Mrs. Moffat’s College Advising blog

Check out 2 new pages on the far right:

• Where’s Mrs Moffat? Vermont
• Where’s Mrs Moffat? Bates

Get a taste of what academic life is like at Yale and MIT without traveling to Boston or New Haven! Both universities have placed courses online for free and public viewing. Yale’s offering 7 courses online with audio & video, while MIT offers 1800 courses. Check it out!Yale: http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/web/courses/courses/index.htmMIT: http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/web/courses/courses/index.htm

The Continuing Debate over Rankings 

There is no shortage of opinion on what makes a college or university “good”. There’s the U.S. News and World Report annual issue on Best Colleges. However, many believe that the focus is all wrong on that list. (more…)

Good advice for applicants:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/16/AR2007101600543.html?nav=rss_opinion/columns

Questions and Admissions: Reflections on 100,000 Admissions Decisions at Stanford by Jean H. Fetter

Her reflections as Dean of Admissions could apply to any highly selective college, even though the data is from the 1990s.  For example, there are 26,000 high schools in the U.S. Stanford received applications from 4500 high schools in a typical year. Just think, all those students are likely in the top 10% of their class, and you can get an idea of how competitive it is to gain admission. (more…)

Essays from Admissions Reps and High School Counselors, compiled by Lloyd Thacker.

Mr. Thacker has led the opposition to rankings, like those of US News and World Report, for years. He believes it’s a lousy way for students and parents to choose a college. (more…)

The State of Maine has special programs, including loan forgiveness if you attend college to become a doctor, dentist, or veterinarian, AND, here’s the key, practice in Maine. See also FAME Maine’s website.

Princeton Review, the famous SAT prep providers, have free monthly podcasts for parents. You can listen to them on your computer or load them onto your iPod. New podcasts are released each month.  Recent topics: campus safety, best values, visiting campuses, financial aid. Check it out.

Check out what Colby’s college rep had to say about our Fair. High praise, indeed!

In order to best prepare for the rigors of college, try to get beyond Algebra II in high school. 

“The math courses that students take in 9th grade are a strong predictor of the highest level of math they will take in high school, according to the 2005 NAEP high school transcript study. Ninth graders who complete Algebra I or Geometry are far more likely to take Algebra II or more advanced math, such as Calculus, in high school — subjects that generally cover content and skills that professors and employers say are needed for college and work. These results reinforce the importance of strong preparation in middle school to ensure that students are ready for a rigorous high school curriculum.”

Source: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, High School Transcript Study (HSTS), 2005.  Summarized at http://www.achieve.org/enewsletters/200702/Perspective-FebMar07.html.

Some more math tidbits: (more…)