Comments for Educated Quest / Stuart Nachbar / Ed Quest / College admissions advice blog http://www.educatedquest.com Your quide for the journey to college. Thu, 16 Feb 2012 00:55:41 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Comment on Can students and families win when one school turns into another? A look at a proposed merger between Rutgers-Camden and Rowan University in New Jersey by Richard Rabinowitz http://www.educatedquest.com/2012/01/30/can-students-and-families-win-when-one-school-turns-into-another/#comment-3010 Richard Rabinowitz Thu, 16 Feb 2012 00:55:41 +0000 http://www.educatedquest.com/?p=747#comment-3010 I have heard that the numbers cited in this article were inaccurate and that they should be taken with a grain of salt. I have heard that the numbers cited in this article were inaccurate and that they should be taken with a grain of salt.

]]> Comment on Can students and families win when one school turns into another? A look at a proposed merger between Rutgers-Camden and Rowan University in New Jersey by Cara B http://www.educatedquest.com/2012/01/30/can-students-and-families-win-when-one-school-turns-into-another/#comment-2977 Cara B Tue, 31 Jan 2012 12:44:20 +0000 http://www.educatedquest.com/?p=747#comment-2977 Thank you for this article. The merger could be quite detrimental to the efforts that Rutgers, Camden has put into it's campus and the local community on the whole. I can't see the benefit in removing the campus from the umbrella of Rutgers University, in an effort to bind state medical schools to two of it's Universities. Rutgers, Camden should in no way need to be a bargaining chip to finalize the deal. Thank you for this article. The merger could be quite detrimental to the efforts that Rutgers, Camden has put into it’s campus and the local community on the whole. I can’t see the benefit in removing the campus from the umbrella of Rutgers University, in an effort to bind state medical schools to two of it’s Universities. Rutgers, Camden should in no way need to be a bargaining chip to finalize the deal.

]]> Comment on Updated Profile: Virginia Tech by Cathy Hawn http://www.educatedquest.com/2012/01/18/profile-virginia-tech/#comment-1455 Cathy Hawn Fri, 11 Nov 2011 17:05:59 +0000 http://www.educatedquest.com/?p=525#comment-1455 Great profile on VA Tech, Stuart. I never gave that school much thought until the tragedy a few years ago. Their darkest hour was also one of their finest, and what that entire community displayed as the the world watched was so very touching. Great profile on VA Tech, Stuart. I never gave that school much thought until the tragedy a few years ago. Their darkest hour was also one of their finest, and what that entire community displayed as the the world watched was so very touching.

]]> Comment on Large School vs Small School. What are the differences besides size? by Cathy Hawn http://www.educatedquest.com/2011/11/08/large-school-vs-small-school-what-are-the-differences-besides-size/#comment-1370 Cathy Hawn Tue, 08 Nov 2011 19:54:34 +0000 http://www.educatedquest.com/?p=522#comment-1370 As always, you have all the right advice, and thank you for mentioning that travel costs and the ease with which a student can get back home at will as a consideration. I think this aspect is far too often underestimated or completely disregarded by students and their parents. In my view, college is as far away as the student and parent let it be: just because you can drive home for dinner, it doesn't mean you have to. I knew people at Rutgers who lived a couple hours away and went home a lot, and I knew people from Edison and Woodbridge who went home as infrequently as if they were across the country. Mindset and habits are free; plane tickets and long car rides are not! My other observation is this: it is possible to make a big school small, but it is not as easy to make a small school big. Students who choose gigantic schools like Rutgers, Ohio State, Michigan State and Penn State should arrive with some idea that they will need to join clubs or look to residence life programs to make smaller communities for themselves in a school that is often larger than the entire hometown from which they came. Students who choose a small college should crave the intimacy that comes with seeing the same people around campus all the time. Hopefully, they relish familiarity of setting and company. If not, even a campus of 3,000 can feel stifling quickly. It is important for a student to plan on some personal change, as well. This is one of my issues with college counselors who emphasize "fit" over most other criteria. Students should try to think ahead to what they would like to become, not only what they are at the time of application. This does not necessarily indicate a large school over a small one, but I think generalizations such as "You come from a small high school, so it would be better if you looked at small colleges" are limiting and often uncalled for. As always, you have all the right advice, and thank you for mentioning that travel costs and the ease with which a student can get back home at will as a consideration. I think this aspect is far too often underestimated or completely disregarded by students and their parents. In my view, college is as far away as the student and parent let it be: just because you can drive home for dinner, it doesn’t mean you have to. I knew people at Rutgers who lived a couple hours away and went home a lot, and I knew people from Edison and Woodbridge who went home as infrequently as if they were across the country. Mindset and habits are free; plane tickets and long car rides are not!

My other observation is this: it is possible to make a big school small, but it is not as easy to make a small school big. Students who choose gigantic schools like Rutgers, Ohio State, Michigan State and Penn State should arrive with some idea that they will need to join clubs or look to residence life programs to make smaller communities for themselves in a school that is often larger than the entire hometown from which they came.

Students who choose a small college should crave the intimacy that comes with seeing the same people around campus all the time. Hopefully, they relish familiarity of setting and company. If not, even a campus of 3,000 can feel stifling quickly.

It is important for a student to plan on some personal change, as well. This is one of my issues with college counselors who emphasize “fit” over most other criteria. Students should try to think ahead to what they would like to become, not only what they are at the time of application. This does not necessarily indicate a large school over a small one, but I think generalizations such as “You come from a small high school, so it would be better if you looked at small colleges” are limiting and often uncalled for.

]]> Comment on Working the Big College Fair by Cathy Hawn http://www.educatedquest.com/2011/11/07/working-the-big-college-fair/#comment-1346 Cathy Hawn Tue, 08 Nov 2011 02:03:31 +0000 http://www.educatedquest.com/?p=517#comment-1346 I have been wondering what the point of events like this is, especially when most colleges have such great websites. I did not really get to see any with Kayti, although she went to a couple that were held at high schools around here. One event Bob and I went to that we did like a lot was held at CBA. It was SUNY's joint road show for its big four research schools: Albany, Binghamton, Buffalo and Stony Brook. If you're ever in the market for something like that check that one out; I think it's an annual event at CBA, and it's open to the public. I have been wondering what the point of events like this is, especially when most colleges have such great websites. I did not really get to see any with Kayti, although she went to a couple that were held at high schools around here.

One event Bob and I went to that we did like a lot was held at CBA. It was SUNY’s joint road show for its big four research schools: Albany, Binghamton, Buffalo and Stony Brook. If you’re ever in the market for something like that check that one out; I think it’s an annual event at CBA, and it’s open to the public.

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