Campus Pride Index is an essential resource to use if you are searching for rainbow friendly institutions.
ROI (Return on Investment) in Higher Education
Our fellow Mainer (in exile) Anthony Carnevale at the Georgetown Center for Education and the Workforce just released the quarterly report. The big idea? A Bachelor’s Degree is still worth it.
“The short answer is yes. A four-year degree still has value that far exceeds the cost of attendance, netting graduates a median $1.2 million more in lifetime earnings than a high school diploma alone. It’s also associated with many nonmonetary benefits, from stronger health and happiness to weaker inclinations toward authoritarianism. Our predictions about the jobs landscape of 2031 should offer further reassurance to bachelor’s degree holders. Without revealing too much about our forthcoming report on this topic, we can share that the demand for a bachelor’s degree will only grow over the course of this decade. And workers with a bachelor’s degree or higher will have the highest likelihood of having good jobs—those paying at least $49,000 in mid-career, which generally provide access to benefits.
Ultimately, the value of a degree lies not just in its monetary returns, but also in its nonmonetary benefits, including the impact that graduates can make on society as professionals in their chosen fields. We need to address the high costs of attending college, and as a society, we need to reconsider which professions we value most. The bottom line, though, is this: even in the face of valid critiques, the bachelor’s degree is still generally worth it—conveying high returns to graduates and to society.”
The CEW has also developed an ROI Report for 4,500 colleges and universities so you can find the ones where you can get the most bang for your bucks.
We Need More (Women) Electricians in the US
If you’ve tried to get an electrician to your house anytime recently you know that it is virtually impossible. Now imagine trying to hire a woman electrician–you may as well be looking for a mermaid riding a unicorn on a rainbow.
Rosie the Riveter kept manufacturing going during WWII and saved the world. It seems that we have reached another crisis/inflection point that may once again have us turning to women as a way forward.
Only 2% of electricians in the US are women. The trades are the surest pathway to a middle class existence in the modern economy. Jobs that have traditionally been filled by women remain undervalued and underpaid. The starting salary for Maine teachers is $40K, whether you’re in St. Agathe or Cape Elizabeth (which have very different costs of living). And that’s after a minimum of a Bachelor’s degree, often a Master’s, and the debt that frequently accompanies those credentials.
Juxtapose this to a student who chooses to take advantage of the free community college program in Maine, completes their Associates Degree in two years for free, then goes to work. Being the Master (Electrician) of their own domain would enable them to set their own hours and days in line with their personal and family needs–confirming work to their family rather than the other way around–and making $20K more annually than their teaching friends to boot.
Here’s hoping that we see a growing number of (Electrician’s Name) & Daughters emblazoned on the side of the Ford Transits in front of you in traffic.
Selective/Lottery College Admissions is Getting Selectiver/Lotterier
The 2022-23 admission cycle is pretty much over (save a few kids off the waitlist here and there) and–as it was the year before–admission percentages continue their downward slide as more students use all 20 of their allotted Common App slots and bombard admissions offices with applications. This is not a surprise–it’s been happening for the past several years since the SAT became optional–but it helps us plan for next year, when the percentages are likely to become even tighter. Here’s what you’re up against as you put your list together for next year.
Class of 2027 Admission Results - College Kickstart
Fortunately, there are plenty of great schools that are every bit as good as those on the list but lack the benefit of name recognition and circular Khardaisianism (popular because they are popular) of the NESCAC and Ivy League. If you want to apply to attend a SLAC (Small Liberal Arts College) that you can actually get into, here’s a bunch of schools to get you started! It might just spare you from pounding your head against a wall after repeated rejections during application season…
Allegheny College Meadville, PA 75% Acceptance Rate CTCL
Antioch College Yellow Springs, OH 72% Acceptance CTCL
Bard College Annandale on Hudson, NY 60% Accept CTCL
Beloit College Beloit, WI 58% Acceptance Rate CTCL
Bennington College Bennington, VT 67% Acceptance Rate
Clark University Worcester, MA 53% Acceptance Rate CTCL
College of Wooster Wooster, OH 61% Acceptance Rate CTCL
Cornell College Mt. Vernon, IA 81% Acceptance Rate CTCL
DePauw University Greencastle, IN 88% Acceptance Rate
Emory and Henry Emory, VA 87% Acceptance Rate CTCL
Goucher College Baltimore, MD 83% Acceptance Rate CTCL
Guilford College Greensboro, NC 82% Acceptance Rate CTCL
Hampshire College Amherst, MA 75% Acceptance Rate CTCL
Hiram College Hiram, OH 93% Acceptance Rate CTCL
Hobart &William Smith Geneva, NY 67%Acceptance Rate
Juniata College Huntingdon, PA 74% Acceptance Rate CTCL
Kalamazoo College Kalamazoo, MI 80% Acceptance Rate CTCL
Knox College Galesburg, IL 70% Acceptance Rate CTCL
Lawrence University Appleton, WI 75% Acceptance Rate CTCL
McDaniel College Westminster, MD 87% Acceptance Rate CTCL
Ohio Wesleyan Delaware, OH 74% Acceptance Rate CTCL
Stonehill College Easton, MA 72% Acceptance Rate
St. Johns College Annapolis, MD 53% Acceptance Rate CTCL
St. Lawrence College Canton, NY 57% Acceptance Rate
St. Olaf College Northfield, MN 47% Acceptance Rate CTCL
Union College Schenectady, NY 47% Acceptance Rate
Univ Puget Sound Tacoma. WA 88% Acceptance Rate
Ursinus College Collegeville, PA 83% Acceptance Rate CTCL
Wheaton College (MA) Norton, MA 82% Acceptance Rate
If this doesn’t do the trick, here are some more:
WFD of the Week
Healthcare Training for ME is a statewide collaboration of educational institutions and government agency partners convened to ensure Maine’s workers and employers can easily access healthcare training opportunities and supports. Funding for Training for ME is provided through the Maine Jobs & Recovery Plan to advance Maine's workforce and economic goals, with additional funds provided by the Harold Alfond Foundation.
The Last Word
Here’s some advice from college commencement speakers that you can get a jump on as a high school student.