SAGE Scholars Monthly Newsletter | January 2023

Keeping Pace with the Pace of College Admissions

With regular decision announcements right around the corner, the fierce competition for acceptance into college is palpable. While most admissions committees have already paved way for the fate of this year’s senior class, prospective freshmen, sophomores, and juniors may wonder how they can best prepare a strong application.

It’s important to remember that the bulk of the work for your college application happens before senior year. How students choose to spend their time—how they cultivate their passions, hobbies, and interests—has the power to create a standout application. With many colleges moving to test-optional, presenting committees with a holistic, whole-person, admissions packet has the best chance of garnering favor at the college of your choice. Yet, many students zero in on senior year as the make or break for their future. Below, we break down some key tips and things to prioritize and prepare for in the years leading up to the college admissions season.

College Preparation Timelines

Marist College's Study Abroad Program Ranked Best in Nation

Marist College continues to offer among the strongest study abroad options in the country, with its full academic year study abroad program ranking #1 in the nation in participation among U.S. master’s degree-granting institutions, according to the latest Open Doors report for the 2020-2021 academic year. Marist also ranked among the Top 10 institutions in the country for its semester-length abroad program (5th), total number of students abroad (5th), and overall study abroad participation (9th). The report is published by the Institute of International Education in collaboration with the U.S. Department of State and is a comprehensive information resource international study.

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Making New Year's Resolutions that Work

By Mari Whitmore

In the wake of the holidays and as you begin a new semester, you've seen the endless ads and marketing surrounding new year's resolutions. Companies inundate us with inspirational slogans such as, “New year, new me!”, “Rise and grind!” “Manifest success, and it will come!” in hopes of convincing you to buy their products and programs. You've also probably experienced the disappointment and frustration that accompanies making lofty resolutions to transform your life and subsequently watching yourself “fail” to achieve your goals. Failing to stick to new year’s resolutions is so common that it's a meme, and it can be a surefire way to start your new year feeling disgruntled and aimless. Rather than making traditional new year's resolutions, challenge yourself this year to make small, attainable, healthy goals you can pursue and achieve throughout the coming year. Read More

Special Topics Courses Offer Unique Perspectives

By Al Dickenson

Two years before the first wave of COVID-19, I took a special topics history course wherein we studied the history of infectious diseases. I honestly never expected to become part of the history of the topic. Living in the time we are in now; I can more clearly see the value of studying the past and taking this somewhat bizarre special topic class. The class had two study goals: examine the changing functions of biology and the ever-evolving ways in which people in society behave. However, as present times have shown us, diseases are incredibly common and still very much here in the present day. This brief overview of this particular special topics class shows the relevance of taking courses that may not be in the mainstream of college life and academic thought. Though these classes may not help you directly in your job search post-college or graduate school applications, they can give students unique perspectives on life in general. Read More

Questions to Ask Your Advisor

By Xavier Royer

Advising meetings are important, but it is not always intuitive what students’ goals should be going into them. They often happen in one of the most hectic windows of the year, in the sprint between midterms and finals. However, these meetings can set the tone for students next semester as well as their greater ambitions. Preparing for an advising meeting can be the difference between a semester of interesting and helpful classes or a stressful grind. This article will provide students with some questions to ask to facilitate a productive conversation with their advisor. Read More

The Mount Makerspace: A Hub For Creativity

There’s one place on campus where innovation and interdisciplinary instruction come to life like nowhere else: the Mount Saint Mary’s University Makerspace. A makerspace is a community-operated workspace with materials and tools where people imagine and create. The popular space, nestled in the William M. Coe Memorial Library at the Chalon Campus, encourages both independent and collaborative learning and is known by the moniker M3Lab — the Mount Maker Movement Lab. "Most makerspaces focus on engineering and STEM backgrounds," says project director Sylvine Depréle, PhD, professor of physical sciences. “We wanted a makerspace that is focused on humanities.”

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How to Get The Most Out of Your Advising Team

By Dr. Gwendolyn Maria Parrish

Academic advising is a service your institution provides to help you ease into your journey as a new college student. An advisor is someone assigned to help coach you through your academic journey with situations such as selecting the required classes, picking a preferred instructor (when possible), and so much more. Your advisor will reach out to you once you are fully enrolled in your program and will also check in regularly, usually at least once per quarter (or semester, depending on your school term length). They help ensure that you progress successfully and understand your responsibilities/rights as a student. This article breaks down how to get the most out of your advising team. Read More

Mapping the Road to Law School

By Mackenzie Roberts

Post-college graduation involves adequate planning. First, you choose a major that will benefit the type of career you want to pursue. Then you may pursue internships that will look good on your resume and build an experience that will aid you in your job search after school or during your senior year. The same effort of preparation, if not more, will take place when you plan to attend graduate school or, in this case, law school. This article will provide tips when mapping out your road to law school. Read More

Conversation Starters for New Students

By Samantha Bockoven

College gives you a fresh start to meet new people and make new friends. The prospect of making new friends can bring up many emotions, including fear, hesitation, and excitement. Meeting and engaging with others seems natural for some people, and they will instantly be able to weave into the fabric of their new community and surround themselves with new groups of people. For others making new friends presents a challenge and may cause feelings of fear, loneliness, and low self-esteem. The important thing to remember is that everyone starting school with you is in the same position. Below this article will introduce (pun intended!) some conversation starters you can use to break the ice. Read More

Point Park Dance Once Again Ranked One of Best College Programs

Point Park University's dance program has once again been recognized as one of the Best College Dance Programs for 2022-23 in the United States by DanceUS.org. A leading portal for dance professionals, learners and enthusiasts, DanceUS.org is an independent online publication with over 250,000 monthly visitors, featuring unique content and editorials. "This is the third time Point Park's dance program has been recognized by DanceUS.org and we are incredibly proud of the designation," said Garfield Lemonius, dean and artistic director of the Conservatory of Performing Arts at Point Park University. Read More

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Tips for Attending your First Conference

By Kaitlin Meyer

Walking through the doors on the first day of a conference can be overwhelming. You are bombarded with long registration lines, exhibitions, endless poster presentations, talks, and not to mention a hard-to-navigate building! Whether you are attending or presenting for the first time, we'll provide tips for navigating your first conference. Read More

Building a Good Relationship with Your Professor as a Student-Athlete

By Ryan Adams

Upon arriving on campus, I encountered teammates and friends who frequently complained about unfair professors who didn't understand the life of a student-athlete or even a college student. They didn't understand the exhaustion from practice, missing classes due to competition, and the general stress of the lifestyle. Or so they claimed. I adopted this mindset early, so I suffered the same poor relationships with my professors. After a few semesters of only getting along with the professors that would make an effort to reach out and connect, I decided that maybe the impetus lay with me to do the same with the ones that didn't. This article will discuss tips to build good relationships with your professors that students and student-athletes can utilize. Read More

The Toll of Competing at the Collegiate Athletic Level

By Carter Thompson

For many high school athletes, the goal at the end of their athletic career and possibly everything they're working towards is to compete at the next level in college. Their parents, peers, and coaches may push this goal on them. The pressure to make it to this level is so intense that these high school athletes don't even consider if competing at the next level is something they can handle, let alone want to do. When transitioning to the collegiate level, everything from high school—skill, recognition, successes, failures, pressure, stress, relationships, coaching, and your physical and mental health—is intensified, for better or worse. The toll it takes on athletes is tremendous and can leave one wondering if 'trusting the process' is worth it. I'll explain some of the stressors that college athletes like me must endure while competing at the collegiate level. Read More

SAGE Advice

SAGE Advice, our helpful college advice column, is here to help answer important questions for sponsors and students. Send your SAGE Advice question to support@sagescholars.com to be featured in our following MC&G newsletter!

Student's Question:

Dear SAGE,

I have two amazing daughters off to college in the next couple of years. Our junior wants to go to a private school in our state with an amazing reputation for the program she wants to go into. My other daughter, who is a freshman, says she wants to go to a less expensive school to 'save money', with the implication that she'd get the financial difference as cash. We want to be fair to both daughters, how should we handle treating two very different young women the same?

Sincerely,

Different Paths

SAGE Answer:

Dear Different Paths,

It sounds like both your daughters have excellent plans for their future, and you should continue to ongoingly support them as they make this transition. I think what's best here is to let your freshman live into her decision. Once her sister goes off to private college, while finding success in her program, your youngest may shift her opinion. In the meantime, do all that you can to educate your youngest on the options available to her. Help her to see that there are many alternative funding opportunities, scholarships, and grants—also recognizing that cost does not necessarily pertain to money—for private college. With a robust understanding of the benefits of a private education, and seeing her older sister go through her private school education, she'll make the best and most informed choice for her.

Sincerely,

SAGE Scholars