Friday, May 13, 2011

Colleges That Change Lives


Colleges That Change Lives

On May 24th or May 25th, learn more about a distinctive group of colleges and universities. The program begins with a panel discussion designed to encourage students to make the college search process a well-informed journey that leads to the best possible choice. A college fair follows.

Time: 7pm
Place: New York's Hotel Pennsylvania

Why These Schools

When acclaimed education writer Loren Pope first set out to share with students, families, and counselors his thoughts about colleges, his goal was to provide insights that would allow people to make more informed choices. Too often college choices are made based on false perceptions, misinformation, or a lack of information—and these uninformed choices have led to higher dropout, transfer, and failure rates in higher education. After much research, Mr. Pope began championing a small group of less well-known colleges for their life-changing success with students. These 40 colleges and universities—two public and 38 private from 24 states and with enrollments ranging from 350 to 4,000—were recognized in the book Colleges That Change Lives.

The CTCL schools are a group of distinctive colleges and universities, each of which is unique in its own right. But, as Pope notes in the book,

"These schools share two essential elements: a familial sense of communal enterprise that gets students heavily involved in cooperative rather than competitive learning, and a faculty of scholars devoted to helping young people develop their powers, mentors who often become their valued friends."


This dynamic group of schools also share some other common attributes that have led to their distinction as colleges that change lives:

  • Low student-to-faculty ratios that foster collaboration, engaged learning, and personal attention. Classes are taught by professors, not TAs.
  • A commitment to undergraduate education that focuses on the liberal arts and sciences. Opportunities for undergraduate research are prevalent.
  • A living and learning environment that is primarily residential and emphasizes the benefits of community, personal growth, participation, and involvement.
  • Smaller student enrollments that allow students to be known and recognized as individuals.
  • Out-of-classroom learning opportunities that provide students with an added perspective about themselves, their interests, and the global community. Participation in internships, study abroad, service to others, and special interest activities is common and expected.
  • Holistic admission policies including several with "test-optional" applications for admission. These schools take into consideration everything about an applicant—not just their numbers on an application.
  • Alumni networks that help graduates with professional and career development opportunities as well as foster lifelong friendships based on an involved and engaged undergraduate student experience.
For many talented and motivated students, CTCL colleges provide the ideal living and learning environment for students to meet and exceed their own expectations for personal intellectual growth—indeed, an experience that changes lives.

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Heads up juniors!

Several of our students over the years have chosen to take advantage of the subsidized education system in New York, comprised of state and city colleges, universities, technical colleges, and community colleges. It is by far the largest educational system in the world: the state system alone has a total enrollment of some 465,000. The cost of education at a state or city college / university is significantly lower - depending on the college and program, you might pay 1/2 or less than the full rate of other institutions. On the other hand, scholarships are not as plentiful and not all schools will offer the same quality of education. So make sure you visit the colleges that interest you, and learn as much as you can about the institution, from sources inside as well as outside.

Happy hunting!
Mr. Pilsner

The juniors and their families are invited to join us for The State University of New York's 2011 Spring College Fairs!

College Fairs are an excellent opportunity for your students to find answers to their questions about SUNY. Representatives from more than 27 campuses will be available to discuss their academic offerings, student life, financial aid and more.

SUNY's spring College Fairs will be offered in three locations:

Sunday, May 22
12:00 p.m. -- 5:00 p.m.
The Armory Track & Field Center
New York City

Monday, May 23
6:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Sheraton Parsippany Hotel
Parsippany, NJ

Tuesday, May 24
6:00 p.m. -- 8:30 p.m.
Binghamton University Events Center
Binghamton, NY

We hope your students can attend. Can you help us get the word out about SUNY's spring College Fairs? We are inviting many students, but not all interested students are currently on our mailing list.

Program details and online registration for the College Fair programs are available at here. Or students may register by contacting the SUNY Recruitment Response Center at 800.342.3811.

We look forward to meeting your students at one of our spring SUNY College Fairs!

Recruitment Response Center
State University of New York
State University Plaza
Albany, NY 12246-0001
Phone: 800.342.3811
Email: askSUNY@suny.edu