new majors:
OPINION: One really great professor can make all the difference in choosing your career.
taking the helm: OCC’s new president began her term July 1.
Dr. Cindy Crabill says she is glad to be in Central New York, a strong, educationoriented community. To read more see page 6.
As job markets evolve due to new technology, a new crop of college majors for students interested in these new opportunities has grown.
“He demanded a lot from his students, but what they got in return for fulfilling his demands was much more than they gave.”
To read more see page 3.
To read more see page 2.
2013excellence
Excellence in Education, Professional Services & CNY Business July 24, 2013
A supplement to Eagle Newspapers
Major dilemma
Helping students choose the right course of study Picking a college major is a big step for young students. Though many adults eventually find themselves working in fields that have little to do with their college majors, many more spend their entire careers in the same field they chose to major in way back in their college days. Choosing a major is a decision that ultimately rests on the shoulders of the students who must consider a host of factors before committing to a specific field of study. But parents can still help their children, whether those kids are already enrolled in college or college-bound, as they make such an important decision that could very well affect the rest of their lives.
Encourage patience.
Today’s college students and college-bound youngsters are living in a world that’s significantly different than the one their parents or even older siblings might have encountered. Global and domestic unemployment rates remain high, and technology is changing the way many industries conduct business. But students trying to pick a major should avoid picking one too quickly. Just because a certain field is experiencing job growth does not mean that field is ideal for all students. Encourage kids to be patient when choosing a major so they can find the field that’s right for them, and not just the major they feel will produce the best job prospects.
Suggest a double major.
Today’s college students may lean on their parents for advice as they attempt to choose a college major that will help them improve their job prospects after college.
By the
numbers What will college cost per year?
$3,131
Public TwoYear College (in-state students)
$8,655
Public FourYear College (in-state students)
$21,706
Public FourYear College (out-of-state students)
$29,056
Private FourYear College
Source: collegeboard.org. These numbers are based on published tuition costs, not what students actually end up paying out of their own pockets. There can be a big difference between those two numbers, thanks to financial aid.
Many of today’s students are fully aware of the difficult job market and the cost of a college education. As a result, such students want to choose a major they feel will put them in the best position to land a well-paying job after college. That’s a smart strategy, but it’s also one that overlooks the joy of studying a subject you are passionate
about. Parents can simultaneously encourage kids to be smart about their job prospects and pursue their passions by suggesting a double major. For example, if your child has a love of art but understands the difficulty in earning a See majors, page 3
Engineering your future
Six of the 10 college majors with the highest salaries for new graduates have something to do with engineering. So says a survey from the National Association of Colleges and Employers, which notes that computer engineering majors earned the top spot with an average starting salary of $70,400 for graduates who finished school in 2012. Chemical engineering majors came in second with an average starting salary of $66,4000, while computer science majors, with average starting salaries of $64,400, came in third. The NACE salary survey relied on information from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the United States Census Bureau and Job Search Intelligence, a compensation management firm. In addition to computer science, the survey, which examined starting salaries for new graduates in more than 90 fields of study, found that finance, construction science/management and information sciences and systems were the only majors outside the field of engineering to crack the top 10.
Expert advice
It’s time for that big step Summer is the best time to begin college applications by Maria Badami With summer in full swing, rising seniors should be thinking about the college application process. While College Board has delayed introduction of the 2013 – 14 Common Application until Aug. 1, there are many college application steps students can take over the summer. Perhaps most important, students can develop their college list, including schools which they are likely to be admitted (safeties), probable admittance schools, and reach schools. Visiting colleges is a great way to determine which schools are a good fit. While most college students aren’t on campuses over the summer, it is still a good idea to use summer vacation to attend information sessions and tour as many schools as possible. Students should schedule as many interviews as possible. Rising seniors can also request letters of recommendation from teachers ( generally 2 required) and high school counselors. Most high school offices have summer hours and will provide students with teachers’ email addresses to make such requests. Students should forward their teachers a list of extracurricular activities or a resume so that recommenda-
tions can include more than academic information. Finally, students should use the “down time” of summer to begin their college essays. While the Common Application is not available until later this summer, College Board has released the long essay options: commonapp.org/CommonApp/Docs/ DownloadForms/2013/EssayAnnouncementFinal.pdf. In addition to the long essay on the Common Application, most schools will have one or two supplemental essays which will be available online at each school’s website after Aug. 1. Have a great and productive summer. MariaBadamiisacollegeconsultantwith College Directions of CNY, 7030 East Genesee St., Fayetteville, NY 13066. For more information: 243-6658; collegedirectionscny.com or collegedirectionscny@gmail.com.