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  • Dr. Jill Biden – Serving as Commencement Speaker

    Dr. Jill Biden will serve as commencement speaker at Kingsborough Community College this year. Dr. Biden, an educator of 28 years, has taught English in community colleges for the past 15 years and continues to teach English courses at a DC-area community college. Kingsborough Community College of the City University of New York is Brooklyn’s only community college and serves approximately 30,000 students per year.

    Dr. Biden will address graduates, family members, and faculty at Kingsborough on Friday June 12, 2009.

    More details will be announced at a later date.

  • Obama Meets With Family – College Costs

    “President Obama met with a family struggling to afford the cost of college and released a new analysis of the impact of his plans to increase student aid. He will take on the special interests to eliminate wasteful and unreliable guaranteed student loans and invest more in helping students succeed in college and complete their degree. And he will make a historic investment in college affordability: together, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) and the President’s Budget provide about $200 billion in Pell Grant scholarships and tax credits over the next decade.

    • Reforming Student Loans: The guaranteed student loan program pays banks and other lenders a guaranteed rate of return and reimburses them for defaults, giving them large profits set by the political process rather than won in a competitive marketplace. The Obama-Biden Administration will expand the alternative Direct Loan program, which is administered by private sector companies selected through a competitive process and paid based upon performance. Direct loans have essentially the same terms for students and are more reliable and efficient. They will save $48 billion over the next decade according to the Office of Management and Budget, which will be reinvested in Pell Grant scholarships for students.
    • Restoring Pell Grants to a Strong Foundation for Student Aid: The value of Pell Grants have fallen from 77 percent of the cost of attending a public university to 33 percent over the past three decades. The ARRA invested $17 billion, making it possible to increase Pell by $619 for 7 million students. But these funding increases are only temporary, and without additional resources the value of the maximum Pell Grant will fall by $1,400 in 2011. President Obama is committed to a strong, reliable Pell Grant program. He will make Pell an entitlement, provide $116 billion over the next decade to prevent any drop in the size of Pell Grants, ensure that they continues to grow faster than inflation, and eliminate the frequent budget shortfalls that have plagued the program.
    • Cut Taxes on College Tuition: The ARRA created the American Opportunity Tax Credit, which will give millions of families up to $2,500 each to help pay for college. The credit was also expanded to help families too poor to owe income taxes. But the credit expires at the end of 2010. The President’s Budget would make it permanent.
    • Make a New Commitment to College Access and Completion: Only 65 percent of students starting at four-year colleges – and 38 percent of students starting at two-year colleges – earn a degree within six years. The President’s Budget includes a five-year, $2.5 billion fund to improve college access and help America’s colleges and universities graduate more students. The fund will identify, test, and promote what works in boosting college enrollment and persistence. “

    Taken from whitehouse.gov

  • UC Davis Chancellor

    “New e-mails released by the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign suggest that Provost Linda Katehi – who arrives as chancellor of UC Davis next month – knew of and may have played a role in at least one of the improper “clout admissions” under investigation in that state.

    Katehi, who has overseen admissions at the university since 2006, has repeatedly denied knowing anything about the secretive admissions known as “Category 1” that has led to about 800 underqualified but well-connected applicants being admitted to the flagship Illinois campus.

    The e-mails, however, suggest a train of influence in which Katehi made inquiries and forwarded information about a wait-listed student after a political figure in Illinois contacted her about the applicant. When the student got in, Katehi pronounced the decision via e-mail as “excellent.”

    Over the weekend, Katehi, who is traveling in Greece, reiterated to UC President Mark Yudof in an e-mail that she had “absolutely no role in the admissions decisions regarding so-called Category 1 admissions.”

    President remains confident

    Regarding the latest disclosures, Katehi told Yudof in a note that “all I did was inquire as to the status of the student’s application, and nothing more. I took no action and made no effort to alter, influence or interfere with the admissions decision of this applicant.”

    In an earlier interview with The Chronicle, Katehi said she was neither aware of the special admissions nor informed of them.

    “At this point, I haven’t seen anything that would cause me to lose confidence in Dr. Katehi,” Yudof said Monday.

    But state Sen. Leland Yee, D-San Francisco, continued his call for a halt to the appointment of Katehi, who as chancellor will earn $400,000 plus a house and other benefits. He urged Yudof to convene a review panel to look into the matter.

    “With all due respect to Dr. Katehi, the story and answers she’s giving are just not believable,” Yee said. “She cannot claim she doesn’t know about these categories of privileged individuals, when in fact she directed a staff member to look into one of the applications.”

    Early in 2008, Katehi received an e-mail from the campaign manager to the Illinois state treasurer providing information about a wait-listed applicant.

    Katehi forwarded the application to the vice provost, asking for a status report. She described the student as “the daughter of a fairly prominent Greek family in Chicago.”

    Specialty admissions uproar

    Katehi, the treasurer and the campaign manager are all Greek Americans, as was the applicant, an heiress to a Chicago chocolate fortune, according to the Chicago Tribune, which broke the story of the specialty admissions in May and has continued its series as the state has investigated the scandal.

    The newspaper said a Greek Orthodox priest had originally contacted the state treasurer’s office asking for help on behalf of the young heiress, whose name has been redacted from the university’s e-mails.

    Some of the e-mails about the applicant are labeled “Cat 1,” indicating the category for special admissions. Applicants in this group had lower test scores but were admitted at higher rates than other applicants, according to the Tribune investigation.

    ‘Late decision’ admission

    Eventually, in an e-mail copied to Katehi, Vice Provost Ruth Watkins suggested that the applicant be admitted under “late decision” – a method often used to slip underqualified applicants under the radar.

    When Katehi received an e-mail informing her that the applicant in question would be admitted, she wrote, “Excellent.”

    Katehi is to arrive at UC Davis on Aug. 17.”

  • Dr. Jill Biden – Continuing to Teach

    “Continuing her 28-year career as an educator, Dr. Jill Biden returned to teaching today at a DC-area community college. Dr. Biden will work as an adjunct professor at Northern Virginia Community College this semester, teaching two English courses.

    “I am thrilled to return to the classroom to continue working with community college students, whom I greatly admire and enjoy teaching,” said Dr. Biden. “I have always believed in the power of community colleges to endow students with critical life skills, and I am pleased that I can make a difference by doing what I love to do, teaching people who are excited to learn.”

    Dr. Biden has been a teacher for over 28 years, having spent 15 years teaching English Composition at Delaware Technical & Community College. Prior to that, she worked as a Reading Specialist and English teacher in the Delaware public school system. While working full-time and raising a family, Jill earned two master’s degrees: a Master’s degree in English from Villanova University (1987) and a Master’s degree in reading from West Chester University (1981). Jill earned a Doctorate in Education from the University of Delaware in 2007. Her dissertation focused on how to retain students in community colleges.

    In addition to her work as a professor, Dr. Biden recognizes the critical importance of quality education to the nation’s economic well-being and to our communities, and will continue to promote these issues in the coming months. Last week, Dr. Biden welcomed over 200 DC Public School students to the Vice President’s residence as the first guests to her new home.”

    Taken from whitehouse.gov

  • College Interview Questions

    Here are some questions you may be asked in your interview with a college:

    • What classes have been the most difficult for you?
    • How would you explain your high school experience?
    • What has been your greatest regret during your high school experience?
    • What is your favorite “hobby”?
    • Do you feel you’ve pushed yourself to your full potential?
    • Are you considering other college(s) and if so, which ones?
    • What do you expect to be doing seven years from now?

  • College Pressure

    “Pomona College banned two pro-life students from campus last week after they videotaped the question-and-answer session during a Planned Parenthood representative’s talk and asked the representative tough questions about recent Planned Parenthood scandals.

    However, Pomona rescinded its ban this week after facing strong opposition from students, faculty, and alumni. The pro-life students, David Daleiden, 20, and Kyle Kinneberg, 21, are members of the youth-led right-to-life advocacy group Live Action.

    Daleiden and Kinneberg both attend Claremont McKenna College, part of the Claremont College Consortium together with Pomona and three other undergraduate institutions. A hand-delivered letter from Pomona’s Dean of Women Marcelle Holmes notified the students of the ban, claiming their videotaping had been “against college policy.” But Daleiden, President of Live Action’s Claremont chapter and Director of Research for the national organization, said Pomona never produced the specific policy they said his group had violated, and that he and Kinneberg were denied their due process rights under the Claremont Colleges’ Policy on Demonstrations.

    “When alumni found out about this Orwellian situation, they were outraged,” explained Daleiden. “Pomona accused us of conspiring to ‘disrupt the proceedings, intimidate participants, and chill the free exchange of ideas,’” Daleiden said. “But nothing could be farther from the truth. We were entirely respectful when we asked our questions-as our video shows.”

    The videotaping in question took place on February 19, during a presentation by Serena Josel, public affairs manager for Planned Parenthood of Los Angeles (PPLA). Administrators told Daleiden that after the event, PPLA contacted Pomona College about his conduct. Daleiden notes that PPLA has extensive ties to Pomona, which regularly promotes internships and raises money for the abortion provider.

    “It’s understandable that Planned Parenthood’s Serena Josel was angry at us for our recording-she made several spurious and even contradictory arguments defending Planned Parenthood’s lack of accountability for mandatory child abuse reporting,” Daleiden continued. “But campus disciplinary procedures should never be used as a tool for political retribution.”

    “We are grateful to the Claremont McKenna alumni and administration who reacted quickly to correct this abuse,” Kinneberg added. “This is not the first time pro-lifers have been persecuted for questioning Planned Parenthood, but victories like this should inspire us never to be afraid to stand up for the truth.” ”

    Taken from LifeSiteNews.

  • College Bills in this Economy

    With the economic downturn, how will you pay for the college bill?

    It could be either merit aid from the school or a simple federal financial aid. If you think your income is too high, you may not qualify the school’s aid. Of course you may fill out the federal application for financial aid, known as FAFSA. You may check the colleges’ websites to see whether there are additional requirements for merit aid; some scholarships require a separate application that may have an early deadline.

    You can use the 529 college savings plan to pay for the bill of a high school junior or senior has dropped 12.5% in value over the past year. Is your 529 in cash or stocks? If it is in stocks, with the stock market like today, it will not do much. If it is in cash, it depends on when you sold the stock and convert it to cash. If you sold at the low with panic selling, since most of the money in your 529 in cash or other fixed-income investments by now, a big surge in stocks won’t help you much.

    Could using 529 funds early hurt your chances of getting financial help later? Although withdrawals used to be treated as income, which is counted more heavily in financial aid formulas than savings, that’s no longer the case.

    You can get a home equity loan (if you home did not have the problem of the recent collapse in home values). You could borrow at a lower rate than for federal or private college loans, and the interest expense was often fully deductible. But many banks have frozen home-equity lines of credit, even for people with a good credit score. While the credit crunch threatened the availability of college loans last year, you’ll have no problems now, thanks to swift action by Congress to keep the federal money flowing. And while the rates aren’t as cheap as on a HELOC, they’re reasonable. The best deals are on loans made directly to students. Freshmen can take out up to $5,500 in Stafford loans this year (the limit rises to $7,500 for seniors), and the top rate is 6.8%. If you need to borrow more, getting a federal loan for parents, called a PLUS, is a snap. Just about anyone with a halfway decent credit history can get one and borrow up to the full cost of attendance, minus any aid received, at a maximum 8.5% rate.

    The recently passed economic stimulus legislation included a welcome provision for tuition-paying parents: an expansion of the Hope Credit for educational expenses — now called the American Opportunity Tax Credit — to $2,500, from $1,500. It will be available for the 2009 and 2010 tax years. Unlike the Hope, which could be used only for expenses in the first two years of college, this new credit can be claimed for costs over four years. And more middle- and upper-middle-income families will qualify; if you make $180,000 or less ($90,000 for singles), you’ll get at least a partial credit. (The Hope phased out if you earned more than $120,000.) You can even claim the credit if you fall under the alternative minimum tax.

    There are other breaks available, like the Lifetime Learning credit (up to $2,000) and a tuition deduction of up to $4,000. But you can claim only one tax break per child each year, and the American Opportunity is the best of the bunch. One other benefit you may be entitled to: You can deduct all or part of the interest you pay on college loans, up to $2,500, if you make $150,000 or less ($75,000 for singles). Finally, the new rules from Washington also expanded the kind of bills you can pay from a 529 account to include computers and related equipment if it’s required by the college, as well as Internet access.

  • Iraq Degree

    “James McLeod presently serving the US Army on his third term in Iraq, serves as a Mental Health Advisor for the troops. As the Mental Health Advisor, his position entails helping soldiers deal with stress: job stress, psychological stress and the stress of everyday living. Managing this stress is essential to being deployed in the field.

    While soldiers thrive on a certain amount of stress, too much can lead to health problems, causing weakness and breakdowns. His job is an essential one and the troops rely on him for help. So what does a Mental Health Advisor, whom soldiers come to for stress relief, do for his own mind?

    This brave soldier has found the time to pursue a college degree: a BS in Culinary Management through the Art Institute Online. McLeod got his associate degree in 1995 from the Art Institute in Atlanta, Georgia and wanted to complete his degree with a Bachelor of Science. The Art Institute Online provided both the flexibility and high-quality learning McLeod needed to pursue his passion in the culinary field, even while being deployed in Iraq.

    He began his classes in January 2006 to be more competitive and knowledgeable in his field. McLeod plans on opening a Meals on Wheels program for the poor and sick when he gets back to the states. “Working in health care has taught me a lot about people. One of the big reasons why I want to do this is because I love to help others that are in need. A lot of time the reason why most people die is because there is no one there to feed them. Having a program like this gives me an opportunity to help those that are in need of at least one good meal a day.”

  • Master Degrees

    In a recession, or economic downturn, what can you do if you are without a job?

    Since more and more people have bachelor degree, is it worth to get a master’s degree? We know for sure getting a master’s degree requires a considerable investment of time (i.e. at least one year), effort (may be full or part time), and money. The answer really depends on the job you want. Research conducted by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics identifies fields in which employees with a master’s degree earn a considerable earning premium over those with bachelor’s degrees. More information about college or universities can be found at IQx.com, in addition you may check the forum and heated debate at the IQx Forum

    Here’s a look at four jobs with high-earnings premiums:

    1. Financial analyst: 47 percent earning more for master’s over bachelor’s.

    With wall-street laying-off thousand people, the un-employment pool has a lot of people with bachelor’s degree. Financial analysts with master’s degrees are valued at a premium. A lot of companies are willing and able to pay a premium for intelligence, the ability for in-depth research, and detailed thorough analysis. While a bachelor’s in finance will provide a basis foundation, a master’s in finance will allow a worker to really dive into a specific financial specialty making it exceptionally valuable. Having a master’s in a financial role also provides you with credibility and pedigree.

    2. Tax preparer: 43 percent earning premium for master’s over bachelor’s degree.

    Master’s degrees are generally more valuable for professionals who work with clients with complex tax issues, such as big corporations. Tax preparers with a bachelor’s degree and/or CPA designation can usually handle run-of-the-mill tax issues. Bachelor’s degree is sufficient if it is just for an individual or the local small accounting firm, however a big firm who sells their reputation does need the added degree.

    3. Financial manager: 42 percent earning premium for master’s over bachelor’s.

    With banks closing and financial firm layoff, more and more people are looking for a job. How do you stand out among all the unemployed? The duties of financial managers vary based on the specific roles they play at their firms, which can include overseeing the preparation of financial reports, directing investment activities, and implementing cash management strategies.

    4. Education administrator: 41 percent earning premium for master’s over bachelor’s.

    K-12 administration and teachers are paid strictly on a pay scale. In nearly all states, it is required that administrators hold at least a master’s degree and certification, and earnings are based on years of experience and degree level. The higher one’s degree level and experience, the higher the salary.

  • College Myths (Second)

    This is second of the IQx college myth list.

    IQx Myth #6 – If a student hasn’t heard of a college or university, it can’t be a good one.
    A student may not hear about many of the world’s most prestigious colleges until he/she is in his/her senior year of high school. Most universities that are broadcasted nationwide are displayed through sports. However, many of the best colleges may not be amazing at athletics and don’t get the chance to get extremely well known. Look at colleges for their merits, not for their name.

    IQx Myth #7 – A student should decide on his/her career before he/she can choose a university.
    In most colleges, a student can choose his/her major in his/her sophomore year and still complete the degree in four years. A surprising number of students discover their ideal field while taking a course they didn’t expect to like. Take the time to decide.

    IQx Myth #8 – The best time to visit colleges is after the student has been admitted.
    This is absolutely vital to the student’s happiness in his/her college. Students should visit every school that they want to attend before applying. This will determine whether they enjoy the campus and general feel of the particular university. Many students have visited after they were accepted and found that none of the colleges were ones that they would fit into.

    IQx Myth #9 – Large universities have greater ethnic diversity.
    If the value of diversity is to learn to understand and appreciate other cultures and groups, then small colleges often offer greater diversity. However, the ratios of the different ethnic groups are generally within 1-2% from college to college.

    IQx Myth #10 – Only the highest achieving students receive financial aid from colleges.
    Many students are accepted to a college, but they need financial aid. Although another student may have a better transcript, financial aid is generally saved for those who need it. There are more need based scholarships than academic or athletic based scholarships.

  • College Myths (First)

    There are many college myths that come up when a student is choosing which college he/she wants to go to. This is first of the IQx college myth list.

    IQx Myth #1 – Standardized tests, such as ACT, PSAT and SAT, are a lot more important than high school grades.
    Grades demonstrate a student’s drive to learn. Universities are aware that a student’s performance in high school is a much better predictor of college success than any standardized tests. However, this does not mean that universities will throw away a student’s test scores. If a student’s scores and grades differ immensely, then the admissions officers will examine the application into more depth.

    IQx Myth #2 – A student should go to the most prestigious college that he/she is admitted to.
    A student should not go to a college simply for “the name” or because it ranks number two in the nation. A student should go to the school that he/she personally likes the most. This includes liking the college campus, food, environment, etc. If the student goes to the most elite university but hates everything about it, he/she will not fit in and feel miserable the whole time.

    IQx Myth #3 – It is better to get good grades than take challenging courses.
    Undertaking challenging classes projects to colleges that the student can handle challenging courses very similar to that of a college class. Getting a 4.0 in the minimum required classes in the high school does not display any bit of hard work or ambition.

    IQx Myth #4 – Colleges need a certain amount of students, so it is easier to get accepted.
    Selective private colleges and most state universities get way more qualified applicants than they can possibly accept. While some colleges may have difficulty finding students, many would rather admit fewer students than admit unqualified students. Each year, there are only about 20-30 universities in the United States that accept every applicant.

    IQx Myth #5 – If a student did poorly in 9th & 10th grade he/she has a low chance of being admitted to a selective college.
    One attribute universities look for in applicants is improvement. When they see a jump of work ethic, they may consider letting the 9th and 10th grade grades slide a bit. The improvement must be over time though, and one semester of change will not affect anything.

  • Common Degrees and Their Abbreviations

    A few common degrees and abbreviations:

    • Associate’s degrees: AA (Associate in Arts), AS (Associate in Science), AAS (Associate in Applied Science), AGS (Associate in General Studies)

    • Bachelor’s degrees: AB or BA, BFA, LL.B, BSc or ScB or BS or SB, BASc, BPhil, BBus, BSBA, BPE, B.Math, BSW, BVSc, B.Eng, BBA, B.Tech

    • Master’s degrees: M.P.P., MA, MFA, LL.M, MS or MSc, MCM, M.Div., MPIA, MPS, MAS, MMus, MSSc, MBA, MPA, MHA, M.Ed or EdM, M.Eng, M.J, M.Des, Drs (Netherlands)

    • Extended Research Master’s degrees: mag.art. (Denmark)

    • Licentiate degrees: LDS, JCL, LP

    • Specialist degrees: Ed.S., SSP, SClP

    • Logistician’s degree: CPL

    • Engineer’s degrees: Ch.E., C.E., E.E., Env.E., I.E., Mech.E., Nucl.E., Sys.E.

    • Professional Doctoral degrees:DMD or DDM, DDS, BM BS, DPT, ND, D.C., OD,

    DVM, V.M.D, M.Div., M.D., D.O., Au.D., PharmD, J.D., D.C., P.Th.D., D.Th.P., D.P.M., DProf (UK)

    • Research Doctoral degrees: J.C.D., Ph.D., EdD, EngD, DTech, DBA, DPA, DHA, Dr.-Ing(Germany), DPS, D.D., D.Min., D.Th. or Th.D., J.S.D. or S.J.D. or LL.D., DPM, DSc or ScD, DSocSci, M.D., DSW

    Abbreviations for degrees can place the level either before or after the faculty or discipline, depending on the college. One example is that DSc and ScD both stand for the doctorate in science. Various other abbreviations also vary between universities.

  • College Immigrants

    Why do immigrants come to the United State for education? Do they stay in US or do they go back to their own home countries? Why should we care? Well, because immigrants are critical to the country’s long-term economic health. Despite the fact that they constitute only 12% of the U.S. population, immigrants have started 52% of Silicon Valley’s technology companies and contributed to more than 25% of our global patents. They make up 24% of the U.S. science and engineering workforce holding bachelor’s degrees and 47% of science and engineering workers who have PhDs. Immigrants have co-founded firms such as Google, Intel, eBay, YouTube, Facebook and Yahoo!.

    Are those young and well-educated going back home after they graduate from universities here? Since a lot of young educated people come from China or India, people tried to find hard data on how many immigrants had returned to India and China. No government authority seems to track these numbers. But human resources directors in India and China say “what was a trickle of returnees a decade ago had become a flood.” Job applications from the U.S. had increased tenfold over the last few years, they said. To get an understanding of how the returnees had fared and why they left the U.S., a team at Duke, along with AnnaLee Saxenian of the University of California at Berkeley and Richard Freeman of Harvard University, conducted a survey. Through professional networking site LinkedIn, they tracked down 1,203 Indian and Chinese immigrants who had worked or received education in the U.S. and had returned to their home countries. This research was funded by the Kauffman Foundation. Their new paper, “America’s Loss Is the World’s Gain,” finds that the vast majority of these returnees were relatively young. The average age was 30 for Indian returnees, and 33 for Chinese. They were highly educated, with degrees in management, technology, or science. Fifty-one percent of the Chinese held master’s degrees and 41% had PhDs. Sixty-six percent of the Indians held a master’s and 12.1% had PhDs. They were at very top of the educational distribution for these highly educated immigrant groups — precisely the kind of people who make the greatest contribution to the U.S. economy and to business and job growth.

    Nearly a third of the Chinese returnees and a fifth of the Indians came to the U.S. on student visas. A fifth of the Chinese and nearly half of the Indians entered on temporary work visas (such as the H-1B). The strongest factor that brought them to the U.S. was professional and educational development opportunities.

    They found life in the U.S. had many drawbacks. Returnees cited language barriers, missing their family and friends at home, difficulty with cultural assimilation, and care of parents and children as key issues. About a third of the Indians and a fifth of the Chinese said that visas were a strong factor in their decision to return home, but others left for opportunity and to be close to family and friends. And it wasn’t just new immigrants who were returning. In fact, 30% of respondents held permanent resident status or were U.S. citizens.

    Eighty-seven percent of Chinese and 79% of Indians said a strong factor in their original decision to return home was the growing demand for their skills in their home countries. Their instincts generally proved right. Significant numbers moved up the organization chart. Among Indians the percentage of respondents holding senior management positions increased from 10% in the U.S. to 44% in India, and among Chinese it increased from 9% in the U.S. to 36% in China. Eighty-seven percent of Chinese and 62% of Indians said they had better opportunities for longer-term professional growth in their home countries than in the U.S. Additionally, nearly half were considering launching businesses and said entrepreneurial opportunities were better in their home countries than in the U.S.

    Friends and family played an equally strong role for 88% of Indians and 77% of Chinese. Care for aging parents was considered by 89% of Indians and 79% of Chinese to be much better in their home countries. Nearly 80% of Indians and 67% of Chinese said family values were better in their home countries.

  • Importance of SAT Scores

    SAT test scores are listed after your transcripts. While that may mean that they’re less important than a student’s grades these scores are still extremely essential. Sometimes, they can make or break an application.


    In general, it’s fair to say that admission officials prefer students who demonstrate their ability to perform well in school. This information will be reflected on the transcript. Test scores are important because they help admission officers get a more focused picture of the type of student they’re looking at.

    A student may barely squeeze in for a spot if his/her test scores are terrific but his/her transcript is loaded with C’s. On the other hand, the student’s favorite college may never admit the student based solely on poor test scores. For that reason, it’s a good idea to take tests seriously, even if the student has amazing grades and does not consider the tests important. Especially at the most selective colleges, the smallest differences between applications can mean the difference between an acceptance and a rejection.

    Keep in mind that there are more activities to take into account than a student’s transcript and test scores

  • College Letters

    With this economy in this shape, college admissions officers sent out record marketing letters. I know a few high school kids who receive at 20 letters per day from colleges, universities and even vocational schools. The admissions office is now busy with their acceptance notifications–sending out fancy certificates, T-shirts, tubes of confetti, or Internet links to videos of fireworks–in an effort to inspire loyalty and lock in commitments from today’s worried high school seniors. Even a traditionalist school like Kalamazoo College is printing its hand-drafted and hand-signed letters on better-quality paper and is sending out bigger packets so that acceptances will look more impressive.

    For some students, that personal touch is what really makes the difference. Old-fashioned personal letters that show an admissions officer actually read the essays may actually made the difference. For others real things could be the trigger for the final decision. Which school do you want to go? Should it be the school that sent you a personal letter or the school that sent you a T-shirt? What about other things such as:

    • This year the school’s acceptance package from St. Bonaventure University in western New York contains a T-shirt.
    • MIT sent out a tube filled with a poster and confetti to its early admissions.
    • A lot of schools are shipping bumper stickers, decals, and other knickknacks.
    • Ithaca College sent out “Phat package”–a foot-long envelope emblazoned with the words “Something big is about to happen.”
    • Mercyhurst College in Erie, Pa. sent out a fancy new translucent envelope holding a green linen folder embossed with the college seal and the words: “You have been accepted.”
    • Baylor, Rutgers and Elon sent out suitable-for-framing acceptance certificates.
    • St. Bonaventure upgraded the college’s T-shirt package this year.

    What about dean letters? Are you going to cry? We have had tears and cheers at inappropriate places and times, this is unnecessarily upsetting many students and their classmates. School’s preference for electronic rejections aggravated feelings of worthlessness. The new electronic rejections–some of which are little more than “Admissions decision: Deny”–feel much harsher than the traditional letters enclosed in ominously thin envelopes. Some posters on collegeconfidential.com have complained that after all their hard work on essays, electronic rejections can feel especially brutal. Someone said he felt awful when he logged on to read “Admissions decision: Deny” and then got what he called a “hard, cold” formal rejection in the mail.

    Schools hire webmasters and web designers to design new digital letters. For example videos through email a link to a video of cheering crowds and the words “Congratulations. You’ve been accepted to Elon!”. Binghamton University added flash animation to its E-mail last year. The University of Georgia greeted accepted students with a link to an animated graphic of fireworks, says this year’s fireworks will be flashier than ever. Bryn Mawr launched its video acceptance last year, is promising an even better video this year. California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo provides a flashy acceptance video because studies show an average applicant applies to anywhere from nine to 12 other schools and will choose from about six offers. In addition, as a science and tech school, Cal Poly attracts applicants more fluent in text messages and Tweets than snail mail.

    At IQx.com, we are going to publish some of the example acceptance and rejection letters. You will have a taste of the new buzz.