CollegeChat – Pathway Communications

Expert Panel to Discuss Whether Law School Is Worth the Cost on #CollegeChat September 18th

Theresa Smith — Mon, 17 Sep 2012 18:23:19 +0000

Gabrielle Lyse Brown, director of Diversity Pipeline Initiatives for the New York City Bar, and Akil Bello, owner of Bell Curves, will lead law school discussion on #CollegeChat September 18, 2012 at 9 p.m. Eastern

Amidst widespread news over the last year of unemployed and under employed law school graduates, Gabrielle Lyse Brown, director Diversity Pipeline Initiatives for the New York City Bar, and Akil Bello, owner of Bell Curves – an educational services and test preparation company, will discuss whether Law School is worth the cost on #CollegeChat September 18, 2012 at 9 p.m. Eastern.

During #CollegeChat, Brown http://twitter.com/NYCBarDiversity and Bello, http://twitter.com/akilbello , will discuss with attendees factors prospective law school students should consider before finalizing their plans to attend law school including:

Is attending Law School amidst all the negative news regarding employment a wise choice?
How should students weigh the potential benefits of law school against the cost of law school?
How can students investigate the success of Law Schools in placing graduates in full time law careers?
How much debt should law school students consider taking on?
How should students weigh which Law School to enroll in?
What’s the biggest mistake students make when considering what school to attend?
Should students only consider top ranked Law Schools? What are important factors to consider?

Gabrielle Lyse Brown is the director of Diversity Pipeline Initiatives for the New York City Bar, where she leads the Association’s efforts to enhance diversity in the legal profession through developmental support for high school, college and law students of color who want to pursue a legal career. In this role, she creates, develops, and administers comprehensive programming that provides inner-city students with academic support and enrichment, professional and substantive skill development, networking/mentoring opportunities and exposure to the legal profession. She is a member of Board of Directors of Practicing Attorneys for Law Students, Inc. (PALS) and the Bronx School of Law and Finance Advisory Board.

Akil Bello is an expert in test preparation and is the owner of Educational Development for Bell Curves. Bello oversees all aspects of the development of programs and materials, as well as the training of teachers. He has worked as a teacher trainer and materials developer at three different test prep companies, bringing his unique humor and intelligence to every endeavor. After spending 15 years teaching every standardized test in the known universe, he joined his brother and father in founding Bell Curves.

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. PT/ 9 p.m. ET. 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 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 .

Noted Social Media Scholar to Discuss How the Frequency of College Students’ Facebook Usage Correlates to Academic Engagement on #CollegeChat June 5th

Theresa Smith — Mon, 04 Jun 2012 15:04:32 +0000

Professor Rey Junco will discuss recent research on college students’ Facebook use #CollegeChat on June 5, 2012 at 9 p.m. Eastern

Dr. Rey Junco, professor at Lock Haven University and a youth and media lab mentor at the Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University, will discuss his latest research on the relationship between Facebook use and college student engagement on #CollegeChat June 5, 2012 at 9 p.m. Eastern.

During #CollegeChat, Junco (http://twitter.com/reyjunco) will discuss research findings from a recent study he authored “The relationship between frequency of Facebook use, participating in Facebook activities, and student engagement” with attendees including:

Is there a relationship between frequency of Facebook use and activities and student engagement?
Is there a relationship between frequency of Facebook use and activities and time spent preparing for class?
Is there a relationship between frequency of Facebook use and activities and time spent in co-curricular activities?
Why are these results important for higher education administrators, faculty and staff important?
Why is it important for higher education to design and support interventions that meet students where they are on Facebook and other social media sites?

Rey Junco is a social media scholar who investigates the impact of social technologies on college students. Rey’s primary research interest is using quantitative methods to analyze the effects of social media on student psychosocial development, engagement, and learning. His research has also focused on informing best practices in using social technologies to enhance learning outcomes. For instance, Rey’s research has shown that technology, specifically social media like Facebook and Twitter, can be used in ways that improve engagement and academic performance. Rey has recently published papers on: the relationship between Facebook use, student engagement, and learning, the academic effects of multitasking, the digital divide in cell phone ownership and use, using social media to promote civil discourse on college campuses, and how Twitter can be used for academic purposes in order to increase student engagement and improve grades.

About #CollegeChat

#CollegeChat Transcript: Social Media and Recruiting of High School Athletes

Theresa Smith — Sun, 03 Jun 2012 22:17:48 +0000

Social media has quickly transformed the world of athletic recruiting in just a short period of time according to Karen Weaver, EdD, director of Athletics for Penn State University-Abington and a TV color analyst for ESPN, CBS College Sports and Big Ten Network. Weaver was a recent guest on #CollegeChat and discussed how social media is benefitting both athletic programs and high school athletes who want to play in college.

During #CollegeChat, Weaver addressed the following questions:

How has social media changed athletic recruiting?

Can college coaches “friend” students on FaceBook? What are the guidelines?

What are the best practices in for both recruiters and prospective athletes to use in technology and social media?

What questions should an athlete ask a coach on a college visit?

Has social media changed high school athlete recruiting for the better?

How has social media helped get student athletes recruited? Is Youtube helping? Twitter feeds of club games?

Do high school students need to go through the expense of belonging to fee based online recruiting sites?

The entire transcript is available for download Social Media & Recruiting Transcript

What’s the Price of Higher Education? An Infographic

Theresa Smith — Fri, 18 May 2012 15:21:04 +0000

Source: H&R Block

I like this infographic a lot but only as a starting point. Note, the colleges noted as the most expensive school are not necessarily so. They are the most expensive in sticker price but a large number of students do not pay the sticker price. That’s where your grades, course load, SAT and ACT scores, financial need, your athletic or musical talents play a huge part in what you will actually pay. Go to the schools and check out their financial aid section to find out how much is actually doled out. Make sure to aim for schools where your GPA, scores, talents will place you in top 25% of admitted students.

Best Selling Higher Education Author Lynn O’Shaughnessy to Provide Advice on How to Evaluate Colleges #CollegeChat May 15th

Theresa Smith — Fri, 11 May 2012 12:52:23 +0000

O’Shaughnessy to discuss advice from her new book “The College Solution: A Guide for Everyone Looking for the Right School at the Right price (2^nd Edition)

Lynn O’Shaughnessy, a bestselling author and higher education journalist, will share advice from her newly published book The College Solution: A Guide for Everyone Looking for the Right School at the Right Price (2nd Edition) during #CollegeChat on Twitter, May 15, 2012 at 9 p.m. Eastern.

O’Shaughnessy wrote the second edition of her book “so you too can become an empowered consumer.” During #Collegechat, O’Shaughnessy, https://twitter.com/#!/collegeblogs , will discuss key information parents and students need to know including:

What are the biggest sources of college money.
How can you increase your chances of qualifying for merit scholarships.
How you can evaluate the generosity of a school before applying.
Where to find the best online tools to evaluate colleges.
What do families of divorce need to know about financial aid.
What are a teen’s options if he/she does poorly on the ACT or SAT.
What is the real story behind athletic scholarships.

About Lynn O’Shaughnessy

Lynn O’Shaughnessy is a nationally recognized higher-ed author, journalist, and speaker. She is the author of numerous books including her Amazon bestseller: The College Solution: A Guide for Everyone Looking for the Right School at the Right Price. She also wrote Shrinking the Cost of College, a workbook available only on her website, that helps families make smart and affordable college choices. O’Shaughnessy writes frequently about college issues for her CBS MoneyWatch column and for her popular college blog TheCollegeSolution.com. O’Shaughnessy is the consulting director of college planning, K-12, at the University of California, San Diego Extension. She is also a frequent speaker on how families can find and afford great schools.

About #CollegeChat

#CollegeChat Transcript: SAT/ACT Accomodations for ADD/ADHD High School Students

Theresa Smith — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 04:21:54 +0000

Jenn Cohen, a college test preparation expert for the SAT, PSAT and ACT, specializing in ADD/ADHD and special needs students, was a recent expert guest on #CollegeChat and provided tips for high school students with ADD/ADHD and other learning disabilities how to maximize their SAT and ACT scores through test preparation and making sure to secure test accomodations. During the one hour discussion, Jenn covered a number of topics including what types of accomodations are available and how to research them, how to determine which test is best for each student, how long to prepare for the test, and how to construct a test preparation plan. Jenn had a lot of great suggestions and you can read through the 31 page transcript here : adhd_transcript.

Build Your Network and Influence through Twitter Chats

Theresa Smith — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 15:53:57 +0000

If you have been here before you probably know that I am a very enthusiastic participant on Twitter. So enthusiastic in fact that twice a month I moderate #CollegeChat on Twitter. Recently, Up and Running asked me to write “How can Twitter chat help your business?” to help guide startups and small businesses on how to participate in Twitter chats to help build influence and enhance engagement in your targeted market. You can read the entire post at Up and Running. An excerpt follows below.

One of the best ways for small businesses to build their networks and increase their influence is by participating in Twitter Chats. Twitter chats are Twitter based conversations that anyone can participate in and are kept on track through the use of a #hashtag, a topic with a hash symbol (“#”) at the start to identify it. There are currently more than 600 ongoing Twitter Chats, ranging from weekly to monthly discussions on a wide variety of topics. You can review an exhaustive list of ongoing chats maintained at the Twitter Chat Schedule.

Participating in a Twitter chat is a great way to network and interact with other people who may also share your professional and personal passions. It is also a great way to introduce yourself and your business to key influencers whom you want to connect with.

Be Strategic

Look for a chat where you can bring value to the conversation. For example, I moderate #CollegeChat twice a month on Tuesday evenings. Most of the chats I moderate are in question and answer format and include an “expert” guest on a particular topic. The majority of guests I first met by their attending and participating in #CollegeChat. My guests have included professors, authors, independent higher education experts and business owners targeting the higher education market.

With hundreds of ongoing Twitter chats, you should be able to find a number of chats that are ideal for both networking and for your business. Perhaps you have developed a business tool, application or book that you are targeting to business to business marketers? Then you might want to check out #B2Bchat. A recent #B2Bchat focused on “Facebook for B2B -The Times They Are a-Changin’.

Expand your Knowledge

Also consider joining in Twitter chats just to expand your knowledge. Have you been considering adding a blog to your website but really don’t know where to start? Consider checking out #Blogchat on Sunday evenings to get fresh ideas from blogging experts. Recently Brian Solis, a thought leader in new media and a best-selling author, was a guest for #Blogchat and discussed with attendees how to use blogs as tools to build influence.

Do you need some new ideas for your start-up or small business? #Smallbizchat is a great chat for small businesses since its focus is on helping small businesses to succeed as they start to grow. Recently on #Smallbizchat, Dina Dwyer-Owen, a certified franchise executive with more than 30 years of industry experience and a recent guest on the television program “Undercover Boss”, shared with attendees “How to Live Rich in Your Small Business”. #Smallbizchat is hosted weekly by Melinda Emerson, a noted small business expert, coach and author.

How to Participate

In order to participate in a Twitter chat, attendees will need to have a Twitter account. To sign up for a Twitter account, go to http:// twitter.com. Once you have your Twitter account, you are ready to go.

There are a number of formats to use to follow a Twitter chat but the easiest way I have found to participate is by using TweetChat, a platform designed to make “Twitter chats” run easily.

Don’t be a Bystander

In order to get the most out of any Twitter chat is to make sure you join in. Most moderators ask attendees to go ahead and introduce themselves. Your introduction is a great way to begin meeting others.

By joining in a chat you are not only sharing your ideas with the attendees but also with the attendees’ followers. Don’t be surprised if you pick up a number of new followers after the chat based on comments and interactions you had during the chat. Every time you write a tweet that is then re-tweeted – quoted or rebroadcast by other attendees – your tweet is not only repeated across the chat but also to the followers of the person who re-tweeted you, thereby expanding your reach exponentially.

And, the best parts about participating in Twitter chats are the people you meet and the network you build.

Transcript for #CollegeChat with Public Agenda on “Hiring and Higher Education”

Theresa Smith — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 13:33:48 +0000

Last night Allison Rizzolo, a communications professional for Public Agenda, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that helps communities and the nation solve tough public problems, discussed findings from a recent report “Hiring and Higher Education” conducted in conjunction with Committee for Economic Development (CED), during #CollegeChat. Allison provided us with detailed background from the research on why U.S. Business Leaders worry that skyrocketing tuition and a growing skills gap could have serious consequences for the nation’s economic future. Our discussion centered on the following questions:

Business leaders cite cost of higher education as one of the major weaknesses. Why is this a weakness and what do they say causes these high costs?
Executives also cited a shortage of graduates in STEM fields and their inability to fill many of these positions. Why is this a potential challenge for the nation’s economy?
Some business leaders expressed concern that we over-emphasize 4-year degrees. What are their specific concerns and why is this a weakness?
Executives reported unease about workers’ interpersonal skills. Why is this finding significant?
Business leaders worried that higher education is too slow to recognize and implement needed changes, and not as accountable as it needs to be. What recommendations did they have to effect change? Q5
What are the opinions regarding online education? Why is it significant that their attitudes are changing in respect to online education?
How will the Public Agenda use these findings moving forward? What are the next steps?
How did business leaders conceptualize they can be more involved in higher education?

You can read the entire transcript PublicAgendattranscript.

SAT and ACT Test Expert to Discuss Test Accommodations and Preparation for ADD/ADHD High School Students during #CollegeChat

Theresa Smith — Sun, 01 Apr 2012 21:36:22 +0000

Jenn Cohen, college test preparation expert and owner of Jenn Cohen Tutoring, will provide tips for ADD/ADHD high school students to maximize their PSAT, SAT, and ACT scores during #CollegeChat April 3, 2012 at 9 p.m. Eastern

Jenn Cohen

Jenn Cohen, a college test preparation expert for the SAT, PSAT and ACT, specializing in ADD/ADHD and special needs students, will discuss how high school students with ADD/ADHD and other learning disabilities, can maximize their college admission testing scores by carefully researching test accommodations and creating and implementing an effective test preparation plan during #CollegeChat on Twitter, April 3, 2012 at 9 p.m. Eastern.

Cohen, https://twitter.com/#!/satprepforadhd, the owner and founder of Jenn Cohen Tutoring and president of chief word nerd of Word-Nerd.com, an SAT vocabulary website, will discuss with #CollegeChat participants:

What kind of test accommodations is available for high school students with ADD/ADHD or other learning disabilities?
How do students research what test accommodations are available? How far in advance should they research?
How should students determine which is the best test for them?
Why might the ACT be a smarter choice for ADHD students?
How far in advance should an ADD/ADHD student plan to prepare for college admission tests?
Ideally, when should students take the first test and how many times do you recommend?
If a student can’t afford tutoring services, how do you recommend they construct a test preparation plan?
Are there websites you recommend for test preparation? Are there apps you recommend?
Are there specific SAT and ACT test preparation books for students with ADD/ADHD you recommend?

Jenn Cohen has been in test prep since 1997 and has been a private tutor for the SAT and PSAT, specializing in ADHD/learning disability students. Cohen is also president of Word-Nerd.com, an SAT vocabulary tutorial website which she created with her husband, Gary. Cohen has a blog, The Fat Envelope, which covers all things college admissions. A Duke University graduate, Cohen currently serves on the alumni admissions interviewing committee as well as the Duke Dallas Women’s Forum steering committee. Cohen’s graduate work in clinical psychology at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center provided her with extensive knowledge of attention deficit and learning disorders.

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. PT/ 9 p.m. ET. 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 .

College Mental Health Expert to Discuss Relationship Violence on College Campuses

Theresa Smith — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 18:36:21 +0000

Dr. Lee Keyes, Executive Director of the University of Alabama Counseling Center, will discuss signs of college relationship abuse, possible triggers, and resources for students to get help

The recent conviction of George Huguely V, a former University of Virginia star lacrosse player, in the beating death of his ex girlfriend Yeardley Love, a student athlete at the University of Virginia, has turned the spotlight on relationship violence on college campuses across the country. Tomorrow evening, Dr. Lee Keyes, the Executive Director of the University of Alabama Counseling Center, will discuss with Twitter attendees relationship violence on college campuses, the possible triggers and warning signs, and resources for students to get help at 9 p.m. ET.

During #CollegeChat, Dr. Keyes will discuss with attendees:

Should the trial and verdict of George Huguely V serve as a wake-up call that relationship violence happens on all colleges
How wide spread is relationship violence in college?
What are the symptoms of relationship violence?
What are possible triggers? Do drug use, alcohol abuse, stress and depression play a role?
Should outsiders intervene if they believe a student is in a violent relationship?
How should they intervene?
What kinds of resources are available for students to get help?

Lee N. Keyes, Ph.D. received his doctorate in Counseling Psychology at Texas A&M University. Dr. Keyes has been employed by The University of Alabama since 1991. Dr. Keyes has interests in the administration of college mental health services, late adolescent and adult general psychotherapy, stress and adjustment of college students, anxiety, depression, and suicide prevention and reduction. He is also involved in providing outreach services regarding the emotional health of college students, and consultation services for those who are concerned about the well-being of college students and the development of college mental health services.

Dr. Keyes has served as an Annual Review Officer and currently as Vice Chair for the IACS Board of Accreditation, and as a member of the IACS Board of Directors. He is a member of the Association of University and College Counseling Center Directors and the Association for Psychological Science. He served as Secretary of the Alabama Psychological Association from 2004 to 2007, and as President of the Association for 2009-2010. He has published and presented conference programs with both regional and national professional organizations, and teaches in the Department of Psychology at The University of Alabama. He also has experience operating a private practice and consulting with a psychiatric inpatient facility in Northport, Alabama. In 2009, Dr. Keyes was recognized with the John L. Baier Award for exceptional leadership and service in the Division of Student Affairs at the University of Alabama.

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. PT/ 9 p.m. ET. 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 .