From Stephanie Ny

Dear ILC students,

One of the most important lessons I've learned - and that I learned a little too late - is that you must take every opportunity to participate in internships and other field work. There is currently a discourse about college graduates being overqualified for low-skilled jobs but under qualified for entry-level positions due to lack of experience. I think the key solution to this is internships, through which you receive the chance to sharpen your intellectual and strategic skills while gaining work experience that is necessary for entry-level jobs. I don't know if this is really the case, but to me, it appears to be a very important step that many college students - including myself - often fail to take.

Aside from this, and on a more general note, I'd recommend that you all actually visit the schools you plan on attending before agreeing to enroll. Go at a time during which students are actually present and hanging around. You get a real feel for the school, the student body, and the school spirit. If you don't like the people there, it is likely you won't enjoy yourself! The academics and scenery are important, but visiting a school can finalize (or the opposite!) your decision to attend it.

I'm currently a rising senior at Northwestern University, so if any of you have questions, feel free to e-mail me!

Stephanie Ny

Northwestern ‘14

stephanieny2010@gmail.com

From Julia Maniquiz

Dear ILC,

I am in the summer before my senior year at UC Berkeley and I was a part of the Freedom and Justice program at Cornell University back in 2009. Because of my AP classes and the units I collected from this ILC course, I have enough units to graduate a semester early. I am still contemplating whether to do so, as I've learned there is no other experience like college and it goes by far too quickly.

For me, one of the best parts of college has been getting to take any type of class I desired. My advice to you all is to take advantage of this freedom and venture out of your comfort zone. I have always strictly been a humanities person; I'm a rhetoric major here at Cal. But many of my favorite classes I've taken have been outside of my department. For example, I was completely enthralled with a Molecular and Cell Biology class. To this day, it is one of my favorite classes. When I was in high school, I never would have anticipated liking or even choosing to take such a course - but college is all about testing your boundaries and moving beyond your comfort zone. Take chances, with classes, on-campus clubs, etc. College is such a wonderful experience and I wish you all the best in your future endeavors. College is challenging. It is completely different from high school due to the intensity of the academic work combined with the change of scenery. But no doubt, you will be much more prepared than the average high schooler because of the exposure the ILC has given you to higher level courses, college campus environments, and out-of-state independence.

Please feel free to contact me if you have any specific questions. Take care and good luck.

All the best,

Julia Maniquiz

juliamaniquiz@gmail.com

University of California, Berkeley ‘14

From Malcolm Carson

Hello ILC,

I hope you are happily anticipating this year’s summer courses/trips, if they have not begun already. My name is Malcolm Carson and I am a recent graduate of Columbia University.

I know my submission is a little late for this semester’s entry but as a recent graduate I wanted to wait a little bit longer until graduation and then give a more holistic view of my entire college experience.

The past four years have been quite a journey to say the least. From struggling through my freshman writing class all the way up to somehow completing last year’s quantum physics course. Attending, and more importantly, completing college is no small task, no matter what school you attend, and, as you can imagine, this is no different at an Ivy League school like Columbia.

However don't ever let any of the hardships you encounter break your spirit. As a member of the original class of ILC students and a Columbia graduate, I have a unique outlook on both the ILC experience and the actual Ivy League college experience. I can not tell you how important it was for me to participate with the ILC, as it prepared me for the academic rigors of college and it also helped to prepare me, a California high school student, for the social and physical environment that exists on the East Coast.

Those few weeks spent at Brown and Cornell definitely helped me to realize that I was able to keep up with highly intelligent students similar to what you are sure to encounter during your ILC summers. Although it didn't quite prepare me for those harsh winters that you are also sure to encounter, should you choose to attend college on the East Coast, I will be the first to tell you that once you make it through your ILC experience you will undoubtedly be adequately prepared for the intensity that exists at the college level.

I would be lying if I told you that your high school education and your ILC summers will prepare you for every single thing that college and life in general will throw at you. However, I can confidently tell you that both have given you more than enough of a foundation to survive and flourish in today's competitive world. In order to survive this though, one must have the fortitude to never give up no matter what your exam scores may say, no matter how small or unintelligent you may feel with respect to some of your peers, or no matter how homesick you may become. You must remember that you are worthy and able. Never let anyone—especially yourself—tell you that you can't do something or are unable to live up to the challenges that will be thrown at you. Just keep in mind that you are only ever competing against yesterday's version of you and every day is an opportunity to beat your old self. If you keep these things in mind you are sure to achieve whatever goals you set for yourself.

That being said I also want to say that both the ILC and the college experience is not simply about academics. Do not kill yourself by only hitting the books. Once you have done an adequate amount of studying for the day and you are confident that you have grown from yesterday's version of yourself, remember to take some time out for yourself and have a little fun. Go explore whatever city you are fortunate enough to be living in for the next few weeks. The ILC is not just about academic exposure but also about exposure to new environments, climates, and most importantly people. Be sure not to waste any of these aforementioned aspects. Keep balance within your experience and good luck to you all in your ILC endeavors and your college experiences as well.

Sincerely,

Malcolm Carson
Columbia ‘13

The ILC is Welcomed by the Hercules City Council

The Hercules City Council graciously welcomed those ILCers who live or attend schools in Hercules.

ILC administrator and School Board member Charles Ramsey introduced to the Council, those in attendance and those watching at home on TV The Ivy League Connection.  Mr. Ramsey explained some of the history of the ILC and especially the history of the ILC and the City of Hercules.

Charles Ramsey

The eight Hercules ILCers then rose to tell the Council where they had attended schools in Hercules, how the ILC has affected their own lives and how they plan to bring back to their community what they've learned.

Rochelle Yee
Cornell University
Hotel Management

Christian Abraham
Cornell University
Freedom & Justice

Anmol Randhawa
Columbia University
Presidential Powers

Damian Wong
Yale University
Grand Strategies

Tamilyn Chen
Cornell University
Freedom & Justice

Jenna Lee
Cornell University
Freedom & Justice

Johnny Ko
Brown University
DNA~Biotechnology

Jay Fan
Brown University
DNA~Biotechnology

The penultimate speaker of the evening Hercules teacher and Cornell chaperone Alfredo Chan-Law spoke.  Capping off the evening was School Board President Madeline Kronenberg.

Alfredo Chan-Law
Chaperone~Cornell Cohort

A Tale of Two Cities: the College Edition.

I won't argue with the fact that I got very, very lucky this year.  A lot of people never get the chance to apply to college, let alone get packages of financial aid that makes attending actually feasible. After looking at my choices of 7 schools, 3 of which were UCs, I narrowed my list down to 2- NYU and American. With the ILC's help, I had the opportunity to attend admitted students days at both of these colleges.

NYU's Admitted Student Welcome!

NYU's "Weekend on the Square" took place on Sunday, April 21. I woke up with enough time to shower, dress, eat breakfast and still arrive early, but due to an elevator's technical difficulties I shot out of the hotel doors with only enough time to grab a taxi. With a freshman class of about 4,800, it was no surprise to see that the line to get into the arena was horridly long. I forgot all about the wait, however, when I stepped inside Cole's Sports Arena. It almost felt like a concert, or TED talk- a huge stage, spot lights, a giant screen were all incorporated into the presentation. After the welcome speech, I went over to the College of Arts and Science, where I was accepted to study economics. They had a separate welcome video there, with more specific information on the college, like its alumni and its job placement rates.

After the CAS session, I had the opportunity to talk personally with my financial aid officer. They even played Disney's Beauty and the Beast while I was waiting! I really appreciated being able to talk to someone in the financial aid office, and I'm really grateful for the package that I received. 

The gate at Washington Square park. Most of NYU's
campus is centered around this area.

New York University is proud that they are "in and of the city". But for someone who's from the opposite coast, having no campus is rather intimidating. I definitely felt better after a campus tour, however,  seeing as the majority of the buildings were centered around Washington Square Park. The park almost functions as a quad for NYU, and plenty of students were out studying during the gorgeous Sunday weather. The hustle and bustle of the city is extraordinarily alluring to someone like myself, who always likes to have something to do. At the same time, it's slightly scary to feel that you can't retreat from all the noise and people.

Some ofAmerican University's campus. Too bad I just
missed the cherry blossom festival!

On Monday I woke up early and ready to catch my train to Washington DC.  American is just outside of DC, a 20 minute bus and metro ride to the Washington Monument, which is an enticing factor as I'm deciding between the two. In any case, I arrived at American an hour early to Check-in so I took the chance to walk around the more traditional campus. The weather was a little colder than New York, but still sunny and crisp. I returned back to McDowell Hall, where the admitted students overnight would start, and introduced myself to a few other students who had also arrived early. People were from all over, though I had travelled the farthest. 

AU at sunset is a gorgeous sight to see! 

I had another "Admitted Students Welcome", though less ornate than NYU's, and then a campus tour. American's campus has an "academic quadrangle", where the all the buildings surrounding the quad have classes in them. I applied to the College of Arts and Sciences, again for economics. American has a gorgeous campus, one that also prides itself on being almost entirely environmentally self-sufficient, which I think is really cool. After dinner at TDR (Terrace Dining Room) we were all assigned our hosts. Unfortunately, my host, Sam, had a final and an essay due the next day so I went with the group to see the monuments.

The Lincoln Memorial is gorgeous, especially at
night. Watch out for those marble steps though!

The last time I was in DC I was in 8th grade, and significantly less mature than I am now. This time around, especially after taking AP US History, I got to more thoroughly enjoy the history behind each monument. After walking back from the Lincoln Memorial (see how casually I said that? It'd be an everyday trip if I decided on American!) I got to meet up with my host Sam. She was really fun and really nice- you have to be nice to agree to have a complete stranger in your room for a night. We went to sleep decently early, as I was exhausted from a full day of travelling and she was in the ROTC and had training in the morning. The next day I had to say goodbye to the friends I had made because I had to run to the airport to get home. 

I'm so glad that the ILC gave me this opportunity to see both the campuses that are options for me. I honestly don't know what I would have done without being able to see them. I've been struggling for a while about where I want to spend the next few years, and loving both of the schools didn't really help. Even after just a day on campus, I remembered how much I loved living like a college student while I was at Brown. I know I can't wait for next year, wherever I end up!

Decisions, Decisions, Decisions!

The college admissions process is almost over for the class of 2013, and what a life-changing and eye-opening process it has been. I applied to eleven schools and was accepted to three - UC Santa Cruz, Sarah Lawrence College, and University of Arizona - and waitlisted at Barnard College. I had convinced myself for a long time that staying on the West Coast for college was not for me, as I wanted to move out, meet different types of people, and become accustomed to a new lifestyle. Therefore, I sent in my Student Intent to Register and deposit to Sarah Lawrence College, which I visited last summer with the ILC and loved. However, even though I sent in my SIR to SLC, I was very conflicted about Barnard College. I had lusted over Barnard since fall, and when I discovered I was waitlisted I was thrilled at the opportunity to have another chance to prove myself to them (note: Barnard's acceptance rate was a record low of 20.5% this year, so I was shocked that I was not rejected). I sent in a packet of additional materials to Barnard, and I wasn't sure if I would de-commit from SLC and re-commit to Barnard if Barnard accepted me. It was a very confusing time for me.

I decided to take some time off from school and go to New York. I made this decision for two reasons: one, I needed to get my thoughts sorted out and figure out which school was better for me, whether Barnard accepted me or not. Second, I really wanted to go to SLC's all-day Admitted Students Day and  get a feel for the school. My Aunt Pat, who lives in Long Island, NY, graciously offered to chaperone me for my four-day trip.

My plane took off from the San Francisco International Airport on Friday morning. The flight went by smoothly; to be honest I slept during most of it. I landed in New York in mid-afternoon and spent the rest of that day spending time with my aunt, uncle, and cousin. We went out for cuban food, watched movies, and went over my schedule:

• Saturday: Tour Barnard  
• Sunday: SLC Admit-Day 

On Saturday my aunt drove the both of us to the city. I was really excited to see New York City again, as the month that I spent there last summer at Columbia was one of the best months of my life. When I walked on Columbia's campus again, a wave of nostalgia ran through me. 

Entering Columbia University!  

North Side of Columbia's campus 

Lawn before College Walk, with a great view of the library and alumni statue 

Barnard College is located right across the street from Columbia. Here are some facts about Barnard:

• Barnard's official title is "Barnard College of Columbia University", meaning that Barnard is Columbia's sister school and they have a partnership with one another. Essentially, Barnard and Columbia students can go to each other's campus events, join one another's clubs, and take classes at each campus. While each school has its own identity, it is considered "the academic and extracurricular best of both worlds." 
• Barnard is an all-women's college. However, it is possible for Barnard students to dorm at Columbia 
• Although Barnard is partnered with Columbia, Barnard students do not partake in Columbia's Core Curriculum. Instead, Barnard students are required to take a First-Year Studies course, First-Year English, and nine distribution requirements 

When I got to Barnard, I was taken away by the beautiful architecture, which is the same as Columbia's. However, I was dismayed at the realization that the campus is incredibly small. The facilities were nice but the small size of the campus did not sit well to me. During the college applying process I didn't dwell too much on types of campuses but I now know that I really like spread-out but not too large campuses. 

After talking with one of the assistants in the admissions office, I came to the conclusion that Barnard may not exactly be the school for me. Little things picked at me, such as the fact that Barnard doesn't actually have their own study abroad program like they advertised in their catalogues. A Barnard student has to apply as a guest for approved study abroad programs - for some reason that bothered me because the resource isn't readily available to me. The assistant also admitted that much doesn't go on around on the Barnard campus and that Columbia has the more exciting events and many more clubs than Barnard does. I felt that if I went to Barnard, I would be gravitating more towards Columbia and would be spending more of my time there. I would obviously want to spend some time there but not all of my time - that was another thing that bothered me.

Being on the Barnard campus allowed me time to reflect and put my thoughts into focus. Barnard is a great school, but is probably not the school for me. I was so grateful that I got the opportunity to realize that now instead of being conflicted about it for weeks. 

Welcome to Barnard College, ladies!  

Barnard's opening gates 

Barnard's lovely statue 

A taste of Barnard's beautiful architecture 

Aunt Pat and I spent the rest of the day in the city - we went shopping and then went to MoMa (Museum of Modern Art) and had a great time. Then we went to our hotel in Yonkers and got lots of sleep in preparation for SLC's Admit Day. 

As Aunt Pat drove up to Sarah Lawrence, I couldn't help marveling at how beautiful the campus was and that this was truly the place where I was going to spend the next four years of my life. We made our way to the large tent in the middle of a lawn, where we signed in, got breakfast, and sat down while we waited for the Dean of Admissions to make a speech.

Westlands Tent! 

Students and their families arriving for Admitted Students Day 

Here's the information that I soaked up during the different panels/events that I went to: 

• Opening Address: Essentially, every student admitted to SLC deserves it. We're all intellectual, smart, amazing people. Sounds basic, right? Not at all when the Dean of Admissions tells you this, with a follow up from the President of SLC. President Karen Lawrence commended us for making it through the college applying process, congratulated us on getting accepted, and reminded us that we WILL have dinner with her during our first-year at SLC! 
• Alum/Student Panel: SLC alum and a current student gushed over the many opportunities that they were given at SLC, including internships (the proximity to NYC is 20-30 minutes away by train/car) and the chance to work with great faculty (number one in the nation!). Hearing their SLC stories and updates on their current lives was truly inspiring.
• Theatre at SLC: I walked into this workshop by accident. I was meaning to go into Student Life but ended up with the wrong group. However, I learned so much! The director of the program, Christine Farrell, opened my mind up to the possibility of doing theatre at SLC. I starred in the school play in seventh grade but absolutely hated the process, and ECHS' theatre program didn't actually become a legitimate theatre program again until this school year (therefore making it too late for me to join). My view on theatre has been dreary due to those experiences, but it was enlightened again after this workshop. Ms. Farrell informed us very early that the theatre program is not a conservatory, but a studio - students are there to learn and grow from one another. The program is so broad that if students are ready to design/build sets, direct, or write plays their freshman year, they are allowed to do so. The faculty want their theatre students to be well rounded, so they will not only be acting in plays, but learning how to write scripts, design sets and costumes, and do a certain amount of hours of theatre tech. I've heard that the plays at SLC are fantastic, and while I can't wait to see them when I come here, I'm even opening my mind up to the possibility of being in them! 
• Study Abroad: Sarah Lawrence has great study abroad programs in amazing locations - Florence and Catania (Italy), Paris (France), Havana (Cuba), Berlin (Germany), Greece, Turkey, a year-long program at Oxford University in London, and two advanced theater programs in London. I was especially interested in the Florence, Italy program, as I've been lusting over the opportunity to take Italian in college and spend a semester or year abroad in Italy during my junior year. 
• Student Life: I picked up some packets and marveled at the wide range of clubs, community service, and fellowships that will be at the tips of my fingers since I will be a SLC student! 
• Spring Collective (Diversity Lunch): I was really excited to find SLC's diversity/students-of-color organization. They held lunch in their diversity center, which was absolutely delicious. SLC's Diversity Organization supervises a variety of subgroups, which range in focus from support to social events, activism to literary magazines for women of color, to community service to international feminism. The atmosphere was racially and politically diverse and full of creativity, which is exactly what I'm looking for. I was floored by this amazing group of people and can't wait to check them out in the fall. 
• Conference Work: At SLC, students take 3 classes per term (5 credits are given for each class). A big chunk of the class is conference work, which is a project - either a term paper that can be 20 pages, independent study, research, you name it! Students meet with their professors every two weeks to talk about not only their highs and lows in their classes, but their conference work. By requiring students to do conference work, SLC is essentially preparing freshman to do a senior thesis from the get-go.
• Daniel Day-Lewis: Yes, the internet rumors are true - Daniel Day-Lewis was at SLC admit day! No he was not there to act, he was there to spend the day with his son, Gabriel, who was checking out Sarah Lawrence. It was quite touching to see them both there. I thought it was great that SLC respected Mr. Day-Lewis' privacy and allowed him to spend the day with Gabriel and not swarm him for autographs. However, I do consider myself lucky to have sat near him! 

All of these events and information reassured me that while Sarah Lawrence has small, they have a big enough sense of community and diversity. The location (very convenient - a quiet suburb with great proximity to the city), the resources, the friendliness, the diversity of class offerings, personalized attention, and diversity within the students convinced me that Sarah Lawrence is truly for me. This is the best place for me to spend the next four years of my life. The professors really seem to care about the students - not just their academic success but their well being. After my time away and having the opportunity to experience a different lifestyle, I feel so grateful that this experience was put into focus. 

Again, I'm really thankful for my dad for paying for this trip, my mother and sister, my Aunt Pat, Uncle Walter, and Cousin George, the ILC, and Connor Miller for emailing me about SLC (so great to finally meet him!). I have grown so much since beginning the college process. Thank you all so much. 

Admissions building! 

Beautiful cherry blossoms 

Campus tour heading towards the President's house 

Teahaus  

Students walking around the lawn

What’s in Poughkeepsie?

Taking advantage of the ILC’s Fly-In Program, Emily Hayashi Groves is visiting New York City and then Washington, D.C. to check out a few of the schools she’s been accepted to.  Here is her first blog:

First off, sorry about this huge block of text, but it's hard to write about New York City without rambling!

I got in to Newark, New Jersey the night before last, and went straight to Grand Central Station to catch a train to Poughkeepsie. "What's in Poughkeepsie" you ask? Honestly, not a whole lot. But that is where my sister goes to school at gorgeous Vassar College. She's currently a junior and is majoring in Japanese and education and loves it there! It's only a couple hours out of the city and is an amazing school for anyone who's looking for a smaller liberal arts college. In any case, I stayed there on Friday night, and went to the city the next morning.

After Olivia, my sister, checked me into the hotel I got to drop off my bag and walk around NYC, which is an experience that, I think, everyone should enjoy. Because NYU doesn't have an official "campus", it's just a collection of buildings near Washington Square Park, I toured around there and Greenwich Village.

The Village is an amazing place; it's really quirky and almost reminds me of Berkeley! There are a lot of cafes and bistros, and a bunch of tiny little parks that are fun to sit and people watch from. I could easily see myself spending four years there. 

After eating at a little cafe, I met up with Olivia and a couple of her friends from Vassar to go to Chinatown and Little Italy.

NYC is both whimsical and systematic in their streets. For the most part, they make a lot of sense, but there are always a few streets that either dead-end or suddenly start and completely disorient you. We managed okay, and I had a chance to eat some legitimate sushi! After a few more wrong turns, we made it to Ferrara's, a pretty well known gelato place that was indescribable in its deliciousness.

Saturday night I went out to dinner with my sister and a few of her friends. We went to an Indian restaurant that had awesome food but really awful service—where we went afterwards totally made up for it though! I went to my first comedy club (tickets were only $5) and it was a lot of fun. There was a lot of stand up and everyone was hilarious. There's always something I do in New York, which is a definite factor in where I choose to go. I made it back to my hotel room pretty late, but had to wake up relatively early to get to NYU's "Weekend on the Square".

The Perils of Packing

After all the stress I endured while preparing to leave for and from Brown last summer, I can't believe that I forgot how difficult packing is. I can heave baggage off of a conveyor belt, endure hours of sitting between two loud breathers with no concept of personal space, but the hardest part of going on a trip will forever be the packing. I like to start by piling everything that I want to take on my bed. For five days, that's about enough to fill 3 suitcases. So I start picking things out- will I need a parka? Probably not. 8 pairs of shoes? A little extensive.

It keeps going like that until what's left can physically fit into the case. But now, even as I second guess the outfits I've chosen, I keep glancing over at the suitcase filled to bursting. It's so very hard to focus on anything other than the fact that I, in a few short hours, will be on a plane to New York City (all by myself!). I'll be there visiting NYU, and on Monday I'll take a train down to Washington D.C. to stay over at American University. I'm really excited to explore both of the campuses and the cities and I can't express all of the gratitude I have for Don, Ms. Kronenberg, and Mr. Ramsey for making this trip possible for me. But for now, those few short hours between now and my flight are becoming shorter by the minute, so I'll just focus on getting on the plane and see how it goes from there.

How Can We Blog If You You Don't Teach Us How?

On Saturday April 13^th the ILC held the first two of four tutorial sessions where our new ILCers gathered to learn how their blog sites work, how to use the tools on Blogger and what we’re looking for in their blogs.

We’ve established some formatting protocols that we want our ILCers to follow so their blogs are pleasing to the eye and there’s some conformity to their blogs.

We also show them examples of “good” blogs and examples of “bad” blogs so they can learn from the examples set by previous ILCers on what makes a successful blog and what will put their readers to sleep.

We had seven ILCers and two chaperones in our morning session and then eight ILCers in our afternoon session.

While everyone was prepared to participate in the hands on sessions where they could post some practice blogs and get some direct instruction on what they’re doing right and what they’re doing wrong.

Unfortunately, since we were using a District computer lab and needed to access the District’s Internet service, we were flummoxed due to some firewalls put in place to ensure that District staff and students don’t accidently go to inappropriate sites.  How they might see our blog sites as inappropriate is beyond me but there were no District staffers available on this Saturday to provide us with access.

Oh well…

As frustrating as this was, it didn’t stop us from proceeding with the numerous other items to be discussed.

We discussed some of the things the ILC expects from our ILCers, we explained about how to behave, rules they need to follow while back east, what to pack, what kind of loaner items will be available for their use, a few laundry tips, instructions on how to take better photos, what to do with those photos and whether Evil Don should come to the homes of our ILCers.

It would have been very easy to allow these barriers to have shut us down but everyone worked very hard to find ways to proceed.  This is the kind of thinking we like to see.

And for the record, the next two tutorials will be at a venue where we will be able to do what the tutorial is set up to do.