Today’s question is inspired from the New York Times, which cited a survey from Donald L. McCabe, co-founder of the Center for Academic Integrity, that found that…

 40% of undergraduates admitted to copying a few sentences from digital sources in written assignments.

Plus, the number of students who believe copying from the Internet constitutes “serious cheating” has declined from 34% to 29%.

How has the digital age affected how students perceive ownership over work? Do you properly cite the work you reference online as you do a book you found in the stacks?

How consciously are students partaking in digital plagiarism?

Have a thought or an answer? Leave a reply below.

We’ve also asked our @Cappex Twitter followers to chime in! Here’s what people are saying on Twitter:

Today’s question is inspired from Lynn O’Shaughnessy’s recent blog:

Why is it that students act as if college is a time of extended adolescence instead of a time for learning real-life skills for careers and adulthood?

Is there a healthy balance to hit? What needs to change in the college experience?

Have a thought or an answer? Leave a reply below.

We’ve also asked our @Cappex Twitter followers to chime in! Here’s what people are saying on Twitter:

Today’s question:

What’s your New Year’s resolution for 2012?

 

Have a thought or an answer? Leave a reply below.

We’ve also asked our @Cappex Twitter followers to chime in!

We’ll be doing a series of questions with different people involved in college admission–THE people who actually look over your application and decide if you’re a candidate. So if you have a question you want answered, ASK! Ask on our Facebook page, Twitter, or in the comment section below.

In today’s post, Director of Admission at University of Pittsburgh – Bradford, Alexander Nazemetz, has taken the time to answer five of your questions from his personal experience at Pitt – Bradford.

1) What do you wish you would see more of in student applications?

Students need to take the time to actually sit down and fill out a college application with their full attention!  Turn off the TV, put down the Ipod, the smartphone and concentrate on what you are doing!  So many students fill out applications and leave information out – skip questions that are critical in completing their files and even include information in statements from OTHER universities they plan on applying to.  Concentration and attention to detail is most important.  This could very well be their first impression on an admissions officer or an Admissions Committee.   Following directions is key!

2)  Can you tell when a student is embellishing his or her accomplishments?

Most admissions officers or admissions committees can tell when a student is putting more information than is really necessary into personal statements or lists of accomplishments.  The details speak for themselves really.  Be honest with what you have done (or what you haven’t done) or – more importantly sometimes – what you WANT to accomplish by attending college. Students might be amazed at how far information like this goes with a counselor or a committee.

3) Are you aware of any special scholarships at your school that are extremely unique?

Pitt-Bradford has made a commitment to our students to enable affordability in these tough economic times.  Our merit-based scholarships (Panther Scholarhips) are designed to help students afford a Pitt education and range from $2,000 to $11,500.  We have scholarships available for in-state or out-of-state students to help defray costs.  Our endowed scholarship program is available to continuing students (sophomores forward) to help keep their financial needs in check as tuition/room/board charges generally tend to increase.

4) What type of students is attracted to the University of Pittsburgh – Bradford and what type of student are you looking to admit?

Generally, well-rounded and academic students thrive at Pitt-Bradford.  Students who not only have done decently in school but have also had a fulfilling social life – sports, clubs, organizations, jobs – these are the types of students we look for because they are solid academic students. They have time-management skills already built into their lifestyle and more and more of these students who come to Pitt-Bradford are successful graduates!

Our average students enroll with ‘B’ averages (80-85/100) with SATs averaging around 1000 (Math/Critical Reading scores only). Our average ACT score is 20.

 5) What have you learned about college-bound students and the admissions process so far this year?

The trend seems to be that students are applying later and are more cautious on where and what they are applying for.  We stress to all interested students that applying early has several benefits.  First, your responsibilities are completed: You’ve selected the colleges you are interested in, applied to them and completed all the paperwork.  Next step is to VISIT them!  Very important.  Second, the earlier you apply, the more opportunities for financial benefits could be available to you. Remember that some scholarships are available on a limited basis (the first-come, first-served rule).  Thirdly – many colleges have this same train of thought regarding housing assignments – priority goes to those who have made decisions by deadlines.  Students need to research EACH school they plan on applying to for application deadlines – scholarship deadlines, financial aid priority dates and deposit deadlines.  Each college is different with very few having the same deadline dates.  It’s critical to understand each.

Want your question answered? Leave one in the comment field below!

Today’s question:

Lynn O’Shaughnessy of The College Solution recently blogged about these statistics:

According to an annual UCLA survey of freshman, only 15.5% of freshman attend schools more than 500 miles away. Nationwide, 73% of students attend their own state schools.

Should more students try looking for colleges outside of their states? Do the advantages of staying in-state outweigh the advantages of  going out of state?

Have a thought or an answer? Leave a reply below.

We’ve also asked our @Cappex Twitter followers to chime in! Here’s what people are saying on Twitter: