Why College?
by Dave Goldberg, M. Ed., IRHS Counselor
The counselors just returned from a college relations council workshop held at The University of Arizona. We met with recruiters from about 20 Arizona colleges and universities and chatted with our counterparts from other area high school. Those symbiotic relationships have never been stronger or more important, and the cost of education has never been higher relative to family earnings.
College is flippin' expensive.
Having graduated from the UofA in the mid-80's, I have a somewhat unique perspective on recent developments. High school is much more challenging to get through and the university's admissions standards have risen. The buildings on UofA's campus are more muscular; male administrative personnel wear ties. A hint of the business model fills the air right alongside a heavy dose of school spirit. In keeping with the buttoned down atmosphere,The Princeton Review doesn't list Arizona as a "party school" any more. ASU ranked 17thlast year. The UofA continues to disappoint investors in Golden Eagle.On a side note, I metThe Princeton Review'sSenior Vice President for Content Development, Mr. Robert Franek, several years ago. He is the guy who puts together the kitschy rankings. He is certainly no arbiter of party school rankings. The bow tie gave that away. Perhaps it squirted water or twirled when he delivered a punch line.It's a little hard to find, but The Princeton Review's nefarious sub-rankings of "party schools" ranks right up there with the National Lampoonmagazine of yesteryear. Congratulations to the UofA for taking great strides in focusing students on studies instead of academic probation. Historically, many students have crashed on those rocks and found themselves floating over to PCC to rehab anemic GPA's.
Anyway, here is what we learned from our workshop: Apply Now! Every IRHS senior planning to attend the UofA should apply before October 1, 2013. Yes, ASU wants your application and transcripts NOW as well. Is this mandatory? No. Is this a great idea? Yes.
My best guess as to the urgency seen this year is that "enrollment management" theories have taken hold and the universities want to know who is coming and who is enrolling elsewhere, so that they might hire the appropriate number of faculty and staff to serve their incoming class. For you, prime on-campus housing and orientation sessions are also at stake.
Bottom line? If you plan to attend UofA or ASU, submit that application soon. NAU and GCU are also seeking applicants but I didn't sense their urgency, though they along with others are certainly viable contenders to educate your child.
Regarding other college folks who attended, we met with many reps from the Maricopa Community College District, Pima Community College, Arizona Christian University, Eastern Arizona College, Arizona Western College, Universal Technical Institute, FIDM, Yavapai College, Cochise College and Central Arizona College.
All colleges worth their salt are out beating the bushes to lure in your child. IRHS currently enrolls about 450 seniors. For the record, graduating seniors can't stay here.And though it's only mid-September, Guidance has yet to see a sense of urgency in the application process. That's apparently bad.
Housekeeping
We are hosting an Arizona-based college fair here at IRHS on Friday, September 13th, from 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m.
The TCC College Fair is on Tuesday, October 22 from about 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Parking is free. Get there early!
College fair attendees are supposed to go to http://www.gotocollegefairs.com to print out a bar code for scanning. This will save much time at the various college fairs you attend. Your child, carrying around the printed bar code for a month or so, will be interesting.
The revamped IRHS Scholarships and MoreFacebook page is up and running. To date 46 students have "liked" the page.
PSAT packets are on sale in our Bookstore. The exam is October 19thduring Fall Break. Juniors really need to take this. Bring $25 to the bookstore to sign up.
Exploring College Options is conducting an information session on Tuesday, October 1st, at the Tucson Marriott University Park. Event begins at 7:30 p.m. That meeting will include Duke, Georgetown, Harvard, Penn and Stanford. Be sure to ask them directly if comparing #1 university's financial aid package off of #2 university's offer is a good idea and yields a higher offer (bid) from preferred university #1. This question may yield a surprising answer.
As always, in September and October, open and read theNighthawk Daily News for colleges and universities visiting IRHS. The University of Chicago, USC, Ohio University, Middlebury and other heavies are indeed coming to IRHS.
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