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The Great College Search
(Do I Really Have to Think about This?) |
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Prep for Teachers
Prior to teaching this lesson, bookmark the Web sites used in the lesson
on each computer in your classroom.
Load the plug-ins for the Campus Tours Web site at http://www.campustours.com/
by clicking on the "before you begin...get the plug-ins."
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When using media, provide students with a FOCUS
FOR MEDIA INTERACTION, a specific task to complete and/or information
to identify during or after viewing of video segments, Web sites, or other
multimedia elements.
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Step 1:
Tell your students that they will embark on an imaginary journey for a
few moments. (Encourage them to close their eyes as you guide them through.
Remind them not to comment aloud or talk to anyone during the exercise.)
Ask them to imagine themselves the morning of their graduation from college.
They are about 21 years old and have had a wonderful college experience.
Before the graduation ceremony, they are reflecting over the past few
years, remembering all those aspects that contributed to this positive
experience. Ask them to picture where they live (at home, in a dorm, in
an off-campus apartment, etc.). Ask them next to picture the campus. In
what part of the country is it located? Is the campus large or small,
rural or urban? What classes did they enjoy the most and get the best
grades in? What clubs and organizations did they have fun belonging to?
What kind of reputation did they have among their teachers? What was their
social life like?
Step 2:
Distribute the “My Ideal College Experience” worksheet. Ask
students to write down the answers to the questions they had been thinking
about during their imaginary journey. Allow about ten minutes for this.
Then, encourage them to share their responses in groups of three students.
Ask them to take notice of the different scenarios they each created.
Ask volunteers to comment to the class about the differences they discovered
in one another's "ideal" experience. Tell your students that
there are colleges and universities to suit individual needs and desires,
and that they will be exploring different schools in this lesson.
Part 1
Step 1:
Ask your students what they think of when they hear the phrase "college
admission." What thoughts and feelings come to mind? (Students will
probably mention fear, anxiety, excitement, grades, tuition, SAT's, leaving
home, etc.) Tell your students that all their feelings are completely
normal and go along with this process. Explain to them that they will
be watching a video to help them make solid choices about schools.
Step 2:
Insert Road to College into the VCR. Provide your students with
a FOCUS FOR MEDIA INTERACTION, asking them to identify the different
aspects of the college process the young man mentions to his parents.
START the tape at the young man entering the kitchen to see his
parents. PAUSE the tape when you hear the young man say, "That's
what they say. I don't even know..." and the picture fades out.
CHECK for comprehension and compare to the students' responses
in Step 1. (Students should mention choosing a school and looking through
catalogs, standardized tests, tuition, location, choosing a major, deadlines
for forms and applications.)
Step 3:
Reassure your students that although the college search and application
process can be long and time consuming, it is manageable if approached
in steps. Tell your students that they have already taken an important
step by imagining what kind of school they would like to attend. Provide
your students with a FOCUS FOR MEDIA INTERACTION, asking them to
identify areas to take into consideration when choosing a school. PLAY
the tape when you see a campus montage of West Virginia University and
hear music. PAUSE the tape after you hear University of Maryland
student Sherri Kelly say, "It's a good idea to find out what kind
of student goes there and whether you can fit in."
CHECK for comprehension by asking them what advice they heard about
choosing a school. (Answers should include size of campus, geographical
location of campus, personal desire to attend, intended major, impressions
of campus visit, proximity to home.) List students' responses on blackboard
as the students volunteer them. Ask the students if they heard the suggested
number of schools they should apply to (about five). Explain to students
that applications are time consuming and expensive. Application fees range
from $25 to $50, so they should choose carefully.
Throughout the college selection process, students will need to hone their
ability to weigh advantages and disadvantages of the various types of
schools. To help them along, ask them to work with a partner to discuss
the pros and cons of a small school or a large one. On the blackboard,
draw two columns – one labeled "pro" and the other "con."
After a few minutes, ask students to volunteer some responses as you record
them in the appropriate columns. (Answers will vary and may include Pros:
more attention from professors, smaller classes, getting to know students
more intimately, less competition in academics and sports, feeling at
home and secure. Cons: possible lack of diversity, boredom, limited
resources and space, lack of cultural events/institutions in surrounding
town, seeing the same people every day)
Step 4:
Tell your students that they will be visiting a Web site that can help
them research schools according to their personal specifications. Ask
your students to log on to Peterson's Education Center at http://www.petersons.com.
Tell them to click on "college search" or the adjacent icon
of a magnifying glass, which will take them to the College Quest link.
Then tell them to scroll down until they see "detailed search"
and click on "start search now" (green icon). Provide your students
with a FOCUS FOR MEDIA INTERACTION, asking them to fill out the
questionnaire as accurately as they can. Explain to them to check the
"no preference" box when applicable. Also advise them not to
enter a tuition range at this point as financial aid packets can be very
generous, and they can always turn down a school that does not offer enough
aid. When they have completed all the sections, tell them to click on
the green "get your results" icon. This will generate a list
of the schools that match their criteria.
When they are finished, explain to them that it's a good idea to choose
schools on three levels: "reach" schools that may be a bit difficult
for them to get into, but would like to try nonetheless; "fit schools"
that make a good fit with their profile (GPA, activities, honors, etc.);
and "safe bet" schools whose criteria they surpass. This will
ensure that a student has a chance for his or her "dream school,"
while still remaining realistic. Advise them to complete a detailed search
like the one they just did three separate times for their "reach,"
"fit," and "safe bet" schools. Of course, this will
be done on their own time.
Step 5:
Distribute the “College Tour” worksheet. Ask your students to
choose one of the schools appearing on the results list from College Quest
and write it down in the space provided on their worksheet. Ask your students
to log on to Campus Tours at http://www.campustours.com.
Provide your students with a FOCUS FOR MEDIA INTERACTION, asking
them to take a virtual tour of the college they selected. Tell them to
scroll down to the search box and enter the name of the school. This will
take them to an options chart on which they should click "tour."
Tell them to take notes on their chart as they explore a few of the links
on the page, including admission requirements, faculty, campus, activities,
student life. Encourage them to make a note of anything that captures
their interest (for better or worse).
When students have completed the chart, divide them into groups of three
and ask them to share their findings with one another. Ask them to verbalize
the advantages and disadvantages to this particular school and then tell
them to write them in the appropriate place on the chart. Encourage your
students to follow this methodology for each tour they take, as details
will become harder to remember the more schools they research. Also encourage
them to e-mail or call the admissions office to request a catalog for
the schools that most interest them. Explain to them that most colleges
have on-line applications as well as paper applications.
Part 2
Step 1:
Explain to your students that once they select colleges to which they
will apply, they have to go through many more steps before they can send
off the application. Before they start sending off applications, tell
them that almost all four-year schools require that all students take
a standardized test. Provide your students with a FOCUS FOR MEDIA INTERACTION,
asking them to identify the three exams mentioned. Insert the tape Road
to College 2001 into your VCR. PLAY the tape when you see teacher
Margaret Sturm at the chalkboard and hear her say, "Work on your
verbal skills." PAUSE the tape after you hear Kimberlee Gibson
say, "If you're taking the ACT, try this site" and see www.act.org
on the screen. CHECK for comprehension (The three exams mentioned
are the PSAT, SAT, and ACT).
As a follow-up question, ask your students to distinguish between the
PSAT and the SAT. (PSAT is the Practice Scholastic Aptitude Test, taken
early in junior year as an indicator of results on the SAT, the Scholastic
Aptitude Test). Explain to them that the ACT (American College Test) is
also accepted by most colleges and universities. The ACT covers more subject
matter (what they actually learned in high school) than the SAT does.
Explain to your students that they should familiarize themselves with
both tests to see which one they feel more comfortable taking. They can
take both exams more than once, if they choose, but this can become expensive,
time-consuming, and stressful. However, they should consider this option
carefully, and discuss it with their parents.
Have students log on to the College Board verbal area at http://www.collegeboard.com/prod_downloads/sat/satguide/SAT_Verbal.pdf.
Provide your students with a FOCUS FOR MEDIA INTERACTION, asking
them to examine sample questions for the verbal section of the SAT and
formulate an opinion on the kinds of questions asked. Ask them spend a
few minutes with a partner looking over the analogy, sentence completion,
and reading comprehension components of the test. Encourage them to try
one or two questions from each section with their partner. (Answers will
vary. Some students may be baffled by the analogies, while other, more
linguistically inclined students will find them fun.)
Have students log on to the College Board math area at http://www.collegeboard.com/prod_downloads/sat/satguide/SAT_Math.pdf.
Provide your students with a FOCUS FOR MEDIA INTERACTION, asking
them to examine sample questions for the math section of the SAT and formulate
an opinion on the kinds of questions asked. Ask them spend a few minutes
with a partner looking over the multiple choice, quantitative comparison,
and student-produced response components of the test. Encourage them to
try one or two questions from each section with their partner. (Answers
will vary.)
Have students log on to the Sample ACT site http://actrs8.act.org/aap/testprep/samples2.html.
Provide them with a FOCUS FOR MEDIA INTERACTION, asking them to
examine sample questions for the English, math, reading, and scientific
reasoning sections of the ACT and formulate an opinion on the kinds of
questions asked. Ask them spend a few minutes with a partner looking over
the different sections of the test. Encourage them to try one or two questions
from each section with their partner. (Answers will vary. Some students
might say that the questions more closely resemble what they have learned
in school.)
Suggest to your students that once they decide which test they will take
– some may opt for both – they should spend some time taking
complete practice tests for both exams to prepare.
Step 2:
Explain to your students that most college applications require the same
kind of information, so it's important to make themselves stand out from
the rest. The stronger their application packet, the better chance they
have of being admitted. Ask them how they can set themselves apart from
other candidates. (Some possible responses are taking challenging courses
in high school, maintaining good grades, activities and teams, high SAT/ACT
scores, strong recommendations, etc.) Tell them that the next portion
of video will help them with assembling a competitive application packet.
Explain to them that colleges don't only look at grades, they look for
well-rounded people who are active in clubs, teams, and charity and community
work. The next segment deals with activities.
Provide your students with a FOCUS FOR MEDIA INTERACTION, asking
them how they can make the most of their in-school and out-of-school activities
on an application. PLAY the tape when you see Robert Skinner, Director
of Admissions for West Virginia Wesleyan. PAUSE the tape when you
see Michael Curry and hear him say, "This will make those things
come to life and jump off the page." CHECK for comprehension.
(Students should include both activities in school and in the community
and make sure not to just list, but describe activities.)
Ask your students what else, according to the tape, most colleges require
in an application. (Appropriate answers are essay, recommendations, and
official transcript.) Suggest that they think of their essay as a photograph
of themselves in words. Like a great picture, the essay should provide
a sense of their personalities and always show them at their best. It
should not be too stiff and formal. On the other hand, it should be intelligent,
well written, and on the topic.
Provide your students with a FOCUS FOR MEDIA INTERACTION, by asking
the students to determine why the second essay introduction is stronger
than the first. Ask them to be specific in their responses. PLAY
the tape when you see "The Essay" on the full screen. PAUSE
the tape when you see Sally Rubenstone and hear her say, "...I had
special thoughts about this day that I was still keeping to myself."
(Answers will vary and should include that the second one gave a personality
to the writer, shows an observant, sensitive, intelligent person with
a sense of humor. It illustrates the writer has friends. It has a mystery
to it, so it makes the reader want to keep reading.)
Step 3:
Ask your students how the college admission officials can be sure that
all the wonderful things you say about yourself on your application and
in your essay are true? (Teacher recommendations.) Provide your students
with a FOCUS FOR MEDIA INTERACTION, asking them why they should
get recommendations from teachers who know them well. PLAY the
tape when you see "Recommendations" on the full screen. STOP
the tape when you see Priya Natarasan say, "...and to get someone
who will write you a good recommendation. (Answers should include that
they will have specific comments to make, not general ones that can fit
a lot of people; they will feel confident about the letter, and the tone
will reflect that.)
Ask your students to take a moment to reflect over their high school years
and identify teachers who know them well and would have positive comments
to make about them. If some students seem disconcerted, tell them it's
not too late to start forming better relationships with their teachers
by not only doing well in classes, but by showing motivation, cooperation,
and effort.
Step 1:
Distribute the “College Planning by Flow Chart” sheet. Since
the college application process requires that students remember and keep
track of a multitude of personal information, they need to get organized.
In addition, the more organized the student, the easier the job of the
college advisor and guidance counselor. For the next activity, students
will create a flow chart on which they organize their college search using
all they have learned from the lesson.
Step 2:
Direct them to fill in the flow chart in a way that makes logical sense
to them, starting with the first step they will take in their college
search. Encourage them to work with a partner or small group to ensure
they do not forget any important step. They can use the space in the box
to jot down details related to the step. Remind them that they can revisit
this sheet to make adjustments and additions whenever necessary. When
they have completed the sheet, ask for volunteers to share it with the
rest of the class.
ENGLISH
Log on to http://www.essayedge.com,
which provides original and edited versions of college essays. Review
and discuss the originals and the revisions. Have students gather various
college applications and share the required essay topics with one another.
Or, if they are sure of the colleges they want to apply to, have them
write their essays according the requirements of those colleges. Encourage
peer reviews and drafts.
Log on to http://www.collegeboard.com
and http://www.act.org
and assign groups of students to complete sample questions from each exam.
Ask them to compare the difference between the questions of the exams
and determine which test suits them better.
MATHEMATICS
Research tuition and room and board of different public and private universities
and perform a comparative statistical study.
A few weeks after students file for financial aid, they will receive a
Student Aid Review (SAR) summary. Students can check the Estimated Family
Contribution (EFC) against any federal grants or loans the student is
eligible for and determine how much tuition may need to be paid out-of-pocket
or though loans.
Log on to http://www.collegeboard.com
and http://www.act.org
and assign groups of students to complete sample questions from the SAT
and ACT exams. Ask them to compare the difference between the questions
contained in the exams and determine which test suits them better.
BUSINESS/FINANCE/ECONOMICS
Review the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) with students
and discuss terms such as W2, 1040A, 1040EZ, net worth, stocks, bonds,
mutual funds, etc.
- Visit local colleges and universities on a fact-finding mission.
Make reports to the class.
- Invite a college admissions counselor into a class to discuss how
college life differs from high school life.
- Interview college students from various colleges to learn from their
experiences. Ask them what they would have done differently in their
college application process if they could do it again.
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