Boarding School: Single-gender, or co-ed?
February 22nd, 2016Some students and parents know that an all girls’ or all boys’ school will be the best bet for boarding school. In these cases, we love to help them zero in on the subset of schools that can provide the best fit and help them explore what each school has to offer.
Yet our boarding school searches don’t always begin with the knowledge that single-gender will necessarily be better than co-ed; often, we encourage families to explore schools of both types. Through careful research, campus visits and much thoughtful family discussion, students and their parents decide over time which setting will be best.
Families currently awaiting March decision letters may find these links helpful as they weigh the benefits of single-gender education:
– National Coalition of Girls’ Schools: http://www.ncgs.org/CaseForGirls.aspx
– International Boys’ Schools Coalition: http://www.theibsc.org/page.cfm?p=1702
Our fingers are crossed in hopes that our students will receive good news from the schools they’d like to attend, whether co-ed or single-gender. Our best wishes to all! We look forward to your updates and helping you sift through options.
Tagged: Boarding school, Campus visits
Greek Life: Gauging Campus Impact
February 15th, 2016Sorority and fraternity (Greek) life on college campuses can be powerfully important in social life, minimally important, or not at all.
Is Greek life for you? If you’re asking yourself this question it’s important to consider that universities use Greek membership statistics to reflect the level of involvement on campus. Unfortunately, objective data do not always tell the full story, so in addition to asking your counselor or tour guide for information it’s useful to find other ways to determine the relative impact of sororities and fraternities on campus social life.
More students and parents have been asking us about this lately, so Shrop Ed’s own Ashley Drapp offers tips today that can guide exploration into Greek life on college campuses.
Here are Ashley’s suggestions of questions to ask to help you get a full assessment of Greek life at your college of choice:
- How many students rush at the beginning of freshman year? Some schools have Rush Week the week before first semester begins, some rush the first week of fall semester and others do not rush until 2nd semester. If most of the Greek “Rush” happens the week before standard start, social bonds may be formed during this time and freshmen who arrive after the Rush period may feel left out.
- Out of the number of students who rush, how many students actually join a fraternity or sorority? Many may rush, yet a smaller number may join. Is this because it’s difficult to receive a membership bid, or is this because many prospective members determine during Rush that Greek life is not for them?
- What is the percentage of students involved in Greek life during their freshman year? If high, it may be harder during freshman year to find other students who are not affiliating with fraternities or sororities.
- What is the percentage of students who stay in their fraternity or sorority during all four years of college? Many students at large universities do not remain in their fraternity or sorority during all four years of college, and this attrition affects the percentage of overall students reported to be involved in Greek life. This is why statistics reported about overall campus involvement may not tell the full story.
There are many websites to use as resources for these statistics. US News and World Report published two articles listing colleges and universities with the highest percentages of male and female undergraduate students in fraternities and sororities in 2014.
- Sororities: read more here>>
- Fraternities: read more here>>
Peterson’s, an online college resource, posted a great article that also brings up some important factors to consider when thinking about becoming a member of Greek life. We think it will be helpful as you ponder how you’d like to structure your social life at college. Read more here>>
Tagged: College, Personal characteristics
Freshman Files: First Year at a Service Academy
February 8th, 2016Another of our students has graciously agreed to share notes about the first-year experience, and this student’s experience is far from typical. Today’s blog contributor, Jack Rawlins, chose a nontraditional college path when he accepted an appointment to the US Military Academy at West Point. It would be an understatement to say that the rigors of military training and education are different from life as he knew it previously, yet Jack is undaunted. You’ll note his emphasis on the tightly structured program, typical of life at the service academies.
The West Point experience is very different from what I had expected. Beast Barracks (our initial 6 week training over the summer) was both mentally and physically challenging, but it is the academic year that is most taxing. We wake up at 0500 or 0530 every day to perform “plebe duties,” which consist of taking out the trash, collecting laundry, and cleaning common areas. After 0630 breakfast, we have classes until 12, followed by lunch. From 1250 to 1340 we have a testing block, followed by classes until 1555. From 1615 to 1800 we have athletics. From 1800 to 1900 we can go to optional dinner or order pizza or something like that. From 1930 to taps (2130) there is a mandatory study period for underclassmen. On weekends we are free to do homework and relax. However, we are not allowed to leave post without submitting a pass request, and underclassmen only get three per semester.
Despite these time constraints, I have found my first semester to be extremely rewarding. West Point is exactly the atmosphere I need to succeed. I have learned so much in so little time and am looking forward to the next three and a half years. We pick our majors next week, and I am planning on economics, engineering management, or electrical engineering.
Ultimately, the best things that I’ve gotten out of my college experience are the bonds with fellow cadets. West Point students experience hardships and difficulties that just aren’t an issue at the majority of other colleges.
We’re inspired by Jack’s willingness to deploy his talents in the nation’s interest and look forward to his updates, knowing that he’ll continue to encounter great challenges and success. U.S. service academies present exceptional opportunities and require an exceptional degree of accomplishment and commitment. Thank you, Jack, for choosing a path that will benefit our nation and for allowing us to share a snapshot of your experiences with the Shrop Ed community.
Tagged: College, Freshman files
Uncovering Merit Scholarships
February 1st, 2016With college and boarding school tuitions spiraling skyward, many families are concerned about how they’ll bear the cost. Certainly a need-based financial aid package that brings billed costs within reach is a great relief when it arrives.
But where does this leave families without demonstrated financial need, yet also without sufficient assets to pay their children’s college costs in full and still maintain life as they know it (not to mention retirement as they’d like to expect it)? Help exists for many of these families, too, in the form of merit scholarships that can range from very small amounts ($500-100) to full tuition or, in certain cases, full billed costs. (Note that these are not the same as National Merit scholarships, a competition triggered by very strong PSAT results.)
Quite a few college scholarship search engines exist, and two of our favorites are:
– Cappex, https://www.cappex.com/scholarships/, and
– Fastweb, http://www.fastweb.com/college-scholarships/merit-awards/articles
Students build profiles on these sites, and the search engines suggest potential matches. A word of caution: many students feel overwhelmed by the process of gathering more information about the scholarships to determine if they’re true matches. Sifting through the information returned is an instance where parents eager for a role to play in the college search can help out.
Top students applying primarily to colleges offering only need-based financial aid, not merit scholarships, may find some interesting opportunities among potential scholarship search engine matches, including prestigious awards such as the Coca-Cola Scholarships.
However, for most students, scholarship search sites won’t yield as much as a carefully targeted college list will. In fact, identifying college matches where you’ll be a star in the applicant pool may be the best means of achieving merit scholarship funding. Why? Colleges discount tuition for students who will improve or add something to their institution, offering academic merit awards or scholarships for leadership or other talents.
Boarding schools have followed suit. Many now offer merit scholarships, intending to recruit strong students and help families who might otherwise feel that the cost of boarding school is beyond their reach. Boardingschoolreview.com maintains a list of boarding schools offering merit awards: http://www.boardingschoolreview.com/merit-scholarship-offered-boarding-schools.
If merit scholarships are crucial, look carefully at opportunities offered by schools or colleges you consider a match. Pay attention to whether an additional application is required to be considered for merit funding. And open your mind to options we consider “green light,” highly likely for admission, for the greatest opportunities. It can be difficult to readjust one’s sights, no question. But for some families, this is the most viable path to the tuition relief sought. Happily, the right school or college match can come in many forms.
Tagged: College, Scholarship
