Step 1: Visit the website listed above by clicking on the link.
Review the following sections:
"Why the Coalition,"
"Member Schools,"
and "Students" (Click on HOW IT WORKS and watch the video, and then review the rest of the section).
After completing this, respond to BOTH of the following underlined questions:
Question 1
After reviewing the Coalition for Access, Affordability and Success site, you should have a much clearer understanding of how this system is meant to work. What are your impressions of the plan? Be sure to include evidence from the WEB SITE in your response comment.
Please note: This question is NOT asking you to decide whether changes to the entire system should be made (or not made). The NEXT question will ask you to do this. This question is asking you to take a look at the information presented by the Coalition and evaluate their plan for change.
Question 2
The Time Magazine article presents multiple perspectives regarding the advantages and disadvantages of changing the entire college-admission process. Consider where you stand on the topic; Do you believe that changing the system will allow more citizens to achieve the American Dream? Use at least TWO pieces of textual evidence (from the article) in your comment.
Helpful hints:
DO NOT start out by saying "I think," "I believe," etc!!!
DO make a claim in answer to the question, and then defend it with a mix of your opinion and text evidence.
Step 2: Read and reply thoughtfully and politely to a minimum of THREE other student comments.
To do this in an organized way, please hit REPLY under the comment you are replying to. DO NOT start a new comment as a reply. You can reply to other students' replies as well as original comments.
Question 1: Overall, this is a great plan and a time saver for when making college applications. "The locker" is a great tool for organizing your work throughout high school and when it comes time to make a college application, having all of that information at your fingertips is a real time-saver. And, what's even better is that these tools are free. So, it makes applying for college that much easier.
ReplyDeleteQuestion 2: Yes, this system will make getting into college a lot easier. According to the article, "18,000 low income kids in America who could get into a top school but didn't even apply to one." This system will allow kids to get through the door to look at higher colleges even if they don't think they are cut out for that school. Also, it allows kids "to take it as a jog over 4 years than a sprint at one year". This is a good thing because it will put less stress on students during their senior year.
I also love the idea of the locker! I have always favored the idea of having everything I need when I need it ready and available for myself or for whom needs it.
DeleteI agree with your statement "it will put less stress on students during their senior year" because there are a lot of students including myself that are stressing over the whole college application and college process. This is an important idea because decreasing stress levels will make for a better student overall.
DeleteThe statistics really helped bring out your point in response to question 2.
Delete1)Their plan seems like it would be a really great idea. It would allow students to store information that colleges are looking for, in one place online, rather than on a piece of paper that could easily be lost. Another way that this is a great idea is it states “it’ll save you a lot of time”. What they mean by this is you don’t have to go digging in old folders looking for, class work, projects and other things that colleges look at when they are inspecting your application. The last way that it is a great idea is because it is free, as stated in the video. This will broaden the amount of students able to apply and get into colleges because there won’t be such a stressor of money.
ReplyDelete2)Changing the system could potentially allow more citizens to achieve the American Dream. One way that it could do this is because they are launching it through the internet and not a paid program, so it is free. They express this idea when they say “ … expects to launch a set of free online tools designed to help lower-income students plan for college earlier and narrow the gap with their more privileged peers”. This would give everyone an equal chance to plan for college regardless of the amount of money in their pocket. Another way it can increase the amount of citizens achieving the American Dream is because a lot of kids over stress about grades and other things and in turn end up quitting or giving up because it’s too difficult. Changing the system would allow them to show the “human” side of the student through a video where they can illustrate their artistic abilities, personality, greatest achievements etc, instead of reading it on a paper and being judged by their scores.
Another thing to consider is their free online tools that can help students "stand out" and allow easier organization of your work that you would need for a college application. Overall, I agree with you!
DeleteI've also hated the idea of having to dig through all my old "stuff" trying to find an old document or work credential, I agree with you completely!
DeleteI agree with you that the plan sounds like a great idea and it will bring out the human side of students. It will help with organization and save time. Some students comes off as someone they are not in college applications. This plan will help reduce the stress and bring out the real side of students.
DeleteThe plan itself has good and clear intentions and it's a great idea! Having the ability to apply for colleges with all of your academic achievements and needed information right there makes applying much easier. From personal experience I know it's a pain in the ass having to find all of your needed information for applying for a regular job, having everything right there and available for you or collages of businesses even would make the hassle of applying much easier.
ReplyDeleteThe way people apply to college needs to be changed. It's enough hassle for students to pass highschool with a high GPA many service hours and in top of that they've got to get all their applications in when the college decides.That is purely for the convinence of the college and not at all benifital for the student, being the ones whom are giving the college their money they should be able to have an easier way to apply.
I do wonder myself why they have such high expectations for high school students, like needing all these service hours, and a high GPA, and I do agree that they should try to make this process a little easier for everyone.
DeleteYour quote " its enough hassle for students to pass with a high GPA and many service hours..." was exactly what I was thinking because as it is most colleges look at those two things right away, then to go and try to find paperwork to apply to colleges is extremely stressful. So I agree with you that this would make it a lot easier on students.
DeleteI completely agree with you it has very good intentions as well as giving many an opportunity they did not have before as well making it so they can change it or tweak it to fit it so that it takes stress off as many students as it can as well as helping give students a chance they did not have before. Also in “Why the Coalition?” it states they will make adjustments if there is a need to help them get to college and to help them in general to get them on there feet in getting a job.
DeleteI agree that high school students in this day and age are pressured to make many life decisions with the stress of everyday life. I like how you used a personal connection in your answer.
DeleteQuestion 1:
ReplyDeleteWhat are your impressions of the plan?
My opinion of the plan is that it’s not easy to get into college now ,but with this plan it makes it ten times easier. In the article it states “ more video applicant's earned a GPA above 3.0 in their first year than students who used the standard application.” That shows it is easier for students to use the platform. In the article it says “ The locker he says, will allow students to think of applying to college as something that isn’t just ‘Oh my God, what do I do’ senior year, but building a record throughout high school where those accomplishments are fresh in their mind.” I agree to that because if you start planning early in high school you will have a better chance of getting into college. Overall I think that the plan is a opportunity that will positively affect you in the future.
I concur, the new plan is a possibility to have an overall positive effect on future applicants.
DeleteI know that i'm freaking out, i wish all schools had this locker, great points.
DeleteI agree with you. The plan will help keep college application information organize and keep accomplishments fresh in mind. Futhermore, high school students will know what they needed for college, which will motivate them to take more opportunities.
DeleteAnswer 1: The process and idea behind the coalition is brilliant and vital to our educational system at the collegiate level. They have a whole set up for you to make a resume that not only shows your academics but what you find important, and what you as a human being, are all about. The site has a tool called your virtual locker, which is where you hold all of these items that you feel are important to your resume. It can be edited, and presented to the college of your choice when ready.
ReplyDeleteAnswer 2: The new process is what we need, because of the things that have happened to deserving students. The college process we have now cuts the bridge for so many bright students with low incomes. The injustice is clear, that the colleges only want money, and could care less about students who can’t give them that. An example of this comes from Stanford University’s incredibly low admission rate for the class of 2020. They took 4.7% of applicants out of the 43,997 students who seeked a future. Those who made the cut, usually had a lot of money behind them, it didn’t matter if it was theirs or their parents deniro, they got in.
This is important because that is what a college application should be, it should help students stand out.
DeleteThis made me think about how many kids with great minds don't go to college because of the cost. Students shouldn't be judged by pocket worth or denied access to a better education because they can't afford it. Overall you stated some very valid points.
DeleteGreat points made, your take on this is a very thoughtful one.
DeleteQuestion 1. After reading about the Coalition for Access, my impressions were that it probably would help some people and it could work. I love the idea of making college more affordable when the website states, “...,The coalition institutions are committed to broadening access and increasing affordability of higher education for students of all backgrounds.” With cheaper schools, students can start to afford this whole coalition program with three parts. They include your virtual locker, collaboration platform and application portal. The stress levels can start to lower as well with the cheaper schools, and the students can be more relaxed in this program and not feel so overwhelmed.
ReplyDeleteQuestion 2. There are many advantages to this new coalition system, however the disadvantages outweigh them. Adding this would just put another burden on students during their application process and put in much more stress for everyone involved. The counselors would have to be involved with this program and the article says, “College counselors are already overburdened. So many schools are underfunded when it comes to counseling.” Three new pieces of technology would be added giving counselors three more things to worry about when receiving applications. The new technology is now being required by coalition schools, “ The hitch is that lots of paper will still be required by coalition schools, where the digital portfolio is expected to supplement the traditional package of essays, recommendations, scores and transcripts.” Everything is still remaining the same, however they seem to be adding more things for the students to do.
Question 1: The plan is a great tool to use when applying to colleges and when you’re trying to keep stuff in order. The locker helps you keep track of things and you can share your locker with teachers and students. It says, “The coalition is designed to be convenient, straightforward, and easy-to-use.” This plan would help anybody that is getting ready to go to college or someone that is even already in college.
ReplyDeleteQuestion 2: The college application process can be very long a tiring. In this article it gives ways that try to make the process shorter and easier but just end up making it harder, like when it says, “For them, building a digital portfolio could add yet another burden.” By trying to do a digital portfolio they think they are making it shorter but they are really adding more work for us to do and more stress for us to worry about. This won’t only cause stress for us but the colleges too. In the article it says, “... is that this new effort will only exacerbate the admissions frenzy.” Changing the system will not allow more people to achieve the American Dream.
What are your impressions of the plan The Coalition for Access, Affordability, and Success?
ReplyDeleteMy impression of this plan is that it is a cool thing to think about. But they don't have much evidence shown about what this plan actually does. Such as how they only state what they believe in ”We believe that the college admission process needs ongoing innovation and improvement and that competition is a positive force for change” They show that they believe that this admission process is to dull, or hard. But they don't state what they will actually do to make it easier and more appealing to the applicants.
Do you believe that changing the system will allow more citizens to achieve the American Dream?
Changing the system for college applications does not mean that everyone has an equal chance of getting into that college. Such as how they want “Someone who is thinking differently”. Everyone that wants to send in an application for a college of choice, wants to sound as professional as possible. This system will not create a less stressful ways of applying. They even state, “They are trying to find kids who are “authentic” rather than “ideal,”. These kids who are applying will not know how to make himself sound authentic while also trying to act professional. They will want to come off as a smart kids, wanting to pursue a further education. Not someone who is “Feeling desperate”. Although it's cool that they are thinking of different ways to help kids, this will not achieve the american dream of being someone who loves what they do, and are excited for their future. It's just a different option for applying for colleges, with less levels of stress.
I agree that the coalition so far hasn’t shown enough evidence to conclude that it has benefited in any way because it’s experimental, but that’s why we need to continue to reform and refine our current system by experimenting.
DeleteI agree with you that the plan doesn't have much supported evidence, yet it is something good to try out. This is because we can only gain evidence if it is try out. Furthermore, we will be able to see if the plan actually make organization for college application easier.
DeleteQ1: The plan is a smart and great idea! It prepares high school students for college, as well as completing college applications throughout high school versus just senior year. For instance, the Coalition members believes, “that students thinking about college early in high school begets higher application rates.” This is true. Students will achieve a better college application with fresh accomplishments in mind. In addition, the plan makes the college application process much easier. For example, “With the Coalition platform, you can find out more about Coalition schools, share your locker with counselors, teachers, and mentors, and submit applications with ease.” Almost everything required for college applications is already done and accomplish by the end of senior year. This is because the plan allows students to record their achievements and experiences over the course of high school. Therefore, when it comes to filling out college applications, the students will already have all the information they needed to put on the applications.
ReplyDeleteQ2:
Changing the system will allow more citizens to achieve the American Dream. This is because the current college-admission process evolves around academic achievements and GPA. There are talented people that are overlooked with the current college-admission process, because these people may be having family problems or working multiple jobs to survive that it affected their grades. Changing the system will allow colleges to differentiate between which students best fit their requirements. For example, colleges are “striving to find kids who are ‘authentic’ rather than ‘ideal.’” With change, colleges will be able to identify talented students that are overlooked. In addition, changing the system will bring out students true character. According to the Time Magazine article, “character is as important as achievement.” Some students tries to come off as someone or something they are not.
I agree that many talented students oar over look based on academic achievements and with this new modified system it would help those overlooked students hone their talents.
Delete1.
ReplyDeleteEven though they don't "have an answer to everything", the Coalition for Access, Affordability and Success is an improvement into today's society on getting into college. The system has clear intentions and is striving to help all students to apply for college online with videos and other tools other than just boring papers that don’t show anything but academic worth. “We believe all students come first..to provide a supportive college exploration” which would help teenagers and adults a helping hand into taking the right steps into college. Another good point is “it’ll save you time” which is a great tool for many students because they get stress out trying to figure out ways to into college so help broaden their knowledge. Using this system to apply for colleges is a great tool to show kids their creative side with no stress.
2.
Despite there is still room for improvement on the system, using this system will help more citizens to reach for the American Dream. Many people have trouble getting into college due to what they look for in a person. Colleges right now don’t really get to know the person based on words on a application. Students don’t get to “show a side of themselves that might not come through to the typical mix of transcripts. People don't even try to strive for the American Dream because they ‘try to come off as perfect rather than real” and that's not what colleges are looking for. By changing the system they could improve people's effort of going to college as well as bring the stress level down. This system will help kids get through the door by “launching free online tools designed to help lower-income students plan for college”. This opportunity will help all students who can’t get into to college on their own to be able to apply into a college they want to strive for.
I agree with the statement that there "is still room for improvement" but you should also incorporate some suggestions on how else to improve this system or even why there's a need for improvement. I would use the fact that students don't have time to juggle community service, AP classes, jobs, etc.
DeleteThe “Innovative” College Application
ReplyDeleteThe coalition for access, affordability, and success makes clear their goal of making college affordable to everyone. The plan has many success points, ranging from a gathering of Ivy League schools, to financial aid to all students, to tools like “the locker” to make applying for college easier down the road. But it also holds some flaws. The initiative doesn’t really express much interest in holding the always true values of student accomplishment, and the program to save some hours on a college resume isn’t getting easier, but instead is making that equally struggled concept stretch over a long period of time. We should help reduce the struggles of college resumes, not find ways to cope with it.
After getting a basic understanding of the system, I just don’t see the actual assistance it’s promoting. The so called “Initiative” isn’t helping eliminate any problems with the stressful system of college, but instead attempts to spread it out and make your life easier. We don’t need treatments, we need cures. But the goal is still a very viable option for the future, and we need to build on trying to make advancements in education available to everyone. I just don’t believe that this isn’t going to be enough to affect those that need the support.
Question #1
ReplyDeleteI Think the “ Coalition for Access & Affordability, and Success is a good idea to make college more affordable and accessible and easier to apply to for some students that normally wouldn’t apply there or take time to without this. A Quote from there website says “The platform provides a single, centralized toolkit for students to organize, build, and refine their applications to numerous institutions” , This helps show how the program that they made will make it so you can use all your info on multiple applications because its online. So it saves time and lets students be able to apply to more colleges that they normally wouldn't have time to send an application too. Another Quote from there website says “ universities that have affordable tuition along with need-based financial aid for in-state residents”. This makes college more affordable to students and the college works with them to make a good financial plan which helps students save money which is why I think the plan is a good idea to make easier and more accessible for students.
Question #2
The new process for accessing college is a good because it helps make the process easier and it also doesn't just look for average smart kids in school it looks for different imperfect people. A Quote from the text says “ Building a record throughout high school where those accomplishments are fresh in their mind. When the try to apply , maybe then it will be less stressful”. This shows how the new system will collect and have all your high school accomplishments and have them all saved for you to look at when it comes time for applications so you have things to refer too. Another Quote says “ Our admissions officers are looking for something that is authentic and imperfect, and somebody who is thinking differently”. This quote shows that the colleges won’t be looking just for 4.0 smart students that they want people who are different and think differently. So that's why the new process for school is good because it lets other people who may not just have perfect grades that are good students who want a college education get one.
(Q1)
ReplyDeleteThe site states that the colleges involved in this coalition are “committed to a process of assessment and continuous improvement” This meaning that no matter how bad it starts off they will continue with this plan until the future tells otherwise. If the administrators are this dedicated for the method changes then the students should be as well. Knowing that someone cares for the education of others shows that the changes are for the benefit of everyone.
(Q2)
The modifications seem to be a small altar in the system that can benefit the lives of alumni for a long time. The changes are so hopeful that even elite colleges want to partake in this conversion. Creating a short video of an applicant will show the schools that they are able to express their creativity. This will help determine those who stick out from the crowd of similar faces. Many of these colleges look for students that are “authentic and imperfect, and somebody who is thinking differently” to show that diversity is a must. A change in the application system can also assist those who are economically disadvantaged to “help them better identify talented students” The free tools provided online can be easily accessible to those who will utilize them and they can pretty much use their imaginations during filming. There’s no boundaries in creativity and this means that the options are endless when applying towards colleges in this new process.
Overall the coalition is an excellent plan to broaden the ability to apply for colleges. “The Coalition is designed to be convenient, straightforward, and easy-to-use.” meaning it’s more accessible for people that don’t have a lot of time or resources to apply for colleges. Allowing for more people to continue to further their education in a more convenient way. The coalition also can help reduce favorability for more economically privileged applicants which in turn provides a more equal playing field for all applicants in any economic background.
ReplyDeleteChanging the system will allow more citizens to achieve the American Dream. This is because our current system flawed.”While these privileged achievers vie for a place at an elite school, their less-fortunate peers have been largely left behind.” Flawed because the current system gives an unfair advantage to more economically privileged children. “...applicants earned a GPA above 3.0 in their first year than students who used the standard application.” This shows that it’s not only working but also passively selecting brighter or more enthusiastic students. Since it‘s more convenient it reduces stress levels of high schoolers, especially less-fortunate students that have to help take care or support their family household.
Question 1
ReplyDeleteThe plan is a great plan, it´s a great plan because it gives more of an equal opportunity to everybody. It says ¨We believe that students come first¨, that statement shows that the schools in this coalition are focusing on student orientated enrollment and a more student friendly application process. It also lets students stand out a little better instead of just being categorized as another applicant who will likely not be noticed as well.
Question 2
The system change WILL help more students achieve the american dream because getting into these harder schools could change the outcome of someone’s life in a positive way. This change will help because it gives more people opportunity to get to the schools they want without having a perfect academic record or amazing standardized test scores. It says in the article “As a result, many school have dropped or de-emphasized standardized tests…” It also says “...Striving to find kids who are ‘Authentic’ rather than ‘Ideal’.” This is showing the opportunity that it’s giving different students to get to these schools that have a higher chance of leading to a higher paying job, ultimately making more money and living the sought after ‘American Dream’.