About 5 percent of U.S. schools are on a 4-1-4 calendar, according to the latest figures from the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers. The January term is often devoted to public service, experimental courses or quick study-abroad programs. At Williams College, the offerings for January 2004 included How to Buy a Car, The Art and History of Knitting, Why New Englanders Eat What They Eat and a behavioral-psych course called Rat Olympics. Harvard’s faculty has bigger ideas–no vermin–envisioning field trips to the Galapagos, art classes in Venice and all-day lab courses for aspiring chemists. If the plan goes ahead there, look for more colleges to follow suit.
What Color is Your School? Dillard was hardly Rebecca Roussell’s first choice. But after two years, she’s grateful to have landed there. Historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) such as Dillard offer “an experience that every African-American young person should have,” she says. In particular, she values Dillard’s sense of community, its push for students to succeed and the abundance of black role models on campus. HBCU life can thrill students who were among the only high-achieving African-Americans in their high schools, says Walter Massey, president of Morehouse College in Atlanta. “It’s such a wonderful surprise to them, to find that there are hundreds like them.” All the same, you don’t have to be African-American to enjoy an HBCU education. Twelve percent of Howard University’s undergraduates aren’t black. Frank Wu, a former law professor there, says students and faculty alike at HBCUs can learn valuable lessons in civil rights, diversity and “the importance of bridge building.” If you need one last reason to apply, consider winter weather: most HBCUs are in the sunny Southeast.
Show Your Work Samples of your art or music can help your application–sometimes. “Do not automatically presume a school wants those extras,” says Dan Saracino, assistant provost for enrollment at Notre Dame. Most state schools want the bare minimum; other schools may specify a required format for tunes or pictures. Most college counselors advise sending one copy with your application and another straight to a particular faculty member (with explanatory cover letter) so admissions can get a solid evaluation. Three poems will usually suffice–preferably published stuff. Musical pieces should be short and include a solo. Don’t expect to get your material back. And keep it compact: samples too big for an admissions folder inevitably get separated.
The Art Of Letters There’s a special art to requesting a letter of recommendation. When asked to write one, many teachers hate to say no, even if they have reservations. Worse, a halfhearted endorsement can hurt your chances of getting into a school that’s right for you. What to do? Start by choosing teachers who know you well and recognize your strengths. When popping the question, try to move it beyond a simple yes or no. It helps to say who else is writing for you. (“I’m asking my football coach and drama teacher, so I’m hoping you’ll emphasize my academic habits and writing.”) Try to make the request in a low-key manner, as long as possible before application deadlines: freedom to say no gracefully can make your teacher happier to say yes. And either way, remember your manners. Dignity goes far.
All This, Plus a Diploma at the End! Have you thought about going to Michigan State? Some dorms there include bubble-jet tubs. Or Duke? Its residence halls provide cable service and pay-per-view movies at no extra charge. But wait–check out Washington State, which claims to have the biggest Jacuzzi on the West Coast, with seating for more than 50 people. Colleges across the country are locked in a spiraling amenities race, desperately competing to lure new students by dint of sheer, unbridled extravagance. A monument to the struggle is Ohio State’s new $140 million fitness center, complete with indoor batting cages and jogging track; basketball, volleyball and racquetball courts; five swimming pools; Jacuzzi (of course); staff massage therapist; juice bar; climbing wall, and more than 20,000 square feet of workout equipment. “We’re just keeping up with the trend,” says university spokesperson Elizabeth Conlisk. “Students are expecting more bang for their buck.” So, can you top schools like UC Davis, Villanova and Wake Forest, where every freshman gets a shiny new laptop?
Outsmarting Stress Fear can make you stupid. That’s a big problem when it’s a test that scares you. To help students cope, some high schools have begun teaching relaxation techniques that range from yoga to computerized biofeedback. The first time he took the SAT as a high schooler in Stoughton, Mass., Nayan Patel froze on the math section. He tried again a month later with no further study–but first he took the HeartMath course, an anxiety-reduction system now used in some 200 schools. He spent several weeks learning to conjure soothing mental images and control his heart rate, aided by special videogames that encourage players to calm down. Patel’s math score jumped 170 points. The U.S. Department of Education is funding a $1 million evaluation of the technique.
Just Say ‘Ah’ After four years of college, who wants the aggravation and suspense of applying to medical school? There’s a way to dodge that hurdle: start out by choosing a combined B.S.-M.D. program, where one application covers everything from freshman orientation to medical diploma. Thirty of the nation’s 130 medical schools offer the one-shot option–but don’t expect to just waltz in. Ever hear of Northeastern Ohio University’s College of Medicine in Rootstown, Ohio? It has one of the biggest combo B.S.-M.D. programs. In 2004, its 105 student openings drew more than 700 applicants–fiercer competition than for the regular undergrad programs at MIT, Brown or Dartmouth. Before you turn down the likes of them, you’d better be certain you want to be a doctor.
