Bithacks Hackathon Opportunity

Hey everyone!

BitHacks is the platform for AI projects that lead to social change. It is an online, technology-based event that seeks to foster an environment in which hackers can learn freely while maintaining a competitive spirit. There will be activities, workshops, and the main event: a coding competition. Participants will be able to work in groups of up to four people, and compete against other groups with their technology-based projects. Judges will assess projects and winners will be announced for various categories. Winners will receive prizes.

If you have any questions, please contact us at contact@bithacks.io

Who: High schoolers and undergrads

When: June 22nd - 26th

Where: Register at bithacks.io

Website: https://www.bithacks.io/

Instagram: @bit.hacks

Twitter: @bit_hacks

Facebook: BitHacks

Linkedin: BitHacks (linkedin.com/company/bithacks)

Devpost: BitHacks (https://bithacks.devpost.com/?ref_content=default&ref_feature=challenge&ref_medium=discover)

UML Junior Preview Day

Junior Preview Day. 

Wednesday, June 17 at 10 a.m.

Visit our virtual event to learn everything they need to know about UMass Lowell from the comfort of their own home.

Junior Preview Day was designed to help students determine if UMass Lowell is a good fit for them and their academic and career goals. They’ll be able to:

• Participate in live chats with faculty and current students
• Discover our programs of study
• Chat with admissions representatives and get tips about preparing their application
• Learn more about financial aid options

JUNIOR PREVIEW DAY

The Juniper Institute for Young Writers Online

What are you writing as the weather gets warmer? A story? A poem? A thing-that-you-don’t-know-what-it-is-but-you-know-you-have-to-write-it? Writers need community to flourish, so we are inviting you to The Juniper Institute for Young Writers Online. This summer, July 20-24, we want to help you dive into your projects by providing a digital platform for you to share, learn, and write! During this intensive week we will have a combination of synchronous events and writing labs in addition to writing prompts and event recordings that you can complete on your own time.

If you participate in the full program, your daily small-group Writing Labs will include direct feedback from your instructors and peers. You’ll also be a part of our Participant Readings throughout the week where you can share your work with a wider audience. Want to generate some new writing ideas? Each morning you can explore different writing and genre topics in our wide variety of Craft Sessions, where you’ll also learn from different instructors and engage with different participants than your Writing Lab.

Apply to the Full Program

Interested in a more self-guided writing experience this summer? Check out our Writing Packages, which have more asynchronous options in addition to some of the live events during the week.

Register for a Writing Package

Until June 1, the early bird pricing for the full program is $800 (regular cost: $900). Early bird pricing on writing packages ranges from $180-$375. We look forward to writing with you this summer!

Summer 2020 Remote Fellowship Opportunity

Strive Virtual College Exploration Colleges That Change Lives

Colleges That Change Lives (CTCL) began as a loose collaboration among the 40 schools profiled in Loren Pope’s classic book, Colleges That Change Lives. For over 20 years, our programs have given thousands of students and parents guidance in their college search. In 1996, the colleges and universities formed a non-profit organization to keep Loren’s message alive – the college search should be about finding a list of colleges that are a good academic, social, and financial fit. The non-profit has 45 member colleges and universities; each member institution has been profiled in at least one version of the book.

Tuesday May 26 - Thursday May 28

3 days of presentations and information sessions with 39 Colleges That Change Lives 

Free for students

Register at: https://www.strivescan.com/Virtual/CTCL/

Virtual Coast to Coast Tour

Admissions officers from Dartmouth College, Northwestern University, Princeton University, University of California, Berkeley, and Vanderbilt University invite you and your students to learn about our institutions, hear advice about the college search and application process, and get your questions answered.

We appreciate you sharing this opportunity with your students if at all possible. You and your colleagues are certainly welcome to attend. The Coast to Coast group is planning on holding a series of counselor-specific events later this summer.
 

WHEN

Sunday, May 31, 2020
3 p.m. Eastern Time
Webinar link sent upon registration.

OR

Monday, June 1, 2020
5 p.m. Eastern Time
Webinar link sent upon registration.

Virtual College Fair

Cialfo's Online University Fair begins on the 22nd of May and there's something for everyone.

For counselors: join industry meetups and counselor-specific panels with NACAC, the Common App, College Board, and more.

For students: engage with 200+ presenting colleges across two days. We're also raffling two pairs of Airpods Pro!

Register at: https://explore.cialfo.co/webinars

Two Workshops by Summit Educational Group

How to Plan Ahead for Applying to College This Fall 

Wednesday, May 20th

7-8:15PM

Registration Link: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/801301391288064270 

Moderated by Whitney Longworth and Drew Heilpern from Summit Educational Group

  

Panelists include:

·         Kelly Bellavance, Associate Director of Admission, Boston College, Boston, MA

·         Henry Marrion, Senior Admission Counselor, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA

·         Jan Suter, Senior Assistant Director of Undergraduate Admissions, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN

·         Susan Davidson, Associate Director of College Counseling, Rye Country Day School, Rye, NY 

·         Rick Hazelton, Director of College Advising, The Hotchkiss School, Lakeville, CT 

  

Topics covered will include:

·         Current academic landscape (SAT/ACT test cancellations, school closures, virtual learning, P/F school grades)

·         How are counselors advising students remotely? 

·         Without being able to visit school campuses right now, what resources are there for students to use?

·         How might all of this reshape the fall in terms of students' timelines? 

·         What will holistic review look like this fall?

Composing an Effective and Compelling College Application Essay

Tuesday, May 19th

7-8:30PM

Registration Link: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/2799903467995129104 

Summit Educational Group is pleased to sponsor this webinar designed by the expert writing coaches at Hillside Writing. The founder of Hillside, Allan Reeder, will share tips and strategies for young writers embarking on the college-application essay-writing process.

With a case-study approach, Allan will demonstrate what makes an essay resonate in an admissions officer’s mind and will offer practical preliminary steps toward achieving a stand-out essay. The instruction will include the evolution of recent model essays composed by Hillside Writing students that have prompted college admissions directors to write directly to the applicants with praise.

For more information about Hillside Writing, please visit: https://www.hillsidewriting.com/about

**The Guidance Department is sharing resources that we believe may be helpful to families as they navigate the college process during this uncertain time. We do not endorse any specific group or organization in regards to test prep and/or college counseling. 

RPI Architecture Career Discovery Program - Virtual

Architecture Career Discovery Program, which will be held Monday, July 6 – Friday, July 17, 2020. This two-week class, taught entirely online, is designed to expose students to the experience of enrolling in a high-quality undergraduate architecture program. High school students entering 10th, 11th, and 12th grade in the fall, who are interested in future careers in architecture or design related fields and have a curiosity about the world, are encouraged to apply.

Course outline: 

This two-week class, taught entirely online, is designed to expose students to the experience of enrolling in a high-quality undergraduate architecture program. The core of this course is studio work. In studio, students are immersed in a rigorous creative process that starts with an idea, the development of abstract models, and ultimately leads to the design of an exciting and innovative architectural building proposal. Critique and evaluation of studio work is continuous, occurring in one-on-one discussions with the instructor and in larger group reviews with invited architectural critics. Studio work is complemented by a series of lectures and presentations, which explore the broader context of architectural practice, contemporary projects and practitioners, as well as more technical concerns such as drawing and model making. 

Register Now

We look forward to working with your students. If you have any questions, please contact the Rensselaer Summer Programs Office at soaps@rpi.edu. 

4th Annual Global Health and Leadership Conference

You are invited to register for the 4th annual Global Health and Leadership Conference, hosted by Harvard College VISION on the weekend of May 23-24th, 2020.

The mission of the Global Health and Leadership Conference is to empower high school students to serve as the next generation of civically-minded leaders and to foster interest in global health.
 

This year’s conference theme, Globalization: Health in an Increasingly Connected World, covers topics spanning the COVID-19 Pandemic, Refugee & Migrant Health, Biotechnology, Student Action and Advocacy, and Leadership in Federal Government.

We aim to make this Conference accessible to high school students of all backgrounds and nationalities. As such, the Conference will be free and held in a virtual format via Zoom, a remote conferencing platform. The application form is short and mainly serves to gauge interest and curiosity in global health and leadership development.
 

Please reference the Frequently Asked Questions page on our website for more information concerning logistics. Please apply by May 16, 2020.
 

We hope that you will join us on the weekend of May 23-24, to learn from and engage in meaningful discussions with leading experts across government, academia, and health sectors.You are invited to register for the 4th annual Global Health and Leadership Conference, hosted by Harvard College VISION on the weekend of May 23-24th, 2020.

The mission of the Global Health and Leadership Conference is to empower high school students to serve as the next generation of civically-minded leaders and to foster interest in global health.
 

This year’s conference theme, Globalization: Health in an Increasingly Connected World, covers topics spanning the COVID-19 Pandemic, Refugee & Migrant Health, Biotechnology, Student Action and Advocacy, and Leadership in Federal Government.

 

We aim to make this Conference accessible to high school students of all backgrounds and nationalities. As such, the Conference will be free and held in a virtual format via Zoom, a remote conferencing platform. The application form is short and mainly serves to gauge interest and curiosity in global health and leadership development.
 

Please reference the Frequently Asked Questions page on our website for more information concerning logistics. Please apply by May 16, 2020.
 

We hope that you will join us on the weekend of May 23-24, to learn from and engage in meaningful discussions with leading experts across government, academia, and health sectors.

STEM Virtual College Information Sessions

Stevens Institute of Technology is participating in three days of virtual STEM presentations and information sessions!  We are collaborating with 31 other colleges from around the country from Tuesday, May 19 – Thursday, May 21 to provide you with information and insight about college programs and careers in STEM. To view a full list of presentations and information sessions that you can register for please click here.

We hope you will join us for the following sessions Stevens Institute of Technology is participating in:

Stevens Institute of Technology Information Session: Wednesday, May 20 at 6:00 pm (Central Time)

Women in STEM: Tuesday, May 19 at 9:00 am (Central Time).

**The Guidance Department is sharing resources that we believe may be helpful to families as they navigate the college process during this uncertain time. We do not endorse any specific group or organization in regards to test prep and/or college counseling.

Workshops for College Admissions hosted by Salve Regina

FINDING YOUR IDEAL U
Jim Fowler, Vice President for Enrollment Management at Salve Regina University, has more than 25 years experience in college admissions at schools large and small, public and private, and from the most selective to open enrollment. He will share his expertise on how to approach the college search process including what factors to consider, how to begin the search process, and the fundamentals of selecting where to apply and ultimately choosing where to enroll for college. At the end, it is about finding your IDEAL U!

WHEN: Monday, May 11
TIME: 7:15 p.m. EDT
LINK: Click here to access the event
EVENT NUMBER: 471 621 826
PASSWORD: GoSeahawks20

Additional Upcoming Workshops

• Essay Writing – May 20 and June 24 
• The College Search as a Visual or Performing Arts Student – May 13 
• Financing Your College Education – June 10 
• How to Become a Seahawk: Athletic Recruitment at Salve – June 16 
• It’s Time We Talk: Interview Workshop – June 17 

For more information and to register, visit: https://salve.edu/visit

**The Guidance Department is sharing resources that we believe may be helpful to families as they navigate the college process during this uncertain time. We do not endorse any specific group or organization in regards to test prep and/or college counseling. 

Forbes Article: Defer Or Defy: Should You Start College This Fall?

by Brennan Barnard

We are living in uncertain times. Much is unknown in the face of this global pandemic—from the most trivial questions like when it will be possible to get a haircut, to the direst concerns about lost jobs or food insecurity. Even what we thought we could control has fallen prey to unpredictability. Many college-bound high school seniors are already wrestling with a significant time of transition as they decide which school to attend, and how they will afford it. They are wondering which school will be the best match for their interests, finances, goals, and future, and they are trying to determine what kind of experience they want to have. 

In a normal year, May 1 is the National Candidate Reply Date, the day that colleges and universities have agreed upon for newly admitted students to choose the college in which they will enroll. This is not a normal year, and a significant number of colleges have changed this deadline to June 1st. Some students locked in their college decision late last year with early applications, and others continue to weigh their options. Regardless of when students settle on the college they wish to attend, for many, there are lingering questions. “What will school look like in the fall?“ “Will learning still be conducted virtually?“ “Will campuses be open?“ “Should I defer the start of my college education for a year?“

What will college look like in the fall?

The answers to most of these questions are largely out of a student's control. In fact, most colleges and universities are still in “wait and see” mode in terms of what the fall semester and beyond will look like at their schools. Uncertainty still rules the day, and likely will well into the summer. The headlines have been full of opinions, speculation, and statements of intent by a wide range of institutions. Last week news spread that Boston University was considering postponing the fall semester, and soon many in the public falsely believed that a definitive decision had been made to close the inner city Massachusetts campus this fall, due to the growing impact of the virus there. In truth, any college or university not having conversations about contingency plans for the fall at best has their head in the sand, and at worst is negligent during a public health crisis. BU has since made it clear that their plan is to resume on-campus programs unless the authorities limit their ability to do so. Nearby in Cambridge, Harvard University announced earlier this week that the institution will reopen in the fall while leaving open the possibility of a virtual start. Just outside Boston, Wheaton College plans to start on-campus in the fall, ideally with the first day of classes on September 1st. Meanwhile, some schools, like Cal State Fullerton have already decided to begin classes online in the fall. The coming months will be a rollercoaster of news about campus plans for reopening in the fall, or like Southern New Hampshire University, re-imagining the delivery of higher education. What seems clear is that, no matter what, the student experience at most colleges will look different than it did for past students.

What will students do?

What does this all mean for newly admitted students and their lingering concerns? A number of recent surveys have projected that COVID-19 will significantly impact students’ college plans. While predictions range from anywhere between 10 - 40% of families changing plans because of the pandemic, many colleges and universities have yet to experience this. John Barnhill, the associate vice president for enrollment management at Florida State University (FSU) says, “to be honest, we are not seeing an increase in students requesting deferrals at this time.” Brian Zucker is the President and Founder of Human Capital Research Corporation, a private education research firm in Evanston, Illinois that consults colleges and universities on “enrollment management, market development, curriculum innovation, pricing policy, sustainability planning, and long-term outcomes assessment.” He cautions families against drawing conclusions prematurely about student plans for the fall—particularly when those decisions have been driven or influenced by what we are seeing in the media. Zucker says that the “relentless stream of survey results about fall enrollments, in too many instances, are based on limited sample size and/or flawed analysis.” Based on a well-established body of evidence, Zucker argues that “we could ask students about their college plans, return to those same students three weeks hence with the identical questions and get different answers.” He points out that, “everyone wants to return to normalcy, both schools and kids, so the motivations haven’t changed, only the ways that we will have to go about this, which in no small part means letting go of many of the long-standing rituals and practices of admissions and enrollment.”

For some graduating seniors, the decision to attend college in the fall may be dependent on family finances, health, and other circumstances unique to their situation and beyond their control. It could be that the impact of this global pandemic is such that sadly their plans for a college degree have been sidelined, at least temporarily. Other families wonder about the possibility that the college in which their student plans to enroll might be facing demise as some predict. For the students who are fortunate enough not to be impacted in these ways, there are two approaches: defer or defy. Either they postpone attending college for a year, or they refuse to fall prey to yet another repercussion of this crisis and embrace the uncertainty of the year ahead.

Gap year

In past years, a growing number of students have taken a gap year after high school for a variety of reasons. Sometimes it is to better understand themselves and their hopes for the future, to earn money for college, care for a loved one, grow academically, or improve athletically. There are also students who are simply burnt out by the grind and need a year to regroup and reassess. In the past, recent graduates have worked, traveled, trained, volunteered, researched, and/or studied. Colorado College has a Gap Year Research Consortium with articles, resources, and research dedicated to exploring outcomes and sharing information about these opportunities. A gap year is largely an opportunity of privilege, and for those who were already considering this option, perhaps deferring college for a year is still the right choice, if permitted by their college. For others, suddenly their plans for the year may have been scrapped because of travel restrictions or lost opportunities to work or intern. In that case, college in the fall might seem like the better path. 

Deferring

Colleges and universities have different policies regarding deferrals and some schools have been, or will be, adapting these policies as a result of COVID-19, especially if there is an increase in requests. Many colleges require that a student first submit an enrollment deposit before considering a deferral request, others simply don’t allow students to defer or might cap the number of students permitted to take this path. If a college prohibits deferrals, a student would have to decide whether to attend, or take a year off and reapply for admission next year with no guarantee of being readmitted.

Jody Sanford Sweeney is the associate director of college counseling at William Penn Charter School, a pre-K to 12, Quaker day school in Philadelphia (the 5th oldest school in America). She says that given the pandemic, students planning to defer a year “will need to think creatively about their time away from school. They may have to consider staying home with their parents; volunteering in their community at food banks, environmental organizations, churches; supporting elderly neighbors, family, and friends; creating a small business that involves the outdoors (gardening, landscaping); or tapping into their creative talents—for instance building an art studio to work on drawing, painting, or setting up a woodshop for woodworking. It could be learning to sew, trying a new instrument, studying a foreign language, building a computer.” Sweeney adds that as businesses, schools, government offices, and courts reopen, students may be able to find an internship, but that “it may be more difficult to find a paying job to earn money, and especially challenging to travel abroad.” She says “at the very least, if the student considers deferring, they need to be thoughtful about their time and spend it well.” 

Defying

In many ways, choosing a college is a leap of faith. Despite any illusion of control, there is no guarantee that it will be right, or that the experience will be exactly what one expects. This pandemic has been a potentially valuable—if unwelcome—lesson on the impermanence and uncertainty of life. Students should consider engaging with what is known right now, and in the weeks to come. They might ask themselves if they will regret delaying college for a year if, next fall, some other crisis strikes, and plans must change again. Instead, if finances and family circumstances still allow, a better approach might be to lean in and stay the course. Whitney Soule is the senior vice president and dean of admissions and student aid at Bowdoin College. She recently wrote a thoughtful letter to newly admitted students that is a compelling argument for this approach, embracing what is constant about the college community you have chosen, and the experience you will ultimately have there. Soule also says that “it makes sense that students would look to the near future when they hoped to start a particular kind of college experience, feel anxiety that it might not be what they wanted, and pivot to a safety net of deferring until everything is normal.” However, she points out that, “the disruption of COVID-19 is pervasive and it may take some time, even if we are back to on-campus learning before we are not living in immediate response to the virus. She adds, “colleges are working around the clock to prepare for a variety of scenarios, and all of those scenarios are centered on what the experience means for our students. Even recognizing that there might be disappointment in a college start that might not be the one students imagine, getting going is still getting into it—getting into the stuff of college—big ideas, great faculty, and classmates chosen for their interests, talents, and personalities.”  

Amy Cembor, the senior associate dean of admission at Providence College agrees. She says that “thinking about deferring for a year or even a semester brings up a lot of questions for students who weren’t considering this before: What will you do with your time? Will you regret being “behind” your peers later? Will you take courses online at a local community college or state school, and will those transfer into your college of choice? Is there a cap on the number of credits you can take and transfer in? What happens to your scholarship and financial aid—do you need to reapply for both or just the need-based aid? Can you defer for a whole year or just a semester? Are you running toward an opportunity or away from the unknown?”

Andy Strickler, dean of admission and financial aid at Connecticut College sums it up well. In the unfortunate event that health restrictions prevent colleges from opening in the fall, he rhetorically asks, if your options are, “A. sit at home on the couch without the ability to do much, or B. sit on the couch working on your degree as part of a supportive college community with a cohort of peers who are all in this together, what makes the most sense?”

Life is full of questions

This health crisis has many of us thinking about what we are putting off in life. The very real threat of falling ill, or losing jobs or loved ones tends to bring a sense of perspective that we might not have had as we moved methodically through our days. So many questions exist for us all, and certainly for soon to be high school graduates. Hopefully, those considering a college degree have already asked themselves WHY they want to continue their education and WHAT they hope to get out of it. This pandemic invites them to return to these questions and react with intention accordingly. FSU’s Barnhill says “my advice to students at this point would be to seriously consider how they would feel about not being on campus in the fall, or being on campus in some kind of social distance mode. They are the only ones who know if they can handle it academically and/or personally.” He says, “call me an optimist, but I believe most students can, and will, adjust to this new normal. We are all more resilient than we think.” He adds, “I just wish we weren’t forced to practice resilience so often, but practice does make perfect!” Regardless of which path you choose—defer or defy—there will be questions and unknowns. Trust yourself to make the right choice for you and then make the best of it.

Follow me on Twitter. Check out my website or some of my other work here. 

Brennan Barnard

The co-author of the new book, "The Truth about College Admission: A Family Guide to Getting In and Staying Together," I am the director of college counseling and outreach at The Derryfield School in New Hampshire, an independent college preparatory school grades 6-12. I am also the director of college counseling at US Performance Academy, an online high school for competitive athletes. For two decades I have worked as teacher, dorm parent, advisor, coach, admission officer and student affairs administrator in independent high schools and colleges. I serve on the advisory board for the New Hampshire College and University Council’s New Hampshire Scholars Program. I also serve on the executive committee for the Character Collaborative. I have written about college admission for the New York Times, Washington Post, HuffPost, Concord Monitor and Journal of College Admission. A practicing Quaker, I am the father of two and live in Hopkinton, New Hampshire where I am a volunteer firefighter