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Newsletter March 2011
In This Issue
Course Selection Time
What You Need to Know About Gap Year
Tweeting in College
Host a Coffee - Earn a Discount!
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Course Selection Time: Choose Wisely    apple logo

It is the time of year for high school students to make course selections for next academic year. While you may not have many options until senior year, you still must decide on electives and the appropriate level of rigor for your academic classes. Here are some factors to consider when making your selection:

Sketch Out A Plan for Your Remaining High School Years
Students typically consider their courses for the following year without much thought about where those selections will take them by the time they graduate from high school. Do some long-term thinking and ask yourself, "What do I want to accomplish by the time I am a senior?" For instance, if you think you want to take calculus by senior year, then be sure you are choosing math courses early in high school to put you on the proper path. You can always make modifications later, but sketching out your plan for all four years will help you be focused and directed about your goals.

Challenge Yourself Appropriately
If you take too many challenging courses, your GPA may take a hit or you might be stressed and overwhelmed to an unhealthy degree. That is what happened to Michelle, who opted for AP European History, AP Spanish and AP Statistics during senior year. The problem was that math is not her strength, so she earned a C in that course during her first term. Since colleges see the first-term grades for seniors (for earlier high school years they only see the final grade), this most likely hurt her chances at some of the colleges to which she applied. While she still ended up at a great university, at the time this was a stressful experience.

Conversely, if you choose a course where you expect to get an easy A, you may not be challenging yourself appropriately, and you might be limiting your college options by not taking the higher-level course. One student, Eliza, decided to play it safe and take honors US History during junior year even though she had always earned A's in history courses during high school. She was afraid that if she earned a B in AP US History it would lower her GPA. What Eliza didn't consider, however, is that she was interested in very selective colleges that expect successful applicants to have at least one AP course on their transcript during junior year. She would have positioned herself better if she had taken the harder course--even if she earned the B. Students sometimes get a B in an AP course but still earn a 4 or a 5 on the AP exam (a 5 is the highest score). The point is that if you are capable of stretching then taking the risk might be the right choice.

High School Juniors--Consider Your Possible College Course of Study
Most high school juniors are undecided about what they want to study in college. However, if you are leaning toward specific areas such as science or business, there are certain courses that should be on your schedule. I remember one student, Mark, who applied to business programs at several universities. He resisted taking calculus during senior year and opted for statistics instead. He was initially waitlisted at his college of choice, and the reason given by the admissions counselor was that he was clearly capable of higher-level math such as calculus given his 700 on the math section of the SAT. The college felt he should have challenged himself more given his aptitude and business interests.

Likewise, science students should take a fourth year of science and math, and those interested in fields such as international relations should take four years of foreign language and social studies/history.

Pursue Your Interests
While it is important to keep in mind how your choices affect your college aspirations, you should also be true to yourself by pursuing your interests and enjoying your high school experience. Students with an eye on the most selective colleges may find that taking an AP Art course is not viewed as being of the same rigor as taking an AP academic course, but that does not mean students should not pursue art. If art is important to you then perhaps you should apply to colleges where your high school art courses will be valued--as they are at many top colleges and universities.

Bucking the AP Trend
Although many colleges like to see AP courses on a student's transcript, these courses are not for everyone. Given the fast pace and the amount of independent work, some students find them too demanding. Others simply prefer courses that allow time for class discussions and the flexibility of veering off the prescribed curriculum to explore interesting ideas and relevant current events. More than 2,000 high schools have dropped the AP curriculum in the past three years. Even in schools where AP still reigns, some students are resisting the pressure to take AP. Self-described "AP Dropout" Tom Stanley-Becker, while a junior at the University of Chicago's University High School, wrote in the Los Angeles Times about why he decided to pursue his own interests:

The problem with the AP program is that we don't have time to really learn history because we're preparing for the exam. We race through the textbook, cramming in the facts...a week on World War II, a week on the era from FDR to JFK, a day on the civil rights movement--with nothing on transcendentalism, or the Harlem Renaissance, or Albert Einstein...


Like more and more students, Stanley-Becker turned toward independent studies where he could go more in-depth on a topic.

Choosing courses is important and you need to weigh the repercussions of your decisions. That is why it is important to be thoughtful and discuss your options with your guidance counselor, college counselor and your parents this spring.  
Bridging the Gap: What You Need to Know About Gap Year  

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For many students, going to college immediately after finishing high school seems like the obvious and expected thing to do. However, immediately jumping from high school to college is not always the best route for all students. For students who are feeling uncertain about college or just want time to have experiences outside of the classroom, a gap year might be the perfect solution. Taking a gap year between high school and college has been standard option in other countries, including Australia and Great Britain, and is gaining popularity in the United States.

Why Take a Gap Year?
Gap year participants begin college with a renewed sense of purpose as well as a better understanding of where their interests lie and what major or career they may want to pursue. As Holly Bull, the president of the Center for Interim Programs, noted in an article by Sarah D. Sparks, "Taking gap time can really save a lot of the floundering around that students do."

In addition to expanding participants' worldview, research indicates that taking a gap year can also increase their motivation to finish their degrees when they do attend college. In her article, Sparks cites two studies conducted by Andrew J. Martin, a researcher at the University of Sydney, which indicate that gap year participants in Australia had "higher motivation in college -- in the form of 'adaptive behavior' such as planning, task management, and persistence -- than did students who did not take a gap year."

Is There a Negative Stigma with Taking a Gap Year?
One of the biggest concerns people have in regards to gap year is the fear that it signifies that the participants are somehow less motivated or less mature than their college-bound peers. However, this is definitely not the case. Students take a gap year for a variety of reasons, and some colleges encourage students to purse their interests in this way, including Princeton, which funds gap year experiences for 100 members of its incoming class.

This reception to gap year participation has a direct connection with the positive attributes students get from these programs. The maturity and focus that often come with taking a year off to travel, work, or do volunteer work benefit the colleges as well as the individuals. In fact, according to Time.com, Robert Clagett, the dean of admissions at Middlebury College found "that a single gap semester was the strongest predictor of academic success at his school." In keeping with this idea, the college's admissions site includes a gap year message for students.

What Are My Options If I Take a Gap Year?
Foreign travel is perhaps one of the most attractive options for gap year participants because many programs give them the opportunity to immerse themselves in a different culture. Students can spend a semester at sea through Seamester, which combines foreign travel with academic classes in subjects such as oceanography, marine biology, and scuba and sailing certification. Other programs, like i-to-i, let students choose whether they want to have a tour, which consists primarily of travelling around a country, or a volunteer experience, with an emphasis on community service. Thinking Beyond Borders, which offers a Global Gap Year and an Ecuador Gap Semester, gives students the chance to engage with a curriculum focused on studying global issues and how participants, as individuals, can enact change. In addition to seminar-based classes, Thinking Without Borders reinforces students' knowledge through multiple home stays and structured mentoring. These programs are often the most costly options, with fees ranging from $1,300 for two weeks in Cambodia to $20,000 for 80 days at sea to $39,000 for a Global Gap Year. Limited financial aid may be available.

While some gap year programs can cost as much as a year in college, there are also very affordable (and even free) alternatives that students can pursue. World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF) is a program where volunteers help hosts with agricultural chores in exchange for room and board with the host's family. While WWOOF charges a small fee to help maintain the network, volunteers do not pay for their stay. The Student Conservation Agency (SCA) offers another reasonably-priced option for students who want to combine volunteerism with travel. Volunteers camp in backcountry and front country locations in the United States and work on conservation efforts.

For students who want to do community service closer to home, programs like City Year and AmeriCorps can offer a rewarding and affordable option. Both programs have locations throughout the United States, making it easy to find opportunities that are close to you. In addition programs that allow you to volunteer locally, AmeriCorps also has the National Civilian Community Corps, where participants live and work full-time at one of five campuses for 10 months and complete service projects in the regions. Another option is to check with local charities and affiliates to see if they have any long-term volunteer positions available.

Of course, you can always get an internship. Internships range from working in a corporation or a non-profit organization to volunteering for a political campaign, and they allow you to pursue your interests while gaining professional knowledge. Besides this on-the-job experience, an internship is also the perfect opportunity for you to decide whether a particular career (and major) is right for you.

For More Information:
The Gap-Year Advantage (Karl Haigler and Rae Nelson) has advice for parents who want to help their children explore their options and develop a gap-year strategy.

Taking Time Off (Colin Hall and Ron Lieber) contains profiles of students who had successful gap year experiences.

The Center for Interim Programs

GapYear.com

PlanetGapYear.com 

College in the News: When Tweeting is Part of the Curriculum 

 

While texting and using Facebook and Twitter in class are often frowned upon by professors, some classes are encouraging students to use social media to publicize businesses. In exchange for this, the universities sometimes receive funding or other compensation from companies and students get a chance to build their resumes (and might receive perks like smartphones with unlimited service). Read more about it on The Wall Street Journal site.  

Host a Coffee -- Earn a Discount! 

 

Gather 5 or more friends for coffee at your home and Educational Advocates will give an informal talk on Navigating the College Admissions Process and answer your group's questions. If you host an event, we will deduct 10% from any of our professional service options. This program is suitable for parents of freshmen, sophomores or juniors. Call 617-734-3700 or email to schedule your event today.

Juniors: It's Time to Start Planning for College  

Educational Advocates offers a range of services to support you through the college admission and application process. Call us at 617-734-3700 for more details.
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Newsletter editorial staff:
Joan K. Casey
Terri Suico