Post by title1parent on Mar 30, 2010 8:42:44 GMT -5
www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=369384&src=
School cuts and the college bound
Daily Herald Editorial 3/30/2010
It's a tough time of year for high school seniors. In the next few weeks, they'll have to finally commit to a college for next fall, taking into account family finances, rising tuition and an uncertain economy.
Future college applicants will have it just as tough - they'll also have to consider how school cutbacks across the suburbs could affect where they stand in the college applications game. A little foresight now could make the process easier for them.
We're not second-guessing suburban schools' needs to make program cuts to meet the budget. Funding is tight, and school boards aren't relishing making hard choices. Schools certainly aren't the only ones reducing what they offer to students, so savvy college admissions officers should be aware of the downsizing trend.
Yet, capping course loads at six academic classes a semester, as in Elgin Area School District U-46, puts students up against kids in other school districts who take seven or eight.
Reduced music, art, sports or clubs are frequent cost-cutting strategies. But a lack of extracurricular activities can push college applications farther down in the stack.
Because of that, we urge high school administrators to give strong attention to how reduced course offerings or cuts in extracurricular options can be explained - or even turned to an advantage - in students' college applications.
That means paying attention to how curriculum changes are communicated to college admissions officers and working closely with parents and students on ways to compensate for the cutbacks.
At the least, high school transcripts should include explanations of any new limitations affecting graduates.
As some programs are downsized, high school guidance departments should ramp up. Counselors should take the initiative to steer more students toward community college courses to fill in gaps created by changes in the high school curriculum.
At Harper College in Palatine, for instance, high school juniors and seniors can take courses during the summer or school year and in some cases get both college and high school credit. Along with academic courses, art and music classes are offered.
And on college applications themselves, students should take the opportunity to note how they were affected by school budget cuts, and what they did about it.
Who knows? Some students might find a way to turn the experience into an asset.
Those dreaded college application essays often focus on lessons learned or adversity overcome. Unfortunately, learning to deal with the effects of today's school funding crisis might just provide the perfect fodder.
School cuts and the college bound
Daily Herald Editorial 3/30/2010
It's a tough time of year for high school seniors. In the next few weeks, they'll have to finally commit to a college for next fall, taking into account family finances, rising tuition and an uncertain economy.
Future college applicants will have it just as tough - they'll also have to consider how school cutbacks across the suburbs could affect where they stand in the college applications game. A little foresight now could make the process easier for them.
We're not second-guessing suburban schools' needs to make program cuts to meet the budget. Funding is tight, and school boards aren't relishing making hard choices. Schools certainly aren't the only ones reducing what they offer to students, so savvy college admissions officers should be aware of the downsizing trend.
Yet, capping course loads at six academic classes a semester, as in Elgin Area School District U-46, puts students up against kids in other school districts who take seven or eight.
Reduced music, art, sports or clubs are frequent cost-cutting strategies. But a lack of extracurricular activities can push college applications farther down in the stack.
Because of that, we urge high school administrators to give strong attention to how reduced course offerings or cuts in extracurricular options can be explained - or even turned to an advantage - in students' college applications.
That means paying attention to how curriculum changes are communicated to college admissions officers and working closely with parents and students on ways to compensate for the cutbacks.
At the least, high school transcripts should include explanations of any new limitations affecting graduates.
As some programs are downsized, high school guidance departments should ramp up. Counselors should take the initiative to steer more students toward community college courses to fill in gaps created by changes in the high school curriculum.
At Harper College in Palatine, for instance, high school juniors and seniors can take courses during the summer or school year and in some cases get both college and high school credit. Along with academic courses, art and music classes are offered.
And on college applications themselves, students should take the opportunity to note how they were affected by school budget cuts, and what they did about it.
Who knows? Some students might find a way to turn the experience into an asset.
Those dreaded college application essays often focus on lessons learned or adversity overcome. Unfortunately, learning to deal with the effects of today's school funding crisis might just provide the perfect fodder.