@bala2425 and @MomOfThree80, I just bought my son’s and my ticket to DC and it is amazing how much the plane ticket prices dropped. But I ended up getting extra insurance just in case they cancel Selection Weekend. But we may still go regardless since I get to see my daughter at Howard and visit other immediate family in the area. I am hopeful that Selection Weekend will happen, but we will see.
^^I’ve been watching prices to DC and they were simply going up and up, per my Google flight alerts. I stopped clicking through two days ago, but, hey, I think I will take another peek.
@ChangeTheGame: Did you get the enhanced flight insurance, which [offers coverage and] pays out to a greater degree than the conventional insurance offered through the airlines?
We got the conventional insurance (Allianz Global Assistance) offered by Delta. Are you thinking about getting enhanced insurance? It didn’t cross my mind, but I probably should have looked into it.
Yes, got the notice that admitted students day is now going to be virtual.
Sudden change of plans due to some things happening with one of my college kids, but, yes, were I to book I would look into something which might more broadly cover the need to change plans. My looking does not mean I would purchase, though, as the difference between the conventional (such as Allianz) and an enhanced is probably significant enough to be prohibitive.
With family in the area, you are probably in a very good place if plans need to change.
Enjoy your trip, and your visit.
(Prices really have gone down, by the way!)
New email came from the KSSP Director just came through and we are now doing everything virtual…
Yeah I have to admit I saw this coming :
Good afternoon Esteemed Finalist,
By now, everyone is aware of the COVID-19 pandemic and the impact that it is having on our communal routines. Many of our institutions of all kinds where people gather around the country are taking precautions to enact social distancing. These efforts are designed to try and curtail the spread of the virus throughout our communities. In keeping with this recommended effort, we are cancelling our in-person Selection Weekend Program.
However, we are working on re-creating as much of it as possible in a virtual environment. As our work to do so continues, I wanted to get in touch with you as soon as possible to alert that there will be changes, but the “show must go on.” Once we have finished developing our plans, we will get back in touch with you via email with details. As of this moment, we are considering keeping our dates, but that could change. Please know you are all important to us and we will work to accommodate everyone, but please know that your cooperation will help to make this a successful process.
I ask that you check your email frequently to look for updates as we work through the process. We will try to make this as “customer friendly” as possible as we navigate these unchartered waters. Thank you for your patience and enthusiasm.
Warm Regards,
Ronald H. Smith
Director,
Interview slots are being sent. Have your applicant check email to rsvp.
Does anyone have any advice on preparing for the virtual selection weekend? I’m not sure what to really expect and being that this will be my first college interview I was wondering if any veterans of the interview process had any tips now that the day is coming close. I can feel my anxiety increasing as each day passes!
My son was accepted into 3 other Honor’s Programs that has had a positive impact … and he is leaning towards those programs because he has had tours of the schools. Are there any presentations or virtual tours that you could share that would help him take a good look at the Karsh STEM Program? I would love for him to speak to current Cohorts.
@ProudParent777 The only presentation on line is the Karsh STEM Scholars website and other forms of social media which I am sure you have have looked at but I have linked the website. My 2nd year cohort student is actually looking at school work right now but I will talk to her and see if she is good with me sending you a PM so your son can chat with her.
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This is my first time posting. I have learned quite a bit about the Karsh Program, but still have a few questions. Since you have kids already in the Karsh program, we (me, husband, son) were hoping to glean a little more insight into how things actually work. Our son has gotten into several top schools for physics with varying degrees of aid. He has some really good choices, but different costs make decisions more difficult.
- After the summer, what are the benefits of being in the program? If he doesn’t get into the Karsh program, what would he be missing out on? Would his Howard experience be very different?
- My son’s math and science AP and SAT scores are excellent and he is currently in Calc III. Will the summer experience (if we have it) be a review of things he already knows? Why do they make the kids take another math assessment as part of the interview process? Isn’t that what SAT’s and SAT subject tests for? (You may not know the answer to this, but just thought I’d ask.)
- The program is supposed to be for students intending to enter a PhD program. What if a Karsh student decides not to pursue a PhD? Are there any consequences? It is a lot to expect them to make such a big commitment right now.
Thanks for any feedback you can offer.
Be yourself. Be prepared for the basic questions. My son has had a few interviews with some of the ivies. Try not to be nervous . Questions are to learn more about you. No trick questions. Who you are, why you want to be part of this cohort.
@“VTMD##”
Great questions. A lot for all of us to think about. Here is my $.02.
Would have been great for us to do this in person. I hope there is an opportunity for students to hear from current students. That would have been the best way to understand this program. Since this is a relatively new program, replicating the Meyerhoff, I am not sure there is enough information about that.
- I think that depends on what attracted you to the program to begin with. There was a FAQ that just came out today. May not be a summer, maybe an abbreviated summer or a full summer. That will also give your student an opportunity to assess and decide if this is right for him. I think the part about what you miss out on can be addressed outside of interview as a clarification point if he is extended an offer, barring an opportunity to socialize with existing students. I am sure the interview will also provide more insight into what it is and is not.
- This isn’t the only math assessment my son has had to do. It helps determine if your child falls within the desired baseline for the cohort. Some students inflate their proficiency on the assessments and then end up struggling in their assigned math class. Remember that college applications are based primarily on junior year in high school, so they don’t just look at your transcript. Some students don’t report AP scores if they don’t have a 4/5.
- If you scroll up, I believe someone else asked this question. I also think this is an excellent question after you are accepted and before you commit. If you are uncomfortable, waiting I would send an email to the program as a parent to ask some of these questions. Good luck
Hey @VTMD## and welcome to the thread. I personally saw the summer bridge and the trip to Germany to be the largest benefits (bonding of the students in the cohort), but the ongoing support from the KSSP Director and his staff has also been a huge help. It is almost like having “School Parents” who help the students navigate Howard differently from the vast majority of students at Howard. From dealing with signing up for classes (1st in line), housing (1st in line), issues with a weird charge on a student’s account, or finding internships and amazing opportunities for the Scholars, their are lots of pluses.
I have noticed that Professors have very high expectations of KSSP Scholars as they have performed very well in the classroom (daughter has worked in Howard research labs both as a Freshman and Sophomore) and that the scholars attend several “enrichment activities” over the course of a school year. My daughter got into a top notch summer research program at a top 20 USNWR ranked school after freshman year due the connections with KSSP and those connections continue to grow.
I don’t think a student “loses anything” from not being a Karsh STEM Scholar, but I think life overall is just easier for those students. This is my daughter’s 4th semester at Howard and I have only paid the $300 enrollment fee and have never had to call the school. When she has an issue of any type, she just has an easier path to getting it resolved.
The summer will be a review of what your student knows as the highest math has been Calculus I in past summers. Their are quite a few students that have that issue (my daughter included) but the summer Calculus teacher was a superstar and my daughter felt even more comfortable with the material. My son who is a finalist is in the same boat (currently in Calculus III as well), but I think they are working on building a cohort that supports one another so the stronger math students helped those who are not as strong. But they will get to go to the next math in sequence during the fall (Differential Equations) when Howard accepts the dual enrollment credits.
My daughter’s cohort ended up having a few students who did not initially test into Calculus. Every incoming freshman who attends Howard will have to take that math assessment just to verify math proficiency.
I have been asked this question a lot since my daughter became a KSSP Scholar. Each student will get a contract to sign before becoming a KSSP Scholar. My daughter’s contract mentions applying to a minimum of 13 Graduate programs during senior year, but makes no mention of further requirements dealing with getting a PhD.
The contract speaks more about how funding can be lost around GPA (below 3.30), not applying for and attending summer research internships, not attending mandatory KSSP events etc. The only mention in my daughter’s contract around repayment deals with attending summer bridge and leaving it early, or attending Summer Bridge and deciding to attend another school. In those cases, it mentions paying back the cost of Summer Bridge program which wasn’t valued at ~8K in the summer of 2018.
I hope this helps and let me know if you have any other questions.
Very helpful. Thank you for taking the time to respond. Decisions for his last 2 schools come out today. It has been such a long wait. Once we hear back on the Karsh decision, we can finally start make some decisions.
@VTMD## we are waiting on our last 2 as well.
Good luck. I will reach out and think things out with you!
Hey everyone. I just want to let everyone on this thread know that I am praying for you all and to say congratulations on completing Virtual Selection Weekend. It sounded like things went well overall and that we only have to wait until April 15th for an answer.
Good afternoon everyone!!! Congratulations for getting this far! I was happy to hear they are still aiming for April 15 for notifications. Was everyone able to complete the interview and math test?
DD’s interview started right on time and she said she didn’t have any issues with the proctor. She couldn’t see the proctor but heard their voice. She said it took 20-30 minutes to get everything set up with the proctor.
I just wanted to post the article for a member of cohort 1 winning a prestigious National level scholarship. She has already done summer research at Harvard Medical School and was the 1st African American student ever selected to attend the Vienna Biocentre Summer Summer School.
https://finance.yahoo.com/amphtml/news/howard-university-student-alexandria-adigun-130000295.html
The Karsh STEM Scholars are already producing National Award winning scholars which is amazing for such a young program.