Blog Archives

CTP Interview

11/30/2015

Vassar College is a liberal arts college in Poughkeepsie, New York. Founded in 1861, the college was an all women's college until 1969 when it became coeducational. About 2,400 students currently attend Vassar College. With an acceptance rate of 23.5%, 15.8% of the class of 2018 were international students.(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vassar_College#Admissions)

An Interview with Assefash Makonnen
Liberal Arts Education

1. When did you go to Vassar/ what degrees did you receive from there?
I was at Vassar from 2008-2012 and received a BA in Urban Studies and Africana Studies ( dual major).

2. What are the quirky/unique/fun traditions that your school has?
One of my favorite traditions is the annual Founder's Day celebration, where we celebrate the birthday of our Founder. It is during one of the last weekends of school and is a big, outdoor festival, with music, carnival rides, food, and sunshine. Each year has a theme that dictates the decoration ( one I remember well is Nickelodeon theme). Alumni return for this event, so it always feels like a huge reunion. Vassar has a lot of eccentric traditions, but Founder's Day is definitely the one I remember fondly.

3. What is the Ethiopian/Eritrean student community like?
There aren't many Ethiopian/Eritrean students. At any time during my 4 years, there were about 3 or 4 others. However, we do have a strong African Students Union, which has students from all over the continent. The organization puts on dinners, movie screenings, brings speakers, hosts game nights, and so on. The school is only 1 hour and 30 minutes on the Metro North to New York City, so you can definitely tap into the habesha community there easily ( I went home to New York often for church events, weddings, etc.)

4. Describe one of your favorite memories at school.
My favorite memories from school are all around spending one on one time with my friends outdoors, on the residential quad, or in our orchard by the lake. Vassar's campus is beautiful, full of many different trees and flowers. We even have a huge farm, that's great for long walks or runs. I remember, Founder's Day evening, sitting on the hill by the lake, watching fireworks with friends and a movie that was being screened outdoors for everyone to see. It was just beautiful.

5. How do you think going to a liberal arts school influenced the education you received? Briefly describe what a liberal arts education is.

A liberal arts education prioritizes the students' ability to learn from a wide range of methods and subjects. Liberal arts education focuses on the act of learning, developing skills for analyzing that in my opinion are more maleable and transferable than more "specialized" education practices. Particularly in this current job market, liberal arts degrees provide you with the opportunity to be the multi-faceted laborer the market looks for, able to move with the trends in market, adapt, and learn quickly.

5. What did you major/ minor in? Did you go into college undecided, with another major, or with the major you graduated with?
I double majored in Urban Studies ( with concentrations in Geography and Sociology) and Africana Studies ( with a concentration on the US). When I arrived as a freshman I was undecided, but thought I'd be doing art history or environmental studies. I decided on Urban Studies in my freshman year and added Africana Studies in my senior year.

6. Would you recommend a liberal arts school for a certain type of person, with certain interests? Who do you think would appeal to a school like Vassar?
I recommend liberal arts education for anyone, really. The liberal arts can prepare you for any job because it works on teaching you how to learn and how to analyze and this skill is super important for a job in any field. Vassar, I think, would appeal to someone who has a love for learning, who is open to trying new things, who is driven and creative about designing their future, and who works best in more intimate environments ( small classes, personal relationships with teachers and classmates). I think most people who go to Vassar deeply think of their job afterwards as something they want to be passionate about, as they are in school.

7. What is one thing you think you gained from Vassar that no other school could have offered you?
I think every school can offer you something unique depending on what you determine you need to grow in the way you imagine. For me, what I needed out of school was a community of students that I could learn with in and out of the classroom. Vassar made it easy for me to take my learning out of the classroom into casual conversations and in my work with various organizations. This helped make the theories I learned about in class more real and tangible. Vassar helped me understand the idea of manifesting my own future and what that means and takes.

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CTP Interview

11/20/2015

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Pomona College is a private liberal arts college in Claremont, California. The school has approximately 1,640 students. One of the more exclusive colleges, Pomona has a 10% acceptance rate. It has been consistently ranked as one of the best schools in the country by Forbes magazine (www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pomona_College).

An Interview with Bethel Geletu
The Freshmen Experience

Ethiopian Kolo

1. A little background. Where were you born and raised?
   Born and raised in Addis Ababa (arguable according to some people)

2. Why did you decide to attend this institution?
  I've always wanted go to a small liberal arts school but the primary reason is just financial aid and the fact that they bothered to accept me.

3. When you came here two/three months ago, what did you expect you'd have to do to form an environment that makes you feel at home, or at least comfortable?
From what I had heard, I felt like I had to make really good international friends. So I went to a lot of international student events and reached out to my international student mentor. I really love kolo and it's a part of my daily routine (I can't study without it) so I brought 5 kilos with me and rationed it. It took a while to get used to American seasoning. So it helped that I has some mitmita and berbere with me. Having things from back home in general helped me (whether it was my gabi, my bible, some pictures or a mug I've had for 10 years.)

4. Looking back, what part of your expectations were met, and what were you surprised to find out you had to do?
   Even though the first few weeks of the year made it seem like the process of making friends would go on, groups formed really fast. Unlike high school, people run on very, very different schedules in college. So even though you might find that you really "clicked" with someone, you might not see them again for a week. So I found that I had to take initiative and invite people to dinner or ask them if they want to come to an event with me to make friends and find my own group.
   This one might seem obvious but if you need help with a course or see some gaps forming in your understanding, don't be stubborn and suffer alone. Go seek out help from someone in the class or mentors and use resources on campus. I was scared to go to one of my professor's office hours but it really paid off when I finally did. College is more enjoyable when you're doing your work efficiently and that almost always means with some form of help from those around you (in my opinion).

5. How often do you miss food and/or people back in Ethiopia? How do you deal with it?

     I miss Ethiopian food and people a lot. I get the most homesick during Ethiopian holidays or when I feel really stressed. I don't think I have found a good way of dealing with it yet.

But what I do is reach out to my international student mentor because she's been through the same thing. I meet with the Ethiopian students on campus for dinner and that helps. So even though, they say to step out of your comfort zone and you should, there's no shame in finding people with similar backgrounds you can relate to.

From my experience it's almost always a bad idea to go to an Ethiopian restaurant in a very gentrified neighborhood or eat Ethiopian food from such places. My dining experiences in such places have always resulted in fury and utter disbelief that "tofu tibs" is a thing!!! I just ended up getting mad at Americans and getting more homesick afterwards.

6. How do you think your school's attributes, such as it's urban/rural quality, it's total size, it's curriculum requirements . . etc have affected your comfort zone?
     My school is a small liberal arts college in Claremont which is a suburban/college town. There are four other undergraduate schools about a 5 - 10 minute walk from campus and they're all together with my school under a consortium. Since I'm easily overwhelmed by big crowds, I really like the small size of my school and the town as well. I like the fact that my classes are small because I think I would be frightened in a "big lecture hall" scenario.
   A special thing about the school is that when I get tired of my campus, I can go to the other colleges (eat at their dining hall, sit in on a lecture etc...). I really like that the consortium is there because I'm not just limited to my school, I can take courses and attend events at the other campuses. In fact most student organizations include all five colleges. Same with the town. It's really close to LA so students go to the city for the weekend. I've only been twice due to financial limitations and because of my laziness. It is really tempting to just stay on campus. So, in general, I like that I have an environment that I am comfortable with but can easily step out of when I need to.

7. Anything else you want high school seniors choosing colleges to know about finding comfort in college, or about your college?
     Know that you will be confused and uncertain at times (and this would also apply to things outside of your academic future). But also know that this is okay and happens to everyone. This is true for most of the struggles you will face. If you are finding something hard, chances are many others are struggling with it as well. So always remember that you're not alone in this.

Stay in touch with your friends... nuff said

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CTP Interview

11/13/2015

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Financial Aid

11/13/2015

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Every document a student needs when applying for financial aid is covered in a detailed, easy-to-understand and comprehensive manner in the CTP WORKBOOK . This 100-page workbook is available for FREE for all CTP Member Students. The following article is an excerpt taken from page 58-59 of the CTP Workbook.

Many students find it difficult to finance their education at an American university. This is because the total cost of attendance is quite a lot of money. This is where financial aid comes in. Financial aid is a term that stands for the aid students receive from the university itself in financing your education. Some universities might cover your entire costs of attendance, some only partially, and others, not at all. This is why it is important to do thorough college search prior to applying. If you are looking for a school which can provide you with financial aid, then you shouldn't waste time working on applications for a university that doesn't fulfill your criteria!

WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF FINANCIAL AID?
Depending on the university, you may receive different types of financial aid.

MERIT-BASED FINANCIAL AID
This kind of financial aid is offered to you based on your GPA or other merits that you have. Different schools have their own type of merit-based awards. However, most times, merit-based financial awards cover your cost of attendance only by part. At most universities that offer merit-based financial assistance, you are automatically considered for a merit-based award when you apply.

NEED-BASED FINANCIAL AID
Need-based financial aid is a kind of financial aid that the university awards you with, not based on your specific merits, but entirely because you need it. It works in a way that enables you to show the university how much you can pay and then the rest is covered by the university itself. If you cannot pay a large amount of your cost of attendance then it is recommended for need-based financial aid.

FINANCIAL AID APPLICATION DEADLINES
Each university has its own deadline for financial aid application. For some, it may be the same as your Common Application deadline and for others a fortnight or a month later. Therefore, it is critical to find out the financial aid deadlines of the colleges you are applying to. Missing deadlines may jeopardize your chances of receiving financial aid.

HOW DO I APPLY FOR FINANCIAL AID?
Financial aid, like the college application process, has many processes. Part of these includes filling out and submitting important financial forms. Based on the university you are applying to, you have to fill out certain forms that clearly show your family's financial background. You will also be required to provide Employer statements if your parents are employed by an organization. It is important to note that tax-returns are not filed in Ethiopia. So whenever you stumble upon a question that asks you about your tax return, explain that tax returns are not required in your country. "

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