Life of a Student at Tufts University
I just had a huge week in terms of blogging. I wrote two lengthy articles: A Dover Dilemma, and US News and World Report, Media Literacy and Social Media. On both posts, I got some awesome feedback in the comments; although I usually address feedback like this with followup comments, many of these thoughts deserved to stand out.
Read on to see the comments and my responses. Continue reading ‘Feedback Time’
Surprise! I’ve been “featured” in an article from US News and World Report about the student loan industry!
Click here and read the article for yourself before reading my commentary. Be sure to take some time and analyze it. I never want to impose my opinions on anyone and I’d like your honest feedback. I think the article raises concerns about marketing, media literacy, and social media.
The article you just read involved my Internet-based quest to find information about financial aid and my relationship with the Financial Aid Podcast and its parents company, the Student Loan Network.
I’ll be forthright with you; I’m not disturbed by the article, but I’m not pleased with it either. I think it paints me as a typical student, taken advantage of by clever marketing. It juxtaposes a positive story of me getting a serious question answered with the threat of biased information. Luckily, we live in an age where any individual can share his or her side of a story with a blog; that’s my goal for this post.
The story I shared with Kimberly Palmer, the article’s author, is approaching its happy ending. Although I myself am biased, I strongly believe this isn’t an instance of me getting taken advantage of. After my Dad lost his job last year, I needed to communicate this change of income to my colleges. I felt that the CSS/Profile application didn’t go far enough in this regard, and wanted to make sure I did this properly. Being a loyal listener to the Financial Aid Podcast, I sent Christopher Penn an email to see if he could help me out.
Within hours of the next morning, I had dozens of emails sent to me by financial aid professionals. For me, a student panicked about the entire financial aid process, this was tremendous. For that, I was and am very grateful. Thanks to my academic rigor, some preparation, and information from the Financial Aid Podcast, I’ve been accepted to some great colleges with some stellar financial aid packages.
As Kimberly wrote in the US News article, I would turn to the Student Loan Network for a private student loan. Here’s the ultimate irony; it appears unlikely that I’ll even need a private student loan for college.
The forth paragraph of the US News article is what I consider the offending paragraph.
But consumer advocates are concerned that students may not realize or consider that these educational messages are coming from people who want their business, not unbiased sources. “It looks a little bit too much like disinterested information when in fact it is a student loan company…. There’s a conflict there,” says Robert Shireman, executive director of the Project on Student Debt, of the Student Loan Network’s website and podcast. (Penn says the company affiliation is always clearly displayed.)
Conflicts of interests are always a problem. In my own high school career, I’ve had to step back from situations involving different parties I’m affiliated with for ethical reasons. A student loan company putting out information on financial aid and painting it as pro bono would most certainly raise concerns. However, in the case of the Financial Aid Podcast, there is a clear disclaimer at the beginning of every episode.
The Financial Aid Podcast is a publication of the Student Loan Network.
As a result of that disclaimer, I take everything from the podcast with a grain of salt - as should every other listener. Fortunately, Christopher’s style of marketing in the podcast revolves around plugging (or mentioning) other properties of the Student Loan Network, often prefaced with, “I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention one of our services, X.”
These are clear and upfront disclaimers. In my opinion, marketers will always be marketers. It’s their job to manipulate you into purchasing their product or service, and this isn’t arguable. This may or may not be a problem depending on one’s personal philosophy, but I’ve grown to accept it. If I ever felt that the helpful content of the Financial Aid Podcast was compromised by slanted information, I’d refuse to listen to it.
This notion of marketers masking their intentions is sidestepping the real issue.
Wikipedia claims that media literacy uses “an inquiry-based instructional model that encourages people to ask questions about what they watch, see and read.” Media literacy is a fundamental skill in a functioning democracy, one that students evidentially aren’t taught these days. Al Gore speaks about this at length in one of my favorite books, The Assault on Reason. He argues that democracy can only exist in a country with a healthy marketplace of ideas, where the citizenry can discern the media’s intent.
The fact that an article like this even needed to be written is a sad statement on the current affairs in our nation. One must always be critical of someone trying to sell them something. The very motivational Randy Pausch claims that the same reasoning applies to something as complicated as a romantic relationship. He gives simple advice for women dealing with men who they suspect are romantically interested in them.
Don’t listen to a word they say. Observe their actions.
It’s actions that build trust, not words. If we’re on the Internet, what constitutes as an action?
Again, quoting Wikipedia.
Social media is an umbrella term that defines the various activities that integrate technology, social interaction, and the construction of words and pictures. This interaction, and the manner in which information is presented, depends on the varied perspectives and “building” of shared meaning, as people share their stories, and understandings. … Social media can take many different forms, including Internet forums, message boards, weblogs, wikis, podcasts, pictures and video.
I wrote earlier that I’d turn to the Student Loan Network for a private student loan, if necessary. I trust them because I trust the CTO of the company, Christopher Penn. Why is it that I’d trust a man that I’ve never met?
Like other social media pioneers, Christopher is transparent. Much like myself, he has two very important things, a personal blog and a twitter account. Personal blogs let people express their thoughts, long-form; it’s exactly what I’m doing right now! This pales in importance, however, to feedback and responding to feedback, usually in the form of comments. Responses and gestures are actions, and these are clear-as-day on twitter.
There are those who get twitter and those who don’t. If you don’t get it, watch Twitter in Plain English.
If you read someone’s quasi-stream of consciousness for long enough, I think you can confidently judge his or her character. There are twitterers out there who I wouldn’t want to come close to and there are others who I’d pay to have lunch with. I’ve read the tweets of dozens of different people and I’ve followed and unfollowed them depending on their usefulness to me and their personal values.
It’s this transparency that lets me confidentially put my trust into a person, and thus, his or her company. If all students could learn to discern who is worthy of their trust and who isn’t, the problem addressed in Kimberly’s article would disappear.
The ultimate lesson from this all is different depending on whether you’re the content creator or the content consumer. Creators should strive for transparency using social media tools and networks while consumers should always keep a critical eye on these creators. If both sides make a decent effort to do these things, our world would be a better place.
This is what I wish the US News article had discussed.
Across the board, everyone has noticed: Dover High School is out of control. There are escalating behavior problems everyday. Respecting others is a thing of the past. Clubs and other extracurricular activities are dying left and right.
I can’t pinpoint what’s causing the problem, but I know that it didn’t used to be like this. I used to feel safe in school, but now I’m not so sure. Admittedly, my brush with ear injury has forever altered my view of Dover Plains, but there’s much more to it than that.
I know that I can’t solve the school’s problems, but when directly faced with a related issue, I rise to the challenge. At least, I try.
I’m obviously dedicated to Dover’s student body and will be until graduation. I served as my Class President for two years and now serve as the Student Council President. I’ve put in many hours to ensure successful pep rallies, homecomings, dodgeball tournaments, fundraisers, after prom parties, and miscellaneous charities while expecting nothing in return. Far more important than these, however, are the instances where my Student Council has been challenged by bureaucracy and I’ve had to “fight the man”.
It’s true. A student-run organization in a public high school can run into problems with other organizations, including adults and administrative bodies who are supposed to help the students. In the weeks and months to come, I’ll tell those stories; there’s no reason for me not to. Until then, there’s a short-term crisis.
Prior to four years ago, Dover High School had two pep rallies, one in the fall and one in the spring. Although that was “before my time”, I’ve been told they were miserable events. In response, former leaders decided to turn the spring pep rally into a “Leadership Rally” featuring a motivational speaker. The deal was that the High School Student Council would choose the speaker and the school administration would pay for it.
At least, that’s what we thought the deal was. Administration didn’t budget enough money to purchase the services of a motivational speaker this year, and it has been suggested that the High School Student Council pick up the tab. The money isn’t the problem, it’s the precedent.
Precedent is a terrifying thing in Dover High School. If an organization does something once, regardless of what anyone says, it will be expected to do it in the future. I’ve been working through a similar issue already this year, but I haven’t reached a solution. Essentially, financial burdens are being dumped onto Dover’s High School Student Council and the system isn’t sustainable. My treasurer has played with the numbers, and the Student Council can only carry on this way for about five years before running out of funds.
I cannot and will not allow this to happen. But, what can I do?
The student body is expecting an assembly with a motivation speaker later this year, and it’s the Student Council’s perceived job to deliver. Student Council, in the past few years, has given opening remarks and let the speaker do his or her thing, despite not footing the bill.
My solution is an ultimatum. Dover High School is in shambles right now. A motivational speaker can’t solve its problems, but it certainly can’t hurt. After consulting my advisors and friends, the key people who rewrote the Student Council Constitution with me, I’ve decided to just say no.
The High School Student Council won’t pay for it. The assembly will occur, but in a crippled form. Although the student body suffers in the short term, the choice makes sense for the future. I refuse to leave this school knowing my Student Council cannot financially sustain itself.
I’ll let you know how it turns out.
I promised loyal blog reader, Ailin, that I’d post an admissions essay I wrote for MIT on how my environment has affected me. In light of recent events in my high school, which I’ll detail here soon, I find the essay all the more relevant. If you could kindly hold your criticisms, I’d appreciate it. Finding problems at this juncture would torture me.
Why calculate the largest number when there is an immeasurable level of detail between the numbers zero and one? I kept telling myself that, despite its size, the small town I moved to six years ago would have plenty to offer and much to explore. Just recently, I realized that I was right. My world is small, charmingly so, and I love it that way; Dover, a small town in suburban New York, is my home.
A mantra of Gene Rodenberry’s Star Trek was that outer space is humanity’s final frontier. Despite my utmost respect for the series, I starkly disagree. My final frontier is the immediate world around me; between zero and one, I have an entire town to explore! Within that domain, I have taken a stake in others, and they have taken a stake in me. In Dover, everything is personal, and guidance is always right around the corner. For instance, my school’s principal and counselors are affable and approachable. Their doors are always open, and students are welcome to stop by and talk. I have witnessed committees send care packages to former Dover students at war and organize comprehensive fundraising efforts for former teachers who had fallen on hard times. The community pulls together, and people go out of their way to make great things happen.
On numerous occasions, members of the high school staff have challenged me, striving to lead me to a higher level. For example, when I was a freshman, the information technology director, knowing my knack for computers, asked me to consider designing a television system to distribute announcements. Within a day, I had a mockup – after a week, a prototype. Over time, I learned how to manage deadlines, set agendas, and nurture ideas from conceptualization to implementation. This last summer, another community member sought me out. My former English teacher offered me a job as a teaching assistant and camp counselor at my community college’s summer program for children, ‘The Dutchess Community College Computer Academy’. Over the summer, I learned a great deal about teaching, working with children, and managing responsibilities. These opportunities gave me the experiences that define who I am today.
I always dreamt of shaping the world in some tangible way. I pictured myself inventing or discovering something that would serve humanity; however, my experience in Dover has forced me to reconsider that dream. I have witnessed, firsthand, the merits of helping people change the world, enabling others to make a difference. Dover has unveiled the nobility of such work to me, an alternative to single-handedly attempting change. I cannot predict where I will work, whom I will meet, or where life will take me. I do know, nonetheless, that I want to give back to my future community, and return the kindness of the people who helped raise me. Regardless of where I settle down, I aspire to have an impact between my new zero and one – the final frontier.
Just a small break from the exciting news around here for a little rant. I just got an email with the subject “There is still time to apply!”
Really? You’re going to ask a student who has opted out of your mail and phone calls on three separate occasions to send in an application this late in the game?
I’m not that desperate, but it seems they are.
This is likely the most important and substantive post throughout my entire college admissions adventure. I’ll just jump right into it. I’m just going to give some details and analysis - withholding certain data that I feel the need to keep confidential. The Costs for 2008-2009 include room, board, and meal plans.
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Cost for 2008-2009 Year: $50,535
Total Grants & Scholarships: $20,000
Federal Loans & Work-Study: $9,500Unmet Need: $21,035
Lehigh University
Cost for 2008-2009 Year: $49,540
Total Grants & Scholarships: $30050
Federal Loans & Work-Study: $5,200Unmet Need: $14,290
Lafayette College
Cost for 2008-2009 Year: $47,400
Total Grants & Scholarships: $36,350
Federal Loans & Work-Study: $11,000Unmet Need: $50
Tufts University
Cost for 2008-2009 Year: Redacted.
Total Grants & Scholarships: Redacted.
Federal Loans & Work-Study: Redacted.Unmet Need: Redacted.
I’m not comfortable with the packages RPI and Lehigh gave me at all.
As we all know, I obviously love Lafayette. I have not visited Tufts yet, however. Because their package is by far the best I’ve received, I’ll be paying them a visit very soon.
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