Chin wrote

a POE called “Entrepreneurial Arts.” She worked as the College’s social media manager, overseeing the College’s first team of student social media reporters and implementing project management software that aided team communication. Impressed by her positive attitude and ambition, the Huntingdon Visitors Bureau— who work to attract more than 1 million visitors per year to the area Juniata College calls home—hired her as a social media intern. While there, she revolutionized their social media communications model. Today, Chance-Chin is a digital media specialist at the Tampa-based firm Chacka Marketing, where she works with businesses to advance their social media advertising programs. She has already been promoted within her organization. The POE is just one reason that Hilary Masell Oswald included Juniata in Colleges That Change Lives, where she writes that students say, “It feels like the whole school is set up just to make sure we succeed.” To learn more about Juniata, visit think.juniata.edu. Genna Welsh Kasun is a 2006 graduate of Juniata College who created her own POE in English, writing and education. It has come in handy in her career at Juniata, where she serves as director of social media and content coordination. She also uses it to do marketing consultation for the Pennsylvania state leadership program, the Rural Urban Leadership Program, from which she graduated in May 2017.

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College Rankings: College Planning Tips By Peter Van Buskirk

all is here—and so are the updated college rankings. With a new college admission cycle looming, editors from Money Magazine, U.S. News & World Report, Forbes and The Princeton Review have once again begun to ply us with a parade of ranking guides that presume to reveal the “best values” in education, identify the best “party” schools or, simply, quantify the mythical pecking order of colleges. Before you get out your credit card or rush to print out a list of the “best” colleges, though, take a moment to consider the following:

1. RANKINGS ARE NOT SCIENCE.

The data collection process relies on self-reported information from colleges and universities. While the use of the Common Data Set has helped to standardize the reporting process, institutions are still able to manage the manner in which their data is assembled.

interpret the information they do (or don’t) receive. For example, should an institution choose to abstain from submitting data, at least one publication’s editors (U.S. News & World Report) will resort to a formula that creates values for that institution based on the values of its presumed peers.

2. RANKINGS ARE HIGHLY SUBJECTIVE. Consider, for

example, reputation. In the U.S. News & World Report rankings reputation carries the greatest weight. On the surface, that might make

Moreover, editors are able to creatively

sense—until you come to know how reputation is “measured.” Each year, U.S. News & World Report sends three ballots to each participating school asking the recipients (president, academic dean and dean of admission) to rate peer institutions on a scale of five to one. The assumption is that these individuals know higher education better than anyone else and are

best positioned to make qualitative assessments. What do you think? Could you provide such a rating for each of the high schools in your state? It is highly doubtful, just as it is highly doubtful that these three voters can make objective assessments of peer institutions across the country. Consequently, fewer than half respond. Many who do complete the rating form admit they are making educated guesses. To address related concerns, the editors now solicit ratings from selected guidance counselors as well. Not surprisingly, the participation rate among all “voters” continues to be abysmally low. That said, what do the rankings really tell you about reputation?

3. RANKINGS CHANGE EACH YEAR BECAUSE …? Change is

glacial in nature on college campuses, yet every year the outcome of the rankings changes. Why? At least one ranking guide (U.S. News) admits to changing or “tweaking” its formula each year—further evidence of

ANTICIPATION

Studying the mutually beneficial relationship between the Azteca ant and Cecropia tree isn’t what Aaron Robinson (’17) had in mind when he came to Francis Marion four years ago, but then that was before he’d been to FMU’s Wildsumaco Biological Research Station in Ecuador or spent time with the faculty in the university’s highly regarded Department of Biology. Time passes and now Robinson is on his way to grad school in entomology, where he’ll pursue his newfound love of the Azteca and its symbiotic partner. A trip to Wildsumaco, and the guidance of FMU faculty, who opened his mind to the excitement of real scientific research, put him there. “Those guys (in Biology) were great,” says Robinson. “But the professors here are all easy to find, easy to talk to. You show a little interest in their class and they’ll show a lot of interest in you. It (FMU) is what college is all about.”

#YourFMUStory Great stories begin here - Francis Marion University www.fmarion.edu/myFMUstory

Greenville County College Fair – Fall 2017

Most experiences can’t be described in words and photos. We don’t expect you to be convinced to attend Southern Wesleyan University without experiencing our faith-filled campus community for yourself. We would love to welcome you to a Preview Day event or for an individual visit.

swu.edu/visit

››

the subjectivity involved as well as the editors’ need to maintain uncertain outcomes from year to year.

4. APPLES AND ORANGES. While

many institutions might look alike on the surface, they are very different with regard to programs, instructional styles, cultures, values and aspirations—another reason why trying to rank them is a daunting, if not impossible, task.

5. BE DISCRIMINATING. The

definitions of “best” are essentially editorial opinions dressed up in pseudofacts. Contrived to sell magazines, they might not—and, in fact, should not—be the beginning point for your college selection process. Don’t become blinded by these definitions of the “best.” You need to arrive at your own definition of the best that is rooted in your needs, interests and learning style.

6. PROJECT YOURSELF INTO THE PICTURE. You must ask yourself, “What do the editors of ranking guides really know about me/my student?” Where, for example, do they talk about the colleges that are best for the bright, but timid student who wants to study classical archaeology or the student who learns best through engagement in the classroom or the young person whose sense of self and direction is still emerging? What tangible takeaways do college rankings offer that apply to your situation?

7. LOOK FOR EVIDENCE THAT RANKINGS WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN YOUR COLLEGE PLANNING OUTCOMES. More

specifically, ask yourself, “What’s in it for me?” Unlike the purchase process with regard to other commodities (cars, appliances, etc.), the ultimate choice of a college is the product of a mutual selection process. Rankings don’t get kids into college nor do they necessarily point you in the direction that is best for you. Over the last 30 years, the college-going process has been turned upside down by ranking guides. Whereas the focus should be on the kids—and what is best for them—college ranking guides put the focus on destinations that are presumed to be most desirable. In reality, they are

artificial metrics for quality in education that detract from sensible, studentcentered decision-making.

experience coastal experience #TEALnation

Herein lies the disconnect. If ranking guides are truly useful to consumers, why do so many students apply to schools where the chances of gaining admission are less than one out of four? And where is the usefulness of college ranking guides when barely half of the students entering college this fall will graduate from any college during their lifetimes? Frankly, the rankings phenomenon has grown wearisome. The notion that all of America’s best colleges can be rank ordered in any context (“party schools,” academic reputation,” etc.) — that the mythical pecking order can actually be quantified—is foolhardy. It makes too many wandering assumptions about people and places, cultures and values, quality and—believe it or not—fit. Among other things, rankings promote a destination orientation and an obsessive approach to getting into highly ranked colleges. Where the student might be headed becomes more important than what is to be accomplished or why that goal might be important or how the institution might best serve the student. When distracted by the blinding power and prestige that rankings bestow upon a few institutions, it is easy to lose sight of one’s values and priorities as well as the full range of opportunities that exist. Keep rankings in perspective as you proceed with college planning. Resist the temptation to obsess on a set of numbers. Instead, focus on developing a list of colleges based who you are, why you want to go to college and what you want to accomplish during your undergraduate years. And don’t lose sight of how you like to learn. Stay student-centered and you will discover the colleges that are truly best for you. Peter Van Buskirk is the Director of “BestFitCollege” and one of the most sought after speakers on college admissions across the country. He is the former Director of Admission at Franklin & Marshall College and gives seminars nationally and internationally about college admissions for counselors, schools, parents, and students. His blog can be found at www.bestfitcollege.com.

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Bridging the Way to Higher Education

Enduring Value of the Liberal Arts By Maria Furtado

f you follow the conversation about higher education, you will have noticed a lot of conversation in the media about the liberal arts – Are they good? Are they “over”? Do they have a place in the landscape of education, especially when we consider the cost of higher education? Our organization, Colleges That Change Lives (CTCL), has 44 member colleges that believe strongly that the liberal arts is the best way to education our future leaders, innovators, entrepreneurs, teachers, doctors, artists and lawyers. Why? A liberal arts education teaches young people how to think, write and communicate, analyze and problem-solve. When employers are surveyed, they consistently say that the most important skills they need in employees are those skills developed in a liberal arts education. The ability to communicate with people one-on-one, in small groups, and in large groups. The ability to write well for many different audiences, to persuade and influence with words and ideas. Employers

look for creative problem-solvers – people who can integrate several perspectives, analyze the data, and create an action plan. These skills are the hallmark of a liberal education and they prepare students for the world in which they will live and work. Innovators and entrepreneurs in the world of on-line marketing and social media were not trained for these fields. It is likely the jobs they have today didn’t exist when they left high school or college. By preparing for many careers through a liberal education, students position themselves to be leaders because they are

good thinkers and strategists who can see the big picture as well as make definite plans to solve a problem or market an idea. When considering a liberal arts college or university, like the CTCL-member schools, students and parents are often worried that the cost of the college is prohibitive. And, students and parents often wonder why this type of college is expensive. Liberal arts colleges pride themselves on having full-time faculty who will mentor and advise. They also pride themselves on small student/teacher ratios. This commitment to high quality

teaching and a faculty engaged in the life of the campus means the colleges must commit financial resources to their salaries and benefits. Liberal arts schools must also acknowledge that students and parents are interested in the aesthetics of a campus – its res halls must be up-to-date. The wi-fi must be powerful enough to support not just email and surfing the web, but downloading movies and streaming seasons of favorite shows. We all joke about the climbing wall phenomenon, but there is an expectation that a campus will provide modern, fun options for students’ time outside the classroom. A student who goes to college will earn much more over a lifetime that a high school graduate. A student who is able to use skills to move from one industry to another will find their career paths more flexible and they will be ready to follow new developments in technology. They will be the decision-makers and the social change agents of the future. Financial reward will follow. Consider a liberal arts school for a lifetime of opportunity.

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Find out if SMC is the

right place to

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High school students and their families are invited to attend this free event. Campus Tours | Clubs & Activities Fair Financial Aid Seminar | Athletics Info | Lunch in the Dining Hall 14

Greenville County College Fair – Fall 2017

at 864-587-4000.

A bright beginning for a new star Peering into the murky, almost impenetrable history of the universe, Dr. Renata Cumbee (’10) discovered her future. She took her first peek while working on her undergraduate degree at FMU. Cumbee is a physicist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center where she researches supernova remnants in the Cygnus constellation. She might be somewhere else — somewhere light years away — if not for the special attention she received as a lowly college freshman a decade or so ago. Back then she was just like a lot of students: shy and unsure of her place. FMU professors helped her find it. “I had hours of one-on-one time with professors any day that I needed it,” says Cumbee. “For someone who’s not confident in a subject, and not sure if they want to continue with that subject, that can be the biggest benefit. Having someone show you what it means to be a researcher in physics or to study that subject is important.” Cumbee went on to earn her advanced degrees and now her position with NASA. She’s learned a lot along the way, but the biggest lesson may be that if you’re going reach for the stars it’s great to have a helping hand, but don’t worry...we’re here to lend a hand.

#YourFMUStory Great stories begin here - Francis Marion University www.fmarion.edu/myFMUstory

PREPARED FOR A LIFETIME OF POSSIBILITIES Maria is the Executive Director of Colleges That Change Lives, a group of liberal arts colleges that focus on the development of the whole student. While not the only colleges that help a student grow and develop, they were recognized by Loren Pope over three decades ago in his groundbreaking book Colleges That Change Lives. She can be contacted at maria.furtado@ctcl.org.

classatcofc.com Bridging the Way to Higher Education

Performing Arts: Parents, Don’t Be Afraid By Bruce Halverson

uring my years leading performing arts departments at colleges and universities across the country, I visited with a steady stream of parents and their high school seniors. With gnawing feelings of concern, but love for their child, parents wanted some understanding of what it meant for their child to explore the performing arts or perhaps focus on theatre, music, or dance. My goal was to assure them that their child was not wandering into unemployment with no hope of a rewarding life after college. Starting our conversation, I usually asked why the student wished to study one of the performing arts. Typically, the answer was, “I love it, it’s what I want to do.” I was not in a position to give parenting advice, but, as an educator, it is clear that students with a passion for an area of study are more successful in college than students struggling to develop a committed interest. If that passion is for one of the performing arts, the students’ desire to do well in their major area of interest generally motivates them to do well in all of their academic work. Numerous studies have concluded that involvement in the arts enhances academic achievement which strengthens students’ options to use their artistic skills in other fields. As a result, I always kept a list of alumni who studied in the performing arts but used this background to prepare for and enhance their work in such areas as law, education, business, medicine, and communications. Some students quietly admitted their fear of intensely studying the performing arts. I reminded them that having options is one of the great benefits of higher education. Enrolling in a course or two in their chosen art area along with courses in history, science, and English helps to bring some clarity to their feelings. Perhaps a keen interest in another area may develop and stand alongside their interest in the arts. As an undergraduate, I loved theatre but history and political science also captured my interest. With the flexibility of a liberal arts education, I combined these interests and created the foundation for my career. The performing arts offer a special opportunity to bring together a variety of interests into a unique course of study that fuels a

student’s imagination and opens a door to a new and exciting journey. I often shared with these families my experience as a chairperson at a small, sophisticated technical college where my department only offered a minor in the performing arts. Soon after my appointment, the president of the institution informed me he wanted every student to be in a play. He enthusiastically explained that it was the best preparation for the world of work. He expected a student to prepare a resume, appear in front of a group of people and offer some type of presentation/audition, answer relevant yet demanding questions, and create a strong and positive impression— or she would not be cast (or get the job). Then, if the student received a role, she had to carefully manage her time, meet the rigorous rehearsal schedule, research the historical background and psychological profile of her character, interact positively with a large and varied

group of actors and technicians, take direction (and criticism), work for the good of the entire enterprise, always be prepared mentally and physically, and strive towards the common goal of the success of the performance. The president advocated strongly for this participation and believed students involved in dance and music gained many of the same benefits. For him, this type of

Greenville County College Fair – Fall 2017

experience was one of the keys to success in college and beyond. With this story in mind, I emphasized that the knowledge and skills taught in the performing arts are universal and in demand. For example, the problem solving and communications skills required during this time of relentless change and competitive challenges make creativity and imagination critical requirements for our contemporary leaders. As my visitors departed, I hoped they understood a commitment to learning often starts with a student’s passion for a specific area of study. A liberal arts education offers the opportunity to strengthen this passion or incorporate it into a new commitment. One of these opportunities is studying the performing arts. It can play an important role in greatly enhancing a student’s education, whether he or she simply explores the field or fervently pursues a passion for music, theatre, or dance. So, parents, don’t be afraid. The fabric of our society is significantly shaped and enhanced by the performing arts. And, possibly, the performing arts will not only enrich your child’s life but help your young student find a path that will bring both happiness and success to him, whether in the arts or the amazing array of professions available in today’s world.

REGARDING THE APPLICATION PROCESS FOR PERFORMING ARTISTS

For students with a passion to pursue

the arts in a liberal arts environment, their application follows the traditional process with no special requirements. A specific mention in their application of their interest and experience in one of the performing areas often stimulates a response from a professor encouraging them to take advantage of the college’s arts programs. Of course, applicants are encouraged to share their talents directly with college faculty members; they can forward a CD or provide a link to a web-based portfolio. With the start of the freshman year, musicians usually are required to audition for a position in a performance ensemble or for lessons. Dancers and theatre students audition for individual shows. However, students who decide not to perform outside of the classroom find great joy and enrichment in their various arts classes. Students whose life seems to be focused on the performing arts may decide to study for an undergraduate pre-professional degree, such as a Bachelor of Fine Arts or Bachelor of Music. This type of degree typically requires 50% or more of the credits to be in the chosen arts area with additional requirements for admission. Each performing arts department offering pre-professional degrees typically lists its entrance requirements on the school’s website. Most often, they are significantly different from the traditional entrance requirements with a performance resume as a minimum expectation. The key requirement is an in-person audition for performers with specific guidelines for audition material and interviews. Competitive professional degree programs most often require applications prior to December 1 in order for the programs to schedule interviews and auditions. Bruce Halverson is the Director of the Arts at Christ Church Episcopal School.

A Young Picasso or Beethoven Could be the Next Edison Used with permission of Michigan State University, a comprehensive Land Grant university in East Lansing, Michigan. It is one of the few universities in the country, along with Clemson, that has a packaging science major.

ood news for parents: Those piano lessons or random toy parts littering your floors may one day lead to the next scientific breakthrough. That’s according to new Michigan State University research linking childhood participation in arts and crafts activities to patents generated and businesses launched as adults. In the study, which is published in the most recent edition of the journal Economic Development Quarterly, the researchers defined “childhood” as up to 14 years old. The team of multidisciplinary researchers studied a group of MSU Honors College graduates from 1990 to 1995 who majored in science, technology, engineering or mathematics, or STEM. They found of that group, those who own businesses or patents received up to eight times more exposure to the arts as children than the general public. “The most interesting finding was the importance of sustained participation in those activities,” said Rex LaMore, director of MSU’s Center for Community and Economic Development. “If you started as a young child and continued in your adult years, you’re more likely to be an

inventor as measured by the number of patents generated, businesses formed or articles published. And that was something we were surprised to discover.” Musical training seems to be important. The researchers found 93 percent of the STEM graduates reported musical training at some point in their lives, as compared to only 34 percent of average adults, as reported by the National Endowment for the Arts. The STEM graduates also reported higherthan-average involvement in the visual arts, acting, dance and creative writing. In addition, those who had been exposed to metal work and electronics during childhood were 42 percent more likely to own a patent than those without exposure, while those involved in architecture were 87.5 percent more likely to form a company. And children with a photography background were 30 percent more likely to have a patent. Why? Such activity fosters out-of-the-box thinking, the researchers said. In fact, the group reported using artistic skills – such as analogies, playing, intuition and imagination – to solve complex problems.

“The skills you learn from taking things apart and putting them back together translate into how you look at a product and how it can be improved,” said Eileen Roraback, of MSU’s Center for Integrative Studies in the Arts and Humanities. “And there’s creative writing. In our study, a biologist working in the cancer field, who created a business, said her writing skills helped her to write

business plans and win competitions.” The results of the study could be crucial to rebuilding the U.S. economy, the researchers said. “Inventors are more likely to create highgrowth, high-paying jobs in our state, and that’s the kind of target we think we should be looking for,” LaMore said. “So we better think about how we support artistic capacity, as well as science and math activity, so that we have these outcomes.” In addition to LaMore and Roraback, the research team included Robert Root-Bernstein, professor of physiology; John Schweitzer, professor in the Center for Community and Economic Development; James Lawton, professor of sculpture; two undergraduate students and one graduate student.

AN AFFORDABLE COLLEGE? At FMU, we’re working hard to make it a reality. Our cost of attendance is the lowest in the state. www.fmarion.edu/savethebank

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*Net cost of attendance is tuition, room and board and all other costs associated with attendance, less the average financial aid or scholarship award received by students at the institution. The data is from a variety of sources, including FAFSA, and is compiled by collegefactual.com.

Bridging the Way to Higher Education

Engineering – A Modern Creative Discipline By C. Sidney Burrus

hat is engineering? What is an engineer?? Although it is a very old activity or trade, engineering is a relatively young academic discipline or profession. Only in recent years has it reached a stage of maturity where some of its defining details and differentiating characteristics can be articulated. Engineering is the endeavor that creates, maintains, develops, and applies technology for societies’ needs and desires. Its origins go back to the very beginning of human civilization where tools were first created and developed. Indeed, a good case can be made for the defining of humans as those animals that create, develop, and understand the significance of technology. Over time, the part of technology that acts as an extension of human capabilities became the purview of engineering. One can view bicycles, cars, and trains as extensions of walking and running. Airplanes are an extension and application of a bird’s ability to fly transferred to humans. The telegraph, telephone, radio, television, and the internet are extensions of talking, hearing, and seeing. The microscope, telescope, and medical x-ray are also extensions of human sight and vision. Writing, books, libraries and computer data-bases are extensions of human memory and the computer itself is an extension of the human’s brain in doing arithmetic and carrying out logical arguments and procedures. Indeed, looking around your environment in almost any setting, will illustrate just how pervasive technology is. In almost any home or office, there is very little that is truly “natural”; i.e., little that is not created or manipulated by technology. The food that you eat, the utensils that you eat with, the table that you eat off of, the house that you are in, the clothes that you wear, the book that you read, the television that you watch, the telephone that you communicate with, the car that you travel in -- these are all technologies created by human cleverness to satisfy human needs. This process of creation is engineering and those who do the creating are practicing engineering, whether they call themselves engineers or not. Not only is much of the inanimate world created by engineering, part of

the living world is also. Almost all crops and agriculturally produced food stuff are “engineered” through selective breeding. The same is true of domestic animals such as pets and animals raised for food or sport. Certainly the dogs, cats, and cattle have not “naturally” evolved to their current state. They have been “created” or “designed” to satisfy human desires or needs. The slow and less exact methods of controlled breeding are being replaced by genetic engineering, tissue engineering, and applications of nanotechnology. We humans have the cleverness to do that. It is the development of the tools, theories, and methods and the understanding of the appropriate sciences and mathematics for that process that is engineering. It is a central part of the history of humanity. Not only has engineering made our lives easier and longer, it has sometimes made them more terrible and shorter through improving our ability to kill and harm when we wage war. Indeed, military and defense needs have been a historic driver of technological advancement. One of the earliest categorizations of engineering was into military and civilian (or civil) engineering. Because technology enables and causes change, it and its creators, the

Greenville County College Fair – Fall 2017

engineers, are viewed with mixed feelings. This is especially true in modern (perhaps post-modern) times when the negative side effects (“unintended consequences”) of technology must be addressed. This note is an attempt to address the question of what engineering is and then that of what an engineer is. It is intended for the general public to better understand just what this thing that has such a profound effect on our individual and collective lives is. The note is intended for the student who is considering becoming an engineer and, therefore, it is for parents and high school and college counselors as well. It is for the university engineering student and professor and for the university administrator. It is for the state and federal governments who fund engineering education and research and the investor who invests in technology. It is for the husband, wife, parent, or child who wants to better understand their spouse, child, or parent. It is for everyone who accepts the argument that a human is a technological animal and that technology has a pervasive effect on our lives. An important part of this note is the list of references. This collection of short essays is intended to open many topics and ideas, not develop them. A rather

long list of references is given to allow the reader to pursue any of the many ideas further.

SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING

One of the first distinctions that must be made is between science and engineering. It is not a simple distinction because the two are so interdependent and intertwined, but whatever difference there is needs to be considered. Science is the study of “natural” phenomena. It is the collection of theories, models, laws, and facts about the physical world and the methods used to created this collection. Physics, chemistry, biology, geology, etc. try to understand, describe, and explain the physical world that would exist even if there were no humans. It is creative in building theories, models, and explanations, but not in creating the phenomena that it studies. Science has its own philosophy with an epistemology, esthetics, and logic. It has its own technology in order to carry out its investigations, build its tools, and pursue its goals. Science has its organizations, culture, and methods of inquiry. It has its “scientific method” which has served as a model (for better or for worse) in many other disciplines. Science is old. It was part of the

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original makeup of a university or college in the form of natural philosophy. It came out of antiquity, developed in the middle ages, blossomed in the renaissance, was the tool of the enlightenment, and came into its present maturity in modernity. Indeed, the history of science is, in some ways, a history of intellectual development. This is certainly only true in conjunction with many other strains of philosophical, economical, theological, and technological development, but science is a central player in that story. Science is often paired with the arts (and Humanities and Social Sciences) in the “College of Arts and Science” of a traditional university. Engineering is the creation, maintenance, and development of things that have not existed in the natural world and that satisfy some human desire or need. A television set does not grow on a tree. It is the creation of human ingenuity that first fulfilled a fantasy of a human need and then went on to change the very society that created it. I use the term “things” because one should include computer programs, organizational paradigms, and mathematical algorithms in addition to cars, radios, plastics, and bridges. Science is the study of what is and engineering is the creation of can be. Only recently has engineering developed the set of characteristics that make it a legitimate academic discipline. Earlier, engineering often was viewed only as the application of natural science. Now, engineering has developed its own engineering science for the study of human made things to supplement natural science which was developed to study natural phenomena. Parts of computer science are wonderful examples of that. Engineering has its own philosophy and methodology and its own economics. It even has its own National Academy. We differentiate science and engineering, not because their difference is great, but because, in many ways, it is small. Science could not progress without technology, and engineering certainly could not flourish without science and mathematics. A more illuminating comparison might be between the humanities and engineering. One might find more

similarity in style (not content) between English literature and engineering than between science and engineering. Both literature and engineering are the study of human created artifacts. Both teach creation in the form of creative writing and engineering design. Both teach analysis in the form of literary criticism and engineering analysis. Both are intimately connected with the needs and desires of individuals and society. A similar analogy could be made between art and engineering looking at studio art, art criticism, and art history. Most scientists (but not all) feel there is some unique objective truth behind the physical phenomena they are studying. Their goal is to find it and describe and explain it, and this truth is unique although the approaches and approximations to it are certainly not. In literature and engineering, the designed entity is not unique to the situation, but it is a creation of the particular writer or designer and perhaps unique to the creator. The distinctions of this section are not as clean or clear as have been presented here. The boundary between science and engineering can be and often is

murky. Many items of study in science are influenced if not literally created by people. This is obviously true in biology and the life sciences but also true in physics where certain elements in the periodic table do not exist in nature. Perhaps, therefore, the areas of pure science are very limited. On the other hand, since people are members of our natural system, an argument can be made that their products are as natural as anything else and, therefore, the areas of pure scientific study are very broad. Clearly engineering is constrained in what it can created by the laws of science as everything is. Nevertheless, there is a difference in spirit in the two disciplines worth trying to delineate.

ENGINEERING YESTERDAY, TODAY, AND TOMORROW

In early times, the practice of engineering was that of a trade or craft with training occurring through some form of apprenticeship. As it developed into a profession and more recently as an academic discipline, it took on the shape of other academic disciplines, with preparation being an education rather

than a training. An important turning point in the Unites States was the land grant college act (Morrill act) of 1862 which established an institution for the teaching of agriculture and the mechanical arts (engineering) in each state. This officially legitimated engineering in higher education although it still had the form of training. Interestingly, this act came into being during the American Civil War and was signed by Abraham Lincoln. World-War II was the second turning point when it was discovered that many of the technical innovations necessary for that effort came from scientists, mathematicians, and theoretically educated engineers rather than traditionally trained engineers. Most engineers prior to that time had been trained to develop and apply ideas already in existence, not to create new solutions to new problems. After WWII, the university curricula in engineering became much more scientific and mathematical. It took on more elements of an education rather than a training. It slowly became a real academic discipline in its own right rather than only an application of other disciplines. However, it retains the integrating role of applying the physical and life sciences using some of the tools of the social sciences, law, and policy and the values derived from the humanities, letters, arts, and business. We are now going through a third transition in engineering in response to many factors in society and in technology itself. In the larger picture, society went through the agricultural phase, the industrial phase, and now the information phase. These three phases of civilization created and were created by the most powerful and applicable technologies of the time. Engineering is and will be the creative element in the information age as it has been in preceding ages. C. Sidney Burrus – former dean of Rice University’s George R. Brown School of Engineering and professor in Rice University’s Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. Rice University is a multidisciplinary university in Houston, Texas, with recognized strong undergraduate and graduate programs in engineering/science, liberal arts, and even performing arts. (Notice the number of times that Dr. Burrus uses the word “create” in various forms in this essay. ‘Engineering’ IS a field that involves coming up with ‘new’ ideas – “creating”)

Bridging the Way to Higher Education

The Difference Between a 2-Year College & 4-Year Research University

Benefits of Transferring from a 2-Year College Beginning the education journey at a two-year community/technical college is the right choice for many college freshmen. Community colleges provide a great opportunity for students to transition from high school to college. The learning environment, transfer opportunities, and lower costs at the community college provide a solid foundation. Many courses taken at the community college are the same courses taught at the four-year college. South Carolina technical colleges are accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, just as Clemson, USC, USC Upstate, and many other transfer destinations are, so students can be assured that quality is equal. One important benefit of the two-year college is that class sizes are smaller. For example, a community college biology class typically has 25 students compared to 100 plus at a large university. With smaller classes, students are easily able to engage in learning and connect with professors. Bridge, transfer, and articulation agreements with

four-year universities provide seamless transfer opportunities. Bridge agreement students complete their freshman year courses at the community college and transfer to the fouryear university as sophomores. Transfer agreements identify select courses, typically general education, that transfer to the university. In South Carolina, 88 courses transfer from the state technical colleges directly to the state four-year institutions. Students completing a 2+2 articulation agreement transfer their full associate degree and enter the university as juniors in their designated programs. Many students struggle to afford a college education. By starting at a community college, students will save thousands in tuition costs. Also, many fouryear universities offer transfer scholarships for students who have excelled academically. Community colleges are a great place to begin the educational journey, staying close to home and gaining a strong educational foundation, before moving to the four-year institution. René Sawyer is Assistant Dean, Academic Advancement and Support at Greenville Technical College.

Greenville County College Fair – Fall 2017

Benefits of Choosing and Attending a 4-Year Research University Research is a form of experiential learning which will enhance a student’s educational experience and personal and professional growth opportunities. Fouryear research universities provide students with real world, hands-on learning experiences which will occur beyond the traditional classroom setting. Undergraduate research not only enhances a student’s understanding of the field, but can also be a springboard to future opportunities in graduate school or in the workforce. Research inside and outside of the classroom will allow individuals to develop problem solving and critical thinking skills that are learned through undergraduate research and are widely valued by professional schools and employers alike. Students graduating from research universities are well equipped and will have a competitive advantage. Four-year research universities are also often home to state-of-the-art facilities, laboratories, teaching centers and are at the forefront of groundbreaking inventions, discoveries and creations.

The tenured track faculty are all engaged in research, so regardless of a student’s major or interest, a student could potentially perform undergraduate research alongside distinguished professors or professional researchers. This means that students who are taking advantage of the opportunities at research universities are likely to be learning from world renowned faculty who are experts in their fields. Many of these research faculty members are widely known and can assist students with finding internships, writing powerful letters of recommendation for professional schools and help with paving a lucrative and rewarding career path. Kelly Bird is Senior Assistant Director of Admissions at The University of Georgia. UGA is a comprehensive research university in Athens, GA with significant undergraduate and graduate programs. Every State has its own (and sometimes several) comprehensive research universities. Though not every university has all programs, for example no university in SC has a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine program, but Georgia does and serves as the default vet school for SC.

It isn’t easy in here. Because it isn’t easy out there. Bachelor’s and associate’s degree programs. Four fields of study: culinary, design, fashion, media arts. The hardest thing you’ll ever love.

artinstitutes.edu/charleston 1.843.727.3500

Licensed by the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education, 1122 Lady Street, Suite 300, Columbia, SC 29201, Telephone (803) 737-2260, www.che.sc.gov. Licensure indicates only that minimum standards have been met; it is not an endorsement or guarantee of quality. Licensure is not equivalent to or synonymous with accreditation by an accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. The Art Institute of Charleston, a branch of The Art Institute of Atlanta, is one of The Art Institutes, a system of schools throughout the United States. Programs, credential levels, technology, and scheduling options vary by school and are subject to change. Not all online programs are available to residents of all U.S. states. Several institutions included in The Art Institutes system are campuses of Argosy University. The Art Institute of Charleston, 24 N Market St., Charleston, SC 29401 © 2017 The Art Institutes. All rights reserved. Our email address is materialsreview@aii.edu. See aiprograms.info for program duration, tuition, fees and other costs, median debt, salary data, alumni success, and other important info.

For the Ladies: Why Choose a Women’s College

e wrote this portion of the guide for all young women interested in pursuing higher education. Full stop. Yes, researchers tell us that less than 5% of high school-aged women will even consider applying to women’s colleges, but we wrote this for all young women who are thoughtfully analyzing ALL of their college options. We also wrote this guide to help arm high school guidance counselors, independent college counselors, and community-based college advisors with valid, interesting, and perhaps even funny information about women’s colleges they can share with their students. So, if you’re a high school student reading this guide, our goal is to provide you with an alternative viewpoint on your college search, one that you may not have previously thought about. Even if you don’t end up applying to a women’s college, we hope that will be because you thoroughly weighed the pros and cons of a single-sex education. If you don’t end up believing that a women’s college is the best fit for you, that’s OK – they’re not for everyone.

Why we wrote this guide

There’s a lot of misinformation out there about what it’s like to attend a women’s college, and, as two exceedingly proud women’s college graduates, we’re here to dispel all, OK, maybe most, of that. We want to help high school students figure out if a women’s college is the right fit for them. And, if so (and we really hope so), how they can tailor their applications to single-sex institutions.

to break it into palatable and entertaining bites for you, our dear reader. This is by no means an exhaustive guide to all women’s colleges, but our goal is that this handbook is an easy-to-read start for any student or counselor looking for more information about the benefits of single-sex education.

So, what IS a women’s college?

We’ll start by describing what a women’s college is and how to tell if you’re a good match for this particular educational environment. We’ll also explain the pretty remarkable byproducts that are frequently correlated with attending a women’s college (the proof is in the pudding, right?). And after that, we’ll talk about the myths and stereotypes that are most often associated with single-sex colleges. We want high school students to be aware of the full range of post-secondary options available to them, and for them to ultimately apply to colleges that they really want to attend. If you do that, you’ll make us proud.

Where this information came from

Sara Kratzok is a graduate of Wellesley

Greenville County College Fair – Fall 2017

College where she has volunteered as an admissions interviewer and application reader. Casey Near attended Scripps College and was an admission officer at Mills College. Both Sara and Casey majored in American studies, and work every day to prove that humanities majors are, in fact, employable. As you’ve probably figured out, this information is largely informed by our experiences. With our educational and professional backgrounds in mind, we’ll share both the qualities that women’s colleges are looking for in their applicants, and who is most likely to thrive on an all- female college campus. We’ve been members of their admissions offices, students on these campuses, and in the minority group of high school women considering applying to women’s colleges. We’ve culled some research on single-sex education and tried

One of the first, most important, factors to note about women’s colleges in the United States, is that they are all, pretty much universally, small liberal arts colleges (otherwise known as SLACs). So, if you know that you’re looking for the type of education offered by a SLAC, then you can rest assured that you’ll find the same benefits at a women’s college. But, what if you’re not there yet? Let’s start by going over what SLACs (generally) offer: • Small to medium size student populations (some have less than 1,000 students, many have 1,000-3,000, and there are some with more than 5,000 students). • Small class sizes, with the occasional large lecture course • Lots of personalized attention from professors and campus administrators • A broad range of academic majors, from computer science to medieval studies and pretty much everything else in between • A focus on sharpening your reading, writing, and critical thinking skills • A generally more liberal leaning student body (don’t worry though–

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(Real) Life at a women’s college: The myths, debunked

there are conservative students at SLACs, you just might have to look a bit harder to find them)

Why take the time to go over these? As alumnae of women’s college and former women’s college admission reps, these are things we’ve heard about the women’s college experience. And while it pains us to give these stereotypes more of a spotlight, these are the honest questions and statements we often faced as students and employees of these institutions.

And you’ll typically find all of these things at women’s colleges. But, women’s colleges are not one-size-fits-all. Each has its own strengths, and it takes time to learn about their individual offerings and unique programs. This is where researching individual colleges, talking to current students and alumnae, and visiting campuses (when possible) becomes important. In addition to their identities as SLACs, women’s colleges also create their own unique identities around a variety of factors, including: • Geography: there are women’s colleges located throughout the country • Academic Programs: they each have their own most popular majors and specialized offerings • Cross-registration options and even dual-degree programs at other (often coed) campuses • Master’s programs (some have them, some don’t): post-graduate programs at women’s colleges are generally coed • History: each campus has its own story- and many women’s college campuses tell their history through extraordinary architecture and landscaping • Religious Affiliation: some women’s colleges used to be religiously affiliated, and some still are • Traditions: from high teas, to class tree days, women’s colleges often have an appreciation and nostalgia for the generations of women who have come before. • …and much more! So, you should definitely be researching a variety of women’s colleges to learn more about which ones might be the best fit for you.

Signs that a women’s college is right for you

Women’s colleges often emphasize community, support females in nontraditional fields (such as Science,

1. You’ll be unprepared for the coed (“real”) world. FALSE. Women’s colleges are not nunneries. There are male faculty and staff, and many women’s colleges are part of co-ed consortiums – some even a few feet away. Technology, Engineering, and Math or STEM), and have a strong attachment to their traditions and alumnae networks. If this resonates with you, it’s a good sign. If you get goose bumps when you hear about the woman who founded an institution or organization, if annual baccalaureates and weekly teas sound like, well, your cup of tea; if you ever thought about pursuing a career in business or science and hated being the one girl in your AP statistics or economics class; if you come from a big school and want a college where you can actually get to know your classmates, or if you go to a small school and want your college community to be similarly close-knit, then there might be a women’s college for you.

Common qualities of strong women’s college applicants

While many of these qualities are just downright great qualities for any colleges, we’ve narrowed it down to a few that stand out in this pool in particular. These are qualities that will serve you well not only in applying to women’s colleges, but also (just as importantly) once you’re there. Just like at any admission office, women’s college admission officers are looking for a wide variety of young women. Some will be leaders, some will be followers, and some will just do their own thing all together. But these three qualities tend to rise to the surface amongst even the most

diverse of applicants. And if you can express these qualities throughout your application process (or feel like these characteristics describe you completely), women’s colleges will be knocking at your door.

1. PIONEERING SPIRIT

We don’t mean that you need to have packed up a covered wagon and headed west (though if you’ve done that, you’re a true pioneer and should probably write your college essay about that). We mean pioneering in terms of being among the first to do something difficult, important, or just plain impressive. The truth is, behind every women’s college is a long, long history of female pioneers. Women who saw a place for fellow women in higher education. Women who founded colleges, long before women even had the right to vote. And women who, through the years, forged the way in industries and professions that had long been dominated by men – politics, business, math, and science. So, it comes as no surprise that women’s colleges today still relish the same forward thinking spirit in their applicants. Sure, it may not look like trekking into the west to found a college, but maybe you started the first video game club at your school, and take pride in being the only female gamer. Or maybe you created your own column in the school newspaper. Or you love to jam in an all-female rock band.

continued on page 24

2. It will be full of sleepovers and late night pillow fights. FALSE. If you want it to be, sure! But, let’s be honest, that only really happens in sitcoms and romantic comedies. 3. You’ll have no social life. FALSE (noticing a trend?). Women’s colleges are small communities, and because of that, they oftentimes plan many events on campus – or organize ones off campus. It’s just about taking advantage of the opportunities. If student government hosts an off campus ice skating social, are you any less likely to go if you attend a women’s college? Unless you have a dreadful fear of ice skating, then, mostly likely not. 4. But, how will you find a significant other? YES, some people still find a partner in college, but most people meet them out in “the real world”. And this experience prepares you for just that. You’ll meet people in college through friends, at events, club outings, or even in class. Otherwise, there’s always online dating! 5. Catfights happen every day. FALSE. And we’re pretty sure the Real Housewives TV series is 99% to blame for this one. But really, there’s a reason so many women’s college mission statements emphasize community and empowerment. They also recognize that when women (and people, in general) believe in each other and support one another, a lot more gets done. 6. Everyone becomes a lesbian. Colleges in the United States are forbidden from taking campus statistics on sexuality. If they did, however, they’d likely find that these numbers are roughly the same at most small, liberal arts college – and that the number of people who are open about their sexuality has a lot more to do with the comfort and safety of a campus. If this is still a concern for you, try walking around a campus, staying overnight, or talking to current students. Bridging the Way to Higher Education

Whatever it is, women’s colleges celebrate women who felt comfortable enough in their own skin to go against the norm. And they know that those young women will bring that same spirit to college, and continue to blaze trails in whatever field they choose.

2. CURIOSITY

Though this one has a lot of overlap at any liberal arts college, women’s colleges in particular look for young women who are curious. These young women are the frontseat learners and the hand-raisers. They ask questions. They are open to new ideas. And they perpetually ask, “why?” These are the students that stay after class to ask that extra question. They want to dig deeper into a topic, and they want to approach it from all angles. They love learning about the Defenestration of Prague or the woman behind DNA sequencing, even if it’s not on the next test. Young women who are curious just can’t turn off that lingering feeling of wanting to know more about the world around them.

3. COMMUNICATION SKILLS

An important quality to bring to any small classroom experience is the ability to express oneself—be that in writing, or through a well-articulated comment. And students who get into women’s college (and succeed once they’re there) demonstrate this eloquence early on. This doesn’t mean you have to write 20 page essays on Thoreau with ease, but it does mean that you can articulate your thoughts clearly, whether that’s in organic chemistry or British literature. This is probably one of the many reasons women’s college graduates tend to excel as leaders; the experience prepares them to stand up for themselves, and articulate their opinions. But, just as importantly, they pair that expressiveness with curiosity, and listen just as much as they share.

Life after a women’s college

No discussion of women’s colleges is complete without a discussion of the vast data out there about the benefits of women’s colleges. And we’re not just throwing in a few vague, “studies show” statements to bolster this handy guide. The legacy of women’s college graduates – and

the paths they have forged – cannot be denied. So, without further ado, the data: • Women’s college students are able to observe women in top positions in their own institutions – 90% of women’s college presidents are women, and 55% of faculty are women. • Women attending women’s colleges are 1.5 times more likely to major in math, science, or pre-med than women at co-ed schools. • Women’s college graduates make up 2% of the college graduate population, yet comprise more than 20% of women in Congress and 33% of the women on Fortune 1000 boards. • Far more students and alumnae at women’s colleges reported having frequent interaction with their professors than those at co-ed institutions (according to a recent study at Indiana University’s Center for Postsecondary Research). • Women’s college graduates have accumulated a variety of “firsts”, including the first woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize, the first woman in a presidential cabinet, and the first woman to serve as the general of the U.S. Army. And, of course, some famous alumnae of women’s colleges: • Benazir Bhutto, First Female Prime Minister of Pakistan (Radcliffe College) • Julia Child, Chef (Smith College)

• Hillary Rodham Clinton, Former Secretary of State (Wellesley College)

• Gabrielle Giffords, Politician (Scripps College)

• Katherine Hepburn, Actress (Bryn Mawr College)

• Jhumpa Lahiri, Author (Barnard College)

• Pamela Melroy, Astronaut (Wellesley College)

• Nancy Pelosi, Congresswoman & Former Speaker of the House (Trinity Washington University)

• Diane Sawyer, Television Reporter (Wellesley College)

• Meryl Streep, Actress (Vassar College, formerly all women’s) The National Association for College Admissions Counseling (NACAC, for short—we’re card carrying members) has free resources and advice here. Make sure you scroll through the entire page and find the section for seniors on college application advice. If you still want even more help, head over to our blog, check out some of the products in our store, or consider working with one of our counselors.

Greenville County College Fair – Fall 2017

OK, you’re convinced: How can you make your application shine?

Putting together great college applications is a topic on which we could go even longer than we can about women’s colleges. Rather than present you with a treatise on the subject here, we’ll give you a few specific do’s and don’ts when applying to women’s colleges, then direct you to some other resources if you’re looking for even more help.

DO:

DON’T:

1. Be yourself. The most important advice we give students when completing applications and essays is to avoid trying too hard to impress admissions officers. If you would never say the words, “Traveling to Costa Rica exposed me to a rich array of cultures and experiences,” don’t say it in your college essay. Sentences like that tended to induce eye- rolling from us and our colleagues when we worked in admissions.

1. For the love of all that you find holy, please don’t call a women’s college a girls’ school in your application (or, really, ever). Girls’ schools only come in the K-12 variety. Refer to single-sex colleges as women’s colleges.

2. Talk to current students. They’ll help you more fully understand campus life, which will make it easier for you to decide if the college is a good fit. Admissions officers can help facilitate that interaction; so can college Facebook pages and websites. It never hurts to send a message to the admissions office about getting in touch with current students. 3. Articulate why you think a women’s college, and the particular school to which you’re applying, is a good fit. Many women’s colleges ask you this question directly in their application supplements, but there are also ways to share this information in your interview and interactions with admissions officers. 4. Visit, if possible. Often the strongest responses to supplemental essays come from students who can cite information gleaned from campus tours or their conversations with current students or alumnae (which can also happen off-campus).

2. Fall victim to the stereotypes (though if you’ve read this far, you totally wouldn’t do that, right?). Don’t say you’re choosing a women’s college because you’re looking for a convent- like environment or because you want to avoid men; that’s just not an accurate depiction of the women’s college experience. 3. Make it sound like your decision to apply was not your own. One of your co-authors was bribed to apply to a women’s college by her high school guidance counselor. Did she mention that in her application? Nope.

If you’re looking for more help with your applications, start with the expert on your campus — your high school counselor. She or he can give you great advice, and it’s always good to lean on people who know you.

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Anderson University

Additionally, the performing arts program at The South Carolina School of the Arts draws fans from the entire Upstate, and recently, musical theatre students won honors at the National Association of Teachers of Singing National Student Auditions.

nderson University is one of the South’s Anderson University is one of the South’s most rapidly emerging private universities. Ranked in U.S. News and Word Report’s Best Colleges top tier of universities of its type, Anderson features a rigorous education in a warm, supportive, Christian environment. On one of the most beautiful campuses anywhere, 3,500 students enjoy great academics and great campus life with an emphasis on fun, finding one’s place in the world and preparing to make an impact. With more than 50 areas of study, there are opportunities to enter most any field from business, to theatre, education, ministry, interior design, graphic design, criminal justice, and the list goes on. For example, there is a College of Health Professions and School of Nursing, offering Bachelor of Science in Nursing degrees all the way up to Doctor of Nursing Practice degrees. AU has one of the premiere interior design programs at a private, Christian university, a graphic design program that consistently wins national awards, an education program that prompts school districts to ask about its latest grads, a program in the sciences that includes a cancer research center, and a business program whose free enterprise and supply chain management teams win national and regional competitions every year.

Greenville County College Fair – Fall 2017

On campus, there are dozens of organizations and meaningful activities. AU is an NCAA Division II school, competing in the South Atlantic Conference in 15 sports. Both of AU’s basketball teams routinely make the NCAA Division II tournament, and the soccer and tennis programs rank at or near the top of the conference every year. Baseball, golf, tennis, softball and volleyball are also top sports at AU. There is always a game to enjoy with friends somewhere on campus or if you’d rather play than watch, the intramural program attracts almost everyone on campus. Anderson is a national leader in the use of technology in the classroom. Through its Mobile Learning Initiative, AU has provided all traditional undergraduate students and faculty with iPads and has twice been named an Apple Distinguished School for its sophisticated fusion of teaching with mobile technology. The tag line for Anderson University is “knowledge for the journey.” That means that we believe students were created for a special purpose, and we do all we can to help them find that purpose and maximize their gifts and talents to build a life of significance after college. Preparation in the classroom is vital to what we do, but it doesn’t end when they walk out of class. We strive to help students develop academically, spiritually, and physically. The best way for students to learn if AU is right for them is to visit campus. Schedule a visit at www.andersonuniversity.edu. We look forward to meeting you this year!

GLAD YOU ASKED WHAT IS THE BEST THING ABOUT YOUR SCHOOL? Anderson University offers highly-ranked academics in a warm, caring, friendly Christian environment where professors know their students and support them in their journey. WHAT COULD BE EVEN BETTER? We strive to identify and develop new programs each year both in Anderson and Greenville to meet the changing needs of today’s students. WHAT IS HOUSING LIKE? The vast majority of AU students choose to live on campus in more than a dozen residence options, ranging from apartment-style to suite style, to more traditional college-living arrangements. Five of the residence halls are new, and all of them feature closeknit, fun communities. WHAT ARE THE BEST HANGOUTS (ON AND OFF CAMPUS)? AU just opened the $24 million, 90 thousand-square-foot G. Ross Anderson Jr. Student Center with a brand new dining commons with every food option imaginable, Einstein’s Bagels and Chick-fil-A, a new store, fitness center and game rooms. It has transformed the campus experience! WHAT ARE YOUR MOST POPULAR CLASSES? Business students love their marketing classes for the entrepreneurial projects. The introduction to fine arts classes are popular as well as those in the nationally ranked graphic design program. HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE STUDENT/PROFESSOR RATIO? Anderson students enjoy smaller class sizes than in most universities. On average the professor to student ratio is 1/17. Professors here know their students’ names. WHAT ARE THE STEREOTYPES ABOUT YOUR SCHOOL AND ARE THEY TRUE OR FALSE? Anderson’s reputation as one of the fastest-growing private universities in the South is true. We’ve more than doubled in enrollment in the past decade. Because Anderson is a highly ranked private university, some think that it is expensive, like other private universities. In fact, Anderson has been named one of “America’s 100 Best College Buys” for many consecutive years, meaning it’s of high quality, but also affordable. WHAT SPECIAL ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS? Apply early! AU has become extremely popular.

Financial Aid: College Planning Tips By Peter Van Buskirk, Director of Best Fit College

etting into the college of choice might weigh heavily on your mind at the moment, but the odds are the prospect of affording college costs looms even larger. And, if financial aid is critical to your ability to attend that college—or any college for that matter—now is the time to get organized around the possibilities. The following tips are intended to help bring order to the financial aid application process. 1. KNOW THE FIVE SOURCES OF FUNDING FOR COLLEGE. The first source is—no surprise—the student’s family. The second and third are the federal and state governments which provide cash—grants, loans and work study funds (in your name)—to your chosen college in amounts that can total more than $10,000 per year. Colleges, the fourth source, then can choose to offer “assistance” that addresses the difference between the total cost of attendance and the combined resources coming from the family and the federal and/or state governments. If they do so in the form of a grant or scholarship, they

are effectively agreeing to forgive you payment in that amount. They might also offer a range of borrowing opportunities for you and your parents which will result in more cash to the college—money that you will pay back to lending institutions. The fifth source of funding involves service organizations, philanthropic foundations and places of employment that offer scholarships. After the funding from your family, each of the other sources is integral to the overall financial support you might receive. 2. BECOME FAMILIAR WITH YOUR “EFC.” As noted above, your family is presumed to be the first source of funding for college. The amount that your family is expected to contribute is known as your Expected Family Contribution or “EFC.” Simply put, your EFC is the difference between your family’s income and assets and your family’s cost of living. The actual determination of amounts for each category is drawn from multiple data points that are derived from the financial aid forms listed in #3 below. 3. COMPLETE THE REQUIRED FORMS IN A TIMELY FASHION. (October 1, 2017, is the ‘opening’ date for filing) The

determination of your EFC and your eligibility for funding from sources beyond the family starts with the completion of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). A government document, the FAFSA, calculates your EFC and determines your eligibility for federal, state and, in many cases, college funds. Your family should plan to complete the FAFSA as soon as possible using financial data from your 2016 IRS tax return (filed April 2017). Upon completing the FAFSA, a Student Aid Report (S.A.R.) showing your EFC will be sent to you and each of the colleges you have listed on the FAFSA. In addition, many private institutions require the College Scholarship Service (CSS) Profile as well to the determine your eligibility for institutional funding. More granular in its assessment of family finances, the Profile should also be completed as soon as

possible if you are applying to any of the schools that require it. A report will be sent to the colleges you have designated. You will not receive any information regarding this need analysis. Some colleges also require the completion of their own forms. Make sure you know the forms that are required for each college and submit them at the earliest possible date. 4. UNDERSTAND THE CONCEPT OF “NEED.” In the conversation about financial aid, “need” is the difference between the total cost of attendance and your Expected Family Contribution (EFC). If your EFC falls short of the cost of attendance, then you have demonstrated need. Theoretically, colleges will provide financial aid to meet the demonstrated needs of the students they admit. As you will see in #5 and #6 below, though, the determination of “need” continued on page 28

Named one of the

“Best Value Schools” - U.S. News & World Report

Recent National Recognition for Anderson University

your journey is calling

•

One of the “Top Tier” Regional Universities in the South - U.S. News & World Report

•

The Princeton Review ranks AU among it’s “Best in the Southeast”

•

A “Best Christian College”

•

“One of America’s 100 Best College Buys.” (Institutional Research and Evaluation)

Anderson, SC | AndersonUniversity.edu

Bridging the Way to Higher Education

can vary from place to place as will the disposition of each college with regard to meeting your need. Moreover, you should be prepared for the likelihood that the need analysis completed using the FAFSA data might show an EFC that is lower than that revealed by the Profile. 5. DON’T MAKE ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT EFC OR NEED. And be wary of online forecasters or of any service that suggests it can optimize your financial aid potential. While parameters for determining financial need might seem to be predictable, the processes of admitting students and awarding financial aid are heavily nuanced across institutions. For example, colleges typically engage in subjective practices such as differential needs analysis (they will choose the methodology—FAFSA or Profile—that allows them to justify the amount of “need” they will recognize) and preferential packaging (different amounts of grant, loan and work study are assembled that reflect the value attached to a given candidate) to leverage the enrollments of students they want the most. As a result, online forecasters, including the net price calculators found on college websites, rarely provide an accurate

picture of your likely out-of pocket expenses should you be admitted. Moreover, some colleges will eventually make financial aid awards that come short of meeting the demonstrated need of admitted students or that include disproportionate amounts of loan—funds that will ultimately come from your pocket on top of the EFC. 6. BE PREPARED FOR THE FACT THAT NOT ALL COLLEGES WILL MEET YOUR FULL “NEED.” As colleges preferentially package financial aid (see above), they will be sure to treat well those students whom they value most highly. Students who appear to be very good—but not superior—in the evaluation of credentials, might be admitted with “gapped” financial aid awards. In other words, the financial aid will come short of meeting the need (the differential between total cost of attendance and your family’s expected family contribution). Unfortunately, such financial aid awards are not very transparent—the true EFC is rarely revealed on the award letter and it is only after calculating the numbers yourself that you find the total out-of-pocket expense your family will need to assume.

By the way, don’t assume that a financial aid award comprised of large sums of loans, to be taken by the student and/or the parents, is meeting your need. The college is simply creating a range of sourcing opportunities for your family to generate cash that will help to cover our college costs. The amount of student loan to be assumed in the first year does not need to be greater $7,500 and can be less. While it might be prudent to use the parent loan (PLUS) to address your cash flow needs within the EFC be careful about taking out PLUS loan monies as part of the financial aid award. 7. DON’T WAIT TO APPLY! Waiting until the admission decisions are known or until you have completed your tax returns to begin the financial aid process is extremely risky. The reason: most institutions “spend down” their financial aid budgets as they proceed through the selection process. If you wait until you have an offer of admission in hand to apply for aid, the money might well be gone. 8. IF THE NUMBERS DON’T LOOK RIGHT, APPEAL! Soon after you receive an offer of admission, you should expect to receive a financial aid award letter if you have applied for financial aid. This will be

true of candidates for both Early Decision, Early Action, and Regular Decision. Hopefully, the numbers are consistent with your expectations and you feel reassured about your ability to meet the cost of attendance for the colleges in question. If not, contact the financial aid office at the school with your questions and any new and relevant information that might be considered in an appeal of your financial aid award. Do this as soon as possible. 9. DISCUSS COST/AFFORDABILITY AT HOME. Communication about cost and affordability at home is critical to good decision-making. Make sure everyone is on the same page with regard to how much you are able/willing to spend on a college education. This “ounce of prevention” can help to avert stressful conversations about paying for college at the end of the process. 10. MANAGE EXPECTATIONS. Know where your credentials will be most competitive and set your (college) expectations accordingly. Hundreds of millions of financial aid dollars will be awarded each year—and they will go to the students who are valued most at the institutions in question.

Wondering what life as a Winthrop Eagle is really like? Don’t take our word for it – take advantage of upcoming visit opportunities:

Check out our scholarship opportunities! www.winthrop.edu/ finaid

Preview Day, Oct. 21 Spend Saturday morning at WU – take a tour and meet students and faculty. Saturday Visits, Oct. 7 or Nov. 18 Enjoy a campus tour with a student guide and meet an admissions counselor. Weekday Visits Come visit any weekday; tours are at 9:30 a.m. or 2 p.m.

Rock Hill, South Carolina 29733 admissions@winthrop.edu

Greenville County College Fair – Fall 2017

To schedule your campus visit, call 800/WINTHROP (946-8476) or visit us online at www.winthrop.edu/admissions.

Finding Colleges That Are Affordable

hen it comes to your child’s college list, parents are often under-served. Few college counselors understand how to evaluate a family’s financial profile and few financial planners know enough about colleges to recommend them knowledgeably. So when beginning to shop for an educational or financial consultant to guide your child toward colleges that are both great academic and social matches for them, as well as smart financial options for you, make sure the “expert” you are planning to work with understands the principles of college affordability. With the help of informed professionals, families can literally save tens of thousands of dollars per year in out-of-pocket costs. Here are the answers to a few of the questions you might be asking while your child is building his/her college list:

IS THE STICKER PRICE OF A COLLEGE THE PRICE WE WILL HAVE TO PAY? No—more often than not it isn’t. All colleges provide federal and/or institutional need-based grants and loans. These awards are based almost entirely on the family’s finances and not on the student’s academic achievement. For families whose earnings and assets are too high to qualify for need-based aid, many colleges also provide non-need grants called merit awards. Over eighty percent of college undergraduates currently receive needbased aid, merit aid, or both. (For example – the full cost of attending Clemson University is over $28,000 per year –

but most students get at least the LIFE Scholarship so that cost is easily $23,000, if not lower depending on other factors.)

enrollment tool, and there are many factors beyond high grades and test scores that could make a student an attractive applicant at a particular college. These can include accomplishments in the performing arts, strong leadership in one or two activities, athletic achievement, demographic diversity, and simply an applicant applying from a region of the country in which the college would like to have a greater presence. Even the fact that you are not applying for need-based aid alone might be enough to win your child a merit award.

DO ALL COLLEGES OFFER SIMILAR AMOUNTS OF NEED-BASED AID? No, the size of these awards differs substantially from one college to the next. About sixty colleges meet 100% of demonstrated need and another 30 meet over 90% of need. At least a dozen have done away with student loans in their financial aid packages and have replaced these with institutional grants. But beware! Many well-known institutions— household names—meet as little as 70% of demonstrated need or less. This unmet need can easily add tens of thousands of dollars annually to your out-of-pocket costs.

IF I BELIEVE MY FAMILY IS ELIGIBLE FOR NEED-BASED FINANCIAL AID, HOW DO I FIND OUT HOW MUCH AID WE MIGHT RECEIVE? The best way to get an early approximation of how much a particular college might cost is to go to that college’s net price calculator located on the website and crunch your numbers. These calculators vary college to college— some are more accurate than others and they are not binding estimates. The most accurate net price calculators are licensed by the College Board. A list of colleges using them can be found here: https://professionals.collegeboard. org/higher-ed/financial-aid/netprice/ participating-schools. After October 1 of your child’s senior year, families seeking need-based aid should submit the online FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) and within a few days learn their EFC (Expected Family Contribution). The EFC is not a prediction of what you will actually pay at each college, but an indication of what the federal government says your family should be able to afford. Be prepared for a number that’s higher than you expect.

DO ALL COLLEGES OFFER MERIT (NON-NEED) AID? No. None of the Ivies do—it’s rare among the most highly selective colleges. But many institutions slightly lower on the selectivity chart do offer merit aid, and some quite generously. There are literally hundreds of schools that give between

BOTTOM LINE…

$15,000 and $25,000 per year on average, for all four years, to their undergraduates. And about eighty of these schools are giving that amount to at least 30% of their undergraduate population.

DOES A B STUDENT HAVE A SHOT AT RECEIVING MERIT AID? Yes, absolutely. Merit money is an

College is expensive. It will likely be one of the most expensive purchases you will ever make. It is crucial to shop wisely for schools that will meet a high percentage of need if you are needeligible, or schools that are generous with merit aid if you are not. And if you are considering working with an expert, make sure they are an expert in knowing how to match both you and your child with colleges that are a great fit!

Limestone College’s combination of a small campus and a liberal arts emphasis provides students with individual attention and a personalized experience. Students choose from over 70 MAJORS AND CONCENTRATIONS, nationally ranked NCAA DIVISION II ATHLETIC PROGRAMS and OVER 30 CLUBS AND ORGANIZATIONS. At Limestone College, you are the focus, the mission, the success!

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ONE FOCUS. OUR MISSION. YOUR SUCCESS.

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Bridging the Way to Higher Education

Prep Smarter: How to Make the Most of SAT/ACT Preparation By Jed Applerouth, PhD

n the winter edition of peer reviewed academic journal College and University, I coauthored, with Dr. Karen Zabrucky, a literature review of the factors that influence performance on the SAT. We investigated the most current research on testing and test preparation to identify the keys to successful SAT performance, examining a range of individual student variables, environmental factors, and preparatory factors.

INDIVIDUAL VARIABLES

Individual differences, both cognitive and affective, influence test scores. Researchers have found general intelligence and working memory — the ability to keep a mental representation active while engaged in additional processing activities — as moderate to strong predictors of SAT performance. If a student is able to read a question once and hold that question in a temporary memory cache while searching through a passage to find the answer, he or she will clearly have an advantage on the SAT/ACT. Additionally researchers have found that test anxiety is an independent predictor of SAT/ACT performance. Students with a greater degree of test anxiety have diminished test performance, thus the importance of addressing test anxiety before sending a student into an official testing administration.

STUDENT CHOICES

Irrespective of individual differences or circumstances, students are in no way

locked into a predetermined SAT/ACT score: the choices students make and the manner in which they prepare for the SAT can have a tremendous impact on their final testing outcomes. Curricular choices in middle and high school relate to SAT/ACT scores. Students pursuing more rigorous academic courses in verbal and STEM subjects tend to attain higher SATACT scores. Students participating in honors or AP level classes in math, English, and natural sciences also tend to attain SAT scores that are significantly higher than peers who enroll exclusively in non-honors classes. Some researchers have identified “high school effects” wherein students attending high schools with a greater percentage of students enrolled in AP courses attain significantly higher test scores. Participation in activities outside the classroom has also been found to correlate with higher scores. Students engaged in extracurricular activities may achieve gains in self-esteem, resilience, and motivation, which can positively affect test scores.

ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS

A student’s home environment can contribute to his or her testing outcomes as well. The types of conversations that students have with their parents about

the SAT and ACT may influence their scores. Julie Park and Ann Becks of the University of Maryland found that parental expectations for student educational attainment, parental education level, the frequency of parent-child discussion about going to college, and SAT/ ACT preparation all made positive contributions toward SAT scores. Brenda Hannon of Texas A&M found that differences in parental education may account for 14 to 34 percent of the gap in SAT scores across different ethnic groups.

GENDER DIFFERENCES

Dr. Zabrucky and I examined the significant body of research on gender and high-stakes testing, paying particular attention to the underperformance of females on the math portion of the SAT and ACT. Despite their consistently superior academic performance (as measured by high school and college GPA) females attain lower SAT and ACT scores than their male counterparts. To account for this differential, some researchers found that males and females exhibited differences in risk-taking behaviors, in that males were more likely to guess than to omit items. This difference, however, should be eradicated now that the guessing penalty has been removed from the SAT. Studies also showed that students with higher rates of self-efficacy for math exhibited greater persistence and attained higher SAT math scores. Researchers identified differences in self-efficacy and perceptions about testing, competition, and anxiety as potential factors contributing to the underperformance of females. Higher rates of test-anxiety among females contributed to score gaps, and Hannon even concluded that greater test anxiety and performance-avoidance goals in females accounted for all significant gender differences on the SAT.

PREPARATORY FACTORS

There are many methods of preparation for the SAT or ACT, and students who

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combine different forms of test preparation (e.g. books, software, groups, private instruction) achieve higher score increases than those who do not. According to Park and Becks, students who worked with private tutors or who took commercially available group classes outside of their high schools attained the largest score increases. Researchers have identified several discrete factors which predict higher SAT performance: Time Investment: Numerous researchers have found a positive relationship between SAT/ACT score increases and number of hours spent in preparation for the test. Pat Montgomery and Jane Lilly of Oxford University identified this effect only for math scores and found that preparation for verbal plateaued after 8 hours of preparation. Effective Instructional Formats: Different forms of SAT/ACT preparation vary in effectiveness. Numerous researchers have identified individual and small-group instruction as more effective than standard classroom instruction. One benefit of individual instruction, according to Benjamin Bloom of U. Chicago, lies in the “feedback-corrective process of mastery learning.” Many scholars agree that a higher level of feedback and direct inquiry increases the efficacy of the individual tutoring format, as does the quality of the instructor. Timing of Test Preparation: Wisely timed test preparation has been found to be one of the most important features of an effective test preparation program. Cramming is not nearly as effective as having well-spaced preparation with regular breaks between prep sessions. Audrey Devine-Eller of Grinnell College found that students who engage in test preparation for the first time during their senior year of high school may have started too late. This finding was affirmed in a 2015 study I conducted with Dr. Zabrucky and Dr. DeWayne Moore in which we found that starting test preparation earlier in the junior year

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positively affected score increases. Distributed Testing: Having breaks between sessions is an important component of learning, relearning, and retaining information. Spacing practice is superior to cramming practice. Taking Practice Tests: For decades, researchers have found evidence that taking practice tests enhances retention, overall learning, and final test outcomes. Retrieving information during a test acts as a powerful memory enhancer, strengthening the memory of learned material for future retrieval events. Taking full-length practice SAT/ACTs helps students assimilate strategies, improve mental endurance, enhance familiarity with the material, and gain confidence. In numerous studies, researchers have found clear benefits of practice tests and evidence that more practice yields greater returns. Repeat Testing: Researchers Charles Clotfelter and Jacob Vigdor found that, just as students benefit from taking multiple practice tests, they also benefit from taking multiple official tests. The mechanism is largely the same: sequential testing events increase familiarity, comfort, confidence and give corrective feedback to inform future preparation. In 2015, research scientists at The College Board found that 64 percent of their sample of 150,377 students achieved their highest score on their final SAT. My investigation with Dr. Zabrucky and Dr. Moore found that students preparing for the SAT increased their scores an average of 22.62 points for every official SAT they took. The growing body of academic research pertaining to the SAT/ACT informs us that students, parents, and high schools

all contribute to student success on the SAT. Student choices — both in and out of school — matter, as does the manner in which they prepare for the SAT. Parents can have a positive impact on student outcomes through their attention to the college admissions process and through encouraging students to academically challenge themselves and participate in extracurricular activities. When students prepare for the SAT/ ACT, they must remember that time on task, or getting adequate exposure to the material, directly contributes to final outcomes. Other factors for successful test prep include spreading prep out over time, building in breaks, taking practice tests, taking multiple official tests, starting early enough to avoid being rushed, and using multiple, effective forms of test preparation. Familiarity with the material breeds confidence, lowers anxiety, and sets a student up for their greatest likelihood of success on the SAT/ACT. Jed Applerouth is a teacher and an educational innovator. A Nationally Certified Counselor with a PhD in Educational Psychology, Jed has researched student cognition, memory, motivation, and learning strategies to enhance the pedagogical strategies of Applerouth Tutoring Services. Jed is also a trained artist. He has found a way to merge his counseling and educational insights, visual talents, and whimsical sense of humor into a highly effective and original method for teaching academic subjects and preparing students for college and grad-school admissions tests. Jed continually seeks new ways to improve the methods and materials of ATS, researching the most innovative pedagogical strategies to keep his tutors on the cutting edge of the education industry. No stranger to assessments, Jed scored a perfect 2400 on the SAT and a super-scored 36 on the ACT.

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