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 August
2005 (Issue II)
"Our lives improve only when we
take chances - and the first and most difficult risk we can
take is to be honest with ourselves."
–Walter Anderson
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Dear Ventures Scholar,
Welcome to the 2005-06 school year! Some of the Ventures
Scholars are back in school, while others are almost at the
end of their vacation. We truly hope you accomplished your
goals for the summer and are ready to get back to school.
Please remember, the only reason why some students get into
their first choice college is because they work hard and manage
their time wisely. This e-newsletter will provide you with
links to help you with study skills. Take time to peruse some
of these helpful sites.
Thanks to some of our Ventures Scholars, we have articles
written about exciting summer programs! If you would like
to tell others about a special program or activity, please
feel free to submit an article for the next e-newsletter.
Go to www.venturescholar.org/hs/answers/submission.asp.
Take care!
Ventures Scholars Program
webmaster@ventures.org
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Please Note: Opinions expressed
in this document or linked documents are those of the authors
and do not necessarily reflect the official position of the
Ventures Scholars Program.
Suggestions and/ or Comments about the Ventures Scholars
Program:
Please email Ventures Scholars Program at webmaster@ventures.org.
The Ventures Scholars Program provides information
about opportunities for high achieving underrepresented and
first generation college bound students interested in math,
science or technology-based careers. |
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| NEWS
AND VIEWS FROM VENTURES SCHOLARS |
[top of page] |
| Articles written by our Ventures Scholars. |
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About the Author: Nworah is a people
person. He's from Columbus, Ohio and intends on becoming
a premed major. Nworah is genuinely concerned with the
well-being of others.
Summer is a Time for Rest
Summer is a time for rest, relaxation, and enjoyment.
I just spent a week of my summer tackling the hardest
problems man faces: the seemingly unsolvable Israeli-Palestinian
conflict, how to reduce terrorism, the way perception
affects personalities and can cause hatred, what pushes
someone to become a suicide bomber and many more. I
learned a lot about other cultures, religions, and ideology.
I learned about and experienced mutual illumination,
the process by which one learns about oneself by learning
about others. I just spent a week at the Global Issues
Seminar at Notre Dame.
We tackled the problems of war and hatred from many
angles and had interesting and spirited discussions.
After every class came a headache from excessive thinking,
but it was all worthwhile. When you have a letter from
the UN Secretary-General commissioning your work and
your dialogues are led by the finest professors in the
world its worthwhile. And if you don't believe me that
the professors are the world's finest, google George
Lopez and Rashied Omar and you can see the history book
work they've done.
You wouldn't know from their demeanor these guys our
some of the greatest men of our age. They are so laid
back, and open to funny comments whether from themselves
or their students. It's this open, welcoming, and enjoyable
atmosphere that made this the best week of my life.
Every person there is a complete nerd, in the sense
that they are eloquent, have SAT scores out the ying-yang,
and are involved in one hundred thousand different activities.
However these nerds were also athletes, musicians, and
caring people. And if I do say so myself they were surprisingly
attractive. These were cool nerds. This patchwork of
geniuses throughout the world has become my closest
friends. Every night was fun whether we were bowling,
at the beach, swimming, playing Frisbee, ten fingers,
or just hanging out. All of those with our collection
of 27 different languages couldn't put into words what
this experience was for us. But each and every GISer
(what we call ourselves) has been changed by our experience.
We are all forever bound to each other, and forever
charged with a responsibility to affect change in the
world. This collection of forty people will be the ones
who steer our war torn world toward peace, and you toast
to me when I get married. This is the best experience
of my life, and that's why even though I just got off
the plane a few hours ago the first thing I had to do
was share this program so that others might have a chance
to experience it.
The program is fully paid for by the University of
Notre Dame, everything from the trip, to the food, to
the movie tickets and concessions. Its extremely competitive,
but for more information contact Joan Martel Ball, director
of Pre-College Programs, 574.631.0990; tell her Nworah
Ayogu sent you. Notre Dame also has similar summer programs
for Latinos and African-Americans.
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About the Author: Halona is from
Chicago, IL and would like to major in computer engineering
or computer programming.
My Summer
This summer has been a wonderful experience. This summer,
I have worked my first job. The best part was that I
got to work at City Hall. I have an internship in the
Department of Planning and Development. Working in this
department has just given me a glimpse of the long and
hard-working process of how many of the facilities and
buildings that I am surrounded by come into existence.
I have had the pleasure of working with a wonderful
staff. I worked with South and Far South Districts.
One of the factors that made my first working experience
such a success were the many different types of people
working in the office. There were just rainbows of personalities
and it made excited to come to work everyday! I even
got to meet some of the aldermen of the city of Chicago
which was both very exciting and an honor. I can't wait
to see what is in store for me next year. Hopefully,
I will be invited to come and work at City Hall next
year and around the same time next year, hopefully I
will be able to share more successful summer experiences.
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About The Author: Luree is from
Southfield, MI. He plays basketball and has been interested
I engineering programs for the majority of his life.
Summer Youth Programs at Michigan Tech!
I enjoyed a four week stay at Michigan Tech
this summer participating in the summer youth programs.
If you want a semi college experience this is where
you can go. You will live in dorms as if you were in
the college. The scenery around the campus is beautiful
so there will never really be a dull moment. In this
program there is something for everyone even if you
don't enjoy engineering you can also have classes in
fields such as criminal justice and even acting. This
program helped a lot in trying to narrow down my field
of study. So even if this article influences one person
to go to the program that would be great.
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| ASK THE
EXPERTS |
[top of page] |
| Questions posed by Ventures Scholars and
answers provided by our member institutions. |
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Ventures Scholars are invited to ask questions and
obtain answers to the questions. Questions and answers
will appear in the biweekly e-newsletter and on the
Ventures Scholars Program Web site. To read questions
posed by other Ventures Scholars, please go to www.venturescholar.org/hs/answers/experts.html.
If you would like to submit a question, please email
questions to webmaster@ventures.org.
This week's questions:
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Research and College Applications
I would like to start off by saying that
the Ventures Scholar web page has been a great help
to me, so thanks! On another note, I have a question
about original research. This summer and for the
past two years, I have been conducting original
research at Albert Einstein College of Medicine
in the Bronx on Rett Syndrome, the leading cause
of mental retardation in females. However, recently,
I read on an online forum that original research
is no longer considered an "admissions hook..."
or in other words, I would not stand out in competitive
college's application pool because nearly all students
conduct research now. Such information would not
devastate me being as I do have fun at Einstein;
however, I just wanted to verify the validity of
that statement with a professional. Thanks for your
help!
Click here to view responses.
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Choosing A Major to Correspond to Job Interests
I have chosen a selective list of jobs I
am interested in, so now I'd like to know how to
choose a major to correspond to my interests.
Click here to view responses.
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Schools Offering Forensic Science
I have a few questions and concerns regarding
forensic science as a whole. I have been vigorously
searching and coming across a lot of questionable
information. Before entering the field is it a requirement
to be a police officer or sheriff? My next concern
is that I am also having trouble finding schools
that offer forensic science. Could I take a double
major in biology and chemistry or would it be better
to major in biochemistry and anthropology? I seem
to encounter a lot of online courses that offer
what I'm looking for but I'd feel more comfortable
in physical learning facility. Are there any offering
schools on or near the east coast? I would be most
appreciative if you could guide me in the right
direction.
Click here to view responses.
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| "I would like to start off by saying that the Venture Scholar web page has been a great help to me, so thanks! On another note, I have a question about original research. This summer and for the past two years, I have been conducting original research at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx on Rett Syndrome, the leading cause of mental retardation in females. However, recently, I read on an online forum that original research is no longer considered an "admissions hook..." or in other words, I would not stand out in competitive college's application pool because nearly all students conduct research now. Such information would not devastate me being as I do have fun at Einstein; however, I just wanted to verify the validity of that statement with a professional. Thanks for your help!"
Responses were sent from:
Carnegie Mellon University, American Academy of Family
Physicians, and Brandeis University.
Member Institution and Association Answers
Greetings Ventures Scholar. Thanks so much for your
question.
In response to your inquiry about "original
research" not being considered in the admission
process, there are a few things to consider. 1) If
the admission process with the particular school(s)
you are applying to will have a faculty member who
is in the area/field of study who will be reading
applications. 2) If not, will the school(s) that you
are applying to forward a copy of your research to
a faculty member who would be in the area of study
that you did your research in? I know in the office
I work in, many if not all of the counselors do not
have a research background, so if I were to get a
research paper/report in an application, I am not
sure, as an admission counselor, I would be able to
decipher all that would be in that document. Does
this mean that your research is not relevant? Absolutely
not. I would say in the case of submitting an application,
you should include "cliff notes" of such
a major project like that so that us "non-research
oriented' folks can understand what you did. Also,
it wouldn't be a bad idea to request from each of
your schools to be contacted by a current student
who is from your area attending the school and to
see what they did to help prepare and what connections
they made on campus as a prospective student before
they applied to the institution. I think this is helpful
for you to hear from other students. Last but not
least, it would be a good idea to make sure you connect
as well with some faculty members (particularly ones
who would be doing research or would be familiar with
the type of research you are doing) on the campuses
you are thinking of applying to. I hope this helps!
Deborah Wallace
Associate Director of Admission
Carnegie Mellon University
dmwallac@andrew.cmu.edu
This is a very common concern that pre-medical students
have--"Will my application have the "hook"
that will get me an interview?" The reality is
that there is no single activity or quality that will
guarantee that any applicant will be offered an interview.
Primary research will always be an important part
of medical school applications. But it is valuable
because of what the research process teaches you,
not just because it looks good on your application.
While certain qualities or activities may be initially
very interesting to the admissions committee, an overall
solid admissions packet is more important in the long
run.
It sounds like you are doing this research because
it truly interests you and because you find it important
for the patients and families affected by Rett Syndrome.
Spend some time thinking about how much your research
means to you, how much it means to your community,
and where you this project will carry you in the future.
Once you have this idea clearly in your head, think
about how you can articulate the importance of your
research to a stranger. Once the admissions committee
sees how passionate you are about your work, they
will surely want to meet you.
Amy L. McGaha, M.D.
Assistant Division Director
Division of Medical Education
American Academy of Family Physicians
11400 Tomahawk Creek Parkway
Leawood, Kansas 66211
Phone: 800/274-2237
913/906-6000, ext 6710
Fax: 913/906-6289
E-mail: amcgaha@aafp.org
When I read an application, I want to know about
you. What are you interested in? What is your passion?
How have you used your talents to make a difference
in your community? Yes, research is something that
I have seen on numerous applications. However, that
is perfectly alright. Your application is a conglomeration
of all of your experiences. Yes, other students may
have also done research during their high school years,
but their personal statements, other high school involvements,
passions, interests, goals, academic performance,
and personality will certainly not be the same as
yours. If you focus on the experiences that you've
had, your application will surely be different than
all the rest.
In the application process, many admissions offices
will try to get a sense of who you are as a person.
We want the entire picture, not just one activity.
You're research is clearly something you are proud
of, and I commend you for your work. If it is an experience
that you truly appreciate, don't be afraid to let
the admissions committee know.
And remember, many great research institutions (hint
hint...Brandeis) are looking for up and coming researchers
too!
Ana Yos Bugallo
Admissions Counselor
Brandeis University
Waltham, MA
781 736 3500
yoselin@brandeis.edu
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| "I have chosen a selective list of jobs I am interested in, so now I'd like to know how to choose a major to correspond to my interests."
Responses were sent from:
Bennington College, and American Academy of Family Physicians.
Member Institution and Association Answers
Some college majors cater directly to career choices,
such as Nursing and Engineering. Completion of these
degrees and corresponding exams or certification often
allow direct transition into a job directly related
to the field of study. Some jobs, however, do not
have such clear majors that outline the path. For
jobs that do not have a track outlined for you, the
possibilities for majors are more open.
In almost any job, you will certainly need critical
thinking skills, communication skills, writing skills,
and often math and computer skills. Most Liberal Arts
degree programs can prepare you with these essential
skills. To try and narrow down the possibilities,
try taking a look at what skills your selected jobs
have in common. Are they social jobs or technical
jobs? Do they involve travel, politics, religion,
education? What environment would you like to work
in? These are all things to consider when developing
your education. Knowing these aspects of your dream-job
will help you decide on classes, internship opportunities,
and summer jobs.
Many Liberal Arts colleges offer specific majors
with set requirements for a degree in that area. At
Bennington, you design your own education from start
to finish. You choose the classes that you want to
take by the relevance to the ideas that you are interested
in exploring and mastering. For example, if you are
interested in designing and building interactive science
exhibits as your dream-job, you would take science
classes, electronics classes, sound and digital design
classes, visual arts classes, and maybe programming
classes as well as classes which teach you to build
things with wood, metal and plastic. In this way you
have a well-rounded education that pertains directly
to your area of interest, you know your materials
and you are directly engaged with the ideas and questions
that interest you.
Althea Bryant
Bennington College
Admissions Counselor
It is great that you have done some initial career
planning. For most students, this means sitting down
and figuring out what interests you and what skills
you have. Some careers require a very specific degree
or certificate. Since I don't know what your interests
are, I recommend that you spend some time with a mentor
who has experience in the field you are considering.
If you do not personally know any mentors, you can
contact the professional organization that represents
that career. Family physicians have an organization
that represents family doctors across the country,
and we frequently receive e-mails, letters, and phone
calls from students interested in family medicine!
Amy L. McGaha, M.D.
Assistant Division Director
Division of Medical Education
American Academy of Family Physicians
11400 Tomahawk Creek Parkway
Leawood, Kansas 66211
Phone: 800/274-2237
913/906-6000, ext 6710
Fax: 913/906-6289
E-mail: amcgaha@aafp.org
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| "I have a few questions
and concerns regarding forensic science as a whole.
I have been vigorously searching and coming across a
lot of questionable information. Before entering the
field is it a requirement to be a police officer or
sheriff? My next concern is that I am also having trouble
finding schools that offer forensic science. Could I
take a double major in biology and chemistry or would
it be better to major in biochemistry and anthropology?
I seem to encounter a lot of online courses that offer
what I'm looking for but I'd feel more comfortable in
physical learning facility. Are there any offering schools
on or near the east coast? I would be most appreciative
if you could guide me in the right direction."
Responses were sent from:
Cedar Crest College.
Member Institution and Association Answers
Thank you for your question about forensic science.
Working in a forensic science laboratory requires
a strong foundation in many areas of science. Our
forensic science program is designed to give the necessary
foundation along with those areas that are unique
to scientific investigation. With that being said,
it is not a requirement to be a police officer or
sheriff to work in a forensic science laboratory.
It is a requirement to be a strong scientist with
a strong foundation in both the biological and chemical
sciences.
Cedar Crest College offers a concentration in forensic
science. We are proud to be one of the first schools
nationally to be accredited in forensic science. We
are also proud to have Dr. Lawrence Quarino on staff.
Dr. Quarino joined the Cedar Crest College Chemistry
Department in the Fall of 2002 as Director of the
Forensic Science Program. Dr. Quarino has 14 years
professional experience, including 11 years as a supervising
forensic scientist at the Office of Chief Medical
Examiner in New York City.
Our program is designed so that students can major
in chemistry, biology, biochemistry or genetic engineering
along with the concentration in forensic science.
Students take courses such as Crime Scene Investigation
and Pattern Analysis, Trace Evidence and Microscopy,
Forensic Molecular Biology and Population Genetics
and Professional Issues in Forensic Science. This
is complemented with electives in law, anthropology,
math, computer science, etc.
Cedar Crest College is well-known for its strength
in science. Our research programs and state-of-the-art
laboratories are on campus in Allentown, Pennsylvania.
We are within one hour of Philadelphia, two hours
of New York City, three hours of Baltimore, and four
hours of Washington, D.C. Find out more about all
we have to offer at www.cedarcrest.edu.
CONTACT INFORMATION:
Abby Parish Moser
Associate Director of Admissions
Cedar Crest College
Allentown PA 18104
800-360-1222
cccadmis@cedarcrest.edu
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| TIMELINE
FOR VENTURES SCHOLARS |
[top of page] |
| (Thanks to NACAC and College Board for providing
this important information.) |
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| Seniors
- Continue to refine your list of potential colleges
and universities.
- Begin preparing for the actual application process:
draft application essays; collect writing samples;
and assemble portfolios or audition tapes. If you
are an athlete and plan on playing in college, contact
the coaches at the schools to which you are applying
and ask about intercollegiate and intramural sports
programs and athletic scholarships.
- Complete the NCAA Initial-Eligibility Clearinghouse
form if you hope to play Division I or II sports.
(This form cannot be mailed until you finish your
sixth semester of high school.)
- Register online early for fall SATs.
- Request applications, brochures, and financial
aid information from your colleges. Use College Search
to find colleges that match your preferences and manage
your college list online.
- Try to narrow your list to five to eight colleges
by the end of the summer
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| Juniors
Register for the October PSAT. Meet with your guidance counselor to review your
courses for this year and plan your schedule for senior
year. Save samples of your best work for your academic
portfolio (all year). Maintain your co-curricular record (all year).
Seniors
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Make sure you have all applications required for
college admission and financial aid. Write, phone,
or use the Internet to request missing information.
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Check on application and financial aid deadlines
for the schools to which you plan to apply. They
may vary and it is essential to meet all deadlines!
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Meet with your guidance counselor to be sure your
list includes colleges appropriate to your academic
and personal record.
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Review your transcript and co-curricular records
with your school counselor to ensure their accuracy.
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Register for the October/November SAT Reasoning
Test and/or SAT Subject Tests, or September/October
ACT.
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If the colleges require recommendations, ask the
appropriate people to write on your behalf. At least
three weeks before the due date, ask your counselor
and teachers, employers, or coaches to write letters
of recommendation.
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Provide recommendation forms, any special instructions
and a stamped, addressed business envelope to the
people writing your recommendation. Be thoughtful!
Write thank-you notes to those who write recommendations
and keep them informed of your decisions.
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Plan visits to colleges and set up interviews (if
you didn't get to them during the summer or if you
want to return to a campus for a second time). Read
bulletin boards and the college newspaper. Talk
with current students and professors.
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| PARENT/GUARDIAN
CORNER |
[top of page] |
| This section provides Web site links to
topics relevant to parents/guardians of Ventures Scholars. |
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NCES has also released a report titled
First Generation Students in Postsecondary Education:
A Look at their College Transcripts. The report uses
data from the Postsecondary Education Transcript Study
of the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988
to examine the majors and course taking patterns of
students who are the first members of their families
to attend college and compare their postsecondary experiences
and outcomes with those of students whose parents attended
or completed college. The results indicate that first-generation
students were at a disadvantage in terms of their access
to, persistence through, and completion of postsecondary
education. Once in college, their relative disadvantage
continued with respect to course taking and academic
performance.
To read the report go to:
http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2005171
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ACT has released a summary of test takers' 2005 state
and national scores on its Web site. The site includes
an interactive US map, which users can find the percent
of students who took the ACT by state and the average
composite score by state. Users can also use interactive
tables to compare disaggregated test scores by student
characteristics and track progress on sections of the
ACT for the last 10 years.
To access the results, go to:
http://www.act.org/news/data/05/index.html
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The Horatio Alger Association has released a report
titled the State of Our Nation's Youth Report. The report
is a summary of survey results from youth ages 13-19.
The results include insights on the challenge of high
school, preparedness for college, fitting in, and family
life.
To read the report, go to:
http://www.horatioalger.org/pdfs/state05.pdf
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| CONTACT
MEMBER INSTITUTIONS |
[top of page] |
Links to help you better connect to over
200 member institutions.
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| As a Ventures Scholar, you can access information
about programs, opportunities and resources from over
200 member colleges and universities in 35 states.
Go to www.venturescholar.org/hs/undergradlist.html
to link to the Ventures Scholars Program member colleges
and universities.
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Ventures Scholars can complete a questionnaire
which will be submitted to member colleges, universities
and professional associations for feedback. Please remember
to use complete sentences, check your grammar and reread
your answers before submitting them. College and university
admissions personnel will notice your mistakes!
Please go to www.venturescholar.org/hs/hsquest.asp
and complete the questionnaire.
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| MEMBER
INSTITUTION EVENTS |
[top of page] |
What’s going on at our member institutions.
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| We hope you are planning to visit your favorite
member institutions. Open houses offer opportunities
for Ventures Scholars to visit a college campus and
learn about their programs. Some member institutions
provide a one-day open house, others offer overnight
programs. If your favorite member institution is not
listed in this section, please go to www.venturescholar.org/hs/undergradcontact.html
and locate the name of the admissions representative.
Call or email them to obtain information about the open
house at your favorite member institution. Below is
a list of schools hosting open houses in August, September,
and October.
| Month |
Member
College or University |
| August 2005 |
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| September 2005 |
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| October 2005 |
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| CONTACT
PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS |
[top of page] |
| Links to professional association contacts.
They can answer your career-related questions. |
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| The Ventures Scholars Program understands the importance
of linking with professional associations and organizations
that can help Ventures Scholars prepare for math- and
science-based careers.
Go to www.venturescholar.org/hs/associntro.html
to learn more about our professional associations and
to get your career-related questions answered.
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| COMPETITIONS |
[top of page] |
Ventures Scholars should consider developing
science projects and/or participating in science fairs.
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| ACHIEVING
ACADEMIC SUCCESS |
[top of page] |
This section provides links to Web sites
that offer tips about study skills and other topics that
will help you achieve academic success.
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| SAT
AND ACT INFORMATION |
[top of page] |
| This section provides links
to Web sites that offer information and resources for
the SAT and ACT. |
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| EXPLORING
MATH AND SCIENCE CAREERS |
[top of page] |
Links to help you explore math and science
career pathways.
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| Whether starting out in a first job or changing
direction mid-career, a physics degree is a passport
to a wide range of professions. These include traditional
fields of employment such as research, education and
industry, and new areas such as computing, finance and
healthcare.
Read more:
http://physicsweb.org/bestof/careers
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