University of California Santa Cruz

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Jul 272009

University of California Santa Cruz is the place my role model, Angela Y. Davis taught for years the person on FBI WANTED poster in my office!!!). UCSC is another school with a fabulous shoreline locale. I decided not to actually visit UC Santa Cruz’s campus (see the VIDEO) on the traditional tour. Instead, I decided to watch the school’s video to get a feel of  how a school attempts to tell students what they are all about remotely. In a way, the different voices in the video are helpful. As with any tour, information, podcast or video, it the school putting its BEST foot forward. UCSC focuses on interdisciplinary study and students can choose from 60 majors  within the schools of Engineering,  Arts, Humanities, and Biological and Social Sciences. Examples are bioengineering, computer game design, and a Health Sciences program focused on qualifying for medical school that includes Spanish proficiency. NASA has a first-of-its-kind research program at the university as well.

Just over 15,000 undergraduates are enrolled (2% African American, 0.9% Native American, Asian/PI 21.5%, Chicano/Latino 17.7%, White 49.9% and 5.6% Unstated). UCSC has a residential college system similar to UCSD and makes a big school smaller. The admit rate for UCSC is 63.2% and the average high school GPA is 3.76, SAT 591/609/597 out of 2400.  Students with GPAs under 3.0 have an admit rate of 6.8%.

Check out the school’s photo gallery – (http://admissions.ucsc.edu/see/photoGallery/index.cfm)

University of California Santa Cruz (see the VIDEO). I decided not to actually visit UC Santa Cruz’s campus. It is another school with a neat shoreline locale.
Posted by renaissanceroadtripadmin at 9:32 am College Search, Renaissance College Road Trip Summer 09, West Coast Road Trip Tagged with: , , , , , , , ,

University of Southern California (USC)

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Jul 272009

Check out the “Tommy Cam” for Tuesday, July 21st. Can you find me?!!!

University of Southern California is located in the heart of Los Angeles and takes up over 230 acres of land. This is a large, private, liberal arts university. There are over 2,700 students entering in the fall of 2009 (7% African American, 14% Latino, 2% Native American/PI, 25% Asian/Asian American, 45% White and 6% International students); there are over 16,500 undergraduates and 15,700 graduate students. It goes without saying that USC is the home of the Trojans, BIG TIME football – “Fight On!” It goes without saying that USC has one of premier marching bands and the scholarships to go with it.

Most students enter the Letters, Arts & Sciences and Business programs (a fair number are undeclared when they enter – some 16%). Being in LA, the school touts access to terrific film, broadcasting and journalism programs – with great internships in the heart of it all.

Admissions-wise, the school has a 22% admit rate. The application process is: Optional Part I 10/15, Part II 12/15 (scholarship), and Part II (application) 1/10.The mean GPA for admitted students is 3.7 and mean SAT 1910-2200. Out-of-State students make up 39% of the 2009 freshman class.

Tuition is over $51,000. USC commits to meeting all of the EFC through merit scholarships (full, half and quarter tuition), university grants, state and federal aid, loans and work-study. About 24% of entering freshmen received merit scholarships and over 60% received FA.

Posted by renaissanceroadtripadmin at 9:05 am College Search, Renaissance College Road Trip Summer 09, West Coast Road Trip Tagged with: , , , , , , ,

Pomona College

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Jul 222009

Flickr Video

Pomona College is located in the desert of the Inland Valley of Southern California. The school is modeled on the New England Ivies, but the architecture is all California (an hour away from the Mojave Desert, LA, Pacific Ocean and the San Gabriel Mountains!). It is in a college town that might remind someone of Nothampton, MA (minus the winter!). This a small (1,500 students) private, liberal arts college which is considered a part of the Claremont College system (including Claremont-McKenna, Pitzer, Harvey Mudd, and Scripps). The school prides itself in personal touch with a student:faculty ratio of 8:1 and the average class size is 14. Our tour guide said it is the norm to get an email from a professor when you miss class. Additionally, all freshmen are assigned a Sponsor Group – a sophomore who essentially “looks out” for a group of new students this helps students settle in quickly and gain needed support right away. Students also can sign up to live in living and learning communities where dorm mates have common interests.

In addition to Sponsor Groups, Pomona takes pride in its extremely low freshman attrition rates – very students who enroll leave the school (95-100%). There are also offices focused on the retention of African-American, Latino/Chicano and 1st Generation College students. This must contribute to Pomona having such a low graduation rate gap between White and African-American students. The class entering in 2008 is reported 8.7% African-American, 11.5% as Latino. The school is 50/50 male to female ratio.

Pomona is purely an undergraduate institution and professors teach all the classes, this includes freshman seminars. Freshmen must sign up for 1 of 24 “Critical Inquiry” seminars with 15 classmates. The school has General Education requirements and students are expected to be able to high level and original research upon graduation – Senior Thesis is a culminating piece of work. Students have take a “Breadth of Study Course” in each of 5 areas and demonstrate proficiency in a foreign language – beyond meeting requirements in their major. The school prides itself in students doing community service learning and field work. High percentages of Pomona students go on to graduate study and over 90% are admitted to graduate school on their first attempt.

Pomona is a highly selective college median SAT scores for admitted students are: CR 680-770, Math 680-760 and Writing 690-770. 53% of applicants receive scholarships and 19% are 1st generation college students (23% of enrolled students are from the Northeast portion of the U.S.). Applications are evaluated based on 10th, 11th and 12th grade courses. Students need to take the SAT I or ACT with writing, and two SAT IIs. Basically, admissions officers at Pomona are looking to see that a student has taken full advantage of the academic program available to him or her at their school (AP, Honors, Dual Enrollment, etc.). Minimally, 4 years of English and Math (to calculus), 3 years of language, 2 years each in laboratory and social science are expected. recommended. Additionally, a student’s character and community involvement are discerned through teacher/counselor recommendations and personal statements. Regular admissions has a deadline of the first week in January (www.pomona.edu/admissions). Students submit Common Application and Pomona supplement.

Pomona was ranked 5th Best College Value by Kiplinger Magazine, 5th by Hispanic Magazine and 7th by The Blacks in Higher Education Journal. It is also ranked 1st as per capita college endowment (which is great for overall financial resources and aid).

Tuition is over $46,000. Nearly $33,000 per student is the average financial aid award and the school just adopted a “no loan” program (www.pomona.edu/financialaid).

Posted by renaissanceroadtripadmin at 1:21 pm College Search, Paying the Bill. Financial Aid., Renaissance College Road Trip Summer 09, video, West Coast Road Trip Tagged with: , , , , , , ,

University California San Diego (UCSD)

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Jul 222009

UC San Diego is a part of the University of California system and one of the most popular of them. A number of its programs are ranked as one of the top ten by U.S. News and World Report; American Politics, Behavioral Neuroscience, Plasma Physics and Multi-media are some of those programs. UCSC also has nationally ranked graduate programs like Political Science, Theater & Dance and Economics. Students who apply to UCSD apply to one of six colleges, each of the colleges has its own educational philosophy and students are encouraged to make their decisions based on matching their own philosophies and interests with the three college that they list on their application (Roger Revelle, Thurgood Marshall, Earl Warren John Muir, Thurgood Marshall or the newest college that focuses on culture, art and technology – Sixth College). For example, Earl Warren (Governor of California and U.S. Supreme Court justice has the philosophy, “Toward a Life Balance” and balance personal responsibility and public. Students take a course in common, have access to the honors program, and can become involved internships that will prepare them for graduate study. Each college has different general education requirements. Students can declare any major, regardless of the college they end up residing in.

The “Tritons” are a Division II school with 23 collegiate teams. UCSD is located on a beautiful campus overlooking the city of San Diego. Freshman housing is guaranteed and off-campus housing can be right on the beach! Lots of students go surfing in their free time.

William Stiles, an admissions officer at UCSD felt that the intimacy of the six colleges is a factor that contributes to the higher retention rate of African-American and Latino students at UCSD, because are more closely supported and advised through the system.

Even so, there are only 1.5% African-American Students, 12.2% Latino/Chicano and American students (additionally there are 48.6% Asian, 26.7% White and less than 1% Native American – 12% Undeclared). Some of the low numbers of African-American and Latino students are attributed to the admissions standards (considered very competitive) and the reality of education in urban centers in this country. UCSD uses a point system for admissions and evaluates applicants’ 10th and 11th grade years for admission (https://doorways.cop.edu/list). Students must meet minimum requirements (3.4 GPA in “a-g requirements”, ACT plus Writing or SAT I AND 2 SAT II tests in two different areas). Admissions Criteria – 77% of the criteria is based on gpa and exams, and 23% of the criteria examines a student’s education environment, family income, 1st generation status, leadership and special talents, volunteer/community service, education prep program participation and special circumstances or personal challenges. For out of state applicants (3% of population), AP BUT NOT honors courses contribute to a student’s application. 37.3 % of applicants are admitted and the mean weighted GPA is 4.06 (admit rate is lower for students with lower GPAs – less than 1% for students whose GPAs are lower than 3.0). Another contributing factor to school’s high retention rate has to be that STUDENTS ARE ALREADY PERFORMING WELL ACADEMICALLY IN HIGH SCHOOL!!! It appears that students have a higher rate of acceptance when they transfer from CA community colleges (establish residency) at 95%! Students submit their own grades and the application period is November 1-30.

Tuition for out-of-state applicants is $20,608 more than the $23,760 for CA residents. 50% of admitted students receive financial aid, but many grants are
CA state based. Applications are submitted January 2 – March 2.

Posted by renaissanceroadtripadmin at 1:16 pm College Search, Renaissance College Road Trip Summer 09, West Coast Road Trip Tagged with: , , , , , ,

University of San Diego

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Jul 222009

I ended up at University of San Diego as a result of a glitch of sorts…On my list of schools with a small graduation rate gap is University of California San Diego, but somehow I didn’t realize that I’d connected with University of San Diego’s registration website and signed on for the tour. I plugged the coordinates into my GPS driving computer and there I was! This highlights for me how tricky negotiating the college visit/tour process is. Luckily, I made it to the University of California San Diego’s campus for a later information session (I did forgo the 90 minute walking tour once I got to UC San Diego).

I have to say, the campus has the MOST amazing views I’ve ever seen on a college campus. Up on a hill, you can see for miles (San Diego beaches or mountains every way you look).

University of San Diego is a Roman Catholic University that is a liberal arts college. The school has graduate law, business, and nursing school associated with it as well. There are nearly 5,000 undergraduates and just about 1,500 graduate students on campus. The school is clear that it provides a “values based” education, students take two religion courses amongst the general education requirements. Students also seem to take advantage of the opportunity to participate in and formulate service-learning activities (students also study abroad and go on missions in ways that are connected with their college education). Recently USD was named one of several “Colleges with a Conscience” by Princeton Review.

Areas of study include Environmental Studies, International Relations, Marine Science, Political Science and Mechanical Engineering among others. The school is small and has a 15:1 Student to Faculty ratio and the school emphasizes that classes are taught by professors versus graduate students. Students might be admitted to the Honors Program where they take two upper-level courses each semester and finish with a major piece of research. Diversity-wise the ethnic breakdown is repprted as Asian students10%, African American 2%, Latino 15%, Native American 1%, White63% and Unreported 6%.

Tuition and fees are just over $36,000. Financial Aid is available and there are a number of merit scholarships available that focus on academic excellence and support underrepresented groups.

Posted by renaissanceroadtripadmin at 1:10 pm College Search, Renaissance College Road Trip Summer 09, West Coast Road Trip Tagged with: , , , , ,

CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice

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Jul 212009

Flickr Video

CUNY’s John Jay College of Criminal Justice is a college associated with the City University of New York and located in midtown Manhattan. The school is a liberal arts college that focuses on criminal justice. Students who attend are expected to gain a well-rounded liberal arts education as they study criminal justice. Students satisfy general education requirements and can gain an Associates Degree, a Bachelor of Arts or a Bachelor of Science degree.

I had a difficult time contacting the school and was not able to go on a tour, sit for an information session or meet with an admissions officer. Unfortunately I ended up on hold for more than 30 minutes and was given a number that was not in service. This was disappointing as we have a number of students interested in criminal justice. Luckily, my brother is an English professor at John Jay. I did interview him on video and he’s working to put me in touch with the admissions director at the school. Sometimes it is not easy to contact a school. In your search you have to decide whether or not these organizational issues are a reflection of the college or just a fluke…If you want to learn about the school you may have to try harder or change your approach! I do know that there is an Open House in November. I’m going to work to be in touch with John Jay College of Criminal Justice’s Admissions Office.

Posted by renaissanceroadtripadmin at 4:50 pm Renaissance College Road Trip Summer 09, video Tagged with: , , , , ,

Princeton University

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Jul 202009

Princeton University is one of the Ivy League schools and they claim to have coined the term “Ivy” when graduates began planting ivy cuttings at the foundation of Nassau Hall during the early days of our country. Located in Princeton, NJ, the school has been around since colonial days and is on the site of the Battle of Princeton (said to have been won by the Revolutionaries when they sent a canon ball through Nassau to scatter the Brits holed up in there…). The campus is pristine and has the feel of a British university like Oxford with stone buildings, archways and stained glass everywhere, and the lawns are green and even. It is hard not to become mesmerized by it all – if you saw the movie “Beautiful Mind” that is Princeton’s campus (with a little Hollywood magic). Today Nassau Hall is the location of the admissions information sessions. Some 100 people filed into three rows of wooden benches that faced each other for the admissions presentation.

Students are required to take 10 classes in several areas to graduate, 2 semesters of a language, and complete an Independent Works or senior thesis, in addition to completing the requirements for their major. Freshmen are also required to choose from 75 or seminar classes (15 students around a seminar table) and take an expository writing class their first semester. There is a 5:1 student:faculty ratio, the average class size is 30 with lectures having 300 or so students in an auditorium. Full-professors actually teach classes. Princeton has its share of Nobel Prize winners – Toni Morrison is one of them.

Freshmen live in one of six Residential Colleges – where you sleep and eat for two years – each college has an identity and a “Master” (a faculty member who lives at the college) to help students negotiate life at Princeton. After sophomore year students can apply to Eating Clubs, non-university affiliated dining halls that encompass social networking (served by private chefs…) that they pay annual dues to. 90% percent of students go this route and others are “independent” or join fraternities or sororities (also off campus).

The Princeton “Tigers” are Division IAA sports and they have garnered a few championships here and there. Sports are point of pride, but certainly not the main focus at Princeton. Interestingly, Princeton has far fewer graduate programs than the other “Ivies” and cites that as a demonstration on its focus on the solid education of undergraduates. Students go on to medical, law, business and other graduate education at much the same rate of other similar programs.

Princeton is a highly selective (one of THE MOST selective), liberal arts college. 1100 students enrolled in last year’s freshman class. The admissions officer said that students are looked at in the context of the curriculum offered at a student’s school and the course that students chooses to take. So, if honors and AP are offered, it would be expected that a students would enroll in many of those classes and dual enrollment as is available. Conversely, Princeton is looking for a “wise” course choice. SAT I and two SAT IIs or the Act with writing are required for applicants (the middle 50% scored 700-800 CR and 700-790 Math). The essay is designed to get to know students and what “they are passionate about”, three adjectives that friends would use for you, and list a favorite quote from a movie and why. Interviews are optional and with alums. Each application has two or more readers.

Financial Aid is “the best in the country” no students have loans when they graduate from Princeton! Students submit Princeton’s own financial aid application.

Posted by renaissanceroadtripadmin at 10:26 am College Search, East Coast Road Trip, Paying the Bill. Financial Aid., Renaissance College Road Trip Summer 09 Tagged with: , , , , ,

The Eugene Lang College: The New School College for Liberal Arts

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Jul 202009
Flickr Video

The New School Welcome Center is just below Union Square and located in a funky, airy building. Multi-media abounded. I met with Eric Sherman (see the video), the admissions officer responsible for MA at the New School’s Eugene Lang College: The New School for Liberal Arts prior to the information session and tour. Eric was great – friendly, informative and just not rote at all (I loved his fun plaid shirt). He emphasized that Eugene Lang College is a small (300 freshmen), liberal arts college that students tend to self-select because they consciously choose a non-traditional, urban education. The student:faculty ratio is 8:1 and courses are all taught in seminar style. 40% of the students are international students. Eric was excited to hear about The Springfield Renaissance School and undaunted by our standards based grading. He mentioned that he has seen lots of different transcripts and would rely on school counselors to help decipher anything on a student’s application. The school is fairly new (1980’s) and has a fair amount of flexibility within its liberal arts curriculum. I hope some The Springfield Renaissance students take a look.

Eugene Lang is one of eight schools housed in the New School and was founded in 1985. Parsons School of Design (of Project Runway fame) is one of those schools, and students have some access to classes within those program. There are 5 year dual degree programs with Parsons and the Jazz and Contemporary Music Programs. The information session was across the street in a small auditorium, I’m not sure how we didn’t lose anyone in the traffic…The host outlined the eight schools within the New School and let the film roll. The presentation was pretty spectacular, I guess that is a perk of having a premier film school under your umbrella. The New School was founded in 1919 and points to progressive educator John Dewey (who said, “children learn best by doing”) as a linchpin in its philosophy.  A couple of Columbia University professors frustrated by the “old thinking” of Columbia went downtown and founded the New School. It was home to many persecuted intellectuals from Europe after World War I. These “Exiled Thinkers” founded a school that emphasizes:

  • Critical thinking
  • Debate
  • Public engagement
  • Social Justice
  • Contributing to society (positively)
  • Theory AND Practice
  • Creating change
  • Being good citizens

One thing consistently emphasized is the experimental nature of the school. Students can sign up for class that allows them to design and build a boat  and put it in the Hudson to see if it will float (I wonder if they have to get shots)! (see comment thread…)

Financial Aid is both need and merit based. As with all these Big City schools, the cost of studying in NYC makes the REAL cost pricier for sure.

Posted by renaissanceroadtripadmin at 12:05 am College Search, East Coast Road Trip, Renaissance College Road Trip Summer 09, video Tagged with: , , , , , ,

The Richard Stockton College of The State of New Jersey

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Jul 192009

Flickr Video

The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey is located on the New Jersey Shore in the middle of acres and acres of pinelands. Atlantic City and miles of beaches are the closer landmarks. The buildings have a space aged 70s feel and are interconnected and the school is in the middle of a huge building project on a student center. A small, liberal arts state college with just under 7,000 students attending. Admissions are competitive (SAT CR/M1130) and admitted students are in the top 25% of their high school class. An interesting feature of the school is Instant Decision Days – show up with your admissions materials, meet the criteria and you are in! Otherwise, when your file is complete, you receive a decision (latest application submissions for this fall was May 1st). It is a Div III school and seems to have a bunch of “Osprey” spirit – Men’s soccer has done very well.

Academically, Stockton describes itself as hands on. There is an Honors Program that allows students to work directly with a professor on a research project and present at a conference prior to graduation. There is a General Studies requirement that makes up 25% percent of the courses a student will take in order to graduate. Criminal Justice, Nursing, Dance, Literary Studies, Business, Computer Science, Biology and Marine Biology are some of the majors that students can choose.

Tuition with room and board for out of state students in 2008-2009 was $26,153. There are both need based and merit based scholarships.

There are colleges similar to Stockton closer to Springfield, so a student interested in Stockton would have to want to attend for a specific major or to be in this location (i.e. Marine Biology).

Posted by renaissanceroadtripadmin at 11:43 pm College Search, East Coast Road Trip, Renaissance College Road Trip Summer 09, video Tagged with: , , , , ,

Saint Francis College

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Jul 192009

Flickr Video

St. Francis schedules admissions tours and appointments on a case by case basis. I sat with the admissions officer Sylvia Carrion (see video), who is also Class of 2009 from the school. St. Francis is a small liberal arts college, which is associated with the Franciscan order of monks. Located in Brooklyn Heights, a neighborhood in Brooklyn, the college occupies two buildings. The school prides itself in individualized attention and Sylvia said that professors know students by name and are very approachable. Interestingly enough, this small school is Div I athletics for men and women (a VERY tall student passed us by in the hallway)!

The curriculum is composed of core requirements (42) – some of the courses include religion, 3 Philosophy, and 2 credits of health among other traditional core requirements. Generally, students need 128/9 credits to graduate in their major. Classes are small and in many cases and in many cases are seminar style (15 or so). Students have an advisor through Freshman Advising and their schedule is designed by their advisor for their first year. As the other NYC colleges and university, internships are available in industries all around the city.

Housing is provided for out of state students in an apartment building shared with a number of area colleges. Many students do commute though. Financial Aid is need based, but there are also merit based scholarships available.

St. Francis schedules admissions tours and appointments on a case by case basis. I sat with the admissions officer Sylvia Carrion (see video), who is also Class of 2009 from the school. St. Francis is a small liberal arts college, which is associated with the Franciscan order of monks. Located in Brooklyn Heights, a neighborhood in Brooklyn, the college occupies two buildings. The school prides itself in individualized attention and Sylvia said that professors know students by name and are very approachable. Interestingly enough, this small school is Div I athletics for men and women (a VERY tall student passed us by in the hallway)!

The curriculum is composed of core requirements (42) – some of the courses include religion, 3 Philosophy, and 2 credits of health among other traditional core requirements. Generally, students need 128/9 credits to graduate in their major. Classes are small and in many cases and in many cases are seminar style (15 or so). Students have an advisor through Freshman Advising and their schedule is designed by their advisor for their first year. As the other NYC colleges and university, internships are available in industries all around the city.

Housing is provided for out of state students in an apartment building shared with a number of area colleges. Many students do commute though. Financial Aid is need based, but there are also merit based scholarships available.

Posted by renaissanceroadtripadmin at 11:37 pm Renaissance College Road Trip Summer 09, video Tagged with: , , , ,
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