In the past week, the public release of OpenAI’s ChatGPT, an artificial intelligent "bot" has garnered a lot of press and attention. As with many leaps forward in technology, people are struggling to understand the impact it will have on society and in some cases, on their very own lives or livelihoods.

If you ask ChatGPT about the impact of AI on humanity, it will tell you:  

“It's difficult to predict exactly how AI will change the future of humanity, but it's likely that it will have a major impact on many industries and could potentially change the way we live our lives. Some potential benefits of AI include increased efficiency and productivity, the ability to automate many tasks, and the ability to access vast amounts of data quickly and easily. However, there are also potential drawbacks to the widespread use of AI, such as the potential for job displacement and the ethical concerns surrounding the development and use of AI technology. Overall, the future of AI is likely to...more

When Anxing (China, psychology, 2020), began her research paper on the occupational burnout of long-haul truck drivers in her native country, she could not find any data that was relevant to her paper.

So she decided to conduct her own survey that not only gave her first-hand information but also a glimpse of what her research subjects’ lives were like.

Before she could begin her survey, however, Anxing’s Pioneer faculty mentor needed to apply for approval to conduct a study with human subjects from the Institutional Review Board (IRB) of Oberlin College, Pioneer Research Program’s academic partner. The requirement, which applies to any researcher at a college, university and other organization, is mandated by federal law.

“It was the first time in my life when I did real research with human subjects and I needed to follow a series of rules when conducting the survey,” says Anxing, who is now a first-year student at the University of Chicago.

Anxing was among the group of Pioneer schol...more

In the spring of my daughter’s junior year in high school, she was just beginning to narrow down the list of colleges she might like to attend.  As we are what I might consider an upper middle class family, there was very little chance we would receive any need-based financial aid to reduce the burden of tuition payments.  We also have the good fortune of living in the state of Texas where there is a preponderance of good state schools.  So, we were left with the common quandary of state versus higher cost private schools.

I visited what is now called the College Consultant Network (CCN) and found the site informative and user-friendly.  

I advised my daughter to visit the site and offered to pay for any calls she made.  After viewing several profiles she chose Whitney Bruce, an Independent Education Consultant with more than 20+ years experience in education but who also been successful in the corporate world.  It was a simple process to request and confi...more

The College Consultant Network (CCN) is the first knowledge-sharing platform and social media network dedicated exclusively to independent education consultants whose primary activities include helping high school students and their families select a college, school or other program that is a “best fit” for the student. 

On the CCN, consultants can showcase their knowledge and expertise or interact directly with students and / or their families. The CNN also provides an interactive directory of helpful ancillary resources for students and / or consultants.  

The CCN is powered by Brainsy Inc. and was originally incubated in partnership with the Higher Education Consultants Association (HECA) but now operates collaboratively on a non-exclusive basis with any independent education association.  The long-term vision for the CCN is that it will be owned and operated by all members of the community that contribute to its growth and success. 
 
Students and their famil...more

Most high school and college students fall into one of three categories with regard to career:

• They are all set to dive into a specific career path.
• Their career is unknown, but they have a specific subject they really enjoy.
• They have no idea of a career or a subject of special interest.

If you fall into the first category, you may want to investigate the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook to learn what level of education is needed for the career you have chosen, what the job forecast is for that career, and what the job typically pays.

If you are in the second category, you may want to find out what career options you might have if you major in that subject in college.

If you have no idea of a career or subject of interest, it might be best to determine your personality type using a Myers Briggs personality test and then see how the careers for that personality type appeal to you.

Whichever group you are in, it is good to get first hand career exposure for car...more

Dear CCN Participant: 

The College Consultant Network (CCN) Bounty Rewards program is now live!

What is the Bounty Rewards program?

On most mainstream social media platforms, you make valuable contributions that go unrecognized and unrewarded while the benefits are extracted by the platform owners. In fact, in the US, the average American spends two hours per day consuming or contributing to social media. That’s equal to FIVE years over a lifetime and aside from a few elite influencers, most people earn nothing from the value they have contributed while the owners and shareholders of these platforms accumulate fortunes into the billions of dollars.

We aim to change that by giving every participant in the community an opportunity to directly benefit from contributions on the platform. In other words, when you answer a question, post content, recruit a new user, lead a group discussion, or do any number of other activities that add value to the CCN, we’ll try and reward those activi...more

For many Pioneer scholars, the topic they choose to explore in the program often changes once they begin working closely with their professor. Many students also revise their topics based on the advice other scholars provide in group sessions.

“Being able to share my findings with my professor and peers who validated and encouraged my unique voice gave me a lot of confidence and motivated me to grow intellectually,” said Pioneer scholar Isabel (United States, psychology, 2021).

While conducting research is not something new to Pioneer scholars, the experience of delving into a topic with a professor and a group of their peers and writing a well-organized paper helped them develop new skills that they wouldn’t have learned if they hadn’t participated in the program.

Many scholars also find that the process helped them clarify their academic goals for college and their future careers. “Pioneer changed my perception of my career goals in the sense that it introduced to me how fun joining ...more