Tagged: Soft skills

Dreaming of warm summer days…

January 4th, 2022

January 1st marks the date when people all over the world make a list of resolutions for the upcoming year: go to bed earlier, begin a new workout routine, etc. Sound familiar? What if this year your resolutions were more connected to educational goals in order to expand your interests? Warmer days may seem like a lifetime away, but it is never too early to get a head start on planning for summer activities that will help you achieve those goals.

The long break in school is the perfect opportunity for students to find activities that promote personal growth and satisfaction. Whether you participate in volunteer opportunities, a part-time job or take a college course, try to create a balanced yet rewarding experience. Even if your summer plans are not academic in nature, there is still value in sticking with something that increases maturity, self-discipline and potential for college success.

Our friends at College MatchPoint have published a great resource that will help you determine the right opportunity for a positive impact this summer. This summer planning guide linked below offers excellent advice as well as a worksheet to help you accomplish your goals for summer 2022. I can’t wait to hear what your plans will be!

Article linked below from College Match Point: Guide to Summer Planning 2022

GUIDE TO SUMMER PLANNING 2022 EDITION

For many of today’s college-bound high school students, summer is
no longer nine weeks of total relaxation, but rather an opportunity
to spend time actively working, learning new skills, or diving deeper
into an area (or areas) of interest. Summer is the perfect time to
take calculated risks that push students into unfamiliar situations,
build skills, and enrich life experiences. Planning is the key to finding
the most rewarding experience.

We encourage students to consider what they enjoy, what areas they
could improve in, and what their goals for the future are in order
to decide what to do over the summer. With any activity students
choose to participate in, there should be opportunities to help
them learn more about themselves by expanding their interests,
gaining new experiences, or taking on responsibilities. Whether or
not it’s going to help in the college process should be secondary to
having a good growth experience.

While we don’t quite know what this summer might look like, the
summers of 2020 and 2021 showed us that students will be able to
find activities that work in a virtual environment, and in doing so,
they’ll learn more about themselves. With some creativity, they can
find new ways to engage in their interests and develop new skills.
Bonus points if they make a positive impact on others in their
community in the meantime.

How to be a stand out applicant

November 23rd, 2021

How can I make my application stand out for college or boarding school? This million dollar question is simply answered … students should show their intellectual curiosity, of course, but also their ability to connect with others and make a significant impact on the world around them.

Sometimes it seems as though admissions officers are only looking for students with an impeccable GPA, taking the most advanced courses and having an almost perfect SAT or ACT score. While these academic achievements predict future academic success, character also counts when determining if a student will be a good fit.

Image via College Data

Colleges and boarding schools alike seek students who not only have a strong academic record but also show initiative, leadership, a sense of social responsibility and so much more. In the article linked below, MIT reveals the key components their admissions committee uses when evaluating applicants. This is a great read and it may help you think outside the box as you continue working on applications or, for younger students, building your activities list and considering how you can continue to make an impact on others.

Article linked below from MIT Admissions

What we look for

The match between you and MIT

Ask any admissions officer at MIT, and they will tell you that while grades and scores are important, it’s really the match between applicant and the Institute that drives our selection process.

Here are the key components:

Alignment with MIT’s mission

Remember that there are many ways to make the world better—we’re not looking for applicants to have cured all infectious disease in the world by the time they’re 15. Tutoring a single kid in math changes the world. Lobbying a senator to amend bad policy changes the world. There are thousands of examples.

The power of a liberal arts degree in the workforce

October 29th, 2019

In today’s workforce there is a lot of emphasis on STEM degrees, which can be intimidating and discouraging for liberal arts college students. While tech skills are increasingly important as more jobs are created by escalating advances in technology, the foundational skills provided by a liberal arts degree are a major asset in the workplace.

Critical thinking, problem-solving and the ability to collaborate with different viewpoints are key skills that create strong employees and leaders. These “soft skills” learned through a liberal arts education prepare students to work in a wide variety of settings. In the article referenced below from The New York Times, statistics are given to show that liberal arts degrees are often winning the “salary race” in the long run due to the broad intellectual training this degree provides.

Article referenced below from The New York Times, published September 20, 2019 written by David Deming

In the Salary Race, Engineers Sprint but English Majors Endure

For students chasing lasting wealth, the best choice of a college major is less obvious than you might think.

The conventional wisdom is that computer science and engineering majors have better employment prospects and higher earnings than their peers who choose liberal arts.

This is true for the first job, but the long-term story is more complicated.

The advantage for STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) majors fades steadily after their first jobs, and by age 40 the earnings of people who majored in fields like social science or history have caught up.

To read more go to New York Times>>

Tagged: College, Critical thinking, Liberal arts, Soft skills