Degrees via Coursera? Yes!!!

By Brittany MaschalMar 06, 2018

Any student who works with me knows that I love Coursera and edX. I love the content on both platforms, and I love that it is FREE. I encourage high school students to sign up for classes on both sites; it’s an excellent way to learn more about a specific school and what classes/faculty are like there, as well as take a deeper dive into potential fields of study/majors.

Given my love of MOOCs, I was excited to read about some big news today from Coursera:  it’s championing degree programs!!!

Read the full article on Inside Higher Ed here, and some highlights below:

If you dig through the ancient (circa 2011) archives of everything written about the high-octane brand of massive open online courses, you actually won’t find the founders of Coursera doubting the value of traditional degrees or the colleges and universities that created them (unlike some of their peers — yes, you, Sebastian Thrun). That would have been foolhardy since Coursera worked closely with and depended on universities to produce the content that the technology platform spread far and wide.

But plenty of prognosticators, futurists and journalists who should have known better disparaged higher education by trumpeting Coursera and the other MOOC providers, saying that by making course material freely available to anyone, anywhere, anytime, the platforms heralded the beginning of the end of higher education’s stranglehold over credentialing and, in due time, the institutions themselves.

Coursera is linked closely enough to the deepening meme about the digital “disruption” of traditional higher education that the company’s pivot back to higher education — underscored by today’s announcement that it is more than doubling, to 10, the number of degree programs it is creating with university partners, including its first bachelor’s degree — may seem surprising.

The company has its hands in many parts of the learning landscape, working closely with companies that want to train their workers and continuing to provide individual learners with thousands of courses they can take freely (or at low cost if they want to prove they completed successfully).

But Coursera is now putting much of its energy into — and staking much of its future on — academic programs launched in conjunction with some of the world’s leading universities, with Arizona State University, Imperial College London and the Universities of London and Michigan joining its degree-program ranks today.

The company and its campus partners believe these new credentials can take advantage of the platform’s extensive reach of 31 million users to drive down the costs of recruiting students (and hence the tuitions they charge) and help the universities begin to slice their degree programs into shorter-term credentials.

“We are squarely betting on universities — and on the continued relevance, even dominance, of the degree as the master credential,” says Jeff Maggioncalda, Coursera’s CEO since June.

At the same time, he says, the company and its university partners are focused on “redesigning the degree to make it extremely compelling to learners around the world, and a formidable answer to any emerging credentials that might challenge the degree.”

Coursera’s Soon-to-Be 10 Degree Programs

Current Programs

New Programs:

  • Bachelor of computer science, University of London
  • Master of applied data science, University of Michigan
  • Master of computer science, Arizona State University
  • Master of computer science, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
  • Master of public health, Imperial College London
  • Master of public health, University of Michigan

 

Academic Resources, News, , , , , , ,

March Action Plan – Freshmen/Sophomores

By Brittany MaschalMar 05, 2018

Sophomores and freshmen! Here’s what you can be working on this month:

  • Focus on your grades! Your transcript is the most important part of your college application.
  • Start to think about next year’s course schedule. Do you know what you will be taking? Your classes next year should be more challenging than this year.
  • Many 2018 summer program applications are now open (and some have already closed or will close soon). Please confirm your plans for summer 2018 now and work on any remaining applications if needed.
  • If you have not already, start to put together a resume/activity sheet. You want to begin to see the shape of your “story” for college developing, and this document should reflect it.

 

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March Action Plan – Seniors

By Brittany MaschalMar 03, 2018

Just a few reminders for seniors this month!

• Once your applications have been submitted, be sure to track the status of each app online to ensure all of your application materials were received. Check your junk email folder regularly (daily), so you do not miss correspondence from schools.

• If you have any updates to send colleges (recent academic or extracurricular achievements, updated grades/test scores), please send them ASAP as the application process is winding down and final decisions are being made at this time.

If you know where you are headed next fall, congrats!

As graduation nears and high school comes to a close…enjoy yourself! Graduation signifies exciting new beginnings, but also change. Many of the people you are used to seeing every day at your high school are people you might not see often (or again in some cases), so make the most of spending time with these people (and your family!) the next few months.

 

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Advice, Monthly Action Plan, News

March Action Plan – Juniors

By Brittany MaschalMar 01, 2018

The college process is in full swing! Here are a few things to have on your radar and work through this month:

  • You should be meeting with your counselor at school to talk about your college list, testing plan, and letters of recommendation.
  • If possible, fit in a few more college visits. Are you going to sit in on a class? Do you want to try to meet with someone in your intended department of interest (major, minor, etc.)? Not all schools offer formal pathways to these opportunities, but that doesn’t mean you can’t make them happen.
  • Some colleges open up their on-campus interviews this spring. If you plan to interview, please prepare. You should always prepare for interviews, even if a school states they are not evaluative.
  • Do you know what major(s) you will mark on your application or is your strategy to go ‘undecided’? This is a critical part of the process that should be determined now.
  • Keep focusing on your grades, test prep, and strengthening your narrative through your extracurricular activities! By this time, you should have a plan for the summer and that plan should support your “story” for college.

 

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College & University Update on Disciplinary Actions Related to Activism

By Brittany MaschalFeb 26, 2018

NACAC has collected information from member colleges and universities that outlines their practices around how disciplinary actions related to activism will be factored into the admission process.

This tool is designed to be a centralized resource for school counselors and families seeking more information. The goals are transparency and ease of use.

NACAC’s listing will be updated often, so please check back frequently to see if the schools on your list (or your current college/university or alma mater) are included.

 

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News

It’s That Time of Year Again…Campus Tours

By Brittany MaschalFeb 22, 2018

Although there are some hilarious truths to College Humor’s video, I still suggest visiting the schools on your list. Here are some suggestions for campus visits:

Scheduling Your Trip

  • Pick a time that’s convenient for you, but try to go when classes are in session. That way, you can sit in on a class, eat lunch with a current student, etc. You’ll only get a true feel for the campus if you’re there on a day when classes are in full swing.
  • Monday through Thursday is ideal. If possible, try to visit during high school holidays that fall on Mondays, when most colleges are in session.
  • Find out how often college tours run, and if you have to sign up in advance.
  • If an interview is offered (always interview if offered), you’ll likely need to make an appointment. Also, consider meeting with a financial aid officer if you will be applying for aid.
  • If you’re curious about a club, program, or sport, arrange to attend a practice, rehearsal, or club meeting. The same goes for your academic department of interest; reach out ahead of time and see if you can meet faculty or staff while on campus.

When Not to Go

  • Try to avoid Thanksgiving weekend, Christmas week, winter and spring break, and of course, summer (end of May, June, July, first two weeks of August). If you can only visit during the summer months, try to go on a day when there are full visit programs geared toward freshmen, if applicable.
  • Avoid visiting when classes aren’t meeting such as university reading period, exam weeks, weekends, and when the admission office is closed to visitors.

Research the College

  • It’s important to know something about the college before you arrive on campus, especially if you have an interview scheduled or plan to meet with academic departments or faculty.
  • Review the website, course catalogs, and any other materials the college sends to prospective students or that are available to you online.

Talk to People and Take Notes

  • Make a list of what characteristics are most important to you, so you know what to evaluate. Do you feel overwhelmed in a large lecture hall? Check out the class size. Is there a particular major that you want to pursue? Review the department website and swing by when on campus if you were not able to schedule a meeting ahead of time.
  • Talk to current students or professors and send follow-up emails (and thank you notes/emails).
  • Talk to admissions officers if possible; make sure to get their card/contact info and follow up with a thank you email or handwritten note.
  • Was it X College or Y University that had an awesome library/gym/biology lab? Where did I talk to that psychology professor? You think you’ll remember everything, but you’ll be surprised how colleges start to blend after you’ve seen a few. So…
  • TAKE NOTES at each school about what you liked and disliked, the places on campus you saw that impressed you, the names of the dorms, library, etc.! Takes notes on everything. This info will come in handy when it comes time to write “why school” and other supplemental essays/interest/defer letters!

 

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Advice, College Tour, News

Reality Therapy. The Importance of Honesty in College Admissions

By Brittany MaschalFeb 20, 2018

I’ve wanted to share an opinion piece by Jim Jump posted this past November, in which he discusses balancing loyalty (being a cheerleader) and truth (being an honest source of information) in college advising. A few excerpts are below, but I suggest reading the full article here. His “talk” is one I am familiar with:

Recently I met with the top student in my junior class. He has Ivy ambitions, and in a perfect world there would be no question that he would be admitted, but the college admission world, especially at the top of the food chain, is far from perfect. He is unhooked, so I felt obligated to give him the talk I give every one of my students applying to the Ivies and comparably selective colleges and universities.

In a hyperselective environment, where fewer than one in 10 applicants are admitted, no one’s credentials assure admission. Superb grades and scores are, to borrow phrasing from logic, necessary but not sufficient. Colleges and universities use the admission process to help achieve institutional goals and priorities, goals and priorities that may not be publicly stated. As a result an offer of admission is partly merit, partly meeting institutional needs and partly luck.

That message is not easy to hear for a student who’s done everything right and excelled in every environment they have been in.

Seeing highly qualified students get denied from schools that a few years ago they would have likely been admitted is tough. That said, when it comes time for these “talks,” I also like to remind students (and their parents) that where you go to college is not the single defining factor of your life; what is far more important is what you do while you are there (wherever “there” is), the relationships you build, and the person you become. In the end, those things lead to a successful, happy life, not the name of the school on your diploma.

 

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Who to Show Some Love This Valentine’s Day

By Brittany MaschalFeb 14, 2018

Seniors! Show some love to the people who supported your college search and application process by writing them a thank you note this Valentine’s Days. Small gestures of thanks can go a long way.

People to thank: parents, guidance counselor, teachers, letter of recommendation writers, college admissions officers you met with, and tutors just to name a few!

 

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News

Love Pets?

By Brittany MaschalFeb 09, 2018

I’ll be running the 2018 United Airlines Half Marathon on March 18th to raise money for PAWS NY because I tolerate running, but I LOVE pets. I’m a little under halfway to my fundraising goal so I need your support! https://www.crowdrise.com/donate/project/paws-nyc-half-2018/brittanymaschal

The mission of PAWS NY is to help New York City’s most vulnerable residents remain with their pets by delivering critical programs and services through a community of partners and volunteers. PAWS NY programs help keep pets in their homes while protecting and promoting the human-animal bond that is so physically and psychologically valuable to their clients. Thus, their motto: helping people by helping pets. You can read more about PAWS NY (also happens to be an organization local to me in BK) here: https://pawsny.org/

Pets provide us with companionship, unconditional love, and numerous physical health benefits. Funds raised through the NYC Half Marathon will help protect this relationship for those facing challenges from advancing age, disability, or illness.

Speaking of pets, here’s a photo of my #1, Lola:

 

Guest Post, Local Event, News

Join Our Facebook Group for Common App News and Advice

By Brittany MaschalFeb 07, 2018

In May of 2017, we released the first video in a series of video tutorials on the blog to help you fill out the Common Application. In tandem, we created a Facebook Group, Conquer The Common Application. We hope this group will serve as an additional forum beyond this blog to share Common App related news, tips, and advice. We hope that students, parents, counselors—really anyone who fills out or helps students fill out the Common App—will join and use the group as a place to learn and share with each another. Through the group, I will be able to circulate information that is not as easy to share on this blog, for example, completed “sample” sections from the Common App to refer to as you fill it out.

This group is closed, meaning you need to request to join the group to have access to its contents.  Please join the group and invite your friends! And while you’re on Facebook, follow the BMC page, too!

 

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Advice, Common Application