Racial Diversity on Campus

Racial diversity on University of California campuses have been under scrutiny due to the racially themed party at UCSD. This party, called “Compton Cookout”, invited students to dress up with gold chains, nappy hair, etc. Publicized on Facebook, it received negative attention and was soon taken off. The damage, however, was already done. Furthermore, students on the UCSD sponsored television station supported the event saying that black students should not be offended. Now, UCSD officials have condemned the event and also, complied with various requests submitted by UCSD’s Black Student Union.

Still, this event brings to light the type of activities found in college campuses. There have been other cases of racially themed parties at other universities such as male students posing as U.S. soldiers and females as Vietnamese prostitutes. Therefore, high school seniors entering college in fall 2010 need to be conscientious of the decisions he or she makes. Yes, college is a time to experience new things and meet new people, but remember to make the smart decision.

Checking Your Social Media Reputation

Nowadays, more and more people are getting plugged into the social media world with Twitter, Facebook, Myspace etc. The problem, however, is that people do not realize how much an inappropriate Tweet or picture can affect future endeavors. This is extremely important for high school seniors applying for college as well as college students looking to be hired by companies. For example, during the college decision process, admission officials have the option of looking at one’s personal webpage (i.e. Facebook or Myspace) to double check their decision. As a result, an applicant’s personal webpage can make or break a decision. High school seniors need to make sure their own websites do not hold any explicit photos or inappropriate content. In the eyes of the admission officials, one’s university admission can be denied simply by a single photo or unsuitable content.

Adrienne Kwan, Social Media Director
University Advisors

Education Key for Future Plans

Americans nationwide are feeling the effect of the “Great Recession”. Not only have unemployment rates dramatically increased, more and more people are taking college courses to earn accreditation for another job skill. Still, the most important thing however is graduating from high school or even college.—simply having a high school GED or college degree greatly improves chances of getting or receiving a job. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics recently released that from the 10 percent jobless rate—15.3 percent were workers who never graduated from high school, 10.5 for high school graduates, 9 percent for people who attended college, and 5 percent with a four year degree or higher. Furthermore, according to Bob Wise, who leads the Alliance for Excellent Education in Washington D.C., if more people had a high school diploma or college degree, it could potentially cause more spending and job growth. For example, the high school and college graduates would have a job, and in the middle of their career, have the ability to spend more. Thus, in spending more, the economy could slowly regain its normal vitality.

In addition, it brings to light how high school administrative staff should focus on different career paths for high school students. Instead of solely emphasizing a four year university route, high school guidance counselors should motivate students to achieve within his or her potential, not limiting the student to one option. Nevertheless, finishing up high school and college will always be in that individual’s best interest. Not only does it heightens one’s chance of landing a job, it will lead to future economic security.

Honesty Is The Best Policy

Applying for colleges is a long and lengthy process. Often, students feel compelled to exaggerate their accomplishments in order to impress the admission officers. Too much exaggeration, however, can lead to suspicion. For University of California admissions, there is a team of auditors that verify select student’s applications. The students are chosen at random and asked to validate their claims written in their application. Although only one percent of UC applicants are selected, students should always be able to validate information on his or her application. In some cases, applicants do not choose to respond to the auditors’ request. As for others, there are tickets, certificates, plaques, etc that are sent in. Even though not every application is checked, it is necessary for an auditing system to be used. College applicants must remember that honesty will always be the best policy when applying for universities.

Adrienne Kwan
University Advisors

Gender Gap in Colleges

According to an article recently published in the Los Angeles Times, the widening of the gender gap on college campuses have caused some alarm. Nowadays, there are more females applicants submitting college applications. Male applicants, on the other hand, have decreased. Thus, college campuses are faced with the question of either accepting the most qualified applicants regardless of his or her sex, or maintaining the female male ratio. For some universities, the balance between males and females on campus is extremely important. This need for balance however is more commonly found in private universities. For example, at Vassar College—initially an all women college—accepted 35% of its male applicants in comparison to 20% of female applicants. Even though the female applicants outnumbered the male applicants, more males were accepted. As for public universities, the discrepancy between female and male acceptances isn’t as apparent. This can be attributed to how public universities look at applicants; there is more of a focus on grades and test scores. Therefore, the importance of one’s gender in applying to college is alarming. Applicants may be more than qualified but small details such as one’s sex can guarantee a “yes” or “no” from a university.

What Not to Look for in a College Consultant

Nowadays, getting into college has become more competitive and cutthroat. Parents are hiring admission consultants in order to improve their child’s chances of being admitted into his/her first choice. The problem, however, is that there are many people who claim to be a legitimate and trustworthy consultant. As a parent, be wary of admission consultants that state they have “influence” at a certain university. Also, the consultant should have firsthand knowledge of various college campuses due to his/her own personal visits to the campus. In addition, the consultant should have formal training and be part of IECA or NACAC. Furthermore, college consultants should not guarantee that your son/daughter will definitely be accepted into their first choice. Consultants are there to find the most suitable university for your child and assist in the admission process. Their job is to showcase different opportunities available at various campuses. Moreover, they lay down the groundwork for applying—it’s ultimately up to the student to complete the admission process. Yes, we all want our children to be admitted into a university but at what cost?

Adrienne Kwan
Director of Social Media
University Advisors

College Rejection Letters: How to Deal

As colleges are sending out their letters of acceptance or rejection, high school seniors will have to learn how to cope with either. For students who receive a letter of admission, he/she should know whether or not he/she truly wants to commit four years or more to that particular institute. Seniors should double check the courses offered at the university and also, if possible, take another campus tour. Knowing about the academic opportunities along with the social aspects is extremely important in deciding to accept or reject a university’s offer of admission.

Students, however, that receive a rejection letter should not feel downtrodden. If anything, seniors have the option of sending in a letter of repeal. In addition, there are many great possibilities with other universities. All college campuses have strong aspects and it’s up to the student to capitalize on what the college has to offer.

Adrienne Kwan
Director of Social Media
University Advisors