EduPlan

If you still haven’t heard of Harvey Mudd College, it’s time to get informed! Again, Harvey Mudd tops a college ranking. Payscale’s 2012 ROI (Return On Investment) rankings measures the value students get back from the investment they make in their college education. The list is very interesting, as you will find in it some schools you might not have considered as choices for you (maybe you are unfamiliar with them, or thought their brand names were not strong). It’s definitely time to start considering all the options!

Here is a preview of the list:

• The Deferred Action Clinic will offer undocumented students 15 years or older with free help completing immigration paperwork to qualify for a work permit and driver’s license.

• The next clinic is scheduled on Saturday, May 18, 2013, at FIU College of Law, 11200 SW 8 Street, Miami, Florida 33199, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

• Grant money for application fees may be available.

• If you have any questions related to this matter, contact Ms. Terry Ceballos at TCeballos@dadeschools.net.

What Is Deferred Action?

Deferred Action is a new policy developed by the Department of Homeland Security designed to allow certain people who did not intentionally violate immigration law continue to live and work in the United States. Children who were brought into the United States illegally and who have grown up in America did not set out to break any immigration laws. The administration decided that since they are not responsible for what happened when they were young, it is unreasonable to punish them. The DHS has decided that it is unnecessary to deport eligible immigrants if they meet certain guidelines. In order to receive this benefit you must file an application for Deferred Action along with an application for employment authorization. If approved, you will be able to work in the United States legally.

Who Is Eligible For Deferred Action?

In order to be eligible for Deferred Action you must:

• Have entered the United States when you were younger than 16 years of age

• Have been in the United States for five years prior to June 15, 2012 (small trips outside of the United States for humanitarian reasons won’t impact this requirement)

• You must be under the age of 31 as of June 15, 2012

• Have either graduated from a high school or equivalent, enrolled in school or are a veteran of the United States military

• Submit to a background check and have a clean record without felonies, misdemeanors (other than maybe one or two small misdemeanors), or any evidence of you being a threat to the country

When you file for Deferred Action you will need to provide documentation that proves that you qualify. To demonstrate that you came to the United States before you were 16, that you have lived in the United States for five years and that you were in the United States as of June 15th, 2012 you will need financial records, medical records, school records, employment records, or military records.

To show that you are in school, graduated, in the military or were honorably discharged you will need a diploma, GEC certificate, report card, high school transcript, report of separation form, military personnel record or military health record.

It is an exciting time for students, parents and also for counselors!! We have received most if not all answers regarding admissions and we have a decision to make! Which school to attend? Where will I spend the next four years of my life? It is a good position to be in, to be able to make choices. And also, a great time to cash in on those bragging rights… Or not?

We are tempted to yell to the world – I got accepted to XXXXX! Should we? The answer is a simple and definite ‘NO’! At least NOT until we have made our final decision, and until we have paid our deposit. Seems extreme? It is not, and we derive our opinion from the many horror stories counselors share about students being too ouvert through social media and getting punished for it.

The most recent story comes from a student getting accepted to school “X” and stating online that it was his top choice and that he would be attending. Once the “most selective” school on his list saw this (yes, they looked at his Facebook page before making the decision), they called the school counselor to explain that they were considering accepting the student but are rejecting him because he expressed he would be attending his other less selective option. Maybe his decision would have not changed if he would have been accepted to the most selective school. However, publishing online his decision before receiving all answers directly had an impact on his admissions results.

After all the hard work you have put into each application and all the months of waiting for the answers, the smart thing to do is wait to get all answers before announcing your final decision to the world. In the meantime, share your excitement in person with your loved ones, celebrate, and start packing! The best time of your life is about to start!!!

As ranked by SmartMoney Magazine, here are the top fifty colleges where your education investment should pay off…

1. Georgia Institute of Technology
2. University of Florida
3. University of Texas, Austin
4. University of Georgia
5. University of Illinois
6. University of Washington, Seattle
7. Clemson University
8. Purdue University
9. Colorado School of Mines
10. University of California, Berkeley
11. Miami University (Ohio)
12. Indiana University
13. Pennsylvania State University
14. University of Oregon
15. Michigan State University
16. College of William & Mary
17. University of Virginia
18. Princeton University
19. University of Colorado, Boulder
20. University of New Hampshire
21. Carnegie-Mellon University
22. Williams College
23. Dartmouth College
24. Harvard University
25. Colgate University
26. University of Pennsylvania
27. University of Richmond
28. Columbia University
29. Cornell University
30. Brown University
31. Bucknell University
32. University of Michigan
33. Yale University
34. Amherst College
35. Occidental College
36. Tufts University
37. Dickinson College
38. George Washington University
39. University of Vermont
40. Wesleyan University (Conn.)
41. Carleton College
42. Trinity College
43. Hobart and William Smith Colleges
44. Vassar College
45. Tulane University
46. Oberlin College
47. Bryn Mawr College
48. Hampshire College
49. Sarah Lawrence College
50. Bard College (New York)

Read the entire SmartMoney article HERE - http://i.mktw.net/_newsimages/pdf/college-rankings-20120925.pdf

When discussing your post-secondary plans, do you say you are going to college or to university?  Perhaps you use the words interchangeably.  Does it matter?  Is one better than the other?  Throughout the world, the word “college” takes on a wide variety of meanings that equal anything but university.  In the U.S. however, the difference between college and university seems to be very subtle, and we happily use both terms to indicate that we have graduated from high school and are heading into a four-year system of higher education that will, hopefully, result in a bachelor’s degree.

And that is where the similarities end.  Whether you are heading off to the University of Florida or South Florida State College, you are guaranteed a bachelor’s degree providing you take the requisite courses and get the grades.  If, however, you wish to add a post-grad degree to your collection, you will need to attend a genuine university.  Colleges offer four year programs, but only universities offer master’s degree programs and doctorates.

There is a common assumption among those who differentiate between the two systems, that universities are academically superior. This is not necessarily true and should not be the basis for choosing your post-secondary path.  For instance, we all know that Harvard is a highly reputable center of tertiary learning.  But, when we speak of this famous institution, are we speaking about Harvard College or Harvard University?   Harvard College – better known as Harvard’s College of Arts and Science – is actually a liberal arts college and is part of Harvard University, as are Harvard’s Business School, Harvard’s Medical School, etc.  Collectively, all the colleges on this campus make up Harvard University, and all are excellent. In their article entitled “Americas Top Colleges”, Forbes Magazine lists Williams College and Pomona College among their top-ten, tucked right in there with high-ranking universities such as Princeton, Yale, Columbia, Cornell, and, of course, Harvard.  When choosing where you want to study, do not allow yourself to be influenced by those who insist that universities reign supreme over colleges.

There are a few differences between colleges and universities that you may wish to consider when deciding where to apply to study.  Generally speaking, colleges tend to be smaller than universities. If you prefer a quieter campus, you may want to think about studying at a college.  Smaller colleges also result in smaller classes and allow for more personal attention rather than the anonymity that one often experiences on large university campuses.  Another distinction is your major.  Because universities are comprised of many different colleges – each one offering its own area of expertise – they offer a wide selection of subjects to pursue.  They also offer post-graduate opportunities. This is particularly attractive to students with more esoteric interests.  Colleges, on the other hand, usually have a smaller faculty and a more restricted course selection.  Many colleges are liberal arts schools where the students choose a specific major, but also take classes in a variety of other subjects for a broad-based education. And also important to add, colleges may offer students to design their own degree. Being more liberal in nature, they are generally more open than universities to providing the opportunity for students to design their curricula and declare a major that was not previously offered (of course, always following a systematic approach to successfully develop that curricula).

Ultimately, for those pursuing a bachelor’s degree, we advise you to apply to a school that regardless of its title, offers a great fit with your interests, academic abilities, and financial wherewithal (bearing in mind that there are many financial aid opportunities available at colleges and universities).  If you are applying to study abroad, there is a significant difference between colleges and universities, but in the U.S., they mainly serve the same purpose for undergraduate students.

References:

¹ Noer, Michael. America’s Top Colleges. Forbes.com (1/03/13)

http://www.forbes.com/sites/michaelnoer/2012/08/01/americas-top-colleges-2/