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International Education Expert to Discuss What College Students Need to Know about Studying Abroad on #CollegeChat

November 11, 2010 By

Brooke Roberts, an expert in international education and founder of http://insidestudyabroad.com , will discuss what college students need to know about studying abroad on  #CollegeChat on Twitter on November 16, 2010 at 6 p.m. Pacific/ 9 p.m. Eastern.

During #CollegeChat, Roberts (http://twitter.com/instudyabroad), will address a number of issues to consider about studying abroad including:

  • How to determine if studying abroad is right for you
  • How do you begin the research for a study abroad program
  • How to make sure the program is safe, reputable and your college will accept the credits
  • How to pay for study abroad
  • Will study abroad be viewed as meaningful to future employers or graduate school
  • Should you include an internship in your study abroad program

Brooke Roberts is an expert on international education having studied abroad three times during college, worked in two university study abroad offices, consulted on international education, and worked for three study abroad companies. Brooke earned a BA in International Affairs & Political Science from Northeastern University and a MA in Higher Education & Student Affairs from Bowling Green State University. Since then she has taught English in China, helped students intern abroad with EUSA Academic Internships, worked on the Semester At Sea Fall ’08 voyage, developed the study abroad office at the University of South Dakota, and is now Marketing Manager with CIS Abroad. Brooke writes about international education at www.InsideStudyAbroad.com, and you can follow her on Twitter at http://Twitter.com/thenewdorothy and http://Twitter.com/instudyabroad .

About #CollegeChat

#CollegeChat is a live bi-monthly conversation intended for teens, college students, parents, and higher education experts on Twitter. #CollegeChat takes place on the first and third Tuesday of the month at 6 p.m. Pacific/ 9 p.m. Eastern. Questions for each #CollegeChat edition can be sent to Theresa Smith, the moderator of #CollegeChat via http://Twitter.com/collegechat , by entering questions online on the CollegeChat Facebook page at http://ht.ly/1XIqV , or by email. More detailed information about signing up for Twitter and participating in #Collegechat  can be found at  http://pathwaypr.com/how-to-participate-in-a-twitter-chat .CollegeChat can also be found on Twitter at http://Twitter.com/collegechat .

Filed Under: CollegeChat, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , ,

Social Commerce is Now via the Altimeter Group

November 2, 2010 By

Lora presentation for the rise of social commerce

View more presentations from lora cecere.
Filed Under: customer service, marketing, public relations, social media, social web, Uncategorized Tagged With: , ,

Financial Aid Myths and Facts for College Bound High School Students and Parents on Next #CollegeChat

October 29, 2010 By

Sharon McLaughlin, a college planning consultant and financial aid expert and founder of  McLaughlin Education Consulting (http://www.headforcollege.com) , will discuss with college bound teens, college students and parents why it is important to know the facts about financial aid and not the myths during the next #CollegeChat on Twitter on November 2, 2010 at 6 pm Pacific/ 9 pm Eastern.

During #CollegeChat, McLaughlin ( http://twitter.com/shashmc) , will dispel the most common financial aid myths including:

  • My parents make too much money to qualify for financial aid
  • Applying for financial aid will hurt my child’s chance to get into a highly selective college
  • Financial Aid is not available for families making over $160,000 a year

In addition, McLaughlin will also address:

  • How to apply for financial aid
  • What financial aid consists of
  • Why it is important to file for financial aid as soon as possible
  • What to do if your parents refuse to fill out the FAFSA
  • How do you consolidate student loans and why is this important
  • What do you do if you can’t make your student loan payment due to a financial crisis

Sharon McLaughlin is a former college administrator with more than twenty years of experience in student enrollment services. Sharon draws her expertise from her work at private and public colleges in New England, both as a college admissions and financial aid administrator. Sharon holds a MEd in Adult Education and was the first professional college planning consultant in Central Massachusetts to receive the designation of Certified College Planning Specialist (CPPS) from the National Institute of Certified College Planers (NICCP). In 2008, Sharon was honored as a “Woman of Achievement” by the Center for Women & Enterprise in Worcester, Massachusetts.

About #CollegeChat

#CollegeChat is a live bi-monthly conversation intended for teens, college students, parents, and higher education experts on Twitter. #CollegeChat takes place on the first and third Tuesday of the month at 6 pm Pacific/ 9 pm Eastern. Questions for each #CollegeChat edition can be sent to Theresa Smith, the moderator of #CollegeChat via http://Twitter.com/collegechat , by entering questions online on the CollegeChat Facebook page at http://ht.ly/1XIqV , or by email. More detailed information about signing up for Twitter and participating in #Collegechat  can be found at  http://pathwaypr.com/how-to-participate-in-a-twitter-chat . CollegeChat can also be found on Twitter at http://Twitter.com/collegechat .

Filed Under: CollegeChat, How to, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , ,

Think Tank Night October 5, 2010 on #CollegeChat

October 4, 2010 By

On the October 5, 2010 edition of #CollegeChat at 6 pm Pacific/9 pm Eastern we will be discussing three hot topics in higher education right now:

1. Should College Athletics be on the Chopping Block?

With UC Berekely being just the latest school to announce cuts to their athletic program, the question is does “Athletics” have a place in college today?  Background reading >“the New York Times Cal-Berkeley Cuts 5 Athletic Programs”  and Newsweek’s “The Case Against College Athletic Recruiting”.

2. Should Legacy Admissions be Stopped?

According to Richard D. Kahlenberg in his recent commentary in The Chronicle of Higher Education titled “10 Myths About Legacy Preferences in College Admissions” :

Legacy preferences, which provide a leg up in college admissions to applicants who are the offspring of alumni, are employed at almost three-quarters of selective research universities and virtually all elite liberal-arts colleges. Yet legacy preferences have received relatively little public attention, especially when compared with race-based affirmative-action programs, which have given rise to hundreds of books and law-review articles, numerous court decisions, and several state initiatives to ban the practice.

Background reading> CBS MoneyWatch “Why College Admission Legacies Are a Crock” and Inside Higher Education “Legacy of Bias”

3.  Is it time for 3 year Degrees? What are the Pros and Cons?

Background reading> “UMass will Offer 3 Year Degree Plan”

New to Twitter?

In order to participate in the chat, attendees will need to have a Twitter account.  To sign up for a Twitter account, go to http:// twitter.com. The easiest way to follow the chat is to use TweetChat (http://tweetchat.com). Simply log in to TweetChat with your Twitter information (email or username followed by password) and then enter in CollegeChat without the “#” and you will be placed into the chat room with only those participating in #CollegeChat. More detailed information about signing up for Twitter and using TweetChat can be found at http://pathwaypr.com/how-to-participate-in-a-twitter-chat .

About #CollegeChat

#CollegeChat is a live bi-monthly conversation intended for teens, college students, parents, and higher education experts on Twitter. Questions for each #CollegeChat edition can be sent to Theresa Smith, the moderator of #CollegeChat via http://Twitter.com/collegechat , by entering questions online on the CollegeChat Facebook page at http://ht.ly/1XIqV , or by email. CollegeChat can also be found on Twitter at http://Twitter.com/collegechat .

Filed Under: CollegeChat, Uncategorized Tagged With: , ,

NPR Twitter User Survey says…

September 30, 2010 By
NPR Twitter User Survey 2010

Filed Under: FaceBook, twitter, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , ,

Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh WOWs By Delivering Happiness

September 24, 2010 By

Last night I was lucky enough to spend nearly 90 minutes listening to Tony Hsieh, the CEO of Zappos, discuss how he got his start, his company, and why his number one priority is getting the company culture right. According to Tony, if Zappos gets the company culture right then everything else will turn out right.

Tony is currently on a multi-city bus tour aptly titled the “Delivering Happiness Bus Tour” which meshes with the recent launch of his best-selling book “Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose”. According to the tour web site, the mission of the tour is to “inspire and be inspired.” He certainly did that last night at the Milken Institute.

Tony started his talk recounting when and why he sold his first company LinkExchange to Microsoft for $265 million back in 1999 at the age of 24. He had co-founded the company with a friend and they in turn hired more friends. After about 20 hires, according to Hsieh, they ran out of friends and then started hiring people who were going to make the company really grow and be successful. But that’s when it stopped being fun for Tony. The company culture had changed and it was no longer fun to get out of bed.

His next move was joining Zappos originally as an investor and adviser and eventually as CEO. Tony was determined that the most important thing to make the company successful in the long term was to get the company culture right. And equally important to Tony is to make sure the company is making an emotional connection to their customers.

Tony’s mantra at Zappos is “Wow. How do we wow our customers and our vendors?” And to Tony that means taking the money that they would spend on advertising and folding it into customer service, because, “we just want to be about customer service and maximizing the customer experience.”

In order to make sure they are “wowing” their customers,  Zappos throws out a lot of the accepted industry practices around call centers. Many call centers’ mission is to get customers on and off the phones as quickly as possible to decrease the average handle time and thereby maintain their profits. Zappos is the opposite. Tony boosted that Zappos Call Center had recently broken a company record by having a 7 ½ hour customer conversation.

Although 95% of all the sales go through the Internet Tony believe that the telephone is one of the company’s best branding devices.  Tony reported that since every customer calls at least once it was extremely important that they get this one call right. And this is one of the reasons that the call center is really at the heart of their business.

Everyone that is hired at Zappos—no matter their position—goes through a four week call center training period with two of those weeks being on the phone as call center agents. But getting hired is even trickier. To Tony there is nothing more important than hiring the right people who are going to fit into the culture and not disrupt it. And to get hired you must be a fit with everyone including the driver that brings you to and from the airport for your interview. Every voice matters.

Tony spoke a great deal about the science of happiness and how he has rolled that into his own company’s mission. Back in 1999 Zappos defined their brand and vision as providing “selection”.  In 2003 the company defined their brand and vision as “customer service.” Today the company sees their brand and vision as “delivering happiness.”

Tony stressed the importance of “chasing the vision and not the money.” He believes that you can use happiness as a business model and that businesses with a higher purpose make money in the long term.

You can learn more about the “Delivering Happiness Movement” at   http://www.deliveringhappinessbook.com/jointhemovement/.

Can his ideas work in your company?

Filed Under: customer service, marketing, social media, twitter, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Retailers Adopting Social Strategy Whether They Want to or Not

September 24, 2010 By

Retailers are being forced to adopt a social strategy according to new research published in August 2010 by the Aberdeen Group and reported by eMarketer today. eMarketer reports that consumers are using “social networks and other tools like Twitter to discuss brands and products and to get advice and feedback from friends and family on potential purchase decisions–and retailers have noticed.”

According to retailers surveyed by Aberdeen the top social media tools used by retailers included social networks (85%), microblogging (51%), and blogging (41%).  Furthermore, eMarketer noted:

In Q1 2010, the e-tailing group also found that social networks were the top community or social tool retailers used or planned to use in the next year; Facebook fan pages specifically were cited by 91% of respondents to that survey. Four in five used or planned to use Twitter, 72% blogs and 71% Facebook Connect. The e-tailing survey was conducted before Facebook introduced its “like” feature, which has also been widely adopted by retailers including Levi’s and Sephora.

How about your company?  Are you working on your social strategy? Your customers expect it.

Filed Under: customer service, social media, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , ,

More than 5300 Participate in Second Annual UCLA Volunteer Day Transforming Schools and Beaches

September 22, 2010 By

Yesterday I was one of more than 850 volunteer leaders –largely comprised of alumni, UCLA employees and also UCLA educators–that volunteered to work beside more than 4500 UCLA freshman across Los Angeles “for a day of service at 22 destinations, the biggest student volunteer event of its kind in the nation”. It was a glorious day.  My destination along with 430 volunteers was James Monroe High School where with paint brushes in hand we transformed the school with semi glossy paint, new shrubs and a great attitude.

During the morning as we worked, the high school students and faculty met us with curiosity and appreciation. I was co-task leader of a group of 20 young, polite and enthusiastic Bruin women. We were also very lucky to have Jeff from Home Depot who volunteered his time to join in. Jeff was instrumental to us in transforming the Engineering Building and making sure we were able to get our work done before the students headed back to Westwood. Jeff did everything we asked of him and more. This was his second year volunteering and based on his attitude and willingness to help, he will be back again next year.

Matthew Fisher, an assistant professor of English who specializes in medieval manuscripts, summed up the day to the UCLA Newsroom, “It’s important for students to see faculty getting their hands dirty. This is the university doing the right thing by the city. It’s an inspired idea to show freshmen that they’ve come to a university that believes in giving back to the community.”

Yesterday was a great example of how a group of people from all different walks of life can come together for just a few hours and transform a community.

You can read more about the day at the UCLA Newsroom.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , ,

Parents Countdown to College Coach to Detail What High School Juniors and Sophomores Need to Do Now for College Admission Success

September 19, 2010 By

Suzanne Shaffer, founder of Parents Countdown to College Coach, (http://www.parentscountdowntocollegecoach.com/) a web site dedicated to helping parents navigate the college maze by providing the right tools for organization and success, will provide parents and teens with a list of strategies they need to deploy to help ensure success with college admissions on #CollegeChat on Twitter on September 21, 2010 at 6 pm Pacific/ 9 pm Eastern, Theresa Smith, principal of Pathway Communications (http://pathwaypr.com)  and moderator of #CollegeChat announced today.

According to Shaffer, author of “Parents Countdown to College Toolkit”, by planning early college bound teens can get a leg up on the college process. During the upcoming live #TwitterChat, Shaffer ( http://twitter.com/SuzanneShaffer)  will address and help prioritize high school junior and sophomore’s action items including:

  • Tips for how teens can stay organized with college information
  • How to ensure teens are taking the right college preparatory classes
  • When should students start building a resume and why is it important
  • When should students first take the SAT or ACT
  • What tests should sophomores take
  • How long should students study for test
  • Should students take AP courses
  • When should students start visiting colleges
  • How early should students be looking into scholarships; what resources are available

For over ten years Shaffer has been coaching parents on the college journey and how to find the funds to finance that education. She has counseled parents in admissions, scholarships, financial aid, and the importance of early college preparation. Having been successful in guiding her children and many others to fulfill their dreams of college educations, she is committed to equipping other parents with the right tools necessary for them to become their own “parent coach”. With these tools they will be confident and prepared to guide their college-bound teen in the pursuit of their college dreams. Shaffer is the founder of the highly regarded site Parents Countdown to College Coach.

New to Twitter?

In order to participate in the chat, attendees will need to have a Twitter account.  To sign up for a Twitter account, go to http:// twitter.com. The easiest way to follow the chat is to use TweetChat (http://tweetchat.com). Simply log in to TweetChat with your Twitter information (email or username followed by password) and then enter in CollegeChat without the “#” and you will be placed into the chat room with only those participating in #CollegeChat. More detailed information about signing up for Twitter and using TweetChat can be found at http://pathwaypr.com/how-to-participate-in-a-twitter-chat .

About #CollegeChat

#CollegeChat is a live bi-monthly conversation intended for teens, college students, parents, and higher education experts on Twitter. Questions for each #CollegeChat edition can be sent to Theresa Smith, the moderator of #CollegeChat via http://Twitter.com/collegechat , by entering questions online on the CollegeChat Facebook page at http://ht.ly/1XIqV , or by email. CollegeChat can also be found on Twitter at http://Twitter.com/collegechat .

Filed Under: CollegeChat, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Twitter Keeps Getting Better

September 18, 2010 By

Filed Under: twitter, Uncategorized, YouTube Tagged With: , ,
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