This is part 4 of a series of articles on locations in the world students often overlook in the admissions process but could lead to excellent results. IrelandIf you haven't been enamored by the Emerald Isle, you haven't been watching the right travel shows. Stone fences and sheep give way to the Cliffs of Moher on the cost. Cozy pubs and traditional music dot the landscape, while metropolitan centers play home to the world's biggest and most important companies. The contrast of modern living and quaint countryside is baffling in such a small place. The Irish have a history going back thousands of years, enriched with wonder and the storytelling made all the better by the lovely accent. It is a place many people wish to see before they die.
Ireland was rated the 10th most peaceful place in the world according to QS in 2018. It is the only English-speaking country in the EU and students looking for English-speaking programs outside of the UK often forget to look right next door. You can visit castles, cliffs, villages and cities quickly and easily and people are known to be among the nicest in Europe. Ireland is centrally located between Asia and the Americas, and only 1 hour from London, 2 to Paris, and 7 to NYC. While it is no-doubt a must-see destination, it turns out to be a pretty good place to study as well. Cost is Low Take National College of Ireland, for example. €10,000/year for tuition. So you can go for a BA (Honors) in Psych or Accounting and Finance for 3 years and pay about half as much in tuition as you would pay for 1 year (of 4-5) in the US? Come on. Anyone who thinks for more than a minute about the value of education has to consider this. Look at computers: a 4-year degree in Ireland at 10K/year? You will get your bachelors for less than the cost of one year's tuition in the States. And this is just one example. Many programs across Ireland cost around €15,000 for international students, and far cheaper for EU citizens. What's also great is North American students can use loans for study in Ireland. Work is Possible Ireland ranks 2nd in the world (behind Singapore) in Foreign Direct Investment. More than 500 companies are within a 10-minute walk of downtown Dublin campuses. There are more than 300 biophrama companies in Ireland, and 24 of the top 25 in the world call it home, including Johnson & Johnson and Pfizer. Tech companies also are in abundance. Google, Facebook, AirBnb, Microsoft, Twitter, eBay and LinkedIn all have European or world headquarters in Dublin. Internships, research, job experiences and connections are plentiful here. Students can work during their studies, and if that wasn't enough to make you study in Ireland, undergraduate students can get a one-year visa after finishing school and work 40-hours per week. In The Economist (Dec/Jan 2017 ed), James Tozer wrote, "Graduates from Irish institutions can expect greater lifetime earnings than those who graduated anywhere else in the OECD." At Trinity College Dublin, you can see the book of Kells at the old Library. Fun fact: the library is the second-most visited site in Dublin. The first? The Guinness Storehouse. However, TCD does boast the two oldest student societies in the world. Check out The University Guys Podcast on Ireland and his Webinar. Visit my page on studying in Ireland for more information.
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This is the 3rd article of a series of places that student often overlook in the application process but have real potential for success. OhioWhat is in Ohio? Well, the answer, it turns out, is a lot. It is a major state in election years, so prepare for visits from politicians. "As Ohio goes, so goes the nation." But aside from politics, you have a diverse state spanning the mid-East, neighboring 5 states, access to a Great Lake, near Canada, farms, rivers, nearing the hills and mountains in the south, and industry. Aside from four seasons and all of the adventures that come with them, Ohio is a top producer of corn in the world (a lifeblood of the US), it is the home of the Wright Brothers (the pioneers of aviation), and the origin of professional American Football. There is "The" Ohio State, Miami University (Ohio), Cincinnati, Bowling Green, Kenyon - all lovely institutions to study at - but today we are going to focus mostly on one area. Cleveland/Northern OhioCleveland is home to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and just to the east, the world-famous Cedar Point Amusement Park. If that isn't enough, look what is happening now. Cleveland is one of the top 10 cities for college-educated millennial in the country. With this population boom comes huge makeovers and an influx of entertainment and resources.
Schools in the area: Kent State - Once the topic of a massacre by officials in 1970 over student protests, Kent state is today home to 41,000 students, 3000 of which are international. With over 300 majors, minors, and certificates, there is something for everyone. Bonus: It is ranked #2 for cheapest tuition for out-of-state students. Case Western Reserve University - This school sits in the young and upcoming city of Cleveland. Come here to make use of the Thinkspace (a 50,000 sq ft 7 floor makerspace), enjoy a seminar in 1st semester and get to know your advisor from the beginning. You even can make use of a personal librarian to do research with you. At CWRU, every student does at least one of study abroad, service, internship, or co-op (and 50% do 3 or more). It is not only one of the top-ranked schools in the country, but it also has a number of highly regarded graduate programs. University of Akron - celebrating 150 years, this public school offers a lot of programs. As the "Rubber Capital of the World," it is no surprise the school is responsible for the world’s first College of Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering. The school is good in STEM, but has over 200 majors. Also attractive is that the school is under $30,000 US for all tuition and fees, quite a good deal for out-of-state students. Cleveland State University - Located in the downtown area, this is another public university where students can access an education and the benefits of a major city. You can take 6 classes for the price of 4. With more than 3000 internships (the most in Ohio) you will be well connected for jobs, and the school has a 17:1 student to faculty ratio, solid for a big public university. It ranks #18 in the US for upward mobility, and students get a better return on investment mid-career than most other schools. Oberlin College - This college and conservatory was the first to openly enroll all races and the first to grant a BA to women. It's 11:1 ratio, money for internships, and mentorship from a professor and peer advisor from the beginning of school all attract students looking for a special experience. During the required shorten January term, students can teach a class on something that isn't offered. It ranks #6 in sustainability, #4 in making an Impact. 60% do research and 75% study abroad. 81% of grads are at top choice grad school. It is an absolute gem of a school. College of Wooster - The Fighting Scots of Wooster may not have been on your radar yet, but they should be. 16% of the students are international. Like we'd expect at a liberal arts college, only professors teach courses, but here, upperclassmen can TA classes (and gain valuable classroom experience). It is known as America's premier college for undergrad mentored research, and it lives up to it: 100% of Wooster students work one-on-one with a faculty mentor on a significant research project (or two), developing skills in critical analysis, project management, creativity, and communication that are valued by employers and graduate schools alike. Although more central Ohio, you would be missing out if you didn't check out The Hill, and see what was going on in Grandville. Denison University has small classes and amazing resources, making it a gem of the state of Ohio. It has a great overview of campus in its virtual tour, and has a fun podcast of campus hosted by students. This small region of an overlooked state boasts many great options for students of a wide variety of backgrounds and interests. It's time to focus the search back on Ohio. This is the 2nd article of a series of places that student often overlook in the application process but have real potential for success. Medical School"I want to be a doctor." The phrase that usually comes right before a student (with an average GPA and average test score for their high school) tells me that Johns Hopkins, Duke, and Harvard are at the top of their list. While I am not in the dream killing business, I have to take some time to educate the family on why their star of a student, who is ranked near the middle of their class in grades/scores, who has no significant hook, and the family has no X-factor (ex., first generation, underrepresented country, champion tuba player) that may make it even remotely likely that they could secure a seat at a school that is not likely going to be the choice of a school that will accept 1 (or 0) of our students this year. Let's slightly gloss over the obvious fact that most students who go down this path will change their mind. Statistically in the US, a vast majority of students will change their major two or more times in undergrad alone, not to mention the many diverted career paths that are likely afterward. Students who express an interest in medicine but face difficult admissions to undergrad alone will find the work in university competitive and difficult. While there are those that will stick it out, these students again face extremely limited seats for medical school, causing them to change their minds or seek options outside of the USA. That, and non-US citizens have almost an impossible chance of getting into medical school as medicine is a graduate-level program in the US. There is an alternative. I have preached on the power of big fish, small pond before. I have been gradually getting more aggressive with my advising students like the above to look at Liberal Arts colleges, thereby increasing the chance that they will make that journey towards professional school. But recently I came across a better option for the truly committed. St. George's UniversityThis is a school of medicine located in Grenada, an island in the West Indies, which is near South America. But why should you go here?
Financial aid can be applied for US citizens and there are scholarships for students. There are placements around the world, and graduates have worked in all 50 states and over 50 countries. Also, Google a picture of the place and you will think medical school exists in paradise. At some point you have to ask yourself, if medicine is my goal, wouldn't this be a great place to start? Medical Doorway If you are interested in studying medicine, dentistry, veterinary, pharmacy, or physiotherapy in UK, Europe, or the Caribbean, check out Medical Doorway. This agency supports the application to medical universities in the above locations free of charge. The programs themselves are in English, but you often need to obtain a visa and Medical Doorway will help with that. What's even better is you can get a degree in some respected universities for a fraction of the cost of other parts of the world. For example, Gomel State Medical University in Belarus is under $4500 USD per year in fees. Accommodation can run under $600/year. If you are looking for return on investment, you really cannot beat this. Other destinations in Europe include Cyprus, Malta, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, Latvia, Poland and the UK. I am starting a series of posts where I introduced an area, school, or group of schools that could be amazing gems for some students. We all are more comfortable with the familiar but names, rankings, and gossip contribute nothing to the actual experience and value of an education. The more reps that come and pitch their schools the more I start to realize, hey, this is pretty great and could really be a good option for some of my students. I hope these posts at least open minds to the idea that if you have a goal you want to accomplish, there are places where that is not only possible, but it may just be the best decision you ever made. Liberal Arts CollegesI am not exactly blowing the doors off the counseling world but I am starting here for a reason. A vast majority of my students continue to apply to mostly large public/private research universities. Sure, they all come from a small, very diverse international school where small classes, a voice, leadership opportunities, and working with teachers is important to them, and then they apply to all schools that offer the exact opposite!
I am sick of it. From now on, each of my students is going to have to investigate this possibility and make a case for why their list does not contain more liberal arts schools. Sure, it isn't for everyone, but you make that decision in haste, you waste the chance to know for sure. In a world emphasizing the power of STEM, we wonder where these seemingly "soft" skills have their place. Technology is the way of the future, but at what cost? Graduates are ill-prepared for the workforce. Check out these articles by The Daily Tar Heel and Forbes. After hundreds of thousands of dollars of education, college grads are less impactful than high school dropouts of half a century ago. And this isn't just crotchety old men making this judgment - students themselves feel ill prepared. Even Forbes can make a case for a broader education in a money-driven world. Amid many perspectives that the earning potential of someone in a liberal arts degree is so much less than that of of the alternative, we are forgetting something key here. Out of the gate, liberal arts students make less. But over time, they draw even and exceed that of other degrees, because STEM salaries grow more slowly. But what if there was a magical way to make your dreams come true? Here is the formula: When a student wants a degree in law, medicine, or an advanced degree like an MBA or PhD, they want it from a top-ranked grad program, right? No minds blown there. But how do they get into a top-tier school for their terminal degree (the one that really matters)? Should they go to the Ivy League and get connected? Hmm, maybe, but reports suggest only those that were already connected before attending are able to leverage connections after (unless they are first gen students, which none of mine are). Plus, getting admitted to a school that accepts less than 6% of its applicants (not to mention the many other factors: ex., legacies, contributors, recruited athletes, first-generation, etc.) is a pipe dream for most. You want to go to Harvard Law School? Don't go to Harvard College. Go to Eckerd. Wait, what? Why? Because your chance of getting into law school is higher. But how can that be, you say? Certainly a Harvard man through and through will prevail? Nope. And here is why: All grad programs are looking for the best applicants to admit to their class. So, in order to be an applicant that stands out, you have to go to a place where you can stand out. Entrance exams (MCAT, LSAT, GRE) aside, think about the other factors of admission: grades, research experience, internships, and letters of recommendation are probably at the top (throw in underrepresented areas and you have a chip to play). Now take the 336th ranked applicant out of Harvard College and compare them to the #1 ranked applicant at Eckerd. Who has the better grades? (Eckerd). Who has impressed their professors and therefore been asked to join the most sought after research studies and been nominated for the best internships (Eckerd). Whose professor is going to say, "This is the top student of this year and a shining star on the rise!" (Eckerd). So who do you think is the better candidate? If you don't say Eckerd, you have been abducted by the aliens who are behind the US News & World Report and been brainwashed. The only thing the Harvard applicant has is that they went to Harvard and if you think the worst student at Harvard is better than the best at Eckerd (or about 2000 other places), you are mistaken. Next time you have a major surgery or have a lawyer write your will or call your broker to invest your life savings, pause and ask if they did their undergrad at Harvard. 100 to 1 says they didn't so why are you assuming this is so important in the long run? Liberal arts colleges have teachers whose primary role is to teach. They are smaller, and people are more likely to get to know each other (i.e., form connections). There are no graduate students (read: no competition for professor's time and attention, and no competition for research experiences). Lib arts schools are focused on getting students the experiences they need to leverage their future. Having skills in more areas allows you to be marketable for dynamics jobs, many of which have yet to be created. And the good part is yet to come: with the exception of a handful of schools, they are much easier to get into than many known research universities (private or public out-of-state). What is not to love? If you aren't thinking about them you are missing a great chance to explore what might be the best decision of your life. Harvard is perhaps the most overrated institution of higher learning in America. This is not to imply that Harvard isn’t a good school - on the contrary, Harvard is an excellent school. But its reputation creates an unattainable standard; no school could ever be as good as most people think Harvard is. -Student, Harvard College I take every opportunity to make an example out of Harvard. But it isn't Harvard's fault. I would absolutely support my student in going to Harvard if the student really believed it was the right school for them. But for most, there is nothing more attracting a student to this school than any other. They want the name. This is our fault. Schools, parents, friends, media. We create this obsession and lose focus of the experience. And unless the Harvard experience is really right for a particular student, it is wrong for them. I came upon the below videos by a student of Harvard. We can say the same things over and over about the "costs" of an education at highly selective colleges, but no one wants to hear it. Perhaps words from a student who lived it will carry more weight and make people think for a minute about what they really want for their experience.
In a related talk and longer version, Alex continues to make his point. He starts off with an analogy of "Where's Waldo." He says the reason it is so hard to find Waldo is that Waldo looks like everyone else. So when you are trying to find the applicant in a pool of similar applicants, you don't stand out. And note the examples he uses of things people try to do to "stand out." Do any sound familiar? About a third of students I work with each year think these are the things they need to do to rise above. What does that tell you?
I wish students would stop worrying about these few schools and just worry about how to be AWESOME. "I just want the best for my child." Is there a worse statement you, as a parent, can give? In reality, your child is probably better off if you say, "I want my child to struggle and suffer a bit." But who says that? Parents cringe at the latter, when, in fact, it is the proven, more likely route to success. Very few people have ever followed a linear path to success. Most have taken risks, failed, and diverted their path numerous times to end up where they are. It is safe to say that most stories of linear success were predestined anyway (privilege, connections). If you weren't born silver spoon in hand, read on. Yet, despite this reality, a reality that most parents that consider themselves successful and are reading this have experienced, the message is overwhelmingly the opposite. Parents too often (and any amount is too often) send the message that success will happen only in a few majors, at a few schools, in a few careers. You know the ones. Medicine, law, engineering, Ivy League, Duke, MIT... Next time you go to your doctor, ask him/her how their undergrad at Harvard was... oh, that's right, your doctor almost certainly didn't go to Harvard College. Hmm, he/she must not be successful, but go ahead with that procedure you scheduled anyway. What could go wrong? Stop defining success - explicitly or implicitly - by using language that suggests how success is achieved. Get on YouTube - most videos about it will be amazing stories about how success happened in ways you wouldn't think of, but that is the problem. We are conditioned to think linearly when success requires divergence. This article from the Atlantic conveys what we all know in our hearts to be true, but we just can't seem to make our minds believe it. And who pays the price? The child. This one is for the teachers. A college should not deny a student just because their letters of recommendation do not "pop." However, if your letter does shine, it could make a difference. See, committees are looking for reasons to admit students, and after all the numbers, it comes down to what we say about them. If, after reading the letter, does the committee feel the student would fit on their campus, and more importantly, their classes? This is why your letter is so important. Here are some guidelines to help you support the student. Rule #1 - Do not agree to write a letter if you do not support a student. If you do not feel you can write a letter about the student, tell him or her so. It is far better that they find someone else rather than have you try to piece something together than might be inauthentic or insincere. The same goes if you have too many requests for letters. Tell the students they need to ask another teacher. Rule #2 - Do not say negative things about the student. This is a letter of recommendation, not a open critique of their past. Focus on the positives. If you must address poor performance or a mistake, talk about what the student did to overcome that barrier. However, even that is not ideal in the grand scheme of things. Highlight their strengths. Rule #3 - Do not use the same letter for multiple students. The same person will read letters about all applicants in a region, so if you write "XX is the best student I have this year!" and three of your students apply to YY University, all applicants risk their letters being dismissed as "fluff." Enough of the Do Nots. Let's focus on the Do's Rule #4 - Do make it personal and use examples. Find an anecdote or situation that makes this student unique/stand out/special. Saying they participated in class and were "good students" does little to help them shine. State a characteristic and back it up with several details. See the resources below for words you can use. After a few letters, you will need some variety! And remember, less is more. A couple of key examples is far better than a laundry list of qualities with no evidence. Rule #5 - Have someone read your letter Pick a spouse, department member, or counselor, and have them read the letter. You may not have meant something the way it sounded, but if only you have read it, you might not know. Grammar and word usage should be correct and professional, though they are not supposed to ding the student for your writing. Just do what you can to make it good for them. If you cannot, refer to rule #1. Resources: Word List Word List 2 Hierarchy of Words Adjectives Below is a video that will explain many of the major points of letter writing. Your time is valuable, and at 12 minutes this may seem long. However, I posit that the more you know, the smoother writing letters will be, and therefore, this should save you time in the long run. |
AuthorOlder blog posts were for the UCLA Ext course "Using the Internet for College Counseling" Archives
February 2023
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