Campus Compare

I got an email from Robin Levinson at Campus Compare about their new site. They are launching free webinar on TODAY Dec. 11, at 3pm .

below is the release from Robin

- Gene

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Please allow me to introduce CampusCompare.com—a free website that gathers information on over 3000 U.S. campuses from the U.S. Dept. of Education, the colleges themselves, and current college students.

Covering 15 categories from Academics to Greek Life, Athletics to Diversity, the site provides a 360-degree view that includes reviews, videos and photos to help high school students find their best college match.

What Makes it Different?
CampusCompare presents college information in a fun way that speaks to the students where they are – online. With interactive tools like "What Are My Chances?" and "MatchMe Meter", the site makes finding a college fast and easy, and truly engages students in the process. And because all the tools are free, students can short list their favorite schools, save and share the information they choose to, take virtual college visits, and even budget for campus life with a Financial Aid Calculator.

A New Way to Reach Students
We recognize the critical role that counselors play in the college decision process and the important information they provide to their students. As college application deadlines approach, many counselors tell us they see their students getting overwhelmed by college admissions but don't have the time or resources to help on an individual basis. CampusCompare's counselor tools were specifically designed to help counselors help more students—24/7, all with just a few clicks of a mouse.

Our Counselor tools are absolutely free and help you:

• Give motivated students the tools to work independently;
• Suggest school matches to individuals or groups of students;
• Stay aware of deadlines and check-in on students' progress;
• Send personal messages to individuals;
• Broadcast information to student groups;
• Share files, links, and important dates with both students and parents.

"My students love CampusCompare because it doesn't feel like work. By involving them in a fun, interactive way it makes them more independent and frees up my time to use it where it's needed most." ~ Karen Allen, Westmount High School

Please join us for a free webinar on TODAY Dec. 11, at 3pm for a tour through the website and information on how to use our tools to help your students.
Reserve your Webinar seat now at:https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/830657395

Pine Manor College and the ESL Student

Pine Manor can help prepare students for a successful college career even though English is not their first language?

This unique and supportive program is offered to eligible female ESL students who are motivated to achieve a four year college degree.

Pine Manor College (PMC) was once known as an elite private women’s college in Chestnut Hill, but in the past 10 years PMC has taken on a new image by providing quality education to a diverse and underserved population. Tuition was reduced by 34% and financial aid was increased. For 5 consecutive years, US News and World Report cites Pine Manor College as the most diverse, private women’s college in the country. The mission statement of the College “Pine Manor is dedicated to preparing women for lives of inclusive leadership and social responsibility…” reflects the huge commitment this college has to offering an affordable and personalized education to women.

A few years ago, the Enhanced First Year Program (EFY) was started as a building block for international students who lacked English proficiency but had strong academic potential to mainstream into a full academic college program. What makes this program unique is college credit is given for the two intensive English classes required in the freshman year so that even nonnative speakers have the opportunity to complete a full college program in four years. Many support vehicles are in place for students to succeed. ESL awareness training was offered to professors who would later serve as academic advisors. A student mentorship (big sister) program was initiated to help with new students’ adjustment. Moreover, individual and group tutoring is an integral part of each EFY student’s progress. Small classes, close monitoring and tutoring, allow EFY students to be successful. In fact, 75% of our students completed their freshman year with averages above 3.0 GPA.

Last year it was decided to expand the EFY program to include domestic ESL students for whom English is not their primary language. This expansion opened the door for many women to attend a private four year institution as an alternative to large community colleges or no college at all. Due to EFY’s success, we are promoting this opportunity to our ever-expanding ESL network. We believe Pine Manor’s commitment to a quality and affordable education, leadership mission, and specialized Enhanced First Year program will make it possible for these young women to earn a Bachelor’s degree.

If you are interested in learning more about this unique and supportive program, please contact Pam Palmer, EFY Coordinator or Janna Spinazola, Director of International Admissions at spinazoj@pmc.edu .

Upcoming Pine Manor Events for more EFY information:
PMC Open House, Saturday November 15th, 12:00PM – 3:30PM
EFY Day, Thursday December 4th, 10:00AM – 1:00PM

Campus Explorer

I got an email from Bree Nguyen at Campus Explorer.

"Our site is live now, and we’re developing around the clock, we’ve already built the largest database of schools between community colleges, online colleges and universities, and have big plans for the future to be a dependable source of information for college bound students"

Here 's the press release on Campus Explorer:
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2007/12/prweb573224.htm

And here's an interview with the founder, Jerry Slavonia :
http://ednews.org/articles/20676/1/An-Interview-with-Jerry-Slavonia-About-CampusExplorercom/Page1.html

Check it out.

www.CampusExplorer.com


- Gene