College Discovery Tool

Image Source

Quiz Questions

1.
When considering a college, I’m most likely to take into account things like its . . .
- A.
  cost and internship opportunities.
- B.
  educational philosophy and curriculum.
- C.
  reputation and endowment.
2.
I feel that many of society's problems are . . .
- A.
  less complicated than people think.
- B.
  more complicated than people think.
- C.
  just waiting for creative solutions.
3.
As far as college tuition goes, . . .
- A.
  I'm ready to spend as much as I have to now in order to maximize my earnings later.
- B.
  I'm willing to spend a reasonable amount for a good education.
- C.
  I want to spend as little as possible for the knowledge and skills I need.
4.
I tend to question myself most when . . .
- A.
  starting a task.
- B.
  I see others acting or thinking differently.
- C.
  my efforts are unsuccessful.
5.
When someone says something I disagree with, I . . .
- A.
  express my disagreement clearly but courteously.
- B.
  ask questions to understand why he or she might think that way.
- C.
  tend to keep my opinion to myself and go with the flow.
6.
I expect that collegiate sports and extracurricular activities will play a(n) ______ role in my college experience.
- A.
  major
- B.
  minor
- C.
  insignificant
7.
When it comes to my future life, I feel like . . .
- A.
  I have a plan of action for where I'm going and how to get there.
- B.
  I have a sense of where I'd like to end up but no details.
- C.
  I'm still deciding where I ought to go and how to get there.
8.
I will measure my ultimate success in life by . . .
- A.
  what I have achieved in my profession.
- B.
  the kind of person I've become.
- C.
  what others think of my achievements.
9.
A community is a group of people who . . .
- A.
  commit to a caring relationship with one another.
- B.
  support each other in their separate endeavors.
- C.
  work together to make a positive impact on the world.
10.
My strongest incentive for doing well academically is . . .
- A.
  building a strong transcript.
- B.
  mastering the material.
- C.
  challenging myself.
11.
I find uncertainty to be . . .
- A.
  humbling.
- B.
  unsettling.
- C.
  annoying.
12.
When it comes to friends, it is important that I have . . .
- A.
  at least a few I can rely on in time of need.
- B.
  many of them from many walks of life.
- C.
  at least one with whom I share a real understanding.
13.
The best way to understand a complex issue with a long history is to read . . .
- A.
  an entry in a collaborative encyclopedia.
- B.
  works written by people who lived through that history.
- C.
  an up-to-date textbook.
14.
Truth is . . .
- A.
  not something we can know.
- B.
  only what can be known for certain.
- C.
  something we can know, even if incompletely or imperfectly.
15.
When it comes to communicating my thoughts to others . . .
- A.
  what I say is more important than how I say it.
- B.
  how I say something is more important than what I say.
- C.
  what I say is inseparable from how I say it.
16.
Education at the undergraduate level should be . . .
- A.
  generalized.
- B.
  specialized.
- C.
  concentrated on a few subjects.
17.
I would like to study with college teachers who are primarily committed to . . .
- A.
  building my career.
- B.
  helping me accomplish my goals.
- C.
  my general welfare.
18.
History is . . .
- A.
  relatively unimportant when one is headed in the right direction.
- B.
  essential when it comes to understanding where we are.
- C.
  something we should put behind ourselves.
19.
It is difficult for me to conceive of education without . . .
- A.
  lectures.
- B.
  group projects.
- C.
  discussion.
20.
Progress is . . .
- A.
  possible only if we have a fixed standard to measure it by.
- B.
  inevitable if we follow science and make good use of technology.
- C.
  relatively straightforward when people just get with the program.
21.
I believe that my economic prospects will depend on factors largely . . .
- A.
  within others' control.
- B.
  out of our control.
- C.
  within my control.
22.
I expect that life will be . . .
- A.
  beautiful.
- B.
  what I make of it.
- C.
  a struggle.
23.
If it does what it is supposed to do, my college education will help me become a _______ person.
- A.
  wiser
- B.
  more marketable
- C.
  more knowledgeable
24.
My educational background includes . . .
- A.
  homeschooling
- B.
  private school
- C.
  public school
- D.
  college

Quiz Outcomes

1.
Certification College
Image Source
Certification Colleges, which include community colleges and vocational schools, work to equip students with practical knowledge and technical skills. They may offer a wide range of degrees and certifications useful in—and sometimes required by—particular industries. A community college offers open enrollment to students who have completed high school and provides workforce education, continuing education, and college-transfer programs.Vocational schools include technological institutes, music conservatories, beauty schools, drama schools, EMT schools, auto-mechanic schools, plumbing schools, and the like.Curriculum: Highly SpecializedStudents at Certification Colleges are usually seeking degrees or certifications in particular industries. This being the case, programs of study are designed to give students knowledge and skills specific to those industries.Role of Teachers: InstructorsTeachers have often spent significant time outside of the classroom working in their respective industries. As a result, they see themselves as knowledgeable and/or skilled in those areas. Teachers help their students by bringing real-world, hands-on experience (often from the worksite) to the classroom. While skilled and knowledgeable in particular areas, teachers tend not to be professional academics committed to publishing widely and to participating in academic organizations and networks. Method & Approach: PracticalEducational methods vary from lectures to discussion to laboratory work and fieldwork to online education or any combination thereof. The method used may vary according to industry and teacher preference. Students may be encouraged to compete with one another for educational and professional opportunities in and beyond program completion.Intended Outcomes: Experience • HirabilityCertification Colleges work to prepare students for and then connect them directly with marketplace opportunities. This process may involve apprenticeships or internships related to students' programs. It is typically more important that students produce solid, dependable results than that they become leaders in their fields with hyper-specialized knowledge. Cost & ValueThe cost of tuition at community colleges and vocational schools varies significantly, though they do tend to be less expensive than others kinds of colleges. At schools like these, students are paying to have battle-proven specialists give them the hands-on skills, knowledge, practice, and oversight they'll need to step right into jobs at the end of their programs.
2.
Credentialing College
Image Source
Credentialing Colleges include well-known universities and exclusive private colleges and are designed to set a student up for social and economic success in a particular field. After a four-year program of study, the student receives a degree understood to have marketplace value. Marketplace value suggests—though cannot guarantee—long-term job security.Curriculum: ConcentratedTypically, a student chooses a major and/or minor in which to "concentrate." To fulfill the requirements of that major, the student usually has to take three different kinds of classes: (1) classes in that major, (2) general-education classes, and (3) electives. Role of Teachers: ExpertsAt a Credentialing College, a teacher—often called a "professor"—is regarded as an expert in a particular field and usually conducts research and/or teaches almost exclusively within it. A teacher’s importance to the college is usually based on the quality and reputation of his or her research and teaching. Method & Approach: ProfessionalEducational methods at a Credentialing College tend to vary by field and according to teachers' strengths and interests and may involve lectures, small-group work, discussion, laboratory work, and/or fieldwork. Students may be encouraged to compete with one another for educational and professional opportunities. The college may be highly selective in its admissions process, counting on its reputation and track record of success to draw students.Intended Outcomes: Influence • ResourcesA Credentialing College wants students to become leaders in their fields and wants to equip those students to make an impact in the world, thus upholding and enhancing the reputation of the school. Students are encouraged to distinguish themselves in their fields of study and professional networks.Cost & ValueStudents are paying for the classes and the learning that go to make the degree they are awarded upon graduation. They’re also paying for the name-brand recognition that will continue to be associated with them once they have graduated from the college. In so doing, they’re paying for the prospect of future opportunities, networking, and success.
3.
Wisdom College
Image Source
Wisdom may be defined as the skill of seeing what is true and then living in light of that understanding. At Wisdom Colleges, which include Great Books colleges and classical liberal-arts colleges, students work to build wisdom and a worldview oriented toward goodness.Gutenberg College is one of the oldest such colleges in the United States.Curriculum: Great Books / ClassicsAt a Wisdom College, students read the classics and discuss them in groups for the purpose of gaining wisdom and building an understanding about themselves and the world around them. Wisdom Colleges are not primarily concerned with specialized job training. Rather, the focus is on developing skills such as close reading, clear communication, and analysis and on building character. While other colleges sell the promise of future job opportunities, the Wisdom College offers an opportunity to build an education that will serve you for the rest of your life.Role of Teachers: MentorsIn such an environment, teachers care about more than your grades and classroom performance. Teachers care about who you are becoming as a human being. That being the case, Wisdom College teachers invest in students inside and outside of class, often coming to serve as mentors and guides throughout life.Method & Approach: PersonalBecause the Wisdom College is discussion-based, you get a chance to personalize your education by asking your own questions and interacting with the classics on your own terms. In this sense, the Wisdom College is the sort of experience that gives you back what you put into it and welcomes deep engagement from students. Rather than offering a wide array of majors, the Wisdom College focuses on a single course of study. The goal is to address fundamental issues through broad topic areas including philosophy, science, literature, mathematics, art, music, and history.Measures of Success: Wisdom • Transferable SkillsThe Wisdom College evaluates its effectiveness by the extent to which its students emerge with transferable skills in reading, writing, and communication; an understanding of the human condition in both current and historical contexts; and the desire to cultivate a life oriented toward goodness. The thought is that earnest engagement with the ideas of the curriculum will help students make good decisions as they navigate their lives. The Wisdom College believes that the most significant benefits of such an education are a student’s character, his or her posture toward God, the ability to think, and the capacity to communicate with kindness.Cost & ValueAt a Wisdom College, you’re paying for structured and sustained engagement with the biggest questions about human existence. In the process, you are mentored by caring instructors who through personal sacrifice encourage, support, and challenge you inside and outside of the classroom. Gutenberg College is one such Wisdom College in the United States. We’ve created the CDT to help you think clearly about your college options. If you think a Wisdom College might be the place for you, make a free appointment with us, and we'd be glad to dialogue further!