Colleges & Facebook (Part Seven) - Baker University

Part seven of a multi-part series on how local colleges and universities are utilizing Facebook...

Out of all of the local colleges and universities profiled in this series so far, Baker University in Baldwin City, Kansas certainly has the fewest number of Facebook pages dedicated to its campus. But this small campus, home to 4000 students total from its main campus and five satellite adult program locations, is quite vested in the mechanics of social media.

Most of the Baker University social media offerings, outside of the website, are directed toward current students, but as noted in previous articles within this series, those viewable interactions can be the most honest and informative communication a prospective college student will encounter when learning about a possible future campus home.

Baker University may only have a handful of active Facebookpages, but they also extend their electronic presence to its constituents via Twitter, You Tube, podcasts, and a blog series.

Here is a list (with links) of Baker University's Facebookpages, followed by information (again, with links) leading prospective students to the alternate means by which to investigate the campus community of Baker University:

Baker University (Official)

The Baker Orange

Baker University Sorority and Fraternity Life

Baker University Student Senate

Baker Wildcats Athletics

Wowzer Baker University's Mascot

Baker University Dance Team

Baker University Softball

Baker University Continuing Education

Baker University Wichita

Baker University also has an extensive blog presence online with thirteen students who regularly post information and photos from campus under more than 22 tagged categories about "Wildcat LIfe and Beyond."

They also have a relatively extensive library of podcasts, "What's Shakin and Bakin at Baker," via The Baker Orange on a variety of topics important to current students.

Or you can follow Baker University on Twitter and Baker Sports on Twitter.

You can also find Baker University on You Tube!

ACT - Now "There's an app for that!"

This week, ACT released a new application for iPhone users. The FREE app, labeled "ACT's College Search," is in its first version with one slight update (1.0.1) and is now available to download from iTunes.


The ACT app is currently compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad, requiring iOS 4.1 or later. 

ACT's College Search contains profiles of almost every two-year and four-year higher education campus in the United States and is designed to allow users to begin discovering colleges and universities that may match their individual post-secondary wants and needs.

App users may search by school names or by selecting specific preferences, such as location, size of student body, type of institution, cost, etc. Similar to most web-based search programs, a list of potential matches is generated and then app users have the option to more carefully research those particular colleges and universities. The opportunity to save "favorites" is also available, as are links to all of the campus websites.


Only two consumer reviews have been posted so far, both favorable in nature (5 stars and 3 stars), suggesting a positive first effort by ACT, yet noting the absence of more advanced search options.


Will YOU be downloading this app to your smart phone? If so, please post a comment to this article to share your impressions.


The ACT Test on Facebook

iTunes on Facebook
App Store on Facebook
App Store on Twitter

Collegiate Backgrounds of Kansas City Mayoral Candidates

As next week's February 22 primary election of Kansas City Mayor draws near, here is a listing of the collegiate educational backgrounds of the seven candidates (in alphabetical order by last name):

MIKE BURKE

• BA in History from Georgetown University
• JD from Georgetown University

MARK FUNKHOUSER

• BA in Political Science from Thiel College
• MSW (with emphasis in Group and Family Practice) from West Virginia University
• MBA (with emphasis in Accounting and Finance) from Tennessee State University
• PhD (interdisciplinary) in Public Administration and Sociology from University of Missouri Kansas City

DEB HERMANN

• did not earn college degree (NOTE: a college degree is not a requirement for this office)

SLY JAMES

• BA in English from Rockhurst University (formerly Rockhurst College)
• JD from University of Minnesota

HENRY KLEIN

• BS in Business Marketing from Indiana University

JIM ROWLAND

• BA in Industrial and Labor Relations from Rockhurst University (formerly Rockhurst College)

It was announced today that Dr. Wheeler has dropped out of the mayoral race, but since his name will still appear on the ballot, his educational credentials have been included on this list, as well.

CHARLES WHEELER

• BA from University of Louisville
• MD from University of Kansas
• JD from University of Missouri Kansas City

College Goal Sunday/FAFSA Frenzy - February 13*

The Missouri Association of Student Financial Aid Personnel (MASFAP) and the Missouri Department of Higher Education have partnered with the Lumina Foundation for Education and the YMCA to coordinate the College Goal Sunday program for 2011.

In Missouri, the program name has changed to "FAFSA Frenzy" and sessions will be offered on one Sunday, as has been the case historically, with a few locations offering later dates and times.

This statewide program is free, offering high school seniors and their families the opportunity to meet with financial aid professionals and to get hands-on assistance with the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

Dates, times, and locations for "FAFSA Frenzy" hosts on the Missouri side of the state line in the Kansas City metro area and Saint Joseph are listed below.

Unless otherwise noted, the event will take place on Sunday, February 13 from 2pm to 4pm.

Belton High School

(107 Pirate Parkway, Belton)

Blue Springs South High School

(1200 SE Adams Dairy Parkway, Blue Springs)

Educational Opportunity Center

(3100 Main Street, Suite 100, Kansas City)

Grandview High School

(2300 High Grove Road, Grandview)

Hogan Preparatory Academy

(1221 East Meyer Boulevard, Kansas City)

**Saturday, February 12 from 2pm to 4pm

ITT Technical Institute

(9150 East 41st Terrace, Kansas City)

Metropolitan Community College Blue River Campus

(20301 East 78 Highway, Independence)

**Friday, March 25 from 5pm to 7:30pm

**Saturday, March 26 from 9am to 11:30am

Metropolitan Community College Maple Woods Campus

(2601 NE Barry Road, Kansas City)

Missouri Western State University

(Spratt Hall Auditorium, 4525 Downs Drive, St. Joseph)

YMCA of Greater Kansas City – Linwood Center

(3800 East Linwood Boulevard, Kansas City)

WHAT TO BRING

• 2010 W-2 forms
• copies of 2010 tax forms
• If 2010 returns have not been filed, bring statements of interest earned in 2010, last December 2010 paystub showing year to date earnings, 2009 tax forms
• Student AND parent PINs (apply for PINs at www.pin.ed.gov BEFORE attending)

Celebrating HBCUs During Black History Month

February is Black History Month. While many historical and current individuals are being honored for their contributions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities, better known as HBCUs, should also be recognized.

The Higher Education Act of 1965 defined an HBCU as "...any historically black college or university that was established prior to 1964, whose principal mission was, and is, the education of black Americans, and that is accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting agency or association determined by the Secretary [of Education] to be a reliable authority as to the quality of training offered or is, according to such an agency or association, making reasonable progress toward accreditation."

In 1980, President Carter signed an executive order establishing a federal program "... to overcome the effects of discriminatory treatment and to strengthen and expand the capacity of historically black colleges and universities to provide quality education."

In the thirty-one years since, every sitting President of the United States has signed additional executive orders to expand the reach of the White House Initiative on HBCUs, including creating a Presidential Advisory Board to inform the President of issues affecting the higher education of African-American students. This includes President Obama who renewed the Initiative on February 26, 2010.  

There are 105 HBCUs, both public and private, in nineteen states, plus the District of Columbia and the Virgin Islands. These campuses enroll more than 300,000 students who are experiencing the mission of the White House Initiative on HBCUs, "To strengthen the capacity of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) to provide excellence in education."

As is true for more traditional colleges/universities, some schools enjoy a heightened level of popularity among prospective students. Some of the more prominent HBCUs include:

Alcorn State University (Lorman, MS)

Clark Atlanta University (Atlanta, GA)

Dillard University (New Orleans, LA)

Fisk University (Nashville, TN)

Florida A&M University (Tallahassee, FL)

Grambling State University (Grambling, LA)

Hampton University (Hampton, VA)

Howard University (Washington, DC)

Morehouse College (Atlanta, GA)

Prairie View A&M University (Prairie View, TX)

Spelman College (Atlanta, GA)

Xavier University (New Orleans, LA)

Some of our country's greatest leaders, entertainment industry giants, and athletic powerhouses are graduates of HBCU campuses. Here is a short list of examples:

Debbie Allen (Howard University)

Erykah Badu (Grambling State University)

WEB Dubois (Fisk University)

Medgar Evers (Alcorn State University)

Langston Hughes (Lincoln University, PA)

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King (Morehouse College)

Ronald McNair (North Carolina A&T State University)

Walter Payton (Jackson State University)

Jerry Rice (Mississippi State Valley University)

Ruben Studdard (Alabama A&M University)

Alice Walker (Spelman College)

Booker T. Washington (Hampton University)

Oprah Winfrey (Tennessee State University)

A great connectivity resource for prospective, current, and alumni students of HBCUs is HBCUConnect. The website (and its magazine) makes available a list of all of the HBCUs, scholarship opportunities, positions open for internships and full-time employment, as well as articles and blogs posted by HBCUConnect members.

In-State Tuition for Out-of-State Students

An article in yesterday's Kansas City Star announcing that Washburn University in Topeka, KS would be offering in-state tuition rates to Missouri residents sparked much discussion in the comment section of the newspaper's website. Several readers questioned how the campus was allowed to make that decision, with others weighing in that Washburn is not a Kansas Board of Regents school, therefore allowed to do as it pleases.

Actually, Pittsburg State University, which IS a Kansas Board of Regents school, has been offering in-state tuition rates to out-of-state students for several years. The "Gorilla Advantage" is not only for Missouri residents from specific counties (Barton, Barry, Bates, Cass, Cedar, Dade, Henry, Jackson, Jasper, Lawrence, McDonald, Newton, St. Clair, and Vernon), but also includes students from a set list of counties in both Oklahoma (Craig, Delaware, Mayes, Nowata, Ottawa, Rogers, Tulsa, and Washington) and Arkansas (Benton and Washington).

Emporia State University, also a Kansas Board of Regents school, offers what they term a "NEARR tuition rate." Although it is not the same as in-state tuition, it is a heavily reduced out-of-state rate for residents of Colorado, Nebraska, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Texas, more than half the cost for students enrolled from other states.

Many college/university campuses that are located in close proximity to state lines offer similar reciprocal agreements. Although this option is new to Washburn, this financial aid practice is anything but new (or controversial).

In fact, as another local example, the University of Missouri Kansas City offers the "Metro Rate" to residents of several Kansas counties (Atchison, Douglas, Franklin, Jackson, Jefferson, Johnson, Leavenworth, Miami, Osage, Shawnee and Wyandotte).

The University of Missouri St. Louis also offers a "Metro Rate" for residents of the Illinois counties just across the river from their campus (Jersey, Madison, Monroe, and St. Clair).

One more example is the University of Arkansas, which offers the "Non-Resident Tuition Award" to incoming students from Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, Missouri, Kansas, and Oklahoma who have a 3.25 or higher GPA and an ACT of at least 24 or 1130 SAT (freshmen) or a 3.0 or higher college GPA and 24 transferable hours (transfers). This financial aid provision covers the difference between in-state tuition and out-of-state tuition for qualified students.

Students and their families who are interested in attending a college/university outside of their own state should consult the financial aid office to learn whether or not an in-state or reduced tuition rate is available. 

If the lower tuition is not an option for incoming freshmen, investigate the process for becoming a resident of that state and how soon the in-state tuition cost could be applied to the student's financial aid package.

Colleges That Change Lives Coming Back to Kansas City

Parents of high school aged students will want to mark this date on your calendar now: Wednesday, August 31. That is when the Colleges That Change Lives tour will be returning to Kansas City after not including us on their schedule the last couple of years.

Not familiar? Colleges That Change Lives is a non-profit organization that strives to educate students and their families about the importance of finding the "best fit" when selecting a college/university education. Their mission and subsequent annual nationwide tours highlighting a specific set of colleges are based upon the best selling book, Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About College, published in 1996 by retired New York Times education editor, Loren Pope. Although he passed away in 2008, his legacy is as poignant now as it ever was.

His chosen list of campuses is derived from years of research devoid of rankings from magazines, perceived quality or reputation based solely upon admission difficulty, size of endowments, or athletic prowess covered my national media outlets. Here is a listing of the colleges that are featured, all of which are smaller, liberal arts oriented campuses:

Agnes Scott College (Decatur, GA)

Allegheny College (Meadville, PA)

Antioch College (Yellow Springs, OH)

Austin College (Sherman, TX)

Beloit College (Beloit, WI)

Birmingham-Southern College (Birmingham, AL)

Centre College (Danville, KY)

Clark University (Worcester, MA)

College of Wooster (Wooster, OH)

Cornell College (Mt. Vernon, IA)

Denison University (Granville, OH)

Earlham College (Richmond, IN)

Eckerd College (St. Petersburg, FL)

Emory & Henry College (Emory, VA)

Evergreen State College (Olympia, WA)

Goucher College (Baltimore, MD)

Guilford College (Greensboro, NC)

Hampshire College (Amherst, MA)

Hendrix College (Conway, AR)

Hiram College (Hiram, OH)

Hope College (Holland, MI)

Juniata College (Huntingdon, PA)

Kalamazoo College (Kalamazoo, MI)

Knox College (Galesburg, IL)

Lawrence University (Appleton, WI)

Lynchburg College (Lynchburg, VA)

Marlboro College (Marlboro, VT)

McDaniel College (Westminster, MD)

Millsaps College (Jackson, MS)

New College of Florida (Sarasota, FL)

Ohio Wesleyan University (Delaware, OH)

Reed College (Portland, OR)

Rhodes College (Memphis, TN)

Southwestern College (Georgetown, TX)

St. John's College (Annapolis, MD)

St. John's College (Santa Fe, NM)

St. Olaf College (Northfield, MN)

Ursinus College (Collegeville, PA)

Wabash College (Crawfordsville, IN)

Wheaton College (Wheaton, IL)

Whitman College (Walla Walla, WA)

The Colleges That Change Lives Tour will be in Kansas City on Wednesday, August 31, beginning at 7pm, at the KCI Expo Center (11730 NW Ambassador Drive, KCMO 64153). The event is FREE to the public and will last approximately 1.5 hours.

College Goal Sunday, FAFSA Frenzie, local Missouri locations

The Missouri Association of Student Financial Aid Personnel (MASFAP) and the Missouri Department of Higher Education have partnered to expand the College Goal Sunday program for 2010. This year, the program name has changed to "FAFSA Frenzy" and sessions will be offered on three dates during "financial aid season," rather than just one Sunday, as was the case historically.

This statewide program is free, offering high school seniors and their families the opportunity to meet with financial aid professionals and to get hands-on assistance with the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

Dates, times, and locations for "FAFSA Frenzy" hosts on the Missouri side of the state line in Kansas City and Saint Joseph are noted below:

Avila University 11901 Wornall Road Sunday, February 21 2pm to 4pm Blue Springs High School 2000 NW Ashton Drive Sunday, February 21 2pm to 4pm Educational Opportunity Center 3100 Main Street Saturday, March 6 Sunday, March 21 2pm to 4pm Metropolitan Community College Maple Woods Campus 2601 NE Barry Road Sunday, February 21 2pm to 4pm Missouri Western State University in Saint Joseph 4525 Downs Drive Sunday, February 21 Saturday, March 6 Sunday, March 21 2pm to 4pm University of Phoenix 901 East 104th Street 10150 North Ambassador Drive Saturday, March 6 Sunday, March 21 2pm to 4pm

Free (or Cheap) Test Prep for High School Students

Here are a few FREE (or cheap) test prep opportunities to consider: • Utilize Twitter? Follow @ACTStudent for the daily link to the ACT Question of the Day and @SATquestion for the SAT question of the day.** • Or, simply log on to the ACT website to access the ACT question each day.** • Visit the SAT question of the day or sign up to have the question emailed to you daily.**

**You are provided with reasons why a correct answer is correct and why incorrect answers are incorrect. It is a learning opportunity, rather than just a guessing game.

• Have an iPhone or iPod touch? There are multiple ACT and SAT study apps beginning at only $.99. • ACT Prep Online o $19.95 for a one year “subscription” o practice tests with real ACT test questions o practice essays for the new optional ACT Writing Test, with real-time scoring o comprehensive content review for each of the tests—English, Math, Reading, and Science o diagnostic test and personalized Study Path o anywhere, anytime access via the Internet

Remember, academic curriculum and effort toward daily homework and testing is the best test prep. These opportunities, though, allow students to become acquainted with standardized test format and content so there is a degree of familiarity and comfort on testing morning.

October, Seniors' Least Favorite Month

October is a tough month in the lives of high school seniors. Continued academic testing, higher expectations and demands in course work, leadership roles in extra-curricular activities, mid-term exams, and college applications all take away from personal downtime, as well as much needed sleep. Especially during this season of high anticipation over the flu, seniors need to remember to take care of themselves, not just academically, but physically. Too often, I have seen seniors neglect sleep in order to accomplish their "to do" list. The immune system is weakened and illness settles. Seniors push on, not slowing down during the onset of symptoms. And the illness progresses to far worse proportions. This is when a nasty cycle is set in motion; student misses school to heal, student gets behind in class, student returns to school before the body is ready, student misses sleep trying to catch up on assignments and activity commitments, student's illness returns. Repeat. Time management is key. Advanced preparation is paramount. Effective communication is required. Be aware of approaching deadlines, especially when related to college applications. Set aside a block of time each day to preview the days ahead. Don't wait until the night before to study for an exam or write the college application essay; in neither case will it be your best work. Speak up when you need help or when you are feeling your health decline. No one expects a super hero out of a 17 or 18 year old student! Applying these positive habits now will allow for a smoother transition into collegiate life and will certainly be a benefit later throughout your personal and professional life. Here's to your emotional and physical health during what is the most stressful month in the life of a high school senior!

Hart's Helpful Hint #1

Are you attending an upcoming college fair? Here is my favorite tip: Prepare large mailing labels in advance. This ensures that the admission representative can determine correct information for data entry. It also saves a lot of writing and time at each college/university’s table that you visit. For each school that interests you, simply pick up the contact/inquiry card and place a label on it. Furthermore, a having a pre-printed sticker allows you to spend time speaking with the admission representative rather than simply standing in front of him/her filling out an inquiry card. Each sticker should note the following : First and Last Name Mailing Address Home Phone Email Address Birthdate High School, Class of 20__ Current Cumulative GPA Current Class Rank Highest ACT Composite This will make your college fair experience effective.

Top Ten "DON'T DO ITs" on Your College Application Resume

(in no particular order) 10. "Who's Who Among American High School Students" and other similar "awards" are not considered by colleges/universities to be legitimate. 9. Th does not belong. Simply us (9,10,11,12) to indicate the grade level during which a particular activity was performed. Those th notations can become difficult to read when the admission representative has reviewed 50 other files that same day. 8. There is no need to double up on your academic record. Your official transcript is where the admission office will refer for your course selection and grades earned, not your student resume. 7. Eighth grade does not count. Your resume should be based upon your accomplishments in high school, not what you did in grade school or junior high. Exceptions might be a particular activity that you started in seventh grade and continue to do consistently now. 6. Don't include your school's contact information on your resume. That information is included in other places within your application for admission. Save the space to highlight your own personal achievements. 5. Skip the abbreviations. Opt to spell out National Honor Society (NHS), Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD), and similarly named student organizations. 4. Don't turn your resume into a novel. Remember, this is your resume, not your essay. 3. Inconsistency can make your resume difficult to read. Don't bold one heading and not the next. Don't put a period at the end of one description and not at the end of others. 2. Don't let information get away! Keep a block of text for a particular activity on the same page. This may require moving margins, deleting extra words, etc. You don;t want the reader to forget what the activity was when they have to flip the page to continue reading. 1. Do not submit a first draft of your resume. Take time to edit and revise, just as you do for your essay. Seek advice. Get your resume to a perfect state so that you have it ready to submit with each application for admission and scholarship.

Summer...For First Visits

Summer is an incredibly popular time for students and their families to visit college campuses. Students are out of school, parents are able to take time off from work, and it is easy to plan a college tour or two while on the way to or from a travel destination. But if a student is truly interested in a particular school, a summer visit should be viewed as a first visit to that campus, not as the only visit. The usual rules apply when preparing for a summer campus visit:

• Officially schedule your time on campus at least two weeks in advance. Do not just show up and expect an admission staff and faculty to drop everything to make your experience valuable.
• Plan to arrive early, especially if visiting a larger campus community. Allow time to get lost , find a parking spot, and make your way to the admission office. You do not want to be the family who holds a tour group from leaving or who interrupts an information session by arriving late.
• Dress appropriately. Keep in mind that campus tours are walking tours and can last an hour to an hour and a half, so comfortable shoes are also imperative.

Items to keep in mind when scheduling that summer campus tour:

• Most college/university campuses do offer a selection of summer courses, so you will see some students on campus. However, the number of summer school students in no way compares to the number of academic year students. It is difficult to see what a 40,000 student campus really looks like when 5,000 are there for summer. It is just as difficult to gauge what a 2,000 student campus looks like when less than 400 are taking summer courses.
• Professors who are not teaching summer courses are not typically available to speak with prospective students.
• The availability of classes to sit in on are few. And summer courses are often quite different that what a student would experience in that same course title during the academic year.
• The community surrounding that campus will appear different in the summer months. A campus town may not be as lively with students frequenting its shops and restaurants and no student discounts will likely be prominently advertised.
• Student parking may seem more available than it actually is when all students with cars are also trying to park their vehicles.
• The students themselves are not as representative of the campus community. You are seeing a smaller selection of students, so it is more difficult to gauge your own fit within the student community and how students typically dress for class.
• Planned campus student activities are a rarity during the summer months, so it is not so easy to get a feel for what the college/university provides for student education outside of the classroom and for student entertainment.

This does not mean to skip summer campus tours! It simply means that if you did not enjoy the campus, keep these items noted above in mind as you continue to research the campus. It is okay to not like a college and to delete it from your list of prospective schools. That is the purpose of seeing a campus outside of the pages of a viewbook or the virtual tours on their website. But it also means that if it was a school you really enjoyed and could see yourself attending, a follow-up visit during the academic year should be considered required. Use planned days off from school to make a second visit or wisely utilize the campus visit days provided at your high school to visit again. Many admission offices host admitted student events that can include an overnight visit experience. Take advantage of these special opportunities! Summer travel is a fantastic opportunity to combine a family vacation with a collegiate campus visit, but these particular tours should be seen as a first visit, not an only visit. Happy and safe travels!

Wants versus Needs

I always have a million lists, usually on a sticky note or a scrap piece of paper. To Do. Pros and Cons. Shopping. Wish. DIY House Projects. Prospective college students must be diligent with their list making, as well; the most important of which is the "wants versus needs" list. In the technological society in which we live, there are many college search engines available to students, allowing them to enter in everything they ever dreamed of having as part of their college experience (a particular major, Greek affiliation, varsity sports, big city or more rural, beach or mountains, the "list" goes on). But it is also that much easier for a student to become consumed by the options available. Conversely, it is quite possible for a student to enter in all of their heart's desires and have a list of zero schools match their criteria. In both of these scenarios, the student must compile a list of wants versus needs with regard to their future collegiate career. This involves both the academic setting, as well as location and extra-curricular activities. When researching prospective campus communities, the need list must remain stagnant; no omissions. It is the want list that must be flexible and willing to make a sacrifice here or there. From my own college search, I really wanted to be a fan in the stands at a DI football stadium and I really wanted to have years of pride and big traditions, all of which was provided by one of the big public universities in my home state. This school also offered large lecture classes, required tickets for tutoring sessions, and a two town spread of campus buildings. That was perfect for many of my friends, but I learned quickly that my needs outweighed my wants. I needed a more close knit campus community. I needed a discussion based classroom setting where the professor knew my name and whether or not I was actively participating in class...or even there. I needed to be able to easily set appointments with my professors to further discuss the material. I needed to recognize my classmates by face and by name when I saw them in the quad or the cafeteria. I needed opportunities to grow as a person outside of the classroom through student groups and leadership courses. I sacrificed big time sports, but I visited my friends at their schools and went to televised games with them. I gave up participating in deep seeded and historical traditions like Bonfire and ring dunking at the Chicken, but we did enjoy a few quirky ones such as "First Snow" and every graduate crowding into the tiny Hilltop before getting kicked out just in time to "go get graduated!" I would not change my undergraduate experience for anything, but it would have been quite a different life path had I not understood the aspects of my education that I simply wanted instead of those critical components that were necessary in making me who I am today.