My daughter tells me that she can’t go into the school restrooms after school because students are having sex there. Have you heard anything about this?
Yes I have, and unfortunately several kids have told me that they have participated in such acts at two different schools. We definitely have a problem on our hands.
Do you know any good websites that could help parents with web safety?
Yes, wiredsafety.org posts information regarding information safety and privacy topics. Also, netsmartz.org; this program comes under the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. This website offers videos and online learning activities to teach kids 5-17 years old how to be safe online. Also getwise.org. This was set up by a consortium of Internet firms and different groups that serve the public and provides links to monitoring and filtering software as well as safety advice.
Do you know any of the secrets to obtaining scholarships?
I wish I could tell you I did. Colleges employ many PhDs, economists, demographers and they develop these incredible formulas involving as many as 100 different factors on each student to determine the least amount of financial aid necessary to get the best students to enroll. What do they analyze? Gender, hometown, section of hometown, school in section of hometown, parents’ education, intended major and applications to other colleges the student may be considering, and of course financial need.
We are a family of five, including two students in college. Do you have any idea how much the government expects us to pay for tuition, room and board?
Yes, most middle income families are really shocked to learn that they will spend anywhere from 25 to 49 cents (it rises with income) on every after-tax dollar above about $27,000
What is the ratio of females to males for college attendance?
Believe it or not, 43 percent of all current college students are men. The tables have turned with more women are going to college and graduating than men.
I don’t have enough room to fit all the AP courses I want in my hectic schedule. What do you think of taking pre-calculus at Miami-Dade this summer and then in the fall start taking Cal AB?
I’ve heard from several students that you really learn very little trigonometry, which you desperately need in calculus, from the course at Miami-Dade. My best advice to you is to not do it. Also, math is a very difficult subject to learn in a short time; you really need to spread it out.
Please tell me it isn’t so, but I’ve heard that on certain college campuses some students actually hire personal maids to clean and do their laundry.
You heard it right. They also pay moving crews to pack and move their stuff; and by stuff I mean plasma TVs and other high-end electronics. The housing they live in is posh and truly does not look like a dorm. At DePaul University in Chicago, students can live at a very high-end residence called Loft-Right. There are granite countertops in the kitchens and bathrooms, modern designer furniture and satellite TV hookups. The lobby lounge looks like a hotel and there’s a pool table and fireplace. A Starbucks and tanning and hair salons soon will open next door.
Toby Rose is president of Toby Rose’s College Prep. She is an independent college counselor, was a Dade County Outstanding Teacher and served as chairperson of the Dade County School Board Academic Advisory Committee. Rose may be contacted by calling 305-238-7737, by email at tobyrose19@yahoo.com or via the Internet at www.tobyrose.com.
