The Long Wait for an Admission Decision

It may seem like a lifetime has passed since you submitted your applications for admission. In many instances, the wait is not over. If it has seemed like a lifetime up until this point, then figure on at least another lifetime or two until you officially hear. In the meantime, I have posted some notes on what you should be focusing on until the decisions start rolling in. In this post, I want to point you to some interesting articles I have been reading lately about higher education.

1. A fascinating story on the state of diversity at UC Berkeley from the New York Times (NYT). The demographics, in California at least, of higher education are changing rapidly. How is this affecting traditional minority students? What do students think about issues of diversity?

2. Another NYT piece on rural colleges and universities. As students become accustomed to more modern luxuries, e.g. Starbucks, massive cineplexes, and ethnic cuisine, how do rural colleges compete with their urban and suburban contemporaries?

3. College Rankings, courtesy of the Washington Monthly Magazine. Why should you care about another ranking system? Start with their premises for what make a college or university excellent, "how well it performs as an engine of social mobility (ideally helping the poor to get rich rather than the very rich to get very, very rich), how well it does in fostering scientific and humanistic research, and how well it promotes an ethic of service to country." It is a compelling way to think about education. I would like to explore this ranking system more in depth in a future post.

4. Wired article on an education program designed to teach students the art of making video games that have meaning. Think world peace over world domination, or swords to plowshares.

Have a great weekend!