Vol. 24 No. 7 March 2010

State News Impacts
College Admissions

Kentucky Standards Leader. Kentucky became the first state to formally adopt the Common Core State Standards advocated by the Council on Postsecondary Education and the Education Professional Standards Board. In February, the Kentucky Board of Education formally adopted the higher, clearer and more in-depth standards in English/language arts and mathematics. The standards put more “focus on critical knowledge, skills and capacities needed for success in the global economy,” and result in fewer, but more in-depth standards to facilitate mastery learning. For more about the standards, see http://cpe.ky.gov/about/cpe/meetings/2010/
Feb10JointMtgAgenda.htm.

Maryland Enacts Stricter Math Requirement. The Maryland Board of Regents passed a law in December requiring all students who apply to the state’s colleges or universities to take four math classes, as well as include math in their senior year curriculum, according to a recent article in the Baltimore Sun. Some critics worry that it might discourage students whose talents lie in other academic areas. However, Chancellor William W. Kirwan said that the majority of Maryland’s students need to be better prepared for college math. The change in the curriculum came with the approval of the Maryland State Department of Education. Students must continue to take Algebra I, Algebra II and Geometry. Now, if they take Algebra II as a junior, they will have to take a math course in their last year that is “of equal or greater difficulty.”.

Michigan Gets New College Savings Plan. Michigan Jumpstart Coalition recently reported that the “MI 529 Advisor Plan,” a new college savings plan, has been launched to help families pay for higher education, and it is accessible through licensed brokers. The 529 Plan uses “tax-deferred earnings” that are income tax free, if they are used to pay for college or university tuition. “Joint filers” are able to contribute as well; thereby allowing family members, in addition to parents and students, to add savings to a student’s college fund. The primary account owner can invest the money as he/she sees fit, based on needs and ability. “Previously Michigan was not utilizing brokers to e ducate residents on college savings,” said Tim Melton, chair of the House Education Committee. Proponents of the new plan state that this investment strategy bypasses the need to rely solely on student loans, grants and scholarships.

NC to Allow Undocumented Students. The North Carolina Community College Board just passed a policy that would allow undocumented students to attend community colleges in the state, according to a recent newsobserver.com article. However, there are some restrictions to the policy. Students must pay out-of-state tuition, graduate from a U.S. high school and they cannot take an open position from an in-state student. The 2000 census found that North Carolina has the most rapidly increasing Latino population in the country.

State A.P. Results. Of the estimated 3 million high school graduates in 2009, nearly 16 percent (479,000) earned an AP Exam score of 3 or above, according to the College Board, which administers the tests. That’s up from 15 percent in 2009, and 13 percent in 2004. The states with the highest five-year gains were Virginia, Maryland, Georgia, Maine, Colorado, Vermont and Florida. Some 19 percent of this year’s test-takers were from low-income families, up from 14 percent in 2004.

“One Florida” Reevaluated 10 Years Later. When then Governor Jeb Bush enacted One Florida, a policy that terminated race-based college admissions, critics feared a decrease of minority enrollment in Florida’s universities. However, a recent review by the Miami Herald/St. Petersburg Times found that some minority students are a greater presence in Florida’s postsecondary schools than before One Florida was enacted.

Latino enrollment has increased the most overall, with enrollment growing from 14 percent to 18 percent across the state. On the other hand, African-American students decreased from 14 percent to 13.6 percent, with enrollment up at some schools and down at others. For example, at the U. of South Florida in Tampa, black enrollment increased from 9 percent to about 12 percent, whereas at Florida International U. in Miami, enrollment decreased from 15 percent to 12 percent. FIU had Latino enrollment grow from 51 percent to almost 60 percent. USF Latino enrollment went from nearly 9 percent to 13 percent. At the same time, before One Florida, Florida State U. had the highest graduation rate for African-American students in the nation. But their enrollment has decreased over the past 10 years.

“I’m of a mixed opinion as to whether or not [One Florida] ultimately had a negative impact on diversity,” said USF admissions director, Bob Spatig. “It certainly hasn’t on the growing Hispanic population…. But I think in some ways we’re all stretching as much as we can to make sure it doesn’t impact our African-American numbers.”

Spatig goes after students at “D- and F-rated” high schools who perform well. In addition, 750 students receive help from USF programs that give academic advising to first-generation students, most of whom are students of color.

Best Values? Which state universities offer the best value in these times of recession? (See CB’s December issue for the list of private colleges.) Here are the top five, according to the Kiplinger Report.
• The U. of North Carolina, with in-state costs of $15,296, out-of-state costs of $33,184, and an average debt at graduation of $14,936.
• U. of Florida, with in-state costs of $12,863, out-of-state costs of $32,234, and an average debt at graduation of $15,318.
• U. of Virginia, with in-state costs of $19,312, out-of-state costs of $41,312, and an average debt at graduation of $19,016.
• C. of William and Mary with in-state costs of $20,566, out-of-state costs of $40,358, and an average debt at graduation of $12,859.
• State U. of New York at Binghamton with in-state costs of $18,175, out-of-state costs of $26,075, and an average debt at graduation of $14,541.

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Admission Updates
Brown U. Apps More Diverse. According to The Brown Daily Herald last month, minority students and first-generation college students applied to Brown in greater numbers this year. Forty-eight percent more African-American students applied this year over last and 42 percent more Latinos applied. Applications from first-generation students increased 40 percent. Overall, Brown’s applications were up 20 percent. The admissions offices said it focused on improving its recruitment of minority students.

Colorado Apps Bolder… The U. of Colorado received 12,660 out-of-state applications, an eight percent increase compared to this time last year, according to the Boulder Daily Camera, when 11,678 students applied. The record number was set in 2008 when 14,400 students applied. Admissions officials speculated that perhaps this was a sign of an improving economy. About 7,800 in-state students have applied to the Boulder campus which is on par with last year. CU estimates one-in-four out-of-state students will enroll. The university is sponsoring an “Admitted Students” day on April 10.

Syracuse Apps Swelling. Applications to Syracuse U. are running 9 percent ahead of last year, totaling 22,500. (In 2005, its applications totaled 14,300.) Don Saleh, SU vice president for enrollment management, attributes the “swelling” applicant pool to a number of factors, including an expanded and more targeted outreach to high school students. Syracuse said it completely redesigned its undergraduate admissions website, with a virtual tour, engaged in “social networking” and created a new electronic newsletter. “We’ve become much more focused with our message, as well as how we share it with potential applicants,” said Saleh.

Harvard Resumes Transfers. After a two-year hiatus, Harvard C. has resumed its transfer admissions program. According to the Harvard Crimson, the school “is welcoming applications this spring for entrance in the fall of 2010….” A recent review of space revealed that there is room in residence halls for a “small incoming class of transfers.”

In the past, Harvard has received as many as 1,500 transfer applications and accepted as many as 75 students. Notable transfer alumni: John F. Kennedy ’40, Henry A. Kissinger ’50 and W.E.B. DuBois, class of 1890.

Preferential Treatment for Athletes? According to a recent Associated Press study, some college admissions offices are giving athletes preferential treatment. The study looked at the records of Division I football schools and found that at 27 of them, student athletes were 10 times more likely to benefit from special admissions programs than students from the general population. These admissions do not violate NCAA rules. But special admissions programs are designed to apply to all students equally.

Katrina Update. It’s not just the “Who Dat Nation” that is winning these days. Several of the colleges devastated by Hurricane Katrina four-and-a-half-years ago have bounced back. In 2006, the year after Katrina, Southern U. at New Orleans enrolled 1,709 students. In fall 2009, it was up by 60 percent to 2,740; in 2006, Xavier U. of Louisiana enrolled 2,272, but by fall 2009, it was up 17 percent to 2,666; and in 2006, Tulane U. enrolled 6,533. By fall 2009, it was up 10 percent to 7,210.

Other colleges in the region are still struggling however. In 2006, the year after Katrina, Loyola U. New Orleans enrolled 3,034. In fall 2009, it was still 4 percent behind that level at 2,913. In 2006, the U. of New Orleans enrolled 9,156; in fall 2009, it was still down 4.5 percent at 8,746. Dillard U. enrolled 1,124. In 2009, it was still 10 percent behind at 1,011 students. However, Dillard was one of the first colleges in the U.S. to welcome Haitian students following that country’s earthquake.

Cornell Law School Apps Signal Increases Nationwide. Cornell U. Law School saw an application increase of 53 percent over last year to an historic high of more than 6,000 according to the Chronicle Online. Other law schools across the country have seen application jumps of about 5 percent. The number of students taking the LSAT rose 20 percent. The Cornell Law School admissions staff said it expected to see its applications increase, but not to the extent they did. However, Cornell will maintain its small size, between 180 to 210 students, that sets it apart from its peer institutions.

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Financial Aid Flash
End of “No Loans” Policies. Both Dartmouth C. and Williams C. announced last month that they were ending their no-loans policies and putting loans back into their aid packages. The no-loan policies were instituted two years ago. Dartmouth is facing a $100 million deficit. And it now estimates that loans will range from $2,500-$5,000 per aid package for next year. Williams C. ended its no-loan policy for domestic students and its need-blind policy for international students.

Stanford U. Maintains Aid. Stanford announced that undergraduate tuition will increase next year by 3.5 percent to $38,700. Room and board will increase 3.6 percent to $11,876. “We have tried both to moderate tuition increases and to insure generous financial aid for those most in need,” said Leslie Hume, chair, Board of Trustees. Stanford will keep its need-based financial aid program, which covers tuition for families making less than $100,000 a year.

Endowments Plunge. Most college endowments took a big hit in the recent economic downturn. In fact, 2009 was the worst year for endowments since the Great Depression with an average decrease of nearly 19 percent, according to the National Association of College and University Business Officers.

Community College Losses. At the same time, community colleges, with much smaller endowments to begin with, were hard hit too. Here’s the top 10, with changes by percentage rounded off: Miami Dade C., 147,248,000, -21 percent; Valencia C.C., $60,057,000, -10; Florida State at Jacksonville, $28,470,000, -19; Kentucky Community and Technical C. System, $24,877,000, -8; Santa Barbara C.C., $23,550,000, +8; Sinclair C.C., $21,049,000, -19; Harrisburg Area C.C., $20,035,000, -18; Central Piedmont C.C., $16,725,000, -26; Foothill-De Anza C.C., $13,338,000, - 19; and Tri-County C.C. (S.C.) $11,913,000, -24

Simpler FAFSA. Students are finding the new, streamlined online Free Applications for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to be more user-friendly. Students aren’t asked questions that do not apply to them and they instantly receive estimates of how much aid they are likely to receive. Finally, the entire process is faster than in the past. Students also can find links to statistics, such as the graduation rates of colleges to which they want to apply. The form can be found at: www.fafsa.ed.gov/.

UCLA’s 2009 Freshman Survey. In case you missed it, more college freshmen worried about their ability to pay for college than at any time since 1971, according to the CIRP Freshman Survey at UCLA. Over 53 percent said they are using loans to finance their education. About 42 percent said that financing was a “very important factor” in their college choice. Fewer of these students worked in high school, down from 69 percent in 2007 to about 63 percent. And the fewest number in 35 years cited their intention to major in business, just 14 percent. Find a link to a fuller summary of the entire survey, including attitudes on politics, racial dialogue and volunteering, plus AP classes, remedial work and entering veterans on CB’s “Recent News Stories” front page at www.CollegeBoundNews.com.

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SCHOLARSHIP SCOOPS
The QuestBridge College Prep Scholar­ships. For the last 15 years, QuestBridge has provided high-achieving, low-income students with scholarships and other means of support at its partner colleges.

Among the awards offered: Ten full scholarships to college summer programs at Emory, Harvard, Notre Dame, Penn, Stanford, or Yale; admissions counseling to 40 students; conferences for 1,000 students at Stanford or Yale; campus visits for 100.

QuestBridge partners include some 27 colleges ranging from Amherst C. to Yale U. The application is free of charge. Deadline: March 29. Scholarship applications are available at www.questbridge.org.

Two-Year Ag Students. The CHS Foundation of CHS Inc., an energy, grains and food Fortune 200 company, is offering 25 $1,000 scholarships for students studying agriculture at two-year colleges. Deadline: April 1. For the application, go to: www.chsfoundation.org/upartnerships.html.

Kohl’s Kids Who Care. Hurry to meet the March 15 deadline of the Kohl’s Kids Who Care Scholarship Program. Kohl’s Department Stores is giving away more than $410,000 in varying amounts to young people “who make a difference” through volunteering. See www.kohlskids.com

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THE COUNSELOR'S CORNER
Global Matters
HIGHER EDUCATION is increasingly a global affair. And to help folks keep up with the news, CB has learned there is a relatively new international newspaper and website based in London focused on higher education worldwide. The free weekly publication is technically supported by a South African media company, E-Brief News. Topics covered thus far have included the February 21 article about the plans of French-speaking universities around the world to use distance education to assist Haitian universities devastated by the recent earthquake. For more info see, www.uw-news.com.

What U.S. Universities Are Most Popular with International Students? According to the most recent Institute of International Education survey, the top 20 destinations were: U. of Southern California, New York U., Columbia U., U. of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Purdue U., U. of Michigan, U. of Texas at Austin, U. of California at Los Angeles, Boston U., Michigan State U., Harvard U., U. of Florida, U. of Pennsylvania, The Ohio State U., Indiana U.–Bloomington, Texas A & M, U. of Buffalo, Arizona State U., U. of Wisconsin-Madison and U. of Minnesota-Twin Cities. Foreign students in general spent almost $18 million last year in tuition and other expenses on the U.S. economy.

And Where Do U.S. Students Head to Study Abroad? According to IIE, the top 20 destinations were: Britain, Italy, Spain, France, China, Australia, Mexico, Germany, Ireland, Costa Rica, Japan, Argentina, Greece, South Africa, Czech Republic, Austria, India, Ecuador, Chile and Brazil.

Chinese Students Increase in U.S. In the past year, 95,510 Chinese undergraduate and graduate students came to U.S. colleges, a trend that is growing, according to a recent USA Today. Undergraduate growth has been particularly significant. Last year, Chinese undergraduate enrollment grew by 60 percent, leading to an 11 percent increase in international student enrollment overall, said a report by the Institute of International Education.

One of the reasons for this surge is that there are not enough spaces available in Chinese universities for all qualified students. Two years previously, 10 million Chinese students took the national university entrance exam, vying for only 5.7 million seats. In addition, while U.S. colleges do not provide foreign students with much financial aid, the Chinese economic boom has enabled more students to pay tuition.

Fewer Foreign Students Seek M.B.A.’s in U.S. The number of students worldwide taking the Graduate Management Admissions Test grew by nearly 8 percent in 2009. But for the first time, more than 50 percent of the test-takers came from outside the United States. Currently, about 80 percent of the students enrolled in graduate business programs study in the U.S. Still, only a little more than 50 percent of them are U.S. nationals. In 2000, 75 percent of foreign students sent their GMAT scores to U.S. schools. By 2009, that percent had fallen to just 59 percent. Foreign students are reportedly discouraged by American economic problems, visa problems and a tough job market and are being attracted to a growing number of quality business graduate programs outside the U.S.

Sign of the Times… Sweden has had a long tradition of tuition-free education. And universities have increasingly offered classes in English. But on February 19, its Ministry of Education and Research announced it would begin charging tuition to undergraduates from countries other than the European Union. However, two grants have been proposed to assist students from countries with “long associations” with Sweden and for highly-qualified students. For more info see, http://www.regeringen.se/sb/d2063.

Essay Contest on Foreign Affairs. The American Foreign Service Association sponsors an annual essay contest for a $2,500 prize and a trip to Washington DC. The topic: International issues that will pose challenges to American Foreign Services this century. Deadline: April 15. For info see, www.afsa.org.

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COUNSELOR'S BOOKSHELF
Good Admissions Websites. Who has the best admissions websites? According to www.MyCollegeOptions.org, an online college planning program that graded 3,000 institutions, the following websites are the top 10: Saint Vincent C. & Seminary; Baldwin-Wallace C.; Northwestern C.; Saint Joseph C.; John Carroll U.; Allegheny C.; Smith C.; Saint Martin’s U.; AIB C. of Business and Pittsburgh Technical Institute.

Schwab College Planning Site. You’ve seen their investment ads, “Ask Chuck.” Now you can ask Schwab how to pay for college and other questions at www.schwab.com/college. The enhanced site also offers an “at-a-glance” comparison of the benefits and limitations of different 529 savings plans, Education Savings Accounts and custodial accounts, plus a college savings calculator.

Most Popular Majors? Want to know which are the most popular majors at various colleges. Take a look at www.StateUniversity.com/program which ranks schools according to enrollment in 2,000 academic majors. StateUniversity.com also has a new free career advice site at http://careers.stateuniversity.com.

Free Courses. If you’re something of an autodidact, that is a self-learner, take a look at www.academicearth.org to audit a wide variety of courses from world-class universities such as Harvard, Princeton, Yale, MIT and others.

P.S. New Book Looks at Issues Facing Young Women. There have been good reviews for The Unchosen Me: Race, Gender, and Identity among Black Women in College by Rachelle Winkle-Wagner, Johns Hopkins U. Press; ISBN 9780801893544; $35.

And While We Have You.... For updates on news about online learning and distance education, see CB’s new website, www.onlineUnews.com.

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COLLEGE BOUND's Publisher/Editor: R. Craig Sautter, DePaul University; Chief Operating Officer: Sally Reed; Assistant Editor: Emma Schwartz; Illustration: Louis Coronel; Board of Advisors: Lisa Burnham, Edina High School, Minnesota; Claire D. Friedlander, Bedford (N.Y.) Central School District; Howard Greene and Matthew Greene, authors, The Greenes' Guides to Educational Planning Series; Frank C. Leana, Ph.D., educational counselor; M. Fredric Volkmann, Washington University in St. Louis; Mary Ann Willis, Bayside Academy (Daphne, Ala.).

In This Issue

Feature Articles
State News Impacts College Admissions

Admission Updates

Financial Aid Flash

SCHOLARSHIP SCOOPS
-The QuestBridge College Prep Scholar­ships
-Two-Year Ag Students
-Kohl’s Kids Who Care

THE COUNSELOR'S
CORNER
-Global Matters

COUNSELOR'S BOOKSHELF
-Selections

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