SAT University » Commentary

Scripps, Other Colleges Now Requiring Graded Papers

San — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 12:51:03 +0000

Here’s an interesting development: some colleges are requiring submission of a graded writing sample. According to the Scripps College website, all applicants must submit a 3-7 “analytical essay” with the teacher’s comment and grade written on the physical paper. By “analytical,” they mean a paper that “makes an argument or analyzes an issue or work of literature.” It specifically states the essay cannot be creative in nature.

In addition:

You can’t just print out a new copy from your computer; you need to submit the copy that the teacher graded. If you didn’t save it, Scripps advises you to submit a clean copy and indicate the grade you earned.
If you only have 1-2 page papers, you can submit two of them.
If you only have 8+ page papers, you can submit it, and Scripps will read enough of it to “evaluate your abilities.”

Scripps argues that the graded writing sample allows them to see what the grading standards at the student’s school is like.

This requirement only further complicates the college application process. True, it does not involve any additional work on the student’s part, provided he/she has saved past papers. However, it punishes students who are not so diligent with archiving schoolwork.

Personal statements cause enough stress for students. Let’s keep it simple, admissions officers!

via MyCollegeCalendar.org

pic from funnyexam.com

Why Cramming Doesn’t Work – How to Study Right and Be Happier (Guest Post on Radical Parenting)

San — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 14:19:39 +0000

I’m happy to report that we’ve been featured on the Radical Parenting blog. The article, written by our own Regan Bozman, explores the subject of cramming and its many detriments. An excerpt:

[The non-cramming] strategy also allows you to get a good night’s sleep the night before the test (experts recommend at least 8 hours). Instead of being groggy and miserable, you’ll be well-rested and happy during the exam. It’s just common sense – happier students get better scores!

Read the rest of the article here, and post your thoughts on cramming in the comments section!

Why We’re Not All Space Cowboys

San — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 17:42:59 +0000

The blog at MyUSearch.com has a great post titled “Does any Ivy League Education Pay Off?” which covers studies that analyze college graduate salaries. Though these studies may be interesting, they paint an incomplete picture when it comes to the college-career relationship.

Career success is not about finding the highest-paying job, but finding the right job for you. Sure, you should look for colleges that help you land high salaries, But it’s also important to recognize that the college experience helps you find your overall career path – your calling, if you will. After all, you need to choose a career before you choose a job.

You don’t end up with your first career choice – if that were the case, we’d all be astronauts. Most people don’t know what they want to do with their lives until late in college, and they often changing course after graduating. When it comes to this monumental decision, the total college experience – the friends you meet, the classes you take, the activities you participate in – has a huge influence.

During my college years, I was exposed to a ton. I took classes in music, economics, art history, and philosophy. I made friends with actors, entrepreneurs, engineers, and dancers. All of these different experiences have helped me choose my various career directions thus far.

So when you are choosing a college, look for one that addresses your particular interests, but is also well-rounded enough to open you up to other possibilities. There’s a reason we don’t all attend trade schools. Spend some time in college trying things out – it will be much harder to do afterward.

Why Customer Service is dead and how to revive it

San — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 15:54:28 +0000

In our company, it became clear early on that building solid customer relationships is the key to success. That is why I find it amazing when some companies seem to ignore it.

I lost my credit card a while ago, so I called up Citibank to cancel it and get a new one. When i called after two weeks to tell them I hadn’t gotten the card yet, they apologized and said they’d overnight it this time. Three days later, I called them again – same story.

At this point, I asked the rep if I could get his direct extension, so that I wouldn’t have to explain my situation every time I called. He said that reps don’t have individual extensions. I could get his name, but I won’t be able to ask for him (again, no extensions). I would have to rely solely on their promise to document every conversation for future reference, which they failed to do the last two times.

My question is – what is the purpose of customer service here? If I could, I would gladly have done this online. Click to cancel the card and order a new one, get an email confirmation, check the status of the delivery. If all else fails, I could still call them up, but I’d also have an email confirmation to refer to (phone reps don’t do email confirmations).

When your customer would rather deal with your website than your employees, it’s time to rethink. Do real live reps add any value to the customer, even if it’s just peace of mind from talking to a real human being?

To me, they don’t. They work halfway around the world, carry heavy accents, and talk more like robots than human beings. Every time, they do the same routine. May I please get the account number? What is the password on your account? May I put you on hold while I pull up your information? Not to mention the hours spent on hold and being transfered to various departments (in the past month I’ve talked to Citi checking, Citi cards, Citi business, Citi business cards, Citi security and frauds, Citi online, Citi mobile).

Ask any librarian to help you find a book, and you’ll see how real customer service works. They empathize with your situation. They don’t hand you off to other librarians. They remember you the next time you visit. Most importantly, they make you feel at ease knowing that someone is on your case, doing their very best.

Here’s my advice to companies who want to stand out and deliver real value to its customers:

Hire fewer staff, not more. Eliminate the need for human support by putting more functionality online and letting users resolve their issues quickly and easily.
For the more difficult problems, hire and train better, more knowledgeable staff. They should be more like account executives, not phone reps. They should have an intimate grasp of the various parts of the company, and be able to fix most issues on their own. No more separate departments for personal and business. No more Level 1 and Level 2 reps (yes, they use these terms).
Increase transparency. Use a blog to keep us updated on new developments. Use Twitter to get feedback and respond publicly. Use discussion groups to build a community of users.
Don’t outsource customer service. It defeats the purpose.

For companies like Zappos, this approach is common sense. For others, it seems strange, counterintuitive, hippie-ish. But as many companies have proven, it works.

How many hours have you spent on the phone with customer/tech support in the last month? Or year? For me, it’s about 80 hours, with probably 1/2 of that time spent on hold. Share your count on twitter, with the hashtag #supporthours. And if you have any other ideas on how to fix this customer service problem, or have stories to share, comment below. Let’s help these companies figure it out, because they’re not doing it on their own!

Tips for succeeding in a bad economy (without suing anyone)

San — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 21:49:05 +0000

The Kept-Up Librarian recently reported on this fascinating story from the New York Post. Apparently, a recent grad has sued her alma mater for the tuition she spent, claiming its Career Advancement office did not do enough to help her find a job. The article paints a sad story: the grad had found herself with tons of students loans, and her single mom was struggling to support her. It points out the severity of the current economy, and shows to what lengths someone will go when facing a dire situation.

What I’d like to discuss is not the merits of this particular lawsuit (short and obvious answer: not much), but what we can learn from this example. So for all of you students either in college or planning to attend, here are some points to take away:

Be prepared. Work a part-time job during school and save up some emergency funds, or get an internship over summers to increase your chances of finding a job. If the subject of this story had laid this kind of groundwork, she might have found herself in a better situation.
Be resourceful. No matter how bad the economy is, there are jobs out there. Getting one is simply a matter of standing out and working your butt off. Polish that resume, practice your interview skills, and network, network, network!
Be flexible. If there are no opportunities in your preferred field, expand your search. Look at positions that pay less than your expected salary. You will gain useful skills at almost any job, and you can apply them to get your eventual dream gig. Life doesn’t always take the path we plan; sometimes the detours are just as rewarding.

By the way, here’s a bright side for you recent high school grads: the business cycle is in your favor. By the time you graduate from college, you will most likely find yourself in a boom, not a recession. (Don’t take this to the bank; this is just conjecture on my part based on historical business cycles.)

But regardless of the economic situation you find yourself in, you should always follow the rules above. If you do, you’ll be able to make things happen for yourself, rather than being at the mercy of your employer, your school, or in this case, the courts. Earning is much, much sweeter than receiving, as I hope the grad in this story will learn.