Facts & Myths About Liberal Arts Education April 2018 Ask twenty people what they think about smaller liberal arts colleges. Yet, every ma- th 14 - ACT and ACT plus the term “liberal arts education” and you’ll jor American research university also has Writing likely get twenty different responses. And, extensive undergraduate programs in a vari- Seniors should have their final their responses will also likely contain mis- ety of liberal arts disciplines. By the way, letters of acceptance by the conceptions as well as facts about the lib- some of the most prestigious research uni- eral arts. To clear things up, let’s take a versities in the country, including Yale, Har- beginning of April look at some of the facts and myths about vard and Brown, consider their undergradu- Juniors—Visit colleges the liberal arts. ate colleges to be liberal arts colleges. Prepare for AP Exams All liberal arts students are politically A liberal arts degree doesn’t prepare you Seniors—Compare offers of liberal. False. Students of all political for a specific career. True. College ma- admission; revisit top choices beliefs graduate with liberal arts degrees. jors such as accounting, architecture, engi- The word “liberal” in liberal arts doesn’t neering, and nursing focus on preparing Evaluate financial aid refer to politics at all. Rather, it is rooted in students to work in specific careers. Alt- packages and consider college the Latin term “artes liberals” in which hough liberal arts students gain many skills funding options “artes” referred to the general skills that a during their education that can be applied in “free person” (liberals) needed to master in the workplace, the primary focus of a liberal order to contribute meaningfully to society. arts education is not training for a particular job or career. Rather, the emphasis in liber- May 2018 Math and science aren’t liberal arts al arts disciplines is on providing a broad subjects. False. Academic disciplines education that prepares students for a wide such as biology, chemistry, physics, astro- variety of jobs and careers. That said, physics, astronomy, statistics and mathe- 1st – Common reply date for many liberal arts disciplines do have sets of matics, among others, are indeed liberal career paths that students in that discipline college enrollment arts disciplines. Many people think they tend to gravitate towards. For example, are not liberal arts subjects because they 5th– SAT Reasoning and many psychology majors become thera- also fall under the STEM (Science Tech- Subject Tests pists, counselors, and other social service nology Engineering Mathematics) list of workers. However, many liberal arts majors (register by 4/6 disciplines. But, from the middle ages until end up working in fields other than those late registration 4/25) today, they have also always been includ- traditionally associated with the specific dis- ed under the liberal arts umbrella. The cipline they majored in. 7th - 18th AP exams liberal arts umbrella also encompasses disciplines in the humanities (i.e. English, Liberal arts majors all end up working at Juniors – work on resume theater, music) and the social sciences Starbucks. False. Just ask the CEOs of Goldman Sachs, Whole Foods, HBO, Dis- Seniors – notify the colleges (i.e. economics, history, psychology). However, college majors that focus on ney, Hewlett-Packard, Time Warner Cable, that you will not attend and preparing for a specific career, such as American Express, and Merck, among take some time to thank those engineering, nursing, or business, are many other major corporations, who were who wrote your letters of generally not considered liberal arts de- liberal arts majors in college. (The CEO of recommendation grees. Starbucks was also a liberal arts major). The Hamilton Project, an economic policy Evaluate financial aid You can get a liberal arts degree at initiative of the Brookings Institute, recently packages and explore college many different types and sizes of col- analyzed data collected from the National funding options leges. True. Many people mistakenly be- Center of Education Statistics and the U.S. lieve that liberal arts study is confined to Census Bureau to determine the most common (continued on p.3) Collegeology Majoring in Nutritional Sciences Careers for Nutritional Sciences Majors Americans are obsessed by food. We work in nutritional counseling and educa- spend vast amounts of time and money in tion, public health programs, in wellness a quest for the “perfect diet.” None of us centers and hospital settings, in communi- ever seems happy with our current self— ty health organizations, and for govern- • Dietician we constantly seek to lose or gain weight. mental agencies. Money Magazine recent- By choosing to avoid meat or by not eat- ly named the field of dietetics as one of • Food Service Manager ing veal, we use our diets to make political the top 50 jobs in America today. and ethical statements. We look to nutri- • Public Health Counselor tion to increase both the length and quality All dietetics programs must be approved of life, and we search for supplements to by CADE, the Commission on Accredita- • Biological Technician enhance physical and mental perfor- tion for Dietetics Education. Programs are mance. No wonder that a major in nutri- classified by CADE as either Coordinated • Food Scientist tion science, food science, or dietetics Programs (CP) or Didactic Programs attracts so many college students. Com- (DPD). Coordinated programs provide • Health Educator pletion of a bachelor’s degree in nutritional both classroom and at least 900 hours of science is the first step towards becoming supervised practical experience. CP grad- • Fitness Trainer a registered dietician (RD). uates are eligible to take the licensing ex- am to become credentialed as RDs, regis- • Nutrition Journalist The food industry is the fourth largest in- tered dieticians. Didactic programs offer dustry in the world. Nutritional science is only accredited classroom experiences. • Sports Nutritionist a great major for people interested in a After graduation, participants would have health-related career, for those who want to complete a CADE-accredited Dietetic • Cook to work in the fitness industry, for individu- Internship Program including at least 900 als who love to cook and create recipes, hours of practical experience before being • Food Safety Manager and for budding entrepreneurs. Through eligible to take the exam to become a reg- this major, you’ll learn about the scientific istered dietician. • Nutritional Counselor basis of good nutrition as well as the be- havioral and social issues that affect the Dietetics programs differ in their empha- way people view food. sis, with some being more science-based than others. Typical programs include To learn more about careers in Nutritional Science focuses on the physio- hard sciences such as organic chemistry, logical and biological aspects of foods and dietetics and nutrition, check out biochemistry, microbiology and anatomy. nutrients. Graduates go on to research These are supplemented by courses in the website of the Bureau of positions in laboratories, hospitals, and nutrition, food chemistry and food science, Labor Statistics, U.S. Depart- industry, often after completing graduate public health, medical nutrition, maternal programs in their chosen specialty. Some and child nutrition, geriatric nutrition, and ment of Labor, Occupational nutritional science majors go on to medi- diet selection and management. Outlook Handbook, Dietitians cal or dental school since the major meets pre-medical educational requirements. Nutritional science programs usually in- and Nutritionists, clude more science classes such as cell on the Internet at https:// Food Science majors study the principles biology and physiology, genetics, biomet- of both science and engineering as they rics, mammalian physiology, physics, and www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/ apply to food and nutrients. Graduates food and nutrient analysis. Food science dietitians-and-nutritionists.htm find themselves in demand by the govern- programs also may include some engi- ment and the global food industry. Job neering classes. opportunities for food scientists are found in areas such as food safety, quality con- You can differentiate among accredited trol, product development, production and programs by looking for those that empha- ingredient management, technical sales size the fields most interesting to you. and service, and in research. If you’re Check out the college’s course catalog to interested in a food science major, look for see courses offered in each major. You’ll one approved by the Institute of Food also want to ask about the success of Technologists. graduates in obtaining internships and/or jobs after completing the program. Dietetics majors generally go on to be- come registered dieticians. As RDs, they Prepared especially for our clients and their families The information included in this newsleter is general and does not constitute educational, fnancial, accounting, legal, or other professional advice. Although it is intended to be accurate, neither the publisher nor any other party assumes liability for loss or damage due to reliance on the material contained herein. Copyright © 2018 by The College Advisor, Inc. All rights reserved. Collegeology Financial Matters: Appealing Your Financial Aid Award See if the college offers “preferential have your money, colleges will be less motivated to offer a better deal. packaging” – a practice in which they will meet a larger share of financial Be realistic. Show the college that this need based on the academic stats of is a partnership that you want to be the student, i.e., stronger grades and part of, but need just a bit more assis- test scores will receive more money. tance. Know exactly what you CAN Take a look to see if your test scores afford. If your Expected Family Contri- are in the “middle 50” or in the “top 25.” bution (EFC) is more than the cost of There will be more money at schools tuition, then make sure that your re- where the student’s scores raise the If your first choice college offers every- quest makes sense.