#The Blake School Admission Requirements

[aifoxuan]

The Blake School Admission Requirements, Teachers, Alumni, Fees, History

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The Blake School Admission Requirements, Teachers, Alumni, Fees, History

The Blake School Admission Requirements

The Blake School, a distinguished institution with a legacy of academic excellence and character development, upholds rigorous standards in its admission process. Founded on the principles of academic achievement, integrity, respect, and social responsibility, Blake is dedicated to selecting students who not only excel academically but also embrace the values that define the school’s culture.

The admission process at Blake is a comprehensive and thoughtful journey, recognizing that prospective students represent the future of the school and play a crucial role in shaping its community. It seeks to identify individuals who are not only intellectually capable but also possess the qualities of leadership, compassion, and a commitment to making a positive impact on the world.

One of the primary components of the admission process is a thorough evaluation of each applicant’s academic record. Blake seeks students who have demonstrated a strong commitment to their studies, as academic excellence is a cornerstone of the school’s mission. Transcripts, standardized test scores, and teacher recommendations are carefully reviewed to assess the academic preparedness of prospective students.

Additionally, Blake values the holistic development of its students, placing emphasis on extracurricular involvement and personal character. Applicants are encouraged to showcase their diverse talents, interests, and passions outside of the classroom. Participation in clubs, sports, arts, community service, and leadership roles are all taken into consideration during the admission process.

Personal essays and interviews are integral components of the application process, providing applicants with the opportunity to express their values, aspirations, and how they align with Blake’s mission. These elements allow the admission committee to gain insights into the character, motivations, and potential contributions of each applicant.

Furthermore, Blake is deeply committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive community. The school actively seeks students from a wide range of backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. This commitment not only enriches the educational experience but also reinforces Blake’s dedication to preparing students for a global society where diversity is celebrated and respected.

The admission committee at Blake carefully considers each application, understanding that selecting the right students is not only about academic prowess but also about finding individuals who will thrive within the school’s community and actively contribute to its vibrancy.

In conclusion, The Blake School’s admission requirements reflect its mission of academic excellence and character development. It seeks students who not only excel academically but also embody the values of integrity, respect, and social responsibility. The admission process is designed to identify individuals who are poised to make a meaningful impact on the Blake community and beyond, aligning with the school’s commitment to preparing students for a purposeful and engaged life.

The Blake School Teachers

The Blake School, a distinguished institution renowned for its unwavering commitment to academic excellence and character development, owes a significant part of its success to its exceptional teaching faculty. Blake’s teachers are not merely educators; they are mentors, guides, and inspirational figures who play a pivotal role in shaping the school’s vibrant learning community.

Central to Blake’s educational philosophy is the belief in the transformative power of education, and this belief is personified by the dedicated teachers at the school. They bring a wealth of expertise, creativity, and a profound passion for learning into their classrooms, creating an environment where intellectual curiosity thrives. Blake’s teachers are not only experts in their respective fields but also lifelong learners who continually seek to expand their knowledge and skills.

Beyond their roles as instructors, Blake’s teachers serve as mentors who provide invaluable guidance and support to their students throughout their educational journeys. They recognize that education extends far beyond the transmission of knowledge; it is about fostering critical thinking, problem-solving skills, and a sense of purpose that transcends the classroom. These dedicated educators inspire students to explore their passions, engage with complex issues, and develop a deep love of learning that extends well beyond their time at Blake.

One of the distinguishing qualities of Blake teachers is their ability to create inclusive and collaborative learning environments. They encourage students to value diversity, respect differing perspectives, and work together to address real-world challenges. Blake’s teachers understand that the ability to collaborate and communicate effectively is a crucial skill for success in the 21st century, and they actively cultivate these skills within their students.

Moreover, Blake teachers serve as role models for the values that the school holds dear, including integrity, respect, and social responsibility. They exemplify these principles in their interactions with students and in their contributions to the broader community. By modeling these values, Blake teachers instill them in their students, fostering a strong sense of character and ethics that goes hand in hand with academic achievement.

The impact of Blake teachers extends far beyond the classroom. The relationships they build with their students are enduring, often lasting well beyond graduation. Many Blake alumni look back on their time at the school and attribute their personal and professional success to the guidance and inspiration provided by their teachers.

In conclusion, The Blake School’s teachers are the heart and soul of the institution’s commitment to academic excellence and character development. They are more than educators; they are mentors, guides, and inspirations who shape the future leaders and responsible citizens of tomorrow. Their dedication to nurturing well-rounded individuals and fostering a love of learning is a cornerstone of the Blake experience, ensuring that each student receives a transformative and enriching education.

The Blake School Alumni

The Blake School takes immense pride in its alumni community, a remarkable group of individuals whose collective achievements and contributions to society are a source of inspiration for generations to come. As graduates of a school renowned for its commitment to academic excellence and character development, Blake alumni embody the values of integrity, respect, and social responsibility.

One of the distinguishing qualities of Blake alumni is their unwavering commitment to making a positive impact on the world. Beyond their impressive academic and professional accomplishments, Blake graduates share a deep sense of purpose—a drive to give back to their communities and to effect meaningful change on both local and global scales. This commitment to social responsibility is a testament to the values instilled in them during their time at Blake.

The influence of Blake alumni extends across a wide spectrum of fields, showcasing the school’s dedication to producing well-rounded individuals. Graduates have excelled in diverse sectors, including business, healthcare, law, education, the arts, technology, and public service. Their contributions serve as a testament to the school’s mission of preparing students not only for personal success but also for a life dedicated to making a difference.

What sets Blake alumni apart is not only their individual achievements but also their collective sense of community and shared experiences. Alumni often maintain strong connections with the school, returning to share their insights, expertise, and life journeys with current students. This mentorship and support system serve as a vital resource, enabling current students to benefit from the wisdom and experiences of those who have walked the same halls before them.

Beyond their professional endeavors, Blake alumni are known for their active engagement in community and civic life. They champion causes close to their hearts, volunteer their time and expertise, and advocate for positive change. This sense of civic responsibility reflects the values of social engagement and leadership that are cultivated during their years at Blake.

Furthermore, the bonds formed at Blake often evolve into lifelong friendships and collaborations. The sense of belonging and shared experiences fostered within the school’s walls create enduring connections that extend far beyond graduation day. Blake alumni continue to support one another, both personally and professionally, throughout their lives.

In conclusion, The Blake School’s alumni community stands as a living testament to the institution’s mission and values. These individuals have not only achieved impressive success but have also embraced their roles as responsible and compassionate citizens. Their collective impact on society reflects the enduring legacy of a Blake education and serves as a source of inspiration for current students who are poised to follow in their footsteps, carrying the torch of excellence and social responsibility forward into an ever-brighter future.

The Blake School Fees

The Blake School, renowned for its commitment to academic excellence and character development, offers a comprehensive educational experience that prepares students for a future of excellence. Central to this experience is a transparent and flexible fee structure that reflects the school’s dedication to providing a world-class education while ensuring accessibility to a diverse range of families.

Understanding that a Blake education is an investment in a student’s future, the school has designed its fee structure to support its mission and values. Tuition and fees are vital components that sustain the exceptional programs, dedicated faculty, and inclusive learning environment that define the Blake experience. These resources enable Blake to offer students not only a strong academic foundation but also a holistic education that nurtures character, values, and a sense of social responsibility.

The Blake School is committed to financial transparency and affordability. It recognizes that families may have various financial considerations, and as such, it offers a range of financial aid and scholarship opportunities to eligible students. This commitment to accessibility ensures that qualified students can access the transformative educational opportunities that Blake provides, regardless of their financial circumstances.

The fees associated with attending The Blake School are tailored to different grade levels and programs to meet the specific needs of students and their families. Families are encouraged to explore the financial resources available and collaborate closely with the admissions and financial aid offices to gain a comprehensive understanding of the options and support available to them.

One of the hallmarks of Blake’s fee structure is its dedication to creating an inclusive community. The school actively seeks to enroll students from diverse backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. This commitment to diversity enriches the educational experience for all students and underscores the value of inclusivity within the Blake community.

Moreover, The Blake School recognizes that the investment in education extends beyond financial considerations. The school’s commitment to affordability aligns with its broader mission of developing well-rounded individuals who are not only academically prepared but also poised to make a positive impact on the world. Blake students are encouraged to embrace values such as integrity, respect, and social responsibility, ensuring that they become responsible and compassionate citizens.

In conclusion, The Blake School’s fees are a reflection of its commitment to providing an exceptional education that prepares students for a future of excellence. The school is dedicated to financial transparency, affordability, and inclusivity, ensuring that deserving students can benefit from the transformative educational opportunities that Blake offers. By making education accessible to a diverse and talented student body, Blake remains steadfast in its mission to shape the leaders and responsible citizens of tomorrow.

The History of The Blake School

The Blake School, a distinguished institution known for its unwavering commitment to academic excellence and character development, boasts a remarkable history that has shaped its identity as a leading educational institution for over a century. Founded in [Year of Establishment], The Blake School has evolved from its modest beginnings into an esteemed educational institution celebrated for its innovative pedagogy and dedication to nurturing well-rounded individuals.

The early years of The Blake School were characterized by a visionary approach to education that set the foundation for its enduring mission. Its founders recognized that education was not merely about imparting knowledge but also about cultivating character, instilling values, and fostering a sense of social responsibility. These principles became the cornerstones of Blake’s educational philosophy and continue to be central to the school’s mission today.

As the years passed, The Blake School embarked on a journey of growth and adaptation, aligning itself with the evolving needs of its students and society. The school expanded its campuses, attracted and retained a world-class faculty, and embraced innovative pedagogical approaches to ensure that its students received a transformative education that would equip them for success in a rapidly changing world.

One of the defining features of Blake’s history is its steadfast commitment to inclusivity and diversity. The school has actively sought to enroll students from diverse backgrounds, understanding the value of different perspectives in enriching the educational experience. This commitment to inclusivity has contributed significantly to the creation of a vibrant and inclusive community that thrives on mutual respect and understanding.

The legacy of The Blake School is reflected in the achievements of its alumni, who have gone on to excel in various fields and make meaningful contributions to society. They are living testimonials to the enduring impact of a Blake education, embodying the school’s mission of preparing students not only for academic success but also for lives of purpose, integrity, and positive impact.

In conclusion, The Blake School’s history is a narrative of dedication to excellence, values, and a relentless pursuit of educational innovation. It stands as a testament to the enduring mission of nurturing well-rounded individuals who are not only academically prepared but also poised to make a meaningful difference in the world. The school’s history is a source of pride and inspiration, providing a strong foundation for the ongoing pursuit of excellence in education and character development.

[mitigatedchaos]

GPT-7: Thank you for your question!

I have analyzed the file you have uploaded.

The policy vector you have provided is generally referred to as "Genetic Mutual Insurance" by political scientists. It was first implemented as a general policy directive via executive order by Governor Manuel Alvarez of the Texas Free State in 2052.

There were significant questions about ethnic tensions following the breakup of Mexico in the previous decade, the secession of Texas from the weakening United States, and the merger of significant portions of Texas, New Mexico, and the northern Mexican League. GMI was an attempt to address these questions by the leadership at the time.

Alvarez considered the application of low-resolution equity-seeking racial classification schemes to have contributed to the 21st-century Mexican Civil War, which, along with the death of his son in the conflict, encouraged him to support Texas secession. GMI can be viewed as an inversion of these schemes.

Implementation

First, government programs in the Texas Free State were rephrased in terms of insurance or similar styles of program. A number of programs, such as schooling, medical care, and social housing, were shifted to a voucher system.

Second, the genomes of citizens of the Texas Free State were collected. 64 reference genomes were produced in order to divide the population into roughly 64 groups of approximately equal size.

This was used to form 64 risk and revenue pools, which would determine the amount of insurance payment and the size of the insurance payout. There was also a 65th pool for "citizen refused classification."

Though the original intent of the policy was that the evaluation of genetic distance should be continuous, the 64 bucket model was deemed easier to administrate. It was intended that the 64 reference genomes would be updated every ten years, although this did not occur while the policy was in effect.

Third, for each of the 64 reference genomes, each citizen was issued an 8-bit similarity score, including a version normalized across the distribution. This would determine how much of their funding would come from, or go into, each bucket, the size of the vouchers they would receive, and their required amount of payments.

Further plans, in which case workers would be assigned based on similarity, were quietly abandoned.

The Blake Committee, established by Alvarez in 2053 to work out how to enact "continuous autogenetic self-regulation" as an alternative to previous constructions such as national states, reached the conclusion that the fundamental tensions within the system could not be resolved, and wound down in 2057.

Effects

During the time that the policy was in place, gene therapy was becoming cheaper. Citizens with higher genetic proximity to the reference genomes associated with less wealthy, or higher-risk, pools engaged in gene therapy to shift their membership more towards pools with higher revenues and higher payouts. This kind of pool-shifting became a local industry.

However, due to the diverse origins of wealthy citizens in Texas, genetic homogenization did not proceed along one axis. Instead, shifters sought low-cost or perceived high-benefit gene therapies targeting multiple reference genomes, both for themselves, and for their children.

Termination

GMI was terminated in 2067 with the re-admission of Texas into the United States. It was supplanted by the more gene-agnostic "Inheritance Equilibrium Flow, Land & Material Rents" ('ILMR') model for a variety of reasons, including that the incentives for homogenization were considered problematic.

Todd James

During the rule of GMI, 1,086 children were born based on synthesizing the virtual reference genomes into actual DNA, including the popular streamer Todd James. These 'Texan reference genome children' have been subsequently studied by scientists. No special health effects have been found.

[howlingday]

Let's say following the final defeat of Salem and her forces, the remaining 5 Kingdoms (including Menagerie) pull out an "Avengers Accord" gambit to force Huntsmen/Huntresses to become state-sponsored/controlled agents similar to the Ace Ops.

Calling it the Mantle Memorandum, they highlight their reasons:

Greater surveillance against potential extremists (Menagerie & Vacuo).

Financial and operative transparency to prevent corruption(Vale & Mistral).

And keeps a check on Huntsmen/Huntresses from escalating political tensions into catastrophies (battered Atlas).

How would Team RWBY & ORNJ react to these demands?

Avengers-style "Civil War"? Indifferent acceptance? Or bemusement on account of Huntsmen/Huntress strength overall?

So, let's summarize what happens following the defeat of Salem. Upon her defeat, and assuming all of her inner circle are dead, and assuming all our heroes survive, the first thing everyone will do is recover and rebuild.

Atlas and Mantle will come together and form a new Atlas with likely Willow Schnee and Councilwoman Camilla working together to make Atlas as great as it once was. If I had to guess where they would rebuild, I would say the Mantle crater lake with workers living nearby and the civilians squashed in Argus.

Menagerie, with the help of the New Fang led by Ghira Belladonna and Ilia Amitola, becomes established as the fifth kingdom and will aid Atlas in their rebuilding efforts, as part of a "be the bigger person" movement, seeing as Menagerie is now larger than Atlas territory.

Mistral and Vacuo will continue as they are, with Mistral's Haven Academy now under the tutelage of Lil Miss Malachite, and Vacuo's Shade Academy still run by Headmaster Theodore. The former will go along with whatever while still running a criminal underworld while the latter just lets things go as they do so long as Vacuo still does what they do without any outer-Kingdom interference.

Beacon Academy will be fully rebuilt with Glynda Goodwitch remaining as the Headmistress. Overall, nothing too out of the ordinary, with the exception of being more critical of their admissions.

Now, let's talk about this mandatory service and indenturement, Mantle Memorandum. Which should state, as I would assume it to...

"Any and all persons of ages 12 years and older, and of sound mind and body, are required to attend any starter schools as listed in enclosure 1 (one), and any and all persons of 15 years and older, and of sound mind and body, are required to attend any huntsman academy as listed in enclosure 2 (two). Any civilians who do not meet these criteria are to register as auxiliary hunters to perform duties and responsibilities as listed in enclosure 3 (three). Failure to comply will be met with punishments including, but not limited to, manual labor, incareceration, or death as appropriate, as stated in enclosure 4 (four). Any and all fully licensed huntresses and huntsmen are to be registered by an outpost in alliance with the Registration Team (RT), or they may be punished as per enclosure 4. All kingdoms must approve of all candidates for Huntress and Huntsman licensing."

Now for what you're really here for. Your favorite Teams reactions. The issue on the table is the forcing of huntsmen and huntresses to being registered and the tasking of aiding with the approval of all Kingdoms. In other words, no one is going to be fighting off remaining Grimm forces or protecting towns and villages without the approval of the government. RWBY & ORNJ react as follows...

Oscar, or perhaps Ozpin, depending on how the story plays out, would be in support of the Mantle Memorandum, as all of the Kingdoms should pull together to continue to prosper in this new age without Salem. No more secret wars.

Yang would also be in support of this, seeing as there are too many unregistered and criminal forces outside of Salem who need to be kept track of.

Blake is also in support of the Memorandum, as the inclusion of Menagerie means more Faunus can have a say and put in the effort to make a difference for the New Fang.

Weiss is reluctantly supportive as she sees a lot of similarities in the enclosures with the criminal loopholes her father made with his mining operations. However, she is also in the middle of rebuilding Atlas with her mother, providing assistance with her knowledge of Grimm, dust, and Argus-Atlas relations.

Ren is supportive, as this would provide a better chance for villages to not suffer the same fate as his own, or others in Mistral.

Nora is also supportive, but is also very concerned with how dehumanizing this all feels. With the Memorandum, she won't be able to live as freely as she used to, and she isn't sure if that's as good as everyone thinks it is.

Jaune is against the Mantle Memorandum in every possible way. Forcing kids to attend schools for monster hunting with no control over the curriculum, and then forcing them to register so they can be tracked wherever they are? None of it sounds good. Especially with the requirement of all Kingdoms to approve on missions and efforts, when he knows full well what happens when someone disagrees. Jaune refuses to sign his agreement, and remains unregistered.

Ruby supports of the Mantle Memorandum. She understands that having kids attend school will be the best start to ensure another situation like Salem doesn't happen again. The registration process would help the Kingdoms locate and collaborate with one another to ensure the right people are placed in the right job. She understands that the Mantle Memorandum does seem shaky, but it's only a rough draft. There will be laws to help shape things out, and after seeing the trust the Kingdoms placed in both herself and in the others, she is reminded that Remnant will always see what is best for Remnant. She is the first person to sign the Mantle Memorandum.

I hope this gives you an idea of what I'm thinking with this idea of yours.

[itsclydebitches]

Yang is the heart anon again. just combine with last ask say didn't Yang somewhat raise Ruby in the absence of Summer? and thus had well developed motherly instincts? so why the hell didn't those kick in when a little boy barely a year younger than Ruby before she joined Beacon is crying his balls out, collapsed in the snow, and everyone is ganging up on them. that is what Older Siblings are supposed to do yes? sheesh Older Siblings just ditching you? Whitley and Oscar have some common Grounds!

(I, quite obviously, did not end up combining the asks because my inbox is an absolute mess lol). 

I've got complicated feelings about the whole "Yang was forced to raise Ruby" thing. Because, like so much in RWBY, it was tossed out with--from what I recall--very little info and has not been brought up since. Some fans have interpreted Yang's admission as, "Omg she raised Ruby almost entirely by herself" which then fed into the "Tai is a horrible father” narrative. I've always subscribed more to the interpretation of, "As an elder sibling Yang probably did things to help out, obviously is incredibly protective of Ruby, watched her father grapple with depression thereby learning at a young age that parents aren't perfect... and that all translates into her head as 'I raised her.'" What we see though is that Tai is an incredibly devoted father who was very capable of supporting Yang when she needed it. We see that although the girls were able to sneak off (which is possible in ANY family) Qrow was immediately on their heels and ready to save them, undermining the assumption that they were just fending for themselves their entire childhood. The girls obviously had to work through their mother's death, but they never struck me as kids who were also working through an absent/neglectful father, not given their good socialization (going to great huntsmen schools), excitement over receiving mail/Zwei from Tai, and the fact that, as said, this is never again mentioned. You can absolutely make the case that a bad family dynamic can and often does exist despite schooling, gifts, etc. but we’ve never seen the girls reacting or confronting Tai in a way that speaks to that childhood hardship. It could just be that RWBY is bad at depicting that, but Yang's talk with Blake, in the context of the whole show, feels more like her talking about one particularly difficult time that was colored by the intense emotion of childhood, rather than describing the Rose-Xiao-Long norm. 

But anyway, that's a side discussion. The real point---why doesn't older sibling Yang extend any sympathy towards others, particularly when those others look young even if, in Ozpin's case, they're technically not---is a good one. Which just circles back to the issue of the writing not considering who these characters are and how their experiences should be impacting their reactions. Just like Blake should understand Ozpin as an abuse survivor, Yang should feel something for a kid close to Ruby's age struggling through all this; just like Yang should have shown something resembling gratitude for how Ironwood has supported her (perhaps complicated by her suspicions of him), Weiss should be working through equally complicated feelings towards Whitley after her mom's request. Characters have been uniform in their reactions lately, which is disappointing given the breadth of experiences they've had to draw from, and the lack of that nuance means that later attempts fall really flat imo. I can’t be excited over Yang casually leaning an arm on Oscar in Volume 7 when weeks (or even just days) ago in-world she was happy to use him as an emotional punching bag and didn’t care enough to apologize. Or even just demonstrate better behavior later on, such as asking if he’s okay after Jaune attacks him rather than the other way around. The sibling, buddy-buddy nature of Volume 7 (leaning on Oscar, training with Oscar, going to the movies with Oscar) is great on paper and I’m glad large swaths of the fandom really enjoyed it, but it always made me somewhat uncomfortable. Just because it doesn’t feel like those moments were earned. Not after the treatment in Volume 6 and Ozpin’s situation still looming over them. Is Yang going to go back to screaming at them the second she realizes Ozpin is back? That question colors all the cutesy moments for me and Oscar has been treated badly enough since his introduction that these bonding moments, while things I do want, need to come after the group has worked through those previous difficulties. Otherwise it just reads as, “Ah... Oscar is part of the group only after he’s agreed to support them 100% at the Argus house, only while Ozpin is keeping quiet, and only so long as he doesn’t push against Ruby’s decision to lie to Ironwood. There seem to be lot of requirements for him to ‘earn’ not being attacked verbally or physically anymore, let alone actually being included into their team.” 

[bipolarinboston]

Questions about the psych ward you’re afraid to ask

I was inpatient at three different hospitals in the Boston area between 2017 and 2018. Newton Wellesley Hospital (NWH) January 2017, McLean June 2018 and Mass General Hospital (MGH) twice September 2017 and November 2018

What about my phone? In January 2017 NWH did not allow cell phones. I went to the ER (at my hospital, MGH) with my mom in crisis. She had my phone, and kept it with her when they decided to admit me and send me to NWH. If you ended up on this unit with your phone they collected it with your valuables and handed them over to security for the duration of your stay. There were two computers in the OT room that we were allowed to use when the room was staffed. (So beware of logging into sites you had two factor authentication set up for new computers)

The other two places allowed phones with restrictions. At MGH the nurses kept our chargers locked in the laundry closet, all together. I still have my medical id sticker on my charger. If I remember correctly you had to surrender your phone at night. At McLean they supplied their own bank of chargers out in the common areas. We needed to be up and out of bed for vitals before we could use our phones.

You’re encouraged to not be on your phone so much, as you’re there for treatment. It’s hard to strike a balance because I did want to stay on social media, but I didn’t want to say anything about being in the hospital. The first stay at NWH was actually helpful for me as a detox. I do use my phone too much and being psychotic and on social media is not a good mix for me.

What do I wear? I wore my clothes in each unit. But each place had different expectations. At MGH it was perfectly acceptable for you to spend the day in your hospital PJs as long as you kept your hygiene. I hated those PJs, they were too warm and ill fitting so I wore my own clothes during the day.

NWH had an expectation that you were dressed in your own clothes. I remember they had a washer and dryer and staff would assist with laundry. What's important to know is that everything you bring in is screened for contraband and unsafe items. You can't wear clothing with drawstrings and that includes shoelaces. A lot of my sweatpants and hoodies had drawstrings. For one pair of sweats I let them cut the drawstring because I really wanted to wear it.

This is one of the reasons why it's helpful to have family or friends have access to where you live so you can get some creature comforts. And when I heard the laundry machine wasn't the cleanest at MGH I just cycled a few days of clothes with mom.

Do they feed you? Yes and it's hospital food. That means at both NWH and MGH I was given a menu to order each day, like any other patient there. There was also a fridge/cabinet area off the common room for snacks and drinks. Instead at McLean Sodexo had a contract to provide food. There was no menu as they brought meals to the dining room. You didn't have a choice in food but if you had your phone and cash you could call for delivery. There were binders of menus by the entryway. But as someone who has to keep an eye out for crohn's food triggers I did not enjoy having less control over my food.

Where do I sleep? The number of patients on the floor is based on the beds they have. At NWH I had a roommate and we had a room big enough for drawers/shelves, chairs, but shared a desk. We had our own bathroom, but had to be let into a common shower by staff. The unit was pretty old and claustrophobic and the plumbing and heating proved that. At McLean it was similar, except there were common floor bathrooms and showers.

MGH had real adjustable hospital beds and bathrooms with showers attached. Staff will still do their 15 minute checks and will knock on your bathroom door.

Checks? Staff must visually count you every 15 minutes. The person who is assigned that role will usually have a clipboard or list to check everyone off. At night it means opening your room’s door and visually spotting that you’re in bed, alive. After the first couple nights you usually can ignore it.

If you are having a hard time and dealing with suicidal ideation, or intrusive thoughts, you should let staff know. They may put you on a 5 minute list, meaning you’ll see them around more often.

What do I do?   You’ll be assigned a care time to work on a treatment plan. Usually a psychiatrist and nurse will meet with you each morning, sometimes there’s more people like a social worker on your team as well. Whatever brought you to the hospital will be worked on, with the goal to stabilize you. That is their priority. In the meantime between rounds, meds, and meals there are groups scheduled. What’s available depends on the unit you’re in. There could be morning and evening check-ins where you just talk about the day as a group. Could be light exercise or yoga groups. Pet therapy and music therapy break up the day but it's all dependent on staffing levels. The pets are handled by volunteers for example when I saw them at MGH.

Back when I was at NWH I remember there were a lot of groups. From right after breakfast until post dinner check out. At MGH there were far fewer. The big difference was MGH’s visitor policy so the evenings were a lot more open. At NWH there was only a certain time in the evening that family and friends could visit during the week. And yes you’re expected to go to groups. Staff keeps track, and notes will go into your file. It will help, if not right now, then later when your care team sees good progress notes in your file. Even if you’re not into it, it’s a way to pass time and stay out of your room.

Weekends are quiet, sometimes to the point of utter boredom. There’s less activity and you will often just see the doctor on call instead of your assigned team. Depending on staff coverage there might be some structured activity, like open art block but not nearly as much as during the week. They emphasize visitor time.

Can I go outside? Depends on how the unit is set up and staffing. McLean is on a campus and I was there in June so I was lucky to go outside. There was a level of privilege - staff needs to know you're stable enough to go out. NWH had a little enclosed outdoor space that staff worked hard to clear ice from. I was so glad to get out. But unfortunately you can't go outside if you stay at MGH. There's not enough staffing or much of a protocol. Besides, the closest outdoor space to Blake 11 is right at the front entrance where cars do drop off.

What are rounds? All three of the hospitals are teaching hospitals meaning they’re affiliated with a medical school. I didn’t just see a psychiatrist. At the bare minimum I also saw a resident, a doctor who is in training and has picked psychiatry as their specialty. I remember a couple days the doctor let the resident interview me. I am pretty relaxed when it comes to teaching hospitals as I’ve only ever gone to MGH. But they have to ask you for permission. They want you to be involved in your treatment plan and give consent. If you're not comfortable having more bodies in the room then necessary you should speak up. And if you talk to your assigned nurse for the shift they will relay a message to the doctor.

What’s a shift? The floor has to be staffed 24 hours. There are different coverage levels for each shift. Night is the lightest for example as everyone is supposed to be asleep or in their rooms and quiet. Day shift is the busiest, with people running various groups as well as rounds happening. I remember NWH had 3 8 hour shift rotation and MGH had 2 12 hour shift rotation. I remember when I first went to MGH I was so confused because everything was different from NWH. They even called their non nursing staff different terms, probably because of the job requirements.

How long do I stay? Everyone’s treatment plan is different. For example someone who arrived after you may leave before you do. Generally your care team will try to figure out what’s going on and a game plan when you meet them for the first time. I’ve stayed about a week, maybe a little more depending on the stay. I stayed longer at NWH, but it was my first admission and I had a psychotic break while on steroids so it was more complicated. And my last stay at MGH was longer because we were doing a major treatment change, and rediagnosis. I woke up on the unit at MGH again and asked for a sleep study, but the attending had looked through my file of all the other admissions and diagnosed me as bipolar. I switched over to lithium which needed to be monitored and increased slowly.

What's next? For me I went to partial after I was discharged. I remembered as a teen when I was diagnosed with Depression I went to partial after being in the hospital. I found it's helpful to ease the transition. You might have only been hospitalized for a few days but it's a completely different routine. It's like going from 0 miles per hour back to 60 very quickly. Partial is a therapy program set up with structured groups during the day but you sleep at home and commute.

Tips

It is easier staying in the hospital when you can have visitors, especially someone who can bring you things. It is easier to have your phone to coordinate visitors.

Unless your psychiatrist and you agree to prearrange an admission, you will most likely be coming from the ER. Two times of the four I was put into an ambulance and sent to another hospital. The other two times I was sent upstairs to MGH’s unit on Blake 11.

Odds are there is no air conditioning. Don't expect any windows that can open either. Sometimes the temperature in the unit really varies, so you might want to wear layers.

You do not need to make friends. It does help to pass the time if you can talk to people, and you may feel less alone. If there's issues with your roommate you can ask staff for help.

Figure out when the meals should be delivered so you're ready. Sometimes they are late or they forget your tray. Try to be nice no matter what. I've never gotten warm food that was too cold for me but I've heard staff offer to nuke it in the microwave.

If you're at a teaching hospital be prepared for students to visit as well. I saw many nursing students at MGH. I would chat then up. It's a change of pace. I remember a medical student was on my care team and gave me psychological testing.

[josephblakesmithlittlerock123]

Joseph Blake Smith Little Rock | steps to Become Lawyers

steps to Become Lawyers

steps to Become Lawyers, an aspiring lawyer has a variety of options. Even though some individuals pursue a Pre-Law education in college, law schools accept a diverse range of majors. Concentrate on courses and activities that will help you improve your reading. And also technical writing, research, data analysis, logic, and persuading skills. Potential lawyers often earn an undergraduate degree. Score well on the Law School Admissions Test, graduate from law school. And pass the bar examination before pursuing a legal career. Law schools prefer to see instances of student activity and volunteer work in addition to a strong academic record, as this demonstrates that an applicant is well-rounded.

steps to Become Lawyers, Courses at the high school and college levels are rigorous

Because there is no list of courses required for entrance to law school. You can pursue an undergraduate degree you like. However, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, certain high school and college courses are beneficial to a career in law. English, political science, and economics are among them. Courses in science and math can help you improve your critical thinking abilities. Because you’ll be dealing directly with clients, judges, and juries, communication. And public speaking classes can help you gain confidence and composure. Working on research projects and joining a debate team can help you develop the skills. You’ll need to analyze case law and make an argument.

For More....

#JBlakeSmithLittleRockArkansas #josephblakesmith #JosephBlakeSmithLittleRock #josephblakesmithAR #JosephBlakeSmithArkansas #JosephBlakeSmithLittleRockArkansas

#josephblakesmithlittlerockAR #BlakeSmithAR #BlakeSmithArkansas #J.BlakeSmith #BlakeSmithLittleRockArkansas #J.BlakeSmithAr #J.BlakeSmithArkansas

blake smith AR Blake Smith Little Rock Arkansas J. Blake Smith J. Blake Smith Arkansas joseph blake smith Joseph Blake Smith Arkansas Joseph Blake Smith Little Rock

[cric-heroes]

Top 6 Best Cricket Academies in India

Cricket is not the National Sport of India, but the Indian craze for Cricket is unavoidable. It is evident in every city and state of India. Millions of teenage girls dream of becoming cricketers and participating in international and national tournaments such as the T-20 World Cup and IPL.

Many Cricket Academies have been established to help students realize their dreams. 

Here is a list of the Top 6 Cricket Academies.

Top 6 Cricket Academies In India

Students can grow and develop through cricket or any other sport. Students can improve their mental and physical health by being active in sports. A Cricket or sports academy can help you improve your skills.

These are the top 6 Indian Cricket Academies

Karnataka Institute of Cricket

Karnataka Institute of Cricket was founded in 1996 by Mohammad Azharuddin, an ex-Indian captain. It is regarded as one of the top cricket schools in Bangalore, and the best in India. KIOC is still in operation all year. Five sessions are offered per day by the academy.

These are the characteristics of the Karnataka Institute of Cricket.

20 nets are available for cricket with turf pitches, artificial turf pitches and cement pitches. Six bowling machines, Speed Check Radar and video analysis, as well as sports analysis software.

The building has floodlights for late training sessions, hostel facilities, and a dedicated canteen that is open all year round for 15 hours per day.

Recently, the academy expanded its infrastructure to allow for more players and to train staff. This academy is one of the top cricket coaching academies.

KIOC organizes tournaments at different levels and age groups in order to expose students to other players and institutions - national and international. KIOC promotes women's n Karnataka.

Check Best Cricket Academies in Mumbai 

Madan Lal Cricket Academy

The academy's name is after a famous Indian test cricketer. India's premier cricket academy is located in New Delhi. It accepts only highly skilled players. The academy aims to develop talented young cricketers into world-class players.

These are the characteristics of Madan Lal Cricket Academy

The academy has 60 students in each batch of 20. The age of the students is what divides the batches.

You can also arrange for one-to-one practice sessions with Madan Lal, an ex-Indian cricketer.

Blake Moore, who is internationally regarded as the best junior coach, and Andrew Dawson (a highly qualified coach from Australia), are the academy's two head coaches.

The academy boasts four turf wickets and three concrete wickets, two bowling machine, all the equipment required by the students and faculty, as well as video analysis software.

Both bowlers and batters are trained on different pitches and in different conditions.

The academy organizes matches for students during school vacations and corporate matches. It also organizes tournaments with other institutions.

Hostel services are not offered by the academy.

The academy is open seven days a week. Admissions are open to all ages, except those below 15.

Check Best Cricket Academy in Ahmedabad

National Cricket Academy Bangalore

The National Cricket Academy is situated in Chinna swamy Stadium in Bangalore. It was established in 2000 by the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) as a training facility. This academy has the best facilities in all categories: infrastructure, equipment, training, education and video assistance. Here you can also see the National team practicing.

These are the characteristics of National Cricket Academy Bangalore.

The NCA is often used by state-level and national players to recover from injuries or bad form.

The faculty includes ex-players and cricket experts who aim to make a student a perfect player. Anyone who doesn't possess these skills will be rejected.

Regular seminars and lectures are offered by the NCA, which also includes practicals. Sessions include sessions on time management and stress management as well as career guidance. Regular exams and tests are also offered.

The NCA's head is Rahul Dravid. He led the U19 team to glory at the world cup. However, he has not been appointed to any official position in the academy.

The NCA offers hostel facilities for students and other players. Below are the fees for national cricket academy.

Check Best Cricket Academies in Bengaluru

Sehwag Cricket Academy

Sehwag Cricket Academy was named after an ex-cricketer. It is situated in Haryana's Jhajjar district. The academy was founded by Virendra Sehwag in 2011 to offer the best education and training for his students. It is amazing. All equipment is available for faculty and students. Floodlights have been installed at the academy to allow students and faculty to train even after dark. The Sehwag Cricket Academy in India is reputed to be world-famous.

These are the main features of Sehwag Cricket Academy

The academy has partnered up with a software company that will offer video analysis of students' performances. There are four groups of training at the academy, which are divided according to their age.

Every week, training sessions are held. There are also weekend and after-school programs. This academy is a tough competitor due to its high fees for the Porbandar cricket academy. The Virendra Sehwag Cricket Academy is one of India's best.

Students will have the opportunity to train one-to-one with Sehwag and other international and national players.

Interactive sessions are offered by the academy with game experts. Students can also benefit from the wisdom and experience of retired players. Parents are kept informed about the progress of their children's educations.

The academy organizes matches and tournaments in the local area. The academy runs a summer camp that lasts 10 days in May. Accommodation will be provided to students who attend the academy.

Check Best Cricket Academies in Pune

VB Cricket Academy

VB Cricket Academy is named for V B Chandrasekhar (a famous Tamil Nadu cricketer), who founded the academy in 1997. Bobby Sampson, an ex-Australian player who was also a coach, inaugurated the academy. The academy offers training for its students in a group that is divided according to their age.

These are the key features of VB Cricket Academy

These drills aim to increase the fielding skills of players in anticipation, running, throwing, positioning, running and catching.

The coaches help students improve their line length and speed, as well as develop pace and swing. They also advise them on how to anticipate batsmen's next shots, and apply pressure to both right-handed and left-handed players. The VB cricket academy is very popular.

The academy offers Summer Training Camps. Camps are also held on weekends. Technology assistance such as video analysis can be used. There are many options for physical conditioning and physiotherapy using the most recent equipment. They are also highly qualified.

Rahul Dravid created a program called "The Nest" in 2001. This unique program, which was developed by the faculty for young players, is exclusive to the academy.

Check Best Cricket Academies in Delhi

Gen Next Cricket Institute

Gen-Next's goal is to create a high-quality cricket infrastructure in Chennai, so that all children have access the equipment and facilities associated with the sport. The institute aims to develop the skills of children. The vision of the founder is for there to be 2 to 3 nets in various locations, which will be easily accessible to all members of the public, including children.

These are the key features of Gen-Next Cricket Academy.

Five centers are located in Chennai, and two in UAE (Dubai & Sharjah). The cricket institute is a school.

There are 12 nets at the institute: 7 turf wickets and 4 concrete wickets. The institute is well-known for its flagship programs. The Evolve program is for children aged 6-9 years.

Evolve graduates can apply to another program, called Intermediate. This program is for children aged 10-14 years old.

The final stage of the program is called "High Performance". This program is for students aged 14 years and older. The program is rigorous and systematic, using the most advanced technology and equipment. It also includes coaching.

Vision 2020 is an institute program that seeks to identify future talents and trains them at the institute. Summer Slam is a summer training camp where players who excel can be enrolled into programs such as High Performance or Vision 2020.

[bensolodefensesquad]

I didn't realize you went to film school!? Any advice on getting in? I would love to go to USC but realize the difficulty of that

Hah well... I actually made the mistake of going to a for-profit art school so getting in was as easy as signing a check. Luckily for me, my teachers were all people who'd gotten amazing educations themselves, and worked in the industry, so despite the sketchiness of The Art Institutes as a company, I was still afforded an amazing opportunity to get a great education.I don't have much advice in the way of getting into film school or the like, and I'm notnsure if you're in high school, or already done but wanting to continue yoir education but just work as hard as you can. If you get the chance, try to talk to someone in admissions to see what they're looking and what is required. Above all, stay persistent! Keep trying! If film is what you want to do, never give up.And remember - a formal education is great, but if you can't get in, or it's not financially feasible, there are resources out there like NoFilmSchool that can teach you the ins and outs of filmmaking, tons of youtube channels, and tons of books. For screenwriting, a great one is Save the Cat! by Blake Snyder, and for quick and dirty filmmaking on the cheap, The Guerilla Filmmaker's Pocketbook is fantastic and informative.I'm sorry I couldn't be more help with applying to an actual university, but I hope you succeed with your goals in the future!! ♡♡

[joie-university-rp]

Dear, RYDER LYNN ,

It is with great pleasure we invite you admission to Joie University! Welcome to the Thunderclap family!

–

Congratulations, KRISTINA! Please be sure to check the New Members’ Checklistand send in your character’s account within 24 hours from now. We cannot wait to see all that you will bring to this roleplay! We love you already!

OOC INFORMATION:

Name/Alias; preferred pronouns: Kristina, she/her

Age, Timezone:  28, CST

Activity, short explanation: I am usually on if I am not a work or those rare ocassions that I have a life

Ships: Chemistry

Anti-Ships: No chemistry, forced

Triggers: None

Preferred photo for Character’s ID (please give a link):https://66.media.tumblr.com/6d3bf9ffaa38cd5d0639db5fac3fc1d7/tumblr_pu90qb29RN1vpv6ryo1_250.png

Anything else:

IC INFORMATION:

Full Name (First, Middle, Last):  Ryder Alexander Lynn

FC: Blake Jenner

Age/Year at University: 19/Sophomore

Birth date: August 27

Hometown (please be sure to check the hometowns listed for characters your muse is related to!): Orlando, FL

Gender/Pronouns: Male, He/Him

Sexuality: Bisexual

Major(s): Medical Sciences

Minor(s) [optional]:

Housing request (remember, only the president of a Greek Organization is required to live at a Greek House to be in it!): Single suite

Extracurriculars (Click here for the list. Be sure to specify any executive board positions [i.e. president, secretary, etc.] If something isn’t listed, please put it here and we will add it to the masterlist!): Drama club, LGBT+ Association

Greek Life Affiliation [optional] (Please be sure to specify any executive board positions [i.e. president, pledge educator, etc.] or if your character is not yet a member, but plans to rush):

CHARACTER PROFILE:

Ryder grew up always wanting to please his dad with everything he did. All he wanted was for his dad to tell him he was proud of him. It was never easy, especially since he had trouble reading and it affected his grades which made his dad ever harder on him. It wasn’t until his sophomore year of high school that he admitted to not being able to read. After that he was tested and diagnosed with dyslexia. Since then he began to receive help and his grades improved greatly.

During his sophomore year of high school, he was convinced to join the school musical which introduced him to loving acting for the first time ever. After doing the musical he knew he wanted to be an actor. He even managed to convince his parents to put him in acting classes. His dad always saw it as a silly thing but let him take the classes while in High School. Due to Ryder always wanting to please his parents, especially his dad, he decided to give up that dream and study to be a doctor like his dad has always wanted. Deciding acting was just a hobby and won’t happen once he’s completely out of school.

Ryder realized he was bisexual around the age of 17 when he started to crush on his first boy that he met in his acting class. It took him a while but he admitted to the guy that he liked him and they dated for a short time. He was scared to come out of the closet in fear of his dad finding out and disowning him. To this day, he has yet to come out to his parents despite 100% accepting himself as not the straight guy his parents believed and wanted him to be.

STUDENT CENSUS SURVEY:

(Please answer the following questions IN CHARACTER. Responses can be as long or short as you see fit!)

What made you want to attend Joie University? It  was the college my parents met at and my dad told me while it wasn’t exactly Ivy League, it was still a good college and encouraged  me to apply.

What are at least 3 positive or neutral and at least 3 negative traits that you believe you possess? Positive: Kind, Caring, Charismatic. Negative: Impulsive, Naive,  appeasing

Which of your traits do you value most? I value that I am caring and kind

How can that trait benefit the University (or its student body) as a whole? It can benefit me because I am studying to become a doctor, which is something I need to use my caring trait for, also kindness because it might make people want to be around me.

What do you hope to gain from your experience at JU?  I hope to gain a good education that helps me in my future and be the best doctor I can be. Also the super cliche answer which would be to make lifelong friends.

What is a quote or song lyric that describes you? “We accept the love we think we deserve.”

[firstyearscholarsyale]

Collection materials we looked at physically

All of the materials we looked at physically in the Gates classroom are from the collections in Manuscripts and Archives, Sterling Memorial Library. They’re listed below chronologically from oldest to most recent.

“Account of the cost of New College, 1748-1752, by President Clap,” notebook.  [Thomas Clap, President of Yale College, Records (RU 130), Box 1, folder 7]. The “New College” referred to here is now known as Connecticut Hall. Note the charges for “Strong Drink” on page 41 and the documentation of the use of African Americans, who presumably were slaves, on page 47.

Minutes of a special meeting of the President and Fellows of Yale-College, 21 July 1761. [Yale University Corporation and Prudential Committee Minutes (RU 307), Box 5, folder 1]. The meeting, among other topics, address putting “a stop to those vicious and extravagant practices, which have for many years past attended the public Commencements,” practices that evidently involved the consumption of “strong drink” by the candidates for the Bachelor of Arts degree.

The Laws of Yale-College, In New-Haven, In Connecticut, Enacted by the President and Fellows (New-Haven: Printed by Thomas and Samuel Green, 1774). The Laws essentially functioned as a catalog for Yale College in the 18th century, listing admission requirements, the course of study, fees, and regulations for student behavior. 1774 was the first year the Laws were published in English. Previously they were published in Latin and students had to translate them as part of their activities in their first year of college. 

The Student’s Companion, Numbers I-IV (January-April 1831). This bound volume contains the only issues of one of the earliest publications by students of Yale College, which was edited by The Knights of the Round Table, supposedly a group of nine students who remained anonymous.  It contains historical accounts, short stories, poetry, book reviews, and philosophical reflections all published under pseudonyms. The entire publication was, by the close of the 1831 school year, revealed to be the single-handed work of David Francis Bacon (Class of 1831). See especially the four-part article “The History of Yale College” (parts begin on pages 18, 64, 112, and 161).

Letterbook containing correspondence from, among others, Alexander Smith Johnson (Class of 1835) to his father (Alexander Bryan Johnson, a Utica, New York, banker and businessman) and mother (Abigail Louisa Smith Johnson, granddaughter of President John Adams) while he was a student at Yale College, 1831-1835. [Alexander Bryan Johnson Papers (MS 741), Box 1, folder 1]. Accompanying typed sheet indicates all letters in the bound volume from Alexander Smith Johnson, their date, and page number, on topics including cholera in New Haven (17 July 1832), the completion of Yale’s Trumbull Gallery (20 February 1833), and the visit of President Andrew Jackson to New Haven (17 June 1833).

The Yale Gallinipper, Volume 1, Numbers 1-2 (February-March 1846). The Gallinipper was a sharp-witted “humor” journal published anonymously and critical of Yale’s administration, faculty, and students. A gallinipper is a female mosquito, the one that bites, and after many decades it was revealed that it was produced by three well-connected young women from New Haven who had family ties to Yale: Louisa Torrey (future mother of William Howard Taft), Henrietta Blake (great-niece of Eli Whitney), and Olivia Day (daughter of Yale’s president Jeremiah Day).

Class album, Yale College Class of 1878, volume 2, containing photographs of New Haven and the Yale campus, 1878. These photographs depict Yale at a time when the Old Brick Row buildings of the 18th and early 19th centuries were beginning to be torn down to make room for the more “modern” Old Campus buildings we know today.

Scrapbook of Yale memorabilia of Charles Locke Scudder (Class of 1882), 1878-1882. 

Yale Daily News, Volume V (September 1881-July 1882).

Folder of correspondence from Herbert Brewster Fuller (Class of 1900) written while he was a student at Yale, 1898. [Herbert Brewster Fuller Papers (MS 1644), Box 1, folder 3].

Scrapbook and diary of Paul Stetson Phenix (Class of 1916), Volume 1, documenting his activities during his senior year at Yale, 1915-1916.  [Yale Student Scrapbook Collection (RU 138), Accession 1983-A-109, Box 1].

Yale Daily News, Volume XXXXI (September 1917-June 1918).

Minutes of Yale University committees on preparation for war service, 1942-1943. [Charles Seymour, President of Yale University, Records (RU 23), Box 184, folder 27].

Folder of correspondence, mainly from Yale alumni, to Yale president A. Whitney Griswold relating to the arrest of Yale chaplain William Sloane Coffin, Jr., during his Freedom Rides activism across the southern states, May-August 1961. [Alfred Whitney Griswold, President of Yale University, Records (RU 22), Box 51, folder 483].

Folder of correspondence, mainly from Yale alumni, to Yale president Kingman Brewster, Jr., relating to the awarding of an honorary degree by Yale to the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., at the 1964 Commencement exercises, June-August 1964. [Kingman Brewster, Jr., President of Yale University, Records (RU 11), Box 126, folder 14].

Black Student Alliance at Yale (BSAY), founding days correspondence, articles, AFAM program proposals, 1968-1969. [Afro-American Cultural Center at Yale Records (RU 957), Box 1, folder 11].

Student Committee on Human Sexuality. Sex and the Yale Student, booklet, 1970.

Yale Daily News, Volume XCI (September 1969-May 1970).

Strike Newspaper, 23 April-6 May 1970. [May Day Rally and Yale Collection (RU 86), Accession 2012-A-028, Box 2, folder 7].

Transcript of an oral history interview with Connie Gersick, 5 June 2009. [Oral Histories Documenting Yale University Women (RU 1051), Accession 2012-A-042, Box 1]. Gersick moved to New Haven in 1969 to be closer to her boyfriend and future husband, then a Yale undergraduate. She was hired to work as an assistant to the director of Yale’s Office on the Education of Women during the first years of coeducation at Yale. In 1975 Gersick herself was appointed as director of this office, a post she held for two years before returning to graduate school.   

[whittlebaggett8]

The college admissions scandal highlights just how much even successful people believe elite educations matter, Defence Online

caption

William ‘Rick’ Singer leaves Boston Federal Court immediately after staying charged with racketeering conspiracy, income laundering conspiracy, conspiracy to defraud the United States, and obstruction of justice on March 12, 2019 in Boston, Massachusetts. Singer is among numerous charged in an alleged school admissions fraud involving moms and dads, ACT and SAT directors and coaches at universities which include Stanford, Georgetown, Yale, and the College of Southern California.

source

Picture by Scott Eisen/Getty Photos

Amid the 33 mother and father indicted as component of the college admissions scandal, the greater part of them gained their bachelor levels, and a lot of went to law or small business university for bigger levels.

Jonathan Ginsberg, the COO of Outside of Education and learning Consulting, told INSIDER that there is a ton of outward force on parents to get their small children into top-ranking universities.

The mothers and fathers indicted as element of the scandal are accused of bribing higher education coaches and entrance exam officers to get their little ones admitted into higher-status universities that they most likely would not have gotten into based mostly on their teachers by itself.

Stop by INSIDER.com for additional tales.

The college admissions scandal has not only highlighted the serious lengths mothers and fathers will go to get their young children into top rated universities, but also how considerably prosperous people value elite and position-centered educations.

Between the 33 mothers and fathers indicted as portion of the university admissions scandal, the greater part of them gained undergraduate degrees, and numerous sought higher education and learning via legislation university and small business college.

But when it arrived to their children’s educations, as an alternative of looking at what faculty would best suit their academic wants, mother and father are accused of bribing college coaches and entrance exam officers to get them admitted into bigger-standing universities that they possible would not have gotten into based on their teachers by yourself.

Some parents, like Marcia Abbott and Gordon Caplan, dreamed of their youngsters pursuing their footsteps at their alma maters, areas like Duke and Cornell, in accordance to a felony complaint launched by the US Attorney’s Office environment for the district of Massachusetts.

Jonathan Ginsberg, the COO of Past Instruction Consulting, instructed INSIDER that there’s a large amount of outward stress on moms and dads to get their little ones into best-position universities, primarily in social circles where the bulk went to elite educational institutions.

Read through far more: Here’s the entire checklist of individuals charged in the faculty admissions cheating scandal, and who has pleaded responsible so considerably

“There’s a tremendous social strain …. They don’t want many others to assume ‘How could they do that but not elevate their young children to be equipped to do it,’” Ginsberg told INSIDER. “It’s not their birthright, but often it’s perceived that way, that we must do it at all costs.”

Ginsberg stated while some moms and dads could worry that they could be environment their youngsters up for failure by receiving them into colleges they are not academically prepared for, quite a few likely believe that their kids will be just high-quality.

He claimed mothers and fathers could feel that their children will tumble into non-arduous majors or get helped along by school administration.

“[Students] normally instances experience great force, or there is this Imposter syndrome,” Ginsberg claimed. “Inevitably there is not a ‘Once I’m in I’ll be OK’ … That’s not the case.”

Economists Stacy Dale and Alan Krueger printed a 2011 review revealing that attending a hugely selective college or university benefited users of underprivileged and underrepresented teams, like to start with-technology students and minorities, but attending an elite institution wasn’t necessary for success for upper-course groups.

Dr. Eric Endlich, a Boston-place psychologist and founder of Best University Consultants, explained to INSIDER that the children whose mother and father have been indicted as part of the scandal would have experienced an advantage devoid of an elite training “because their mother and father have the methods and connections to enable them as needed.”

Ginsberg additional that an elite college isn’t every thing – college students need to obtain a school which is a excellent match for them individually.

“College is a tool for anything in the long term,” he reported. “College is hardly ever the objective. If the ideal thing on your resume for your total lifetime is heading to a leading university, I imagine most people today would contemplate that very not profitable.”

Here’s a breakdown of where by every guardian went to faculty, and in which they’re accused of making an attempt to get their kids into by the plan.

Gregory and Marica Abbott: Gregory Abbott went to Princeton College, and Marcia Abbott went to Duke College. In accordance to courtroom documents, the Abbots hoped their daughter would get into Duke.

Gamal Abdelaziz: Abdelaziz attended the College of Cairo. According to court files, he wished his daughter admitted into the University of Southern California.

Diane and Todd Blake: Todd Blake attended Vanderbilt College for undergraduate university, and the University of Michigan’s Ross Faculty of Organization for his master’s in small business. It is unclear if or where Diane attended faculty. In accordance to court paperwork, the Blakes wanted their daughter to go to USC.

Jane Buckingham: Buckingham attended Duke University. According to court documents, Buckingham preferred her son to be admitted to USC.

Gordon Caplan: Caplan went to Cornell College for his undergraduate degree. He been given his regulation degree from Fordham College. According to court docket files, he required his daughter to observe his footsteps and go to Cornell.

I-Hsin “Joey” Chen: It is unclear the place or if Chen attended college. Court docket documents really don’t condition data about what college he desired his son to attend.

Robert Flaxman: Flaxman attended USC. In accordance to courtroom documents, he needed his son to be admitted into the University of San Diego. It’s unclear exactly where he desired his daughter to go to college.

Gregory and Amy Colburn: Gregory Colburn attended the College of California, Los Angeles. It is unclear the place or if Amy Colburn attended college. Courtroom documents do not expose wherever the Colburns preferred their son to go to school.

Mossimo Giannulli and Lori Loughlin: Giannulli was recognized into USC but explained in a 2016 job interview that he did not go to lessons and pocketed the cash presented to him by his father for faculty to start off a t-shirt line. It is unclear where or if Loughlin went to school. Their daughters, Isabella and Olivia Jade Giannulli, have been admitted into USC.

Manuel and Elizabeth Henriquez: Manuel Henriquez attended Northeastern University. It is unclear wherever or if Elizabeth Henriquez attended school. According to courtroom documents, they needed one particular of their daughters to go to Georgetown.

Douglas Hodge: Hodge attended Dartmouth Faculty for his undergraduate degree, and Harvard Company College for his master’s diploma. According to courtroom paperwork, he needed his little ones to attend USC and Georgetown.

Felicity Huffman: Huffman attended New York College. According to courtroom files, her wife or husband, William H. Macy, who is not named in the fit, talked about their daughter possibly attending Georgetown.

Agustin Huneeus, Jr.: Huneeus, Jr. attended College of California, Berkeley. According to court docket documents, he preferred his daughter to go to USC.

Bruce and Davina Isackson: Bruce Isackson attended UCLA, even though Davina Isackson attended the University of Miami. In accordance to court docket paperwork, they wanted their daughter to attend UCLA.

Michelle Janavs: Janavs attended USC. In accordance to courtroom paperwork, she required her daughter to show up at USC.

Elisabeth Kimmel: Kimmel obtained her bachelor’s degree from Stanford and her law diploma from Harvard Regulation University. In accordance to court files, she desired her daughter to get into Georgetown and her son into USC.

Marjorie Klapper: It is unclear the place or if Klapper attended university. Court files really don’t point out details about what school she desired her son to attend.

Toby MacFarlane: It is unclear in which or if MacFarlane went to higher education. In accordance to court docket files, he needed his son and daughter to be admitted into USC.

William E. McGlashan, Jr.: McGlashan attended Yale and been given his MBA from the Stanford Graduate College of Small business. According to courtroom paperwork, he desired his son to get into USC.

Marci Palatella: It is unclear wherever Palatella attended faculty. In accordance to courtroom files, she desired her son to be admitted into USC.

Peter Jan Sartorio: It is unclear wherever or if Sartorio attended college or university. Court documents do not state where he desired his daughter to be acknowledged.

Stephen Semprevivo: Semprevivo attended Harvard for his undergraduate degree and his MBA. According to court docket paperwork he desired his son to show up at Georgetown.

Devin Sloane: It is unclear wherever or if Sloane attended university. According to court docket documents, he desired his son to get into USC.

John B. Wilson: Wilson attended Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute for his bachelor’s degree, and Harvard Business enterprise University for his MBA. In accordance to courtroom documents, he required his son to get into USC.

Homayoun Zadeh: Zadeh attended UCLA for his bachelor’s diploma and went to USC for dental faculty. In accordance to courtroom documents, he required his daughter to get into USC.

Robert Zangrillo: Zangrillo been given his bachelor’s diploma from the University of Vermont and his MBA from Stanford’s Graduate Faculty of Small business. According to court paperwork, he required his daughter to get into USC.

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[wizardhq]

MERLIN’S BEARD! Did you see MARIGOLD, also known as GOLDIE/GOLDIELOCKS, rocking the HUFFLEPUFF house colors in class today? How they manage to look so fit, while studying their arse off during their FIFTH YEAR of schooling, is beyond me. The SIXTEEN year old student is certainly making the VAN ZON family proud, aren’t they? One time, I heard someone say they look a lot like some muggle, BLAKE LIVELY– whoever that is. (yeah uh huh u know it iz)

for hufflepuff, hard workers were most worthy of admission– the SORTING HAT has spoken ! join your house in six hours, MARIGOLD VAN ZON, or one of those pesky first years will snatch your spot at the table. don’t forget to make sure you packed all of yourSUPPLIES after arriving at your dorms, & if necessary, a time-turner may be used if you require an extension !

ooc: welcome to the rp, SHANNON ! please make sure you read the entirety of the  linked checklist above, and follow its instructions before sending your account !

[naturecoaster]

Young Man Fundraises for Bald Eagles at Wildlife State Park

Guest Article by Kate Spratt, Park Services Specialist Ellie Schiller Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park is fortunate to have many forms of support from the surrounding community, including donations of time from volunteers and monetary donations to our citizen support organization. Donations come from friends and family or visitors who enjoyed their time at the park and are used in various ways, from purchasing meal worms for wildlife diets to enhancing habitats with native plants.

Young Man Fundraises for Bald Eagles at Wildlife State Park

In early April, a young man with a wide, kind smile dressed in an American flag hat and shirt came to visit the State Park. He walked into the Visitor Center and with great pride presented Sue Buchheister, President of the Friends of Homosassa Springs Wildlife Park, with a bag full of coins labeled “Eagle Fund”. Meet Blake Josic. At seven and one-half years old, Blake is committed to making a difference. He and his family travel to Florida annually and their trip always includes a stop at Ellie Schiller Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park. Blake said that he remembers coming here “forever” and he always enjoys seeing all of the animals. Several years ago, Blake lost a family member whom he was very close to – his Grandpa. Blake’s Grandpa worked on planes in the Air Force and shared stories about his time in the service; the Air Force emblem, complete with its bald eagle, was well known by Blake. When the Josic family visited the State Park in 2018, Blake was drawn straight to the bald eagle exhibit. “The eagles remind me of my grandpa,” says Blake. It was then that the youngster with a wide, kind smile made the decision to make a difference. “I wanted to help them. I wanted to raise money so they have food, shelter, and a big flag.” Young Blake returned home and set out on a mission to raise money for the bald eagles at a State Park hundreds of miles from his home. He asked friends, family, and anyone that would listen to donate money to help “his eagles.” Blake researched eagles for school projects, read every eagle book he could find, and learned all that he could about “the greatest bird and symbol of our USA.” He saved all year, depositing each coin into a special acrylic donation box adorned with eagle stickers, American flags, and labeled “Blake’s Eagles.” When it was time for their annual trip, Blake had reached his goal – he had saved $100.00 for the eagles. The Friends of Homosassa Springs Wildlife Park and the managers, park rangers, staff, and volunteers of Ellie Schiller Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park thank Blake for his dedication, determination, and compassion for our bald eagles. His donation will help replace the American flag in the bald eagle exhibit and provide additional food for our wildlife. When asked what he would tell other kids to encourage them to raise money for something they are passionate about, Blake says “make sure that you really want to do this and to make sure that you absolutely get enough money. Everyone should be a good friend to the animals.” Interested in learning about eagles? Join us on Thursday, June 20th for a program about bald eagles. Volunteer Sue Bathauer will share information on eagles and how you can help them. The program will be held in the Wildlife Encounter Pavilion at 10:30AM. The program is free to attend, however regular admission is required to get into the park. At the end of the program, there will be a drawing for ten attendees to go on a “Behind the Scenes” tour. For more information on the program, call the Park office at 352-628-5343. Read the full article

[theconservativebrief]

Listen to this story as an episode of the Impact, a Vox podcast about how policy affects people’s lives, hosted by Sarah Kliff.

GREENVILLE, South Carolina — When Amy Crockett was in high school, she shadowed an obstetrician for a day, and absolutely loved all the state-of-the-art technology she saw.

“I knew right away that was the coolest for me,” she says.

Crockett ended up deciding pretty early: She wanted to be a doctor who worked with pregnant women. She went through medical school and residency, and kept learning about other cool technologies. “A lot of things I was seeing in training were like, in utero surgery for spinal cord defects and lasers to treat Twin-Twin transfusion,” she remembers.

When Crockett first started her job running a women’s clinic here in the mid-2000s, South Carolina was one of the most dangerous places for a baby to be born. It had the 49th worst infant mortality rate in the United States in 2005, doing better than only Mississippi. Rural counties had infant mortality rates similar to Third World countries.

Crockett began running an experiment to try to fix this problem. But her solution wasn’t driven by a new technology or innovation. It was much simpler than that: She had women in her clinic do their prenatal care visits in big, group appointments. The visits last two hours, and look a lot more like a support group than a traditional doctor visit.

In CenteringPregnancy, pregnant women have their prenatal care delivered in big, group visits.

Shambreea Pryor, of Greenville, has her stomach measured to help document the growth and development of her pregnancy.

Dr. Amy Crockett has spread the CenteringPregnancy program across South Carolina.

It’s a seemingly minor intervention — but it’s made a difference. Her research shows that these women have significantly better outcomes than those who receive traditional, one-on-one prenatal care. Their babies are less likely to be premature, which significantly lowers their risk of death.

South Carolina’s infant deaths have declined 28 percent since 2005. South Carolina has risen from 49th in state rankings up to 37th. While it’s hard to pinpoint one reason for that change, it’s all happened as the state has embraced public health experiments like Crockett’s.

“South Carolina has absolutely been at the forefront, from a state perspective,” says Jessica Lewis, a health researcher at Yale University whose research focuses on infant health. “I think they do serve as a model for what can be done nationwide.”

Crockett’s approach to improving health outcomes cuts against the American health care system’s obsession with the latest technology and expensive pills.

Her choice intervention — 12 pregnant women, sitting and talking in a circle of folding chairs — isn’t fancy at all. It isn’t expensive either. But there’s early evidence it could save babies’ lives.

Earlier this year, a team of researchers from Johns Hopkins University published a stunning paper in the journal Health Affairs.

They found that babies born in the United States are 76 percent more likely to die before their first birthday than babies born in our peer countries, like Canada, France, or Japan.

“I think a lot of people have this idea that children are probably healthy in the U.S.,” says, Ashish Thakrar, one of the study authors. “It turns out, that’s not true. The U.S. is one of the worst performers in terms of infant mortality.” Thakrar’s study finds that the leading cause of infant death in the United States is prematurity: babies born before 37 weeks of pregnancy.

“The rate at which US infants are dying from prematurity is three times the rate as in other countries,” he says.

With the name of their soon-to-be-born son written across her warming back pillow, Brookelyn Mitchell-Briggs and her husband, Jeffery Briggs, jot down some of the family traditions they want to continue with their own children.

Babies born early have worse outcomes than those who spend more time in utero. Their lungs are less likely to be fully developed, and their bodies less able to retain heat. Premature babies are more likely to get sick, and more likely to die.

America’s high preterm birth rate is, in part, driven by the fact American doctors will sometimes try to deliver extremely premature babies as early as 22 weeks of pregnancy because we have the technology that might keep these children alive. Other countries would consider such early births a miscarriage.

But this is not the entire story: Thakrar says that the data shows that these extremely early births account for only a small fraction (about 1 percent) of infant deaths. Something else is going on.

A growing body of research suggests it has to do with American women — especially low-income and minority women — experiencing greater stress during their pregnancy due to the lack of social supports.

The theory, essentially: A less-stressed out body might be one where a tiny, developing human wants to spend a little more time.

Megan Landreth, LeAnna Corley (a nurse practitioner student), Guadalupe Ascevedo, and Tianna Blakely (left to right) participate in an activity about group connectivity.

“Stress is known to trigger inflammation in a lot of other settings,” she says. “I think reducing psychosocial stress may help mute some of the pathways that lead to preterm birth. To me, that’s the biggest hypothesis of what is happening in here.”

America’s lack of a national health care system means women may go years without insurance coverage before they become pregnant. On top of that, having no paid maternity leave or child care subsidies can make planning for a baby’s birth an exceptionally stressful experience.

When Crockett started working at the Greenville clinic, she used to do normal, one-on-one visits with her pregnant patients. They felt too fast. Crockett would take some vitals, ask her patients if they were okay … and that was pretty much it.

“When the goal of the visit is to make sure you’re not sick, that takes a very short period of time,” she says. “But when you change the goal of the visit to prepare women to become mothers, that’s a totally different game plan.”

So, in 2008, she decided to start doing things differently. Crockett applied for a grant from the March of Dimes to start offering group prenatal care. The program she would implement was called CenteringPregnancy, which started in the mid-1990s in the Northeast.

Around the time Crockett applied for her grant, controlled trials of other studies were starting to show promising results. A 2007 Yale study found that the program reduced preterm births 29 percent (and an even steeper, 36 percent decline for African-American women). A study the next year, of women in New York City, found that group visit participants were significantly less likely to have babies that were low-weight or required NICU care.

Crockett knew that quick visits weren’t doing a great job. At the same time, she was pretty skeptical these group visits would do much better. She mostly thought these visits would be fun for her patients, and a decent way to clear out her overcrowded waiting room.

Program participants (left to right) Jeffery Briggs, Brookelyn Mitchell-Briggs, Caleb Owens Jr., and Landreth discuss with Corley feelings of anxiety about the pending births of their children.

“The idea that having women sit together in a circle for their medical visits would somehow improve their birth outcomes, I didn’t understand how that could be a thing,” she says.

But Crockett was quickly surprised: The results in her own clinic started to match those from others. “Even from that first small cohort we started seeing that our outcomes matched exactly what they were reporting from the randomized controlled trials,” she says. “That was when we really ramped up the research side.”

At the time, about 19 percent of African-American babies were being born early in South Carolina. And when you include all races, the number sat at 12 percent.

But Crockett’s results? They showed that only 8 percent of the Centering patients were having their babies early. What’s more, the racial disparity completely disappeared.

The study wasn’t large enough to show a decline in infant mortality (which, even though South Carolina had a high rate, is still a relatively rare outcome affecting less than 0.1 percent of births).

Additional research in South Carolina found similar results to Crockett’s. A 2016 paper, for example, found that CenteringPregnancy reduced the risk of preterm birth by 36 percent. It also saved the state money by preventing costly admissions to the neonatal intensive care unit.

That research converted Crockett from Centering skeptic to full-blown evangelist. She kept running the program in her own clinic, and urging state officials to expand it across the state, too. Because of her work, South Carolina is now the only state in the country where Medicaid patients routinely have access to CenteringPregnancy.

Crockett is studying these patients, too. She has enrolled 4,000 pregnant women across the state into a study that will see whether CenteringPregnancy reduces infant mortality.

Last March, I sat in on one of the CenteringPregnancy sessions at Dr. Crockett’s clinic in Greenville.

This was one of the last sessions for this group of women, who were eight months pregnant with round bellies. They sat in a circle of white, folding chairs set up in a bright pink room.

Patients would trickle in, have a nurse listen to their babies’ heartbeat, grab some snacks (a must at 8 months pregnant) and sit down in the chairs.

There was lots of joking and laughing; it was clear the women felt very comfortable with each other at this point in their pregnancy.

“We have fun, we trip, joke around, talk about everything,” Tianna Blakley, 36, says, and then repeats with emphasis, “Everything. When you don’t get enough support from the actual main person that you think should be the one to give you support, it means a lot [to come to the group]. It is better and comforting.”

b

Tianna Blakely and her daughter Anika Edmond share a moment during prenatal group time.

Blakely enrolled in CenteringPregnancy reluctantly. She already had two daughters, after all, so she knew what it was like to be pregnant.

“I thought it was going to be boring and a waste of time,” she says bluntly. Her views changed with each visit — as she actually got to know the other pregnant women in the program. “Coming in here, meeting everybody, it was better than I thought it was going to be. I fell in love with it.”

Blakely has a lot of instability in her life. She moves around a lot. Weeks before her due date, she wasn’t sure if her baby’s father would be involved in the child’s life. These sessions seemed to be a reliable place where people would listen. Where she could talk openly about the hard parts of expecting a child.

Tianna Blakely takes her girls, Corteice Prince and Anika Edmond, to the park to eat and do homework before heading to a friend’s home. She gave birth to a healthy baby boy last spring.

“It’s just being able to talk to people that actually would listen and not cut you off or not make assumptions or not judge you,” Blakeley says. “These were people that were going through some of the same things that I was.”

At the session, a nurse ran through a curriculum about recognizing the signs of postpartum depression. There were also tips about where to buy cheap baby bath tubs, and how to situate pillows for their growing body’s aches and pains.

The group also ended up on a lot of tangents, about new haircuts and Facebook videos they’d seen and what their babies’ astrological signs will mean. I was a bit surprised that the nurse let those run on for a while. Didn’t she want to get back to her curriculum?

She told me that the curriculum wasn’t actually the most important thing going on in the room. The main objective was creating a comforting environment for the pregnant women — a place where pregnancy feels a little less stressful.

Jennifer Bassatt, one of the patients I met, told me she doesn’t know a lot of pregnant people. Her baby’s father isn’t in the picture. The group makes her feel less lonely. “It’s good to meet other people who are doing the right thing, who want to have families,” she says.

Jennifer Bassatt, of Greenville, takes a quiet moment to soothe her stomach while waiting to schedule her next check-up appointment.

Hanging out with other pregnant women probably won’t eliminate all stress for Tianna, or Jennifer, or for anybody. But if it can dial down stress levels enough to help moms deliver healthier babies, that means these two-hour meetings are a pretty powerful drug.

South Carolina is now home to two statewide, randomized-controlled trials to improve infant health outcomes. One is the study that Crockett helms, which is looking at whether the statewide implementation of CenteringPregnancy is indeed reducing infant deaths.

The other is run by the Nurse-Family Partnership, testing a similarly low-tech intervention: having nurses travel to low-income mothers’ homes for regular visits during their pregnancy, and then for the first two years of their new child’s life. That program exists elsewhere on a smaller scale, but South Carolina’s implementation is the biggest to-date.

The idea, like Crockett’s study, is to take a simple health care intervention that has seen early success in small studies, scale it up to the state level, and see if it works.

Jennifer shows pictures of a baby shower cake to group participants Caleb Owens Jr. and his girlfriend Megan Landreth, both of Liberty, South Carolina.

To evaluate that program, South Carolina has contracted with top health economists from M.I.T. and Harvard. Like in Crockett’s study, they will also be recruiting 4,000 South Carolina women for the trial and publish their results in about two years.

“We’ll find exciting results in some cases or we might find disappointing results,” says Mary Ann Bates, executive director of M.I.T’s Poverty Action Lab, one of the evaluators. “But the encouraging and rewarding thing is that governments are willing to ask hard questions about their investments. I think this is really where we need to be.”

South Carolina has become a fertile testing ground for new policies that can help babies have a better start to life. But there is one obvious policy that could likely do even more to save babies that the state isn’t thinking about: expanding Medicaid.

A recent study published in the American Journal of Public Health found that states participating in the Affordable Care Act’s expansion of Medicaid saw greater declines in infant deaths than those that do not.

South Carolina is still in the latter category, which means that about 92,000 low-income South Carolinians who would otherwise qualify for the public program are currently not covered.

Pregnant women do qualify for Medicaid while carrying their child, but typically lose their coverage a few months later if their income is higher than 67 percent of the poverty line (that works out to an $11,000 annual income for a family of two).

Bryan Amick, a state Medicaid official, demurred when asked about why the state does not participate in that program. “I think South Carolina has largely been consistent with that of the rest of the Southeast,” he says. “Those decisions happen above my pay grade. It’s my job to implement the Medicaid program that we have today.”

Jennifer gave birth to a healthy baby girl last spring named Charlotte, or Charlie for short. Courtesy of Jennifer Bassatt

“It’s good to meet other people who are doing the right thing, who want to have families,” says Jennifer. Courtesy of Jennifer Bassatt

There’s no one reason that South Carolina’s infant mortality rate has declined in recent years. But these inexpensive interventions might be doing their part, which is exciting because these are solutions that are generally low-cost and scalable. It’s easier to bring a group of women into a clinic to talk for two hours than it is to bring a fancy piece of technology.

But for all its progress, South Carolina is still missing something it could do to tackle infant mortality. As Ashish Thakrar, the public health researcher puts it, “The easiest thing the state could do is expand Medicaid.”

Sign up for the Future Perfect newsletter. Twice a week, you’ll get a roundup of ideas and solutions for tackling our biggest challenges: improving public health, decreasing human and animal suffering, easing catastrophic risks, and — to put it simply — getting better at doing good.

Original Source -> Sit in a circle. Talk to other pregnant women. Save your baby’s life?

via The Conservative Brief

[glenmenlow]

How Higher Education Brands Can Face Disruption

Harvard University was founded in 1636 and is the oldest institution of higher learning in America. In the 382 years since, education has been practiced and perceived, more or less, in the same traditional ways…until now.

Those in the business of higher education must seriously contemplate how to respond to the disruptive forces at work today. Powered by a number of internal and external factors and accelerated by technology, we are witnessing transformation at key points from how higher educational institutions are populated, considered, positioned, marketed, and offered. Through this disruption, our notions of higher education as educators, consumers and marketers will change radically and will make our own college experiences seem quaintly simple and nostalgic by comparison.

The question facing the 6,900 or so accredited institutions in America is simply this: Are you ready?

Laying The Groundwork For Disruption

Every president, provost, dean, marketing director, admissions director, and alumni director must deal with a growing list of economic, technological and demographic challenges in today’s hyper-competitive higher education landscape. At no other time in history have the challenges facing educators been greater or more complex:

Escalating costs and growing concern (and negative publicity) over epidemic student loan debt

A new cost-versus-value debate regarding a typical college education

Declining graduation rates

Declining enrollments for six years running

Increased “non-traditional” student enrollments (working, part-time, supporting a family)

State universities losing funding

Competing on a virtual global scale with the advent of online learning

Elevated consumer expectations in service

Declines in administrative staff productivity

Free speech issues, controversies and politics

Scandals involving high profile administrators or coaches

Adapting to a rapidly changing demographic student makeup

Adapting to a ‘phygital’ world that blends the physical and digital for enhanced engagement

Disruptive Responses Are Required

Institutions of higher education are discovering that new challenges require radically new solutions, such as new business models, new applications of technology and new marketing strategies that don’t just communicate but connect.

Where To Start? Evaluate the leadership. Are they part of the old or part of the new? The brand stewards needed today don’t see disruption as something that is happening to their brand but rather for their brand. They understand that disruption is a place where the new value that is needed for their competitive future is discovered.

Learning At A Distance

One approach that has grown rapidly over the last 10 years is to take education out of the classroom and onto the Internet. This increases accessibility and enrollments in the face of rising costs. Many colleges and universities have adopted this distance-learning model, commonly known as MOOC (Massive Open Online Course). Introduced in 2006, MOOC has proven to be an ideal learning solution for a generation raised on the internet and for those already in the workforce who need the flexibility of time and online collaboration outside the classroom.

Early adopters such as Carnegie Mellon University, Georgia Tech and Arizona State have not only been successful, but have grown their brand awareness and reputation through its implementation. Another early adopter of online learning, Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia, boasts a staggering online enrollment of 100,000. Western Governors University has comparable numbers without the support of a physical campus or a sports program. Purdue University is presently launching its “Purdue Global” via a smartly produced national cable TV campaign. These and other institutions are finding that the growth of their brand is not limited by the size of their campus, the number of satellite campuses or the availability of qualified applicants in their market. Their marketplace is now the entire world.

Given this new digital world of higher education, brick and mortar schools must consider how best to bring their brands to life online. How to leverage their brand reputation, maintain continuity and compete in a world filling up with rivals.

Where To Start? Identify all the ways in which your institution has made compromises with the consumer (for example; the absence of distance-learning) and then break them all so that that consumer gets exactly what he needs and wants.

Learning How To Brand

Higher education is no longer the sole domain of older teenaged and young 20-year old students. Half the enrollments are over 25 years old. The majority is female. Many work part-time. With demographic disruption come branding implications. For example, many institutions are re-evaluating the perception of their brands and how they are effectively marketing them to remain relevant and desirable to changing demographic and economic needs. Such attention to serious marketing efforts by academic institutions would have been unthinkable and unnecessary just 20 years ago.

For example, there is often a lack of brand differentiation, which has become something of an expectation in the category. Higher education’s approach to brand marketing has been rightfully criticized for being slow to adjust to new demands and expectations. Often, there is sameness in the portrayal of individual school brands all vying for the same students. Campus life is often portrayed as a sunny, carefree and Frisbee tossing experience. The problem with this and other formula-driven images and ideas is that they fail to communicate creatively and compellingly what is unique and special about the brand they are attempting to sell. This stems from not defining what makes them unique and compelling in the first place. Given the changing demographics and needs of today’s higher education students, the school brand may appear to be woefully out of touch.

Where To Start? Ask, ‘what would the world miss if this institution ceased to exist?’ Build on the value revealed by that answer. If no differentiating value is revealed it needs to be created.

Learning How To Compete

By outward appearances, the level of marketing sophistication has increased over the last decade. Non-marketers handling branding and marketing duties have slowly given way to professional talent either in-house or to contracted design studios and agencies. The shift has been noticeable. Ask anyone who follows their favorite college football team televised on fall Saturdays and they will agree that the painfully awkward and poorly produced spots for even the largest universities have given way to slick, creative and production-rich commercials. School sports mascots and uniforms, from very small colleges to major athletic conferences, have gotten professional makeovers worthy of any ESPN coverage.

Although expensive, the reliance on sports to compete for awareness and prestige will likely continue even in this age of disruption. College athletics and lucrative TV contracts, along with the Big 3 apparel and equipment brands (Nike, Adidas, and Under Armor) have kept and grown college and university brands into legendary, mythic status among their ardent supporters. According to Statista, college sports sponsorships topped $1.24 billion in the past 12 months, climbing steadily for the last 12 years.

Sports programs and television coverage aside, competing in an age of disruption requires a shift for many in how to think about marketing their higher education brand. First, know your marketing partners and their strengths. Before any external communication plan is even considered, think through the brand strategy. It’s work that will require participation and commitment from key stakeholders and a highly facilitated brand positioning process. This initial work is largely in the domain of brand consultancies.

Understand that advertising agencies traditionally focus on the execution of creative strategies. That is, they will determine the best marketing vehicle to reach your target audience and will use compelling creative to make a connection and entice a reaction. The best ones are strategic in nature and see tactics as a second step.

A brand consultancy traditionally lives by this philosophy: Instead of trying to communicate a brands’ features and benefits, they recommend studying the minds of the target audience first and then try to “position” the brand in the mind, taking advantage of the strengths of the brand and weaknesses of competing brands. Further, aligning your institutions unique value with those most important to its future. This process ensures that your brand has selected the most powerful benefits to own and that it has developed the proof points and reasons to believe for those benefits.

Where To Start? Evaluate your marketing partners, they are more important now than ever before. Know who you are working with and expect to be involved in defining the strategic direction of your brand.

Building A Strong Brand In An Age Of Disruption

With times of rapid change come opportunity and advantage for first movers. Schools of higher education, large or small, can have a strong brand in this age of disruption, if they have the strategic intent and infrastructure in place to advance at the pace of change.

Where To Start? Put the processes that have built your institution and have driven your decisions on trial for their lives. They are too weak to survive the future. Change must be in your DNA now.

The Blake Project Can Help Your Higher Education Brand Compete: Disruptive Brand Strategy Workshop

Branding Strategy Insider is a service of The Blake Project: A strategic brand consultancy specializing in Brand Research, Brand Strategy, Brand Licensing and Brand Education

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