“Party Schools” – Fact or Fiction?

Written by Guest Author Vivian Kerr

Any parent about to send their child off to college worries whether they’ll truly be getting a return on investment. No one wants to fork over $100,000+ on 4 years of undergraduate just so their student can party like a rock star the whole time. But are these so-called “party schools” really deserving of their reputation?

In 2012, the Top 10 party schools are as follows according to Princeton Review:

1. West Virginia University

2. University of Iowa

3. Ohio University

4. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

5. University of Georgia

6. University of Florida

7. University of California

8. Florida State University

9. Miami University of Ohio

10. Syracuse University

So where on this list is the notorious Penn State? Proof that schools, unlike leopards, might actually be able to change their spots, Penn State has dropped out of the Top 10 . You may recall Penn State’s wild ways documented on a 2009 episode of This American Life called “#1 Party School.” This year it was re-ranked as #11.

This year Penn State was also ranked as one of the top fifty universities in the world, according to the Academic Ranking of World Universities in Shanghai. Its reputation for academics is stellar. Students may like to party there, but it would seem they also like to study. Check out the entire podcast from 2009 from This American Life and judge for yourself!

But what about the new Top Ten? It’s true that these schools have active social organizations, including fraternities and sororities, but keep in mind many of these so-called party school “rankings” are online, vote-based. If enough students decide their school is a big “party school,” it may unjustly get ranked as such. Each of these schools has significant “pros” besides the party school label “con.” Find out more on Princeton Review.

This is all the more reason to take tours of prospective schools with your son or daughter. You’ll want to talk to academic chairs and look at the campus itself, of course, but also consider a drive or walk around on a Friday or Saturday night during the school year. Are there a lot of students out? Drinking in public? But more importantly, does it feel safe? These party schools almost uniformly have local police and campus patrols to keep their undergrads in line. Ultimately, it will be up to your student to strike the balance between work and play.

About the Author:

Vivian Kerr: Vivian Kerr has been teaching and tutoring in the Los Angeles area since 2005. She graduated from the University of Southern California, studied abroad in London, and has worked for several test-prep companies including Grockit & Kaplan for whom she taught ACT, SAT, GRE, GMAT, and did admissions counseling. 

Writing a “Personal” Personal Statement

Written By Guest Author Vivian Kerr

Most personal statements are either boring, cliché, or just downright untruthful. Sounds cynical? It is, but so are many admissions counselors. Imagine reading essay after essay that all sound the same or start with, “Here’s why you should accept me.” It’s not easy to write personal statements OR to read them. Make your essay personal, and more compelling, with these few quick tips.

Tell a story about something that matters to you. You’ve probably heard the phrase “show, don’t tell” a hundred times, but what that means is you want to paint a picture for your reader. It’s easier to engage them if you treat your personal statement like a traditional narrative. Check out the resources on the Writing Narative Texts Learnist board. It will teach you techniques to develop the telling of real experiences or events using selective details and well-ordered event sequences.

Adjust the essay to each school. Unless you’re using your statement for the common application, you’ll need to make adjustments for each prompt. Make sure if you include the name of the school within the body of the essay you change it before submitting it. There’s nothing worse than an application to NYU being sent off with USC mentioned in it!

Don’t repeat information. The application committee will have your transcripts from high school, so don’t repeat facts that can be found elsewhere. The personal statement is a place to address a part of you that can’t be found anywhere else in your package.

Relate your story to the school itself. Reveal part of your personal story that led you to choose this school. Why are you a great fit? Why is now the perfect time for you to go off to college? This is a great way to wind up your story. Tell the story, but then explain why you’ve told it! Don’t be afraid to use the first-person “I” and be emotionally revealing. Aim for depth over breadth. It’s always better to be sincere and honest than pedantic, or overly academic.

Don’t send your first (or second) draft! Accept that you’ll need to revise your essay a lot! The pre-writing will be a big step, and you might need to attempt four or five personal stories before you find one that thematically connects to what you’re trying to say to the admissions committee. Try writing a few different outlines before you begin. Get feedback from your family, friends, teachers, and guidance counselors. Give feedback to your peers so you can start to learn what a good statement “feels” like. Once you’ve finished your essay, go back and read the specific language of each prompt. Make sure your essay is appropriately on-task.

Looking to become an even better personal storyteller? Get inspired with this series of TED talks lectures on writing and the writing process!

About the Author:

Vivian Kerr: Vivian Kerr has been teaching and tutoring in the Los Angeles area since 2005.  She graduated from the University of Southern California, studied abroad in London, and has worked for several test-prep companies including Grockit & Kaplan for whom she taught ACT, SAT, GRE, GMAT, and did admissions counseling.