Preparing for Higher Education
Note: This text is from a brochure developed by the
chief academic officers of New England's public
land-grant universities. Although it was developed with
the requirements of these six institutions especially in
mind, the recommendations are generally applicable to
all secondary school students contemplating higher
education in the United States. Copies of the brochure
are available without charge from the addresses listed
at the end of the document. Permission to copy and
distribute this version for noncommercial purposes is
hereby granted as long as the entire document is
distributed.
Academic Guidelines for
High School Students and Their Parents in Preparing for
New England's Public Land-Grant Universities
The chief academic officers of the New England
Land-Grant Universities want to share with prospective
college students and parents their expectations
concerning secondary school preparation for college.
They also want to stress the importance of a good
elementary and secondary school education to the life of
every citizen.
Choosing a College or University
Universities are usually composed of several
colleges: arts and sciences, agriculture, business,
education, engineering, health sciences, and natural
resources are examples. They award graduate degrees in
addition to four-year baccalaureate degrees.
Land-grant universities have a unique commitment
to serve the people of their states through
undergraduate and graduate teaching, scholarly research,
and educational outreach and training. Since
universities are made up of colleges, most people refer
to attending either a college or a university as "going
to college."
Selecting a college is a very
important decision for every student and his or her
family. Students and their parents should begin early in
high school to learn about the many choices possible,
and then decide, together, which college a student
should attend. Acceptance at the chosen college will
depend on each student's academic and other personal
achievements, interests, and career ambitions. High
school counselors should be consulted to help interpret
individual college admissions rules and identify various
college and career options.
Admissions
Expectations
Each of our institutions
has established a set of basic requirements for
admission. In this brochure, we want to explain the
purpose of those basic requirements. We also want to
emphasize that students who limit themselves by meeting
only the basic requirements for a particular college may
reduce their chances for admission. They may find the
transition to college more difficult, and may limit
their educational options and potential for success in
the future.
Academic preparation for college
should begin by the ninth grade. Every student's
secondary school education should provide for the
development of several fundamental skills, including
reading comprehension, effective writing, and
quantitative reasoning. Literacy and competence in these
areas should be achieved by the time a student graduates
from high school. Students who expect to enroll in
colleges and universities will need to fulfill several
additional requirements beyond basic skill development,
and should carefully review the recommendations that
follow.
Recommended Coursework
English
Language and Literature
All the New
England Land-Grant Universities require four years of
college preparatory English. We expect that these
courses will "equip graduates to:
(a)
comprehend, interpret, evaluate, and use what they read;
(b) write well-organized, effective papers;
(c) listen effectively and discuss ideas
intelligently; and
(d) know our literary
heritage and how it enhances imagination and ethical
understanding, and how it relates to the customs, ideas,
and values of today's life and
culture."*
Foreign
Languages
Study of a foreign language is
an essential part of a good education. Most of our
university programs require for admission at least two
years of foreign language study in the same language.
However, true competence requires much more than two
years of study. Knowing a foreign language and acquiring
the habit of mastering languages is becoming a practical
necessity for all Americans. In an age of increasing
economic, political, and social interaction among
nations, knowledge of one or more foreign languages and
cultures is strongly recommended, regardless of a
student's particular career interests and
aspirations.
Mathematics
All
our colleges require at least two years of college
preparatory mathematics, but admission to many
university majors will require additional preparation at
the high school level. To be sure of having the most
options in college, each student should take at least
three, and preferably four years of mathematics,
extending through trigonometry. "The teaching of
mathematics in high school should equip graduates to:
(a) understand geometric and algebraic concepts;
(b) understand elementary probability and
statistics;
(c) apply mathematics in everyday
situations; and
(d) estimate, approximate,
measure, and test the accuracy of their
calculations."*
Appreciation and Study of
the Arts
High school students should
strengthen their knowledge of the arts through study of
the visual arts, theater, music, and dance. Doing so
will cultivate their own artistic abilities and increase
their appreciation of the special contributions of the
arts to society.
Computer
Skills
Computers impact all aspects of
life. College students use the computer regularly: in
the library, in science and social science laboratories,
in the preparation of term papers, and in other
assignments. An introduction to computer use and its
place in society should be part of the high school
curriculum. It "should equip graduates to:
(a)
understand the computer as an information, computation,
and communication device;
(b) use the computer
in the study of other and for personal and work-related
purposes; and
(c) understand the world of
computers, electronics, and related
technologies."*
History and Social
Studies
History and social studies
courses, consisting of one year of American history, one
year of world or European history, and an introduction
to government, economics, and social systems should be
taken in high school. These courses should:
(a)
enable students to appreciate cultural diversity and
understand their "places and possibilities within the
largest social and cultural structures;
(b)
understand the broad sweep of both ancient and
contemporary ideas that have shaped the world;
(c) understand fundamentals of how our economic
system works and how our political system functions; and
(d) grasp the difference between free and
repressive societies. An understanding of each of these
areas is requisite to the informed and committed
exercise of citizenship in a free
society."*
Natural
Sciences
High school students should
take two, preferably three, years of study in biology,
chemistry, and physics. Not all our colleges require
this much high school science for admission, but these
courses are essential if a student is to receive an
adequate "introduction to
(a) concepts, laws,
and processes of the physical and biological sciences;
(b) the methods of scientific reasoning;
(c) the applications of scientific knowledge to
everyday life; and
(d) the social and
environmental implications of scientific and
technological development."*
Each science course
should include an introduction to laboratory methods,
and the application of basic mathematical
skills.
All quotations regarding coursework are
from A Nation at Risk:
the Imperative for
Educational Reform, (April, 1983). This influential
report, from the National Commission on Excellence in
Education, is a modern classic in the educational reform
movement.
Summary: Recommended
Coursework
Completing the recommended
courses will be very good preparation for study in most
colleges. Although actual admission requirements for
some colleges may include fewer courses, completing this
recommended curriculum will make admission more likely.
Courses other than these may be required in a few cases.
Students should determine as early as possible the
specific requirements for admission to the college or
colleges that interest them.
We recommend the
following:
Four years of college preparatory
English;
American History, European or World
History, and Social Studies;
Mathematics,
including Advanced Algebra and Trigonometry;
Biology, Chemistry, and Physics;
At
least two years of the same foreign language;
One course pertaining to computers in the modern
world;
One or more courses in the arts.
Senior Year
Several
studies have noted the tendency for high school students
to avoid the more challenging courses available, and not
to fully apply themselves to their academic work. This
tendency has been especially apparent during the senior
year, after most college and university admission
decisions have been made. However, we know that students
whose grade point averages declined significantly in
their senior year of high school have higher rates of
failure during their first year of college. For this
reason, high school seniors are urged to test their
abilities at more demanding levels during their final
year. They should vigorously apply and refine their
study skills, and use their senior year to explore new
subject areas.
Conclusion
We are trying to help students lay the
groundwork necessary for success in college. Students
are encouraged to test the limits of their talents in
high school. Our ability to assist their intellectual
growth in college is influenced a great deal by their
preparation for postsecondary study. Sound educational
preparation is needed for students to develop as
individuals, to pursue satisfying careers, and to
function as effective citizens. We know that not all
high school students will be able to attend college,
especially right after high school. Whether or not
graduates enroll in a college or university immediately,
students who pursue the course of study recommended in
this brochure will be well prepared to meet the
challenges of the changing world.
Further Information
For
more information on specific programs at the New England
Land-Grant Universities, contact the addresses below:
University of
Connecticut
Undergraduate Admissions
2131 Hillside Road, U-88
Storrs, CT
06269-3088
860/486-3137
University of
Maine
Admissions Office
5713 Chadbourne
Hall
Orono, ME 04469-5713
207/581-1561
University of Massachusetts
Amherst Undergraduate Admissions
University
Admissions Center
Amherst, MA
01003-0120
413/545-0222
University of
New Hampshire
Admissions, Grant House
4 Garrison Ave.
Durham, NH
03824-3510
<603/862-1360
University of Rhode
Island
Undergraduate Admissions
8 Ranger
Road, Suite 1
Kingston, RI
02881-0807
401/874-7000
University of
Vermont
Director of Admissions
194 So.
Prospect St.
Burlington, VT
05401-3596
802/656-3370
Additional copies of
this brochure may be requested from the admissions
offices of the New England Land-Grant Universities at
the above telephone numbers. They are available without
charge for noncommercial purposes. If the admissions
offices do not have copies available, please
contact:
Council of
Presidents
New England Land-Grant
Universities
11 Brook Way
Durham, NH
03824-3509
or telephone 603/862-2355.
