Breaking the Small Business Code

Class on Boston Red Socks - Is This What College is For?

    Just read an announcement that Bates College in Lewiston, Maine is offering a class on the Boston Red Socks.  A lucky group of 15 students at this $51,400 per year college got into the class.

     Because the class is an elective, IN THEORY, taking it does not cut into the required/standard curriculum needed to graduate from Bates.  But when your student's college education costs over $50,000 a year, is this a good use of their time in college?  Is this what you are paying for on a per unit basis?  Should electives outside the major be allowed?

     As the daughter of a retired college dean, I have talked to many professors who teach classes on pet interests. I have seen classes on speaking "Klingon" or analysis of the soap opera "Dark Shadows" or classes on current "topics" like Paris Hilton.  Why such off-the-wall topics? 

      The real question is what is the purpose of electives?  Colleges say that electives "help a student become more well-rounded" by "exposing them to topics that help them better implement their major".  And virtually everyone of the professors I talked to defended their unusual topics by saying they "wove current events and unpopular topics into the class disguised by the more 'sexy' class topic".  But talking to the students, the class was usually more fun than "well-rounding".

      So is this a good use of your student's time?  Is this what you pay a per-unit tuition fee for? Does taking a class on the Boston Red Socks or Star Trek or . . . help with your career choices? And most important, should such classes even be offered when students can't get into required classes because there aren't enough of them?

      As an engineering major, taking an off-the-wall elective on "Star Trek" (yes I did) was a mental vacation for me.  But I should have taken a class in marketing or public speaking.  My parents weren't paying for me to use my units for "fun".  And about that "weaving" unpopular topics into the class -- talk to most students and usually does NOT happen. (Sorry professors who do, many of your peers use these classes for their mental vacations!).

      So what do you think about these not traditional classes being part of your student's options?  Do you think it is appropriate to pay per unit for these classes?  Do you think professors should teach these topics if the school doesn't have enough prerequisite classes?

Special Admits - Part 2

        The U.S. Commission on civil rights is being presented with information on a new version of "special admits" and what it means when you admit ANY group of students that is less qualified than the typical students at that institution.  The specific issue is minorities admissions in what are called the critically important STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) curriculum.

      I blogged about this last week when I cautioned parents against using their student's special gifts like athletics to get into a college where their academics don't fit at LEAST the mid-pack of students.  Athletes are admitted at 25 times or more the numbers of their non-athletic peers under special admits which means their grades and test scores are not equal to that of their fellow students.  This puts them on a track for failure because they are not equipped to compete outside the athletic field.

      "Special admits" are not so obvious when applied to academics.  Most colleges are trying to build more diverse classes in all their program including critical programs like STEM.  What is inferred by the testimony is the elite or "highly selective" colleges are admitting minority students under special admits, affirmative action, "holistic" review, or any other program they can use to increase minority numbers on their campuses including programs like STEM .  The problem is these "special admits" are not graduating at the same rates as their regular admit peers at the "highly selective" or elite colleges.  According to some studies, the drop-out rate can be as much as 50% higher.

    As I stated in my previous blog, this is TOTALLY understandable.  The SAT, ACT and GPA based on AP classes are used to measure college success at elites.  Is it 100% accurate?  No, but a lower score indicates the high probability you will not be able to keep up with peers who DO have higher scores than you do.  As in my previous special admits blog, I revealed that 25% of the freshman class at Stanford had perfect SAT math and verbal scores and the lowest 25% had scores lower than 1340!  If you grade on a curve, the lower 25% is in the C and potentially D category!  So if you admit students who are lower ranges for SAT and GPA, you are potentially setting them up for disaster!

     Special admits for academics creates two problems.  First, it is devastating for ANY student regardless of minority status to drop out because of inability to compete academically. But the second problem is that "unqualified" student took the seat of a "traditionally" qualified student who had a higher chance of graduating in the critically needed STEM fields. 

     Sadly, the discussion gets all mucked up in the emotions of "fairness" and need to have a diverse college campus and work force.   Sadly, everyone is right but the end goals are in conflict. Everyone takes a "hit" regardless of which way you fall on the issue:   

• It is not fair to students who were "replaced" by less qualified minority students at these colleges. 
• It is not fair to minority students who did not have the same preparation in K-12 to be competitive. 
• It is not fair to truly qualified minority students who are often "tainted" with suspicion that they are less qualified than their peers because they may have been a special (i.e., a less qualified) admit. 
• It is not fair to us, the taxpayer, to have whole groups of people not being able to rise to their highest potential.

(NOTE -  One of the things not being addressed in much of the dialog I am seeing on the web is the assumption that graduating from a "less elite" college is a problem!  These special admit students graduate at higher numbers at the "less elite" STEM colleges.  Well, duh!  They are competing with peers with similar qualifications - a more level playing field!  There is  an inference that graduating from an ELITE is more important than graduating from a state or lower tier college.  Something for another day's blog!)

   What do you think about this problem?  Do you think it is fair to admit less qualified students no matter how important the reason?  How do you feel about the process if your student needs special admits?  How do you feel if your student is competing for those seats and is not probably qualified for a special admit? 

Let your voice be heard as the politicians and bureaucrats discuss the future of your college-bound students!

Special Admissions = Athletic Free Pass?

      “Special admits” or “Special Admissions” is a phrase that describes a program that admits students that don’t meet regular admissions requirements. It allows colleges to overlook the standard measurements and look at the "whole student".  Most families assume it is for situations like one I had where a handicapped (blind) student didn't get the typical SAT scores for his #1 college choice (try doing math in your head) but he had great grades and attitude and was admitted to an elite ivy. But his story is the rare exception!

     Special Admit has become an athletic recruiting tool!

      The Indianapolis Star did a survey this year and found some eye-popping numbers on who actually gets special admits. Nearly EVERY player on the University of California at Berkeley football team (95% of freshmen) were special admits compared to 2% for the rest of the incoming students. But UCB is not alone, other results include:

· 76% of the freshman football class at Indiana University at Bloomington is made up of special admits but are only 2 percent of regular freshman.

· Texas A&M University is 94% versus 8%

· University of Oklahoma is 81% versus 2%

      So what does this mean for the typical college-bound family? IF your student has a gift like athletics, a college that values that gift may admit your student despite their academic scores. BUT the big risk is whether or not your student can KEEP UP with the rest of the students who are academically superior. It’s not getting in but graduating that counts!

     I have met with lots of families who are fixated on using their student's skills (usually but not always sports) to get into a college that they would not normally qualify for based on GPA and/or  test scores on the SAT or ACT.  I explain that having a desirable skill does not qualify them to compete in the real place for college success => the classroom!  Unless their student is a "blue chip athlete" and planning to make the sport their life-long profession, EDUCATION should be the focus.

    This is why the NCAA has been tightening the GPA average for teams and graduation rates for teams.  (And that opens up another blog topic - how colleges are tempted to "shade" the grades and class choice for premier athletes.) 

    So what is the bottom line?  If you have a student-athlete, please focus on a good college EDUCATION and IF sports can help with admissions AT the college that fits their career potential and their academic skills, go for it!  But don't put your student into a college that they simply cannot handle. 

    My recommendation is to look at the GPA and admissions test scores from the previous year's freshman class at the colleges on your list.  Here is what I want you to SERIOUSLY consider:

      If your student's scores are not AT LEAST at the lower end of the mid-pack, I strongly recommend you do not accept admissions on special admit. Remember, colleges grade on the curve and you are competing with the people sitting next to you in class. Who sits next to you in class can be determined by the college's admissions history.  For example, 50% of freshman at Stanford in 2007 had SAT scores on math and verbal between 1340 and 1550 out of 1600!  That means the C and B students had AT LEAST 1340!  If you were lower than 1340 you are potentially a low C to D student.  And 25% of the freshman class had PERFECT SAT scores!!

         Remember, the goal is a tool kit for life, not simply 4-years of sports glory.  I think it is better to use a special admit for colleges that stretch your athlete but does NOT put them in the lower 25% of traditional students!

       

Scholarship Book and Video Giveaway

ORIGINAL DATE: 04/25/2008 05:09:07 PM

Sadly, the words  f r e e  will get a blog labeled dangerous or malicious in the wild world of the internet!  That's why you see so many creative ways of spelling it without spelling it like mine with spaces.  But I need to share something I have just done for the College Leadership Foundation! If you have been reading my blogs you know that I am currently on leave from my company College Funding Network as a loaned executive to the College Leadership Foundation.  I AM VERY PASSIONATE in my support for their College eCoaching Club and what it can do for college-bound families.  I think it is absolutely critical that college families get neutral and unbiased content to help them achieve their maximum in college success. And that's the mission of the Foundation and what you get when you join eCoaching. To encourage (okay, bribe) as many families as possible to try the Club, I am DONATING the complete "Insider Secrets to Scoring Scholarships" System to anyone who signs-up for just 1-month of College eCoaching Club membership.  The system includes my book, "77 Insider Secrets", a 50-minute video of the standing-room only class I did for the AAUW of Thousand Oaks, and thr Tuition Rx Guide to Athletic Scholarships -- over a $29.95 value (available through this website by clicking on the Products tab).  And for families who join now, I am giving it ALL away with the first month's tax-deductible $14.95 membership fee. If you don't like what you get from the Foundation, cancel the membership and keep my scholarship materials -- no questions asked!  Think of it this way -- You are either getting my system at no cost with a 2-month membership or you're getting a 2-month membership for buying my proven Insider Secrets to Scoring Scholarships.  Both are a win-win for you! For less than 50 cents a day, you get nearly $50 in college planning and scholarship information!  To learn more, go to www.CollegeLeadershipFoundation.org/InsiderSecrets.

Getting Athletic Scholarships

ORIGINAL DATE: 04/16/2008 09:20:31 AM

Do you have a high school senior that is devastated that he or she got a small scholarship at that expensive NCAA-Division I team you dreamed of all through high school.  The coach promised you the moon if you'd consider the team.  You walked away thinking you'd gotten the "free ride" of your dreams.  But instead you got a tiny, partial-tuition scholarship.  Or maybe they simply waived the out-of-state tuition at that famous Pac-10 school in the state next door.  What's going on?

I just talked with a football player who got a 20% tuition-only scholarship of $5,000 which means his parents still face a bill of $20,000  per year.  And because the student sacrificed grades and testing to his sport, he really can't qualify for anything more.  The player was one of the best in the league so . . . WHAT HAPPENED????? The family did everything they"thought" was the right thing. They are now thinking that the coach "lied", or the system is "rigged" or that other player got a "free ride" that should have gone to their kid.

Take a deep breath because as you'll learn in this blog, if this your student - you did nothing wrong!  Your student athlete did nothing wrong.

The athletic “free ride” for most students is a myth.  They simply didn't know what they should have done to control the results!

So for you high school juniors on the brink of being able to be recruited - read on!  You can learn a lot about taking control of your destiny and getting the money you want!

Virtually EVERYTHING that parents think they know about athletic scholarships is absolutely dead wrong. Families nationwide are working hard for something that "the "system" tells them exists. But NOT in the form they think!  So I want to clarify how NCAA scholarships REALLY works when it comes to paying for college!

The New York Times has reviewed 2003-4 N.C.A.A. data for the 138,216 athletes who received athletic aid in Division I and Division II schools and they then did interviews with college coaches to get THE REAL story about athletic scholarships.  If you understand how the system works, you are well on your way to getting the most athletic dollars you can to pay for college!!

MYTH # 1 – The number of Athletic Scholarships: In 2003-4, N.C.A.A. institutions gave athletic scholarships to just 2% of the 6.4 million athletes playing those same sports in high school four years earlier. Even in football or basketball - the two “glamour” or “revenue sports” - the average N.C.A.A. athletic scholarship is only $8,707.   While that sounds small, it means half the students get more, the rest get less.  For “nonrevenue sports” like baseball or track and field, the NCAA average is ~$2,000 per year. Based on percentages, the typical athletic sponsorship is about 15% of tuition! So if tuition is $20,000, your athlete can expect $3,000!

Why are the numbers so low?  This is because the coach gets 5 to 10 "full rides" to distribute over 15 to 30 students! So they need to decide how little they can give your student and still have them show up.  The coaches generally end up giving 1 or 2 full rides and the balance in partials of 5 to 15% and sometimes NOTHING!  You need to understand this process to take control of positioning your athlete to qualify for the most money.  The more desirable they are the more they may get.

NOTE - There are NO scholarships for athletics at the Ivy League schools! These schools provide money based only on need.  So if you know a student who got a scholarship and is going to play sports at one of these schools it may "look" like a sports scholarship but it isn't!

Myth # 2 – Helps Get You Into A Popular College: This myth says that even if you don’t get all the money you want, being an athlete MAY still give your student an advantage when applying to college. Good news is this myth does have credibility.  But being an athlete is best when combined with good grades and test scores. Unless your student is “blue chip” – Olympic or professional level – the colleges still needs good grades -- although maybe not as high as a non-athlete. The NCAA has set higher standards for grade point averages and graduation rates for teams. These new standards have reduced the chances that just being a good athlete will make up for being a poor student.

Myth # 3 – The Scholarship Lasts for Four Years: The commitment to their sport means students often take the minimum number of college course units because of the overwhelming number of hours spent in games, practice, travel and gym time to stay fit. This can mean 5 years to graduate. Plus it means stress and less "fun" at college. So it is now more and more common for second-year and third- year athletes to drop their sport and thus, lose their sports scholarships. AND THIS MEANS MOM AND DAD pick up the full cost of college! So make sure your student knows how to keep their balance between sports and college life. And decide to attend a college with the potential you may lose the scholarship.

Despite common references in news media reports, there is no such thing as a four-year scholarship. All NCAA athletic scholarships must be renewed every year and are not guaranteed. Nearly every scholarship can be canceled for almost any reason in any year. And if the athlete can’t or won't play, they lose the scholarships.  Just make sure you can afford the college without a sports scholarship.

If you are a parent of an athlete, let them ENJOY their sport without the pressure to get the "free ride" that doesn't exist for 99% of student athletes.  Decide right now that if your student gets athletic money, great!  But we recommend you still prepare to pay for college the “old fashioned” way – by lots of little steps called PLANNING.  If you don't know where to start, visit www.CollegeLeadershipFoundation.org to learn about their College eCoaching Club to maximize your chances of winning the student athlete admissions and scholarship game!