I just read a fascinating article in the New Yorker Magazine about China’s fuerdai, the new wealthy “1%” in China.

For the past 2 centuries, China has been very poor so this new class of billionaires is known as the rich second generation. These nouveau riche don’t have previous generations to guide them on how to behave in public like the aristocrats of the west. China’s government has recently provided a crash course in traditional Chinese values and social responsibility to 70 children of billionaires. Meanwhile, reality shows like “Ultra Rich Asian Girls of Vancouver” are watched by Chinese people all over the world.  Hmm.  It’s kinda like the obsession Americans have with the “Housewives of…” and the Kardashians.  Nope, not me – never watched any of these shows!

The super rich in China are sending their kids to the west for education and culture. Good schools in China are almost impossible to get into, so these parents are sending their kids to western high schools and colleges. One of my Chinese students told me that many of her friends’ Chinese parents aren’t concerned about the quality of the education, but just about the reputation of the school and the grades they receive.

In order to diversify and protect their finances, these super rich families want their children to purchase real estate and establish roots outside of China. They aren’t looking to reel their children back to China like they did during the last century. Interesting…

[Source:The New Yorker]

Did you know that every 2 minutes, a woman is raped in America?

Officers asked men who had sexually assaulted women how to protect women from future attacks, and here’s what they learned: 

Rapists aren’t looking for sexy or beautiful women, they’re looking for easy targets. 

Who knew?

Here’s what rapists look for:

1. Woman with long hair in a ponytail, bun, or braid; something easy to grab.
2. Woman wearing clothes that are easy to remove.
3. Woman who is distracted by a cell phone; easy to overpower.
4. Woman in grocery store or office parking lots, or in public restrooms.

Here’s what deters rapists:

1. Woman who puts up a fight and screams; it’s not worth it because they don’t have the time.
2. Woman carrying an umbrella or something large that could be used to create space between her and the rapist.
3. Woman who yells that she has pepper spray and holds it out towards them.
4. Woman who pinches under their arms or upper inner thighs with all their might.
5. Woman who kicks or punches in the groin.
6. Woman who grabs their fingers and bends them back.

Here are ways to escape an abduction attempt:

1. If a robber demands that you give him your wallet or purse, toss it as far as you can throw it, and then run in the other direction. Scream as you run to attract attention.
2. If you’re thrown into the trunk of a car, kick out the tail lights and stick your arm out the hole and wave like crazy.
3. If the guy has a gun and he isn’t holding you, run away screaming. He will miss you 96 times out of 100 times, if he even pulls the trigger at all.

Here are ways to be aware of your surroundings:

1. Before getting into your car, check the passenger and back seats.
2. If parked next to a van, enter your car from the passenger side to avoid being pulled into the van.
3. Avoid walking in stairwells by yourself; take the elevator instead.
4. If you’re alone, don’t help others who claim to need your help.  If they really need help, call 9-1-1 and let the professionals help.

Share this with your female family and friends. Remind them of these tips when they go out so they remember what to be aware of and what to do in case of an attack. 

What’s going on with standardized tests? 

Maybe because colleges aren’t relying on them so much anymore, the test companies are scrambling to change up their game. The SAT just made drastic changes that started in January 2016, and the ACT has been making little changes over the past few years. These changes aren’t earthshaking but it’s important to note what they are because most of the ACT prep workbooks and programs don’t address these changes.  So keep reading because I’ve laid out the general theme and outlined the changes.

The ACT is trying to become a standardized test that will be used in elementary, middle, and high school. I think they’re expanding their demographics to ensure a foothold on testing students over their entire K-12 span – not just for college-bound juniors and seniors.  The new ACT questions are less tricky than the old SAT but you have to be able to focus and zip through the questions quickly because of the time constraints (less than a minute to answer each question).

The ACT is also trying to assess and predict students’ interests in colleges and majors. They ask students to complete a deluge of questions when signing up to take the ACT, questions that have nothing to do with setting up the test date. Do NOT answer any of the “optional” questions because they may use your responses against you. Yup, that’s right.  They actually send the colleges recommendations on “College Readiness,” which is their way of predicting whether or not you will be successful in particular college courses. What’s really worrisome is that they’ll do that without your knowledge or permission. 

Here’s how we speculate they use this information. If you answer questions about your future major or career and you do poorly on that section of the ACT, they may suggest to the college that you will not be successful in that major or that college. Yikes!  This is really stepping outside their position as a standardized test company. So play it safe and only answer mandatory questions until the ACT decides how they will use their information and whether colleges even review the ACT’s findings.

Changes in the new ACT:

1. Math: Increased difficulty in the math section because they’ve added 2-3 pre-calculus problems. Students who have taken pre-calculus or calculus may find this better because these advanced problems are fresher to them.  Sometimes advanced students miss easier problems because they haven’t done simple math in several years.
    
2. Reading: Added a new comparison between 2 passages section.  So far, most of the passages have been in the humanities area but they change it up so be prepared for any topic.
    
3.  Science: Reduced the number of passages from 7 to 6.  But, they have the same number of questions.  Most questions do not require scientific knowledge, but your ability to read charts and graphs. However, the new ACT has added about 3 questions that do require some science fundamentals.
    
4. Writing: Increased the time allowed from 30 minutes to 40 minutes, which is good.  The 2 readers evaluate the essay based on 4 criteria: (1) ideas and analysis; (2) thesis development and support; (3) organization and logic of topics; and (4) language use and standard English convention. Raw scores are now 8-48.  The new scaled scores (1-36) are generally lower than the old ACT.  For instance, a raw score of 9 equals a scaled score of 29, 10 = 31, 11 = 34 and 12 = 36. Under the old ACT, a 9 would be a decent writing score but now that they’re scaling it, a scaled score of 29 doesn’t look as good. The ACT organization is still trying to standardize their new grading system, so you can request a re-evaluation for $50.
    
5. Test Accommodations: If you have test accommodations with extended time to take the ACT, this would be the better test for you.  They allow you to complete any section you would like to take within the time frame.  This is very different from the SAT where you can only do one section per time block. In some cases, you can take the ACT over several days – that’s a huge bonus!

Many colleges are making the SAT/ACT optional, and for good reason.  If the colleges you’re hoping to attend require them, weigh out your strengths to determine which test is best for you. 

What kind of cake do you take to a Line Dancing and Bull Riding surprise birthday party?

A Rice Krispies Treat Cowboy Hat Cake, of course!

Yee Haw!

I have watched the pendulum swing for college admissions from super easy to ridiculously difficult matriculation rates.  Back in the day, most students got into colleges simply by meeting the colleges’ eligibility requirements.  Today, perfect GPAs and SAT/ACT scores don’t guarantee admission at selective colleges, which has created a super-crazy frenzy amongst high school students (and their parents) to do whatever it takes to get into great colleges.  This has caused students to overdo just about everything – sports, music, AP classes, clubs, volunteering, and more. Know anybody like this?

As a college advisor, I see all kinds of students.  Some are Stanford or Harvard bound, while others are simply trying to graduate from high school before they turn 20! So you could imagine the transcripts I review.  Parents and students keep pushing themselves to take more AP classes each year, which virtually makes it impossible to do meaningful things like projects – that by the way, are much more impressive to college admissions officers than a boat load of AP classes!  I’ve also seen resumes filled with 15 clubs and 3 sports!  As if the colleges would really believe that these students spend 40+ hours doing extracurriculars while going to school full time. P-L-E-A-S-E…

So it’s refreshing to see Harvard, Yale, and other top universities changing the rubric for college admissions by only inquiring about 2 or 3 extracurriculars to give students the opportunity to demonstrate how they spend their time doing meaningful things.  Colleges are also playing down the importance of taking dozens of AP classes. They know that AP classes force students to spend the entire year preparing for one exam. 

Students don’t get to immerse themselves into their studies and research interesting areas because they spend all their time memorizing useless information like the years each American president held office or learning the differences between ethos and pathos!  Many colleges aren’t requiring SAT or ACT scores as part of the application process anymore; it’s optional. Colleges are moving towards looking for students who aren’t robots scheduling their lives away in AP classes, SAT prep classes, and dozens of clubs.  They realize now that rote memorization and studying for tests don’t necessarily produce successful students in college.  Instead, many of these students become depressed and often resort to delinquent behavior and substance abuse.  Hmm. Not the ideal entering freshmen class that they were hoping for.

That doesn’t mean you can toss out your SAT prep books and take the easiest classes offered at your high school.  What this means is that colleges are really looking for genuinely interesting students. Instead of loading up on AP classes and extracurriculars, focus on doing something that will show your integrity, passion, and concern for others.  Delve into new things and explore things that spark your interest.  Try to solve some of our impending environmental, medical or social problems.  This is what colleges are looking for… Not some burnt out kids who have lost their zeal for learning and contributing to humanity.

Source: [reallearningct.com]

I remember in the not-too-distant past when programming (AKA coding) was something that only “nerds” and super geniuses could do. 

So it doesn’t come as a surprise to me that parents might think that coding could only be done by STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) kids when they’re in high school or even college.

But, that’s not true!  Programming, like foreign languages, should be introduced to young kids when their brains can easily be taught new concepts. 

You can choose from several games and programs designed to introduce young minds to programming.

Check out this article: Teaching your kids how to write computer programs.

Or just google it!  The bottom line is that your child will benefit from understanding how to code, and that it’s best to introduce problem solving skills while they are young. 

Don’t let your fear of programming stop your child from exploring its many possibilities.  Besides, they’ll probably love it!

Source: [marshallbrain.com]

I love dogs – especially big lovable dogs like Golden Retrievers!  I’ve had 3: Nugget, MacGyver, and Indy.  We co-parent Jaclyn’s precious Radar when she’s out of town (that’s what empty-nesters do when they don’t have grandchildren!).  But, I don’t love the dirt, sand, and mud that they track into my house and ruin my hardwood floors and stain my white carpets!  And when it rains, I get nutted up about them tracking muddy footprints all over the house – especially when people have to remove their shoes before entering! That’s why I made a pet mud rug!

After unsuccessfully trying to wipe their paws before they entered the house through the doggy door, I came up with a plan.  Using 4 old towels, I laid 1 towel down as the base and then I folded three towels creating 3-inch loops over the base towel.  [insert photos of sewing and various phases of the project]. I broke a few needles until I found a leather needle that could handle the thickness, and I also used nylon thread so that it would hold up in the wash.  Sewing each row between the loops did get a little challenging towards the end when the towels got bulky and heavy. 

When I laid the pet mud rug in front of the doggie door yesterday, Radar came in with his wet, muddy paws and it soaked up the mess from his paws as he walked across it.  When he stepped onto the hardwood floor, he didn’t leave a footprint!  It worked!  And my pet mud rug didn’t cost me a penny!

Here’s how you make it:

1.  Sew the towel edges on both ends. 

2.  Pin 1st towel loops in place.  Adjust as needed. Stitch.

3.  Pin 2nd towel loops in place. Adjust as needed. Stitch.

4.  Pin the 3rd towel loops in place. Adjust as needed between the 2nd towel and the right edge.

All set! Hope for rain so you can try out your new pet mud rug!

Floating down the Mekong Delta in Vietnam back in 2007, was like a flashback from scenes from Apocalypse Now.  I kept imagining that someone was breathing through the tule leaves in the water as me made each turn in our little row boats.  This trip pushed us beyond our comfort zones as we tried new foods, held very large snakes, checked out beehives, and watched the natives make coconut candies. 

On Jan 23^rd, juniors took the new SAT and here’s what they’re saying about it. The test is reading heavy – the reading sections are longer and the comprehension questions are more difficult than their predecessor.  There’s even more reading in the math and science sections, too. 

While this test will probably be the best test to determine high school students’ reading comprehension and critical reading and thinking skills, some educators fear that this revised test will penalize certain students like immigrants, the poor, and students with learning differences.

Read what the New York Times has to say about this revised SAT. http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/09/us/sat-test-changes.html?mwrsm=Email

Even though George Lucas didn’t like the latest episode, The Force Awakens, real die-hard fans like us loved it.  We have been fans since The New Hope made its debut back in 1977.  When The Phantom Menace opened in 1999, we waited in line at the theater for 8 hours and brought along our portable TV with VCR. Yes, remember those archaic devices? We plugged it in and watched the trilogy while sitting in beach chairs.  Soon, mobs of people stood and watched the 3 episodes with us. 

This time, we took it a step further.

In our home theater, we started the 17-hour marathon at 6:00 am and watched all 6 episodes starting with Episode 1.  We took 3 food breaks for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and finished at 9:15 pm.  With Vader Taders, Sebulba Scrambles, and Skywalker Smoothies for breakfast, Chick-HAN SOLO-wich, Amidala Veggie Sticks, and Yoda Soda for lunch, Greedo Burritos, Dark Side Salsa, and Obi-Wan KEN-doments for dinner, and Wookie Cookies, Lando Light Saber Treats, and Princess Leia Popcorn for snacks, we were living the Star Wars dream! Then, we caravanned to the Scotts Valley Cinemax to watch The Force Awakens at 10:15 pm.  Was it worth it?  ABSOLUTELY! Watching 2 trilogies to relive the character and story development was instrumental in our complete appreciation for the 7^th episode’s “retro” storyline.