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
Calm down, parents: Math standards boost skills, understanding
January 25th, 2016Continuing our theme of featuring students’ writing, this week we spotlight one of our 10th graders who is a passionate supporter of education reform and high standards for K-12 schooling. Sahar Zadeh is a member of the statewide Student Voice Team, a part of Kentucky’s Prichard Committee efforts to mobilize adult and school-age citizens to strengthen public education. She wrote an opinion piece about math education which has received widespread attention, and is pleased to have us provide a link to its publication in the Lexington Herald-Leader. Congratulations, Sahar, on this publication and thanks for your willingness to share it with the Shrop Ed community.
We expect that many of our readers will share our appreciation of Sahar’s zeal and eloquence, and maybe a few of you will be inspired to think about what you can do to have an impact on your own educational environments. Whether you’re in a public or private day school, a boarding school, or college … or whether you’re a parent reading our blog, each of you has the power to change the world!
Article published January 3, 2016
Written by: Sahar Zadeh
Math is currently being taught in a way most people over the age of 30 may not understand.
It doesn’t take anything more than a multi-step subtraction problem to result in a wide spectrum of reactions, including Facebook posts from confused parents that go viral.
But there is a reason behind the creation and implementation of our state’s math standards, and it is not a mystery.
Read more at Lexington Herald Leader >>
Tagged: Boarding school, College, High school, Opportunity
Freshman Files: Life at a Small Liberal Arts College
January 18th, 2016Today we have an entry from another student, Elizabeth Schein, who graduated from a fairly large public high school and chose to enroll at a small liberal arts college in an urban setting. She, too, had a number of excellent options, has made a very successful transition and has written thoughtfully about her first semester. We’re grateful that she’s happy to have us share her thoughts with the Shrop Ed community and hope our students and parents will benefit from what she’s written about maximizing academic and extracurricular opportunities.
“I really do feel as though being at a small college has helped me meet people, making valuable connections and friends. Even if I hadn’t joined any extracurriculars, it still would have been easy to make friends because there is a very strong community vibe and a sense of commitment to each other. I also do find that I can easily access my professors and feel comfortable talking in the small classes. I only missed one class all semester even though there were a few days when I didn’t really feel like going to class because my friends and professors hold me accountable for all my actions. Also, because of the small class sizes (and small college size), class discussions can and do continue outside of the classroom. Students (as with any higher education institution, probably) are very passionate about their interests and work so I often find myself engaged in academic conversations and at academic speeches, presentations, and activities.
Anecdotally, I decided to take a math class … and while it was probably the hardest class I’ve ever taken and I butted heads with the professor a lot, there were so many resources available to me and he had many office hours so I was able to take the class without a high degree of stress.
A lot of the professors live nearby or are familiar with the city so not only were they accessible but they were welcoming. In my one semester, I visited the president’s house as well as the homes of one of my professors and an alumnus.
Overall, I definitely recommend that prospective students at least consider the smaller colleges because I know that a lot of the time the concerns students have about attending tiny schools have to do with social life and access to activities, events, and a diverse set of people and they are worried that smaller schools won’t have an active social life or sufficient activities. That is not the case …; there are always activities, both campus sponsored and not. There are also many other colleges (nearby) so there is certainly no shortage of people. Many of my friends who attended huge universities don’t regret their decisions but admit that it can be a bit difficult to create a social life and make friends without participating in Greek life or athletics.
I joined the cross-country team and track and field teams and made a lot of friends through athletics as well as through my classes, clubs, and on-campus job. I felt as though I was well-prepared for my classes. Overall, I definitely did far less writing in high school (and the papers were shorter too) but I knew what to do and had more time to complete all of the homework in my college classes. Moving so far away from home was not a bad transition either because you’re always busy in college and I have a great roommate whom I get along with really well. The classes are hard and the weather is cold but I could not be happier … because there is so much to do here. There are nature walks, river activities, lakes to swim and kayak in, concerts, art galleries, tons of shopping, restaurants, and much more to do within a short walk, run, bike, or bus ride away. I’m never bored and I’ve met some amazing people with diverse backgrounds and while there may have been some culture shock initially, I can’t recommend living on-campus and in a city enough.”
Isn’t it interesting to contemplate all the different factors leading to a great school/college fit! Thanks, Betsy, for allowing us to share your thoughts with others and best wishes for continued success!
Tagged: College, Freshman files, Liberal arts
