PSAT

Tomorrow we begin registration for the October 13th PSAT. I will give the students their registration forms tomorrow; the cost is $15 (cash or money order only), and all registrations are due September 23rd. Students may give their registration directly to me during English class.
This is our juniors' last possible chance to take a REAL practice SAT (developed by the College Board, not a private testing company) whose score will not appear on their official transcripts. The October PSAT is a no-fault, low-cost opportunity to work on achieving a competitive SAT score (juniors should take the actual SAT this winter or spring). If a student is considering going to a four-year college or university, he or she should take the PSAT now. Students who score high enough on the test are also eligible for scholarship honors.
If students already took the PSAT freshman or sophomore year, that is wonderful! You are getting in some great practice. But, you are only eligible for the Maryland Distinguished Scholar Program and the National Merit Scholarship if you are a junior -- your scores from last year don't apply to these opportunities. This is the year the PSAT can benefit you the most!!!!
One of the best advantages to taking the PSAT is the score report. Students receive analysis and feedback on EVERY answer they marked to EVERY test question. The SAT never provides students with this kind of feedback, and it is far more expensive than the $15 PSAT.
FACT: Students who take the PSAT score an average of 146 points higher than those who don't.
As part of our encouragement of our students to achieve and succeed in and beyond high school, the AP English team requires all AP Language scholars to take the PSAT. Parents, if you have any questions or concerns about this policy or about the cost of the test, PLEASE contact me!
PS. Students, which appeals did I use in the above message, and were they effective?

9/16

Warm-up :  What is JFK's purpose?  How does he appeal to the audience?

Classwork : Write an essay that analyzes how Kennedy uses rhetorical strategies in order to accomplish his purpose.   Start the editing workshop on the Kennedy essays.

HW:  Finish A-D glossaries


***Remember PSAT registration***

9/15

Warm-up - Review LOC pgs 40-47.  Write an explanation of which close reading strategy you prefer.  Why?  When might the others be useful?

Classwork - Closely read (annotate) JFK's inaugural address.  Then answer the diction and syntax questions on pgs 55-56.

Homework - Finish whatever JFK questions  you didn't get to in class.  A-D glossary due Friday 9/17.

9/13

Warm-up - What is analysis?  What did you learn about analysis by writing your visual analysis essay?

Classwork - Read LOC 35-49; practice annotating Didion and Ascham

Homework:  Due 9/17 - A-D glossaries/notecards

9/10

Warm-up:  On the back of your rough draft, answer these questions.


1. What are your concerns about your work on this essay so far? What do you still need to do? What are you still unsure of?

2. What do you feel confident about? What have you done well?

3. How finished is this essay, or how rough is it? How much time have you spent on it so far? How much more time do you need? Explain.

 
 
Classwork :  Rough Draft Workshop
-Read the warm-up comments on the back of the essay, and focus on the areas that they are concerned about.


-Did the writer fail to mention any issues that you noticed?

-Is the opening paragraph strong? Does it explain the main message or purpose of the image?

-Is there anything in the essay that needs to be deleted, added, or shortened? Does it all make sense?

Are there any details in the image that they failed to mention?

Did they explain how every detail and strategy contributes to the purpose/message?





Homework: Final Draft and TIPS 2 Due Monday

9/8

Warm-up - Identify or add all of these elements to your introductory paragraph: publication information, context, description, message or purpose, rhetorical strategies.

Classwork - Finish drafting opening paragraphs.  Work on drafting body paragraphs.

Homework: Finish Rough Draft for Friday, work on TIPS 2

9/7

Warm-up : Reflection on visual analysis project.  What do you still need to do or think about?  What do you not understand?  What message does your artifact have?  Can you support that claim with evidence?

Classwork - handed back Nickel & Dimed essay and LOC quiz, went over visual analysis outlines, sample papers, and thesis statements

Homework - Start working on your visual analysis essay (opening paragraph & thesis); (TIPS #2 due Monday with final draft)


*If you want to revise your Nickel & Dimed essay, the directions are in the Classroom Documents link.  Revisions will not be accepted after Friday, 9/10.*

9/3

Warm-up - Analyze the Columbine photo according to the bulleted points in Readings for Writers (pg 25-27).  Photo available at http://pro.corbis.com/enlargement/enlargement.aspx?id=UT0013234&caller

Classwork - Went over Visual Rhetoric assignment sheet and rubric, analyzed student selected pieces of visual rhetoric according to the bullet points in RFW

Homework - Write an outline for one piece of visual rhetoric.  Address all bullet points on the topic listed in RFW.

***The copy of the Visual Rhetoric assignment sheet is located in the Classroom Documents website.  The link is on the right side of the blog.****

9/2

Warm-up - Princess Diana cartoon - analyze to determine the message

Classwork - Compare 4 pieces of rhetoric concerning Princess Diana in order to determine the purpose, message, bias, and style of each

Homework - Find a political cartoon, a print advertisement, and a news photograph by tomorrow

9/1

Warm-up - Pretend that Bowie High School announced a decision to eliminate the honor of valedictorian because of competiveness and feelings of resentment among students.  Take a stance on the subject, and then craft a concession and refutation to the counterargument.

Classwork - Quiz on pages 1-26 of LOC
Examination of the different texts relating to Princess Diana in order to determine how different speakers acheived different purposes on the same topic

Homework - Select one of each visual medium (news photograph, political cartoon, print advertisement) that you would want to analyze in a paper.  Make sure that it is something that you have an interest in discussing and that there are many comments to be made about audience, speaker, message, ethos, logos, pathos, etc.  If it doesn't interest you or you do not understand it, please don't choose it because it will not make a good paper.

8/31

Warm-up - Evaluate Einstein's effectiveness (or lack thereof) in appealing to his audience through ethos, logos, and pathos.

Classwork - LOC pages 10-26 - visual analysis and arrangement

Homework - Study for quiz on pages 1-26

8/30

Warm-up:  How do you change your writing for different audiences?  Why?

Classwork:  Read pages 1-10 of The Language of Composition (LOC)

Homework:  Study the terminology in the first Chapter of LOC - Quiz on Wednesday on pages 1-26.

8/27

Warm-up - Quickwrite Prompt - What was your reaction to Nickel and Dimed?  Were your perceptions of working class and the working poor transformed or verified by reading this book?  Explain.  To what extent were your perceptions about the world of work changed or reinforced?

Classwork - Whole Class Discussion of Nickel and Dimed (see attached notes)

Homework - Define rhetoric



PD 2 Discussion
Did you think her experience was equal to conditions other working class people endure? What advantages did she have that they did not?


• Equal to an extent , some worse than her & vice versa. Had advantage of this not being her real life & she actually had own job

• Didn’t have the same experience as those who actually had to endure this in their real lives. No family,

• Could easily relocate and switch jobs if she had to, had savings money in comparison to people who did not have these savings and would have had to work harder

• Hard to not use previously attained knowledge when in work force. Subconsciously used knowledge. Ex- interviewed better

• Had a car & was paid off. Low wage workers most likely have taken out loans if they even had a car

• Had the option of healthcare & the money to take care of random sickness or condition. Ex- rash

• Entire experience inauthentic, “fake life”, no back up plan for regular low wage workers. Regular people had a multitude of problems that she would have never faced.

• Referred to it as an experiment and constantly repeated this instead of trying to fully immerse herself into the life of a low wage worker in those respective places

• Dramatized/ had to because she knew it was fake and emphasis was necessary to keep reader interested

• Cant “buy” struggle & cannot be put into situation legitimately

• Too many perks and lavish things to fully endure low wage life

• Exploiting experience of real low wage workers.

• Credit to Ehrenreich for actually trying and experiencing events detailed in novel

• Didn’t completely forget about those who she worked with & tried to help with minimum wage standards




Why do you think that poverty is cyclical?
• So many obstacles to endure, once past one obstacle another comes up

• Poor tend to not have education and cannot save up money due to lack of sufficient funds

• Always discouraged to attempt to better their situation due to regulations, don’t want the stress of being let down repeatedly

• Cannot afford to not have a job if they wished to search for a better & high paying job or opportunity to raise level of education.

• Tend to be unhealthier because healthier foods cost more & those living in motels & other living arrangements do not have the luxury of a kitchen that includes a stove.



Pd 3
Did you think her experience was equal to conditions other working class people endure? What advantages did she have that they did not?

• Experiences real, lifestyle was basically equal. Not totally authentic because it was not her regular lifestyle. Partial advantages.

• Disadvantages also, convenience of travel. Previous money saved before. Wasn’t accustomed to the lifestyle.

• Major advantage of car. Without mobility, tasks that Ehrenreich did would be not as easy

• Major advantage was the confidence and energy she had to approach the job

• Ehrenreich had no children to feed or other family members to support

• Extra leftover money from previous jobs was an advantage

Drug testing

• Drug testing is for good reason

• Drug free workers are more productive

• Background tests should also get attention along with drug tests

• Background tests done mostly

• Drug tests are often inaccurate and easy to get around

• Drug addicts could get around tests easily

• Random testing could be adequate alternative

• Weaknesses in targeting specific groups and possibility of missing drug users

• Drugs are not the only threat for employers

• Not announcing drug tests affects behavior profoundly

• *off topic sorta* airplane testing random people, often viewed by people as profiling

• Profiling is still prevalent issue

• Profiling is human nature

• If not human nature, it is instilled generally very early in life

What do you think that Ehrenreich should be given credit?

• Ehrenreich shouldn’t be given too much credit for actual experiment because many of the thoughts conveyed were not her own

• Ehrenreich good narrator overall, gets off topic often

• Ehrenreich may have come off as “rude” or “insensitive”

• Not credible source, had many advantages

• Had advantage of leaving jobs while her co-workers were stuck there

• Often very hypocritical? Conflicting thoughts by her

• Did try to understand and grasp certain challenges as best as she could

• Good choice by going to Maine and Minnesota because of the competition with other Caucasian workers

• Very weird when categorizing different feces (lol)

• Explicit details inserted in book to help convey the disgust felt by her

Why do you think that poverty is cyclical?

• People are born into poverty and its hard to break the cycle

• Once into poverty, it is hard to escape because the money that is made goes to essentials

• If one were to try to get a new job then they risk missing work at current job and losing money

• Education is key

• When born into poverty, mindset is very important

• Poverty is very communal, community can greatly influence individuals

• Motivation sometimes just isn’t enough when the funds aren’t there

• In certain areas, poverty weighs down on the one impoverished area, and life sometimes is expected

• A lot of times, poverty is adapted to and becomes instilled in their lives.

Should there be more or less regulations for business owners(such as health insurance)

• Health insurance should be made more affordable for small businesses and families

• Health problems are not by choice for the most part.

• Insurance companies can charge base premiums to their desire

• Consumers do not have the choice to receive the cheapest health coverage possible

• Companies would rather insure people with little health problems for most profit

• US should have health insurance

• Problem is that it conflicts with US constitution

• People are often prioritized in other countries government provided systems



Pd 4 Discussion

Do the advantages that Ehrenreich had invalidate her experiment or was she able to honestly experience the conditions of the working poor?



-stand up to bosses

-cars go further

-knew people to live with

-had something to back up on to

-no kids

-wasn’t starting from scratch

-had money for side problems (dermatologist)

-didn’t have fear of being homeless or starving

-wasn’t a real experience for her

-selfish and didn’t get the real idea

-doesn’t have the same mindset as those living in the low wage working class- transitioned from high to low

-journalistic and just her experiment to see if it was possible to survive off minimum wage.

-her experience was easier to relate to







How you think we should handle health insurance for the working poor?



-should be free for working poor

-they work the hardest

-can’t financially afford to pay for health insurance

-giving the working poor free insurance wouldn’t be financially possible for the government

-investigate on the people who receive free healthcare

-find out which people really need it

-some major employers should provide their employees with healthcare

-

Back to School Night

Reminder:  Back to School Night will be August 31st.  Please join us at 6:30pm.

8/26

Warm-up - Using your TASS book, find 2 sentences on the first 2 pages of Nickel and Dimed that match one of the patterns.

Classwork - Group discussions of Nickel and Dimed

Homework - Parent forms

8/25

Warm-up - Syllabus Anticipation Guide

Classwork - Discuss Syllabus, work in groups to discuss and present senarios from the 25 Ways to Infuriate Your Teacher, shared information from Student Surveys

Homework - Due Friday - TIPS worksheet #1 about Syllabus expectations, Parent Surveys, Student Release Forms

***If you will not see your parent or guardian before Friday, please send me an email telling me when you can turn in the work that requires signatures.***

8/24

Warm-up - Essay Topic Reflection

Classwork - Overview of AP essay rubric, composed essays on Nickel and Dimed

Homework - Student Survey (due tomorrow) 
Parent Survey and Student Release Form (due by Friday if possible)

8/23

Warm-up - Turn in The Art of Styling Sentences.  Review for tests.

Classwork - Take tests on Nickel & Dimed and TASS.

Homework - Prepare for Essays on Nickel and Dimed by outlining a response and/or selecting several relevant examples from the text. You can use this outline/brainstorming during your writing, and it must be stapled to your in class essay.
Possible topics:
1. What are the major obstacles with housing that low-wage workers face in the book?
2. To what extent are the low-wage workers able to be successful? What levels of success are they capable of achieving?  How are hard work and success connected?

Welcome To AP English Language and Composition

I am looking forward to getting to know each of you this year as we move through the challenging and exciting tasks of learning to read and write on the college level.  As we begin this magical year of reading and writing, please bookmark this blog so that you have daily access to assignments, discussion notes, and classroom documents.  Use the Helpful Links on the right side of the page to navigate to related content.  The site labeled classroom documents is a repository for any paperwork that you might need to access from home. 

Feel free to comment on any posts or to email me at jodi.fetterolf@pgcps.org with any questions or concerns.

College Senior Survey and Information

SUMMIT students must turn in this info to Ms. Price. All others - it is meant to help you with your search this summer.


Bowie High SUMMIT Class of 2011!!!!!
Senior College Survey
This document is part of our promised support of you in the college application process. Ms. Price will look over your specific college information and give you some comments and advice to help you as you finalize your college lists. If you haven’t begun to think about your college choices, no worries! You have plenty of time, and that is why I am giving you this info now.
Please carefully read the following information; complete the requested information and return to Ms. Kelly Price in Room 250 by September 30th, 2010.
I strongly recommend you apply to:
a) Two schools to which you have a 25% chance of being offered admission, and
b) Two schools to which you have a 50% chance of being offered admission, and
c) Two schools to which you have a 75% chance of being offered admission, AND
d) Two schools to which you have a 90% chance of being offered admission.
NOTE: Letters “c” and “d” are the most important – as long as you are applying to these four schools, “a” and “b” are not even necessary. But if you are applying to an “a” or “b” school, you MUST apply to the “c” and “d” schools. You are severely limiting your options if you do not.
Note: If you applying to any competitive schools, I recommend that you apply to eight schools. This decision will give you the most options, especially financial options. IF you are applying to a school to which you have only a 25% chance of admission, you MUST apply to at least five other schools to which you have a better chance of admission. If you are applying to two schools you have a 25% chance of getting into, you need to apply to eight total. I am basing this recommendation on the advice of MANY experts whose work I have read.
NOTE: NO ONE, not even a genius, has more than a 25% chance of getting into any very selective college like Georgetown, Duke, Northwestern, Carleton, Princeton, Brown, etc. NO ONE. Last year, Yale University turned away half of its applicants who had perfect SAT scores.
Please answer the following:
Your career goals, general areas of interest. If you don’t know, that is okay. You can give me a vague answer: __________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
Please list your highest SAT Scores below. Please either attach a copy of your score report OR just show Price your scores on her computer.
Highest Critical Reading Score: ______
Highest Math Score: ___________
Highest Writing Score: ___________
Are you taking the SAT again? _________ If so, when? _____
Your cumulative GPA: _______
In order of selectivity (that is, the college MOST difficult for you to get into and ending with the college EASIEST for you to get into), list:
the colleges/universities you are definitely or pretty sure you are applying to,
the reasons you are applying there*,
their acceptance rate, and
your chances for admission**.
* Reasons for applying: If you’re not sure why you’re applying, then you need to find out.
Poor reasons for applying:
“I can’t stand the thought of going there, but my parents are making me.”
“It’s an Ivy League school.”
“They sent me a free application.”
Note: These reasons might be good ones to START THINKING about applying to a college; after you begin to learn more about the school, you may actually like it. Remember: If you’re applying to the college, you might actually get in, and they may offer you the best financial aid package, and your parents may say, “This is where you are going.” Thus, you need to find ways to be happy there.
** Your chances for admission. If you don’t know what your chances of admission are, you need to find out. Look at the freshman profile on the college’s website or consult the College Board’s “My College Quick Start” service for help. Think in terms of a 25% chance to get in, a 50% chance, 75%, or 90%. (NOTE: NO ONE, not even a genius with perfect SAT scores, has more than a 25% chance of getting into any very selective college like Georgetown, Duke, Northwestern, Carleton, Princeton, Brown, etc. NO ONE.)
__________________________________________________________________________
Example of a freshman profile (I simply went to UMD’s website and searched “freshman profile” on the site.)
University of Maryland College Park Freshman Profile Information
“For the Fall 2009 Freshman class, we received over 28,000 applications for a class of 4,150. (actual acceptance rate: 39.2%) For the Fall of 2009, students admitted to the University of Maryland have an average (weighted) GPA of 3.98 and the middle 50% of SAT scores ranged from 1230 to 1390 [math and critical reading combined score], and between 27-31 on the ACT. As a result, 25% of the admitted students scored below a 1230 on the SAT and 25% scored above a 1390.” *From the UMD website
Example of how to list your college choices:
College: University of Maryland College Park
Reason you are applying: I like their engineering program and also their public policy program, hope to get in their Honors College, want to be near D.C., in-state tuition
Definitely or maybe applying? definitely
Acceptance rate: 39.2%
Chance of admission for me: 50%. (If your weighted GPA is a 4.10 and your SAT is a 1310, you would be right in the middle average of their freshmen profile, so your chances of getting in are 50/50.)
Now, list the Colleges you are DEFINITELY applying to and Colleges You MIGHT apply to (in order of hardest to easiest for YOU to get into):
College:
Reason for applying:
Definitely or maybe applying?
Acceptance rate:
Chance of admission for YOU:
College:
Reason for applying:
Definitely or maybe applying?
Acceptance rate:
Chance of admission for YOU:
College:
Reason for applying:
Definitely or maybe applying?
Acceptance rate:
Chance of admission for YOU:
College:
Reason for applying:
Definitely or maybe applying?
Acceptance rate:
Chance of admission for YOU:
College:
Reason for applying:
Definitely or maybe applying?
Acceptance rate:
Chance of admission for YOU:
College:
Reason for applying:
Definitely or maybe applying?
Acceptance rate:
Chance of admission for YOU:
College:
Reason for applying:
Definitely or maybe applying?
Acceptance rate:
Chance of admission for YOU:
College:
Reason for applying:
Definitely or maybe applying?
Acceptance rate:
Chance of admission for YOU:

College:
Reason for applying:
Definitely or maybe applying?
Acceptance rate:
Chance of admission for YOU:
College:
Reason for applying:
Definitely or maybe applying?
Acceptance rate:
Chance of admission for YOU:
Please check out the following books and websites as you finish your college search:
Books/Sites I Highly Recommend (I have all of these books in my classroom – you are welcome to come and look at them.)
www.collegeboard.com – Of course! Be sure you are using MyCollege QuickStart.
Harvard Schmarvard – by Jay Mathews, the Washington Post’s main education reporter. Mathews, a Harvard grad, explains why Ivies and other elite institutions are not nearly what they are cracked up to be for undergraduates. He lists 100 schools that high school students should be sure to consider instead.
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/class-struggle/admissions_101/ (Jay Mathews’ Washington Post discussion board about college admissions)
8 First Choices: An Expert’s Strategies for Getting into College. Joyce Slayton Mitchell and Winning the Heart of the College Admissions Dean (an earlier version of 8 First Choices) These books are WONDERFUL.
Looking Beyond the Ivy League: Finding the College that’s Right for You. Loren Pope. I LOVE THIS BOOK.
Fiske Guide to Colleges 2010: Edmund Fiske. THE BEST COLLEGE GUIDE, IN MY OPINION.
The Hidden Ivies: Howard Greene and Matthew Greene. VERY GOOD LOOK AT FIFTY VERY SELECTIVE SCHOOLS.
Colleges that Change Lives -- Loren Pope. POPE FIGHTS THE MAN IN THIS BOOK – HE IS WONDERFULLY ANTI-ELITIST and has spent a great deal of time finding great schools that actually serve their student body.
www.ctcl.org -- This website, based on the philosophy of Loren Pope’s book Colleges that Change Lives, is a wonderful resource. This site/book focuses on 40-some colleges that: “share two essential elements: a familial sense of communal enterprise that gets students heavily involved in cooperative rather than competitive learning, and a faculty of scholars devoted to helping young people develop their powers, mentors who often become their valued friends."

This dynamic group of schools also share some other common attributes that have led to their distinction as colleges that change lives:
Low student-to-faculty ratios that foster collaboration, engaged learning, and personal attention. Classes are taught by professors, not TAs.
A commitment to undergraduate education that focuses on the liberal arts and sciences. Opportunities for undergraduate research are prevalent.
A living and learning environment that is primarily residential and emphasizes the benefits of community, personal growth, participation, and involvement.
Smaller student enrollments that allow students to be known and recognized as individuals.
Out-of-classroom learning opportunities that provide students with an added perspective about themselves, their interests, and the global community. Participation in internships, study abroad, service to others, and special interest activities is common and expected.
Holistic admission policies including several with "test-optional" applications for admission. These schools take into consideration everything about an applicant—not just their numbers on an application.
Alumni networks that help graduates with professional and career development opportunities as well as foster lifelong friendships based on an involved and engaged undergraduate student experience.
For many talented and motivated students, CTCL colleges provide the ideal living and learning environment for students to meet and exceed their own expectations for personal intellectual growth—indeed, an experience that changes lives.

Pope believes that the colleges' power lies in how they go about transforming their students. "The focus is on the student, not on the faculty. There are no passive ears; students and faculty work so closely together, they even coauthor publications. Teaching is an act of love. Learning is collaborative rather than competitive; values are central; there is a strong sense of community. They are places of great synergy, where the whole becomes greater than the sum of the parts. Aspirations are raised up; young people are empowered. It is those qualities that develop leaders, people who can land on their feet, who are bold and imaginative, and who can see the big picture."
CHECK OUT THESE SCHOOLS THAT POPE RECOMMENDS!!

Colleges that Change Lives
AGNES SCOTT COLLEGE
ALLEGHENY COLLEGE
AUSTIN COLLEGE
BELOIT COLLEGE
BIRMINGHAM-SOUTHERN COLLEGE
CENTRE COLLEGE
CLARK UNIVERSITY
CORNELL COLLEGE
DENISON UNIVERSITY
EARLHAM COLLEGE
ECKERD COLLEGE
EMORY & HENRY COLLEGE
THE EVERGREEN STATE COLLEGE
GOUCHER COLLEGE
GUILFORD COLLEGE
HAMPSHIRE COLLEGE
HENDRIX COLLEGE
HIRAM COLLEGE
HOPE COLLEGE
JUNIATA COLLEGE
KALAMAZOO COLLEGE
KNOX COLLEGE
LAWRENCE UNIVERSITY
LYNCHBURG COLLEGE
MARLBORO COLLEGE
MCDANIEL COLLEGE
MILLSAPS COLLEGE
NEW COLLEGE OF FLORIDA
OHIO WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY
REED COLLEGE
RHODES COLLEGE
SOUTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY
ST. JOHN'S COLLEGE, MD
ST. JOHN'S COLLEGE, NM
ST. OLAF COLLEGE
URSINUS COLLEGE
WABASH COLLEGE
WHEATON COLLEGE (IL)
WHITMAN COLLEGE
WOOSTER, COLLEGE OF
Misperception: Students who can’t afford $48,000 a year for tuition and room/board should not apply to any private colleges or universities. They should only apply to public universities they can afford.
REALITY: Almost 90% of students who attend college receive financial aid; that is, almost 90% of students do not pay the full sticker price of a college. If you apply to private schools at which you are at the top of the applicant pool, you will surely be offered a nice chunk of merit scholarship money even before the college considers your financial need.
“You won’t have any idea how much a college will cost until you receive your financial aid package. Convince your parents that this is true. Do not select your final [college] list by the advertised cost of the college.” Joyce Slayton Mitchell, Eight First Choices: An Expert’s Strategies for Getting Into College.
MISPERCEPTION: Strong students in the top ranks of their high school class with high test scores will waste their potential at any school outside the Ivy League. They deserve to learn with other motivated achievers.
REALITY: Smaller residential schools are a great example of quality outshining quantity. It’s easier to meet people and forge meaningful—often lifelong—friendships in a small community than it is in a huge crowd. It’s easier to get involved at a smaller school because there’s less hierarchy and red tape; in fact, many students find that there’s less competition for leadership positions, theatre roles, and even student activities funding on a smaller campus.

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MISPERCEPTION: Employers and graduate schools won’t be seriously interested in a graduate from a school they haven’t heard of before. A degree from a name-brand institution means more to employers and graduate schools, and attending a well-known school puts students ahead of the curve and guarantees them successful, meaningful lives.
REALITY: Employers and graduate schools are looking for skills and experience, not evidence of an elite academic pedigree. CTCL graduates frequently outperform their peers at some of the nation's top graduate and professional schools because they’ve done more with their time in college—they’ve become campus leaders, taken on internships or tackled life in another country, completed graduate-level work, and developed the kinds of critical thinking skills necessary for a meaningful life of learning.
MISPERCEPTION: Staying close to home is a good idea because it saves money, and following high school friends makes the transition to college easier.
REALITY: The most important factor in choosing a college is its fit for a student, not its location or popularity. The ideal school may be close to home—or it could be across the country. Regardless of where the school is located, it should offer opportunities for intellectual growth, deeper understanding, and experiences that reward personal curiosity.
Following friends to school doesn’t guarantee an instantly rewarding social life in college—most friends who attend school together have found other interests by the end of the first few weeks. Making new friends at small colleges is easy, and the high school friendships that really matter will stand the tests of time and distance.
Personalities develop significantly in college, and the right school will foster, not hinder, growth. Choosing a school because it is familiar or following the same crowd to a school might even prevent students from developing as independent, capable people with their own interests and passions.

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MISPERCEPTION: If you’re serious about your future career, it’s pointless to take classes in other disciplines. It’s better to focus on one field and become an expert than to know a little about a lot of useless subjects.
REALITY: The decisions you make at eighteen could affect the rest of your life. Few people know exactly what they want to do at the beginning of college, and none of them can predict the future. The people who succeed today have a range of skills and can see connections between disciplines; they’re flexible and can adapt intelligently to change. Even people who are devoted to one field appreciate the perspectives other disciplines can bring to understanding a problem or an issue. It’s more important to have a versatile, multifaceted background and an ability to apply knowledge to many situations than a narrowly focused education in one subject that lacks breadth.