Making the most of a college degree requires a knowledge of the career path your student will be pursuing. This post is one of many I have provided to help parents and students make an informed college major choice.
Utility engineers are highly specialized professionals who usually work with public utilities that provide gas, water, power or sewer services to communities. Most utility engineers have a background in mechanical or civil engineering.
Utility engineering consultants work on how to improve the delivery of utility services to homes and businesses. They often are employed in public works activities that offer new utility services to communities. Utility engineers also work to improve current services with new technology and best practices.
Common utility engineer tasks include:
Devise plans, designs, and operations for utility systems, including gas, water, and sewage systems.
Identify and resolve any failures of utility systems and oversee preventative maintenance.
Direct utility project groups and offer guidance on how to install or improve utility systems
Gather data on utility processes, monitor utility system effectiveness and material usage.
Manage construction projects involving utilities, devise utility project scope, specifications, and budgets.
During times when there are utility outages, utility engineers are engaged in directing and managing work crews to restore services as quickly as possible.
Utility engineers also are involved in boosting service quality by reducing service interruptions. This is done by enhancing infrastructure and working to reduce any existing problems. For these types of projects, the utility engineer works in planning and execution.
Example of a Utility Engineer Project
For example, a utility engineer may determine that a plot of land with dozens of old trees is a high risk to power lines. He or she will design a project to run electric cabling underground or to reinforce current aerial lines and electric poles. He or she would collaborate with work crews to ensure these utility projects are properly carried out and thoroughly inspected for effectiveness and safety.
As a utility engineer, you may work on many different types of projects for different entities. Some may work for a city that is designing a new energy distribution grid. These utility engineers may act as consultants to provide guidance on the power requirements of a growing urban area. Others might work at smaller utilities that keep power going in all buildings, and also work in installing backup electrical generators for any power outages.
Some utility engineers also work at manufacturing plants and job sites outdoors overseeing the construction of electrical turbines and other types of equipment that produce power.
Utility engineers work on infrastructure projects that are vital to the continuing growth and viability of our society, and therefore are engaged in work of great importance.
It’s a new world; especially in college admissions. What we did last year at this time has been obliterated by the coronavirus. Future college students (upcoming seniors) will have to adapt. Current college students are faced with all sorts of dilemmas.
Just for parents, I’ve compiled some of the articles I’ve found about navigating college during COVID-19. I hope you find them helpful for you and your student.
Amy Romm Lockard of Dovetail College Consulting in Portland, Oregon works with high school students nationwide to look at careers, majors, colleges and other post-secondary options as well as all the pieces in between (testing, financial aid, teacher recommendations, scholarship applications and more).
High school juniors may be wondering how the pandemic will affect their college plans. Your student may be asking:
How is this virus going to affect my future college application?
Are these abridged AP exams going to count?
I worked so hard this year, took a rigorous curriculum, but now how can this pass/fail grading highlight my improved grades?
My prestigious summer program was just canceled—what can I do for the next several months?
With all the seniors currently asking for gap years, will this mean there will be fewer spaces in future years?”
We can’t know the future, but we can deal with what we know now. As time progresses, the options will change, but for now, here is some helpful information.
We looked at the kinds of challenges and changes that rising high school seniors may face this fall.
Here’s what we found.
All schools that return to on-campus learning will have new procedures in place for keeping students and staff healthy. That includes whatever the state mandates for the number of students allowed in buildings, mask use, how far apart they can sit, where they can eat, hand-washing routines, changes in how clubs and extracurricular activities are handled, and whether sports are played and can be attended.
Collaborating with the Making Caring Common project at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, college admissions professionals have jointly issued “Care Counts in Crisis: College Admissions Deans Respond to COVID-19.” The statement focuses on five points students need to keep in mind this year: Self-care, academics, service, families, and extracurricular activities.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, rising high school seniors would likely be spending some time during the summer and fall visiting prospective colleges, attending college fairs, or meeting with college recruiters who visit their high schools. But what about now? As you might expect, researching college options for the Class of 2021 just got very interesting! Let’s take a look at what some of these formerly typical activities might look like this year. It’s the COVID college search year!
As college move-in day approaches, parents around the country have understandable concerns about online vs. in-person instruction.
Many parents wonder if the quality of instruction will be the same if classes are conducted remotely, and if it’s worth the high cost of tuition they’re paying.
Parents are also expressing anxiety about student safety — both health safety because of the pandemic and physical safety in communities where protests and violence continue. Unlike the decision about how classes will be held, your student may have a choice about whether to return to campus or study from home (unless their school has closed all residential facilities or is permitting only certain grades to return).
If you’re still up in the air about this, or just want to prepare your student as well as possible for a safe and healthy fall semester, here are some things to know and talk about.
We looked at the kinds of challenges and changes that entering freshmen and current college students may face this fall.
Here’s what we found.
All schools that return to on-campus learning will have new procedures in place for keeping students and staff healthy.
That includes whatever the state mandates for the number of students allowed in buildings, mask use, how far apart they can sit, where they can eat, handwashing routines, changes in how clubs and extracurricular activities are handled, and whether sports are played and can be attended.
COVID-19 has impacted many families financially — including their ability to pay for college. What may have been a positive financial outlook in the fall of 2019, when students applied and accepted admission, has changed dramatically for many families with the nationwide shutdowns and changes in employment.
Student athletes have been hit hard as many colleges are cutting programs to save money and stay afloat. Needless to say, athletes aren’t the only students who are impacted. Many students who’d planned to use family funds to pay for college are now faced with financial hardship and left wondering how they will be able to afford college. Families are being forced to get creative and look for funds in the form of scholarships and grants if they wish to avoid borrowing to pay for college.
If you find you are short on funds to pay for college, use these tactics before you decide to take out loans.
As freshmen and upperclassmen start thinking (dreaming?) about heading to college this fall. They’re going to be packing more supplies than usual, however. What will be different on campus this year, due to the continuing COVID-19 pandemic? Maybe more elbow bumps than hugs! Here are five things you may not have thought of. Make some preparations if possible!
In one of the most challenging periods in the last century, the Coronavirus has roiled healthcare systems and everyday life, with citizens wondering what the ramifications are for society and their everyday lives.
While public health and government officials are providing their expertise to the specifics of health and everyday life, high school students, college students, and their parents face special complexities in managing their finances and their college experiences.
How do school administrators describe today’s parent?
Has it become so bad that school administrators (from grade school to college) have to label us (helicopter parent, bulldozer parent, snowplow parent)? Apparently, it has. When it comes right down to it, we should realize that this type of behavior only hurts the student. Of course, the student may not see the harm. After all, their parent is rescuing them from difficult situations in life. But in the long run, it hurts their quest for independence and causes strife within the family.
Let’s take a look at some of these parenting styles and ask yourself how they can hinder your student’s growth toward independence and influence your parenting for college.
The Helicopter Parent
A helicopter parent hovers over their child. They keep tabs on their every move, text them 24 hours a day and have tracking apps on their smartphones to keep track of their child’s location at all times. Helicopter parents are ready to swoop in at a moment’s notice to help their child in any situation. Forgot their lunch—they take off at lunch to bring it to them. Forgot to bring a permission slip—they drop everything and bring it to them. Forgot to register for the SAT—no, problem; we’ll pay the late fee. Receive a text or non-emergency call during a meeting—they drop everything to respond. Overslept for school—they write a note to explain the tardiness.
The Snowplow Parent
The snowplow parent goes beyond the hovering. They clear paths for their children and plow any obstacle that stands in the way of their happiness. Their children never learn how to advocate for themselves and head off to college to get lost in a sea of problems. As they get older, it’s harder for them to resolve conflict and overcome adversity. Honestly, I have to admit I did this with my daughter. The good news—I knew when to stop. The bad news—I did it much too long.
The Bulldozer Parent
A bulldozer parent is one who is involved in their child’s life, especially in school. This type of parent calls the teacher to complain about a grade they feel is undeserved. As their kids get older, they call the admissions office to plead their college-bound teen’s case for admittance. Bulldozer parents bulldoze their way into their kid’s lives. If their kids get into trouble, they are right there waiting to bail them out and make excuses.
Evaluate and adjust
Be honest. Haven’t you been guilty of some of these? As with any problem you have to want to stop. You have to examine your parenting style and decide whether or not you are helping or hindering your kids. And once you determine the problem you should make an effort to correct it. Back off a bit, give your kids some space, and allow them to make mistakes and learn from them.
Always remember that an independent adult will be a functioning adult and a happier adult. You may say now you don’t want them to grow up, but when they are asking for your help at 30 you will be sorry you encouraged their dependence.
It’s no surprise that parents have become so involved in their kids’ lives that school administrators have begun to label us; helicopter parent, snow plow parent, and bulldozer parent. But it can’t all be bad; after all, parents are actually involved. Is this a bad thing? As with anything there are extremes. And it’s possible that a few bad parenting experiences have shed a negative light on all of us.
Let’s take a look at the benefits of helicopter parenting:
Parents who are involved tend to have academically successful students.
Studies show kids who have parents that stay involved from Kindergarten to 12th grade are more likely to excel academically. Why? Involved parents help students with studies, organization and make sure they do their assignments. They also stay on top of grades and can recognize any problems that may require extra help.
Parents who are involved have students who are less likely to participate in at-risk behaviors.
Students whose parents are involved in their lives are going to find it harder to participate in at-risk behaviors. Why? Parents who know their kid’s friends, encourage activities at home, and encourage their kids to participate in after school activities help the kids learn responsibility and commitment. They have little time to get into trouble.
Parents who are invested financially and encourage their students to invest financially have students who take their education seriously.
College is a large financial commitment. When parents commit to invest, and insist that their student invest, the student will be more likely to see the value of that investment. That translates into academic success and a successful college education.
My mother used to say, “Don’t throw out the baby with the bathwater.” I think that is the best way to look at helicopter parenting. Embrace the good things about this type of parenting and avoid the behaviors that cause educators to label us.
Many college experts offer advice on how to get into college. They recommend stellar standardized test scores, a killer college essay, a high GPA, and strong extracurriculars. While all those application components are important, did you know that there an admissions secret students can use to increase their admission chances by 40 percent!
Students who visit a college before they apply, are up to 40 percent more likely to be admitted than students who do not visit or show demonstrated interest, the data says.
Why does demonstrated interest matter?
For colleges, it’s difficult to know which applicants are really interested in attending. Due to the ease of the Common Application, students can apply to multiple colleges at once. Students often believe that applying to more colleges will increase their chances of getting accepted.
When a college receives your application, admission officers look for ways to determine whether you will accept their offer of admission. Since all colleges have quotas to fill and determine their admission offers based on percentages of acceptance, showing interest lets them know you will likely accept their offer. As they see it, why offer admission to someone who isn’t interested when there is someone who is likely to accept?
How do you find the colleges that place a strong interest on this?
Which colleges want your student to show them some love? You don’t have to guess. You can use a tool like Collegedata.com to determine if a college uses demonstrated interest in its admission decision. The colleges are asked to rate 19 admission factors by using these four categories: very important, important, considered, and not considered. Each year, colleges are surveyed and this data is used to compile the information on its website.
To access the data, you simply search for the college, click on the Admissions tab, and scroll down to the Selection of Students heading. Then you can see the importance a college places on a student’s level of interest. Harvard, for example, lists this as “not considered.” In comparison, the United States Naval Academy, lists it as “very important.”
Every college is different so it’s important to check before applying to determine whether a college visit or another demonstration of interest is warranted.
To learn how your student can demonstrate interest for a college, read my article at TeenLife.com.
During these tough economic times, parents are committed to saving money on college costs. College tuition rises each year and there is little you can do about it; but there are other places that small savings will add up. Tuition will definitely be the huge chunk of your expenses. However, there are other expenses related to college where you can find some costs savings:
The expenses that cost the most
Computers—In today’s technological world a computer is no longer a luxury, it’s a necessity. When your teen goes off to college, they will need their own computer. Personally, I recommend a laptop instead of a desktop. Since it’s portable, they can take it with them to class, to the library, and to group meetings. To save some bucks, shop online for refurbished or even last year’s models. If you buy online, consider purchasing a service contract to go along with your computer purchase (Note: This will pay for itself—I learned from experience!)
Dorm furnishings—Most dorms come furnished with a bed, a desk and some sort of dresser. Beyond that, it’s up to you and your teen to decide what additional furniture and accessories they want. My recommendation is to buy used. You can find everything from small appliances (microwaves, coffeemakers, etc.) to furnishings (bookshelves, chairs and lighting) on Craigslist, Ebay or at local thrift stores. Be careful not to overload the room because they are traditionally small.
Room and board—Room and board can be a huge portion of your teen’s college expenses. One option is to live at home if the college is within driving distance. Another option to save might be to purchase a home near campus and rent it out to other students, allowing your teen to live in it. Not only will this save you on room and board, but it will also provide you with an investment and tax write off as a rental. However, make sure the home is zoned as rental property. And here’s one of the best savings of all: after freshman year, your teen can apply to become an RA (Resident Assistant) in one of the dorms, which will provide you with a huge break on room and board costs.
Meal plan savings—Most freshmen are required to purchase a student meal plan. But, there are usually options available. My recommendation is that unless your teen is an athlete with a large appetite, the full meal plan (3-meals a day) is costly and you will not get your money’s worth. Opt for the 1 or 2 meal a day plans. Most freshmen eat takeout with friends, microwave food in their rooms, skip meals periodically, and snack voraciously. Providing them with an in room fridge and microwave will save you some bucks in the long run.
Textbook savings
College
students can spend nearly $1000-1500 a year on new textbooks. The good news is
that you don’t have to spend that kind of money if you don’t want to. If you
can, prior to the beginning of each semester, find out what books your teen will
need (title, author and ISBN, or international standard book number). Then get
busy and here’s a word of extra advice: DON’T
WAIT UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE!
(Note: Look at my List of Website Links
in the Expert Links for all the links related to Textbooks)
Buy used–Never buy new textbooks if it’s possible (unless you are a fan of throwing money away). Used books are just as sufficient. Most students use their textbooks only while they are in class and end up selling them back to the bookstore at an incredibly reduced rate. (Many times the bookstore won’t buy them back because the professor changes texts or the textbook has been updated). You can easily find used books online at discounted prices and your teen will arrive on campus with their books in tow and won’t have to fight the last minute panic rush.
Try renting–There are numerous websites available that offer textbook rentals to students per semester. This is a fairly new concept, but seems to be taking off as more and more sites pop up offering this option.
Purchase Ebooks–Consider purchasing electronic textbooks. With the recent introduction of the new Kindle College version, your student can download their textbooks and carry all of them with them. Without purchasing a Kindle, they can download the ebook versions and store them on their laptop for easy access. These versions are typically 50% less than the printed text version. The only downside is that not all textbooks are offered in ebook format.
Share books–After freshman year, my daughter shared textbooks with her roommates. It was a huge cost savings. They were usually taking some of the same classes and would get together before classes began to discuss who would purchase which textbook. If your teen is a freshman, the likelihood of having the same courses as their roommate is extremely high. Sharing the book will save both of them money in the long run. There is also the option of using a library copy.
Look for free books–There are a few sites that offer free downloads of some electronic texts. Before you purchase, visit those sites to see if any of the books you need are listed and downloadable.
Evaluate the necessity—Do you really need the textbook? Wait a few days into class and get a feel for the professor. If he or she states that the tests will cover lecture notes, then consider not purchasing the book. Worst case scenario you can borrow one from a classmate if you truly need it or find a copy at the library.
The small things add up
It’s amazing how those little expenses can add up: gas, takeout, necessity items. But just as little expenses add up, small savings add up as well and you will be saving money on college costs.
Ditch the car–Many campuses don’t allow freshmen to have a car on campus. But if your teen opts to live on campus and the college allows cars, consider ditching it. Everything your teen needs can be found on campus. And many colleges offer student transportation at very inexpensive rates if they need to leave campus or there is always the option of purchasing a monthly bus pass. In emergency situations, one or more of their friends will usually have a car that they can use or will offer to drive them.
Use the student ID card for discounts–Most fast food restaurants and local eateries offer discounts to students with campus ID’s. Those small 10-15% discounts can add up.
Finish in 4 years or less–Encourage your teen to stay on track and finish in 4 years or less. Most financial aid packages are only good for 4 years. Staying an extra semester will tack on additional expense and is not necessary since most degree plans can be completed in 4 years.
Use family insurance coverage if allowed–Some colleges charge students for health plans. If you have a good family health plan, and the student insurance duplicates what is already covered, get any charges waived.
The college admissions process can be overwhelming. It will be a stressful time for both you and your teen. Your teen will need your help and your support. They will need to know they can count on you to do your part so they can do their part. It’s truly a team effort. Good parenting is key, especially during college prep.
Here are some helpful suggestions for you that will help you help your teen during college prep.
Make a visit to your teen’s counselor– Let the counselor know that you intend to be an involved parent and establish a relationship at the start. The counselor is an important source of information and of course guidance regarding your teen’s college pursuit.
Establish relationships with teachers and staff–
Since most parents tend to drop out when their teen reaches high school, it’s
crucial that you make it clear to the educators that you will be a partner in
educating your child. Keep in touch and verify your teen’s progress via email
if it’s available and attend any teacher conferences or parent meetings that
are scheduled. Show up at PTA meetings and parent information sessions, making
you visible to the staff.
Read all school information– Once you have stressed
to your teen the importance of ensuring that ALL information gets home to you,
you must take the time to READ it. This means reading the school handbook,
teacher handouts, letters to parents, guidance department newsletters, any
rules and policies, and homework and attendance rules. Discuss these with your
teen to alleviate any future misunderstandings that might arise over failing to
follow school guidelines.
Stress the importance of good attendance– Attendance
is key in high school. Missing even one class can put the student behind. Schedule
appointments, when possible, before and after school. If there is an absence,
make sure your teen does the make up work in a timely manner. If the absence
will be for an extensive period of time, coordinate with the teachers to assure
the makeup work is completed.
Encourage strong study habits– These habits will
follow your teen to college. Set aside a regularly scheduled study time.
Studying needs to be a priority before any added activities. GPA rules in the
college admission process and good study habits will assure your teen enters
the process with an impressive one. Don’t allow your teen to procrastinate and
go into overdrive because they waited until the last minute to complete a
project.
Stress regular contact with teachers and counselors-This
contact will play an important role when your teen needs recommendation
letters. It will also establish in the minds of these educators that he or she
means business. They will see that your teen is there to learn and excel and
ask questions. Those students are the ones that are recommended for leadership
positions and academic awards. It can be something as simple as saying hello in
the hallway or using the counselor’s office to research scholarships.
Be the organization coach– My mantra for high school
was: Preparation Prevents Panic. If you know where everything is, have a
schedule and a plan, you won’t get stressed and frustrated. Sometimes the only
filing system a teen has is their floor. It’s your job as their parent coach to
help them start and maintain good organization for their date planners,
notebooks, folders, files and college related materials.
Stay informed and involved– This does not mean camp out at the school every day and follow your teen around (although that is tempting). It means monitoring quizzes, grades, daily homework assignments and long-term projects. If you begin to notice any problems, schedule an appointment with the teacher and work out a plan for tutoring if it’s necessary. Don’t wait for the report card to lower the boom. If you stay proactive and informed, you and your teen will be able to fix any problems before they become catastrophes.
Know your teen’s friends (and their parents)– Your teen’s out of school activities will always
affect in-class behavior. In high school, it’s as much about social activity as
it is about academic success. Assuring that your teen’s friends share the same
values and goals will make a difference in their focus in and out of school.
Encourage them to make friends that have college as a goal and have the same
study habits. Take the time to meet and get to know your teen’s friends’
parents. Make sure they share your values and understand your position on
smoking, drinking and drugs.
Be proactive when you encounter problems– All types
of problems arise in high school: academic, behavioral and even social. There
is a logical solution for all of them, but the key is to be aware when they
arise and address them quickly. Academic problems require additional teacher
help, tutoring, and possibly study skill courses. If you encounter behavioral problems,
contact the school counselor or principal and discuss with them recommendations
for the particular situation. Coaches can often help, along with a mentor.
Sometimes professional counseling is warranted. Don’t ever be afraid to ask for
help. And don’t make the mistake of turning your head and going into denial. Problems only get worse
if they are ignored, especially in high school.
With any project or goal, you look to the experts to help you reach success and achieve the goal. These five experts know all there is to know about creating the perfect college list.
What’s Critical in a College Admission Checklist
According to Lynn O’Shaughnessy of The College Solution Blog, using a college admission checklist is critical when your child is applying to colleges and universities.
Allowing a teenager to apply to any colleges without a solid game plan can be a financial and academic disaster.
There are five college check-list items that you and your child should accomplish before sending out applications. If you’ve already submitted your applications, you can definitely still do some of these tasks:
Debbie Schwartz of Road2College.com offers parents advice from multiple college experts and points out with thousands of colleges and universities to choose from, finding the “perfect” school is a seemingly impossible task for any high school student and their parents.
Many college hopefuls have their eyes set on a particular dream school, while others may feel overwhelmed by endless options varying in size, location, reputation, and expense.
Applying to and gaining acceptance to colleges is daunting enough, let alone deciding where to attend in the fall.
So how exactly do you make the right decision?
Keep in mind that the true secret to college success is not necessarily attending the most selective or prestigious university.
It’s finding the right school for you where you can be your best self. And much like with dating or job-hunting, there is no one-size-fits-all college, but instead, a number of potential great picks for every individual student.
In this article, you can find the answers to these questions:
Katherine Price of Great College Advice, reminds parents and students that picking the final list can be a daunting task. One way to narrow things down a bit is to really look into the academic departments at the schools you are interested in. Since academics is one of the most important aspects of attending college, it is important that students feel connected to the curriculum and the major that they could potentially be studying.
When looking at college academics, consider these topics:
Jeannie Borin or College Connections, reminds us that in conducting the college search, it is important to make sure a college list is well balanced with “reach,” “50/50” and “likely” colleges that fit the student’s profile academically and socially. Thorough research is necessary to be sure that students are applying to the right colleges for them. The research will also come in handy when completing applications and when answering essay questions that ask why an applicant wants to attend that college.
Here are some helpful tips that should help in your college search:
I always recommend that parents and students take a close look at the college statistics.
You might be surprised to know that in addition to all the factors students use to choose a college, there is one they might overlook: statistics. While location, major, campus appeal, and others are certainly important statistics will help you and your student make a more informed college choice.
Why statistics? Statistics will help you determine some of the key factors involved in choosing a college. With statistics you increase the odds of your student being accepted, receiving more financial aid, and graduating on time. You can also determine the class sizes, the freshman retention rate and the odds of finding a job after graduation.
Numbers aren’t everything, but consider these eight important stats when you and your student are looking at schools:
We all want the best for our children. As soon as we know they’re on their way, we start making purchases to meet all of their needs once they do arrive. We do our utmost to get them into the best schools so that they can have more choice when it comes to what they want to do in terms of career and their future. But there are other things you can do besides securing them a spot in a great school that produces great results. Here are a few things that you can encourage them to do to increase their skills, their abilities and their knowledge. Just make sure not to be pushy. If your child doesn’t enjoy something, don’t force them to do it. Instead, find something else enriching that they’re actually passionate about. This will create the happiest and most rounded child in the long run.
Encourage Them to Learn Another Language
As your student enters school and continues through high school, the best time to learn another language. Generally speaking, children do tend to pick up new languages more easily and quickly. Learning a language encourages an understanding of different ways that grammar can be used. It creates a wider vocabulary. But most importantly, it encourages an appreciation and respect for other cultures, as well as an ability to communicate with others who may not speak the same first language as your child. In the long term, fluency can help them to spread their wings, increasing their job opportunities when they eventually begin to look for work. Many Private Schools will have a wide choice of languages to offer, but smaller schools with more limited funding may have more limited options. Nowadays, learning languages, however, can be easy to do at home online. Language learning apps and software are constantly improving and your kid could genuinely pick up a second language through Rosetta Stone, DuoLingo or Babbel.
Introducing Them to Music
Learning an instrument is a truly impressive skill. It can also provide social opportunities for your child, as they may grow up and have fun joining orchestras, bands or other musical groups. Music comes hand in hand with a host of benefits mentally too! It significantly improves memory, as the mere act of learning how to play an instrument places a high-working memory load on you. They’ll need to remember how different notes sound, where to place their hands on the instrument to create those notes and what order to play the notes in. As well as this, playing an instrument intrinsically encourages improved hand-eye coordination. Your little ones will have to learn how to play without looking at their instrument – instead, reading from music sheets instead.
These are just a couple of different activities you can encourage your students to get involved with to maximize the scope of their education. They’ll greatly benefit from either. If they’re not interested in these options, there are plenty more out there. It might just be a matter of a little trial and error before you find the perfect option for them.
Over the course of the last month, as school districts make the choice on whether to give students grades or transition to a pass/fail grading system, parents are concerned that this will certainly have an impact on their student’s high school transcript and GPA.
Some parents, students and local school board members are
concerned that ”the new grading system takes away students’ opportunity to show
academic progress and will hurt high school juniors’ chances at college
admissions, despite public assurances from major colleges and universities.”
Parents who have seen their students work hard during this
semester even with the confines of having to attend class online, feel it’s
unfair to give those students a pass/fail grade. Some teachers believe it would
be better to institute a case-by-case grading system and reward those students
who have excelled with an actual grade.
Parent Susannah Hill said
she had a “very strong reaction” when she heard the district could institute a
pass/no pass grading system because her son, a junior at M-A, “has worked
extraordinarily hard this whole semester” and would like to see that work
recognized. She said he’s now even putting in about 11-hour workdays with his
distance-learning assignments. She thinks there could be other solutions, such
as giving students a quarter grade for the first half of the semester to
acknowledge their work up until the March shift to distance learning.
Impact on college admissions
Palo
Alto parent Tricia Barr worried that students will be compared to
applicants from districts that kept letter grades and that “it could
absolutely hurt their prospects in the college admissions process,” she
said during the school board’s virtual meeting on April 21.
However, private and public colleges and universities across
the country have said that students applying from these districts will not be
disadvantaged.
“Certainly, we understand students are primarily taking
courses online and often with modified grading scales. Rest assured that we are
sensitive to these challenges and realities,” said Richard Shaw, Stanford
University’s dean of undergraduate admission and financial aid. “We expect
coursework to be completed but will accept whatever grading scale is used by
the school.” (Stanford itself has moved to a credit/no credit system for
the rest of this school year.)
Parents and students are still wary that colleges will still
evaluate a student’s GPA without taking into consideration the current situation.
It remains unclear how any parent or student will know exactly how the colleges
ultimately handle this situation.
A fair solution
A school
board in Spokane, Washington came up with these grading guidelines:
Select to receive a pass/fail grade on their
high school transcript, for those who don’t want to negatively affect their
grade-point average;
Opt to receive a letter grade in hopes of
improving their GPA;
Request a credit waiver from the school
principal (for students with a failing grade and those who do not need certain
credits to graduate or provide competency-based model to receive a pass grade).
In some cases, teachers will use their professional judgment
in assessing competence in a given subject.
So far, these seem to be the best solution. This puts the
decision in the hands of the student and gives them control of their own GPA.
There is much at stake as colleges and universities weigh a prospective student’s academic progress. There is hope that colleges will adjust their current guidelines and take into account how students have been forced to study online during their spring semester.
I am seriously tired or seeing “coronavirus” on every social media platform. I’m tired of seeing people panic and act like it’s the end of the world if they can’t find toilet paper. I’m tired of hearing about another college or event that has been cancelled. I guess I’m just tired.
If you have a college-bound junior or senior, you probably feel the same way I do. But along with the frustration comes some concern and disappointment. Senior events are being cancelled. Colleges aren’t allowing visits. Admitted student events are cancelled. Some schools are having extended spring breaks.
How will all of this affect you and how can you cope?
There is going to be disappointment
Your teen is going to experience some disappointment. They have been looking forward to this time since they started high school. It may not be the end of the world to you, but it is to them. Be patient with them. Support them. Give them tons of hugs. You know this will pass but they don’t.
There are options available to make this tolerable
Thankfully we live in a digital world. In person visits cannot occur but virtual visits are available. Most colleges have them on their websites and you can also view some on YoUniversityTV video tours. After that, chat online with some current students you can find on social media. Most students are happy to brag about their school.
Mom can help by asking friends on Facebook for help connecting with current students. Grown and Flown is a great resource for current college parents.
If you have questions that can’t be answered by either of these options, reach out to the college itself. They will be happy to help you and understand your frustration.
Take care of your family
It goes without saying that the number one priority is the health and safety of your family. That includes protecting their mental health. Fear and anxiety can take over when everything seems out of control. Have open conversations about what everyone is feeling and find ways to help everyone cope.
The admissions outlook will change
Sarah Harberson, a college counselor, points out these things to expect during these next few months:
Expect decisions to be released on time.
Admitted student programs are being canceled amid fears of the fast-spreading virus.
With great uncertainty, the waitlist will be in full effect.
Acceptance rates will rise.
Be ready for colleges to aggressively try to convince students to enroll even after they make a decision.
Campus tours and information sessions are being canceled for prospective students and families of younger grades.
ACT and SAT tests sites are being shut down not only abroad but here in the states as well.
Virtual classes are replacing face-to-face in-person classes for high schools and colleges.
If you need questions answered or just need to vent, hop over to my Facebook page and commensurate with other parents who are going through the same things you are. In the meantime, take a deep breath and hang in there–this too shall pass.
