tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19910756496020209482024-03-08T01:18:54.993-08:00PEG AdmissionsThe Program for the Exceptionally Gifted (PEG) at Mary Baldwin College is the only residential program of its kind in the country serving gifted young women ages 12-16 who have the courage to challenge themselves by leaving high school, or middle school, and starting college.PEG Admissionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13731353061574629694noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991075649602020948.post-60662471835336086182008-04-08T16:50:00.000-07:002008-04-08T16:55:16.888-07:00National Deposit Deadline - May 1, 2008<span style="font-family:arial;">For students and their families May 1, 2008, may represent the end of a long and rigorous journey through the application process. </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">The National Deposit Deadline is standard at most colleges and universities throughout the United States, encouraging students to make a decision about their future plans for education.</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">If your daughter has been accepted into the Program for the Exceptionally Gifted and she intends to enroll in this entering class of PEG Freshman, then please submit your reservation deposit of $300.00 as soon as possible. Each year we have many more accepted students than there are available spaces in the program, so reserving your space in the program is of paramount importance.</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Deposits may be taken over the phone by calling Gretchen Watson, Assistant Director of Admissions, at 540.887.7211 or you may write a check to Mary Baldwin College. Please be sure to fill out and return your deposit card as well.</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">If you have any questions, or would like to pay your deposit, then please call the PEG Admissions Office at 540.887.7211.</span>PEG Admissionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13731353061574629694noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991075649602020948.post-28549027931150913732008-04-08T16:45:00.000-07:002008-04-08T16:50:23.496-07:00Prospective Student Overnight - 2008<span style="font-family:arial;">2008 hosted the largest Prospective Student Overnight in the program's 22 year history. Over 170 accompanied the 38 talented young ladies representing 18 states that spent the night in the dorm and attended classes with current PEG students the next morning. </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Mahala Burn, PEG graduate of 2007 and currently completing her fellowship program at Yale University at age 18, was this year's keynote speaker and stressed the importance of fit in the program.</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">To all the students and their families who attended this event, thank you for making it the rousing success that it was. All the faculty and staff who interacted with the visiting students recognized their talent and ability.</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">If you have not yet visited the program, then please feel free to call the PEG Admissions Office and set-up a visit, Monday-Friday, 8:30am - 2:30pm.</span>PEG Admissionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13731353061574629694noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991075649602020948.post-25167166997033346922008-01-16T16:12:00.000-08:002008-01-16T16:38:30.837-08:00Tis the Season.....For Financial AidIt's that time of year, dear reader, to consider the question of financial aid. That is, to be, or not to be? This process has been mysitified, attributed occult-like status, by the media, and the whispers of college students and their parents shaking their heads at their computer screens, their glazed eyes tired from scanning the fine print that goes along with the dreaded acronym known as "FAFSA". However, this dismal picture can be avoided if you're willing to follow a few simple steps.<br /><br />1. <strong><span style="font-size:180%;">EVERYONE</span></strong> should file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)!<br /><br />Whether your bank account is busting at the seams with wealth, stocks or accumulated, lucrative properties you should still file the FAFSA. <br /><br />Why?<br /><br />Though it's true that the FAFSA does provide a few grants to those students who have demonstrated financial need, it also is your chance to qualify for government loans that will not be available to you if you do not. Some government loans, like the Stafford loan, is available to all students regardless of need. Interest rates on these loans are usually lower than those you might receive through your bank.<br /><br />The FAFSA acts as your application for both federal and state aid. The deadlines differ from state to state but usually a good round ballpark for entering college students is to have their FAFSA filed by May 1st. You can start to file your FAFSA on January 1st, though I do recommend that families wait until their tax returns are done to file.<br /><br />2. Do your taxes early!<br /><br />The FAFSA uses your current financial information. Do not use your tax returns from the previous year as the government sends out random verification forms to make sure of your financial situation. <br /><br />3. Get your PIN #!<br /><br />The government defines the PIN # as a device that "serves as your electronic signature and provides access to your personal records". At this time, your PIN # ( you should get one each for yourself, your spouse and your daughter) takes about 3-4 days to get to you by email and longer by regular mail. You will need this number to electronically sign your FAFSA.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.pin.ed.gov/PINWebApp/pinindex.jsp">http://www.pin.ed.gov/PINWebApp/pinindex.jsp</a><br /><br />4. Attend Financial Aid Nights at local high schools!<br /><br />Don't be afraid to attend a Financial Aid Night at a local high school that is intended for older students! The financial aid professionals present at these events will be presenting the same information that you need to know. Bring a piece of paper and take notes.<br /><br />5. File your FAFSA!<br /><br />Take a weekend and start filling out the paperwork, electronically of course. Mary Baldwin cannot offer you a financial aid package, that is a total financial breakdown of what you owe taking our governement and state grants and loans and merit scholarships, that will be sent to you in the mail. The sooner your FAFSA is completed and processed, the sooner you will be able to know what college is going to cost you.<br /><br />The governement is phasing out paper FAFSA applications and so they can only be done online.<br /><br />6. Take your EFC with a grain of salt.<br /><br />The EFC, or Estimated Family Contribution, will be given to you on your student aid report once you file your FAFSA. This number represents the monetary amount that the government feels that you should be able to pay for college given your current financial situation.<br /><br />These numbers are notoriously low. Add $4000 to $5000 dollars to the EFC you are given to reflect a more accurate picture.<br /><br />7. Start looking for scholarships!<br /><br />While Mary Baldwin does provide generous merit scholarships please understand that this may not be enough to cover your costs for tuition, room and board, books, school supplies, travel and fun money. Every year millions of dollars in scholarships go to waste because people did not apply for them.<br /><br />Ask your your local chamber of commerce, your guidance office and search the internet for scholarships that might be available. <a href="http://www.fastweb.com/">www.fastweb.com</a> is a good website to start with.PEG Admissionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13731353061574629694noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991075649602020948.post-52246276564279846562008-01-02T14:57:00.000-08:002008-01-02T15:10:09.108-08:00May Term Update - Mary Baldwin CollegeIn addition to four traditional academic terms Mary Baldwin College also offers what we call the "May Term".<br /><br />May Term Abroad courses are distinctly different from tourism. Often students travel by public transportation and stay in homes or in small, family operated hotels. Students may have the opportunity for academic interchange with foreign students in the classroom. In the case of courses where site and subject are interdependent, students have the opportunity to travel with an expert in the field. Learning happens through experiencing, touring, and through informal on-site lectures.<br /><br />While each study abroad program has a principal faculty leader, there are frequently several faculty who go along so that students can enrich their field experiences with insights from various experts. Some expeditions offer a range of courses. On a recent trip to Russia, for example, students could select a course in modern Russian studies from a professor who had studied in Russia and was fluent in the language, or they could choose a course that focused on the performing arts in Russia and was taught by a member of the theatre faculty.<br /><br /><br />Where will you be during May Term 2007? Paul Callo, assistant professor of biology, will be in Costa Rica. Martha Walker, associate professor of French, has plans in France. Japan is the destination for Professor of Education Jim McCrory and Professor of Asian Studies<br />Daniel Métraux.<br /><br />Mary Baldwin College’s annual study abroad fair initiated the college’s Spencer Center for Civic and Global Engagement as an event venue and introduced students to May Term educational<br />sites worldwide. A dozen MBC faculty —including some familiar travelers and others who will embark for the first time for a course — will take students on farflung adventures for the three-week term.<br /><br /> Costa Rica: Field Ornithology (BIOL<br />150). Students learn to identify birds<br />and study their biology and conservation<br />with Assistant Professor Paul<br />Callo.<br /><br />Cyprus: Multicultural Psychology<br />(PSYC 216) and Intercultural<br />Communication (COMM 280).<br />Focus on how family life, religion,<br />politics, and geography shapes<br />culture with native Cypriot Associate<br />Professor Andreas Anastasiou and<br />Professor Jack Kibler. Associate<br />Professor of Communication Alice<br />Araujo joins the trip to explore the<br />relationship between culture and<br />communication.<br /><br />England: Virginia Program at Oxford<br />(ENG/HIST 390) (Summer 2008).<br />Professor of History Mary Hill Cole<br />guides six weeks of Renaissance<br />history and literature with British<br />scholars and tutors, plus sightseeing<br />and outings. London Theatre (THEA<br />208). Study and travel in the world<br />capital of English-speaking theatre<br />and visit Stratford-upon-Avon with<br />Virginia Francisco ’64, professor of<br />theatre.<br /><br />Central Europe: Science in Cultural<br />Context (CHEM 105). Bulgaria-born<br />Vladimir Garkov, associate professor<br />of chemistry, gives students an up<br />close view of the sites of significant<br />scientific discoveries.<br /><br />Italy: Renaissance Studies in Italy<br />(ART 343). Sara Nair James,<br />professor of art, leads studies of art<br />in Rome, Florence, Venice, and other<br />cities.<br /><br />Japan: Introduction to Japan (JPNS<br />250). Professors Métraux and<br />McCrory stay with students in<br />Tokyo, tour ancient historical<br />Kamakura and Nikko, get an<br />inside tour of Japanese Parliament<br />(Diet), and visit Japanese<br />schools.<br /><br />England and Wales: Celtic Britain.<br />View Britain’s multicultural side at<br />historic and literary sites with<br />Associate Professor Sarah Kennedy<br />and Professor Roderic Owen.<br /><br />France: French Play in Performance<br />(FREN 154). Attend theatre<br />performances, visit landmarks, and<br />learn about life in Paris from host<br />families with Associate Professor<br />Martha Walker.PEG Admissionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13731353061574629694noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991075649602020948.post-40889253137023099122007-12-17T09:01:00.000-08:002007-12-17T09:10:21.803-08:00Prospective Student Overnight - March 30th and 31st!<span style="font-family:arial;">Happy Holidays from the entire PEG Staff!</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">It's that time of year to start thinking about our Prospective Student Overnight (PSO), a wonderful opportunity to see the PEG dorm, tour Mary Baldwin's historic campus and get a feel for what it's like to be a PEG!</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">The dates for this year's PSO are Sunday, March 30th through Monday, March 31st. Check in times for Sunday, March 30, are between 1:00pm and 2:00pm.</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">The best way to find out if PEG is right for you is to meet other students and their parents, participate in classes, enjoy a meal in our dining hall, and ask all the burning questions that you may have about the program.</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Other scheduled events include:</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">- Information and financial aid session</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">- Tours of campus and PEG Center</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">- Individual Interviews</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">- Dinner with guest speaker</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">- Coffee and dessert for parents and ice cream and movies for students</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Mark your reservation today for this exciting opportunity!</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Please contact:</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Gretchen Watson</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Assistant Director of Admissions</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Program for the Exceptionally Gifted</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">540.887.7211</span><br /><a href="mailto:gwatson@mbc.edu"><span style="font-family:arial;">gwatson@mbc.edu</span></a>PEG Admissionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13731353061574629694noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991075649602020948.post-20771889123895638532007-11-27T10:16:00.001-08:002007-11-27T10:16:52.403-08:00Characteristics of Highly Gifted Individuals<span id="articleText"><p class="gtc_p">In <i>Growing Up Gifted</i>, Dr. Barbara Clark reviewed the research of Dahlberg, Gross, Koppel, Lovecky and Silverman, and listed the following as characteristics commonly found among highly gifted individuals. </p> <ul class="gtc_ul"><li>An extraordinary speed in processing information. </li><br /><br /><li>A rapid and thorough comprehension of the whole idea or concept. </li><br /><br /><li>An unusual ability to perceive essential elements and underlying structures and patterns in relationships and ideas. </li><br /><br /><li>A need for precision in thinking and expression. </li><br /><br /><li>An ability to relate to a broad range of ideas and synthesize commonalties among them. </li><br /><br /><li>A high degree of ability to think abstractly that develops early. </li><br /><br /><li>Appreciation of complexity; finding myriad alternative meanings in even the most simple issues or problems. </li><br /><br /><li>An ability to learn in an integrative, intuitive, nonlinear manner. </li><br /><br /><li>An extraordinary degree of intellectual curiosity. </li><br /><br /><li>An unusual capacity for memory. </li><br /><br /><li>A long concentration span. </li><br /><br /><li>A fascination with ideas and words. </li><br /><br /><li>An extensive vocabulary. </li><br /><br /><li>Ability to perceive many sides of an issue. </li><br /><br /><li>Argumentativeness. </li><br /><br /><li>Advanced visual and motor skills. </li><br /><br /><li>An ability from an early age to think in metaphors and symbols and a preference for doing so. </li><br /><br /><li>Ability to visualize models and systems. </li><br /><br /><li>Ability to learn in great intuitive leaps. </li><br /><br /><li>Highly idiosyncratic interpretations of events. </li><br /><br /><li>Awareness of detail. </li><br /><br /><li>Unusual intensity and depth of feeling. </li><br /><br /><li>A high degree of emotional sensitivity. </li><br /><br /><li>Highly developed morals and ethics and early concern for moral and existential issues. </li><br /><br /><li>Unusual and early insight into social and moral issues. </li><br /><br /><li>An ability to empathetically understand and relate to ideas and other people. </li><br /><br /><li>An extraordinarily high energy level. </li><br /><br /><li>A need for the world to be logical and fair. </li><br /><br /><li>Conviction of correctness of personal ideas and beliefs. </li></ul> <p class="gtc_p">As Silverman notes, "it may be nearly impossible for highly gifted children to conform their thinking to the ways in which others think. Some do not 'group' well. Some have difficulty developing relations with others. Some argue continuously because that is the way they learn. Some are intensely sensitive. Some have major discrepancies between their intellectual maturity and motor coordination and so appear 'immature.'" All of them are highly vulnerable and at risk.</p></span>PEG Admissionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13731353061574629694noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991075649602020948.post-10552624201220359962007-11-21T08:29:00.000-08:002007-11-21T08:30:27.705-08:00The Scholarship QuestionHappy Thanksgiving!<br /><br />The PEG staff joins me in wishing you and your family a very safe and happy start to this year's holiday season.<br /><br />I've decided that this installment of the PEG Blog should cover a subject near and dear to every college student's heart, the scholarship.<br /><br />Mary Baldwin does offer very generous merit scholarships to all incoming students (yes, that does include potential PEG students) in varying amounts from $5,000 to $13,000 based upon a student's current GPA and SAT or ACT scores. In fact, most entering PEG students receive either $11,000 or $13,000 by virtue of their high GPA's and test scores. However, I can well understand that even these generous scholarship amounts, though renewable every year as long as the student remains in good academic standing, may not be enough for a family to be secure in their decision to send their young daughter to college.<br /><br />The good news? There are scholarships out there, you just have to know where to look.<br /><br />If your daughter is under the age of 13, then the process of finding an outside scholarship might be more difficult.<br /><br />"None of the online scholarship databases includes information about college scholarships that are available only to children under age 13 because of federal privacy laws. The Children's Online Privacy Protection Act of 1998 (COPPA), 15 USC 6501, and the Children's Privacy Protection Final Rule, require web sites to obtain "verifiable parental consent" before collecting, using or disclosing individually identifiable information from children under age 13. This effectively prevents online scholarship databases from matching students under age 13 with college scholarships. Because of the difficulties in obtaining consent, all of the scholarship databases avoid the problem by omitting scholarships for underage children from their databases and refusing to register users under age 13."<br /><br />This information is according to www.finaid.org. However, they also have a listing of scholarships for children who are younger than 13. Please visit this website to see a list of those scholarships.<br /><br />http://www.finaid.org/scholarships/age13.phtml<br /><br /><br />Fortunately, the process is easier for children who are age 13 and older. Fast Web is a wonderful scholarships search engine that allows students and their families to learn about prospective scholarships by typing in their personal information, and from that day forward a list of those scholarships that the student may be eligible for will be delivered to the student's email everyday.<br /><br />There are also other private options to consider. The Davidson Fellows scholarship program, established in 2001, recognizes exceptional students and supports them in the fulfillment<br />of their potential. Each year, Fellows are awarded scholarships of $50,000, $25,000 or $10,000 and are recognized for their achievements at a special awards reception in Washington, D.C. The deadline for the 2008 Davidson Fellows Scholarship is March 26, 2008.<br />To be eligible to apply the 2008 Davidson Fellows Scholarship, applicants must be under the age of 18 as of October 1, 2008. For more information about this scholarship program please visit http://www.ditdservices.org/Articles.aspx?ArticleID=36&NavID=1_0 .<br /><br />Of course, this entry only represents a small sample of the scholarships that are available. I will continue to search and other scholarships will be posted here as well.PEG Admissionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13731353061574629694noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991075649602020948.post-58937975701777021842007-10-15T09:07:00.000-07:002007-10-15T09:09:16.088-07:00The PEG Admissions Process or "I have my application, now what do I do? Should I apply?"<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Hello, your friendly neighborhood admissions representative here. Welcome once again to the PEG blog! </span><o:p style="font-family: arial;"></o:p></span> <p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;">I receive questions about applications every day, much to the effect of the question above.<span style=""> </span>So, those of you who have the same but have until now been afraid to voice your concerns, I hope that I can alleviate your fears with this installment.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;">Simply put, the PEG Admissions process is a lengthy one, as it should be.<span style=""> </span>The materials needed for a complete application include:<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;">1. A completed application form (including student and parent essays, and school information form<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;">2. Transcripts from the applicant's 6th grade year to her current grade<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;">3. Official SAT or ACT scores<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;">4. Two letters of recommendation from teachers (I would prefer current teachers, if possible)<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;">5. One letter of recommendation from a school administrator (a principal or a superintendent)<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;">6. A completed family interview that must be conducted at the <st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">PEG</st1:PlaceName> <st1:placename st="on">Center</st1:PlaceName></st1:place><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;">If this sounds like quite a bit of information to be collected, it is.<span style=""> </span>The PEG Admissions Committee (including myself, the Director of PEG, and three members of the faculty) use this information to determine not only whether the applicant is a good fit for the program, but whether the program is a good fit for applicant.<span style=""> </span>The Committee looks at each applicant using a case study approach and makes their decision accordingly.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;">There is no deadline by which applications must be received and complete.<span style=""> </span>However, I would like to have the rest of a student's completed application when they visit for their family interview.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;">Please refer to this website <span style="font-weight: bold;">http://www.mbc.edu/peg/admitdeadlines.asp</span> for a timeline of how to proceed with your application.</span></p>PEG Admissionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13731353061574629694noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991075649602020948.post-11315992564862610092007-09-19T12:56:00.000-07:002007-10-01T11:57:52.816-07:00PEG Enters the Blogosphere!<p>Yes, that's right, for the first time the Program for the Exceptionally Gifted (PEG) has now started a blog to answer the questions of any and all comers about the program.</p><p> </p><p>I, Gretchen Watson, Assistant Director of Admissions for PEG, will be your moderator, and all around blog guru.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Here's a little background....</strong></p><p><strong></strong> </p><p>Founded in 1985 the Program for the Exceptionally Gifted (PEG) is the only early entrance, residential program in the nation that accepts students as young as 12 years of age to live and study on a college campus with other gifted students. Housed in a state-of-the-art residence hall, PEG students share their living space with full-time professional staff who are dedicated to their intellectual and emotional well-being, as well as their safety.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Some quick facts about PEG:</strong></p><ul><li>The PEG center is a state-of-the-art residence hall and headquarters with home-like features including room clusters, lounges, kitchen and 24-hour adult supervision</li><br /><li>All PEG students benefit from a student to faculty ratio of 10:1 and an average class size of 17</li><br /><li>Fully 85% of PEG’s graduating students are accepted to fine graduate institutions including Johns Hopkins, Columbia Law School, Stanford University and the University of Virginia to name a few</li><br /><li>PEG is routinely named a premier program for gifted young women. PEG has been cited as exemplary in publications that include <i>The Handbook of Gifted Education</i> by Colangelo and Davis</li><br /><li>Studies have shown that young women who attend all-female academic institutions have a more positive attitude toward academics, a greater willingness to take healthy risks, and draw confidence from their academic abilities rather than from their physical appearance.</li></ul><p>I'll be posting here every few days with updates about the program and answers to some common questions.</span><br /><br />I look forward to hearing from all of you.</p><br /><p>Gretchen</p>PEG Admissionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13731353061574629694noreply@blogger.com0