Looking at More than Just One College Ranking

When any student begins a college search for the US, they begin by googling “best colleges in the country,” submit and click the first link which, 99.99% of the times is the US News & World College Rankings. This mammoth list that was started as a way to drive more readers to the U.S. News Magazine now generates an annual viewership of 10 million visits the month its published annually. Its probably the best known listicle in the world ( sorry Buzzfeed) but a lot of people are skeptical about its validity. 

Every year, The Atlantic releases an article about how problematic the ranking is: 

“U.S. News is always tinkering with the metrics they use, so meaningful comparisons from one year to the next are hard to make. Critics also allege that this is as much a marketing move as an attempt to improve the quality of the rankings: changes in the metrics yield slight changes in the rank orders, which induces people to buy the latest rankings to see what’s changed.” 

Malcolm Gladwell also dedicated a long essay just about US News Rankings calling the president of the program a preppy hack and elucidating his disdain with the system because of how it fails to compare apples to apples. The current metric compares small liberal arts colleges with large public funded schools both of which have different priorities, student demographics, and budgets: 

“There’s no direct way to measure the quality of an institution—how well a college manages to inform, inspire, and challenge its students. So the U.S. News algorithm relies instead on proxies for quality—and the proxies for educational quality turn out to be flimsy at best.”

Colleges lose their holistic touch this way. The best way to actually learn about a college is by interacting with current students, alumni, faculty, and admissions counselors; along with independent counselors who have been in the industry for decades. However, if you still crave the usual listicle (I know I do), look for ones that don't try paint the whole college with one paintbrush but rather rank colleges for a certain attribute that they possess. 

Here is a list (ha!) of a few to look into: 

1. 10 Best College Campuses in 2017
2. Colleges that Change Lives
3. 2017 Best College Dorms in America 
4. College rankings based entirely on other college rankings

Early vs. Regular Decision

When applying to the United States, there are two options of applications: Regular Decision (RD), where students apply sometime in January or Early Decision (ED), where students apply much earlier (usually by 1 November). The one caveat with Early decision is that it is binding (and limited to one college) , which means that students sign a contract promising to attend an institution if admitted. Students usually choose to apply ED to colleges that are on their dream list in hopes of having a higher chance of getting into the college. But is applying ED really that beneficial? 

The short answer is yes it is! But lets go through this logically. Why do colleges actually offer this option at all? Well, since students bind themselves to the college, they are not only giving up the freedom to choose among future offers of admission but they are also providing colleges with virtually a 100 percent chance of “yielding” them into the institution. This allows colleges to gauge how many students they can take in the future. In fact. some of the most popular colleges in the country take a majority of their students in ED while the reported acceptance rate in popular rankings is calculated on RD acceptance making the colleges look highly selective even though their might a skew in that selectivity. 

When you apply to a college, look for how many students they take ED vs. RD because this help you understand your true ability to get in to the college. Even in colleges that take a lot of ED students, the kind of students can be disproportionate towards athletes and legacies than students who truly deserve the position. However, this isn't how every college goes. Students and parents are scared of ED because of the binding clause but it can be very helpful. One concern is financial aid; parents think by binding, colleges give less financial aid. This is completely false. In fact, students who go in ED usually have more generous financial aid package than most RD Students. Additionally, colleges usually break the ED clause if you prove that you can't pay for college. But this also means that you aren't considered in the RD pool of students. 

According to Jennie Kent and Jeff Levy, here are some stats about Ivy League college acceptances. This should give a good idea of how much importance colleges give to ED acceptances and how you can plan your college lists. 

Here is the link to the full list published by Jennie Kent and Jeff Levy.

Contact us if you need to plan your college list

How to Win at Homework

Homework is something that doesn't go away when you're in college so it's a good idea to understand how you can be effective while homeworking. One good solution could be to do homework with classmates and friends. According to recent research, students who collaborate with classmates on assignments and group projects develop better decision-making skills than those working solo. This means that not only does studying suddenly become less awful when you’re surrounded by friends, but learning stuff alongside others can actually boost your GPA. 

But with little time to actually study and commute to friends, some people are taking to social media to study. Reddit is filled with threads for almost every single thing you’d ever study, from Econ to English. And thanks to video chats and document sharing, Google+ is another surprisingly great tool to get stuff done in groups. Not to forget online study sites such as khan academy. 

It’s easy to blame the internet as a homework distraction, but very real evidence shows that social networks can help you learn. A study from Baylor University found that students who participated in a closed Facebook group of 15,000 classmates actually benefitted (and so did their grades). This isn't an excuse to spend all night on Messenger instead of with your bio textbook, but school-specific social networks can help you finish your work faster. In short, its about time you studied with other people either in person on virtually!

Canada: The New Institutional Heaven?

For the longest time, the United States was the most popular country for international students. However, there is a rising trend in the number of students choosing Canada over the US. According to a recent report from RBC Economics, the number of international students enrolled in post-secondary education in Canada surged from 180,000 in 2007 to 415,000 in 2016 — that’s a 130 percent increase in nine years. Where are the students coming from? China and India. 

Chinese and Indian citizens are increasingly choosing to study in Canada, and they in fact dominate the international student population in many Canadian universities. The 132,000 Chinese students studying in Canada make up one-third of all foreign students in Canada — a three-fold increase from a decade ago. The number of students from India grew ten times over the last decade, reaching 80,000 in 2016.

There are many reasons why Canada is becoming so big: 

1. According to the OECD’s “Programme for International Student Assessment”, Canada ranked 7th globally for education performance, above Australia, the U.S. and the U.K.

2. International student tuition fees in Canada are substantially lower than that of our southern neighbour — it costs an average of $22,000/year to study in Canada, as opposed to $33,000/year to study in America.  

3. Canada has open borders and wants to keep it that way. They are trying to keep international graduates in the country by giving them employment and permanent residency 

The open borders are making it easier for students to think about Canada as an alternative education society, especially for students who want to actually live in the country because at the end of the day the name and level of education would be much higher with a degree from the US but yes, immigration after education in the United States is still a little tricky.

Don't Let Your Grades Define You

The last two years of high school are challenging. There are social pressures, boards, internal exams, extracurriculars, projects, research, and if that wasn't enough: Standardized testing, Common App essays, and supplemental essays. These years are challenging just to go through but the added pressure of getting amazing grades can be immensely stressful. Even though your parents may say that grades don't matter; admissions officers, teachers, and even friends may be creating this hype that scores are the only thing that will get you into school. You could also chalk it up to a fear of failure. A fear that your first major decision may not hold up to whatever idea your parents, friends, or family have of you; or worse yet, what you thought of yourself.  
 
There needs to be a balance. You cannot just be chasing numbers. Don't get me wrong, grades do matter, just not as much as you think. Grades give you a great goal to work towards, especially in the case of university admission cut-offs. They offer a great way to gauge your improvement in each subject, but that’s about it. What grades don’t show, though, is the time you spend volunteering, learning to play the guitar, or simply learning to love yourself. They can’t gauge how much you grow as person.   

Here are some things to do if you are truly struggling: 

Ask for help: The sooner you reach out, the sooner you’ll understand the content, and the sooner you can move on to more exciting things.

Listen to your body: Understand how much you can study one and take constructive breaks that actually recharge you. Go for a run, hang with your friends, spend too much time on a couch watching Netflix. Your call.

Lastly, remember you will get through this!
 

The Rise in SAT/ACT Optional Schools

There was a time when one of the most important things that students had to do in order to be eligible to just apply to college was take the SAT standardized test. It became the benchmark in the American education system. A number that ranked students in the country and acted like a key to colleges based on their scores. Even though the US is largely holistic, the numbers played an important part in the overall prestige of the college as well. According to the U.S. News Rankings 22.5% of the scores that a college is weighted on is Academic Reputation which is derived from the median SAT scores that students achieve. Soon the ACT crept in and challenged the SAT by providing a science section and engaging a students intellect in a differ and now almost favored way. 

However, there is a rise in the number of test-optional schools in the country. There are a few reasons why this is gaining traction: 

1. George Washington University in 2015 chose to be test option because it wanted to increase the number of students who didn't score well but have great academic profiles to apply
2. Wake Forest realized that standardized testing was reducing the number of minorities that were applying and chose to go test optional to increase overall diversity. Pitzer college said a similar thing. According to reports Pitzer’s diversity has gone up by 58% since the policy change.
3. Other colleges such as Bates claim that standardized testing is taking away time from students to apply themselves in their school studies and extra curriculars which admissions couselors prioritize a lot more. 

This policy helps colleges as well. If students choose to send their SAT scores, they only do so if they have done exceptionally well which increases the overall score median for the school thereby beefing up their academic reputation in the US News Rankings. Standardized tests are not for everyone. If they stress you or take a lot of your time, consider applying to the over 500 colleges that are test optional. 

Advice to First Years by College Presidents

It’s a tradition amongst college presidents to send out a letter incoming first year students a month before they embark on their collegiate journey. Since most first year students will be entering college this month, we thought we share some of the sage advice presidents of various colleges had to offer:

Dr. Johnathan Gibralter, President Wells College

1. First of all, first years, take a deep breath and approach everything one day at a time.The nervous feelings you have those first few days will get better, and there are many people on your campus who care about how you’re doing. It’s normal to feel lonely and miss your family. Try not to call them too often. Instead, leave your room and get to know people on campus.
2. Show up and study hard! Remember first and foremost you are in college to be a successful student. Faculty members are there to support you in class and during office hours. No surprisingly, they expect you to come to class, read the textbooks, be organized and put effort into your assignments. Not surprisingly, the students who do best in college are those who actually attend lectures and do the work. If you do your part, professors and teaching assistants can help you share your ideas through research opportunities, art exhibitions, plays and in many other ways. In short, remember why you are in college — to define the best parts of yourself through learning.

Dr. Adam Weinberg, President Denison University

1. Take a wide range of classes.Students make the mistake of trying to narrow in on a particular major early. Partially, they do this under the mistaken belief that it helps with jobs (that is the topic for another article). The wider the range of courses you take, the broader the skills and world views you will develop and the better prepared you will be for life.

1. Make Friends: Pick good friends who are at college for the right reasons and who bring out the best in you. Who you hang out with matters. Our college careers are shaped, more than anything else, by the people we chose to hang out with.
2. Save a little bit of time for reflection: At least once a semester, take a few minutes to think about all the experiences you are having in college and what they are adding up to. What are you learning about yourself and the kind of person you want to be and life you want to lead? You can do this with some friends, an academic advisor, a mentor, a parent, or even by yourself.   

Julie Ramsey, Vice President for College Life & Dean of Students Gettysburg College

1. Take care of yourself: Between class, writing papers and studying, attending club meetings and hanging out with friends, you may find it exhausting! Get enough sleep, eat well and exercise often. If you need help, contact the Health Center, Counseling Services, or Department of Public Safety.

1. Join a student club. Follow up on the contacts made at the Activities Fair last week. Take some time every week to learn more about the 120+ student-led clubs and organizations on campus. If you don’t see what you are looking for, start your own club or initiative!

Richard A. Moran, President Menlo College

1. Choose a “Walkup” song to keep in mind- something you can hum to yourself as you make an entrance on campus. A walkup song is a confidence-building song that says you're going to be someone. 

Studying Medicine Abroad

While the world is your oyster in terms of what and where you want to study, as an Indian citizen studying medicine outside of India is next to impossible. In the United States, most med schools are funded in part by the government which means that a strong majority of the seats would be open to only US citizens and permanent residents. In 2013, about 1,088 non-US citizens/residents applied, 115 of which did get in. The average admit rate into med school was as low as 1% This means that competition is hard and the that you have to complete a four year undergrad degree before going to med school makes both financially and temporally draining as well. 

The UK has good medical programs and according to reports the government will fund up to 1,500 additional student places through medical school each year. The number of medical training places available to students each year will be expanded to ensure the National Health Society- the country’s public run healthcare program has enough doctors to continue to provide care in the future. While number of opportunities to study are increasing, the UK provides no guarantee for an internship, residency, or any employment opportunity since healthcare is largely state run and there aren't many private players are allowed to be in the sector. This makes the return on investment difficult to digest. Europe does have some medical colleges that run on a foreign student model where students get their medical degrees and then apply for a license to practice in India. Nothumbria University (UK) has a 2+4 program with St. Andrew’s University in Jamaica. Another popular option is Charles University in Prague which is very liberal on Indian students and is recognized by the Indian Medical Board. 

If you are serious about medicine (specifically, in being a doctor) and have no other citizenship other than Indian, working through the Indian education system would be the best. Contact us and we could help you plan your Medical career plan. 

Rebranding the Gap Year: A look into Global Citizen Year

For the longest time,  the gap year was assumed to be for the rich or the academically burnt out who needed a sabbatical before they embark on four years of higher education. However, the gap year is anything but a holiday. Abigail Falik, in a New York Times Article challenged us to rebrand the gap year, “When used intentionally, the year before college can be a bridge, a launch pad and a new rite of passage. It’s the students who find the courage to step off the treadmill – replacing textbooks with experience and achievement with exploration – who are best prepared for life after high school.” Many universities look at a gap in a good light. Bill Fitzsimmons, Harvard’s undergraduate admissions dean, wrote a manifesto about the need for students to take time off before college. Rick Shaw, Stanford’s undergraduate admissions dean, now speaks about the value of non-linear paths and the learning and growth that come from risk taking and failure, as opposed to perfect records. Princeton, Tufts and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have recently developed “bridge year” programs that encourage – and pay for – students to spend a year immersed in the world before arriving on campus.

This means that students aren't using this as way to just relax, they are leaning new things, finding jobs in careers that they might want to explore in the future, and doing Service. When we look at a resume the last thing we look at is if the candidate has been involved in a service project or not. But what if that was not the case? What if a year of service could be an effective way to not only understand yourself but the people and the world around you? A lot of student have moved toward doing just that. One of the leading gap year programs in the US is Global Citizen Year, a nine month excursion into countries such as Senegal, Brazil, and India where students live in a homestay and work in meaningful places. In India students work with Teach for India and an NGO for girl child education out of Hyderabad. In Senegal, the students work in creating sustainable infrastructure. Students love the program even though it costs as much as a year in a public college (though most US citizens get financial aid). As an Indian you can apply for the program but may only be eligible for financial aid if you are a student at one of the United World Colleges. 

Apart from GCY, there are other service opportunities in India as well (U Chicago’s Delhi office runs a lot of service immersion programs). Contact us and we can guide you in the right way. 

How to Make the Most of your Gap Year

There are a lot of opportunities to explore when you take a gap year. Students, learn new languages, invent apps, work in part/ full time jobs, create companies, and most importantly travel. According to the American Gap Association (americangap.org) over 85% of gap year students (“gappers”) wanted to travel in order to see the world and experience other cultures. 

Regardless of the motivation, the time off can be helpful. Srini Pillay, M.D., Harvard psychiatrist, academic adviser, and author of Tinker, Dabble, Doodle, Try: Unlock the Power of the Unfocused, can relate a number of advantages students may have as a result of time spent away from academia during a gap year.

In his book, he outlines exactly how time off such as a gap year can benefit the brain. Some examples include activating the default mode network of the brain – what he calls its unfocus circuit. This area of the brain increases creativity, improves memory, enhances a sense of prediction about the future, and re-energizes the brain.According to Pillay, “Time away, even when it seems irrelevant, can enhance creative solutions because the brain has time to shuttle around old memories, recombine puzzle pieces, and invent new and fresh approaches to life.”

The American Gap Association surveys alumni to gain further insight into the benefits of taking time between high school and college. The most recent reports show that:

• More than 80 percent of respondents said they would recommend a gap year to someone who was considering it.

• The most meaningful experience for the majority of respondents was being in a new and different environment.

• Also important was the increased exposure to new experiences.

• Gappers may even get better grades when they get to college. Undergraduate students who had taken a gap year before enrolling earned 0.1 to 0.4 higher GPAs than students who didn’t, according to studies conducted by Robert Claggett, former dean of Middlebury College.

Overall, gap years can be extremely fruitful if planned well. Having your parents or a gap year counsellor help you plan your year may help greatly increase your chances of making the most of your year! Contact us for more information about how to plan a gap year.