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Spring 2007
The spring 2007 edition of Counselor News contains tips and information about transitions — for graduating seniors who are college-bound and for sophomores and juniors who will be starting the college search process. This is an important time for students; we can help. Read one students' story about her first year of college, see our ideas for rising seniors, and find out more about what our institutions have to offer.
In This Issue
Tips for rising seniors
The summer before the senior year is an important time for students who plan to go to college. Here are some ideas to pass on for next year's seniors:
- Think and plan — before you have to make college decisions make sure you've thought about these questions: What are my hopes and dreams, what activities or subjects excite me, what talents do I want to develop?
- Get a job, internship or apprenticeship — especially one that relates to your answers to the above questions.
- Enrich your life and build your resume by volunteering.
- Read.
- Visit colleges — online shopping for colleges is valuable but visiting is even better. (see information on Minnesota Private College Week below).
- Take a summer program or class — see Selecting summer programs on the National Association for College Admission Counseling Web site .
- Begin preparing for the college application process. See resources at OfftoCollege.com
- Keep a log of college visits, experiences and impressions.
Minnesota Private College Week
Minnesota Private College Week (MPCW) is a great way for students and families starting the college search process to familiarize themselves with our 17 institutions. Morning and afternoon sessions are held on each campus during the week, June 25–29, 2007. Last year, nearly 2,500 students attended.
Online registration for this free event is easy. Learn more about MPCW. See our suggestions for finding a fit.
What's new on our campuses
Our 17 schools continue to add new program offerings, upgrade facilities and distinguish themselves in a variety of ways. Here is a sampling:
- The Augsburg College Access Program provides grants for first-year students who have participated in college readiness programs.
- A Bethany Lutheran College alumnus recently won the National Sound Design award at the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival for the 2006 Bethany theater production of Everyman. Also, out of 242 entries, two Bethany students won third place in the news/sports competition of the Broadcast Education Association for the Maverick Hockey Pre Game Show.
- Bethel University will soon begin construction of a new community life center with expanded and enhanced dining facilities, added meeting/conference spaces and informal student lounges — essential for a school which prides itself on a strong sense of community.
- Carleton College has purchased a former middle school that will be eventually converted into a Fine Arts Center. Also, its newest major is Cinema and Media Studies.
- The College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University are home to 25 students from Bosnia and Herzegovina, including senior Damir Tokic who has been accepted into the Kokkalis Fellowship Program at the Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University.
- The College of St. Catherine is now the largest women's college in the nation.
- The College of St. Scholastica athletics department received the Josten's Cup this year, which is the equivalent of a national championship for community service and volunteerism.
- This fall, Concordia College in Moorhead will open its brand new student center and offer its first Chinese language course.
- Concordia University, St. Paul has an Academic Development Program for students who need additional help transitioning to college.
- Gustavus Adolphus College reports that applications have increased 23 percent over the past year. And this fall, its new football stadium will open.
- Hamline University had its 37th Fulbright Scholar named this spring — the 21st in the last 11 years. Matt Glass (triple major in mathematics, philosophy and German) will study the philosophy of math in Austria at the University of Vienna in 2007-08.
- Macalester College is constructing a new $45-million athletics and recreation center, which will include a new field house, gymnasium, swimming pool, fitness facilities, and student health services. The new building will open in the fall of 2008.
- The Minneapolis College of Art and Design offers online PSEO, and both online and on campus art classes for students and educators. MCAD also offers an innovative liberal arts degree: the Bachelor of Science in Visualization.
- Saint Mary's University of Minnesota students use "Tegrity" — a technology tool that puts classroom lectures and PowerPoints online; students take notes with a Tegrity pen and tablet PC and can synchronize them with class recordings.
- St. Olaf College's new science complex, scheduled to open in the fall of 2008, will be a sustainable or "green" building. This is one example of St. Olaf's commitment to campus sustainability.
- The University of St. Thomas led the nation's non-Division I schools in 2006 for ESPN magazine's Academic All American honorees (8).
Tips for college-bound seniors
The biggest change for college freshmen is that THEY will be in charge of their academic and personal lives. Giving some thought to how they will get things done, set priorities and deal with responsibilities and challenges — can help make that first year a success. An article published last fall by Nadia Nguyen in Nguoi Viet Online, "10 things I wish I knew before starting college," offers some great tips. Here's a summary, but the whole article is worth reading.
- Professors and TAs are there for you.
- Learn to balance a checking account.
- Never cheat.
- Sleep and eat well.
- Good writing, speaking and reading skills are important.
- Buy used textbooks online.
- Get to know a lot of people — stick with those you like.
- Use the campus resources — gym, library, counselors, tutors, etc.
- Invest in a good desk lamp, laptop, flash drive and sheets.
- Be open-minded to new experiences, people and ideas — expect that you'll be making mistakes and figuring things out.
Read 10 things I wish I knew before starting college
Preparing students for college
The Minnesota Office of Higher Education in the article ACT Scores reports that Minnesota students do better than other states in average ACT scores. The 2006 ACT data shows that:
- Students who take rigorous high school courses consistently perform better on the ACT.
- Minnesota students are not as ready as they could be for college level work, especially in mathematics and science.
- Dramatic achievement and test participation gaps persist for students of color.
To be ready for college and work beyond high school, ACT recommends a core curriculum that aligns with new Minnesota high school graduation standards for students graduating in 2010. Students will be required to take:
- Four years of English
- Algebra 1, algebra 2 and geometry
- Biology, chemistry, and physics
ACT data also found that college readiness can be improved by taking a speech course, foreign language courses and advanced mathematics.
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