Senioritis: A Crippling Disease with Serious Consequences

It usually strikes some time shortly after seniors receive college acceptance letters. For those with early decisions, it may occur mid-December. 

But for most, symptoms of "senioritis" coincide with the first scent of spring and reach fever pitch by the time the last Advanced Placement test has been completed.

And judging by the buzz  in my suburban neighborhood—before, after, and during school hours—it seems that a number of local college-bound seniors are succumbing to advanced stages of what can be a crippling disease.

Although easy to catch, senioritis is hard to cure. Symptoms include skipping class, neglected homework, failed tests, and way too many lapses in judgment or integrity. You can chart outcomes on a graph: as absenteeism increases, grades decline.

In extreme cases, a strong dose of discipline is required as students mindlessly indulge in troublesome behaviors including but not limited to pranks, truancy, substance abuse, or totally inappropriate postings on the internet.

And there are consequences. Colleges accept students on the condition that grades and behavior will remain acceptable.

Decision letters contain carefully worded statements that usually read, “Your admission is contingent on continued successful performance,” meaning the last official part of your application process will involve a review of your final transcript as well as a report from your guidance counselor.

Failure to live up to expectations can have very painful results such as

• a rescinded offer of admission,
• placement on academic probation before you even start college,
• a mandatory gap year to grow up, or
• a reduction in merit-based financial aid.

No kidding, it happens.  Students who earn a ‘D’ during second semester may find they have no college to attend in the fall or a serious reduction in scholarship dollars.

A few years ago, the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) reported that 1 in 5 or about 22 percent of colleges surveyed revoked offers. And the average number of offers revoked more than doubled from 10 to 23 per school in one year.

At last year’s Joint Conference between the Potomac &Chesapeake Association for College Admission Counseling (PCACAC) and the Southern Association for College Admission Counseling (SACAC), representatives from the College of William & Mary, the University of North Carolina, and Emory University agreed that they annually revoke as many as 5 offers of admission and send as many as 15 warning letters to transgressing high school students—some demanding an explanation of poor behavior or declining grades.

In an interview with the Daily Pennsylvanian, Dean of Admissions Eric Furda said the Office of Admissions usually sends warning letters to admitted students if they detect a “pattern of lower grades” or a failing grades.  Students are asked to provide an explanation, after which a decision is made on an appropriate course of action.

And sometimes the letters come after graduation.  One local family was put to the test last year tracking down an errant son who had left for a trip to a remote part of South America.  After receiving a final grade report containing two “C’s,” the boy’s prestigious university sent an email demanding an immediate explanation with a clear threat that revocation of his admission was a distinct possibility.

After some considerable effort, the young man was located and provided access to fairly unreliable internet services which he used to email a detailed explanation and apology to the college. He entered his freshman year on academic probation.

Sadly, colleges have more incentive than ever to take back an offer. With record-breaking applicant pools, unexpectedly high yields, and huge wait lists, schools have lots of enthusiastic applicants happy to take the places of previously-admitted students who dropped key academic classes, let grades slip, or otherwise got in trouble.

The University of Virginia invited several thousand students to be on their wait list this year, and not all have been released yet. You can bet a bunch of those kids would jump at the opportunity to grab a spot regardless of how it becomes available.

Most seniors will finish the year knowing they’ve completed a job well-done. This warning is not for you.

For those who haven’t quite managed to turn in your last three English assignments, please come home from the beach now…

Stuck at Prom® 2013

It’s the stuff of urban legend. 

Who would believe that fashioning a prom dress entirely from duct tape could earn college-bound high school students up to $5000 in scholarship money? But it’s true and there’s still time to enter.

Thirteen years ago, Duck Tape® brand duct tape launched the Stuck at Prom® Scholarship Contest open to high school students in the US and Canada (including DC but excluding Colorado, Maryland, Vermont and Puerto Rico) who are creative enough to assemble and accessorize prom wear that is unique, beautiful, and made entirely out of duct tape.

And if you don’t think it’s possible, check out a recent episode of “Project Runway,” which featured a group of prospective fashion designers working in teams of two to design and create one-of-a-kind prom dresses made primarily out of duct tape. 

But most importantly for duct tape designers, the duct tape product line has expanded from the more traditional silver to a rainbow of 20 colors and patterns including aqua, camouflage, florescent colors, and tie-dyes. There’s even a line of college Duck Tape for real go-getters wanting to show a little school spirit or demonstrate some serious interest.

The Stuck at Prom^® entry period starts March 11 and ends June 10, 2013.  Entry forms may be found on the Duck Brand® website, where you will be asked to upload photos and answer a few questions (be sure to keep track of how many rolls of tape you use).

A panel of judges will then choose 10 finalist couples based on workmanship, originality, use of colors, accessories and use of Duck Tape^®. Those couples will be narrowed down to grand prize ($5000 to each individual of the winning couple as well as the school that sponsored the prom), second and third place winners during a public online voting period on StuckAtProm.com, which will open on June 13, 2013, and end on July 8, 2013. 

Winners will be announced on or about July 11, 2013, and will include “Honorable Mention” awards for best purse, corsage, shoes, tie, jewelry, and prop.  In all, 16 scholarships will be awarded ranging from $500 to $5000.

For more information including some bizarre design tips, visit the contest website. Note that these outfits take hours to complete and more importantly, duct tape as a fabric doesn’t breathe well.

ISEF 2013 opens in Phoenix

ISEF 2005 in Phoenix

Almost two decades after the first National Science Fair took place in 1950, I was introduced to the thrill of science competition at the Crossland High School Science Fair, in Camp Springs, Maryland.

At the time, DC area schools were actively promoting and supporting student involvement in science as a response to the “sputnik” challenge, and like thousands of other budding scientists, I wanted a piece of the action.

My experiment involved yards of copper tubing, a carefully researched “no-fail” mash recipe, and a Bunsen burner. My project was assigned a location next to Avery Grayson’s much more sophisticated physics experiment, but what mine lacked in academic rigor, it more than made up for in pizazz. 

Sadly, my career in science never took off.  The fumes from the applejack I was distilling eventually resulted in my disqualification.  Although amused, the judges didn’t think there was much about my experiment that was particularly new or groundbreaking.

Much has changed since I cooked up a home recipe involving apples and yeast. A lit Bunsen burner would never be tolerated at a science fair, and the level of scientific sophistication among today’s high school is nothing short of amazing!

But basic scientific curiosity and desire to compete on what has become an international stage for young scientists remain driving forces behind Intel’s International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF), which opened this week at the Phoenix Convention Center. And unless you’ve been there, it’s difficult to imagine the rock star atmosphere that accompanied ISEF’s opening ceremonies.

On Monday night, more than 1600 high school students selected from affiliate fairs in approximately 70 countries, regions, and territories came together for the first time to hear Dr. Adam D. Steltzner, of the NASA/Caltech Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

And I guarantee the place was rocking.

Here’s a secret: ISEF is fun. It’s a week of drama, excitement, and new friends. It’s also the most amazing forum in the world for high school students to showcase their talents and be recognized for groundbreaking independent research.

Colleges and universities recruiting science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) students love the credential at any level of competition—local to international. They’re all looking for the next Nobel Laureates or Rocket Boys, and this is where they find them!

And, there’s serious money at stake. Dozens of sponsors offer prize money and really amazing scholarships from corporations, nonprofit organizations, a host of federal agencies, as well as a number of colleges and universities.

This year, the top prizes include the $75,000 Gordon E. Moore Award given by the Intel Foundation in honor of the Intel co-founder and retired chairman and CEO. Two additional top winning projects will receive $50,000 each.

Best of Category winners will take home $5000 scholarships and $1000 grants for their school and the ISEF-affiliated fairs they represent. Grand Prize awards will be presented in each of 17 ISEF categories (and for teams) in increments ranging from $500 to $3000 for first place. In total, more than $3 million is up for grabs.

Local regional fairs including Montgomery, Fairfax, Arlington, and Prince Georges Counties, as well DC, Baltimore, and Richmond will be sending students to Phoenix.  Fairfax County alone has a slate of 12 competitors representing Langley High School, TJHSST, Herndon High School, Marshall High School, Paul VI High School, and Madison High School. Arlington has 2 young scientists at ISEF; Loundon County is sending three projects; Montgomery County is represented by 4 projects; the DC STEM Fair has 2 competitors—both from the School Without Walls; and the Prince George Area Science Fair is sending four grand prize winning projects.

To keep the folks back home informed, the Society for Science and the Public (SSP) and Intel encourage you to follow Intel ISEF 2013 on social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Flickr). You can otherwise keep up with daily activities and get the first word on winners by logging on to the SSP homepage.

5 Potential Game Changers in College Admissions

Wake Forest University is one of many test-optional colleges

Over the next couple of years, elements of the college admissions process will undergo some major changes.

And for many “insiders” who advise high school students on colleges and admissions, change can’t come soon enough. 

But as applications, testing, and financial aid look for ways to streamline the process and take advantage of readily-available technology, it’s vital the organizations driving change make student-applicants the priority. 

It’s not just about speed and ease of access.  And it shouldn’t just be a bottom line game where business and revenue trump the human elements of the process.

At some point, the players need to stand back and look for ways to simplify the chaos caused by a rush to bring in bigger numbers—dollars and applicants. 

And effort should be made to make the process of change more open and inclusive not closed and secretive.

For the moment, however, here are five potential game changers in college admissions that bear watching:

A New SAT.  The College Board recently announced plans to redesign the SAT to better meet “the needs of students, schools, and colleges at all levels.”  Comments from the College Board suggest that an improved SAT would focus on core knowledge and skills that support student success in college and careers.  Look for the new SAT to look more like the current ACT, which for the first time jumped over the SAT in terms of
popularity—another possible game-changer for many colleges and applicants.

New Applications.  Both the Universal College Application (UCA) and the Common Application (CA) are moving to new application software with bells and whistles designed to introduce the application process to the 21st century. The UCA is a year ahead of the Common App, with an all-new website and application emphasizing ease of use and individualization options for applicants, counselors, and colleges.  In fact, the UCA is already compatible with mobile devices, including iPads and iPhones.  While still in the development stage, the Common App will be unveiling a new look, new essays, and a user-friendly interface on August 1, 2013.

Computerized ACT.  The ACT is proceeding with plans to offer an online, computer-based administration of the ACT as early as 2015.  Students will be able to take the test on devices such as desktop computers, laptops, and tablets. For now, the digital version of the exam will be offered only in schools that administer the ACT on a school day as part of state, district or school assessment programs.  There is no timetable at present for introducing the electronic option in other testing situations such as national test days—but it’s likely coming. Although details have yet to be worked out, scores earned from the online tests will be available for reporting to colleges (constructed-response or technology-enhanced items are labeled "optional and separate").

Less Eligibility for Federal Financial Aid.  The income threshold for an automatic $0 Expected Family Contribution (EFC)—the number used to determine a student’s eligibility for student aid—decreased dramatically from $31,000 to $23,000, this year. Students who are not home schooled and do not hold a high school diploma or GED no longer qualify for federal aid.  And beginning in 2014, students whose parents are unmarried but living together, as well as the children of married gay and lesbian couples, will be asked to list both parents when applying for financial aid.  In other words, the availability of federal financial aid is tightening up.

More Standardized Test Options.  The list of colleges implementing test-optional or test-flexible admissions policies continues to grow.  And many students are benefiting from state college systems that reward extraordinary high school performance with automatic admission—no testing required. In general, test-optional policies raise “holistic” review to a much higher level and require admissions offices to work harder to make the college/applicant match.  But given the proven success of these programs, more colleges are looking at ways to diminish or otherwise do away with the role of standardized testing in admissions.