20 Reasons College-Bound Students Should Give Thanks in 2011

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

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.

The Most Popular College Mascots and Nicknames

Evaluating a college on the basis of a nickname or mascot can be an interesting study in campus personality. There are more conservative, mainstream nicknames reflecting character traits such as courage, valor, tenacity, or strength. Eagles, Cougars, or Warriors come to mind.

Then there are the more iconoclastic nicknames that are, well, a little difficult to pin down, like the Banana Slugs, Trolls, Poets, Zips, or Humpback Whales.

Thanks to the tireless efforts of Adam Joshua Smargon, a list of nearly all US collegiate nicknames resides on a single web page. With a little programming magic, here is a ranking of the top 10 based on his list:

1. Eagles (61institutions)
2. Tigers (46)
3. Bulldogs (39)
4. Cougars (32)
4. Wildcats (32)
6. Panthers (31)
6. Pioneers (31)
8. Lions (30)
8. Warriors (30)
10. Knights (26)

Although feral felines dominate the list, the Eagle with 61 colleges and universities won hands down. Add Golden Eagles (15), Screaming Eagles (2), Marauding Eagles, Running Eagles (1), and Bald Eagles (1), and the competition isn’t even close. Locally, both American University and the University of Mary Washington use the eagle as their mascot.

But big birds and cats aren’t the only warrior beasts supported by college fans. Breeds of dogs are also very popular. While Bulldogs (39) top the list, Huskies (9), Greyhounds (5), Terriers (5), Retrievers (1), Great Danes (1), and McDaniel College’s Green Terriers are among the canines cheered at various institutions.

Weather events also are popular and include Tornados (3), Storms (3), Hurricanes (3), Cyclones (3), Thunder (2), Lightning (1), and Savage Storm (1). Insects including Yellow Jackets (18), Bees (2), Spiders (1), Fire Ants (1), and Boll Weevils (1) populate college campuses as well.

Five schools use the Engineers as their mascot. Guess what these students study? Hint: MIT is one.

Religion is another popular theme as Saints (22), Crusaders (23), Preachers (2), Missionaries (1), Monks (1), Friars (1), and Battling Bishops (2) are holier than not. Then again there are the Devils (1), Red Devils (2), Blue Devils (4), and the Demons (1).

There are certainly the puzzling—Hilltoppers (4), Lumberjacks (4), Kangaroos (3), Privateers (2), and Camels (2). But the oddest nicknames have to include Horned Frogs (Texas Christian University), Stumpies (SUNY College of Environmental Science), Dirtbags (CA State—Long Beach), Jumbos (Tufts), Gorillas (Pittsburg State), and Vandals (University of Idaho).

And local favorites in the "one-of-a-kind" department include the Terrapins (UMD), the Hoyas (Georgetown), the Hokies (Virginia Tech), the Spiders (University of Richmond), the Retrievers (University of Maryland Baltimore County) and the Gophers (Goucher).

The College Applicant's '12 Days of Christmas'

College-bound seniors throughout the DC area and beyond are looking at some pretty heavy duty application deadlines over the coming weeks. The Common Application warns that time is running out, and anyone remotely connected with transcripts or recommendations has closed up shop for winter break.

Yet, there are forms to complete and essays to finish. And the family is not happy with the disruption to their celebrations.

In the spirit of the holiday season, I offer the following:

The College Applicant’s 12 Days of Christmas

On the first day of Christmas, I still have lots to do…a heart-warming personal essay.

On the second day of Christmas, I still have lots to do…two college fairs, and a heart-warming personal essay.

On the third day of Christmas, I still have lots to do…three aid appeals, two college fairs, and a heart-warming personal essay.

On the fourth day of Christmas, I still have lots to do…four interviews, three aid appeals, two college fairs, and a heart-warming personal essay.

On the fifth day of Christmas, I still have lots to do…FIVE TEACHER REC’s, four interviews, three aid appeals, two college fairs, and a heart-warming personal essay.

On the sixth day of Christmas, I still have lots to do…six campus visits, FIVE TEACHER REC’s, four interviews, three aid appeals, two college fairs, and a heart-warming personal essay.

On the seventh day of Christmas, I still have lots to do…seven looming deadlines, six campus visits, FIVE TEACHER REC’s, four interviews, three aid appeals, two college fairs, and a heart-warming personal essay.

On the eighth day of Christmas, I still have lots to do…eight school reports, seven looming deadlines, six campus visits, FIVE TEACHER REC’s, four interviews, three aid appeals, two college fairs, and a heart-warming personal essay.

On the ninth day of Christmas, I still have lots to do…nine transcript forms, eight school reports, seven looming deadlines, six campus visits, FIVE TEACHER REC’s, four interviews, three aid appeals, two college fairs, and a heart-warming personal essay.

On the tenth day of Christmas, I still have lots to do…ten score requests, nine transcript forms, eight school reports, seven looming deadlines, six campus visits, FIVE TEACHER REC’s, four interviews, three aid appeals, two college fairs, and a heart-warming personal essay.

On the eleventh day of Christmas, I still have lots to do…eleven short responses, ten score requests, nine transcript forms, eight school reports, seven looming deadlines, six campus visits, FIVE TEACHER REC’s, four interviews, three aid appeals, two college fairs, and a heart-warming personal essay.

On the twelfth day of Christmas, I still have lots to do…twelve apps a-waiting, eleven short responses, ten score requests, nine transcript forms, eight school reports, seven looming deadlines, six campus visits, FIVE TEACHER REC’s, four interviews, three aid appeals, two college fairs, and a heart-warming personal essay.

Merry Christmas!

Top Holiday Videos for 2011

Howard University captures the meaning of the holiday with a video featuring a fabulous rendition of “Children, Go Where I Send Thee,” while UMBC sends greetings from Mama’s Boys and their upbeat version of “Let It Snow.” American University’s holiday video documents the excitement of a campus-wide card-signing event, and Shenandoah University offers wintery campus scenes set to the tune of “Silver Bells.”

In honor of the season, the University of Maryland sends viewers on a tour of the College Park campus as “Jingle Bell Rock” plays in the background, and Frostburg State University provides an insider’s view of the annual Storybook Holiday featuring undergraduate elves wandering the through Frostburg’s winter wonderland.

Colleges are making creative use of YouTube and other internet resources for extending warm holiday greetings again this year. Some will give you an opportunity to see what the campus looks like during winter months, and others will introduce you to key administrative staff who just happen to play starring roles in the productions.

And the videos can be anything from earnest messages read by college presidents seated before brilliantly burning yule logs to humorous collages of campus and student life.

After a thorough search through the internet and a little help from a few admissions offices, here are my candidates for the best of the 2011 holiday videos:

• Arizona State University. Students pass on a very special gift found under a beautifully decorated tree. It’s a wonder those cookies don’t get broken!
• Carnegie Mellon University. Scotty and friends bring “Plaid Greetings” to CMU campuses from Pittsburgh to Qatar to Silicon Valley. Gotta love the plaid.
• Eckerd College. An animated debate between President Eastman and Dean of Admission John Sullivan reminds viewers that, “Liberal arts sounds…so well, liberal.” Bipartisan arts?
• Elon Univesity. Members of the Elon community offer holiday messages including one that vaguely translates into a very merry ChristmasHannukaKwanza.
• Flagler College. Everyone sings along to an upbeat version of “All I want for Christmas.”
• Harvard University. The video has a few bumps and rough spots as well as a little commentary from the videographer, but if you’re a fan of “Little Drummer Boy,” you will LOVE this a cappella version from Harvard’s Kuumba Singers.
• Knox College. This is absolutely one of the best holiday videos of the year. Sam Brownson ’12 wrote and performed “On the Steps of Old Main”—a tribute to Knox College that is sure to bring tears to the eyes of Knox grads or anyone who has truly loved their college experience. Don't miss this one!
  
• Lawrence University. To help get you in the mood for the holidays, members of Contala and the Lawrence Concert Choir gather for “The Christmas Song.” Be sure to check out some of those holiday sweaters!
• Lehigh University. "T’was a great year at Lehigh, and there’s lots to report."
• Macalester College. A real life Dickens scholar, Macalester President Brian Rosenberg experiences his own “Scrooge” moment or series of moments. “How now a legion of goblins all of my own 'admission.'” Humbug! The Ghost of College Yet to Come is wonderful and transformative! Another “don’t miss” video.
• Marquette University. The student a cappella group, Gold ‘N Blues sings “O Holy Night.”
  
• Ohio Wesleyan University. Viewers are treated to snowy campus scenes backed by the “Carol of the Bells” performed by the Ohio Wesleyan Brass ensemble.
• Rhodes College. Short and very sweet. “It’s the truth that sets us free.”
• Simpson College. One hundred students gather in a mall on a cold, gray December day in Iowa and surprise shoppers with the “Hallelujah Chorus.”
• Towson University. “T’was the Night Before Finals” is about as clever as they get if you can imagine calling 8 flying tigers by name: “Now Study, now Read, now Think & Discern. On Ponder, on Cram, on Review and now Learn.”
• University of Minnesota. The Carlson School of Business receives a surprise visit from a lone saxophonist who is soon joined by nearly 300 of his friends from the School of Music in a flash mob version of “Deck the Halls.”
• University of Oregon. And why a duck?
• West Virginia University. During the holidays a kind of Mountaineer magic spreads across the landscape of the WVU campus.
• Wittenberg University. This truly outstanding black and white video was filmed on an iPhone4S and edited on an iPad2 with iMovie and Silent Film Director. Short on community service hours, Erzy has to “Tiger Up” for the holidays and present gifts to each of the conference rivals—except Wooster. Luckily Erzy’s mentor steps in to put things right. Don’t miss this one!
• Wofford College. An original holiday greeting is performed by talented Wofford students. It’s a catchy little song.

Thank you to the many colleges that forwarded me copies of their videos. I enjoyed each and every one!

Best wishes to all for the Happiest of Holidays!