Columbia University

What makes Columbia University unique? Its location in Manhattan, combined with a rigorous and extensive core curriculum distinguish it. You might be surprised to find that Columbia has a beautiful, enclosed campus spread over six square blocks with green grass and trees, as well as a subway stop, making it easy for students to access the arts and internships in New York City.

Unlike many other colleges, the core curriculum is a set of specific courses, not just distribution requirements. The core curriculum consists of a third of the courses and ensures that all the students have a strong foundation in literature, the humanities, contemporary civilization, foreign language, and science.

Other than foreign language classes, there are few classes on Fridays, enabling students to take advantage of internships, community service opportunities, political activities, and museums. For those interested in sports, there is a gym with an indoor pool. Fields and most games are played in the Bronx, with free shuttle bus transportation provided.

While the cost of attendance is $56K per year, the school meets 100% of need, is need-blind, and excludes loans from its financial aid packages.

Stevens Institute of Technology

Stevens Institute of Technology is a great choice for an engineering major who wants to go to a small school in or near a city and participate in Greek life.

The college is set on 55 acres on the Hudson River, overlooking the Manhattan skyline. It has a mix of old and new buildings in various styles, a gym with an indoor pool, fields for sports, and limited parking. It is just two blocks from a main street in Hoboken, New Jersey (a hot town featured in the TV show "Cake Boss") and walking distance to a train that will transport students to New York City in ten minutes.

Stevens has some great features including a free laptop for each student, lots of research opportunities, a co-op program, 5-year Bachelors/Masters programs, internships, externships, and excellent job placement.

Ninety per cent of the approximately 2200 students live on campus. Unfortunately for the men, only about a quarter of the class is female. Thirty per cent of the student body goes Greek. Students participate in 120 clubs, 26 Division III varsity sports (excluding football), intramurals, club sports, alternative spring break, and study abroad.

If you've visited Stevens Institute of Technology lately, share your impressions of the school. To see additional photos I took of Stevens, check out www.slosbergcollegesolutions.com.

What's new at college?

At the NJACAC meeting, the following colleges shared some "new" information:

• Muhlenberg College is opening a new rehearsal hall for theatre arts, music, and dance. They will also be opening a new dining hall which will offer a kosher meal plan.
• Columbia University went to the Common App
• Duke University introduced a neuroscience major and a finance minor; they are building a new dorm on the west side of campus for upperclassmen.
• Rutgers University had a record enrollment. Their experiment with students self-reporting their academic record on their college application was a success and some of the State University of New York (SUNY) colleges will adopt it. Many new dorms are in the works.

Financial Health of Colleges

I recently attended the New Jersey Association for College Admission Counseling (NJACAC) program on "Admissions Trends". One trend is that a growing number of small liberal arts colleges are having financial difficulties. A panelist suggested that potential students and their parents be on the look for signs of poor financial health including:

1. Significant deferred maintenance
2. Faculty and staff layoffs
3. Closed programs
4. Dropping of varsity or extra-curricular activities
5. Closed residence halls
6. Downgraded bond ratings.

Questions for the Office of Disability Support

If you are a student with Learning Differences and/or ADHD, I recommend that you research and visit with the personnel in the departments that provide disability services at the college. These services may be in one department or spread over several departments with names like Disability Support Services, Office of Disability Support, Learning Support Center, and Academic Support Center. Think about what information you need to help you decide whether the program meets your needs.

Some questions you may have are:

1. What is the philosophy of the program?
2. How many professionals are on staff?
3. What services, accommodations, workshops, and adaptive technology are available?
4. What is the procedure for students to receive accommodations from a professor?
5. How many tutors are on staff? Are they peer or professional tutors? How often can students be tutored? What subjects is tutoring available for?
6. Are there organizational coaches?
7. How many students are accepted in the program each year? How many apply?
8. Is there a fee for the program? How much is the fee?
9. How does the graduation rate for students in the program compare to the overall graduation rate?
10. What documentation is needed to apply for the program? Is there a separate application for the program? Is an interview required?
11. Is there an orientation before the freshman year?

What other questions would you ask?

I will be giving a talk on "College Support for Students with Learning Differences or ADHD" on Tuesday, November 16 at 7 pm in Somerville, NJ. For more information and to register, call 908.725.7799 or email admin@jewishfamilysvc.org.

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

I was looking forward to my visit to Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), because I used to work with a number of fine engineers who were WPI alumni.

Most students at WPI have a scientific bent with 58% majoring in engineering, 10% in natural sciences and math, 13% in computer science, 8% in business management, and 2% in the liberal arts.

Two things that distinguish WPI are its unusual academic calendar and its encouragement of collaborative learning. There are four 7-week terms and an optional summer term. Typically students take three classes per term or do a project. These 7-week terms also allow students the opportunity to travel abroad for up to three terms.

Students are involved in two required, real-world, hands-on projects. The interactive project is a team project which may be on or off campus, including numerous sites abroad. The major project is generally sponsored by a company, government agency, or non-profit organization. There is also an optional humanities or arts project available.

WPI students also play hard. They participate in 180 clubs and organizations. Two thirds participate in one of the 20 NCAA Division III teams, the NCAA Division I women's rowing team, 23 club sports, or 10 intramural sports. A new gym will be opening soon. Greek life is also popular with the student body, with one third joining a fraternity or sorority.

When applying to WPI, a student can submit SAT or ACT scores or take the alternate path by submitting a major project done during high school.

If this sounds intriguing, perhaps WPI is the college for you. If you have visited WPI or are a recent alumn, add your comments or photos. For more of my WPI photos, check out http://www.slosbergcollegesolutions.com/.

Clark University

Shortly after the Fall term began, I visited Clark University in urban Worcester, Massachusetts, an hour's drive from Boston.

Clark is the smallest liberal arts research university in the nation with about 2100 undergraduate and 550 graduate students. The school places equal emphasis on teaching and research. Undergraduates have plenty of opportunity to do research and to participate in one of the 33 travel abroad programs.

The college is well-known for its psychology and geography programs. Classes are small, averaging twenty students. The first year seminar professor becomes the academic advisor to the students in the seminar, until the students declare their major. Students, who complete their Bachelors degree with grade point of 3.25 or higher, can stay for a fifth year and pursue a free Masters degree.

While there is no Greek life at Clark, there is plenty to do. The most popular events of the year are the International Gala and Spree Day, a spring day when classes are spontaneously cancelled and replaced with a day-long carnival. Clarkies can participate in 108 clubs, 17 NCAA Division III teams, intramural sports, and a myriad of volunteer opportunities.

Clark University students live the school motto "Challenge Convention Change Our World." If you are a progressive student looking for an urban campus, where you can make a difference, Clark may be right for you.

I'd love for you to share your photos or experiences at Clark University. You can see my photo of the statue of Freud on the Clark University campus on http://www.slosbergcollegesolutions.com/ or on the Slosberg College Solutions LLC Facebook page. Clark University, is the only U.S. college that Freud ever spoke at.