Harvard Rejects 91% Of Student Applications

I opened my Friday newspaper and was reminded again that
life is full of rejection.

Take Harvard University for example. No less than 22,955
eager applicants applied for admission to Harvard this fall
and only 2,058, or 9%, were accepted. A whopping 20,897
applicants came up short of admission.

Actually, Harvard University calls its undergraduate school
Harvard College. Nonetheless, all who were admitted are
certainly among the chosen few.

According to the Bloomberg News, students fared a little
better at Brown University, which admitted 14% of its
applicants, and the University of Pennsylvania, which
admitted 15%.

The article said that "Harvard's undergraduate tuition,
room and board and other mandatory fees will rise to
$45,620 and financial aid will increase to the highest in
the school's history, $103 million. About 26% of the
incoming class is eligible to attend free of charge or at a
reduced rate."

Students from households making less than $60,000 annually
can attend free, and students from families below $80,000
can get a reduced rate.

According to the Harvard University Gazette Online, just
over half of the incoming class are women (50.5%), and
records were set for minorities, including African
Americans (11% rounded), Asian Americans (20%), Latinos
(10%) and Native Americans (2%). Students from 79 countries
are represented in the Class of 2011.

All of those statistics are good news if you were admitted.
Here are some interesting facts about some of those who
were not admitted:

1) Harvard admitted 2,058 students and nearly 2,500 of the
applicants scored a perfect 800 on their SAT verbal test,
almost 3,200 applicants scored a perfect 800 on their SAT
math test, and more than 3,000 applicants were ranked first
in their high school class.

2) If every student that scored 800 on his or her SAT
verbal or math test and there were no duplicates, then more
than 3,600 students did not get admitted. At least 900 of
those students graduating No. 1 in their high school class
also missed out.

It is a good thing I did not have my heart set on a Harvard
education.

I never took a SAT to get into Michigan State University. I
did not need to take a foreign language, trigonometry,
calculus, statistics and probability, algebra, physics or
chemistry to graduate from high school, and I did not take
those courses, but I did graduate.

To all of the rejects of the world, I have some good news:
you can make it in the game of life anyway.

A Harvard education might open more doors to success on the
job, and you may or may not feel better about yourself,
after all, the competition at Harvard looks pretty stiff.

I got into Michigan State because if you lined all of the
incoming Class of 1966 at Harvard for a middle distance
race and fired a gun, I would have been first across the
finish line. So there you have it, talents differ.

While the tree was talking big to a squirrel about how
unimpressive he was, the squirrel replied that maybe he was
not as big and strong as the tree, but neither could the
tree crack a nut.

Here are three facts about Harvard that impress me and I
believe them to be true:

1) Harvard is recognized as the oldest institution of
higher learning in the United States. Harvard was founded
in 1636 and celebrates its 371st anniversary this year.

2 Harvard was the first organization in the country to
become a legal corporation. This fact really surprised me
because I thought it would have been a business, not an
educational institution.

3) Harvard has an endowment of $29+ billion (not million,
billion). That is a lot of cash invested that allows it to
help a lot of students who would not otherwise attend
Harvard even though they might qualify.

I graduated from Michigan State University 41 years ago
this June. Had I paid for my college education it would
have cost me approximately $12,000, and I graduated without
any student loans.

The cost of an education for the Class of 2011 at Harvard
will be more than $182,000. Someone will pay that cost. I
sure am glad it is not going to be me.


----------------------------------------------------
Ed Bagley is the Author of Ed Bagley's Blog, which he
Publishes Daily with Fresh, Original Articles on Internet
Marketing, Jobs and Careers, Movie Reviews, Sports and
Recreation, and Lessons in Life intended to Delight,
Inform, Educate and Motivate Readers. Visit Ed at . . .
http://www.edbagleyblog.com/MovieReviewArticles.html
http://www.edbagleyblog.com/LessonsinLifeArticles.html
http://www.edbagleyblog.com/InternetMarketingArticles.html

Job Market Strategies For New Graduates

It's that time of the year again when colleges let out and
newly graduated young adults receive their diplomas. They
will enjoy a well deserved, long hot summer and then
realize "I've graduate - now what? I don't know what to do
next!" A little daunted with the realization that now they
need to find a job and put their four or five years of hard
academic work into practice. The sad thing for these
graduates is that they are already about a year behind.

Ideally, the best time for graduates to start looking for
an entry level job is before you graduate. College Career
Centers are very helpful when utilized. They offer
counseling and other career tools, career fair
opportunities and internship availabilities. The
internships are invaluable beginning for soon-to-be
graduates and often a requirement for many degrees. Nearly
60% of interns are asked to stay on permanently after
graduation and at the very least; the internship can act as
a great reference when getting into the real world after
graduation.

For those who were enjoying being in the moment and now are
a little in the past - what do you do? First, realize that
you need to decide on which career direction you are
interested. What is your current career objective? Not
sure? Don't worry many graduates aren't - instead of
procrastinating or doing nothing - chose a path and get
started! You can always change your mind and steer yourself
in another direction later but you'll never know what you
do like if you don't find out what you don't like.

Career coaching is very effective in helping graduates
narrow the possible career paths. They offer a variety of
tools to help you understand which industries, fields, and
work environments best fit you. Use of career assessment
with a professional assessment administrator is a good way
to start and can be very helpful. Assessments will reveal
what your strengths are and usually will provide a great
list of career options to think about.

Next is your gathering of career tools. I would of course
recommend an experienced certified resume writer, one who
is willing to assist you as you make your way through the
preparation process. A well focused resume is the most
powerful tool you can have, so your career objective at
this point is a must! You'll need at least a presentation
resume, cover letter and follow-up letter and an ASCII
resume. If your resume writer doesn't provide additional
services in job market strategies they are usually a pretty
good source for where to find the services you will need
such as interview or career coaching, a resume distribution
service and a posting service. Although these additional
services will cost you initially, you will save yourself
time and much frustration plus with the coaching you will
receive pivotal information that will give you an edge or
advantage over other applicants during an interview.

The job market is a competitive place but a great career is
worth working for! Take the time to do it right and be
prepared so you won't settle for a job you will begin a
career! CONGRATULATIONS GRADUATES!!


----------------------------------------------------
Kris Plantrich is the owner of ResumeWonders Writing and
Career Coaching Services. She is certified in Resume
Writing and Interview Coaching, experienced and affordable
and is nationally published. Reuse of this article is
encouraged but must include a link to
http://www.resumewonders.com .

From Pizza Guy To Professional: Three Resume Tips For New College Grads

As a career coach, I'm often asked by new college grads how
to write a compelling resume when they have little or no
professional experience. How can you demonstrate the
ability to perform in a professional capacity, such as
accounting, marketing or engineering, with a resume that
includes positions like pizza delivery guy, car wash
attendant, or quick-stop market cashier?

If you find yourself in the same dilemma, don't despair!
Here are three tips to write a new college grad resume that
will capture the attention of employers and win you
interviews.

1. Highlight Your Potential

One of the top reasons employers hire recent graduates is
the opportunity to mold new hires to their own corporate
culture and work philosophy. This hiring strategy
motivates employers to look more for potential than for
specific experience-a secret that not many graduates
realize.

No matter what jobs you have held, there are sure to be
things you have done that show your potential. You will
attract more employer attention if you pack your resume
full of those examples. For instance:

* How you solved problems on the job

* How you went beyond the call of duty to satisfy a customer

* When you thought of a new way to do something faster

* How you were able to help your supervisor or co-workers
meet an important goal

In a work world full of mediocre plodders, drive and
ambition is hard to find. Smart companies value candidates
with the potential to solve their future corporate
challenges.

2. Demonstrate Your Work Ethic

Employers are interested in finding new talent with strong
work ethic. One way to illustrate this is by showing how
you juggled school life and real life. Indicate with each
employment entry how many college credits you handled while
employed full or part-time. A student who has had to work
during college has learned to manage time wisely, set
priorities and make the best use of limited resources.
These are qualities that every employer values.

In addition, you might want to include any internship
experience you have. While the experience might not have
been a paid position, it can still showcase your ability to
work in a professional capacity. And semester-long school
projects can also be a good opportunity to demonstrate your
ability to perform, working well with a group and creating
a finished product.

3. Showcase Your Leadership Skills

Employers are always looking for future leaders. You can
illustrate this with extracurricular and volunteer
activities you participated in during college. List
positions of leadership as well as committees you helped
chair. Don't forget to include how you benefited those
organizations. For instance, how you:

* Helped organize a fund or membership drive

* Planned an annual event that drew X% more than the
previous year

* Recruited entertainment to promote an on-campus event

* Led a campaign that resulted in a change of campus policy

Coursework also offers opportunity to demonstrate
leadership, as well as team-building ability. Be sure to
include examples like:

* When you led a team of classmates in a research project
that resulted in publication

* How you created a class presentation that led to greater
insight into a complex subject

The time and effort you spend incorporating these three
tips into your resume will lead to better job opportunities
right from the start. Don't be like many who spend their
first few years out of college fumbling from one dead-end
job to another. Start your job search off right with a
resume that illustrates your potential, work ethic, and
leadership, and soon you'll be on the path to a rewarding
professional career.


----------------------------------------------------
Deborah Walker, CCMC is a career coach who works with
recent college graduates preparing them to compete in the
toughest job markets. Her clients gain top performing
skills in resume writing, interview preparation and salary
negotiation. Learn more about Deborah Walker, career coach
at:
http://www.AlphaAdvantage.com