Aspire october 2014

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH | Special Advertising Section | october 2014

â–

aspire

a guide to educational resources

2

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH | Special Advertising Section | october 2014

ASPIRE:

A Guide to Educational Resources Vice President Sales Abby Clark

Special Sections Editor Rebecca Walters Special Sections Assistant Melanie Houser

Account Executive Elizabeth Mundy To advertise in Aspire, contact Elizabeth Mundy at (614) 461-7547 or emundy@dispatch.com.

Aspire is a publication of The Columbus Dispatch’s Advertising Department.

For more information, call (614) 461-5000.

■

Ohio University

At Ohio University, you can be yourself — and become your best self More than 250 programs will prepare you for the career you want.

Interested in journalism, teaching, video production, graphic design, engineering or astronomy? How about studying international business, researching ways to improve health care or solving environmental problems?

No matter what you want to do, you’ll find your right fit here!

Love at first sight That’s how many people feel when they first step onto Ohio University’s College Green. Visitors talk about the welcoming vibe, the smiling faces and brick pathways, the classic architecture or the squirrels jumping through leaves in the fall. Students and parents visiting for the first time often tell us, “This is what a college campus should look like!”

A home away from home OHIO is known for more than its beauty — it’s a welcoming place where

OHIO’s Honors Tutorial College offers high-achieving students the option of an instructional approach modeled after the system practiced for centuries at Cambridge and Oxford universities in Great Britain.

Adventures beyond the classroom

new friends are waiting to meet you.

More than half of our first-year students choose to participate in learning communities, which group a small number of students with common academic interests into a cluster of courses. These students often form friendships that can last a lifetime.

Professors who are both

Whether you’re interested in studying the plays of Shakespeare in London or retail merchandising in China, OHIO students can choose study-abroad opportunities around the world.

Students can also participate in meaningful research and internships, community service or get involved in more than 500 student organizations.

We believe experiences outside the classroom are an important part of your success.

teachers and mentors

Our professors are approachable, accessible and committed to your success. About 95 percent of first-year students at Ohio University take at least one course taught by a tenured or tenure-track professor. In addition,

The path to your future is here We look forward to celebrating your achievements — as both a student and a future graduate. Visit ohio.edu/you to learn more about the OHIO student experience.

Look beyond academics when choosing a college (MS) — When choosing a college, students often look for the best academic institutions. While it’s hard to argue with that approach, high school students facing the decision of where to spend the next four years of their lives should know that the right university is not necessarily the one with the best academic reputation.

A host of factors come into play when finding the right match between student and university.

Academics should always carry the most weight, but students should consider a host of other factors before ultimately deciding where to continue their academic careers.

Cost In a perfect world, students would not have to worry about financing their college educations. But that’s not a world in which today’s students live, so the cost of a college education is something nearly every college-bound student must consider before making his or her decision.

According to the College Board, the average overall cost to attend in-state public college for the 201213 academic year for students who did not receive financial aid was $22,261, a nearly 4 percent increase from the previous school year. That sticker price includes the cost of living in a dorm, food, books and the additional expenses college students typically have. The College Board noted that, despite the cost increase,

Academics should always carry the most weight, but students should consider other factors before ultimately deciding where to continue their academic careers. financial aid budgets stayed the same as the year before, meaning even those students who received financial aid paid more money.

While cost should not dictate where high school students ultimately go to college, students should know that eventually student loans will have to be repaid with interest. Those who do not want to bury themselves in student loan debt after graduation would be wise to choose a university that’s more affordable or one that’s offering a more attractive scholarship and grant package.

Unlike student loans, scholarships and grants do not have to be repaid.

Distance from home While many high school students may think a school far away from their folks is ideal, the reality

image: metro services

of being far away from home is a struggle for many college students.

Homesickness is a very real thing for college students who are away from home and on their own for the first time.

In addition to homesickness, college-bound students should consider the cost of travel before enrolling in a college or university that’s far from home. Mom and dad might not be able to afford to fly their college students home several times a year for the holidays and other breaks in the school year. The burden of financing that travel could fall on students. If you are not planning to work during the school year, then financing trips home may prove difficult.

Environment Both the academic and social environments at a college or university merit consideration when students are deciding where to continue their educations.

Some students thrive in a competitive academic environment, while others tend to fare better in a more casual setting. Students should assess which environment is best for them and choose a university that best suits them as a student.

A college or university’s social environment is another factor for students to consider. Larger schools tend to rely heavily on Greek life, while smaller schools may be more intimate and less exclusive.

■

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH | Special Advertising Section | october 2014

™

www.ohio.edu/you ©2014 Ohio University. All rights reserved.

3

4

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH | Special Advertising Section | october 2014

■

Benefits of joining a campus organization

(MS) — The first week of life on a college campus can be somewhat overwhelming for first-year college students. For many students, college is their first taste of independence.

Some embrace that newfound freedom, while others grow homesick and long for the company of their immediate family. But as the school year progresses, the majority of firstyear college students adapt to life on campus and grow to love their new surroundings.

Once students have comfortably adapted to their new lives, many seek opportunities to become more actively involved in life on campus. College clubs and organizations are a great way to do that, providing a host of benefits that further enhances college life.

Meet people Joining a student club or organization is a great way for college students to meet fellow students, professors and other people of note on campus.

This is especially beneficial for first-year college students, whose social circle may otherwise be limited to roommates or fellow residents of their dormitories. Joining a club or student organization can quickly expand that social circle to include people who share your interests and not just your dorm assignment.

Find a major Many first-year college students are unsure about a course of study. Such

students can benefit from joining clubs or student organizations that pique their interests. For example, joining an on-campus debate club might help you discover a passion for debate, which can lead down a path to becoming a lawyer. Students who enroll in college without declaring a major may have the most to gain by joining a club or organization.

Boost your GPA Joining a club or student organization also may make you a better student. That’s especially likely for students who join a club or organization that’s aligned with their field of study.

A club or organization can help you apply lessons from the classroom in real-world situations, improving your grasp of certain concepts. In addition, your fellow club members may make great teachers, especially those who are ahead of you and have taken many of the same classes you’re now taking. Such students can be invaluable resources, helping explain concepts and offering advice as to which courses to take and which professors they prefer.

Network with professionals Clubs and campus organizations also are a great way to begin networking with professionals in your future line of work. Many clubs or organizations bring in professionals within the field to speak to members.

image: metro services

Joining an on-campus club or organization is a great way for students to meet new people and improve their overall college experience.

Such speeches and discussions are typically for members only, which means you will have an advantage over fellow students in your field who have not gone the extra mile and joined a club or organization.

Professionals may also give you advice on finding an internship in your field or a job once you have graduated.

Improve your overall experience Even if a student club or organization has nothing to do with your

studies or future career, signing up is a great way to improve your overall college experience. You’re liable to create more memories, make more friends and get the most out of your time on campus, which many college seniors will tell you is going to be gone before you know it.

Take advantage of all of the opportunities your college or university offers, and you will likely one day look back and be glad you made the most of your time on campus.

GRADUATE IN FOUR YEARS. WITH LESS DEBT. WE GUARANTEE IT. Ohio Northern University is dedicated to making higher education accessible and affordable for bright young students and their families.

That’s why we’ve introduced The Ohio Northern Promise.

THE OHIO NORTHERN PROMISE

Key components of The Ohio Northern Promise 1. We’ve cut last year’s tuition rate by 20-25 percent 2. A four-year graduation guarantee – pledge to stay on track, and we promise that you’ll graduate on time 3. Hands-on high-impact learning, a core component of every academic major 4. Sustained job placement and graduate and professional school admissions rates for graduates *Available across most undergraduate programs Learn more at onu.edu/promise

■

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH | Special Advertising Section | october 2014

5

Columbus State

College is a great investment, but watch the debt Community colleges, like Columbus State, offer an affordable alternative for a quality education College is still one of the best investments out there, particularly for students who can minimize borrowing while pursuing their degrees.

A recent study from the New York Federal Reserve found that a two-year or four-year college degree still delivers a higher “return on investment” than stocks or bonds, although it noted student debt can eat into those returns.

For a growing number of students, going to a community college can be the answer. Columbus State Community College offers increasingly popular programs that allow students to complete the first two years of a bachelor’s degree before transferring to a four-year school to finish up.

Columbus State’s tuition is about half that of a fouryear public university, and around one-fifth the cost of some for-profit colleges.

To be sure, national trends in student debt are sobering. Americans now owe more in student loans than they do in credit cards. By many measures, the average amount borrowed for college has exceeded $30,000.

Nationally, about 70 percent of students graduate with debt, but at Columbus State the numbers are nearly reversed. Only 40 percent of Columbus State students take out loans in a year.

Meanwhile, Columbus State students who pursue transfer programs are showing up to four-year colleges ready to succeed.

“The graduates from Columbus State have been outstanding in the lab and classroom,” said Dr. Christopher Callam, a chemistry professor at The Ohio State University. “In the research lab, they have excelled with their problemsolving skills and analytical

Value Beyond Measure

skills.”

“Our Ohio Wesleyan students who transferred from Columbus State do amazing work, both while attending our institution and in their post-graduation pursuits,” said Chuck Stinemetz, provost at Ohio Wesleyan University. “Their success

is a reflection of both their dedication to excellence and strong academic skills.”

In addition to transfer programs, Columbus State also offers career and technical programs that prepare students for work immediately upon graduating. Those include in-demand fields like

IT, health, advanced manufacturing and business.

“For a lot of people, a degree from a community college doesn’t just mean a bigger paycheck or less debt,” said Dr. David Harrison, president of Columbus State.

“It means a better way of life for their families.”

Every year, more than 2,000 students transfer on to four-year colleges from Columbus State.

Columbus State has nine Preferred Pathways agreements with Central Ohio four-year colleges and universities, each of which allows students to start strong, transition seamlessly, and graduate with a bachelor’s degree. Preferred Pathways lead to great academic preparation, impressive graduation and career outcomes, and less student borrowing and debt.

Learn more at cscc.edu/pathway

6

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH | Special Advertising Section | october 2014

■

Going back to school? Follow these tips to choose the right degree (BPT) — For many, earning a college degree opened the door to the working world; it may have even been instrumental in landing your current job. But are you applying what you learned in college to your current career field?

A recent survey suggests this might not be the case.

Only 35 percent of collegeeducated workers consider all or most of what they learned in college to be applicable to their current jobs, according to a survey conducted by Harris Poll on behalf of the University of Phoenix.

Today, many working adults are returning to college to either complete a degree that better aligns with the skills required for their job or earn a second degree to gain additional experience for a potential career change.

The National Center for Education Statistics reports an estimated 8.7 million adults over the age of 25 were planning to enroll in college in 2013, up nearly 37 percent from 2000.

“There is significant progress being made in higher

education to adapt to the needs of the employment market and tie curriculum to careers earlier in a student’s education,” said Executive Dean Ruth Veloria of University of Phoenix School of Business. “It is critical to choose the right degree program so you know the knowledge [that]you glean from coursework can be applied to the career you desire.”

Veloria offered these tips to help you get the most out of your educational experience:

your manager feels invested in your goals, it could be a source of support and motivation for you. Additionally, contact your human resources department to see if the company offers education reimbursement benefits to help pay for school.

Consider certificate programs that lead to a degree

Research degree programs with a career in mind

Don’t wait until you are enrolled in college to determine your career path.

Research specific positions, develop learning plans with an academic advisor and take career and skills assessments.

Phoenix Career Guidance System is designed to help any student — from those just starting to those looking to advance their careers — research jobs related to different degree programs and discover which fields best fit

image: brandpoint

their interests and personalities.

Go straight to the source If you know someone working in the career field in which you are interested, schedule an informational interview to learn more about the skills and experience required for that line of work.

Don’t know anyone? Veloria recommended joining industry associations and attend-

ing networking events as a way to make new contacts and learn more about a new career field or job.

Communicate with your boss Your return to school will most likely benefit your company, so share your education plans with your boss, including how your classroom learning can benefit colleagues and special projects in the workplace. If

Many working adults balance school with workplace and family priorities, so it can take additional time to earn a college degree. Many colleges offer a certificate option that allows you to move core courses toward the front of your degree program. This also allows you to earn certificates along the way to degree completion to help you gain the knowledge needed to elevate your career.

“Researching and planning the education path you need to achieve your career goals is very important,” Veloria said. “You want to know that the skills you learn in college are the skills you need to advance your career to the next level.”

Helping high school students choose the right college As the time nears to make a decision, parents play a vital role in maintaining a student’s interest (MS) — Choosing a college or university is the first big decision of many teenagers’ lives. A youth’s choice of college can impact the rest of his or her life, and it’s important that kids recognize the gravity of this decision.

Many kids, in particular those who realize the impact that their choice of college can have, are overwhelmed when colleges begin sending information about their programs and campus life.

Such information, especially when it is unsolicited, may begin to arrive at the dawn of a student’s sophomore year, long before many teenagers have begun to think about where to pursue their educations after high school. But as daunting a task as choosing a college may seem, teenagers should enjoy the process, as the choice of where to go to college is unlike any other decision many students would make.

Parents also can ensure the process goes smoothly by helping their kids find the right school. That’s especially true for parents who have already been through the process with an older

High school students choosing a college or university benefit when parents chip in to make the decision process go more smoothly.

Photo: metro services

child. But even parents going through the process for the first time can take the following steps to help youngsters find the right college.

• Discuss finances with kids at the outset of the selection process. While the choice of where a student goes to college should ultimately rest with that student, it’s important that parents explain their financial situations at the outset of the selection process. Explain how much you can contribute toward tuition and fees, and explain the differences between loans and grants.

Some kids may expect their parents to foot the entire bill for their educa-

tion, but such situations are increasingly rare thanks to the rising cost of a college education. Make sure kids know the financial obligations they will be taking on should they take out loans to pay for their education.

• Ask kids to list fields of study they may want to pursue. While incoming college freshman do not necessarily need to choose a major upon enrolling, those who know their interests and what they may want to one day do for a living may be more likely to find the right college or university for them. Parents can ask kids to write down a list of their interests, including potential career interests. This can help kids narrow down the list of colleges and universities they are considering.

For example, if a student is interested in engineering but a university on their list does not offer an engineering program, then that school could be eliminated. Kids who list multiple potential fields of study may benefit by choosing a larger school with more available programs. This can allow them to pursue more than one major or even switch majors without transferring to another school.

• Visit campuses. Student-athletes

who hope to continue their athletic careers at the collegiate level may be limited to a certain number of official campus visits, but nonathletes face no such restrictions. While college is first and foremost about getting an education, it’s also an opportunity to grow as a person.

Campus visits can give kids a feel for campus life, which varies considerably between colleges, and that feel can help them determine if a given college or university is somewhere they’re liable to feel comfortable over the next several years.

Parents can accompany kids on campus visits and ask questions their kids may not know to ask but will certainly be glad to know the answers to. Traveling to various campuses can be expensive, so parents might want to delay campus visits until kids have narrowed down their lists of potential colleges.

• Stay involved. Some students may succumb to the pressure of choosing a college and detach themselves from the process as a result. While taking periodic breaks from talking about college can benefit both kids and their folks, parents should not allow such breaks to go on for too long.

Stay involved in the process so kids continue to approach it with the right attitude. If they appear to be struggling with their decision, act as a sounding board for them so they can let off some steam and clear their heads.

â–

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH | Special Advertising Section | october 2014

Don’t let college debt drag you down (BPT) — With each passing year, student-loan debt is digging a deeper hole for more young Americans. Over a nine-year period, the average student loan balance among 25-year-olds has grown 91 percent, from $10,649 in 2003 to $20,326 in 2012.

More than 38 million Americans have outstanding debt amounting to nearly $1 trillion. This figure has nearly quadrupled over the last four years, surpassing both credit cards and auto loans as a leading source of personal debt, according to Pew Research and the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

While the statistics are startling, some of today’s young people are prepared to take on the financial challenge.

Younger generations (those in their mid-20s to early-30s) are showing signs of taking their finances seriously, according to a MassMutual 2013 State of the American Family Study.

Nearly two-thirds want to be actively involved in all decisions regarding their finances, and almost half are actively seeking ways to educate themselves about personal finance, a rate significantly higher than older generations.

For young people look-

Avoid credit card debt

ing to take control of their future, there are ways to ease the strain of student debt.

MassMutual offers the following tips to help graduates manage their loans:

Seek out scholarships College is expensive, and taking out student loans is often inevitable. If you are still in college or considering getting your degree, be sure to research and apply for a range of scholarships to help lower your education costs. “One of the most powerful steps young people can take to mitigate educational debt is to aggressively seek out scholarships to help fund college,� said Michael Fanning, an executive vice president with MassMutual. “Graduating from college with less debt can help take the financial worry out of the equation when making grown-up decisions like homeownership, starting a family and saving for retirement.�

Make a budget Expenses fall into three categories: fixed, flexible and discretionary. Sit down and review all of your monthly costs, from meals to rent, and identify which category

image: Brandpoint

they fall in. From there, you can allocate funds to each area. It’s critical that you have a full understanding of all expenses, debt and assets in order to not only stay on top of fixed expenses — like your student loans — but also build a realistic financial plan.

Borrow or swap Before making a purchase, ask a friend or relative if you can borrow or swap for a similar item. This especially holds true for items you may use only once or very few times.

Going on a backpacking trip abroad? See if you can borrow a friend’s backpack rather than buying a new one.

Looking to update your wardrobe? Ask a friend to swap

outfits, doubling each other’s wardrobes instantly. Buying something with your money isn’t the only way to get it.

Keep living at home Rent is a huge expense.

If you’re moving away from your hometown to work, it’s unavoidable. But if your first job is close to home, consider asking if you can move in with your parents for the first year or two to save on expenses.

Use the money you’re able to save during that time to make larger payments toward your student loans to pay them down quicker. That will also allow you to bolster your savings for when you move into a place of your own.

Post-graduation is a crucial point that will help determine your credit score for years to come. Younger generations have close to $5,000 in credit card debt, according to MassMutual’s study.

To keep credit card debt in check, only use one or two cards at a time with limits that aren’t high, and pay your balance in full each month to avoid interest. Missteps could affect the rate you pay on big purchases down the road, like a car or home loan.

Ask for a raise Once you have established a solid foundation at your job, usually around the one-year mark, ask for a raise. Be sure to approach your supervisor prepared, both with how much more you want and why you deserve it.

Highlight how you’ve demonstrated value to the company over the year and how your work merits a raise. Even if you don’t get it right away, you’ve started the conversation.

Taking steps today to manage your finances and get out of debt will help ensure a successful, debt-free financial situation in the future.

At many institutions, more than half of their students take five or six or more years to earn a bachelor’s degree. At BW, you’ll finish in four and get started on your life‌and reduce the cost of your education, too. www.bw.edu/guarantee.

Find out why U.S. News calls BW one of America’s Best Colleges.

7

Fall Visit Day

Saturday, November 15 www.bw.edu/events

275 Eastland Road Berea, Ohio 44017-2088 440-826-2222 • www.bw.edu

Baldwin Wallace University does not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, age, disability, national origin, gender or sexual orientation in the administration of any policies or programs.

8

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH | Special Advertising Section | october 2014

■