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Record scholarships - US colleges offer J1b to AQuEST teens

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  • Record scholarships - US colleges offer J1b to AQuEST teens

    Record scholarships
    US colleges offer J$1b to AQuEST teensBY KERRY MCCATTY Sunday Observer staff reporter mccattyk@jamaicaobserver.com
    Sunday, April 15, 2007


    AT age 18, Marc-Andre Allen finds himself in a position unusual for most high school students his age. "I'm in a delicious dilemma," the Titchfield High School head boy said, in reference to the five scholarships offered to him by top universities in the United States.

    In fact, one of the scholarships - valued at more than US$56,000 from the University of Chicago - is, according to A-QuEST conceptualiser and instructor Dr Dennis Minott, the largest ever non-military scholarship awarded.
    "In other words, it's larger than Rana Smalling's scholarship last year," Minott said.

    Rana, a former Hampton High School student, last year won a scholarship to the University of Chicago valued at just over US$54,000. Rana, then 18, won the richest ever non-military scholarship, and told the Daily Observer then that she wanted to become a forensic scientist because her country desperately needed this particular skill.

    This year, Marc-Andre's scholarship from the same university has topped Rana's. In fact, Marc-Andre is among more than 80 other A-QuEST students who have bagged more than 300 scholarships for top colleges in the United States valued at a record J$1 billion in total. "One boy has 11 [scholarships], some people have four and five," Minott told the Sunday Observer.

    A-QuEST is an academic group primarily aimed at preparing students for colleges in North America, by preparing them for the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT), which is used to assess college applicants in the United States. Additionally, students are taught time management, integration into other cultures and are guided through the complexities of the application process.
    "They are Jamaicans who work like beasts," Minott said of the scholarship winners.

    The Sunday Observer spoke with five of those 'beasts', who came across as quite charming young people, by the way, and they were understandably pleased with themselves. They have worked hard, it is paying off, and they feel good.
    Marc-Andre, for example, received a whopping US$577,000 in scholarships from five schools, and is currently on an all-expenses-paid visit to two of these institutions.
    "I have not yet made a decision as I am still weighing the options, but I suspect I will go for the highest offer because these are all very good schools," Allen said of offers to Bates College, Macalester College, Wesleyan University, University of Chicago and Randolph College.

    Even though A-QuEST has seen scholarship offers totalling hundreds of millions over its existence, Minott attributes this record $1 billion in scholarship offers to a number of things, including the networking among the students.

    "There is a very deep understanding of what is involved, they [the students] go at leadership and they go at academics," Minott said. In recent times, Minott said, A-QuEST has undertaken an extensive writing programme, aimed at "teaching young people to write well". This, he said, has helped students to do better on application essays.

    Additionally, students have come up with different ways of packaging their college applications.
    "So you don't just say you got a distinction in music, you play a snippet of the piece [on video]," Minott explained. Also, whereas in the past students would spend only about six months in A-QuEST, they are now spending up to four years, Minott said, at no additional cost, as the programme now requires that they enter from fourth form and stay until upper sixth form.

    Marc-Andre and the other students have benefited from all that. And while Marc-Andre has not yet made a decision on the institution he will attend, he told the Sunday Observer that he wants "to go to a school that offers a broad-based liberal education that would enable me to come back to Jamaica and contribute".

    Unlike Marc-Andre, Shenae Bell, 18, the Montego Bay High School alumna who now goes to the Mannings School, needs no convincing. Her mind is already made up - not that she didn't have options.

    "I got three full scholarships," Shenae said. "(One) for Wesleyan University valued at $22,000, Vassar College (valued) at $44,000 and Amherst College (valued) at $49,700." She has decided to go to Amherst "because it is one of the best liberal arts colleges out there". With that out of the way, Shenae is both eager and apprehensive about going off for "my first, first time", living away from home. She admitted that leaving her family is a bit daunting.
    But the bubbly-sounding teen's concerns go deeper.

    "Racism - I've been doing some research and I hear it's been a prevalent problem," Shenae said, adding that she is confident that it is a challenge she can overcome.
    But the Mannings School head boy, 19-year-old Jayvan Mitchell, is looking beyond the challenges and can actually see the end.
    "I am looking to graduate in the top one per cent of my class," Jayvan said. "I really am looking forward to doing exceptionally well there."
    Jayvan got a US$50,000 scholarship for Wesleyan University in Connecticut, and was on the waiting list for another Connecticut school, Yale, but has decided not to wait in light of the
    Wesleyan offer.

    So, how does one get a $50,000 scholarship?
    "It's a combination of everything," Jayvan said. "A comprehensive picture of the student. The school is very selective. They basically give you the amount of money you need because it's hard to get in," he said. In his 2005 CXCs, he received eight distinctions, and has been doing well in his CAPE subjects as well.

    Jayvan, a Spanish enthusiast, hopes to visit Spain on Wesleyan's 'study abroad programme'. But for now, he will be travelling to Wesleyan on Wednesday to get a feel of the school
    and the community, on an all-expenses-paid trip,
    of course.

    Like Jayvan, 19-year-old Cher Griffith wants to take advantage of the study abroad programme at whichever school she chooses. Cher, who has overcome a tremendous challenge to achieve, has heard from two schools so far and is already very pleased.
    Cher should have applied to college in the Christmas of 2004, but was in a serious car accident that summer.
    "I had six surgeries and I had a bone infection. I broke my leg, arm, nose, I broke my face, (and) my pelvis. I was really broken up," Cher said.

    After undergoing physiotherapy and other treatments, she was able to apply for colleges last Christmas.

    "I'm back full force and look, scholarships!" Cher said. "Wow! Wow! They're purchasing an insurance policy for me at the school," she added, while excitedly browsing the package offer from Middlebury College in Vermont. "Wow! The things came so suddenly," she said.
    Middlebury has also offered her a laptop grant, travel assistance, and she will pay only $1,500, while the estimated aid package is $49,710, which includes a grant, a job offer and a loan.

    "It's need-based aid, 100 per cent of demonstrated need. Apparently this is how much I need. A lot," Cher said.
    Her second offer of a $46,755 aid package is from
    Mount Holyoke, which she calls a "really good liberal
    arts college". Meleicia Wright, the Montego Bay High School alumna, who is now
    enrolled in the International Baccalaureate programme at United World College in Wales, United Kingdom, has received scholarship offers from four schools and acceptance
    at Oxford.

    "This is the fruit of my labour and proof that I don't get up and go to church every Sunday for nothing, not that I would be if I didn't get scholarships," Meleicia said.

    "Princeton is the prime contender now, with US$48,000," Meleicia said. "Swathmore, Mount Holyoke, Macalester, they've been more than generous - one of them would ask me to pay maybe $200," Wright said, adding that even though scholarships are nothing new to her, this time was overwhelming.

    "I've almost always been on a scholarship, but college is different because it's four years and it's when you're at the age where you could work and scrape," she said. It helps too, that this strong believer in God is surrounded by people who are going to Ivy League schools. And she will be jetting off to one herself this Fall. She just needs to "send the letter [to Princeton] to put my mind at ease".

    The 19-year-old said her method of doing well is no secret at all.
    "I work," she said with conviction. "I have this internal drive to keep on striving. It really does help to know that your God is available to carry you through."

    Meleicia, who, at the time of the interview, spoke by telephone from the United Kingdom where it was about 1:00 am, said she had decided to wake up and study for upcoming exams because she felt guilty after spending the day celebrating her university offers. Additionally, those results would prove to Princeton that she's really worth it.
    "When you have a set goal in mind, unless you move, it will not come."

    Like Marc-Andre, Shenae, Jayvan, and Cher, Meleicia paid tribute to Minott for his guidance and support. While she was in A-QuEST for just about a year, Wright said she has been receiving guidance from Minott via telephone and e-mail since.
    "Yes, I expected to get a scholarship to get into a good school. I knew that Dr Minott would get me through," Shenae said.
    "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."

  • #2
    Observer EDITORIAL: What our scholars have demonstrated

    Sunday, April 15, 2007


    The phenomenal academic achievements of the youngsters featured in today's edition are, paradoxically, cause for celebration and solemn contemplation.

    For although one billion dollars in scholarships is nothing to sniff at, we dare say that if our education system was where our Government, through its various social vehicles, is trying to propel it, this space would have to be significantly extended to do justice to the story.

    Consequently, we must as a nation sign on to the concept of reformation embodied in the Ministry of Education's charge that 'Every child can learn and must'.
    This is going to call for more collaboration with a view to maximising the efficiency of the resources available to us, as the Jamaica Teachers' Association (JTA) recognised at its just concluded annual education conference in Rosehall, St James.

    Simply put, in order for us to see even more youngsters achieving success, we have to create more opportunities for the parents and caregivers who have the difficult knack of raising their children right, to share their experiences with those who haven't.

    Those teachers who have, through trial and error, come up with effective classroom strategies, must speak up for the benefit of those who are still struggling to cope.

    It is axiomatic that collaboration at this level is bound to reveal a wealth of data, aspects of which will not be pretty. There will be revelations of abuse, gross errors of judgement giving rise to irreparable psychological scars and other negatives that contribute to the underperformance of our youth.
    On the other hand, much of the data will be surprisingly refreshing and inspiring, providing valuable insight into economically-friendly ways of achieving success.

    We must be brave enough to look critically and objectively at both.
    And we must be honest enough and humble enough to extract from this data the necessary lessons which will require us to overhaul our modus operandi, in cases where it is apparent that we are deficient.

    It may mean that some of us will have to go back to the classroom to acquire the skills to cope with a generation that has virtually evolved in terms of its technological, psychological, moral and social perspectives. It may mean that some of us who find ourselves overwhelmed by the evolution may have to leave the classroom and look at ways of redefining our contribution to the education process.

    Only then we will be able to fully realise and celebrate on a grander scale the measure of success that this country is capable of. For this reason, we are hopeful that the broad objectives of the Education Transformation plan will be realised.

    Our young scholars come from a mix of social and economic backgrounds, which palpably demonstrates that there is no reason why we should not be able to replicate their performance in greater numbers.
    Congratulations are in order for the students who have won themselves scholarships through hard work and application, also for those teachers and instructors - Dr Dennis Minott's A-Quest included - who gave of their best.
    They've all made us proud as a nation.

    ------------

    ...and, Lazie has the gall...the temerity to suggest that, in Jamaica, talent does not abound????!!!!

    Bun fiyah fi yuh, Lazie!
    "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."

    Comment


    • #3
      Country of samples

      Another example of how we excel as producing wonderful samples, but suck at mass-producing quality in any reasonable quantity.

      This article tells us what we already know...that we have bright people. Unfortunately, it also reminds us in excrutiatingly clear terms that we are far removed from our true potential. The fact that our educational system is in shambles, clearly points out how we are failing the vast majority of our kids.

      We should be ashamed of that.

      Comment


      • #4
        Like I always say, Willi, these achievements should only be celebrated by the students and their families. The rest of the country has nothing to be happy about. Having this news item on the front page of our Sunday paper only helps to promote a misleading view that all is well in our education system, when it could not be further from the truth. Let us not forget the averages throughout our high schools, of which maybe only 5 or 6 are doing well.

        Meanwhile, across the Caribbean Sea, Barbados, T&T and Guyana consistently outperform us at CXC and CAPE. Imagine if they were to show off about scholarships!

        Congrats to those scholarship winners. May they make the best use of it and come back to Jamaica to help save this "God-blessed" (sic) country.


        BLACK LIVES MATTER

        Comment


        • #5
          Willi & Mosiah: You both hit the nail on the head. I wish Lazie would also take such good aim at the nail.

          Mek mi seh hit ah-gain: Talent abounds! ...and, the teachers also have that talent...but, there is the matter of resources. Resources that would allow more teachers the means to exposure - (Interpret that "resources that would allow more teachers/the teachers the means to expose the talented youth to improved methods of imparting knowledge" in every which way you can -to improved methods of imparting the knowledge to the talented youth!

          Academics, sports - cricket, football, netball, track & field, any other avenue and or area, vocation and or discipline under the Sun! In our Jamaica...my Jamaica talent abounds! ...and Lazie, put that in your pipe and smoke it!
          "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."

          Comment


          • #6
            Mo is the educational system in Ja so bad?

            I notice the ballers are not getting as good grades as we were a few years ago.

            A family with some help just try to help a girl whose family down on hard time. She graduated from a decent high school. We got here in a community college, she only had a weekend job and school, doing 12 credits and after the first semester she failed out big time and is now back in Jamaica. This discourage people a lot.

            I can't even think the education system is as bad as you are saying brethren. I haven't spent a lot of time in any high school in Ja, when I come. I have been spending a little time at HEART Runaway Bay, and Windsor Castle All Age but I am going to check out a few when I have time to.
            • Don't let negative things break you, instead let it be your strength, your reason for growth. Life is for living and I won't spend my life feeling cheated and downtrodden.

            Comment


            • #7
              Is where yuh deh? Have you seen the average passes at the CXC level?

              I know some Munro footballers who have had their scholarship hopes dashed because of low SAT scores. One of them has 8 CXCs but couldn't get the minimum for a particular college.

              It bad bredren!


              BLACK LIVES MATTER

              Comment


              • #8
                Mo what is the minimum SAT score? I am not sure if the SAT scoring has changed, but in the old days 1600 was the max (ie 800 verbal + 800 Quantitative).

                Comment


                • #9
                  These days I think it is out of 2400. There is now a creative writing section.

                  This particular school wanted 440 minimum for Math and Verbal each. Creative writing was not considered is not considered by many schools.


                  BLACK LIVES MATTER

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Rhatid,

                    That is less than 900...not so tough in theory.

                    Comment

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