The AXS Companion to Common App, a New Tool Developed by IECA and Oregon State University, Helping Thousands of Students Apply to College

The AXS Companion to Common App, a New Tool Developed by IECA and Oregon State University, Helping Thousands of Students Apply to College
AXS Companion to Common App

AXS Companion to Widespread App

“The AXS Companion will make it less difficult for pupils to comprehensive the Frequent Application on their own and make the school application process extra equitable for all.” David Quinn, director of Global Baccalaureate at Harlem Village Academies Superior

Made by the Impartial Instructional Consultants Affiliation (IECA) in partnership with Oregon Condition University’s Ecampus, the AXS Companion includes 50-furthermore explanatory films for just about every Common App portion as properly as beneficial guidelines, a glossary of conditions, and links to further methods. It is intended to be utilized aspect-by-side with Common App as college students comprehensive their programs. Popular Application, the most preferred school software system, is utilised by extra than 1,000 faculties and universities in 50 states and 20 countries.

“The AXS Companion is the incredibly most effective free of charge resource I’ve viewed to support pupils and households as they operate via the Widespread Application,” explained David Quinn, director of International Baccalaureate at Harlem Village Academies High. “With excellent videos that includes legitimate college experts, considerate explanations to complicated queries, and a target on guaranteeing that every university student has access to large high quality facts, the AXS Companion will make it much easier for pupils to entire the Typical Application on their own and make the school software method extra equitable for all.”

Common App was made to make implementing to schools less difficult, but working with the platform can continue to be a complicated, overwhelming, and normally demanding system for people unfamiliar with U.S. college admissions—particularly individuals from under-resourced backgrounds. In accordance to the Widespread Application, close to one-3rd of their applicants are 1st-technology pupils.

The COVID-19 pandemic further more exacerbated worries dealing with under-resourced students: closed schools meant minimized or no accessibility to counselors, as perfectly as minimal alternatives for aid from fellow learners and lecturers. Past calendar year, Common Application experiences, 700,000 substantial university seniors created accounts on their system but under no circumstances completed an software.

Although this disparity was the impetus for developing the AXS Companion, IECA believes all pupils will uncover the instrument practical as they navigate Typical App. Learners using the AXS Companion may perhaps decide on to possibly view the videos as they finish every single move of the Widespread App from commencing to end or view an unique section’s video clip to far better understand how to reply to that specific segment based mostly on their conditions. The AXS Companion resource is totally free of charge, with no login essential or pupil info gathered.

The task creators chose the name The AXS Companion mainly because of the double entendre: strengthening student entry by means of the collaborative axis of greater schooling and IECA.

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About IECA: Launched in 1976, the Impartial Educational Consultants Association (IECA) is the nation’s primary experienced group for college advisors doing the job in personal apply. Families belief IECA’s completely vetted customers to obtain a university that matches a student’s tutorial, social, and economical demands and manual them via the look for and software procedure. With 2,300 educational expert users throughout the state, IECA gives schooling and education on admission, ethical follow, and adolescent problems from melancholy to stress to studying discrepancies, to make sure every single university student is perfectly served.

Get in touch with: Sarah Brachman, Director of Communications, [email protected] or 703-591-4850 x6971 • http://www.IECAonline.com

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Oregon State University helps develop tool to help underserved students applying for college

Oregon State University helps develop tool to help underserved students applying for college

CORVALLIS, Ore. – Oregon Condition University has assisted create a absolutely free on the net toolkit to assist students globally in finishing college apps. The services launches on Sept. 1.

The resource, AXS Companion, was designed in partnership with the Independent Academic Consultants Association and contains video clips that stroll learners phase-by-step by the Common Application, which is applied by extra than 1,000 colleges and universities in 50 states and 20 nations, like Oregon Condition.

“This tool presents vital guidance for underserved and first-generation pupils navigating the method of implementing to school,” mentioned Ed Feser, Oregon State’s provost and government vice president. “The collaborative advancement of this software also speaks to Oregon State’s dedication to giving accessibility to a school instruction not only for learners in Oregon, but in the course of the country and entire world,”

Via the Prevalent Application, each year extra than 1 million pupils utilize to college, study fiscal aid and scholarships and link to school counseling assets.

Though the Popular Application was established to make implementing to school simpler, it still can be a complicated job for pupils, significantly those people who occur from small-income people and households where by English is not the key language, said Jon Boeckenstedt, Oregon State’s vice provost of enrollment administration.

Very last 12 months, 700,000 higher faculty seniors produced accounts on the Typical Software platform but under no circumstances concluded an software, according to Frequent App, the nonprofit firm that oversees the software.

“Applying to college or university, when a uncomplicated ceremony of passage for large faculty learners, has develop into a lot more stressful,” Boeckenstedt said. “Anyone concerned in school admissions even a small time period knows that the ideal way to raise access to college is to knock down barriers the process can set between learners and a university degree.”

Marilyn O’Toole, an IECA member and founder of The Higher education Consortium, which presents mothers and fathers and pupils personalized guidance via the university software approach, saw that similar need to break down barriers.

“Our objective has been to produce transform by rising accessibility and clarity for students as they navigate Common Application, specifically college students in the underneath-resourced communities,” O’Toole said. “Our IECA workforce supplied assets and assistance equivalent to what we provide our learners.”

O’Toole and IECA Main Executive Officer Mark Sklarow arrived at out to Boeckenstedt to go over how to retailer and organize the movie methods. He connected with Lisa Templeton, affiliate provost for Ecampus, Oregon State’s leading-rated supplier of on line education and learning.

During the earlier 12 months, Ecampus designed the system and IECA presented the information, which includes creating and modifying curriculum and scripting and recording audio and video clip for extra than 50 modules for sections of Typical Software. Topics contain supplemental essays, fiscal help and Household Educational Legal rights and Privacy Act waivers.

Ecampus team properly trained IECA customers to audio and visually file each and every part and then edited several hours of recordings and additional animation to make the instructions and assistance distinct.

“We had been pleased to guidance this crucial initiative to make improvements to obtain to college or university for college students who need guidance, or even just assurance, as they transfer by the school course of action,” Templeton explained.

Amazon collaborates with Oregon State, offers employees tuition benefit to learn on campus, online

Amazon collaborates with Oregon State, offers employees tuition benefit to learn on campus, online

CORVALLIS, Ore. — Oregon Condition University today announced a collaboration that assists Amazon staff members in Oregon in pursuing a school degree by enrolling in OSU programs on campus and on line.

Amazon workers in Oregon will benefit from tuition guidance to pursue additional than 200 Oregon State programs on the Corvallis campus or at OSU-Cascades in Bend, as well as 90-additionally systems as a result of OSU Ecampus, the university’s nationally ranked on the net instruction division.

This is the hottest in a series of collaborations Ecampus has fashioned with corporations and employer networks to offer educational remedies for working adults. It is the very first such alliance that offers pupils the skill to study in particular person or on the net.

“OSU is Oregon’s statewide college, and this collaboration is true to our mission to serve the men and women of Oregon,” mentioned Becky Johnson, Oregon State’s interim president. “We are working to develop entry to greater instruction for all capable pupils, at equally the undergraduate and graduate levels, and this collaboration with Amazon will support us obtain that.”

The Amazon Vocation Option system helps total- and section-time staff members as they study new capabilities to advance their professions at Amazon or elsewhere. The method collaborates with establishments like Oregon Condition that guidance operating grownups academically, helping them with task placements and furnishing educational pathways that guide to career accomplishment.

“We’re on the lookout ahead to Oregon Condition coming on board as an training companion, incorporating to the hundreds of ideal-in-course offerings out there to our workforce,” mentioned Tammy Thieman, global plan direct of Amazon’s Career Alternative method. “We’re fully commited to empowering our personnel by providing them entry to the schooling and teaching they have to have to increase their careers, no matter if that is with us or somewhere else.

“Today, more than 50,000 Amazon employees all over the entire world have by now participated in Profession Preference, and we have viewed firsthand how it can completely transform their lives.”

Amazon operates success centers in Hillsboro, Portland, Salem and Troutdale, with more warehouses envisioned to open up future year in Canby and Woodburn. A lot more than fifty percent of Amazon Profession Alternative individuals recognize as Black, Hispanic or Indigenous.

“We’re very pleased to aid grownup learners anywhere they reside, and teaming with Amazon is an fascinating, ground breaking way to give Oregonians greater accessibility to higher-high quality OSU applications that meet up with their demands,” explained Ecampus Associate Provost Lisa L. Templeton.

Ecampus has corporate collaborations with companies this sort of as Guild Instruction, Peet’s Coffee and the Skilled Hockey League Players’ Association.

Oregon State earns another top-5 national ranking for online education

CORVALLIS, Ore. — Oregon Condition University has been rated 1 of the nation’s 5 best providers of on-line instruction for the fourth consecutive calendar year by U.S. News & Environment Report, judged on the power of its faculty and the length understanding chances they provide

The once-a-year report released right now ranks Oregon Condition Ecampus No. 5 out of approximately 400 larger training institutions in the classification of Most effective Online Bachelor’s Programs. OSU has placed in the nation’s major 10 each yr considering that 2015.

The publication involves 4 supplemental top rated-25 rankings for Oregon Condition:

  • No. 2 — Most effective On the net Psychology Bachelor’s Courses.
  • No. 4 — Finest On line Organization Bachelor’s Programs.
  • No. 13 — Greatest Online Bachelor’s Programs for Veterans.
  • No. 24 — Best On line Master’s in Engineering Courses

Oregon Condition Ecampus functions with far more than 1,000 OSU college members to create and supply classes on the internet. Individuals efforts achieve Ecampus learners in all 50 states and additional than 60 international locations.

“We’re very pleased that Oregon State’s length learners have entry to the exact same arduous degree packages and can understand on the web from the exact qualified college as OSU’s on-campus students,” explained Ecampus Affiliate Provost Lisa L. Templeton. “Broad obtain to substantial-quality on the net understanding possibilities is important now a lot more than at any time. We’re pleased to share this national recognition with the total Oregon Condition local community.”

U.S. Information & Globe Report evaluates on the net bachelor’s courses on 4 factors: pupil engagement school credentials and education companies and technologies and specialist belief. Over-all, Oregon Point out scored 97 factors out of 100 and ranked among the the nation’s very best in conditions of college experience and Ecampus’ skill to prepare these instructors to train on line.

The scholar engagement variable facilities on interactions with instructors and classmates. Ecampus lessons also emphasize conversation with the class content material. A single example will involve students amassing soil samples in their regional communities and examining them using at-dwelling lab kits despatched by Oregon Point out.

“What I have liked most about the on the web coursework is that there have been so many prospects for arms-on experiences,” said Mayra Radzinski, a purely natural resources big in central Texas. “When I started I was like, ‘I never see how in the planet I am likely to probably understand about a little something which is so tangible — soil, water.’ I was really impressed with the labs and the jobs.”

In 2020-21, Ecampus served a lot more than 12,000 particular person learners exclusively on the web. Among individuals who enrolled, a lot more than 8,500, or approximately 70{e4f787673fbda589a16c4acddca5ba6fa1cbf0bc0eb53f36e5f8309f6ee846cf}, have been pursuing an Oregon Point out bachelor’s degree online.

That consists of Geoff Boldt, an economics student in southern Oregon who will work in genuine estate appraisal. He suggests his on the internet research by way of OSU Ecampus gain him in real time as he is effective to establish a occupation.

“I’m actively doing the job in a field that employs my long run degree, and I’m able to use what I’m understanding on the web quickly. This can help me fully grasp how relevant the product is and helps make the lessons that considerably much more interesting,” stated Boldt, who expects to graduate later on this calendar year.

Oregon education, health officials warn of ‘rapid’ COVID-19 transmission in school activities

Oregon’s education and learning and health leaders say if schools keep on to host extracurricular pursuits, “they really should count on speedy transmission of COVID-19″ that could reduce college students from remaining capable to attend class in-person due to isolation and quarantine periods.

Oregon’s schooling and overall health leaders place out that warning in an advisory Monday. The organizations say colleges and businesses need to possibly pause extracurricular activities or make sure they adhere to specific COVID-19 basic safety protocols.

If educational facilities decide on to go on extracurriculars, the agencies mentioned they need to have to obviously communicate the opportunity challenges to people.

The concept from the Oregon Section of Training and Oregon Wellness Authority comes as educational institutions about the state start out their new terms and the omicron variant of the coronavirus continues to spread.

“It’s all about seeking to carry on to assure that our pupils can show up at university in-particular person each individual day,” ODE Director Colt Gill told OPB Monday.

Gill reported that consists of schools continuing to implement the mitigation initiatives they have now been using — together with putting on proper confront coverings, next physical distancing pointers, recurrent hand washing and use of air flow methods.

The new advisory inspired educational facilities to put into action free of charge COVID-19 screening applications.

Seattle General public Colleges closed educational institutions Monday to offer you voluntary COVID-19 screening for staff members and learners amid a surge of new omicron cases. ODE reported Oregon is not considering a little something comparable.

The ODE and OHA advisory also encouraged colleges to retrain college staff members on security protocols, as well as teach personnel, students and family members about COVID-19 indications. But the major transform advised in the advisory has to do with things to do outside of the university working day.

“[W]e have seriously questioned our schools and other organizations that serve college students to really be considerate about their extracurricular routines,” Gill reported.

Students approach a door while an adult stands outside wearing a mask and holding a radio and a clipboard.

Kellogg Center College principal Richard Smith greets college students on the initial working day of university back again on Sept. 1, 2021.

Elizabeth Miller / OPB

That features both pausing extracurricular things to do or making certain they use the same security protocols that are in location for the duration of the college working day, such as encounter coverings.

“We know those people mitigation efforts work and they have been protecting against the distribute of COVID-19, but we do not generally use those in extracurricular actions such as sports, and we’re actually nervous we’ll see fast transmission in these settings except communities appear jointly and use the same forms of protocols we use all through the faculty working day immediately after the university day,” Gill said.

The companies are also inquiring households and group associates to do their portion in supporting assure faculties can continue in-human being teaching and finding out. Namely, ODE and OHA are urging mothers and fathers to maintain college students house if they have COVID-19 indications. The companies are also encouraging family members and small children to get vaccinated and get COVID-19 booster pictures, and to restrict non-vital actions and gatherings.

“Spread in the community is what could cause a school sooner or later to shut to in-person instruction and go back to on line understanding for a shorter interval of time,” Gill explained. “The extra communities can do to make sure people today are vaccinated and boosted so there is fewer likelihood that they are spreading COVID-19 from 1 individual to yet another, or significantly less probable that they may possibly will need the solutions of a clinic and actually tax that procedure — that will enable keep our school personnel safe and sound and our pupils protected and keep them in in-human being instruction.”

ODE Communications Director Marc Siegel explained the agency is not setting up a statewide return to length studying, like what took place at the beginning of the pandemic in March 2020. But, individual school districts will be in a position to make that connect with themselves if essential.

“For just about every faculty district, that’s a regional faculty district determination, manufactured in coordination with local well being authority,” Siegel told OPB.