Lesson: Map of the Landscape of College

  1. Key points/goals of the lesson
  • For students to pull together their understanding of the “map” of the landscape of college, and try and organize the information.
  • To create maps to display in the halls and classrooms – both to inform other students, and surround them with college-related materials.
  • To generate discussions between students about the kinds of colleges there are, the differences between them, and the pros and cons of various kinds.
  1. Background or important vocabulary
  • Environment (e.g. rural, urban, suburban)
  • Selectivity (% of applicants admitted. A high percentage, e.g. 78% means it’s relatively easy to get into; a low percentage, e.g. 14%, means it’s quite difficult to get into).
  • Undergraduate
  • Diversity
  1. Materials Needed
  • Copies of the attached chart, one per student or per pair
  • Large chart paper or poster board for each student or pair
  • Markers, colored pencils or crayons
  • Students may also create a chart on the computer if they prefer
  1. Instructions for implementing the activity
  • Students’ task is to create a “map” of the different kinds of colleges in and around New York City/state and beyond that they have visited or learned about during their time in high school. They may organize your map any way that they wish, and may work individually or in pairs. However they choose to organize it, give students the following requirements for their map:

______

1)It should include at least 20 different colleges/universities. You may choose from the chart below, or, if you wish, do research on and include any other college that is of interest to you.

2)For any college included on the map, you must provide information on at least 2 of the following factors (you may also include others):

  • Location
  • Type of environment (urban, rural, suburban)
  • Type of degree granted (BA or AA)
  • Private or public
  • Selectivity – how difficult it is to get into, based on % applicants admitted
  • Size (total number of undergraduates)
  • Diversity (% African American and Latino)
  • Top majors

3)It is recommended that you don’t try to include ALL of the above information on your map, but rather choose a factor that is the organizing principle, and then include some of the other information for each school.

______

  • Students should be given several class periods to complete this activity, and materials to make them colorful and attractive, e.g. markers, colored pencils, large chart paper.
  1. Suggestions for debriefing the activity
  • Have students present the maps to each other, and explain why they chose the colleges they included, and how they organized their maps
  • Post the maps in classrooms or around the school for other students to look at.

Possible Colleges to use on Maps

Name of college / Location / Type of environment / Four-year (BA) or two-year (AA) / Private or public / Selectivity(% applicants admitted) / Size (total # of under-graduates) / Diversity (% AA and Latino) / Top majors / Total Cost of Attendance
In 2011
Yale University / New Haven CT / Urban / BA / private / 8% / 5,310 / 7% AA
9% Latino / Social sciences, history / $52,700
Drew University / Madison, NJ / Suburban / BA / private / 68% / 1,787 / 12%AA
19% Latino / Social sciences, visual/
Performing arts / $52,500
CUNY Baruch / NYC / Urban / BA / public / 24% / 13,120 / 6%AA
11% Latino / Business/
marketing / $5,300
Howard University / Washington, DC / Urban / BA / Private / 54% / 7,176 / High % AA
1% Latino / Health professions/
marketing / $31,700
Princeton University / Princeton, NJ / Suburban / BA / private / 9% / 5,220 / 7%AA
8% Latino / Social sciences, engineering / $59,000
Coppin State College / Baltimore, MD / Urban / BA / Public / 54% / 3,298 / 87%AA
1% Latino / Not reported / $12,300
(out of state)
CUNY LaGuardia CC / NYC / Urban / AA / public / 100% / 17,087 / 18% AA
42% Latino / Business/
Marketing,
Health professions / $4,500
Rutgers / Piscataway, NJ / Suburban / BA / public / 59% / 30,351 / 7% AA
11% Latino / Not reported / $35,300 (out of state)
Columbia University / NYC / Urban / BA / private / 11% / 5,888 / 14%AA
15% Latino / Social sciences, engineering / $53,800
Virginia Union College / Richmond, VA / Urban (small city) / BA / private / 58% / 1,303 / 96% AA
1% Latino / Theology/
Religion, business / $21,700
CUNY Lehman / NYC / Urban / BA / public / 24% / 9,841 / 22%AA
54% Latino / Education, health professions / $6,000
St. Johns University / NYC / Urban / BA / private / 46% / 15,720 / 18%AA
18% Latino / Liberal arts, business/
Marketing / $48,400
Johnson & Wales University / Providence, RI / Urban (small city) / BA / private / 70% / 9,703 / 8%AA
9% Latino / Business/
Marketing, service industry / $33,300
SUNY Binghamton / Binghamton, NY / Rural / BA / public / 40% / 11,787 / 5%AA
9% Latino / Social sciences, business/
Marketing / $18.000
Fordham University / NYC / Urban / BA / private / 47% / 8,220 / 4%AA
15% Latino / Business, social sciences / $55,100
Iona
College / New Rochelle, NY / Suburban / BA / private / 60% / 3,256 / 6%AA, 19% Latino / Business/
Marketing, communication
/journalism / $42,300
Morgan State College / Baltimore, MD / Urban / BA / Public / 50% / 6,622 / 88% AA,
4% Latino / Business/
Marketing,
Engineering / $24,100
Mercy College / NYC / Urban / BA / Private for profit / 60% / 7,053 / 30% AA, 33% Latino / Liberal arts, health professions / $17,000 (tuition only)
LIU (C.W. Post campus) / Brookville, NY / Suburban / BA / private / 82% / 4,759 / 14% AA, 11% Latino / Education, business/
Marketing / $43,400
St. Francis College / NYC / Urban / BA / private / 71% / 2,590 / 19% AA
22% Latino / Liberal arts / $17,280 (tuition only)
CUNY Brooklyn / NYC / Urban / BA / public / 30% / 12,804 / 13% AA, 15% Latino / Business/
Marketing, education / $5,284
Hofstra University / Hempstead, NY / Suburban / BA / Private / 59% / 7,389 / 9% AA, 11% Latino / Business/
Marketing, communication
/journalism / $46,000
Wheaton College / Norton, MA / Suburban / BA / Private / 62% / 1,635 / 5%AA, 5% Latino / Social sciences, psychology / $51,900
SUNY Buffalo / Buffalo, NY / Urban (small city) / BA / Public / 51% / 19,395 / 5% AA, 5% Latino / Business/
Marketing,
Social sciences / $17,000
Clark Atlanta College / Atlanta, GA / Urban / BA / private / 69% / 3,267 / 88% AA, 1% Latino / Business/
Marketing, communication
/journalism / $27,400
SUNY Stony Brook / Stony Brook, NY / Suburban / BA / Public / 41% / 16,342 / 5% AA,
10% Latino / Health professions, sciences, / $16,700
CUNY
BMCC / NYC / Urban / AA / Public / 100% / 22,534 / 31%AA,
45% Latino / Business/
Marketing, liberal arts / $3,468
SUNY Nassau CC / Garden City, NY / Suburban / AA / Public / Not reported / 23,452 / Not reported / Business/
Marketing, liberal arts / $4,012
Wesleyan University / Middletown, CT / Suburban / BA / Private / 21% / 2,854 / 7%AA, 9% Latino / Social science, ethnic studies / $55,900
Harvard University / Cambridge, MA / Urban / BA / Private / 7% / 6,641 / 6% AA, 9% Latino / Social sciences, biology / $52,600