College Counsellor: Forget Harvard:Here's where to go to College if yo...

College Counsellor: Forget Harvard:Here's where to go to College if yo...: I found an interesting article at Fast Company, an online publication - "Forget Harvard: Here's where to go to College if you want ...

Forget Harvard:Here's where to go to College if you want a high paying job

I found an interesting article at Fast Company, an online publication - "Forget Harvard: Here's where to go to College if you want a high paying job".  It was interesting to note that the list did not include any Ivy League universities.  Please see link.

http://www.fastcoexist.com/3045598/forget-harvard-heres-where-to-go-to-college-if-you-want-a-high-paying-job#1

Full Sail University

If you think ‘outside of the box’, have visual and performing and artistic talents, interests or abilities, would love to work in the entertainment industry or can see yourself as an entrepreneur in these fields, then FULL SAIL UNIVERSITY  near Orlando may just be  the right fit for you!

The ‘Creative Campus’ boasts world class facilities, dubbing stages, recording and engineering studios , and other virtual learning environments in which students are engaged in immersive style education. There are 110+ studios/labs and 60+ classrooms. One of the most interesting learning environments in these real-world media production facilities is the Full Sail Backlot, an amazing façade park where much filming takes place.

At Full Sail, student creativity is prioritized and their intellectual property rights are respected. Students spend time being educated to achieve a degree, but also building their portfolios, which many describe as REAL WORLD EDUCATION (learning the technicalities and how to apply education.) The professionalism of student learning is also emphasized. Students are taught how to operate as professionals in their chosen field while applying their skill sets.

Tuition covers expenses at Full Sail, with the exception of housing, meals and transportation. All materials and texts needed throughout study are covered in tuition. There is a Housing Department that is familiar with the Full Sail area and will assist students in finding their ideal living situation.

Degree programs are created by reaching out to entities in the industries. Based on the feedback received every six months, programs are designed to fit the needs of what exists, as well as encourage innovative ideas for future development.

Degrees start every month and make graduates available to the industry year round. Those who enroll are fresh from high school, college or already working in an industry. Master’s, Bachelor’s and Associates Degrees, as well as Certificate programs are offered on Campus and Online. Full Sail offers an accelerated, innovative curriculum in which:

·         Graduate degrees are attainable in 12 months

·         Undergraduate degrees are attainable in 20-32 months

There are 6- 24 students per class, depending on the area of study. Classes are scheduled on a 24 hour shift  to mimic the actual working hours within many areas of several industries, from  film-making, sound-engineering, music recording, graphic design, video game creation, animation, television and radio production to mention a few. 

As part of the immersive education style at Full Sail, major artistes visit the campus from time to time, allowing students to network with well known players in various areas of the industry.  

The Full Sail Hall of Fame- Showcases talented alumni who have worked alongside international artistes or are actual winners themselves of Grammy, Academy, Oscar and Game Awards.

For the International Student- There is a Full Sail International Student Center that provides assistance to students from the time of their vested interest, through enrollment, and settling in. The center supports students throughout their course of study. 

Scholarships are available as well as course exemptions for college credit and IB Diploma scores

One such award is the Global Achievement award which is up to $15,000 to eligible campus degree programme candidates.  This scholarship fund is limited and is open
 to all applicants who meet the eligibility requirements  

In order to be eligible for consideration, those applying must be:
non-US citizen or non permanent resident
Complete and submit the Global Achievement application, and an original 500-word essay on "How my Full Sail Education will Help me achieve my Career Dream" prior to the first day of class.
Applicants must have applied for one of the following immersive campus degree programmes:
Computer animation, Creative writing, Digital Arts & Design, Entertainment Business, Film, Game Art, Media Communications, Music Business, Recording Arts, Show Production, or Sports Marketing & Media.

There many more scholarships available and we urge students to visit the Full Sail website for more information.

Here is an Admissions Checklist International Students may find useful. Use this checklist as a guide to what you will need to enroll at Full Sail and help to keep track of submitted materials.

·         Interview with Admissions Representative

·         Application

·         Application Fee

·         Seat Deposit

·         High School Transcripts

·         College Transcripts

·         Verification of Language Proficiency

·         Signed Enrollment Agreement

·         Financial Guarantee

·         Copy of Identification Page of Passport

·         English Translation (f any document not in English must be accompanied by a certified English translation)

 For more information visit their website at www.fullsail.edu

 

Skidmore College

Skidmore College is located in beautiful Saratoga Springs. One has to pass through a suburban neighbourhood to get to the college, which is one mile from Saratoga Springs.There is a horse racing track nearby.  The town is very picturesque with lovely boutiques.  It is three hours from New York City, Boston and Montreal. Skidmore College provides free transportation within the town of  Saratoga and to Albany.

The most popular majors are: Management and Business, English, Psychology, Studio Art and the following tied for 5th - Biology, International Affairs, Economics, Exercise Science and Theatre. 

Total enrolment: approximately 2,400, of which 180 are international students.

Skidmore offers B.A. and B.S. degrees in over 50 areas - in traditional liberal arts disciplines but also in Pre-Professional fields not typically offered at other liberal arts colleges, like business, social work, education studies, and health and exercise sciences. Students can craft their own self-determined majors. Almost all majors have corresponding minors.

Skidmore offers Pre-professional and Cooperative Programs: Pre-Medical advising; Pre-Law advising; 4+1 M.B.A. programs (Clarkson, RIT, Union Graduate College); Whitman M.B.A. Advantage Program, 4+1 M.S.A., and 4+1 M.S.F. programs (Syracuse University); dual-degree engineering programs (Clarkson, Dartmouth, RPI); B.S.N. (New York University School of Nursing—15 or 18 months); 4+2 M.S. in occupational therapy and 4+3 doctorate in physical therapy (Sage Graduate School), and M.S. in accountancy (Wake Forest University)


Candidates for the Bachelor of Arts degree must complete a minimum of ninety credit hours of course work designated as liberal arts. Candidates for the Bachelor of Science degree must complete a minimum of sixty credit hours of course work designated as liberal arts.



Merit based scholarships- open to both American and international applicants
Porter Presidential Scholarship in Science and Mathematics: $15,000 annually ($60,000 over four years) to five to seven students per class

Filene Music Scholarship: $12,000 annually ($48,000 over four years) to four students per class

Skidmore is listed in the 2015 Princeton Review 150 Best Value Colleges

Financial aid
Skidmore annually gives approximately $40 million in financial aid on the basis of demonstrated need.  The average 2012-13 first year financial aid package for international students was $49,985.  International students applying for aid are required to file the College Board's College Scholarships Service (CSS) Financial Aid PROFILE.

Varsity sports
Skidmore is a member of the NCAA Division III and the Eastern College Athletic Conference. 

First Year Experience (FYE)
First year students select a Scribner seminar from over 50 course offerings.  The course are interdisciplinary.  The students in each seminar are housed in rough proximity to each other.

Suggested "5 Steps to Choose How Many College applications to send" - US News

Suggested 5 steps to determine how many US college applications to send

1.Know your Admissions budget -  It can be costly to apply to universities. Costs include:
ACT or SAT tests
Application fees - anywhere from $30 - 90 per application
Possible campus visits

There is also the investment of time.  You may be required to write essays for each application and submit financial documents etc. to each university

2.Consider the rarity of the major you are considering.  Think about factors such as the option to double major?  Are there research opportunities available?  Do the universities offer a 4 + 1 option which allows you to get your Masters in an additional year?  Is the option to pursue your Masters covered by your university?

3.Gauge the selectivity of your Major - Is it very competitive to get into the field you have selected?  You may have to apply to a larger selection of schools

4. Review Your Own Needs:  What type of school do you wish to attend? Large or small?  Rural, Urban, Suburban?  Which factors are important to you.

5. Ensure you are comfortable with the number of schools and the variety of school - target school, reach and safety schools. 

For the full article
http://www.usnews.com/education/blogs/college-admissions-playbook/2015/06/01/5-steps-to-choose-how-many-college-applications-to-send

Hamilton College

Hamilton College is located in Central New York between Albany and Syracuse. It was the third college to be established in New York state and is now the oldest in USA. The female college, Kirkland College was started in 1968 but the two colleges were merged in 1978.

The bicentennial video on the Hamilton website highlights the rich history of Hamilton  College.

http://www.hamilton.edu/bicentennial-video


The total enrollment is 1,904 students.  The student to faculty ratio: 9:1

The acceptance rate at Hamilton College is 26% and 5% of the student population are international students.

The five most popular majors at Hamilton are: Economics, Mathematics, Government, Biology and Psychology.

Hamilton is Need Blind for American citizens and green card holders and Need Based for international students.

Hamilton is able to provide accommodation for 98% of the student body.

Open Curriculum
Hamilton College boasts an open curriculum which allows students to create a program of study which meets their needs. At Hamilton, if you already know what you want to do, their open curriculum allows you to get started immediately and explore other subjects that interest you along the way. If you are undecided or have many interests, Hamilton allows you to sample the academic smorgasbord before committing to one or two areas.

Hamilton has been rated # 2 in USA with respect to their writing programs.  There is a heavy emphasis on writing. The Nesbitt Johnson writing center offers student conferences. Students are required to complete 3 intensive writing courses.

Hamilton's Admissions Office tries to admit several students from a country so that the students will be able to provide support to each other.

Persons in the community host students in their homes and families.



 

 Buttrick Hall was constructed in 1812 and was originally known as the Hall of Commons. The building was the first on the Hill to be made of stone, a sandy gray dolostone that turns to an orange-red hue as it weathers. The chance selection of the rock facing of the Hall of Commons set the style for most of the subsequent College buildings constructed throughout the next century-and-a-half. It has served as as a dining hall a home, a classroom and as an administrative building.

One of the dining halls

Taylor Science Center

Alumni gymnasium

Beinecke Student Activity village

Going across Martin's way to the Beinecke Student activity village which houses the mail center, a diner, Events barn and winter porch.

8 Websites for Free Online Learning from US News Education

Wondering what to do this summer or looking for a challenge in your free time?  Consider free online courses - Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs)

1. Coursersa - variety of courses offered
2. Duolingo - Learn a new language
3. Khan Academy- mini lectures and interactive problems on a variety of topics including mathematics, history, science and more.  Khan Academy also provides SAT preparation
4. iTunes U - to manage music and audio devices
5. MIT OpenCourseWare - offered by MIT, it provides lectures, lecture notes, homework assignments etc from actual MIT courses.  Covers science, computer and engineering topics
6. EdX - offers courses.  Has arrangements with universities including Harvard to University of Hong Kong
7. Codecademy - learn the basics of computer programming.  Learn how to write code using HTML, CSS, JavaScript, jQuery, Phython, Ruby and PHP
8. LiveMocha - a tool for learning foreign languages.  It pairs you with speakers of other languages