FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Jan. 31, 2008
Contact: Anika Mitchell Perkins
(662) 329-7124

MUW coaches to help high school juniors and seniors stand out

COLUMBUS, Miss. – In many parts of the United States parents are
paying big bucks for “college coaches” to help their high-performing
children stand out on their college applications, according to Dr. Sandra Jordan, provost and vice president for academic affairs at Mississippi University for Women.

However, similar information will be shared for free with some of the region’s best and brightest students at a workshop titled College Aspirations on Thursday, Feb. 7.

Dr. Eric Daffron, director of the Ina E. Gordy Honors College, said, 25
high school juniors and seniors with at least a 24 on the ACT have been
invited to MUW to participate in an all afternoon workshop on writing a
college application essay and on interviewing skills.

“This workshop will give students invaluable advice on the college application process,” he said.

The workshop will begin with pointers on interviewing skills from Dr. Martin Hatton, associate professor of communication at MUW. Following his presentation, participants will have the opportunity to sit on a mock interview and get immediate feedback from faculty members who regularly interview students for scholarships.

Later that afternoon, Emma Richardson, English instructor at the Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science, will offer advice on how
to write a college application essay. After her presentation, students will write an essay, and a couple of weeks after the workshop, receive personalized feedback on the essay.

The juniors and seniors will be treated to dinner and be special guests at a lecture given by Arun Gandhi, grandson of the famous peace crusader. Gandhi’s lecture is part of the Honors Forum of the Ina E. Gordy Honors College.

Jordan said, “This workshop is designed to help students who are preparing a college essay or preparing for the college interview for some of the more competitive colleges and scholarships. College application or scholarship essays and interviews present students with the perfect opportunity to showcase not only their communication skills, but also their character and critical thinking skills. For highly ranked universities, the effectiveness, or lack thereof, of the student’s essay or interview can make the difference between an acceptance and a rejection.”

She added for students competing for top scholarships, the essay and
interview are critical.

With a limited number of spaces on college campuses, schools have to be
more selective than ever, according to an article in the Jan. 17, 2007,
edition of The Times/Tribune in Scranton, Pa. A record high 3.3 million
high school students are graduating this spring and universities across
the country are receiving a record number of applicants, the article stated.

As the result of increased competition, parents are buying into the concept of hiring professional coaches.

According to the Independent Educational Consultants Association, 22
percent of first-year students at private colleges—perhaps as many as
58,000 kids-- had worked with some kind of consultant noted a story in
the Oct. 22, 2007, edition of Business Week.

Michele A. Hernandez, who is described “as one of the industry’s most visible practitioners,” in the Business Week article charges as much as $40,000 and boasts that 95 percent of her teenage clients are accepted by their first-choice school.

MUW has been ranked a top Southern public master’s university by U.S.News & World Report for the fourth year in a row. MUW’s quality of
education has consistently been reflected in other national rankings, including being named No. 8 of the top 50 best values for public colleges and universities in the June 2007 edition of Consumers Digest magazine and 54 of the 100 best values in public colleges across America by Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine.