College Explorations

NIH Offers Amazing Summer Opportunities for High School Students

2012-01-27T05:00:00.000-08:00

Summer programs at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) offer hundreds of exciting opportunities for high school students to work side-by-side with some of the world's leading scientists in “an environment devoted exclusively to biomedical research.”

As one of the premiere research facilities in the world, NIH consists of the 240-bed Hatfield Clinical Research Center and more than 1200 laboratories/research projects located on the main campus in Bethesda, as well as in Frederick and Baltimore, MD; Research Triangle Park, NC; Phoenix, AZ; Hamilton, MT; Framingham, MA; and Detroit, MI.

Program stipends cover a minimum of eight weeks, with students generally arriving at the NIH in May or June. And stipends are adjusted yearly with the amount depending on prior experience and educational level.

Note that this is not a commuter program; NIH does not provide housing to student interns. Every year, however, out-of-area students apply and make their own living arrangements for the summer. Nevertheless, students living in the DC metropolitan area or near one of the other locations have a clear advantage for many of the internships.

To support the program, the NIH Institutes and Office of Intramural Training & Education sponsor a wide range of summer activities including lectures featuring distinguished NIH investigators, career/professional development workshops, and Summer Poster Day. These are incomparable opportunities which can provide the basis for independent research and related science competitions such as the JSHS, Intel STS, Siemens, and ISEF.

Summer internships are available for students who will be 16 years of age or older at the time they begin the program and who are currently enrolled at least half-time in high school or an accredited US college or university. Students who have already been accepted to college may also apply.

Interested students must apply online by no later than March 1, 2012, and all letters of recommendation are due by March 15, 2012. The application requires

• a resume
• a list of coursework and grades
• a cover letter describing research interests and career goals, and
• the names and contact information for two references.

Candidates are welcome to specify the scientific methodologies or disease/organ systems that are of particular interest to them.

Because applications are reviewed on a rolling basis from November through April by NIH scientists, students are encouraged to submit their applications as soon as possible.

For more information as well as some tips on how to increase your chances of winning an internship, visit the NIH website.

Don't Fall Victim to Fear of FAFSA

2012-01-25T05:42:00.000-08:00

Fear of FAFSA is a known, but treatable disease. Often it begins with math phobia or chronic avoidance of anything related to personal finances. Individuals who have never balanced a checkbook or filed their own taxes are particularly susceptible.

But help is available! If you’re still procrastinating or have come up against the proverbial FAFSA “wall,” local associations of financial aid professionals are organizing a series of FREE FAFSA filing clinics scheduled to take place in virtually every corner of the country over the next two months.

In the DC metropolitan area, students and their families can choose among Super Saturday events, sponsored by the Virginia Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (VASFAA), College Access Fairfax, or College Goal Sunday, sponsored by independently-funded organizations in Maryland and DC.

There are no residency requirements for any of these programs. Maryland or DC students are welcome to attend Virginia events, and Virginians are welcome to cross the river to attend events in Maryland or the District. Just find a convenient date and location. But considering institutional “priority” FAFSA filing deadlines, you may want to target some of the earlier dates.

Super Saturday, Virginia
This year, the VASFAA will host more than 60 Super Saturday events across the Commonwealth on January 28, February 4, and February 11, 2012. Each Super Saturday site will offer two financial aid workshops designed to explain the federal financial aid process, followed by a Q & A period.

The host sites will have computers available for students/parents to begin or complete their FAFSA’s, with one-on-one assistance provided by volunteer financial aid experts. And to sweeten the deal, a $100 Book Scholarship will be awarded to one student at each Super Saturday site to be used at the winner’s college of choice during the 2012-13 academic year.

Participants should bring personal FAFSA PIN numbers (it's best to register in advance), Social Security numbers, driver’s license, income and tax records, bank and investment statements, and residency documents for noncitizens. More information is provided on the VASFAA website as well as on several location-specific web pages.

College Access Fairfax
College Access Fairfax, in conjunction with the Fairfax County Public Schools, scheduled 12 events in various locations around the county. All workshops are free and open to students and families from any high school, and most will provide on-site Spanish translation services.

College Goal Sundays, Maryland
In Maryland, nine College Goal Sundays, beginning on January 28 at Sojourner-Douglas College in Salisbury, have been scheduled in locations across the state. At each site, FREE professional assistance will be available to help students and their families begin and hopefully complete the FAFSA filing process. In addition, there will be information on state-wide student services, admission requirements, and other financial aid resources. Although not required, participants are strongly encouraged to register in advance as computers, translators, and volunteers are limited.

To complete the FAFSA process on-site, you will need to have your Social Security number, driver’s license, income and tax records, investment and bank statements, and your alien registration card if you are not a US citizen. Details are provided on the College Goal website.

DC College Goal Sunday
The DC College Goal Sunday program has scheduled an event scheduled for Sunday, January 29, at the Martin Luther King Jr Library. In addition to identification information such as Social Security numbers and driver’s license, parents and students should bring their latest tax information and/or last pay stub to complete the form.

If you’re suffering from Fear of FAFSA, you’re not alone. Get help. It’s FREE, professional, and confidential.

What Really Makes College So Expensive

2012-01-24T08:26:00.000-08:00

According to a report released by the Center for College Affordability and Productivity, tuition isn’t necessarily the culprit behind increases in the overall cost of attending college. In fact, the pain in the pocket may be attributable to an increase in the cost of non-tuition expenses such as textbooks and housing.

While costs associated with attending a four-year college rose about $3000 per student since the 1999-2000 school year, the report found that only about $1000 of that may blamed on increased net tuition. Financial aid has contributed to keeping the increase in per student net prices to about $1000, as sticker prices (published rates of tuition) went up by about $3000.

“To the extent that students and their families are concerned about what costs they will need to pay to cover tuition charges, the relevant measure is ‘net tuition,’ which is the ‘sticker price’ less any grant aid students receive.”

The report also points out that four-year colleges have increased per student revenues over the past 10 years. In other words, persistent arguments that tuition increases are more than offset by increases in financial aid don’t necessarily hold water.

“At the four-year level, the significant increase in tuition revenue undermines the common argument that colleges are pursuing a high-tuition/high-aid model,” the report states.

If you’re really interested in why college is so expensive, here is a list of some of the pricier room and board plans found by US News & World Report and Cappex.

Howard University, DC
Average room and board costs: $15,341
University of California-Berkeley, CA
Average room and board costs: $15,317
The New School, NY
Average room and board costs: $15,260
Dominican University of California
Average room and board costs: $14,460
Suffolk University, MA
Average room and board costs: $14,904
Ringling College of Art and Design, FL
Average room and board costs: $14,840
Fordham University, NY
Average room and board costs: $14,491
University of California-Santa Cruz, CA
Average room and board costs: $14,171
Manhattanville College, NY
Average room and board costs: $13,920
St. John’s University-New York
Average room and board costs: $13,900
University of California-Los Angeles, CA
Average room and board costs: $13,743
Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art, NY
Average room and board costs $13,700
New York University, NY
Average room and board costs: $13,510
Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering, MA
Average room and board costs: $13,500
American University, DC
Average room and board costs: $13,648

Maximize Aid by Avoiding Common FAFSA Mistakes

2012-01-23T09:37:00.001-08:00

Even with the new and improved FAFSA form, there’s no question that providing all the information required of financial aid applicants is challenging. But don’t let that stop you! Procrastination is a clear enemy in this process and may prevent you from taking full advantage of the government’s generosity.

The fact is that federal student financial assistance programs represent the nation’s largest single source of financial aid for postsecondary students. And families are finally getting the message. According to an annual study completed by Sallie Mae, FAFSA completion jumped from only 72 percent in 2010 to 80 percent in 2011, with middle-income families making up a substantial portion of the increase.

So what’s the best way to maximize your potential for federal aid?

Simply complete the FAFSA early and online.

But mistakes on the form can delay your application and possibly result in lost financial aid.

To combat frequently-made mistakes, online applicants are now given the option of retrieving IRS data to automatically populate the FAFSA. This option simplifies the application process, helps reduce errors, and may lower chances of being selected for verification. It’s great if you’ve already filed, but not so good if you haven’t and shouldn’t be used as a delaying tactic.

To help get you started, here a few costly FAFSA filing mistakes you can easily avoid:

Waiting to complete your taxes. Although it’s preferable to have completed tax returns available before starting, sometimes that’s just not possible especially if your employer is one of many who routinely ignore W-2 deadlines. Waiting for your employer’s bookkeeper can cause you to miss priority state and college filing deadlines, and these delays could cause you to lose aid. So go ahead and provide estimated information and plan to update once your taxes are done. (HINT: Use your last pay stub from 2011 to provide an income estimate).
Having the wrong parent complete the form. When parents are divorced or separated, you need to make sure the right one completes the form. The parent responsible for filling out the FAFSA will be the one with whom the student has lived for most of the year (more than 50 percent).
Leaving a blank field. The most frequent mistake made by applicants is leaving a field blank. If the answer is zero or the question does not apply to you, write in a “0.” If you leave a question blank, the processor assumes you forgot to answer, and too many blanks may cause miscalculation or an application rejection.
Entering the wrong legal name. Make sure that when you register for a PIN number, the name you provide matches what it says on your social security card. If you’re JoAnne for the Social Security Administration, don’t suddenly become Joann for FAFSA. The same goes for Bubba or Billy Bob. And don’t forget the hyphen or drop one of your last names just because your parents are no longer together. The FAFSA verifies this information with the Social Security Administration and if names do not match, there will be delays in processing.
Providing an incorrect Social Security number or Date of Birth. Check and double check every number you enter in these fields. Errors can be as simple as reversing digits or entering a parent’s SSN in place of the student’s. This REALLY slows down the process. No aid will be awarded until all numbers are correct and match what the feds already have in the system.
Failing to count yourself as a student. The student for whom the FAFSA is being completed must be counted as a member of the household attending college during the award year. Also keep in mind that the form is all about the student, and the words “you” and “your” always refer to the student—not the parents.
Leaving the question about drug-related offenses blank. If you’re unsure or embarrassed, contact the Information Center instead of leaving this field blank. A conviction doesn’t necessarily disqualify you from getting aid.
Entering the wrong tax amount paid. Use the 1040 federal tax return for reporting taxes paid. Do NOT use your W-2 form for this purpose. This is where the new IRS data retrieval tool may help you avoid errors.
Confusing Adjusted Gross Income with Gross Income. The FAFSA specifies the line on the 1040 that lists your AGI. If you use the gross income figure, you are over-reporting your income and could lose aid eligibility because of a high income. Again, the new partnership with the IRS should help, provided you file your return before you start completing the FAFSA.
Failing to sign the FAFSA form. This sounds like a “duh” moment, but you’d be surprised how many manage to screw this up. If you’re one of the 2 percent filling out the paper FAFSA, be sure to sign it. If you’re filing electronically, be sure to obtain your PIN before starting the FAFSA. Your PIN is your electronic signature, and both student and parent will need to have one to file online.
Forgetting to update tax information. If you submit the FAFSA before filing your taxes, you will have to estimate income and tax information. Once your taxes are complete (by April 15th), you must amend your Student Aid Report (SAR) by going to the corrections page on the FAFSA website. Do this as soon as possible, as over- and underestimating taxes can affect the amount of aid you receive, and colleges will not finalize your aid package until you’ve provided 2012 tax information.
Missing filing dates. Financial aid is given out on a first come first serve basis. Those who submit the FAFSA early and correctly are placed in the front of the line for aid. In the way of a reminder, the FAFSA website provides a list of known state filing deadlines. But since priority filing dates vary significantly by college, you’ll need to check with individual financial aid offices to get specific deadlines.
Listing only your top school on the FAFSA form. List all the schools to which you have applied. Gaming this question can lead to problems later. Yes, you’re showing your hand but sometimes that can work to your advantage particularly if you are applying to a list of schools that typically competes for the same students. You don’t want to miss a priority filing deadline because of a desire to maintain privacy about your college list.
Neglecting to coordinate related financial aid forms. These forms include CSS PROFILE, Institutional, or Verification forms. They ask for much of the same information as the FAFSA, but are filed separately. The key is to be consistent on all the forms. Colleges will compare answers and any discrepancies could result in lost aid.
Not filing the FAFSA because you think you don’t qualify. Way too many families make this mistake. Why? Sometimes families don’t realize that retirement and home equity are excluded. Or they think they simply make too much money. A little known fact is some colleges make scholarships available contingent on filing the FAFSA. And finally, stuff happens. Life can take unexpected turns, and you’re much better off having a FAFSA form on file in case an unexpected emergency changes your financial situation.

You can learn more about federal student aid by downloading Funding Education Beyond High School. If you have specific questions, check the FAQ section on the FAFSA website or contact the Federal Student Aid Information Center. Remember that delays and errors can be costly!

GMU’s Aspiring Scientists Summer Internship Program

2012-01-21T09:01:00.000-08:00

Established in 2007, the George Mason University Aspiring Scientists Summer Internship Program (ASSIP) is seeking high school students with a passion for science and a desire to gain practical scientific experience during the summer of 2012.

In addition to gaining hands-on lab experience, participants have the opportunity to work alongside scientists trying to solve some of the most vexing problems in proteomics, genomics, medicine, neuroscience, biodefense, bioinformatics, and bioengineering. As a bonus, many students have the opportunity to see their names included in articles published in scientific journals or their work presented at prestigious scientific conferences.

Nearly 150 students have participated in ASSIP, since 2007. Last year, 35 high school students from 12 local schools participated in the program.

And they worked on some exciting projects including creating software to merge face and speech recognition and investigating supermassive black holes.

ASSIP participants also explored a variety of career opportunities in the STEM fields and forged a strong network of professional contacts.

“America needs more scientists, and we are dedicated to inspire future scientific leaders,” said Dr. Lance Liotta, one of ASSIP’s founding faculty members. “Our mentors are enthusiastic about engaging students in scientific research, and community sponsors share our passion to provide such enlightening opportunities.”

Applicants must be 16 years old as of the first day of the program, which starts on June 21, 2012. Laboratories are located on GMU’s Prince William and Fairfax campuses, and students are responsible for their own housing and transportation.

ASSIP is a highly competitive program. Science courses completed, cumulative GPA, volunteer/work experience, personal statements, and a letter of recommendation will be considered. Interviews will be scheduled for highly qualified candidates.

An application form is currently available on the ASSIP website and must be submitted no later than February 15, 2012, by 5:00 pm. EST.

For more information as well as a list of mentors and departments participating in the 2012 program, visit the George Mason Website.

UVa Offers Admission to 3,187 Early Applicants

2012-01-20T11:41:00.000-08:00

UVa early action applicants will receive their admission decisions this evening at 5:00 p.m., well ahead of the projected January 31st scheduled release date. And for 3,187 high school students, the wait will be over.

Make no mistake, the competition for admission under UVa’s new early admission plan was intense, as the overall number of applications grew to record-breaking numbers. Including 11,753 early action candidates, the total UVa applicant pool stood at a record 28,239 as of yesterday—an impressive 18 percent increase over last year.

“We expected an increase, but the size was a surprise to us,” said Greg Robers, UVa’s dean of admission. He attributes the rise in applications to “strong recruitment efforts, the availability of the new early action plan, and an ongoing national trend of individual students applying to more colleges.

According to UVa, those offered early admission bids were exceptionally well qualified by any standard. The average SAT score was 1,413 on a 1,600 scale and 2,119 on a 2,400 scale, as compared to 1,380 and 2,066 respectively for last year’s admits.

“We’re pleased with the diversity, and we’re excited about the quality of the class,” Roberts said. “This is clearly a distinguished group of scholars.”

The breakdown of applications showed significant interest in the School of Engineering and Applied Science (SEAS), which lead the increase with 4,530 students applying for—a 23 percent jump over a year ago. The Curry School of Education’s new four-year undergraduate kinesiology major was also popular, attracting 474 applications for 26 places.

Those who receive admission offers will have until May to submit their deposits and secure places in the class of 2016. In the meantime, admissions officials will turn attention to the applications of students who applied by the regular January 1st deadline.

Not everyone will be receiving good news, however. Although 41 percent of the early applicants were admitted, another 3,150 were deferred to the regular cycle. And 4,909 applications were declined.

“We have always been very honest with applicants, even though there is bound to be some disappointment,” Roberts added.

Unsure about what percentage of students will accept the early offer of admission, UVa officials will proceed cautiously in filling a projected class of 3,360 students—down from last year’s slightly overenrolled class that class, which unexpectedly grew to 3,450 students.

How to Write a High School Resume that Works

2012-01-18T04:25:00.000-08:00

Although they bear similarities in purpose, a high school resume is quite unlike a document a job seeker might use to impress a Fortune 500 company. For one thing, there’s usually less content. For another, the audience is entirely different and doesn’t care much about the bells and whistles professionally-prepared resumes frequently feature.

In other words, if you want a resume that “works” for college admissions, forget the shadowing effects, the funky typeface, and the overuse of the bold function. Instead, put most of your effort into listing your accomplishments in a clear, concise, and easy to read document.

It’s really not all that hard. Begin the process of developing content for your resume by brainstorming your high school career. This may require help from your immediate support team like parents, mentors, or friends. Keep in mind that mom and dad tend to have a particular focus on you and everything you’ve done since you first toddled across the living room. They can be great resources for this project.

Start with the 9th grade and make note of all activities, honors, memberships, and enrichment programs by quarter. Don’t leave off summers especially if you did something other than sleep or sit in front of a computer for 3 months.

Next begin to organize the information into major categories: honors, extracurricular activities, community service, sports, enrichment, special skills, work experience. Use whatever categories work best for the information you’ve collected, but keep in mind the general blocks of information requested on college applications.

Then organize individual entries by category and date. Be specific about positions, titles, organizations and locations. For example, if you were a “pitcher” for the JV baseball team at Oakton High School in Vienna, VA, say so. If you were a “pitcher” for the FPYC, forget the acronym and say Fairfax Youth Police Club, Fairfax, VA. Acronyms can be really annoying.

Similarly, if you manned the cash register at the Clock Tower Thrift Shop in Centreville, you might want to list it as Volunteer Cashier, Clock Tower Thrift Shop, Northern Virginia Family Service, Centreville, VA.

Don’t overlook special skills and certifications. They not only show accomplishment but also suggest more than a passing interest in an activity. If you’re on the computer team, you may want to list under skills that you can program in Java, C++, Pearl, and HTML. If you are a swim instructor for the Oak Mar Adaptive Aquatics program, you may want to list your Red Cross Lifeguard certification.

In these cases, the activity, skill or certification show deeper interest—passion even—to use a trendy term. Also note that there’s no place on the Common Application to show these kinds of skills and certifications, yet they could be key to making your case about depth of involvement.

When you’re ready to transfer your raw data to a document, use a format you think accommodates your information well and looks attractive. At the top, establish a “letterhead” by listing your name, address, phone number (home and cell), and email address.

By the way, if you’ve been “BuggerPicker333” or “FoxyLady” since middle school, preparing your resume might be a good excuse to go to something a little more professional. And if you’ve been calling yourself “SoccerStar” and you don’t play soccer or you’ve been “HarvardMan2017” since your parents bought you the sweatshirt, you might want to rethink the handles.

The body of your resume should be grouped by category, and entries should be listed chronologically. Usually most recent to oldest is best. Feel free to use bullets or other tools to streamline your descriptions, particularly for employment or volunteer entries.

If space permits at the end, you may want to include a list of hobbies or special interests—like historic reenactments, guppy breeding, exotic bird watching, or fantasy football. Use your discretion and don’t include hobbies that make you seem strange—well not too strange. But if your interests paint a fuller portrait of who you are, go for it.

And finally, never ever go over two pages. Usually, one page will suffice. Students who have been heavily involved in competitions, sporting events, or performances may need extra space. But definitely keep it to two pages.

A resume is a marketing piece. It won’t work if there are spelling errors, the format is messy, and you’ve otherwise not taken care in the preparation of the document. Ask your parents, your counselor, or someone you trust to proofread and go over your content for accuracy and completeness.

Once you’ve finished, you may want to turn your resume into a PDF to attach to emails. But be sure to keep the original file for future editing and expansion.

Your resume should be a living document. Don’t just leave it as a dust-collecting file on your computer. Tweak it regularly by adding entries or updates. It should be ready for printing or email at a moment’s notice.

And now and again take a moment to appreciate all you've accomplished!

10 Very Good Reasons to Add a Resume to Your College Application Toolbox

2012-01-17T09:17:00.000-08:00

Getting into college is a little like applying for a job: you need to persuade an organization that you possess sought-after skills and that you’re a great fit for their community.

It sounds a little like marketing. And yes, you are marketing. Only instead of years of progressive work experience, you’re mostly marketing academic achievements, extracurricular involvement, community service, and special skills.

So you need a tool that summarizes those accomplishments in a clear and concise format. That’s where a resume comes in.

There’s debate among counselors about the use and usefulness of a high school resume. Some ruin the effect by referring to it to as a CV (curriculum vitae) which is Latin for pretentious and others persist in calling the document a “brag sheet,” which sounds…well, a little icky.

Whatever you want to call it, here are 10 very good reasons to add a resume to your college application tool box:

Historical record. A resume helps you keep track of your accomplishments. It’s easier to remember you won Most Valuable Player for the field hockey team in the 9^th grade if you’ve been documenting activities since you walked through the door of your high school.
Gaps. A properly constructed resume that follows along the lines of what college applications request (honors, extracurricular activities, work experience) will show you where gaps exist in your portfolio. If you’ve never volunteered or don’t belong to any clubs, those gaps will quickly become evident as you put together your resume. And the sooner you act on the gaps, the better.
Special skills. A resume may be structured to highlight special skills in the arts, sports, or in academics. If you’re a dancer, your resume can provide a foundation for an arts supplement that tracks where you’ve studied, under whom, and where you’ve danced.
Applications. It’s easier to tackle the task of completing a college or scholarship application if you already have a single document summarizing all of your high school achievements and activities. Having a printout of your resume sitting beside your computer as you fill in blanks not only saves time but also increases the likelihood that you’ll get it right the first time.
Color. Most electronic college applications are fairly cut and dry. They ask only for facts. A resume gives you the opportunity to color in between the lines and provide additional information that makes you come alive or stand out as a candidate. If you have specific computer skills, language fluency, or certifications, a resume is a great vehicle for presenting them. If you’ve conducted research, given presentations or participated in enrichment activities, you can add titles, summaries, or the names of your mentors.
Upload. The Common Application recently combined and condensed the number of lines available to list both extracurricular activities and employment. It also has a small truncating problem which essentially cuts answers off mid-stream. If you have more than 10 entries (substantive entries) or if the truncating demon steals half your descriptions, you should consider uploading a copy of your resume as “additional information.” In fact, some colleges specifically ask for resumes, so it’s good to have one on hand. But remember that a resume should “inform” your application not “duplicate” it. If it doesn’t add anything, don’t include it unless specifically requested.
Recommendations. An up-to-date resume should be provided to anyone you ask to write a recommendation on your behalf—high school guidance counselor, teachers, or even the classmate who's agreed to write a peer recommendation. It helps them get to know you better and to remember all the details of your amazing high school career.
Interviews. A resume is a great conversation starter for an interview. It puts you and the interviewer on the same page—literally. It also helps an interviewer remember specifics about you after the conversation ends. NOTE: You should always have a resume available for an interview, but ask first before handing it over. Some college interviewers have rules to follow concerning the use of background materials.
Employment. Having a resume to attach to an application for a job, internship, or mentorship makes you look that much more professional and job ready. It can answer questions employers haven’t even thought to ask of high school students and will make your credentials stand out from the crowd.
Self-confidence. At the end of the day, it’s sometimes easy to lose sight of all you’ve accomplished. Maintaining a resume and looking at it once in a while will help you remember the highlights of your high school career. And that’s a good thing.

A Day ‘On’—the MLK Day of Service

2012-01-16T07:10:00.000-08:00

“Make it a day on, not a day off” is the motto of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service website. And what better time to begin a lifetime habit of service or rededicate a commitment to volunteerism beginning in the high school years.

Today, millions of volunteers of all backgrounds, ages, and ethnicity will come together to support a movement that has already had a profound impact on our nation.

And you can help by looking around your community for easy projects or kick up your service a notch by joining larger scale projects sponsored by area nonprofits.

Here are a few ideas:

Volunteer at a donation center like the NVFS Clock Tower Thrift Shop in Centreville VA, and gather some gently-used clothes and jackets to donate when you go.
Put together a group of friends and volunteer to clean up a park or common space like the Difficult Run watershed in Fairfax County. Or volunteer for one of many educational programs concerned with watershed stewardship.
Offer to help a new mom or dad with errands or simply volunteer of few hours of babysitting. Better yet, form a group of experienced babysitters and organize a volunteer service targeted to military families in your community.
Assemble a group of friends to write holiday cards and notes for seniors enrolled in local Meals on Wheels programs.
Collect gently-used children’s books and donate them to inner-city schools for distribution to families and children who otherwise can’t afford to have books in their homes. Or host a Books for America book drive.
Help elderly or disabled neighbors by raking leaves, shoveling snow, or weeding. Again a volunteer corps of high school students on call to provide these services would be a welcome addition to your community.
Support your local animal shelter by organizing a pet food drive. Or bring donations to the Humane Society of Fairfax County’s “ani-meals” pet food pantry which offers pet food and related pet car items to low-income residents of the county.
Form a weekly knitting or crochet circle of high school friends and create tiny hats for pre-mature infants in area hospitals or make scarves and shawls for patients at veterans hospitals.
Head over to a homeless shelter or volunteer for a shift at a local soup kitchen, like Our Daily Bread in Fairfax. Bring along canned food donations you’ve collected in your neighborhood.
If you speak a second language, offer translation assistance or volunteer tutoring services to limited English speaking residents of your community. Locally, there is a particular need for volunteers with knowledge of Spanish, Korean, and Vietnamese.
Collect donations and assemble “care packages” for members of the military assigned overseas. Or gather a group of friends and write letters to service personnel.
Organize a school supply drive and donate these materials to organizations serving children and families like the Children’s Inn at the National Institutes of Health.

For lists of MLK Day of Service projects, you can check with local organizations such as Volunteer Fairfax or the Montgomery County Volunteer Center. A more centralized listing of service projects may be found on the mlkday.org website maintained by the Corporation for National Community Service.

“Everybody can be great because anyone can serve.” Martin Luther King, Jr.

One ‘Out of This World’ Internship Opportunity

2012-01-14T06:57:00.000-08:00

The DEVELOP program, part of NASA’s applied sciences training and development operation, offers high school students exciting opportunities to work with science advisors and partner agencies on down-to-earth projects in local communities throughout the U.S.

With feet firmly planted on the ground, students research topics in areas ranging from agriculture to weather and make important contributions in support of NASA’s broad-ranging earth science mission.

Since 1999, the DEVELOP program has administered over 2,200 internships in locations across the country. The Langley-based National Program Office oversees twelve DEVELOP team locations in North America—six at NASA Centers in Maryland, Virginia, California, Alabama, and Mississippi as well as four regional locations in Virginia, Colorado, Illinois, and Alabama.

During the summer term, high school students work 30-35 hour per week for 8 weeks, starting this year on June 18, 2012. Some internships are paid, while others are offered on a volunteer basis.

As part of a DEVELOP team, students conduct research in areas that examine how NASA technology can benefit partner organizations and construct projects that focus on practical applications of NASA’s research results. These projects oftenprovide the basis for continued independent research and can easily evolve into national science competition entries. And it’s no secret that colleges are looking for students with proven interest or expertise in STEM-related fields.

High school students with a strong interest in environmental science, earth science, technology, computer science, environmental policy are invited to apply. Thousands of students have already graduated from the program, and many discovered career paths along the way.

To qualify, students must be enrolled in high school, college or graduate school and must be at least 16 years of age. Students must also have a 3.0 GPA and submit an application that includes two letters of recommendation as well as an essay, a resume, and an unofficial academic transcript.

For this year’s summer term, all applications must be sent to the National Program Office in Hampton, Virginia, and postmarked by January 30, 2012.

Housing is not provided and students are responsible for living expenses. But for the student with interest in applied sciences who wants to get a head start on research, the cost may be worth it.

For more information on all the NASA programs for high school students or to download a DEVELOP application, visit NASA’s science education webpages.

College Net Price Calculator Video Challenge

2012-01-13T07:14:00.000-08:00

Video scholarship competitions are all the rage these days. Organizations have discovered that kids prefer the video camera over word processing programs. They’ve also figured out a way to get free advertising for a product or cause, and save millions on the cost of hiring an advertising agency to produce a short video promotion.

And so it shouldn’t be a surprise that even the federal government wants to get in on the act. On January 1, the U.S. Department of Education began accepting entries for the “College Net Price Calculator Student Video Challenge.”

Three lucky students will be awarded $1,500 each for developing videos designed to get the word out about “how much it costs to go to college.” The challenge asks high school and college students to create short videos informing students and families about “net price calculators.”

According to the Department of Education, “…too few people know what ‘net price’ means, and where to find a college’s net price calculator on its website.” The Department wants to encourage everyone to use net price (along with other information) when “comparison shopping for higher education.”

For interested videographers, here are some links to a few local college net price calculators*:

Contestants must submit their videos by January 31, 2012, via a video link (YouTube, Vimeo, a personal website, etc.) and through netpricecal.challenge.gov. The video must be approximately 60 to 180 seconds in length, must mention the College Navigator website, and should not contain any unoriginal music unless the music is in the public domain.

There are some other rules and they may be found on the Challenge.gov website.

*Note: Before using any of these calculators, carefully consider how much personal financial information you want to provide in any identifiable way. For example, the College Board administers a surprising number of the net price calculators. By using your CollegeBoard.com account, the information you provide may be linked to other to other college search or test score data banks.

Three 'Gap Year Fairs' Scheduled Locally

2012-01-11T07:56:00.000-08:00

Once dust settles from the drama of college admissions, many high school seniors begin reflecting on whether they’re really ready to charge directly into the demands of postsecondary education.

They find there are alternatives to the 16-year forced march from kindergarten to college and start exploring options outside traditional classroom experiences.

For these students, the possibility of taking a "gap year" after high school yet before starting college may be the perfect antidote to the pressures of growing up in a success-oriented culture that places little emphasis on developing independence or exploring interests outside of academics.

The practice of taking a deferred year developed in Great Britain. The idea took off as students discovered that a “year out” provided incomparable opportunities to participate in international programs combining language study, homestays, cultural immersion, community service, and independent study.

And now the popularity of the gap year experience is growing at an amazing rate in the US, in part because colleges think it’s a really good idea.

In their acceptance letters, Harvard, Princeton, Tufts, and NYU openly encourage students to consider the benefits of taking some time off in the form of a gap year.

In fact, Princeton has taken an even more direct approach by creating a “Bridge Year” program in which the university provides need blind financial aid for a portion of incoming freshmen to participate in nine months of university-sponsored service at one of several international locations including Ghana, India, Peru, and Serbia. Because of the overwhelming success of the program, plans are underway to expand both the locations and availability of Bridge Year opportunities for incoming Princeton students.

A strong proponent of gap year experiences, Harvard Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid, William Fitzsimmons routinely offers gap year opportunities to high school students who start thinking outside the box early. “Normally a total of about fifty to seventy students defer [Harvard] until the next year. The results have been uniformly positive.” He adds, “Many speak of their year away as a ‘life-altering’ experience or a ‘turning point,’ and most feel that its full value can never be measured and will pay dividends the rest of their lives.”

If you’ve started the process of exploring the possibility of taking a gap year before college, you may want to attend one of 30 USA Gap Year Fairs scheduled to take place over the coming months. These events are designed to provide interested students and parents with a broad range of programs and the opportunity to meet with organizations focusing on education, service, and personal grown.

Locally, three fairs have been scheduled for January 18^th at George C. Marshall High School in Falls Church, January 19^th at Thomas S. Wootton High School in Rockville, and January 21^st at Sidwell Friends School in Washington DC.

Guest speakers will include Karl Haiger and Rae Nelson, authors of “The Gap Year Advantage,” as well as Holly Bull from the Center for Interim Programs.
For more information on times and locations of fairs near you, visit the USA Gap Year Fairs website.

Area Colleges make Impressive Gains in Graduation Rates

2012-01-09T05:49:00.000-08:00

While Georgetown, UVa, and the College of William and Mary retain their positions among colleges with the top graduation rates in the country, many other area schools are making impressive gains in the percent of undergrads completing degrees within six years.

Admittedly, the six year figure is often startling to parents who thought they were signing up for four years only. And many colleges protest that the way in which numbers are reported doesn’t take into account transfers or students who take extended breaks and eventually return to college.

But it’s the statistic collected by the federal government and represents the "primary, publicly available metric that describes how well colleges are serving their students."

Based on widely-quoted figures from the US Department of Education, only 55.5 percent of the undergrads beginning their four-year degrees complete in six years.

But many local colleges and universities are working hard to improve their individual numbers, and the results are evident. According to numbers provided by the College Results Online website, Marymount University and Christopher Newport University win local “most improved” awards by jumping 9 full percentage points in graduation rates, proving that college transition and support programs pay off.

Other winners include Towson University and Goucher College which increased their graduation rates by 7 percent and 5 percent respectively.

Results from other area colleges and universities are mixed but generally show positive trends:

American University: 77% (+2)
Catholic University: 72% (+1)
Christopher Newport University: 58% (+9)
College of William and Mary: 91% (no change)
George Mason University: 61% (+3)
George Washington University: 81% (no change)
Georgetown University: 93% (no change)
Goucher College: 69% (+5)
Howard University: 62% (-3)
James Madison University: 81% (-1)
Johns Hopkins University: 91% (+2)
Loyola University of Maryland: 83% (-3)
Marymount University: 56% (+9)
S t. Mary’s College of Maryland: 79% (+4)
Towson University: 73% (+7)
UMBC: 59% (no change)
University of Mary Washington: 75% (-2)
University of Maryland—College Park: 82% (no change)
University of Richmond: 86% (-2)
University of Virginia: 93% (no change)
Virginia Commonwealth University: 50% (+1)
Virginia Tech: 80% (+2)
Washington & Lee University: 91% (+2)

For an even more comprehensive view of graduation rates over time (back to 1997), check out the College Results Online website, maintained by the Education Trust.

College is still worth the Investment—For Some More than Others

2012-01-07T06:16:00.000-08:00

The good news from the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce is that despite some dismal unemployment figures for recent college graduates, a bachelor’s degree is still worth the investment.

Although the jobless rate for recent college grads stands at about 8.9 percent, unemployment among job seekers with no better than a high school diploma is almost 23 percent and registers an incredible 31.5 percent among high school dropouts.

But “not all degrees are created equal.” According to the Center, some majors offer substantially better employment prospects than others.

"People keep telling kids to study what they love--but some loves are worth more than others," Anthony P. Carnevale, the lead author of the report and the center's director, told The Washington Post.

In general, unemployment is higher among recent graduates outside of technical fields of study, such as the arts (11.1 percent) and humanities and liberal arts (9.4 percent). Graduates in health or education, however, both have much lower unemployment rates of 5.4 percent.

"If your major sounds like a job—engineering, for instance, sounds like you're going to be an engineer—you're going to be in better shape," Carnevale told The Chronicle of Higher Education.

But there are some big exceptions. Architecture majors are currently having serious problems finding jobs and fared the worst with unemployment at 13.9 percent, likely due to the decline of the construction and home-building industries during the recession.

And although computer specialists who design software and applications are getting jobs (6 percent unemployment), information specialists using the technology aren’t (11.7 percent).

Also subgroups within majors vary enormously in terms of unemployment. While business majors (7 percent) are doing well, accountants (6.8 percent) are doing even better. But those business majors in hospitality management (9.1 percent) appear to be having a hard time, probably because of the decline in travel and tourism.

The study also looked at the value of various majors over time. Not surprisingly the wages of workers with degrees in engineering, computer science, or business were as much as 50 percent higher than for those who majored in the arts, humanities, education, and psychology.

And the report confirmed that the more education you have, the better your job prospects may be. Only 3 percent of graduate degree holders are unemployed. With the exception of arts and education, workers with graduate degrees average between $60,000 and $100,000 per year, as compared to a range of $48,000 and $62,000 for workers with bachelor’s degrees.

The Gates Millennium Scholars Program Offers More than Just a Scholarship

2012-01-06T07:30:00.000-08:00

Since 1999, the Alexandria-based Gates Millennium Scholars (GMS) Program has funded over 15,000 scholars in more than 1,500 colleges and universities. And this year, GMS plans to add 1000 new names to the list of students receiving “good-through-graduation” scholarships at schools all over the country.

Funded by a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the GMS program was established to reduce financial barriers for African American, American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian Pacific Islander, and Hispanic American students with high academic and leadership promise who wish to pursue a college degree.

“Continuing” Gates Millennium Scholars may also request funding for graduate degrees in one of the following disciplines: computer science, education, engineering, library science, mathematics, public health, or science.

But this program is about more than just the money. Gates Millennium Scholars are provided with personal and professional development through leadership programs. The GMS program offers ACademic Empowerment (ACE) services to encourage academic excellence; mentoring services for academic and personal development; and an online resource center that provides internship, fellowship, and scholarship information.

To be eligible for consideration, students must submit three required application forms online by Wednesday, January 11, 2012 or by mail with a postmark on or before January 11. These include

• Student Application (Nominee Personal Information Form)
• Educator’s evaluation of the student’s academic record (Nominator Form)
• Evaluation of the student’s community service and leadership activities (Recommender form)

Minority students with demonstrated leadership abilities who have attained a cumulative high school GPA of 3.3 on an unweighted 4.0 scale and who meet the Federal Pell Grant eligibility criteria are encouraged to apply. To ensure eligibility, candidates should file a FAFSA at their earliest opportunity.

For more information and all application materials, GMS homepage.

Local Colleges Finish High on Kiplinger’s List of ‘Best Values, 2012’

2012-01-04T05:51:00.000-08:00

Twelve of the 100 public colleges listed as “Best Values, 2012,” by Kiplinger’s Personal Finance Magazine may be found in either Maryland or Virginia. According to Kiplinger’s, no other region of the country can boast of such a high concentration of "best value" colleges and universities.

While the University of Virginia retained its number 3 ranking for the sixth time in seven years, the College of William & Mary held on to the 4^th position and the University of Maryland dropped to number 8 from number 5 last year.

Acknowledging “hard times” in higher ed, Kiplinger’s slightly retooled their methodology this year to give more weight to criteria considered “crucial to academic value,” including freshman retention and four-year graduation rates.

"As states cut funding for higher education and tuition continues to climb, the word 'value' becomes more significant than ever," said Jane Bennett Clark, senior editor at Kiplinger's Personal Finance. "This year’s top 100 public schools deliver strong academics at reasonable prices."

On the cost side, Kiplinger’s continued to reward colleges with low sticker prices and generous financial aid. And out of a concern for increasing levels of student debt, Kiplinger’s awarded bonus points to colleges keeping borrowing low.

Kiplinger’s bases its rankings on a combination of academics and affordability, with “academic quality,” carrying more weight than cost. Total expenses for in-state students (tuition, mandatory fees, room and board, and books), as well as the availability of financial aid (not loans) and the average debt per student at graduation are factors in computing overall cost.

In this year’s ranking, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill came in number one for the 11th straight year, and the University of Florida continued to hold down the number two spot. Other top 10 schools include New College of Florida, University of Georgia, UC Berkeley, UCLA, and UC San Diego.

Good deals may be found at North George College and State University, which runs less than $14,000 per year for instate students and keeps average debt at graduation to $10,021. The University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma charges $11,230 to in-state students and $18,190 to nonresidents, making it the lowest-cost institution on the list.

Kiplinger’s applauded UVa for keeping average costs for families who qualify for need-base aid to only $5,138. And because UVa graduates 85% of its students within four years, families don’t have to worry as much about covering an extra year.

Other Virginia universities ranked in the top 100 were James Madison (28), Virginia Tech (32), the University of Mary Washington (44), George Mason University (50), and Christopher Newport University (94). In Maryland, “Best Values” included St. Mary’s College of Maryland (42), Salisbury University (71), Towson University (76) and the University of Maryland Baltimore County (84).

Local colleges also scored well among "best values" for out-of-state students, with the College of William & Mary moving up to number 4, UVa at number 5, and the University of Maryland at number 10.

Retriever Chess Team Earns a Spot in the 2012 President’s Cup

2012-01-03T04:41:00.000-08:00

College rivalries come in all shapes and forms. The more traditional football or basketball rivalries are celebrated events attracting huge national audiences. Other rivalries might be less visible, but are competed just as fiercely.

One such rivalry, while not as long-standing as The Game between Harvard and Yale, is the chess duel between the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC) and the University of Texas—Dallas (UTD).

This year, it was UTD’s turn to be on top. Headed into the 2011 Pan-Am Intercollegiate Team Chess Championship with a record of nine titles, the UMBC chess team fell to their Dallas-based rivals and came in second place, but still advanced to the 2012 President’s Cup—the “Final Four” of chess.

UTD came in first with six points, the UMBC Retrievers came in second with 5 points, and Texas Tech and NYU tied for third with 4.5 points each.

“It was an exciting finish, because we could have won right up until the last match,” says Alan Sherman, Chess Director. The University of Texas at Brownsville surprisingly did not make the cut for the Final Four even though they were the highest ranking team going into the tournament.

The UMBC team, all on chess scholarships, is composed of students with exceptional chess skills and strong academic records, Sherman says. UMBC requires students to maintain a 3.0 GPA to maintain chess scholarships.

The Retrievers last won the Pan-Am title in 2009, and took second last year. This year’s team will compete in the 2012 President’s Cup, to be held March 31–April 1 in Herndon, Va.

Members of the team include Leonid Kritz ’12 and Giorgi Margvelashvili ‘12, who are both International Grandmasters; Sasha Kaplan, who is an International Master from Israel; and Sabina Foiser ’12, who is an International Woman Grandmaster from Romania.

In 2008, UMBC swept into its first-ever run to the NCAA men’s basketball tournament. But that’s nothing compared to the long-standing chess rivalry with UTD, at a school where “Chess is King” and "Retrievers are Believers."

2012 FAFSA Goes Live

2012-01-01T07:35:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! In case you missed the memo, the online FAFSA application went “live” just about the same time the Times Square crystal ball hit bottom at midnight on January 1st. And it's housed in a spiffy new website featuring a few additional bells and whistles that should make the 2012-13 FAFSA experience the best ever.

As I’ve noted before, National Fruitcake Toss Day probably receives more attention than the annual start to the federal financial aid season, which starts today.

Nevertheless, it’s time to sharpen the pencils, put fresh batteries in the calculator, dig out tax returns, and organize bank records to tackle the single most important form necessary to make yourself eligible for millions in federal aid.

So, when is the best time to file the FAFSA? Right NOW!

With thousands of families competing for money this year, you need to submit your application as soon as possible. The earlier the FAFSA is received, the earlier it will get processed, and the better positioned you will be for grants and scholarships. And much of this money is first come, first served. Get the picture?

Start by organizing your documents. You need your Social Security number, driver’s license, income tax return, bank statements, and investment records.

Next, if you haven’t done so already, apply for a PIN number. Both a parent and the student will need PIN’s to sign the FAFSA electronically. The application is easy and there’s no longer any waiting—a PIN can be generated on the spot.

Although a paper application is still an option (and can help as a tool for drafting responses off-line), it is highly recommended that you complete the web-based form and submit electronically to save time. If you have no internet access at home, libraries have online connections, and schools usually will make accommodations to support online FAFSA filing. Ask your guidance counselor or college/career center specialist for help if necessary.

And always keep in mind that this is the FREE Application for Federal Student Assistance. Don’t pay for PIN’s or application forms. If in doubt, ask. FAFSA customer service representatives stand ready to respond online or by phone.

It’s hard to overstate the importance of early FAFSA filing. Money is seldom an unlimited resource, and colleges are experiencing financial problems just like the rest of us. They have deadlines and bureaucratic procedures to follow in the preparation of aid packages. And many of these deadlines come much earlier than you think.

Also, don’t delay just because you haven’t filed taxes yet. Use last year’s returns and plan to amend later. Corrections to the original 2012-13 FAFSA may be submitted up until September 15, 2013.

As my mother-in-law says, “WIGIG”—when it’s gone, it’s gone. So use the quiet time you have available the rest of the holiday weekend to get FAFSA started. Why wait?

20 Reasons College-Bound Students Should Give Thanks in 2011

2011-12-31T06:43:00.000-08:00

At year’s end, it’s traditional to give thanks for all the many blessings received during the previous twelve months and to look forward to the coming year with a renewed sense of optimism. The following are twenty reasons college-bound students should be giving thanks this year:

20. Colleges reducing tuition
19. FAFSA’s new "IRS retrieval tool"
18. Permission to guess on Advanced Placement exams
17. Tuition exchange programs
16. Canadian Colleges
15. Campus tour guides who master the art of walking backwards
14. Almost 850 “test optional” colleges and universities
13. Colleges with straightforward "Score Choice" policies
12. College Navigator
11. The trend toward non-binding early action policies
10. The freedom to substitute ACT scores for SAT’s
9. Free on-campus visitor parking
8. The demise of SAT antonym questions—this happened in 1994 but you should continue to be thankful
7. Print preview
6. Net Price Calculators that are truthful and easy to use
5. Colleges with no loans
4. Applications with NO essay supplements
3. Colleges requiring fewer SAT Subject Tests
2. Teachers and guidance counselors still willing to write recommendations

And most important of all:

1. Family and friends who support and love you!

Best wishes for a healthy and Happy New Year!

Animals with Fraudulent Diplomas

2011-12-29T07:52:00.000-08:00

Tom is an all-star. He has offers to attend prestigious leadership conferences and invitations to join academic honor societies. Last week, he received several anxious emails from colleges and universities reminding him that his application was due in a matter of days.

In fact, Tom has even had application deadlines extended or waived. And he’s been offered opportunities to apply for exclusive scholarships not generally open to the public. But his policy so far has been to ignore all appeals.

Because Tom is a cat. Admittedly, Tom is a very talented mouser and an utterly adorable tabby. He does have his own email account, however, which I check regularly for him. Nevertheless, he’s a cat.

And his goal is to one day earn a spot on the Wikipedia list of “animals with fraudulent diplomas.”

Evidently, Tom is not the only feline investigator trying to get a handle on the seamier side of online education-related scams. Here are a few of my favorites:

Colby Nolan is a housecat belonging to one of Pennsylvania’s deputy attorney generals, who happened to be investigating diploma mills. Colby’s MBA became the source of a law suit against Trinity Southern University.
Henrietta Goldacre obtained a diploma in nutrition from the American Association of Nutritional Consultants. Although the cat is no longer with us, his owner keeps her certificate on display in a restroom.
Dave Catermanis was awarded a degree in communications at York University. According to Wikipedia, the small black cat (one of a litter of 7 kittens) is currently enrolled in medical school.
Kitty O’Malley (AKA Spanky) worked undercover for the Florida-based Ledger and obtained a high school diploma from Washington High Academy. Sadly, the diploma was insufficient for her to gain admission to local colleges.
Oreo Collins is a “tuxedo cat” whose claim to fame was her diploma from Jefferson High School Online. The sting was an investigation initiated by the Central Georgia Better Business Bureau.
Zoe D. Katze obtained several “well-known” hypnotherapy certifications and became the subject of an article by the American Bar Association and starred in a news report by CBS News.

There are dogs on the list, but Tom isn’t as impressed.

The moral of the story is be careful about offers that are too good to be true—quickie admissions, scholarships with fees attached, honors you didn’t really earn, or expensive leadership programs.

And watch out for “phishing” expeditions where websites ask for detailed personal information to support college search or financial aid. You never know where some of this information will end up. At a minimum, you’ll find your email box filled with spam. I know because I read Tom’s mail for him.