Admissions officials at many colleges are trying to fight the Hollywood version of the college application process: A panel of ancient white guys in suits sitting in a stuffy wood-paneled boardroom as they discuss a pile of dusty folders, reports the Washington Post. To do this, dozens of admissions departments are producing YouTube videos, starting blogs, creating Twitter accounts and flocking to Facebook with this message: Look at how awesome, cool and approachable we are! Here’s the latest example: Last month, the admission staff at Centre College in Kentucky posted a You Tube video detailing how student applications are evaluated by the nine counselors on staff…
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Are video games the answer to college counseling shortage?
A simple online search will turn up hundreds of web sites packed with advice for high school students applying to college. But few internet resources offer step-by-step guidance, and with college counseling dwindling in public schools, University of Southern California researchers have created a video game that lets student simulate the application process in all its complexity.
The online game, called Pathfinder, has been piloted among more than 100 Los Angeles-area high school students this year and could be available to school districts free of charge if USC’s Game Innovation Lab secures $1 million in grants and funding, said Zoe Corwin, a research associate in the university’s Center for Higher Education Policy Analysis.
The Pathfinder pilot uses playing cards, but the finished product will be a web-based game, officials said.…Read More