Denver Send-Off Picnic for New Students

Yesterday afternoon, the Fort Lewis College Office of Admission proudly sponsored the 3rd annual Denver-area New Student Send-Off Picnic. Held at Eisenhower Park in Denver, over 125 people attended this year's picnic. Aside from eating some good food, the picnic gave both students and parents a chance to meet each other a few days before FLC Orientation officially begins. Students came from all over the metro-Denver area and seemed to have fun at the event--playing frisbee, hackey-sack and bean-bag toss.

We even had a handful of alumni-- include the FLC Alumni Association's President Andy Chase--attend the picnic and share some words of wisdom with our soon to-be Skyhawks. Additional pictures of the Send-Off can be found on the Fort Lewis College's Class of 2013 Facebook page.

Tips for High School Juniors--Thinking about colleges

High school juniors out there--watch out. If you haven't taken the ACT or the SAT yet, get preparend. And I'm not referring to the test. I'm talking about the amount of mail you'll receive from colleges and universities after you sit for the test. By the end of the summer, you’ll probably have a stack of college brochures tall enough to poke through the stratosphere. Let’s be honest–choosing a college is no easy task, and some of these brochures only complicate matters. Right now you might still be trying to figure out: How will I pay for school? Do schools have my major? What do I want to study? Do I want a small school or a large university? Concerns like these are valid, and with over 4,000 colleges and universities to chose from, how will you ever decide? And you thought some of the SAT questions were hard! Relax–this month’s post will help point you in the right direction. In no time, you’ll know how to select the college that’s right for you. Here are my ABCs for choosing a college.

A. Academics: Keeping your academic and professional interests in mind should be a key aspect of your college decision process. Make sure a college offers your major. If you are undecided, select a college that is broadly-based and has a variety of majors to choose from. Looking specifically at colleges’ graduation requirements and core curricula will help you determine if there is room to try different classes or electives. Additional classes can expand your skill set and perhaps even your marketability on the job market. Think about international opportunities. Do you want to study abroad? You should also look at the faculty: what is their background, do they focus on teaching or research, what type of support will they provide? Consider how classes are taught: Is it a lecture format, or are there hands-on or experiential learning opportunities for students? You might also be mindful of colleges’ rankings and their annual report to the US Department of Education. Finally, look at career and graduate school placement. Where do students with your major work after graduation? Does the college provide career planning and assistance with employment placement?

B. Belonging: The college day is organized differently from high school. Unlike high school, you’ll be in class for only 3-4 hours per day as opposed to 7-8 hours per day. As a result, you have more free time. That’s not to say that you don’t need to use your free time to study; rather, you’ll have greater opportunity to take advantage of social, extracurricular and club activities. You want to find a college that “fits” with your personality and your interests. Make sure to visit the campuses that you are considering. Colleges can look very different in person as opposed to what’s printed on a glossy brochure. Get a sense for the students, their interests and what they do with their free time. Do you want to be a part of a fraternity or a sorority? What do students do on the weekend? Step back and reflect: Is this a place where I will be happy? Can I picture myself here for the next four years?

C. Cost: Cost is one of the main factors to consider when choosing which college to attend. In examining costs, consider expenses beyond tuition. Many students and families fail to consider the big picture and thus don’t realize that tuition is only a fraction of the overall costs. Other costs to consider should be housing, food, books, student fees, and cost of living expenses around the colleges that you are considering. Also don’t forget to look at your scholarship and financial aid offers. Be sure to read the fine print. Are the scholarships renewable? Do I need to take a certain number of credits? Do I need a maintain a certain GPA in order to keep my scholarship?

If you keep some of these ideas in mind, choosing a college should be as easy as 1-2-3. Or in this case, as easy as A-B-C. Good luck.

FLC Facebook Group--Class of 2013

Happy New Year!

Fort Lewis is starting off the new year with our "Class of 2013" Facebook group. With the success of last year's Class of 2012 Facebook group (over 50% of our admitted student joined the group), we are excited about opening up this year's admitted student group.

This is a group for all admitted students who plan to attend Fort Lewis College in Fall 2009. By joining this group you will have the opportunity to meet other students who will be attending or are deciding to attend Fort Lewis. You will also receive updated news and important information about Fort Lewis College.

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=57179183208

Join our group, and become a part of the FLC community.

Go Skyhawks!

A Holistic Review Process

Election years are often filled with hope, anticipation and anxiety. This year was no exception. In addition to the obvious Presidential and congressional contests, several states had ballot initiatives for their voters to consider as well. Here in Colorado, Amendment 46, if passed, would have directly impacted higher education. Amendment 46 was designed to eliminate race and gender preferences in admissions to public universities. Backed by Ward Connerly who successfully advocated for similar ballot initiatives in California and Michigan, Amendment 46 was defeated 51% to 49%.

Affirmative action is a slippery slope, and I'm not here to discuss affirmative action policy in detail. I will, however, advocate for a holistic review of college applications. In short, some individuals feel that colleges and universities lower their standards through their affirmative action policies whereas others feel that affirmative action policies are necessary to correct historic wrongs and to promote diversity. Over the years, I've seen a growing number of colleges and universities gravitate toward a holistic review process in lieu of affirmative action policies and student enrollment quotas. At Fort Lewis College, we implemented a holistic process for this year's admission cycle, and it seems to be working well. Our holistic approach reaffirms our commitment to admitting students who are capable of succeeding in college and who are appropriate matches for our community of learners. The goal of admitting any student is to ensure his or her success. Typically, there is a direct correlation between academic aptitude (measured by GPA and test scores) and one’s academic persistence and success. It does not do anyone any favors to bring an ill-equipped student to a college campus. Through the holistic approach, we have a better understanding of a student's fit for our academic community.

In general, colleges should encourage academically capable, intellectually curious, mature and open-minded students to apply for admission. Across the country, student bodies are extremely diverse, possessing a multitude of different educational, cultural, and personal talents. Colleges should actively ensure that their study bodies are representative of the country as a whole and provide their students with the opportunity to interact with students who have different academic, political, cultural and economic outlooks.

I see great benefit to evaluating applicants on an individual basis, especially when a variety of factors such as applicant’s grades, class rank, number of completed academic units, ACT/SAT scores, extracurricular activities and personal talents are considered. Rather than relying solely on GPAs and test scores, colleges and universities should use highly personalized admission review process, one that stays true to the mission of the institution. Colleges should aim to provide pathways for success for all of their students. Simply put, the fiduciary responsibility of any college to ensure their students' success.

Andy is now on Twitter

Blogs, MySpace, Facebook, what's next? Twitter, well at least for me. A couple weeks ago I created a Twitter account. While I am still trying to figure out how to use it, Twitter operates like a mini-blog. It allows you to send a small update (only 140 characters), and it also allows you to send and receive updates via your Facebook, email accounts and even blogs. Look in the bottom right hand-corner of this page for my Twitter updates.

I hope you follow me on Twitter (@andyburns5280), and feel free to give me any advice on how to use it. I plan to use my twitter account for brief updates on events here on campus as well as for sharing articles and policy papers about higher education.

Talk to you soon.

Attending a College Fair

A chill is in the air, the leaves are starting to change colors and grocery stores are carrying Halloween candy. For most people, these signs signify that Fall is on its way. For college admission counselors, it is a sign that the college fair season has arrived. This week I will be representing Fort Lewis College at a variety of fairs in Colorado. I start with two high school visits in the Pueblo area and will work my way north to Fort Collins. Five nights. Five different hotels. After 1,500 miles of driving, I know I will sleep well this weekend.

For students who haven't attended a college fair, here are some pointers.

What is a college fair? A college fair is typically held at a high school or a local hotel or convention center. Smaller fairs often include colleges and universities from just your state while larger events colleges statewide as well as out-of-state colleges and universities. These events provide you with an opportunity to chat with college representatives and help you find the colleges that may be right for you.

How should I prepare for a college fair? Find out which colleges will attend your fair. You usually can find out the list of colleges from your high school counselor. Spend some time researching the schools on the internet. Several education websites have search features that can help you determine good college "matches" for you. Prepare address labels with your name and contact information (include your e-mail) so that you can spend more of your time speaking with the representatives as opposed to filling out your personal information with each college. Develop a list of questions that you want to ask (i.e., the size of the school, admission requirements, majors offered, tuition, and scholarship). Bring a pencil/pen and a notebook to take notes.

What should I do at the fair? Be sure to visit the schools that interest you, but also save time to visit with all of the schools as there might be one or two schools that you haven't heard of that are a good fit for you. Ask for a business card from each of the representatives--this will help you follow up with school once you develop a short list of schools to which you plan to apply. Be polite. Make eye contact and shake hands with the representatives. Also, be sure to dress appropriately.

Do I need to do anything after the fair? Sit down with the materials that you've picked up and sort through them. Talk with a parent or counselor about which schools you like and try to find if there are any common themes between the schools. Begin a running list of schools to which you might apply. This will become your short list of schools. Try to include a list of pros and cons for each school on your short list. Using the business cards that gathered, send thank you notes to the schools that are on your short list. If you haven't visited your short list schools, begin to schedule visits.