Training and Careers
A revolution in our ability to communicate is underway. Not since the invention
of the printing press has the world seen an advance in technology to equal
the Internet. In three short years, the Internet has given us the ability
to end the major limitations of all other forms of communication, distance
and access. Today, almost everything is available to everyone with access
from anywhere, anytime. Very soon we will be able to remove the 'almost'
from the previous sentence.
The purpose of this newsletter is to communicate valuable information to
parents and students as they prepare for education beyond high school. Only
one person at a time.can read this printed copy. If you are reading this
electronically on the www.collegeplan.org Web site, you could be one of
an unlimited number of people reading this at the same time, world-wide.
The college/vocational resources already on the Internet are immense in
scope and we are only seeing a glimpse of what will be available in the
near future.
Access to the Internet is limited for the moment. The speed with which this
will change will be breath-taking. Any family with access to a television
will be able to use the Internet for the price of a pair of tennis shoes.
Anyone who can afford monthly telephone or cable TV charges will be able
to be linked 24 hours a day. In the next 24 months all this should be available
and more.
With the Internet, college planning takes a giant leap forward. For more
specifics on how to use existing college Web sites in your planning, see
the accompanying article on page 5. To better understand the Internet and
its potential, ask the nearest high school or college student. With an average
user age of 24, this communication revolution is being led by the young.
To join in, just point and click.
Getting Internet Access
By the end of 1997, almost every school, college and library will have Internet
access. If home access is not available to you, consider using one of the
many free sites in most communities. Check with school or public libraries
in your area and find out how you can reserve time to use their on-line
resources. Many community centers, churches and service organizations also
offer this service to members or volunteers.
Computer Science Research Career Opportunities With Microsoft
Each year, about 1,000 students graduate with Ph.D.'s in computer science.
Microsoft Corporation has announced that it will be increasing the number
employed in its research division from 170 to 450-500 by the end of 1999.
According to the 12/20/96 edition of The Chronicle of Higher Education,
"The move is likely to invigorate the field of computer-science research."
Microsoft's vice-president of advanced technology and research, Rick Rashid,
says that the research division will focus on more theoretical areas such
as teaching computers to understand human language. Product-related ideas
will be passed on to other divisions. Dr. Rashid says, "We also have
strong feelings about the value of moving forward the state of the art."
With this announcement, Microsoft makes a bid to join the established research
computer labs at IBM, Xerox and Bell Labs. IBM Research was established
in the 1940's and currently employs 2,300 computer scientists. Bell Labs
began in 1925 and employs 1,200 in long-term research.
Our Great-Grandparents Would Be Unemployed
If our great-grandparents were looking for work today, they would find that
most of the jobs they were trained for no longer exist. In 1920, 2.1 million
worked for the railroad industry, only 230,000 do today. In 1910, 11.5 million
worked on farms while only 850,000 farmers exist today. Cobblers, boilermakers
and telegraph operators would find their jobs extinct.
At the same time, many of today's jobs were unknown just 80 years ago. There
were no medical technicians, commercial airline pilots or computer programmers.
Even more revolutionary, many of the jobs for the next century will allow
employees to work at home. By the time you have great-grand children, the
majority of workers may be at-home. To be ready for this change in where
the workplace can be, you may want to consider the following career options.
Advertising
Analyst (stocks, bonds)
Bill auditing services
Broker (stocks, real estate)
Business plan writer
Computer programmer
Desktop video service
Web-site developer
Editorial services
Executive recruiting
Export agent
Information broker
Investment planner
Management consultant
Multimedia production
Public relations
Remote health-care
Translator/interpreterThe best news is that with many more people working
at home, we may have a long-term solution to commuter traffic jams.
Community and Technical Colleges
Washington Community College Enrollments - All-Time Highs
If you are planning to attend a community or technical college in Washington
State, you will have plenty of company. For Fall 1996, 234,410 were enrolled,
a 2.6% increase over 1995. According to the State Board for Community and
Technical Colleges, enrollments have increased by 10% in the last four years.
Where are the new students coming from? Younger students are choosing two-year
programs. With the high cost and challenging admissions policies of four-year
public colleges, young students are selecting community colleges. The following
is a quick snap-shot of today's community college students.
Community and technical colleges still provide students and families with
the most cost
effective higher education option. At the same time, some colleges are now
suffering from
overcrowding. It is critical to visit campus before selecting a college
and ask about
availability of key classes.
Pre-Paid Tuition Proposed for Community and Technical Colleges
Substantial support has been organized for a plan to allow parents or students
to purchase up to four-years of tuition - at today's rates. Community college
costs have doubled in the last ten years so this could mean a substantial
savings for families who can afford to buy in advance.
The proposal has support from both political parties, Governor Locke and
many state agencies and organizations. The plan would allow the state to
invest pre-paid tuition money until the student attends college and uses
the tuition credit. The state can expect to make a modest return as state's
investments have slightly out-paced tuition increases over the past 20 years.
If pre-paid tuition becomes an option, parents and students should consider
whether the benefits of pre-payment will exceed the rate of return available
if funds were invested in other financial instruments. With tuition at state
colleges increasing at an average of 10% per year over the past 10 years,
this program may provide an attractive return. Page 4 - Colleges and Universities
Welcome to 'Donkey Kong University', New Pacific Northwest College
Did your mother ever ask you how playing video games would ever lead to
anything useful? Now you have an answer. Fall 1997, DigiPen Applied Computer
Graphic School will open a four-year, bachelor degree granting program in
Seattle. Approved as a nonprofit institution of higher education, DigiPen,
known by its nickname "Donkey Kong University", will be accepting
100 applicants to start fall term.
Tuition will be $12,000 per year. The academic schedule will be vigorous,
requiring heavy-duty familiarity with math, computer programming and physics,
so interested students need to do more than play video games to prepare
for this program. Students will learn story-boarding, the games action plots;
successful game aspects and what makes games attractive in the marketplace.
DigiPen was founded by Claude Comair and is short for 'digital pen', which
Mr. Comair started in 1991. The Seattle location is ideal due to close ties
with Nintendo, who's U.S. base is also in the Seattle area. Students are
currently enrolled in DigiPen's 2-year program. Typical students in this
program spend 12 hours a day in class or computer labs. Nintendo teams with
students to make games on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. Nintendo
and other game makers also recruit program graduates with $30,000 starting
salaries. One recent graduate was asked what he will do at Nintendo? His
response, "Here's a computer. Play with it. Do some cool stuff."
For more information on DigiPen Applied Computer Graphic School, visit:
www.digipen.com on the Web or e-mail: digipen@digipen.com.
QUICK-FACTS - International Students in U.S. Universities
The U.S. has always attracted a wide variety of international students.
These students contribute to the diversity on campus and provide contact
for American students with new cultures.
Top Ten Univ. by International Enrollment
Harvard U. 2,301 U. Cal. Berkeley 2,208 U. Cal. Los Angeles 1,714 U. Cal. San Diego 1,379 Mass.Institute Tech. 1,318 U. Cal.San Francisco 1,300 U. of Minnesota 1,213 Cornell U. 1,193 U.of Washington 1,185 U.of Pennsylvania 1,168 Top Ten Countries sending Students to U.S. Japan 45,431 China 39,613 Republic of Korea 36,231 Taiwan 32,702 India 31,743 Canada 23,005 Malaysia 14,015 Indonesia 12,820 Thailand 12,165 Hong Kong 12,018
Colleges and Universities
Entrepreneurial Masters
Quick test, if you could, would you rather work for someone else or for
yourself. With the advent of corporate downsizing and minimal job security
for employees of big business, many people are considering the benefits
of being an entrepreneur. The challenge is where to go to learn how to start
or run your own business. College business schools are trying to help.
Karl H. Vesper, professor of management at the University of Washington's
business school is a national expert on entrepreneurship programs. In The
Chronicle of Higher Education for 1/22/97, he said that 400 business schools
in the U.S. have entrepreneurship courses and 125 have organized programs.
Entrepreneurship programs provide students with preparation to work in small
business, including; business opportunity identification, how to raise money
and write business plans. Since few business professors have first-hand
experience in starting a business, many colleges are bringing local entrepreneurs
on campus to teach. While these individuals may not have impressive academic
credentials, they do have fresh, tested ideas and techniques to pass on
to willing students.
In many of the entrepreneurship programs, students are encouraged to identify
business opportunities, prepare actual business plans and present them to
venture capitalists. Many serve internships or work as consultants for local
companies to learn on-the-job. Some students start actual companies while
in school, combining theory with practice.
It is clear the students welcome entrepreneurship programs. Business schools
that offer these programs are being rewarded with growing enrollments. According
to Professor Vesper, "The field is booming."
Colleges Sharing 'Sensitive Information' with Students and Parents
Few colleges provide prospective students with detailed information on campus
crime or faculty evaluations. College Web sites are changing the ways students
and parents can access sensitive data about colleges. Colleges use their
Web sites as communication tools, with marketing materials confined to the
admission or public information offices. By visiting colleges on-line, access
to sensitive information can now be easily obtained.
Want to know about crime on campus, visit the college security page. Many
colleges post daily security incident logs on-line. What do students think
of faculty? Many college Web sites include evaluations of faculty. Want
to ask current students their opinions? It's easy to e-mail students through
their personal Web pages, attached to college web sites.
Money Talk
Outline for Preparing "Special Circumstances" Letters
Most students and parents accept the first financial aid package they are
offered. This initial offer is largely developed by computer and takes into
consideration information from financial aid forms submitted. Often this
information does not clearly describe a student or family's actual financial
circumstances. While the initial offer may meet a student's financial need
according to federal formulas, it is not necessarily the best or final offer.
Financial aid offers can be changed dramatically to reflect a student's
or family's unique financial circumstances. The best way to communicate
individual circumstances to the financial aid office is to prepare a letter
describing what obligations the student/family actually have and resources
available to meet educational costs. The ideal time to prepare a Special
Circumstances Letter is before the college financial aid office offers an
initial aid package. Sending the Special Circumstances Letter with a copy
of the Student Aid Report, directly to the financial aid office is best.
The following is an outline of important information which should be included
and some tips to help you get started.
Address the letter to the Director of Financial Aid at the selected college.
I. First Paragraph
A. Introduce the student to the reader and include the student's social
security number (most financial aid offices track students by SSN)
B. Reinforce why the student wants to attend this specific college
C. Reinforce that the student/family are working hard to find financial
aid and scholarships
II. Second Paragraph
A. Explain that in addition to submitting the Free Application for Federal
Student Aid (FAFSA), you need to explain some special financial circumstances
not noted on the form, including any extra-ordinary expenses from the immediate
past year or next year.
B. Provide a list of all monthly or annual expenses or financial obligations,
broken down into broad major categories (housing, transportation, debts,
medical, food, clothing and other miscellaneous costs)
III. Third Paragraph
A. Show how much money you have left each year after paying all your bills
and explain how much of this money can be contributed to the students college
costs
B. Thank the Director for her/his consideration and offer to discuss these
details by phone or in person if necessary (provide your phone & address)
Quick Financial Aid Facts - Comparing Financial Aid Offers
One excellent reason to apply for admission at several colleges is to be
able to compare financial aid offers. While federal and state formulas should
result in similar offers of these types of aid, every financial aid office
can package aid using 'professional discretion'. Institutional grants and
scholarships from a school's own resources can change dramatically from
college to college. As this is the largest source of grants and scholarships,
comparing offers can be critical. Don't be afraid to negotiate, if necessary,
between colleges. Most colleges will look closely at competitors' offers.
COLLEGE FINANCIAL AID - FLOW CHART
By fall of student's senior year:
Fill in a draft copy of the FAFSA,
school and community workshops can help.
Fill out a family contribution worksheet.
By November 15th:
Organize copies of last federal tax return
and recent pay stubs for FAFSA income data.
November 15 - December 31st:
Get copy of NEW FAFSA, fill out and
prepare to mail or send electronically
as soon as January 1st. Complete any
other financial aid forms required by college.
January 2nd:
Send FAFSA to processor!
Write Special Circumstances Letter in next 3-4 weeks.
Late January (or 3-4 weeks after FAFSA is mailed):
Receive Student Aid Report (SAR). Review for
errors or changes, make copies to send to college/s.
Send a signed copy to each college being considered.
Send a copy of the Special Circumstances Letter with
the SAR copy to the college financial aid office.
Before May 1st
(for 4-year colleges, some 2-year colleges take longer):
Receive initial offer of financial aid.
After Receiving Initial Aid Offer:
Review offer to see if it will meet your needs.
If adequate, sign and return offer to college.
If inadequate, sign and return offer to
college with a new special circumstances letter explaining
how this offer will leave you short to meet costs.
CONTINUE TO NEGOTIATE IF NECESSARY!
Before College Starts:
RECEIVE FINANCIAL AID OFFER THAT
MEETS YOUR R E A L NEED!
