8 GREAT EAST COAST SKI RESOTORANT FOR FAMILIES

Whether the kids are novices or seasoned skiers and snowboarders, these family-friendly ski spots cater to winter-weather enthusiasts of all ages, interests and skill levels.

Grab your ski socks, gloves and jackets. It’s time to head out to the mountains for winter fun with the kids. Whether you’re taking youngsters to ski for the very first time or you and the gang enjoy skiing, snow tubing, ice skating and other cold-weather activities each year, there’s a lot to do and see and do at the country’s top ski and snowboard resorts this winter. Here are eight East Coast ski resorts that are convenient, kid-friendly and perfect for families.

Stoweflake Mountain Resort & Spa
Stowe, Vermont

Both on and off the slopes, there’s plenty to do in the winter at Stoweflake Mountain Resort & Spa. Kids can take private or group lessons at the 75-year-old Stowe Ski School that’s located just minutes away from the resort before joining a dog sledding tour or riding snowmobiles on miles and miles of trails. And after hitting the slopes, the whole family can hook up at the nearby Apple Tree Learning Center for ice skating, llama walks and sleigh rides. When you need a break from the elements, warm up with daily tea and cookies and fireside après-ski hors d’oeuvres.

Camelback Mountain Resort
Tannersville, Pennsylvania

Located in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania, Camelback Mountain Resort is a favorite among skiers of all levels. Little ones can take part in the resort’s terrain-based learning program to acquire the basic skills they need to tackle any one of more than 30 ski trails. And kids of all ages will love snow tubing, whizzing down a mountain coaster and zooming down a zip line. Afterward, go indoors to splash and slide at Camelback’s new Aquatopia Indoor Waterpark, which offers a wave pool, 13 water slides and a lazy river.

Liberty Mountain Resort
Fairfield, Pennsylvania

Start your day at Liberty Mountain Resort at the Children’s Learning Center where kids can take part in multiple ski programs, including day camps and group lessons. There’s even a Ski with Me program that teaches children to ski while parents learn how to further their child’s ski skills. Meanwhile, tweens will love the Mountain Adventurers program for skiing and lunch with kids their own age. Once the ski day is done, head to Boulder Ridge for snow tubing. And if you’re traveling with little ones in tow, kids ages 2-4 can enjoy Pebble Ridge Kiddie Tubing.

Snowshoe Mountain Resort
Snowshoe, West Virginia

At Snowshoe Mountain Resort, children age 4 and up can enjoy Kids World lessons. They’ll spend six hours learning to ski and growing a love for snow sports. Meanwhile, preschoolers can hit the Pre-Ski School Play Center for outdoor snow play and arts and crafts as well as story time activities. For snow tubing, head to the Coca-Cola Tube Park for eight lanes of tubing down six stories. And at the end of the day, ditch the snow gear in favor of swimsuits at Split Rock Pools for waterslides, a hot tub and indoor and outdoor swimming pools.

Whiteface
Lake Placid, New York

At Whiteface, you’ll find ski and snowboard lessons for all ages and skill levels. There’s even a Cub Camp for younger winter sports enthusiasts who aren’t quite ready to take on the slopes as well as three different programs just for kids ages 4-6. Best of all, you and the gang can ski where Olympians skied at the 1980 Winter Olympics before skating on the Olympic speed skating oval, taking a gondola ride for spectacular views or trying out cross-country skiing. Stay at the nearby Golden Arrow Lakeside Resort to enjoy dog sled rides or pond hockey games.

Sugar Mountain Resort
Banner Elk, North Carolina

Even as far south as North Carolina, you can ski, snowboard and try your hand at snow tubing. Head to Sugar Mountain Resort to ski or participate in snowboard school in the morning and snowshoe in the afternoon. In the evening, venture back out for snow tubing before turning in for the night. Kids ages 4 and under ski for free, Plus, there’s childcare on-site for little ones too small to ski. Keep your eyes open for Sugar Bear, the Sugar Mountain mascot, who can be found roaming around the lodge and even out on the slopes.

Smugglers’ Notch Resort
Jeffersonville, Vermont

Sign up kids as young as 2½ years old for Snow Sport University at Smugglers’ Notch Resort to get them up on skis and out on the slopes at an early age. At Smugglers’ Notch, kids can join all-day camp programs, two-hour group lessons and night lessons designed specifically for snowboarders. When you’ve finished up on the slopes, there’s much more to do, including snowcat rides, snowmobile tours and airboarding. There’s even a daily bonfire with hot chocolate, a winter carnival on Thursday afternoons and snowman painting classes.

Omni Mount Washington Resort
Bretton Woods, New Hampshire

At the Omni Mount Washington Resort, the Hobbit Ski & Snowboard programs offer a great way to get kids comfortable with being up on skis and sliding down the mountains. But don’t spend all day on schlepping skis – there’s plenty to check out away from the slopes at the Omni Mountain Washington Resort. Try a horse-drawn sleigh ride, zoom across the tree-top zip lines or set the kids up at the snowmobile park that was created just for little ones. There’s even a snow tubing carousel and dog sled rides as well as an outdoor ice skating rink

DECIDE IF, WHEN TO RETAKE THE GMAT

While I occasionally hear tales of MBA applicants offered admission in a top business school with a 640 GMAT score, the truth is that  accepting students with stellar scores of 700 or higher is more the norm at the most competitive programs.
Before you start to panic and become hung up on achieving the highest score possible, or fixate on the average GMAT score reported by the schools, I urge test-challenged clients to focus instead on aligning their scores within the 80 percent range, which schools usually list within their admitted class profile.
Many experts in the test prep industry advise all students to plan on taking the test twice. If your score after the first attempt is already at or above your goal, you can always cancel the second sitting. Remember, top schools want to see scores in the 80th percentile in the quantitative section. So if you score 100 percent in verbal and low in quantitative, you would want to retake the exam, especially if you don’t have a strong quantitative background outside of the GMAT.
[Learn about ways to fix a low GMAT score.]
There is absolutely no reason to retake the GMAT when you score over 700, test prep company Magoosh says emphatically. You’ve already proven you can handle the quantitative component of the curriculum, so turn your focus toward ensuring all of the other parts of your application are as strong as possible.
Keep in mind that this high number is primarily for those targeting a top-tier MBA program. If you scored a 680, the decision to retake should be carefully considered, as you may be better off focusing on your essays or coaching recommenders instead. Applicants looking at programs in the top 20 or 50 should check the average scores of admitted students to determine their personal target GMAT score.
If illness, nerves, exhaustion, or simply a lack of adequate preparation resulted in a low score, then a second attempt becomes a necessity. Repeat test-taking, with additional preparation, typically results in a higher score as students become familiar with the experience, and therefore, less stressed out.
[Learn to dodge your fear of failure when applying to business school.]
Although the Graduate Management Admission Council allows you to take the test as many times as you like, you must wait 31 calendar days before retaking the exam. Make sure to check your target schools’ application deadlines in order to allow enough time to send in your final scores.
Applicants self-report their highest score, and it’s worth noting that the admissions committee doesn’t have an issue with students taking the exam more than once. In fact, committees may look positively on the dedication you’ve shown to improve upon your prior performance. Mind you, I'm talking about a score report with two or three scores, max – not one that shows you’ve sat for the GMAT seven times.
After your first test, it’s time to go over your entire GMAT performance to determine your weaknesses and double-down in those areas as you resume your studies. Don’t completely ignore the sections you did well on, however. You wouldn’t want to improve in one area but do worse in another the next time.
If you studied alone or took a class for your initial preparation, you might consider studying one on one with a GMAT tutor for the second go-round. A test prep expert can work around your schedule and tailor the curriculum to your needs.
[Decide if you need an MBA as a business major.]
Finally, some people aren’t natural test-takers and have a less-than-optimal performance no matter how well they know the material. One of the primary causes is stress under pressure, and it may help to watch this video tour of the GMAT Test Center and detailed explanation of all procedures to increase your comfort levels about what to expect.
If that familiarity still isn’t enough to calm your nerves come test day, consider using relaxation techniques such as meditation and visualization to reduce test anxiety. Also, taking the GMAT in the same center will help you feel more comfortable with the test-taking process and any logistics that may have thrown you off the first time.
Business school hopefuls can be incredibly hard on themselves when they make mistakes on the GMAT, but each error is a learning opportunity and a chance to improve. So don’t become discouraged if your first score isn’t where you’d hoped. Relax, and think of it as a dress rehearsal for a stellar performance to come.
Source taken by/usnews.com

UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE AT THE WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM 2016

The Vice Chancellor of the University of Cambridge is to lead a delegation of academics to the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum at Davos, Switzerland, in January 2016, to explore issues including carbon reduction technologies and how science and engineering can best address society's greatest challenges.

The University will host an IdeasLab looking at how breakthroughs in carbon reduction technologies will transform industries. IdeasLabs are quick-fire visual presentations followed by workgroup discussion, and have proved a successful format for engaging various communities in academic thinking.

Carbon Reduction Technologies: The University of Cambridge IdeasLab

Wednesday 20 January 16:15 - 17:30
Sir Leszek Borysiewicz, Vice-Chancellor, will introduce this event, which will look at how research by Cambridge academics has led to breakthroughs in carbon reduction technologies that will transform a range of industries. Ideas to be discussed include:

• Decarbonizing industrial-scale processes using virtual avatars
• Self-healing concrete for low-carbon infrastructure
• Improving solar materials efficiency using quantum mechanics
• Quantum materials for zero-loss transmission of electricity

The event is supported Energy@Cambridge, a Strategic Research Initiative that brings together the activities of over 250 world-leading academics working in all aspects of energy-related research, covering energy supply, conversion and demand, across a wide range from departments.
The speakers, all members of Energy@Cambridge, are:

Professor Abir Al-Tabbaa, Department of Engineering

Professor Al-Tabbaa is a Director of the Centre for Doctoral Training in Future Infrastructure and Built Environment. She leads international work on sustainable and innovative materials for construction and the environment. Her particular expertise relates to low-carbon and self-healing construction materials, ground improvement, soil mix technology and contaminated land remediation.
See also:

• Health-conscious concrete
• UK and China Collaboration on Sustainable Materials for Infrastructure
• Cleaning up contaminated land

Professor Sir Richard Friend, Department of Physics

Professor Friend is the Director of the Maxwell Centre and the Winton Fund for the Physics of Sustainability. He is the lead academic on one of Energy@Cambridge’s newest Grand Challenges – Materials for Energy Efficient Information Communications Technology.
Professor Friend’s research encompasses the physics, materials science and engineering of semiconductor devices made with carbon-based semiconductors, particularly polymers. His research group was first to demonstrate using polymers efficient operation of field-effect transistors and light-emitting diodes. These advances revealed that the semiconductor properties of this broad class of materials are unexpectedly clean, so that semiconductor devices can both reveal their novel semiconductor physics, including their operation in efficient photovoltaic diodes, optically-pumped lasing, directly-printed polymer transistor circuits and light-emitting transistors.
See also:

• Organic solar cells
• Inspired by nature
• Revolutionary solar cells double as lasers
• Light in, light out: the ‘rock’ that breaks the rules
• LEDs made from ‘wonder material’ perovskite
• Mirage maker

Professor Markus Kraft, Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology

Professor Kraft is the director of the Singapore-Cambridge CREATE Research Centre and a principal investigator of the Cambridge Centre for Carbon Reduction in Chemical Technology (C4T), one of Energy@Cambridge’s Grand Challenges. C4T is a world-leading partnership between Cambridge and Singapore, set up to tackle the environmentally relevant and complex problem of assessing and reducing the carbon footprint of the integrated petro-chemical plants and electrical network on Jurong Island in Singapore.
Professor Kraft has contributed to the detailed modelling of combustion synthesis of organic and inorganic nanoparticles. He has worked on fluidization, spray drying and granulation of fine powders. His interested include computational modelling and optimization targeted towards developing carbon abatement and emissions reduction technologies.

Dr Suchitra Sebastian, Department of Physics

Dr Sebastian creates and studies interesting quantum materials - often under extreme conditions such as very high magnetic and electric fields, enormous pressures, and very low temperatures - with a view to discovering unusual phases of matter. Among these are the family of superconductors - which have the exciting property of transporting electricity with no energy loss - and hence hold great promise for energy saving applications. One of her research programmes is to create a new generation of superconductors that operate at accessible temperatures, thus providing energy transmission and storage solutions of the future.
See also:

• Superconducting secrets solved after 30 years
• To conduct, or to insulate? That is the question

Energy@Cambridge is working to develop new technologies to reduce the carbon footprint of industrial processes, energy generation and transmission, and building construction. Its aims include leveraging the University’s expertise to tackle grand technical and intellectual challenges in energy, integrating science, technology and policy research.
The initiative has four Grand Challenges, focused on developing and delivering new large-scale collaborative activities, facilities, centres and research directions by bringing together academics and external partners to work on future energy challenges where we believe we can make a significant impact.

Will Science Save Us?

Friday 22 January
The Vice Chancellor and Dr Suchitra Sebastian will take part in a lunchtime discussion entitled Will Science Save Us?, which will look at how we accelerate scientific breakthroughs that address society's greatest challenges.
* * *
The World Economic Forum is an independent international organisation engaging business, political, academic and other leaders of society to shape global, regional and industry agendas; this year’s theme is The Reshaping of the World: Consequences for Society, Politics and Business.
The Forum will provide an opportunity for the Cambridge researchers to engage with decision-makers in business, NGOs and in public policy, and to highlight new ideas from Cambridge in responding to global challenges.
For further information or to contact any of the speakers, please contact the team at Energy@Cambridge.

U.S. NEWS RELEASES 2016 BEST ONLINE PROGRAMS

The number of students enrolled in distance education courses continues to rise as learners choose flexible online programs for finishing degrees, changing or boosting their careers and acquiring new skills.

Data released early last year by the Babson Survey Research Group revealed that the number of U.S. higher education students taking at least one distance education class rose by 3.7 percent from fall 2012 to 2013.​ While this statistic marks the slowest rate of growth in more than a decade, online courses remain a viable option for millions of people, with career preparation serving as the primary motivator, according to 2015 survey data released by Aslanian Market Research and the Learning House.

Students considering online learning can use U.S. News' 2016 Best Online Programs rankings to research and compare their options.

For the fifth year, U.S. News ranked online bachelor's degrees ​as well as master's degree programs in business, computer information technology, education, engineering and nursing. As a result of adding new disciplines last year, U.S. News also ranked online criminal justice​ master's degree programs, and online MBA programs ​were once again ranked separately from other business degrees.

[Explore the best online bachelor's degree programs.]

In addition, the Best Online Programs for Veterans are ranked for the fourth year. To be considered, a program must first rank within the top 75 percent in the 2016 Best Online Programs rankings. It must also belong to a school that is certified for the GI Bill and that helps veterans reduce tuition costs via the Yellow Ribbon Program or by offering in-state tuition to out-of-state veterans. Pennsylvania State University—World Campus maintained its No. 1 rank among the online bachelor's degree programs for veterans, tying this year with Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University—Worldwide.

In total, U.S. News received and analyzed data from more than 1,200 online degree programs. The rankings include programs that are completely online, though a program still meets the criteria if it has in-person requirements for orientations, testing and support services. The rankings do not include blended learning programs, nor do they distinguish between the for-profit and not-for-profit sectors.

Rankings are determined by factors including student engagement, faculty credentials and training, peer reputation, and student services and technology. Each ranking category weighs the factors differently, and all except for online bachelor's degree programs also weigh admissions selectivity.

Some programs saw major changes in their rankings this year, which is typically the result of schools completing survey questions that they had not in the past.

[Get tips from online students and instructors on the Online Learning Lessons blog.]

Below is a sampling of some of this year's top programs.

Bachelor's: Penn State—World Campus earned the top spot for the second year in a row among online bachelor's programs, tying with Embry-Riddle, which tied for fifth last year. Meanwhile, Western Kentucky University dropped one spot to third, and the University of Illinois—Chicago fell two spots to fourth.

Among some of the most drastic rankings changes this year were the University of Georgia's rise to No. 5 from a tie at No. 90 last year, and West Texas A&M University moving to a tie at No. 11 from a tie at No. 119.

MBA: Temple University stayed at No. 1 among top online MBA programs, while Indiana University—Bloomington and the University of North Carolina—Chapel Hill, which also tied for the top spot last year, fell to No. 2 and 3, respectively.

[Discover the best online MBA programs.]

Business (master's): Among online non-MBA business master's degree programs, Indiana University—Bloomington remained in the top spot. The University of Connecticut rose one spot to No. 2, while Arizona State University remained at No. 3. The University of Texas—Dallas fell two spots to fourth in the rankings, tying with Florida State University, which surged from No. 26 last year.

Engineering (master's): The University of California—Los Angeles again ranked first among online engineering master's degree programs. The University of Southern California, which ranked third in 2015, rose to No. 2 this year, switching spots with Columbia University.

In some of the greatest changes among engineering programs, Mississippi State University rose to No. 7 from a tie at No. 20 last year, and Missouri University of Science & Technology, which also ranked 20th last year, rose to a tie for ninth.

Criminal justice (master's): The University of California—Irvine, which ranked first in last year's inaugural rankings of online criminal justice programs, fell to No. 4 this year. Boston University is the new No. 1, rising from a tie at the No. 2 spot last year. Arizona State stayed in second, and Sam Houston State University rose two spots to No. 3.

Computer information technology (master's): Last year's top five online master's degree programs in computer information technology all held the same spots this year. The University of Southern California was the top performer, followed by Virginia Tech, Boston University, Penn State—World Campus and Johns Hopkins University.

Education (master's): The University of Florida rose 12 spots to No. 1 this year in the online education programs rankings, tying with the University of Houston, which also held the top rank last year. Florida State fell one spot to a tie at No. 3.

Among the greatest ranking changes in this category were the University of Georgia, which tied for third this year, up from a tie at No. 28 last year, and the University of Illinois—Urbana Champaign, rising to a tie at No. 7 from a tie at No. 47.

Nursing (master's): The top three online master's programs in nursing swapped places this year. The University of South Carolina rose to first from a tie for third last year, while the Medical University of South Carolina fell one spot to No. 2. St. Xavier University also fell a spot to third.

Trying to fund your online education? Get tips and more in the U.S. News Paying for Online Education center.
Source taken by/usnews.com

3 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT EARNING AN UNDERGRADUATE DEGREE IN AUSTRALIA

More than 269,700 international students were enrolled at Australia’s universities in 2014, according to the Institute of International Education.

Australia sits at a cultural crossroads, with historical links to the West and economic ties to the East. This may, in part, explain the country’s appeal to international students.

“You’re getting the best of both worlds,” says Vik Naidoo, head of international student recruitment at the University of Sydney.

There were more than 269,700 international higher education students​ in Australia in 2014, according to the Institute of International Education’s Project Atlas. That means roughly one out of every five students at the country’s universities was international.

While Australian universities have similarities to those in other English-speaking nations, such as the U.K., there are differences too. Here are three facts prospective students should know about the international undergraduate experience in Australia.

1. There are laws on the books to protect international students. Australian legislation requires universities to provide international students with orientation programs, access to support services and contact information for university officials who can assist them, among other things.​

“We don’t just recruit them and say, ‘Now off you go, you’re by yourself,'” says Naidoo. “We, by legislative arrangement, we have a duty of care to those students.”

Nina Khairina, a third-year international student at Monash University in Victoria who hails from Indonesia, said by email that she has faced challenges such as loneliness and having to adjust to a new style of teaching​.

Khairina, who is national president of the Council of International Students Australia, an advocacy organization for foreign students,​ said the most helpful source of support has been the Monash University International Students Service,​ run by student volunteers “who work passionately to improve the experience of other international students.” She added that a student rights officer and counselors are available on campus as well.

Universities are also legally required to post on their websites lists of education agents appointed to represent the institutions abroad.​ Applicants who do not use agents can submit their materials directly to Australian universities online; there isn’t a common application system for international students.

2. Students can earn a degree in three years, but might want to study longer. Most bachelor’s programs in Australia are three years long. However, high-achieving students at Aussie universities can go on to earn a bachelor honors degree – a more advanced credential –​ by studying for an additional year.​

Honors programs are selective. At the University of Sydney, for example, less than 5 percent of all undergraduates are enrolled in the honors program, according to Naidoo.​​ The higher-level program “is teaching you a lot of research skills,” says Naidoo, “which you don’t necessarily get in the traditional undergraduate degree.”

Earning an honors degree is the typical pathway to a doctoral degree program, according to the Australian government’s Department of Education and Training.​

Keit Loi, a native of Malaysia who recently earned an honors Bachelor of Biomedicine​ at the University of Melbourne, says the “intense” honors year is a good trial run for students who think they might want to conduct research at a higher academic level.

“If you still survive it and you still enjoy research after that,” he says, “you know you’re capable of doing a Ph.D.” Loi has applied to a Ph.D. program at the University of Melbourne.

Some universities also offer four-year – or longer – programs with a built-in research component as another path to a bachelor honors degree.

3. International students may work while studying. Undergraduate tuition at Australian institutions can vary from $10,800 to $23,800 or more per year, according to the Australian government.​ Students can work part time to help pay for school.

Most student visa holders can work up to 40 hours every two weeks while taking classes, according to the government’s Department of Immigration and Border Protection.​ International students can apply for jobs on and off campus, and during academic breaks there isn’t a limit on the number of hours they can work.

But finding employment can be challenging. U.S. national​ Carolyn Reimann, a third-year undergraduate medical student at James Cook University in Queensland, said it has been “next to impossible” for her.

A lot of job advertisements are for Australian and New Zealand citizens or permanent residents, Reimann said by email. She added that it might be easier for students to find jobs in cities like Sydney and Melbourne that are popular tourist destinations.

If international students want to work in Australia after graduation, they can apply for a temporary graduate​ visa. This credential allows non-citizens to work in the country for a period of 18 months to up to four years, depending on their set of skills and degree level.

But studying in Australia isn’t just about hard work and classes, some students say.

“There is a strong emphasis on having a study-work-life balance here,” Khairina said by email. “I was not used to that at the beginning and focused too much on getting perfect grades; it’s not like that anymore and I enjoy it.”/usnews.com/

National Universities Where Students Are Eager to Enroll

High school seniors aren't the only ones who have to worry about making a good impression during the college admissions process. The schools themselves have to stand out from their competitors in the race to enroll the best students.
In fact, of the 265 research-oriented National Universities that provided data to U.S. News in an annual survey, only 25 could say that they enrolled more than half of the students they accepted for fall 2014.
[See the colleges where freshmen usually return for another year.]
Harvard University reported the highest yield, or percentage of accepted students who enrolled, of any National University for fall 2014. National Universities are schools that offer a full range of undergraduate majors, as well as master's and doctoral degrees, and tend to emphasize research. Harvard had a yield of 80.9 percent, while Princeton University, the No. 1 National University in the 2016 Best Colleges rankings, had a yield of 66.2 percent.
The public university with the highest yield was the University of Alaska—Fairbanks, which enrolled 70.6 percent of its 1,164 accepted students in fall 2014. In all, 11 public universities had more than half of their admitted students go on to enroll during this period.
[See the liberal arts colleges where students are eager to enroll.]
The average yield among all reporting schools was 33.6 percent, slightly lower than the average of 34.1 percent for fall 2013.
Below are the fall 2014 yields for every National University that reported data to U.S. News. The rate can be affected by a school's early decision or early action options, as some of those programs bind students to attend if accepted. The data reflect first-time, first-year, degree-seeking students only.
source taken by/usnews.com

3 COLLEGE TRENDS THE CLASS OF 2021 SHOULD EXPECT

For students who are about to begin applying to college, such as the class of 2021, there are several emerging trends that may have a significant impact on the application process and the overall college experience. These developments mirror shifts in the larger world that emphasize personal expression and individuality. Here are three to watch out for:
[See what rising application volume means for college hopefuls.]
1. Specialized degrees: A growing number of colleges are offering more and more  majors and degrees. The University of North Texas, for example, advertises 99 bachelor's degrees, several of which are highly specialized. Take, for instance, converged broadcast media and decision sciences.​ The Ohio State University has more than 200 majors, including hospitality management.
Once a rare sight, design your own major programs, like that of Swarthmore College, allow students to explore and combine disparate disciplines, like biology and music.
While the value of such specialized degrees is occasionally debated, there is a clear trend toward increased diversity in majors. If your career interests can be narrowly defined, it may be worthwhile to research schools that can provide you with a tailored program.
However, if you suspect that a specialized degree may be too limiting for you, you can stillpursue a standard major, with ample room for exploration and personalization via electives, independent study courses, internships and undergraduate research. Whichever path you choose, do not ignore the unfolding possibilities.
[Get tips from current students on picking a college major.]
2. Personalized learning:​ Both colleges and high schools are trending toward more open and participatory styles of learning. In some ways, individualized instruction has always been the ideal form of teaching – hence the emphasis on student-teacher ratio and office hours – but improved technology has truly made it possible to deliver a more customized experience.
Personalized learning is the logical extension of this shift, where tools like apps deliver individualized content to each student. If, for example, you are struggling with the math needed for modeling population dynamics in ecology, a personalized learning tool could supply you with a wealth of practice problems and additional resources, like supplemental material from the textbook publisher.
As a student, your role here is two-fold. First, remember that this trend is new to your instructors too. Do not be shy about asking for help or clarification​, as your questions and comments can help your professors improve their classes for everyone.
The second important element is you and your engagement with learning. In personalized learning, students are active participants in directing their own education. It is up to you to pursue the extra help available when a topic is unclear. So, be engaged and proactive.
[Here are seven questions families should discuss when choosing colleges.]
3. The changing role of social media in the admissions process:​ Technology is also having a profound effect on how students interact with college admissions departments. Where students were once able to present a highly curated portfolio of grades, personal essays and test scores, schools now have the opportunity to view applicants more candidly.
Social media tools like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter make it possible for admissions staff to both speak with and quietly observe prospective students via informal channels.
You may, for example, write a personal essay extolling the virtues of hard work and diligent study. If your Facebook page contains picture of you at the beach during school hours, however, colleges may not take your words seriously.
Conversely, social media offers students the chance to engage directly with admissions staff. You have the opportunity to humanize yourself in a way that essays simply cannot match, and you have the opportunity to explore campuses and student life in detailed and creative ways.
There is no arguing that social media is only increasing in significance, both generally and in the college admissions realm. Be aware of its risks and possibilities as you interact with prospective schools.
Source:http://www.usnews.com/education/blogs/college-admissions-playbook/articles/2016-01-04/3-college-application-trends-for-2016