Daniel Eldridge's List: GAP Year Options

Time Out or Burn Out for the Next Generation

William Fitzsimmons, Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid, Harvard College
Marlyn McGrath Lewis, Director of Admissions, Harvard College
Charles Ducey, Adjunct Lecturer in Psychology, Harvard Graduate School of Education

College admissions officers, especially those who admitted the parents of today's applicants, have an unusual vantage point from which to observe changes from one generation to the next. Many of us are concerned that the pressures on today's students seem far more intense than those placed on previous generations. College admission - the chance to position oneself for "success" through the acquisition of the "right" college degree - looms large for increasing numbers of students. Particularly because selective colleges are perceived to be part of the problem, we want to do everything possible to help the students we enroll make the most of their opportunities, avoiding the much-reported "burnout" phenomenon that can keep them from reaching their full potential.

Educating Leaders for a Global Society

December 8, 2005--According to a report released today by The Goldman Sachs Foundation and Asia Society, U.S. students risk falling behind peers in other nations in their preparation for new jobs because critical skills needed to compete in the global marketplace have not yet been adopted in most US schools. Responding to economic analyses summarized in The World is Flat, by Thomas Friedman of The New York Times and recently honored as the best business book of 2005, the report concludes that today’s students must acquire a far different set of knowledge, skills and perspectives than previous generations to succeed in an increasingly interconnected global economy.

Friday, April 4, 2008
Offline with Google Docs

Google announced this week we can now use their "Google Gears" feature to work on Google Docs offline.

This is a big step because it means you no longer have to be connected to the internet to interact with Google. You can now be offline and still be Google and that is a momentous happening that few seem to understand.

Google, by going offline, livens up your entire life instead of just your virtual one. You can use Google as you wish and on your own terms. You don't have to look for an internet connection. You don't need to worry about losing data in a disconnection.

You just write in Google Docs in offline mode and then later, when you go online, Google Docs will reconcile your documents between your computer and its servers and you're good to keep going!

Google Docs Offline sets the mark for Google books you own at home, Google cellphones you hold in your hand, and Google pillows that float you off to rest in that beautiful Google dreamland.