Weekly Update x2: August 14/21

Happy first day of school to FCPS students starting this week! We have been SWAMPED and are combining two weeks of updates for you!

BIGGEST COLLEGE-RELATED NEWS OF THE WEEK

WEST VIRGINIA CUTS FOREIGN LANGUAGES

West Virginia University made the controversial decision last week to cut all foreign language instruction and let go of professors in response to budget constraints. The proposed cuts include other programs as well, for a total of 32 majors and 7% of the university’s faculty. With declining enrollment, WVU has determined that the drastic cuts are necessary to maintain more popular programs like forensics, engineering, and neuroscience. Professors and students are objecting to the cuts.

While many other public universities have faced budget constraints, WVU is the first state flagship to make such extreme cuts to its programs in response. The proposed cuts, if approved, will take effect in May.

ATTACK AT HOWARD UNIVERSITY

Howard University ramped up security last week after three Howard students were attacked by a mob of teenagers outside of a residence hall and one student was stabbed. In response to this act of violence, as well as rising rates of violence in DC as a whole, Howard has worked to increase security on campus in advance of the arrival of the newest freshman class. The changes for this orientation include “safety paths” on campus with officers stationed every 100-200 feet, and some events being moved indoors where student IDs can be checked on entry.

CHANGES TO FCPS TRANSCRIPTS

I almost had a heart attack last week as I was scanning through a general FCPS email to parents one night and noticed that major changes had been made to high school transcripts effective immediately. They are good changes, actually, but we had already finalized so many self-reported transcripts and senior year schedules and I knew a lot of that work would need to be redone. You can read about the changes here: basically, all courses that receive honors/advanced weighting will now have the designations to match on the transcripts. To be honest, this was a long time coming as the former policy just made no sense - why wouldn’t all courses with honors weighting be called honors? I’m glad they fixed it, but wish they would have done it sooner. I scrambled to put a plan in place and emailed all of our families at 11:00 that night! We’ve been able to get everything fixed for most of the impacted students already, so I’m glad for that!

NEW FAFSA IS COMING

A new version of the FAFSA, said to be more user-friendly than previous versions of the form, is expected to be unveiled for the 2024-2025 school year. In addition to eliminating the “discount” for families with multiple students in college at once, the new form will also replace “expected family contribution” with the “student aid index,” a guideline for the amount of aid for which a student qualifies. The number of questions on the form has also been reduced, which we certainly hope will make this challenging process a bit easier for families!

Unfortunately, the changes do mean that the FAFSA will be released significantly later this year - the form often comes out in October, but this year, it is not expected to be released until December. Colleges and universities are updating their due dates for the FAFSA accordingly, with some pushing March dates to April or rethinking winter priority deadlines.

BEST ARTICLES OF THE WEEK

We definitely empathized with Clara, the mother in this Town & Country article, who is allowing her son to take a laid-back approach to college admissions in favor of a more balanced experience in high school. There can be something very freeing about intentionally choosing to bypass the rat race. Two words of caution, though: first, if your family is going to go in this direction, you have to truly understand the landscape and what the outcome will be. Some parents say things like: “We have very realistic expectations - he doesn’t need to go to an Ivy! We would be thrilled witha place like Tufts!.” Well, Tufts has a 9.7% acceptance rate - that’s more selective than Harvard was, when today’s parents applied. Tufts isn’t a safety for anyone anymore! Even the University of South Carolina - a fine place, of course, but not the most selective school, historically - is adamant that they are looking for As on transcripts in math, science, and English classes specifically.

Next, after you’re made peace with the outcome, you have to firmly commit to this approach - you can’t change your mind junior or senior year. That would be the absolute worst thing to do. Your family would undergo an enormous amount of stress trying to “catch up” and would likely not be able to catch up anyway, because admissions committees assess students on their performance from grades 9-11.

If you are an international student applying from abroad to US schools, check out this article for a clear breakdown of what might be an unfamiliar education system. Learn about the different types of schools in the US and how the grading system, majors and minors, and exam schedule may differ from your home country. This is also a great primer for US students and families who feel confused by some of the terminology schools use (what are majors vs. concentrations?).

Plus, check out this comprehensive look at legacy admissions, and what it might mean for more schools to eliminate it.

And finally, there are a lot of changes, both good and bad, when a child moves away from home for the first time. Unfortunately, we all know that college students have been suffering from a mental health crisis in recent years, and one mental health issue that is particularly common on college campuses is eating disorders. This article offers some tips to help talk with your student and protect them from this type of mental health challenge when they head off to their new campus home.

OFFICE HAPPENINGS

It’s #firstdayfairfax and so many of you are heading back to school! My son James was so excited to go back this morning that he was literally running down the street to try to get into his first grade classroom faster!

We are so lucky to have an amazing neighborhood public school - every year I think to myself that there’s no way this year’s teacher is going to measure up to last year’s (or in last year’s case, that James’ teacher wouldn’t measure up to his sister Caroline’s amazing kindergarten teacher) and somehow they manage to just have a whole team full of rockstars over there. Very grateful! Caroline starts her first day of middle school on Wednesday at OLGC with another incredible team of rockstars and I am so grateful for them too.

(Also, I can’t believe I have a child in middle school! Yikes!)

I would just like to put it on the record that I had nothing to do with this sock choice :)

It has been such a whirlwind over the past several weeks between August 1 and today, when about half of our students returned to school. This has always been the busiest time of the year by a very long shot, and as the FCPS start date inches earlier and earlier, everything compresses into a shorter and shorter period.

This year’s enormous increase in essays as a result of the Supreme Court ruling has just been the cherry on top of a fun three weeks :) Our students and essay coaches have been cranking out supplemental essays at a record pace, and many of our students are close to finishing their Common ApplicationⓇ work! We’re so excited to see everything start to come together.

As always, we will have more space for Late Start Seniors after our first cohort finishes up - so feel free to schedule a Meet & Greet session if you’re a senior who still needs help! We have appointments available as early as next week during school hours (parents are able to attend on their child’s behalf, if that’s easier), and our first after-school availability at the moment is on Thursday, September 7.

Have a great week!

So You Want to Be an Entrepreneur?

When I formed DC College Counseling in 2010, I knew literally nothing about business beyond whatever I picked up in my first-semester freshman year Management 100 class at Wash U. But I did know that I was really good at my job as an independent school college counselor, and I also knew that there was a growing need for people like me to serve the general population, outside of a school setting. So I created a website, looked up how to create a Virginia LLC, and here I am today!

There are so many success stories just like mine, when it comes to service-based businesses. You do not need capital, help, or specialized business knowledge as long as you have a skill that matches up with a need in the marketplace, a willingness to work (extremely) hard, and an internet connection. I want to emphasize this because I truly believe that one of the most amazing things about entrepreneurship is the ability to create something from nothing. ANYONE CAN DO IT!

That said, not everyone does do it, and it’s helpful to have companies which exist in this space to provide budding entrepreneurs a little extra help, if needed. After all, having a project of your own - like a business or non-profit organization - can really help applicants stand out in the admissions process. One such company is the Leadership & Innovation Lab, and today we have a guest post from their director, Maya.

If you are interested in starting your own business but feel a little overwhelmed at the thought, it might be worth learning about how the Leadership & Innovation Lab can help you get started. As always, do your own research to see whether this - or any third-party program - is right for you. We do not endorse this program or any other!

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Hi everyone, I’m Maya, the Director of the Leadership & Innovation Lab.

My work focuses on curating training programs to develop our students' leadership and innovation abilities. Of the whole complex college application, how students present and package their leadership and innovation abilities has always been the part that fascinated me the most. This is why I do what I do today!

So you’re wondering - how do you truly stand out in the college admissions process that gets more competitive every year? My advice is: be an entrepreneur and start your own project. This is going to be the only thing on your application that is truly unique and wholly yours. 

Think about it: anyone else can join the same competition, attend the same summer program, or complete the same online course. Your student-initiated and student-run project is something that cannot be replicated. It is unique to your circumstances and profile. What’s more, it could well be the centerpiece of your entire application, linking together your personal statement, your activities list, your supplementary essays and perhaps even your choice of major. 

What is entrepreneurship and why is it important?

The most basic explanation for entrepreneurship is two-fold: first, the ability to envision something where there is currently nothing; second, the determination to work hard and to endure hardship for a vision that others may not see or share. 

To put it bluntly, the road to becoming an entrepreneur (especially a young entrepreneur) is not easy. It is often a long and lonely road. However, every single person who has tried to walk down this road, even if they do not reach the end for a multitude of reasons or simply decide to change paths along the way, will tell you that what they have learned on this road is unique and irreplaceable.

Let’s dive into specifics of what you might learn on the entrepreneurial path. From the leadership perspective, you’ll learn:  

• How to articulate your ideas clearly to others

• How to convince others of your ideas, even to join you in your entrepreneurial endeavor 

• How to organize from within your social networks

• How to build up up a leadership structure

• How to establish and maintain leadership authority 

• How to mediate or resolve personnel disputes

• How to motivate your team to work toward a shared vision

Taking a step back, in the process of cultivating entrepreneurship, you will also encounter significant elements of personal growth. You’ll learn:

• How to handle interpersonal relationships

• How to be strategically observant and perceptive

• How to seize opportunity

• How to decide when is the right time to give up or to cut your losses

• How to be more patient

• How to persevere against all odds

• What it means to be a visionary 

What are some obstacles you might face?

Of course, it is not easy for high school students to engage in an entrepreneurial endeavor - whether it is starting a business, club, or other organization. To be honest, it is not easy for anyone to do so!

You may think there are perhaps legal hurdles - after all, high school students are underage. Or perhaps our schools do not provide enough entrepreneurial resources for them. Or perhaps the wider society isn’t sufficiently supportive of youth entrepreneurship or adopts a skeptical attitude. It is true that these are some of the problems high school students encounter in their entrepreneurship journey. But from what I’ve seen, the biggest obstacle to youth entrepreneurship is that the students themselves do not believe that they can do it.

The most frequent challenge I encounter when mentoring students on leadership and innovation is their mindset. They think, “This is impossible, I cannot accomplish this,” or “I’m just a high school student, what can I possibly do to make a difference?” Such thoughts are very common. As an educator in this field, a lot of my time and energy is actually spent on undoing this mindset, building up students' confidence, convincing them of the possibility of entrepreneurship regardless of age, and explaining to students that entrepreneurship can take many forms and varieties. It is not necessarily a for-profit business. 

Most of the time, after overcoming these hurdles, I discover that the students are already internally inclined toward entrepreneurship - some even have concrete ideas of what they would like to do - but they never verbalized these ideas because of the doubt that their ideas can actually become reality.

It can be difficult to manage the legal, financial, personnel, and management aspects of any entrepreneurial endeavor. But under our guidance and mentorship, most students are pleasantly surprised to discover that if they are shown where to look and do so carefully, they find more useful resources among their communities than they previously thought existed. They find also that their communities are in fact more supportive of their student entrepreneurship efforts than they imagined. The problem is that most students struggle to find this door on their own, but once they are guided and shown the way, many students discover that while the road to entrepreneurship is not easy, it also is not as difficult as they feared.

How can the Leadership & Innovation Lab help?

Starting your own new project (whether it's a for-profit business, an on-campus organization, or a community group) requires a clear goal. Students must be innovative, adept at project management, and determined to work hard and persevere against all odds. 

Our Leadership & Innovation Lab is focused on helping students to learn, develop and practically apply these precise skills.

What is unique about our Leadership & Innovation Lab is that we place great value on hands-on application. Students are given a lot of space to try and practice the skills that they are taught in a real entrepreneurial context. Under the guidance of our experienced mentors, students will explore and discuss various entrepreneurial and management skills, then work in small groups, building on collective wisdom, to form their own new ventures and organizations. 

Our Lab will even guide students on how to strategically amplify their entrepreneurial efforts and curate demonstrated impact, as well as integrate their entrepreneurship into their overall personal narrative in a manner that is optimized for college applications. 

How does Leadership & Innovation Lab accomplish all of this? 

• First, the leadership, innovation and entrepreneurship courses we use have been specially developed in-house for high school students to quickly acquire the relevant knowledge and skills in a short period of time.

• We focus on helping students understand their own entrepreneurial and leadership strengths, discover their own natural leadership style, and define the roles that would fit them the most during the entrepreneurial process, so that they can play to their strengths.

• We help students set up their own ventures step by step, accumulating quantifiable achievements that are incredibly useful during college applications.

• We encourage students to take advantage of our workshops and networking opportunities to advance their projects and source for partnerships.

• We help our students develop a higher-level, bigger-picture vision and ultimately enhance their understanding of entrepreneurship and leadership over the longer term. We emphasize legacy planning and guide our students to think about the long-term development of their venture.

We also have a repository of existing student-run projects in which we can install new students to hold leadership positions and even to take over entirely. This is something that is uniquely offered by our Lab. 

Furthermore, we provide Showcase opportunities for our students to demonstrate and feature their work, not only for publicity and exposure but also to gain some conference-speaking experience. We also provide up to $10,000 in funding annually, dedicated to high school-level student-run projects. 

Please visit our website for further information about the Leadership & Innovation Lab.

What are some projects past students created?

• One student created a peer counseling platform to help students deal with stress and mental health issues. This student hired 9 peers, officially registered his company, and launched a website.

• Another developed a new coffee cup sleeve made exclusively from recyclable and plantable materials (it even had seeds!). With new marketing and business development skills, this student built a website and partnered with local coffee shops. 

• Finally, a student collaborated with artists from 15 high schools across the country to curate 2 online art exhibits. This student auctioned 100+ art pieces and raised proceeds to donate to disease relief.

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If you are inspired to start your own project, you can reach Maya directly at maya@leadershipinnovationlab.org.

Questions on the Affirmative Action Decision - Answered!

Last week, the Supreme Court released decisions in the Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard and Students for Fair Admissions v. UNC cases. As expected, the ruling effectively eliminates the use of formal affirmative action practices in college admissions: an incredible development for some and a devastating setback for others.

Our goal at DC College Counseling has always been to help each one of our students navigate today’s college admissions landscape in the most advantageous and strategic way possible, given their varying circumstances.

Whether our next steps together involve maximizing new opportunities or overcoming new limitations, please know that we remain committed to finding creative and ethical solutions to increase the likelihood of a positive outcome for each individual student.

With that said, we’ve been fielding a lot of questions - and we want to share our answers!

IS THIS AS BIG OF AN ADMISSIONS gAME CHANGER AS IT SEEMS?

It’s very important to read the wording of the opinion carefully to differentiate between what will change and what will stay the same. Yes, an admissions committee is no longer able to give an applicant an advantage simply due to the color of their skin alone, in a vacuum.

But admissions committees are still able to consider the impact of students’ races on their individual experiences. The mainstream media isn’t picking up on this as much as I wish it would. College admissions professionals know that this makes a big difference, because the entire college admissions process is holistic by nature anyway at highly selective schools.

Chief Justice John Roberts wrote: “Nothing in this opinion should be construed as prohibiting universities from considering an applicant’s discussion of how race affected his or her life, be it through discrimination, inspiration, or otherwise.”

That doesn’t mean this decision doesn’t matter, though. Roberts also added, “Universities may not simply establish through application essays or other means the regime we hold unlawful today.”

Ultimately, I think that underrepresented students may not see as much of an impact as we had previously imagined if (a) they have faced adversity as a result of their race, and (b) they can successfully communicate the impact of that adversity on their individual circumstances through their essays and other application materials.

We will know much more next summer, after we are able to analyze the results of a complete admissions cycle.

When does this go into effect?

The ruling will go into effect immediately, so rising seniors will see the impact of the case.

Which students will this impact most?

Now that schools have lost the ability to consider race as part of the admissions process in a blanket sense, we expect admissions committees to give more consideration to other factors that may increase diversity- such as socioeconomic status.

That could result in an easier admissions process for white or Asian students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, and a much more difficult process for underrepresented students from privileged backgrounds. 

Asian students will likely see the biggest positive impact - in fact, the negative impact on Asian students from affirmative action policies was the central argument in this case. The major benefit to this group will actually be a lack of discrimination.

There’s also another group that I think could come out ahead - students who are diverse but didn’t quite “fit the box” for a leg up. For example, students of Middle Eastern descent. There is no question that they face discrimination in today’s society - so why weren’t they getting any kind of admissions advantage?

The justices cited this group as an example three separate times throughout the course of the opinion, noting that existing affirmative action policies “fail[ed] to articulate a meaningful connection between the means they employ and the goals they pursue” in this regard. It also specified that the current approach was “underinclusive” for Middle Eastern students in particular.

If colleges shift their approach to considering the impact of race or minority status on each individual student’s life, these students may not fall through the cracks as much.

WHICH colleges will this impact most?

There are many colleges and universities that do not use race-conscious admissions at all - in fact, it is banned in nine states, including California (so the UC system is not impacted).

I believe that the changes will be most obvious at public schools which currently do use race-conscious admissions and are less holistic in their admissions approach. To be clear, not all public schools operate this way. Many do not, including the more academically competitive institutions here in Virginia.

Private schools, on the other hand, often place greater emphasis on subjective factors like essays and recommendations. These institutions may not have to change their policies as drastically, because they can simply continue evaluating candidates on an individual basis that takes many different factors into consideration.

HBCUs, like Morehouse, Spelman, and Howard, will probably see a rise in applications as more Black students choose alternative options.

What will change on the Common ApplicationⓇ?

Students will likely still have the opportunity to indicate their race on the Common ApplicationⓇ, but beginning August 1, colleges will have the ability to block the race answer on their side, so that admissions officers do not see this answer while reading the application. We will have to stay tuned to see whether Common AppⓇ decides to do away with the box entirely in the wake of this decision.

What should I do differently as a result?

While “checkboxes” or other binary options indicating race cannot be used in the admissions process, essay content is still fair game. ALL students, whether or not they are from an underrepresented group, should pay close attention to their college essays and be strategic about the information they share (this was always true, but is especially true now!). There was actually an article in the LA Times about this very issue today.

Black, Latinx, or other underrepresented minority students will need to make sure that if they do want to discuss race on their applications, they do so in a way that connects directly to their personal characteristics. For example, a Black student could focus an essay on her determination, showing how she overcame persistent racial slights at her mostly-white high school. 

For DC College Counseling clients, we already take this approach! All of our students build their essays by choosing a personal characteristic first, before focusing on the story.

PRO TIP: Underrepresented students who do not want to include anything about race in their main Common ApplicationⓇ essay should consider preparing a separate written statement for the “Additional Information” section of the application instead.

What will the future impact of this case BE?

This decision is expected to encourage colleges and universities to remain test-optional in the coming years. As we’ve seen already with the UCs, which are test-blind, eliminating test scores from the admissions process helps create diversity on campus in the absence of race-conscious admissions. This may apply to graduate schools as well, with less of a reliance on GRE, LSAT, or GMAT scores. 

This is not necessarily a good thing for students, by the way. As many of our rising seniors are learning, test-optional policies are not test-blind policies. If you don’t know the difference, I still like my pool analogy from 2020! Plus, test-optional policies have caused test score averages to skyrocket now that the bottom group of test-takers is no longer factored in.

We may also see more schools making the decision to stop relying on legacy admissions in an effort to diversify their incoming classes. Because larger proportions of white applicants are admitted through the legacy process, colleges hoping to increase numbers of Black, Latinx, and Native American students on campus may look to eliminate the legacy preference. 

Finally, we are likely to see an impact on minority scholarship programs and outreach initiatives at colleges and universities.

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As we continue to learn more about how individual institutions plan to modify their policies or approaches in response to the ruling, we will do whatever we can to leverage this information to help our students.

Do you have any questions that I didn’t answer? Let us know in the comments!

Best of LGBTQIA+ Colleges

This year we are celebrating Pride Month by recognizing some of the most LGBTQIA+ friendly campuses in the country! These picks are based on our own impressions as well as data from the Campus Pride Index - a resource that measures a number of factors to compile a list of campuses to help LGBTQIA+ students and families find their best fit! Take a look at some of these schools this Pride Month: 

BEST IN VIRGINIA - Virginia Wesleyan University

Okay, so it may not have as much of a household name as some of the other Virginia schools, but Virginia Wesleyan is a great hidden gem! It ranks #5 on the Campus Pride Index (the highest ranking), and offers an Office of Gender and Sexuality Equity; Safe Space and Unconscious Bias workshops for faculty, staff, and students; and gender-neutral restrooms. In 2021, the university was recognized as an Equity & Inclusion College of Distinction. VWU’s Preferred Name and Pronoun form is shared with all faculty before the start of the semester, so students can ensure that professors know their preferred method of identification before they step into the classroom.  

BEST IN MARYLAND - University of Maryland

UMD offers a multitude of unique opportunities for LGBTQIA+ students. Any student can access the resources of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, & Transgender Equity Center, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg! The Lavender Leadership Honor Society is believed to be the first of its kind in the world, recognizing students, faculty, staff, and alumni involved in LGBTQIA+ social justice leadership. The Rainbow Terrapin Network organizes members of the school community to advocate for LGBTQIA+ social justice on campus, particularly in its newest initiative, the #TransTerps Project. 

In fact, not only did UMD receive the honor of being named the most LGBTQ+ friendly college in Maryland, it is ranked #1 in the nation by Campus Pride!

BEST IN DC - American University

The American University Center for Diversity and Inclusion spearheads a number of campus initiatives. In addition to producing an LGBTQIA+ newsletter, the office also offers a Trans Resource Guide and dedicated contact to help students navigate university policies. The university also has an all-gender housing option and the popular AU Pride student organization. Students can find support in a variety of ways at AU - everything from a dedicated AU LGBTQIA+ Facebook group to specialized health equity resources. 

BEST LIVING-LEARNING COMMUNITY - Dartmouth College

Dartmouth College’s Triangle House is open to all students, regardless of their sexual identification or gender identity. Residents have discussion groups focused on LGBTQIA+ issues, and can choose from multiple other options for engagement, from taking courses that focus on LGBTQIA+ topics to conducting an independent project with the Triangle House Live-In Advisor. Students are also encouraged to work together on social justice organizing, service, activism, and/or social change. In addition to the Live-In Advisor, students have the support of a Staff Advisor and peer mentor. 

BEST HBCU - Howard University

Another DC school on the list, Howard has the honor of being Campus Pride’s most highly-rated HBCU. Howard staff and faculty receive Safe Zone training on campus, and students can join organizations like the Coalition of Activist Students Celebrating the Acceptance of Diversity and Equality (CASCADE). Additionally, the university provides gender-inclusive housing and specialized LGBTQIA+ organizations in academic disciplines ranging from science to law. 

BEST STUDENT-SELECTED - Mount Holyoke College

Mount Holyoke tops the Princeton Review’s list of LGBTQ-Friendly colleges, based on student responses to the statement, “Students treat all persons equally, regardless of their sexual orientation and gender identity/expression.” This statement definitely describes Mount Holyoke!

This women’s college was the first of the Seven Sisters colleges to adopt a trans-inclusive admissions policy. LGBTQIA+ students can attend programs at the Jeannette Marks Cultural Center; live in the Mary Woolley Living-Learning Community with a focus on sexuality and gender identity; and join one of several LGBTQIA+ focused clubs. 

BEST FOR HEALTH EQUITY - University of Pennsylvania

All students can take advantage of Penn’s LGBT Center, which, in addition to providing advocacy and access to campus resources, also hosts a variety of events (most recently a pride month Pride & Popsicles pop up!). You can check out their active instagram @PennLGBT.

But it is the school’s medical system that stands out on this list. The Human Rights Campaign recently named Penn Medicine a “Leader in LGBT Healthcare Equality.” It offers LGBTQ treatment teams as well as a Transgender Patient Advocacy Program.

BEST PRIDE MONTH CELEBRATION - San Diego State University

If you are going to celebrate Pride Month at any college, make it San Diego State! The university’s Pride Center has an annual contingent in the San Diego Pride Parade, as well as an alumni mixer and happy hour. And for those who can’t make it to campus, the university will also host a virtual celebration. 

But it isn’t only during Pride that LGBTQIA+ students should consider San Diego State - its Pride House living-learning community, active Pride Center, and gender-inclusive housing make it #2 on Campus Pride’s list. 

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If you didn’t see a college you liked on this list, check out our list of unexpectedly LGBTQ-friendly campuses!

Finally, if you came upon this post as an LGBTQIA+ student who is embarking on the college admissions process without parental support because of your sexual orientation, our hearts go out to you. Please reach out to us - you DO have options, even if you don’t know they exist, and we would be happy to discuss them with you and get you the help you need at no charge. 

Happy Pride!

Weekly Update: May 15

BIGGEST COLLEGE-RELATED NEWS OF THE WEEK

VARSITY BLUES FRAUD CONVICTIONS OVERTURNED

Two parents who were convicted in the Varsity Blues scandal had their convictions overturned this week by a federal appeals court. The court overturned all convictions against Gamal Abdelaziz and all but one conviction of another parent, John Wilson.  

The federal judges on the case determined that the two parents did not knowingly commit fraud, believing that they were making legitimate donations to the universities. We’ll be paying attention to how this development affects the 50+ convictions of other parents in the aftermath of Varsity Blues. 

NEVER TOO LATE TO GRADUATE

A 72-year-old man graduated from Georgia Gwinnett College last week. After raising 5 kids and 15 grandchildren, Sam Kaplan got his degree in Cinema and Media Arts with his 99-year-old mother and several of his children in the audience. He hopes to become a screenwriter. 

Meanwhile, at Texas Lutheran University, senior Ashley Adams is making university history by graduating alongside both of her parents on Saturday. We believe that everyone should have the chance to get their degree - but we have to say, we’re not sure many of our students would love having their parents on the same campus!

FREE TUITION PROGRAM IN MINNESOTA

The Minnesota House and Senate passed a bill that includes a free tuition program for students coming from families that make less than $80,000 per year. The program will allow Minnesota students to attend public colleges and universities for free, covering any tuition costs left over after state and federal grants and institutional scholarships. Now, these students will not need to take out loans to cover their education!

BEST ARTICLES OF THE WEEK

This CNBC article is a reality check for some college students when it comes to starting salary. Job prospects look good for the graduating class of 2023, who are graduating into a strong job market, and the average starting salary for new graduates is $56,000. However, a survey found that college students expect to be making nearly $85,000 just one year after graduating - a difference of 30K! In fact, the same survey found that many college graduates say they wouldn’t take a job for less than $72,000 - lower than the average expectation, but much higher than the average starting salary. While salary expectations vary widely across industries, it is smart for students to do their research so they can manage their expectations upon entering the workforce. 

DC local Yasmine Arrington started ScholarCHIPS - a scholarship nonprofit to assisted Children of Incarcerated Parents - when she was just sixteen years old. The child of an incarcerated parent herself, Yasmine started the organization to provide a safe space for students who need support - many of whom have not disclosed at school or to their friends that their parent is incarcerated. Since the organization was created in 2010, it has awarded over $450,000 in scholarships to more than 80 students. In addition to scholarships, the organization provides each student with a laptop, access to an emergency fund, check-ins throughout the year, and the option of being matched with a mentor. Students can apply or get involved here, or donate to ScholarCHIPS here. Of course, do your research before you donate, as we have not vetted this organization - just passing it along!

We hope the moms out there had a wonderful mother’s day yesterday! My own mom sent this article to me about the #1 phrase that moms are sick of hearing and it really resonated with me (I could probably write a book on invisible labor- don’t even get me started).

Mother’s Day 2023, representing 11 years of love, joy and invisible labor :)

One thought I did have while reading, though, was that I can sleep well at night knowing that my team and I are 100% part of the solution for other parents - we absolutely, one million percent have your back and will do whatever we can to help you out and make adolescence easier on your family, whether something is directly related to college applications or not. And that’s how I ended up at Nordstrom last week, helping one of my favorite young women try on clothes for an interview - true story :) I know we get paid for our services, but at the same time, we really care and will go to great lengths to ease your load however we can (as long as it’s not illegal!). This is a central part of our mission and I think we do an excellent job living it out.

OFFICE HAPPENINGS

Shannon attended the Best of Boston counselor session this week and wanted to share some of her biggest takeaways:

1. Early decision is becoming more and more important. Tufts and Northeastern expect to admit about half or slightly more through the early rounds, while BU intends to admit 55% of its class early decision next cycle. Many selective and highly selective colleges around the country will have similar projections, so we encourage students to think hard about whether the strategic advantage associated with ED is the way to go!

2. Check your email! Tufts, Northeastern, and BU all expect to close their waitlists in mid-June, so we’ve got about a month or less of waitlist activity. In the event that students are admitted off the waitlist, the school will give them about a week (or sometimes less!) to respond. So, if you are waiting on a decision, make sure to check email regularly and prepare to commit on a short timeline. 

3. Don’t phone in your “Why This School?” essay. All three schools at the session consider demonstrated interest, as do many others. While Northeastern does not typically have supplemental essays, for Tufts and BU, the “Why This School?” supplemental essay is the most important essay - and a big factor in their consideration of demonstrated interest! It is essential to ensure that the essay is unique, authentic to you, and could only be used to describe that single school.

   P.S. We have noticed that these types of essays have been a real pain point for students post-Covid. As a result, we made the decision to offer our Class of 2024 students two options for free instruction from our essay coaches on how to approach these essays. Yes - totally free - that’s how important we think these are. If you missed the email communication and are wondering how to sign up, please email admin@dccollegecounseling.com for details. 

And for any OLGC families reading - students who are members of OLGC parish with a GPA of at least 3.0 are eligible to apply for the JTC Scholarship. Interested students should apply by May 25!

Have a great week!

Our Favorite Online Enrichment Classes For Teens

If you look at any high school student’s academic schedule, you’ll see that they’re loaded up with required math, science, and English classes. There’s also the additional burden of courses that aren’t technically required to graduate, like four years of a foreign language, but are highly recommended for students who want to be competitive candidates at the colleges of their choice!

All of these classes, along with limited elective offerings, can make it difficult for students to explore potential career paths or develop some of the practical life skills they’ll need for the future. That’s why we love enrichment courses! And it doesn’t hurt that they look pretty great on college applications too - they offer an easy, free way to demonstrate interest in a particular field of study!

And while the idea of taking classes in their spare time might not be exciting to most teenagers off the bat, there really are some exciting enrichment opportunities. Especially thanks to online learning platforms like Coursera, students can easily build their skills and delve into their passions from the convenience of their laptops.

Coursera has thousands of classes to choose from, which we know can be overwhelming. But don’t worry! We’ve done our homework, curating a list of some of our favorite Coursera classes that we think are great fits for high school students.

The Science of Well-Being For Teens (Yale University)

The Science of Well-Being is a wildly popular Coursera offering, and now there’s a new teen version! In this six-week class, students examine the psychology behind happiness, stress, and healthy mental habits. Along the way, they complete “happiness” homework assignments to understand how to transform the science of mental wellness into everyday action.

What is Data Science? (IBM)

Data scientists are in big demand– and will continue to be, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Data science is one of the fastest growing fields, and employment in this area is expected to increase by 36% over the next decade. For students who are interested in exploring data science, IBM’s course is a great place to start. In What is Data Science, participants learn foundational concepts, such as machine learning, and examine how businesses apply data science. And the course description also promises insights from experts in the field! 

Financial Planning for Young Adults (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign) 

Before signing off on student loans or applying for a credit card, teenagers would certainly benefit from a crash course in financial planning. In this four-week module-based class, students are introduced to financial skills and concepts needed for adulthood: budgeting, savings, investing, credit, and more. The course also promises to challenge students through real world scenarios. As an added bonus, the last module of the course provides information about career paths in the financial planning industry. 

Speaking and Presenting: Conversation Starters (University of Michigan)

In a world dominated by text messages, tweets, and Instagram stories, it’s harder than ever for teens to strike up real, face-to-face conversations, especially with adults. In this short ten-hour course, students learn how to initiate conversation, whether in a big group or with an individual, and keep the dialogue going. The curriculum also focuses on how to spark conversation during a presentation and keep an audience engaged. We think this would be a great class for students to take before they begin touring campuses or attending college fairs. 

Act on Climate: Steps to Individual, Community, and Political Action (University of Michigan)

Act on Climate is a perfect match for students interested in environmental activism. Rather than just studying the impacts of climate change, participants learn how to take action! The course focuses on different ways to develop community partnerships with other passionate individuals, as well as political leaders. At the conclusion of the class, students are encouraged to share their efforts online (#UMichActonClimate) and connect with the 14,000+ people who’ve previously taken the class.

Introduction to Philosophy (University of Edinburgh)

What is truth? Do we have an obligation to obey the law? What does it mean for something to have a mind? In Introduction to Philosophy, students look at the fundamental questions in several different areas of philosophy, including politics, science, and morality. This class isn’t just for those seeking the meaning of life. The concepts can help enrich those exploring careers in everything from medicine to law to international relations.

Math Behind Moneyball (University of Houston)

Calling all sports and math enthusiastics! Improve your statistics and probability skills while studying your favorite sports teams. In this class, students use math to make game predictions, master Excel tools, and explore game theory. Sports topics include the NCAA tournament, NASCAR, betting, baseball, and more.  

The History of Medicine: Philosophy, Science and Psychology (University of California, Santa Cruz)

This is a fantastic option for those considering a future in the medical field! The course provides an overview of the history of disease treatment from ancient Egypt to today. Along the way, students examine major shifts in scientific thinking, as well as significant advancements in modern medicine. 

Introduction to Public Speaking (University of Washington)

Introduction to Public Speaking just might be the cure for students who suffer from stage fright, rambling disorder, or presentation disorganization. In this twelve-hour course, students learn how to prepare for and structure a presentation or speech. The course also helps participants work on intonation, body language, and a confident, powerful presence. We think this is a wonderful option for students who want to work past their public speaking fears from the privacy of their own bedrooms! 

Introduction to Cybersecurity Foundations (INFOSEC)

Cybersecurity is another growing industry, and many students are interested to learn more about this field. This short three-hour class is perfect for beginners with little to no knowledge about the field. Students will be introduced to key concepts of cybersecurity, so they feel prepared to explore more advanced classes on the subject in the future. 

Science of Exercise (University of Colorado, Boulder)

We all know that exercise is good for us, but why? In this class, students analyze the impact of exercise on the body, including metabolism, disease prevention, and mental wellness. As part of the curriculum, students also look at behaviors and choices that impact health. Not only is this an informative class for those thinking about a future in health-related industries; it’s also a great option for anyone hoping to develop habits for a healthy future.

Memoir and Personal Essay: Write About Yourself (Wesleyan University)

Wesleyan University is ditching the boring, five-paragraph essay in favor of something much more personal- the memoir! In this specialization- a series of four courses- students learn how to craft their memories and experiences into a powerful personal story. As part of the writing journey, participants practice writing meaningful details, portraying emotions, and cultivating a unique tone and style. This class is ideal for emerging creative writers! 

Songwriting: Writing the Lyrics (Berklee)

Students who aren’t thrilled about essay writing might want to consider this songwriting course. The class offers participants the chance to turn their thoughts and feelings into actual lyrics. No previous musical experience or beautiful singing voice is necessary! Throughout the class, participants learn how to identify the audience for a song, master rhyming techniques, and create memorable phrases. There are also opportunities for peer review and feedback to help participants come away with a finished set of lyrics. 

Essentials of Global Health (Yale University)

In the wake of a pandemic, global health is a more popular topic than ever. Students who want to explore careers in the healthcare industry, public policy, or other community-related fields will want to check out Essentials of Global Health. In this class, participants study significant health issues across the world and their impact on communities. A heavy focus is also placed on health systems and the relationship between health and development in countries.

Digital Footprint (The University of Edinburgh)

Social media has the power to make careers–and break them! That’s why it’s important for teenagers to learn how to manage their digital footprint and present themselves in a professional (and safe) manner. In this course, students develop techniques for creating an appropriate digital presence while discovering ways to leverage social media platforms for networking and career growth. It’s never too early to consider digital footprints, so consider signing up!

5 Questions to Ask Your Ninth Grader Right Now

Do you know what you’ll be doing 1200 days from now? Well, if you’re the parent of a current ninth grader, you’ll probably be sitting at your child’s high school graduation. Although thoughts of caps and gowns and college may seem light years away, it’s never too early to start planning for the future. In fact, ninth grade is a critical time to set your student up for college success. 

But how do you know if your ninth grader is on the path to success? Ask! Today we’re sharing 5 questions that will help you ‘check in’ with your freshman and create important college-building conversations. 

1. How are you feeling about your classes?

What did you get on that test? Did you do your homework? Well, have you asked your teacher for help? Let’s face it, sometimes parenting can feel more like project management. You may find yourself inquiring into due dates and scores just to stay ‘in the know.’ While this information is certainly handy, it might not tell you the whole academic story about your ninth grader.

Rather than framing questions that only result in a yes, no or eye roll, try a more open-ended framework. “How are you feeling about x…” is a great way to create a conversation and help your child reflect on the academic transition to high school. For example, a simple “how are you feeling about your homework load” could lead to productive discussions about time management, the need for a math tutor, or changes to after-school commitments.

2. What’s sparking your interest?

Ninth grade is a discovery year, as students begin to take new electives and get involved with activities that may not have been available to them in middle school. Check in with your child to see which subjects, clubs, and causes are engaging them. And then encourage them to explore these areas even more! For example, if your child enjoys talking about politics in their government class, suggest that they try out the debate team or attend a Model U.N. meeting.

3. How are you getting to know your teachers?

We know, we know. Some teenagers don’t even like having conversations with their parents, let alone with adults at school. However, establishing strong relationships with teachers is extremely important. Not only are these relationships proven to increase a student’s academic performance, they can be downright inspirational. We hear stories all the time from students who credit particular high school teachers for their career paths and leadership skills. 

Building connections is a great skill for students to develop early on in high school. Talk to your ninth grader about habits that can make for strong teacher relationships: participating in class, asking questions, reaching out for help, visiting teachers during study halls and free periods. These small efforts to engage go a long way!

4. What’s on your high school bucket list?

Ask a ninth grader about their goals for the next three and half years, and you’ll probably get a bewildered look in return--or an abrupt reply concerning grades. But there’s much more to the high school experience than just GPAs. Help your child start to think about the ways in which they want to get involved in the community. Have they always wanted to take center stage in a school play or learn how to play lacrosse? Can they see themselves running for student council or maybe creating a fundraiser to help their favorite cause? We love the bucket list question because it can help students get out of their comfort zones and picture the many possibilities for their high school experience.

5. What would you like to do this summer?

This may seem like a strange question to ask when we are just coming up on Thanksgiving, but hear us out. Summer is an ideal time for rising sophomores to explore their interests and begin developing the skills they’ll need for college. Luckily, there are hundreds of opportunities for 15 year olds to choose from: international excursions, enrichment courses, volunteer projects, and yes, even some internships. 

Start exploring options with your child now. Many summer programs will begin accepting applications as early as December. If you’re not sure where to look, check out the DC College Counseling Database. We regularly update our site with exciting summer experience opportunities. 

Weekly Update: May 13

BIGGEST COLLEGE-RELATED NEWS OF THE WEEK

SCHOLARSHIPS FOR ARIZONA THIRD-GRADERS

In 2012, the Rosztoczy Foundation selected a lucky Arizona third-grade class and made them a promise: their college tuition, including room and board, would be covered. With that class graduating from high school, the foundation has decided to continue the good deed, selecting two more third-grade classes from underserved Arizona schools for full scholarships. Students and parents report that the program has allowed them the freedom to focus on high school performance without worrying about how they will pay for college. 

LINCOLN COLLEGE SHUTS DOWN

Lincoln College, a predominantly Black college in Illinois, shuts its doors today after 150 years in operation. The college cites the pandemic as part of the reason for the closure, but it is also a result of a December 2021 cyberattack on the admissions data for the school, resulting in unclear 2022 enrollment projections. This type of attack is becoming more and more common for schools, with 26 colleges and universities experiencing cyberattacks in 2021. 

STUDENT WITH NON-VERBAL AUTISM DELIVERS COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS

Elizabeth Bonker, valedictorian at Rollins College, was selected as commencement speaker - despite the fact that she has non-verbal autism and hasn’t said a word since her diagnosis at 15 months old. She delivered the speech using a text-to-speech computer program, and she had some words of encouragement for other students: “Use your voice.”

BEST ARTICLES OF THE WEEK

This opinion essay in the New York Times illuminates some of the long-term effects of the pandemic on new college students. While of course the evidence here is anecdotal, it reflects a lot of what we have been seeing in terms of the lack of motivation and the difficulty establishing study habits that came along with online school. If you or your student are also struggling with this, check out academic coaching, which can help students learn the time management, note-taking, and study skills that they may have missed while learning remotely. 

My (former) favorite blog reader used to send me lots of interesting links and has moved on to bigger and better things now that his child is in college! 🙂 But he came through this past week with a good one from The Atlantic on data-driven parenting, and the one decision that really appears to make a difference. Can you guess what it is? Location.

Definitely read the article, and then you can have fun inputting zip codes into The Opportunity Atlas like I did. Absolutely fascinating. I was really struck by the difference between 22101 vs. 22102, and if you're from Vienna, you know that there's a friendly rivalry between those who live in town vs out... well, 22182 held its own! The author just came out with a new book called Don't Trust Your Gut: Using Data to Get What You Really Want in Life, so add that to your summer reading list - I'm definitely adding it to mine!

OFFICE HAPPENINGS

We are so excited to announce that our team is growing, and introduce you to Courtney! Courtney will be coming on as an administrator to share some of the workload with Donna, so current clients, keep an eye out for emails that you may see coming from her with reminders (both Donna and Courtney will continue to reach out using our admin email address). 

Courtney is currently a master’s student working towards a degree in social work. During the last academic year, she interned as a school social worker with FCPS and has experience working with students for academic and therapeutic counseling. We are thrilled to welcome her to the team!

Another exciting development for me this week was that DC College Counseling was selected as a finalist for the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program. I’m so honored to be considered and looking forward to the interview process this month - I’ll keep you posted!

Have a fantastic weekend!

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Weekly Update: May 6

It’s a rainy weekend ahead, so we’ve got some good reads to keep you busy!

BIGGEST COLLEGE-RELATED NEWS OF THE WEEK

ABA COMMITTEE RECOMMENDS THAT LAW SCHOOLS STOP REQUIRING LSAT

A committee from the American Bar Association has advised the organization to put out an official recommendation for law schools to stop requiring the LSAT (or other standardized tests) as a factor in admissions decisions. They are not endorsing test-blind admissions, in which the organizations cannot factor in test scores, but believe that the schools should instead have the option.

Of course, the Law School Admissions Council (LSAC - the organization behind the LSAT) continues to stand by the importance of the test. It’s a tough decision, because higher LSAT scores are directly correlated with bar passage rates, so it’s easy to make the argument that they are important. At the same time, there are equity issues involved - test prep is very expensive, and under-represented groups traditionally score lower on the LSAT. Stay tuned on the final ABA decision!

FIRST WEEK OF AP EXAMS ARE OVER!

We have gotten a lot of panicked emails from families this week about the importance AP exams - I know they are stressful! I do think that these have become more important for students applying to highly selective schools now that the SAT Subject Tests are no longer. Unfortunately, students will not have scores for quite a while, but sometimes they feel less anxious after reviewing the free-response questions after the exams take place in order to get a sense of how their answers might stack up.

COLLEGE STUDENT SALARY EXPECTATIONS ARE WAY OFF FROM REALITY

The Class of 2022 is rather optimistic about the job market, believing that their average starting salaries will be approximately $104,000. Every single group of majors overestimated what they’d earn, with journalism majors overestimating by 139% and computer science majors overestimating by “just” 27%. It’s all about the power of positive thinking, right? :)

BEST ARTICLES OF THE WEEK

If you are a data geek like me and want to read more about how everything stacked up in the bloodbath that was the 2021-2022 college admissions cycle, don’t miss this CTAS Higher Ed Business report - it’s probably the most comprehensive piece I’ve read so far. They share that UCLA received more applications than any school in the country - just under 150,000. CRAZY!! Some of the other UC schools were next up in terms of volume, before NYU at 105,000 applications and Northeastern with 91,000. This represents increases of 30-40% for each of those schools since 2020.

But what I found most interesting were some of the schools that were specifically identified as having the most growth on a percentage basis rather than straight volume. Colgate is apparently the new hot school, along with other smaller schools like Macalester, Tufts, Dickinson, and Williams. As for the schools bucking the trends: Bowdoin, Tulane, and Pitzer. They had a particularly interesting theory about Tulane, so read the report!

That said, if you weren’t happy with your student’s 2021-2022 outcome - all is not lost! Check out this Washington Post piece about transfer admissions, which gives readers an inside look about the transfer process as well as the most recent statistics. It’s fascinating that some schools (like UVA, which this article covers heavily) are so much easier to get into via the transfer pathway and yet others are even harder than they were during the first-year admissions process.

Not quite an article, but I’ve been listening to a series on Freakonomics Radio that has been going viral in the college admissions world. First, What Exactly is College For?; then The University of Impossible-to-Get-Into; and yesterday, I Don’t Think the Country Is Turning Away From College. They are definitely worth a listen. Also, if you are a student looking for some summer reading, I HIGHLY recommend reading Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything - by Steven D. Levitt & Stephen J. Dubner. If I had a top ten list of books everyone should read, this would be on it - really makes you think about things differently!

OFFICE HAPPENINGS

It was a relatively quiet week this week because of AP exams, although we had a lot of new client consultations! If you are considering services for your Class of 2023 student, we are very close to reaching capacity and will soon move to our Late Start Waitlist. Our services will be valuable up until the very last minute, but there’s no question that the entire process is more stressful for students who start later.

Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms out there! One of my own mom’s favorite sayings is “Little kids, little problems; big kids, big problems.” The older my own kids become, the more I realize how true that is and how incredibly stressful and challenging it can be for moms of teenagers today. We hope that all of you are able to relax and let somebody else handle all the problems (and reminders!) on Sunday :)

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Weekly Update: April 29

Decision Day is almost here - good luck to all of the seniors who are making their decisions this weekend! Make sure to celebrate once that deposit is in :)

BIGGEST COLLEGE-RELATED NEWS OF THE WEEK

FCPS HIGH SCHOOLS RANKED AMONG THE BEST IN THE COUNTRY

The U.S. News rankings are out, and TJ tops the list of public high schools as the best school in the country for the fourth consecutive year. Other FCPS schools, like Langley and McLean, were ranked in the top 200 high schools in the U.S. Take a look at where other FCPS schools fall on their website!

And on a related note, the Supreme Court decided this week to let TJ’s new admissions policy stand.

COLLEGES STILL ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS

Thankfully, all of our seniors have great options for this fall! But every year, there are some students who do not plan as carefully and need additional school options. If you or someone you know is looking for college openings, check out this list of schools that are still accepting applications for Fall 2022. 

UC SYSTEM WAIVES TUITION FOR NATIVE AMERICAN STUDENTS

The approximately 500 undergraduate students at University of California schools who are California residents and members of Native tribes will have their tuition and fees waived as part of the UC Native American Opportunity Plan. UC professors say that they hope other public land-grant institutions will follow the UC’s example in offering tuition-free education to Native American students. 

FACEBOOK OBTAINED FAFSA DATA

Code embedded in the website where students fill out the FAFSA automatically sent data like first and last names, email addresses, and zip codes to Facebook. It is unclear how many students were affected by the system, which affected students who were not logged into the FAFSA site and even those who did not have a Facebook account. Scary!

BEST ARTICLES OF THE WEEK

With so much conversation about student loan debt in the news, it can be comforting to hear that many states already offer free public college options for students. This Forbes article covers a list of the most popular tuition-free schools, as well as other options for students who don’t have the means or the desire to pay for college. 

If there is one thing we can say with certainty at this point, it is that the COVID-19 pandemic and corresponding uptick in applications to selective schools has made getting into college MUCH harder for the students we work with - and they’re not alone! During the pandemic, the number of students who chose to take gap years rather than continuing directly to college rose by over 100%. Some schools have also shifted to rolling admissions models, to give students more flexibility over when to begin their college education. 

Finally, an interesting perspective on the past few years of changes at Liberty University from the New Yorker, including interviews with students, faculty, and staff, as well as with the former president Jerry Falwell, Jr. and his wife.

OFFICE HAPPENINGS

We are so excited for all of our seniors who have sent in deposits!! Congratulations to everyone for such phenomenal success in such a difficult year. We are so proud of you!

For underclassmen who are still looking to bring their grades up during the fourth quarter, FCPS is partnering with Tutor.com to offer free, live tutoring to students in all years - learn more here. 

And for sophomores and juniors working on the college search, the Six College Consortium (which is made up of small liberal arts colleges - Amherst, Swarthmore, Bowdoin, Carleton, Pomona, and Williams) is offering a variety of virtual events next month, including special sessions for first generation and international students. We’ve enjoyed Six Colleges counselor events, and this is a great way for students who know they are interested in a traditional liberal arts college to explore several in a single session. 

Enjoy the sun this weekend!

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Weekly Update: April 1

BIGGEST COLLEGE-RELATED NEWS OF THE WEEK

BRUTAL REGULAR DECISION NUMBERS

A number of highly selective (or as many of our colleagues are calling them, “highly rejective”) schools released the last of the regular decision admission decisions last night. It was absolutely insane. Check out the latest results from College Kickstart, but don’t forget to keep in mind that these statistics are somewhat misleading as they represent the combination of results from multiple admission plans. In other words, many of these schools are admitting 50%+ of their classes through binding early decision plans with a higher acceptance rate.

Let’s look at Vanderbilt - they had approximately 2,700 ED I applicants; 2,400 ED II applicants; and 41,600 RD applicants for a total of 46,717. As College Kickstart reports, 2,864 students were admitted to the freshman class for an overall acceptance rate of 6%. Totally insane, right? But it gets worse. Of the 2,700 ED I applicants, 24.1% of students were accepted. Of the 2,400 ED II applicants, 10.3% of students were accepted. And for the approximately 41,600 RD applicants? Approximately 1,964 acceptance letters went out. This means that despite the published acceptance rate of 6%, the RD acceptance rate was actually 4.7%. For Vanderbilt - an amazing school, of course, but it’s not Harvard or Yale.

Perhaps even more depressing, Northeastern had an overall acceptance rate of 7% (Northeastern!!!!), Tulane 10%, Boston University 14%, NYU 12%… what is wrong with the world?!

MIT REINSTATES TESTING REQUIREMENT

MIT is the latest school to announce that it will be reinstating its testing requirement for the next admissions cycle. Yet rather than the decision itself, it is the reasoning behind the decision that has been making a lot of waves in the educational consulting community this week. MIT argues that reinstating a testing requirement will allow the admissions process to be more equitable, by giving students who may not have access to advanced coursework or extracurricular programs to demonstrate their readiness for MIT. This is a controversial decision because conventional wisdom has long held that standardized tests perpetuate inequality in the admissions process, as students with access to paid test prep opportunities and advanced curricula typically score better on these exams.

I tend to agree with MIT on this one - after all, you can’t fake a test score (well, as long as you aren’t Rick Singer’s client!!). Even with pricey tutoring, the student has to actually earn the score. On the other hand, when a school is test-optional, the “softer” sides of the admissions process (essays, interview prep, extracurricular depth, recommendation letters, ED strategy) become much more important. Because those are a whole lot easier to manipulate with expert guidance than a test score, students with means can end up with a big advantage in test-optional situations. We will have to see if other schools follow MIT’s lead in bringing back testing requirements for the next admissions cycle. 

ANOTHER NEW SET OF RANKINGS

We’ve written before on the blog about the rankings from Academic Influence, and the latest metric that the organization is using to rank colleges is something called Academic Stewardship. Basically, this number calculates how an institution uses its resources - a ratio of how much impact it has to available resources. The result is an interesting list of schools that often do not appear on any well-known rankings: the #1 school for Academic Stewardship is Fisk College, a private HBCU in Nashville. 

NBA PROSPECTS BYPASS COLLEGE DESPITE NIL DEALS

A growing number of high school basketball players are choosing to bypass college and the NCAA altogether in pursuit of an NBA career, despite the fact that NCAA athletes can now earn money through the NCAA’s newly approved “name, image, and likeness” deals. These allow players to profit from advertisements, video games, and more, even as they remain amateur players. For many students, these incentives are just too new and untested to justify entering college when they could make salaries as full-time players straight from high school. We will have to see how lucrative these NIL deals become to know whether they will attract top-level players to the NCAA - although we also believe that a college education should be worth something in the calculus, too!

TEENS FACED EMOTIONAL ABUSE DURING PANDEMIC

In a sobering study this week, the CDC announced that the majority of teenagers endured emotional abuse while at home during the COVID-19 pandemic. Additional stressors from home and family life were just one of the potential traumatic triggers for teenagers in the last two years, and potentially a symptom of overstressed caregivers, including parents.

BEST ARTICLES OF THE WEEK

As we talk with students about their summer plans, the idea of doing independent research comes up more and more. This can be a really great way for students to pursue their passions (especially those with a unique interest), gain hands-on experience, and create a final product that looks great on college applications. For more about why it is important to pursue research as a high school student, as well as some ways to get started, we recommend diving into this short article and then checking out our Summer Opportunities Database!

We maintain that the number one way to get a true sense of a school is to take an in-person tour. But the truth is, sometimes even that is not enough! During the pandemic, in-person tours were not an option for many students. Other tours were available, but students couldn’t see inside academic buildings or dorms. Or maybe the tour is great, but you visit campus during a break and don’t get to see any students walking around - it can feel like a ghost town! This article explores some ways to improve campus tours, both in-person and virtual, to make the selection process easier for all students, even those who are not able to visit. 

By all accounts, this has been a tough admissions year for many students and families. This article dives into some of the reasons for the change. It is worth a read, though we don’t agree with the tongue-in-cheek tone - this has been a legitimate challenge for many families! If your student did not receive the decision they were hoping for, this article from the L.A. Times provides some strategies parents and family members can use to help students weather their feelings of rejection.  

OFFICE HAPPENINGS

We want to share a couple of contest opportunities with you! The Congressional Art Competition, a nationwide art contest sponsored by the House of Representatives, is currently accepting applications. If you are a high schooler in Virginia’s 10th Congressional District, you can read more and apply here. 

And for our Class of 2022 students, if your college essay had anything at all to do with money - work, social class, privilege, etc. - consider submitting to the New York Times annual essay contest. The essays will be published in late June, and writers will be paid for their work. We love any opportunity for students to share their amazing essays! 

Enjoy the weekend, and try not to stress too much if you received a decision you weren’t happy with. I know, easier said than done - at this time of year I always think about how absolutely crushed I was when I was rejected from my dream school (you can read the whole saga here). Yet as an adult, I am so incredibly grateful for the path my life took instead. This too shall pass!

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Weekly Update: March 25

We were excited for peak bloom this week - hope you got to spend some time admiring the cherry blossoms before the rain!

BIGGEST COLLEGE-RELATED NEWS OF THE WEEK

UVA’S ACCEPTANCE RATE HITS RECORD LOW

UVA regular decision results are out, and the university’s acceptance rate dropped to just 19% this year. Offers were extended to approximately 9,000 students out of the 50,000+ who applied (the acceptance rate for in-state students, who make up two-thirds of the university, was 28%). We have seen demographic changes anecdotally, and the results play that out as well - 52% of admitted students were students of color, a record high for UVA. And if you’re wondering whether applying early is really worth it, keep in mind that over 7,000 of those 9,000 acceptances were handed out to early decision or early action applicants. 

USC PULLS OUT OF U.S. NEWS RANKINGS

More ranking controversy this week when USC withdrew its Rossier School of Education from the U.S. News & World Report rankings. The school made this choice after determining that it had provided inaccurate survey data to U.S. News for the last five years. An investigation into the data is now underway. 

CHAIR OF USC’S BOARD RUNS FOR LA MAYOR

In the second piece of USC news, the former chair of the Board of Trustees Rick Caruso is now running for mayor of LA. He is leaning on his record of “cleaning up messes” at USC. Caruso stepped in when USC was reeling from sexual abuse allegations, and has since installed the university’s first female president, new football coach, and several reforms to the Board of Trustees. However, some students and professors took issue with Caruso running the university like a business, saying that he was not transparent enough about the allegations against the school’s gynecologist or later scandals, including Varsity Blues. At the end of the school year, Caruso is expected to step down as he pursues his mayoral bid. 

BEST ARTICLES OF THE WEEK

The new digital SAT may be a win for neurodiverse students. The shortened test will require less sustained concentration, and with more time per question, processing speed becomes less important. However, there are still some potential drawbacks, including unfamiliarity with the new testing layout. Once the SAT rolls out, we will be back with more tips to help students get comfortable with this new format (if you are applying now, don’t worry - we won’t see the digital SAT for a few more years!). 

Have you ever wondered, “What’s the difference between a college and a university?” If so, you’re not alone! Traditionally, a college does not offer graduate programs, while a university does. But if you’re thinking about schools like the College of William & Mary, or Boston College, you’re probably realizing that this old rule of thumb doesn’t exactly hold true anymore. This article is an interesting read for those hoping to understand more about the “college” vs. “university” name, and how some schools are choosing to make changes. 

This Wall Street Journal piece by Tarren Bragdon, president and CEO of the Foundation for Government Accountability, explores the in-depth “My Florida Future” database and shares how his own children have benefited from it. Created as a result of Gov. Ron DeSantis’ “student right to know” bill, the database empowers families to make data-driven decisions when it comes to college choices. It compares a number of metrics across all 12 state universities, including earnings for each degree program, cost, and loan burdens, and Virginia is the next state slated to offer a similar system.

A number of WSJ readers shared their dissatisfaction with this system, writing that college isn’t just about ROI (I loved the one from the guy who suggested a franchise instead!). I personally think this is a good thing - knowledge is power, and families who want to make their decisions based on ROI will now have the opportunity to do so.

My only caution would be to remember that correlation does not equal causation. For example, Bragdon writes that his son recognized that Florida Gulf Coast University business graduates make approximately 10% less within a year of graduation than their peers at Florida State, and suggested that this may impact his son’s decision-making. But what about the fact that it’s significantly harder to be admitted to FSU than FGCU? We’re comparing students of different achievement levels, and it’s natural that higher-performing students would have higher earnings. I’d still pick Florida State, but at the same time, let’s be realistic.

Finally, Jeff Selingo, one of the top voices on admissions today, wrote an article in the Atlantic this week titled “The College Admissions Process is Completely Broken.” As applications rise, admissions offices are forced to spend less time reading the applications, and to reject more students than ever - to Selingo, a sign of a broken process that gives officers just minutes to scan an application.

His solution includes many interesting reforms to the college application process, including eliminating unnecessary essays at schools that make decisions using primarily the high school transcript and test scores (yes please!). He also recommends eliminating the binding early decision process, arguing that it requires students to choose “just one” college too early. But we disagree!

If used properly, the choice about where to apply ED is one of the most powerful strategic decisions that a student can make, during a process where so many other factors are already decided for them. Plus, as Selingo himself mentions at the start of the article, you can only attend one school when all is said and done - so there’s no real harm in making that decision early! 

OFFICE HAPPENINGS

Still looking for summer plans? If you live in Loudoun County, we HIGHLY recommend applying for the Loudoun Young Entrepreneurs Academy. This is an amazing program that gives great experience to students interested in business, entrepreneurship, or social impact. Students must be Loudoun County residents, although they can attend any school. (We used to love the Arlington version of this program that was available to all students, regardless of residency - bring it back, please!)

We have started getting some of our first finished Common ApplicationⓇ essays in from students this week! Even though completed drafts still undergo several rounds of revision from our team (and of course the student and parents), it is still a HUGE relief for those students who have this major task off their plates! More of our students will finish up in the next few weeks - those who stick to our timeline usually have those essays wrapped up by spring break! 

Enjoy the weekend!

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Weekly Update: March 18

We hope everyone had a happy St. Patrick’s Day and a great week (and isn’t too tired from springing ahead)!

BIGGEST COLLEGE-RELATED NEWS OF THE WEEK

REGULAR DECISION RELEASE DATES

It is that time of year again - many of our students are receiving regular decision news from colleges! American, Notre Dame, Bucknell, Northeastern, and MIT were among the colleges to release decisions this week, and we expect to hear from UVA, Johns Hopkins, UGA, Villanova, and Swarthmore today! 🤞🤞🤞 For more updates on release dates, we recommend following College Kickstart’s list - it is updated almost every day with new information. 

CHANGES IN LAW SCHOOL RANKINGS ON THE HORIZON

U.S. News will be updating its law school rankings on March 29, and this year could be a surprise for the T-14 schools that consistently top that list. The organization has changed its metrics for ranking schools - including putting more weight on bar passage rates and far less weight on things like number of books in the library or ratio of full-time librarians to students. With these changes, we expect to see unprecedented movement on the U.S. News list - and it will be interesting to see the impact.

I’m particularly curious to see if Georgetown will get its coveted T14 slot back - there was a big shake-up last spring when they moved down to #15. As Above the Law joked, “Not since the NCAA tournament has Georgetown been so hyped and so disappointed.” Only time will tell!

UC BERKELEY ENROLLMENT CUTS ON HOLD

We wrote last month about the impending cuts that would require UC Berkeley to shrink its incoming class by 3,000 seats, and this was certainly scary news for many applicants. But on Monday, California legislators passed a bill to halt the cuts and preserve Berkeley’s size and intended growth. Don’t get too excited, though, unless you’re a California resident. Berkeley, UCLA, and UC San Diego are still reducing their out-of-state population by approximately 22% (moving from 23% of the student body to 18%).

BEST ARTICLES OF THE WEEK

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again - by and large, U.S. News rankings are not the best way to determine which school to attend as an undergraduate (it should carry more weight for law and business school applicants).

For students and families still looking for proof that the rankings are somewhat arbitrary, a Columbia University math professor published an extensive critique of Columbia’s new #2 ranking, arguing that the university provided inaccurate or inflated data about class sizes, spending, and other categories. Columbia agrees that the data could be interpreted in different ways, but stands by the data provided to U.S. News. The controversy has reignited the wider debate about whether rankings really offer an accurate way to think about the value of a college education. 

We know that for many students and families, paying for college is the most difficult and confusing part of the admissions process to navigate. For those looking for a free resource, check out The Wall Street Journal’s Guide to navigating college debt.

Upper-middle class families often complain about finding themselves in a college funding “donut hole” - they don’t qualify for financial aid, yet can’t afford to pay full tuition at a private or out-of-state school. What remains? In-state public options. Of course, not every state has top-tier public institutions, so some families actually relocate (!) to places like North Carolina, Virginia, Texas, Michigan or California to give their children a chance.

With so much on the line, you can understand why Californians exhibited such “rising fury” about the Berkeley enrollment cuts - Virginians would probably have done the same! You can learn more about the background here: California NIMBYs learn a lesson: Don’t mess with college admissions. It does a great job of explaining the housing crisis that led to the cuts in the first place.

OFFICE HAPPENINGS

Calling all budding entrepreneurs, especially students interested in environmental science, food policy, social justice, or business - the Seeds Pitch Competition is a great way to win up to $500 for the best pitch for a solution to a problem in the community. Plus, this will look great on college applications!

This week, we had such a sweet surprise visit from a graduating senior! Like we said last week, it’s crazy that we’ve gone through so much with these students and never met some of them in person, so it was great to have a check-in from her and her family at our office. We are so excited to hear all about her journey at Cornell this coming fall!

I think we can all relate to this!!! ^

We’ve also been thinking a lot about opening up the office again - I feel like it’s just one deja vu moment after the other. As soon as we start to think “okay, it’s really over this time,” another variant pops up out of nowhere. We actually did bring students back in the office last summer for a few days before we had to revert back to remote work as a result of Delta - then we started making plans to reopen again and had to stop because of Omicron - and here we go again with BA2. Enough already!!!

Have a great weekend and enjoy the weather! We’ll be keeping our fingers crossed for all those students waiting to hear from regular decision schools tonight.

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Weekly Update: March 4

Happy March! We hope you’ve all been enjoying some warmer weather this week.

BIGGEST COLLEGE-RELATED NEWS OF THE WEEK

JUDGE CALLS TJ ADMISSIONS CHANGES UNFAIR

Last Friday, a federal judge halted the changes to TJ’s admissions process, saying the new rules were unfair to Asian American students. The new rules dropped the percentage of Asian American students at TJ from 73% to 54%, a dramatic shift. This is the latest move in the ongoing debate about racial diversity at TJ. 

FCPS says that it is considering an appeal of the ruling, arguing that the new admissions process meets all legal requirements for admissions without discrimination

EFFECTS OF OMICRON CLASSROOM CLOSURES

As COVID-19 precautions continue to lessen, several outlets this week are exploring the impact of classroom closures on student learning. At many schools, if one student is exposed to COVID-19, the entire classroom remains at home. However, this stop-start schooling means that students around the country missed up to a week of school in January alone. This Atlantic article dives deeper into the ripple effects of keeping health students home from school. 

DC SCHOOLS DROP OUTDOOR MASK MANDATE

The indoor mask mandate for many spaces in DC was dropped on March 1, but not in schools. While students and staff are still required to wear masks in DC public schools, masks are now optional in outdoor spaces on school grounds.

TRANSPARENCY BILLS APPEAR AROUND THE COUNTRY

In many state legislatures, as well as in the House of Representatives, bills are appearing that would demand transparency for parents when it comes to lesson plans and curricula. Under these new laws, teachers would be required to post all of their instructional materials online for parents to review, including books, articles, handouts, and videos. While teachers say that most of this information is already available, either via parent-teacher conferences or portals like Canvas and Google Classroom, some parents argue that they should have more ability to easily review these materials. Here in Virginia, a bill was recently passed that will allow parents to review sexually explicit material before it is taught in the classroom.   

BEST ARTICLES OF THE WEEK

We really liked this article in The Atlantic this week about the impact of mask mandates on students who require speech therapy. This is a population that has really struggled over the past two years, but this is an issue that we haven’t seen covered very much in the news. Remote therapy caused learning loss for many students who struggle with speech, and in-person therapy was also hindered by mask mandates. 

Debates are always ongoing about the role that grading plays in the classroom, but after the struggle of remote learning and a lot of grading policy changes, the idea that letter grades may not be the best way to assess students’ progress post-pandemic has returned to the spotlight. We think that there is a good chance we’ll see more school districts change and adjust grading policies in response to changes in curriculum and the return to in-person learning. 

We say often that students and families should take college “rankings” with a grain of salt, particularly when looking at undergraduate programs. The factors that go into these rankings may not be factors that actually appeal to students (we’ve never had a student say that one important factor for them when looking at a school is the number of books in the library!), and they don’t always reveal a lot about what the student’s college experience will be. However, there are some students and parents who want to focus on highly-ranked, highly-selective schools - and that is also an approach we understand! This article explores more of the debate about whether or not it is worthwhile to focus on highly-selective schools during the admissions process. 

OFFICE HAPPENINGS

First and foremost, our thoughts continue to be with people in Ukraine this week, and we feel so lucky to have learned about Ukrainian culture and heritage through our clients.

On an entirely different note, Fall 2022 has been on our minds a lot this week. We had a bunch of students who decided to send out some transfer apps at the last minute and we tried to accommodate them as best as possible. They were/are due on 3/1, 3/15, and 4/1, so it’s been a little crazy to try to get all of those out on time, but so far so good - hopefully they will have lots of choices for the upcoming fall semester!

And speaking of choices… it’s undergraduate course registration time again! I had my first Fall 2022 course registration planning session yesterday with a rising college senior. We focused on balancing out the rest of her upper-level major and minor requirements with some cool electives, and made some solid headway. It never ceases to amaze me how unnecessarily complicated course registration has become. I really think we could start a whole business helping with course registration alone.

Lastly, we were thrilled to find out on Monday that a few of our second-year students at UVa were admitted into the Commerce School, yay! They will start their 2-year program in the fall and graduate with the rest of their class during Spring 2023. Congratulations!!!

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5 Tips for Securing Strong Teacher Recommendations

There are over 1,700 reasons why it’s important to secure strong teacher recommendations for your college application. How did we come up with such a large figure? Well, that’s the current number of colleges and universities that are test-optional or test blind. 

Teacher recommendations have always been an important element of a college application, but with so many schools changing their testing policies in response to the pandemic and seeing record numbers of applications as a result, recommendation letters are more important than ever! Yes, even for students who plan to submit test scores! Letters provide admissions committees with important insights into your academic performance, as well as your personal qualities and overall attitude. A well-written recommendation will tell a story that your GPA (and scores) cannot.

So how do you secure a strong teacher recommendation? After all, you can’t control what a teacher writes about you. Or can you? There are actually specific steps a student can take to ensure two (sometimes three) quality recommendation letters, even in the age of online learning and hybrid classes. 

1. Be Present

Be present. Sounds easy, right? But we’re not just talking about being physically present in the classroom or via Zoom. One of the best ways to ensure strong recommendations is to be an active and engaged student. Participate in discussions and ask questions. This will show your teacher that you’re curious, you take initiative, and you do your work. Pitch in when it comes time for group projects, and don’t be afraid to take the lead when there’s an opportunity. If you’re struggling, reach out for help. And if you’re doing well, reach out anyway. You can strike up a conversation about the topics that interest you most in the class.

Being present is a habit you’ll want to establish early in your high school career. However, if you haven’t been as engaged as you’d like–perhaps because of the pandemic or shyness or a lack of confidence–you can start now. Make one conscious effort per day to engage, whether it’s raising your hand or staying after class to ask a question.

2. Build Connections

Investing in your classes is important, but so is creating connections and relationships within your school community. It’s much easier for you to request a recommendation if you feel comfortable with the teacher, and it’s much easier for them to write the letter if they have a connection with you.

We know that it can be challenging for some students to get to know their teachers, but there are plenty of small actions you can take. Say hello when you pass by teachers, and don’t be afraid to ask how they are doing. Visit teachers during their office hours or study halls, and consider coming to class a few minutes early. This is a great opportunity to strike up conversation and discover shared interests, like sports or music.  You can also join an extracurricular activity they are leading (but only if you’re actually interested in the activity). If you’re in an online or hybrid setting that limits your interactions with teachers, make use of Zoom chat boxes, email, and other forms of digital connection. Trust us, they will be thrilled to see you making the effort to become more than just a face behind the screen. 

3. Choose Recommenders Wisely

Before you start asking for recommendations, take some time to strategize. It’s not as simple as choosing your favorite teacher or the one who gave you the best grade. Think about teachers who can speak to your strengths, as well as your growth over time. It’s also important to pick recommenders who will offer different perspectives about your performance and qualities. Otherwise, you’ll end up with two repetitive letters. 

Subject matter is also a consideration. Ideally, one of your recommenders should connect to your area of interest. For example, if you’re applying as a business major, consider asking your math teacher to write one of your letters. 

Finally, do your best to pick current teachers who can reflect on who you are right now. As much as you might have loved your ninth grade history teacher, you’ve matured a lot (both academically and personally) since then.  We highly recommend trying to secure letters from junior year teachers. If this is truly not possible, it is okay to have a letter of recommendation from a sophomore year teacher that you will also have as a senior. Remember: sophomore year seems recent now, when it’s February of junior year, but the colleges will be reading these letters an entire year later! At that point, sophomore year is ancient history and your choice will raise a red flag about your relationships with junior year teachers.

4. Ask early…and politely give an out. Back off at the first sign of hesitation!

Be sure to secure your recommenders early, so your teacher has plenty of time to write a quality letter. We highly suggest asking for recommendations before the end of your junior year - after spring break is a great time. Many teachers limit the number of letters they write, so you want to make sure you secure a spot before the crowd rushes in during the fall semester of your senior year. 

Don’t just assume that a teacher will agree to write you a recommendation. Formally ask them, and in person if possible. We recommend using the wording: “Do you think you know me well enough to write me a supportive letter of recommendation?” This gives the teacher an out. If the teacher is in any way hesitant, they can decline with the excuse that they don’t know you well enough, and everyone can save face.

If there is any sign of hesitation at all, immediately abort the mission and find a new teacher! And certainly, never, ever argue with a teacher about this. Honestly, the kindest thing a teacher can do for a student is to show hesitation or decline to write a letter. This person is telling you in so many words that they are unable to write you a great letter … listen to that feedback! No letter is much better than a mediocre letter, which is basically the kiss of death to any college application.

5. Create a highlight reel

Regardless of how well your teacher knows you, they don’t know EVERYTHING. That’s why it’s extremely helpful to create a ‘highlight reel.’ Provide your recommender with information about your personal strengths, achievements, and interests. Of course you’ll  want to share highlights about your performance in their class, and the more specific you can be, the better!

Jog their memory about the cool project you spent months researching; the really challenging science labs you mastered; or the improvements you made to your study habits. And if the subject relates to your career interests or intended major, let your teacher know! It’s also a good idea to share your related involvements outside of the classroom, so your teacher has the ‘full picture’ and can speak to your contributions in other areas of school life that may relate to their subject matter.

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HOW WE HELP STUDENTS SECURE STRONG TEACHER RECOMMENDATIONS

As part of our college counseling services, we work closely with students to develop a strategy for teacher recommendations and set specific goals well before it’s time to actually ask the teachers. We check in on the teacher recommendation strategy throughout the year, and ultimately help students create ‘highlight reel’ narratives for each teacher through a multi-step process that begins with our customized questionnaires.

If you would like to learn more about our services or schedule a session, please visit our website.

Weekly Update: February 4

Happy February! We hope everyone is staying dry :)

BIGGEST COLLEGE-RELATED NEWS OF THE WEEK

UVA EARLY ACTION DECISIONS RELEASED TONIGHT

So many of our students are on the edge of their seats waiting for UVA early action decisions to come out tonight. Make sure to check those applicant portals this evening, and we’ll be here with information on statistics for this year as soon as those are released. Fingers crossed for all of our students waiting on UVA decisions!

GEORGETOWN LAW PLACES ILYA SHAPIRO ON LEAVE

Ilya Shapiro, who was expected to take over as the executive director at Georgetown Law’s Center for the Constitution this week, has instead been placed on administrative leave in response to his tweets about Biden’s commitment to nominating a Black woman to the Supreme Court. Shapiro is on leave pending an investigation into whether the tweets violated Georgetown’s non-discrimination and anti-harrassment policies. 

TRINITY COLLEGE WORKSHOP WEDNESDAYS

Trinity’s College Decoded webinar series will walk students step by step through the college process, from the search to the essay to the campus visit. This is a great resource for juniors as they start on the active part of the college application process!

NATIONAL CATHOLIC COLLEGE ADMISSION ASSOCIATION SCHOLARSHIP

Are you a senior attending a Catholic college next year? Don’t forget about the opportunity to apply for a National CCAA scholarship! The application only takes a few minutes to complete, and winners are chosen by random drawing, so this is a scholarship application that takes relatively little work for a potential $1,000 award.

NATIONAL GIRL SCOUT ADVISORY BOARD

GSUSA is accepting applications for up to ten seats on the National Girl Scout Advisory Board. Girl Scout members of the advisory board work with teams in the National Office on projects aligned with the national strategy, including DEI/RJ, older girl engagement, research, marketing and more. The Girl Advisory Board makes recommendations, contributes to key initiatives and gains valuable experience and professional development. Girl Scouts who will be in grades 7 through 11 in Fall 2022 are eligible to apply. This is a great leadership opportunity for students to take advantage of this year! Applications are due by February 21.  

BEST ARTICLES OF THE WEEK

Several interesting articles this week that focus on the cost of college - and how it can be a major deterrent to some students. This article from The Conversation explores why students drop out of community college, even when they are close to a degree. There are a variety of reasons, but the top three have to do with cost: tuition is too high, living expenses are too high, and running out of financial aid. 

And even small expenses can contribute to this strain. This Washington Post article opens with the story of a student who was forced to drop out of college because he couldn’t afford the $25 bus ticket to get to campus. Now, colleges and educational nonprofits are looking for ways to help students pay for transportation, lodging, textbooks, housing deposits, and other expenses that, while they may seem insignificant to typical middle-class students, can be prohibitive for some would-be college graduates. 

Cancel culture has been a salient conversation when it comes to college campuses for years now, but the conversation is all too often dominated by politicians, professors, administrators, and other adults. This Atlantic article explores self-censorship and the notion of cancel culture through the students’ point of view, and is an interesting look at how self-censorship is working on college campuses. 

OFFICE HAPPENINGS

If you read our earlier blog this week, you know that the Common App prompts for this cycle have been released! Our class of 2023 students can now begin their essay work, and will receive an email from us today with next steps. Now, we expect that most students will be able to wrap up those essays by spring break - and be ready to get started on their supplements!

As I mentioned on last week's blog, the Coalition Application announced an integration with Scoir and Slate. The Scoir counseling platform is used by students and counselors on the high school level, and Slate is a CRM used by colleges and universities to track applicant information (all that demonstrated interest data we talk about!). The webinar started with Gerry McCrory, the CEO of Scoir, who discussed the rationale for the integration. The whole thing sort of "clicked" for me when he explained that this will essentially be the TurboTax of the college admissions process. Love that analogy!

Here's how it will work: students and high school counselors will record student information in Scoir across the student's high school years, the way most already do anyway. When students begin their Coalition Application at the start of senior year, they will realize that they are 75% done already! They just have to answer the last few questions and then they can submit their applications. He explained that the goal is to make applying to college less transactional, and that they aren't building a new application, just a different way to apply.

In theory, I like the sound of this and I think that if it operates as planned, it does have the potential to simplify the process for some groups of students (primarily those applying to less-selective schools that have fewer school-specific questions and supplemental essays). However, given the experience I've had over the last five years or so with the Coalition Application, I do not have a high level of confidence in the organization's ability to carry this out as planned.

I also have another big concern - yes, this process makes it much EASIER for students. But sometimes the easier process is not what will get them the results they want. If there aren't any essays or short answers, and the application mostly contains information regarding demographics and academic data, how will colleges be able to differentiate applicants from one another? The process will become much less holistic... which will likely hurt the very students this partnership seeks to help. It's hard to say how this will turn out, but we will continue to keep everyone posted as we learn more information. 

Have a great weekend!

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Weekly Update: January 28

BIGGEST COLLEGE-RELATED NEWS OF THE WEEK

THE SAT GOES DIGITAL

Some of the biggest news this week has been around the SAT, which announced a major change this week - the SAT will go fully digital in 2024, and the length of the test will shorten to just two hours. 

If you are preparing to take the test now, this likely won’t have an effect on your planned test administrations, but ninth graders and younger students should be aware of the big changes to come!

This article is helpful as a clear breakdown of what we currently know and don’t know about this new SAT, and one of the SAT tutors that we work with also published a blog this week about how these changes could affect students’ preparation. They might even impact whether the students choose to take the ACT or SAT!

SCOIR ANNOUNCES COALITION INTEGRATION

While the Common App is fairly, well, common to our students, some of those who haven’t yet started the application process may have never heard of the Coalition for College Access. The Coalition Application operates much like the Common App (though we find it way more confusing!) in that it allows students to apply to multiple colleges through the same site. There are a few schools that will only accept the Coalition App, and others that take both, but in general the majority are Common App-exclusive and do not opt for a Coalition affiliation.

This week, the admissions software Scoir (which many high schools have begun to use as an alternative to Naviance) announced a partnership that will allow students to apply to Coalition schools directly through Scoir’s platform. The Scoir integration will take the place of the Coalition’s own application. 

This is a controversial move and we definitely have some concerns. Colleen will be attending a webinar next week to learn more about how this will impact students, and we will give you an update.

ON-CAMPUS VISITS ARE BACK

Many of our students are planning spring break trips to see schools, and we’re excited that some are open again for on-campus tours! If you’re trying to plan your college visits, check out this list from College Kickstart of schools offering on-campus tours. The list covers the top 50 national universities and the top 50 liberal arts colleges, so this is a great starting point for your spring break.

SUPREME COURT HEARS AFFIRMATIVE ACTION CASE

The anti-affirmative action cases against Harvard and UNC’s admissions processes have made their way to the Supreme Court. This is the first time the Supreme Court will make a ruling on affirmative action since upholding the practice in 2016. Most universities do consider race as a factor in the admissions process, so if this practice is overturned, it will likely have far-reaching consequences in the admissions world. The Supreme Court is expected to hear the case during its next term, beginning in October. 

FCPS UPDATES

FCPS’s live virtual career fair will run from February 14-February 17. This provides a great opportunity for students to learn about different careers and get connected to local professionals for networking opportunities. Don’t miss it!

And for parents and educators of special needs students, the Annual FCPS Special Education Conference is coming on March 26 - registration will open in March.

BEST ARTICLES OF THE WEEK

After TJ removed a testing component as part of its admissions process, the school was hit with a lawsuit (which is still pending). But other highly selective, public technical high schools may soon be facing the same situation. This article explores the testing requirements for entry to schools like TJ, New York’s Brooklyn Tech, and San Francisco’s Lowell High School. This is a long read, but worth it for anyone interested in the nuances of how testing affects (or doesn’t) the diversity of the student body at these selective public schools. 

The general counsels for UVA and George Mason have been fired by the new Virginia attorney general. So far, we don’t know whether general counsels for other Virginia public colleges have also been let go. A statement from the attorney general’s office says that they hope to appoint new counsel that will be more in line with the goals of the office rather than the philosophy of the universities. 

OFFICE HAPPENINGS

It is hard to believe how fast this year has gone, but as we keep emphasizing - it is already time for high school students to start thinking about their summer plans! The process continues to be uncertain this year, so we recommend that students have a summer option they’d like to pursue if the pandemic allows, and then a backup option that would make them equally happy if Omicron necessitates that they choose a virtual experience this summer.

Still not sure of your summer plans? Check out our Summer 2022 Virtual Opportunities Database for some ideas! We will continue to add new in-person and virtual opportunities in the DC area and around the country on a weekly basis, so bookmark this page to stay up-to-date on all of your summer options. 

Enjoy the weekend - stay safe in the snow!! And good luck to all our first-year girls at UVA finishing up formal recruitment this weekend!!

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Weekly Update: January 21

BIGGEST COLLEGE-RELATED NEWS OF THE WEEK

GOVERNOR YOUNGKIN’S MASK ORDER

Governor Youngkin issued an executive order this week that gives parents the final say on whether or not their children wear masks in schools, even if the schools have a mandatory mask policy in effect. Many school districts, including FCPS and Arlington County, are still requiring masks for now, and several parents have filed lawsuits in response to the order. The biggest impact we will see in our area will likely be at Catholic schools, as the Diocese of Arlington has opted to follow Governor Youngkin’s lead. With a child in one of those schools, I’m a Iittle nervous to see how this plays out…

MARYLAND UNIVERSITIES REQUIRE KN95 MASKS

Meanwhile, several colleges and universities in Maryland are requiring everyone on campus to wear high-grade masks. Johns Hopkins is requiring N95 or KN95 masks or two surgical masks, while UMD and Towson will require KN95 masks in classroom settings. 

“CALIFORNIA FOR ALL COLLEGE CORPS” LAUNCHES PILOT PROGRAM

Governor Newsom recently announced a pilot program that will cover $10,000 of tuition costs at 45 California colleges and universities, including UC Berkeley and UCLA, for students who complete at least 450 hours of community service. Students can volunteer for one year to serve in high-need areas like climate action, K-12 education, and COVID-19 recovery. 

BOSTON COLLEGE MERGER WITH PINE MANOR

During the pandemic, many smaller colleges faced financial hardships that required school closures, including Pine Manor college in Massachusetts. Luckily, the school merged with Boston College and is now launching the new two-year Messina College, with the goal of recruiting, retaining, and graduating underrepresented and first generation students. The institute will have housing for students on its campus, and BC’s president said that he hopes students graduating from Messina will be able to transfer to Boston College. 

BEST ARTICLES OF THE WEEK

We are picking up now with law school admissions for juniors in college this spring - this is really the time to start preparing to apply to law school! One myth that many students come to us with is the idea that law schools only care about GPA and LSAT score. While GPA and LSAT score are very important in this process - in fact, we’d argue that these numbers are more important overall in the law school process than for undergraduate applications - they aren’t the only factors. This article covers six important factors in law school admissions, including life experience, work and volunteer experience, and motivation. 

Of course, these factors definitely play a role in admissions. However, it is important to consider them in the context of your application. If you are applying to law school straight from undergrad, your GPA is going to be a very important factor. If you are applying to start a second career after 10 years in the working world, your work experience is going to carry more weight! 

Most of our students and families are familiar with Naviance - the software that helps two-thirds of American high school students with their college research. This article explores how Naviance collects data on applicants and allows colleges and universities to advertise directly to a certain pool of students, basing targeted ads on criteria like geographic location and race. This is definitely something that students and parents should be aware of - and be careful to think critically about the schools that Naviance suggests to them! 

This article takes a deep dive into the establishment of Florida International University, from its origin on an abandoned airfield to its recent receipt of a $40 million donation from MacKenzie Scott. The school now has the number 6 ranking for social mobility among all universities in the country, and jumped 22 spots in the U.S. News rankings in 2022 compared to 2021. If you are interested in the rise of a newer college to the public eye, it is definitely worth looking into FIU. Especially if you want to say goodbye to this awful weather!

OFFICE HAPPENINGS

We’ve used the space in the last few weeks to spotlight extracurricular and summer opportunities that students can use to improve their communities and their college applications. This week, we’re sharing an opportunity to become a student board member of McLean Community Center. There are two board slots available for teens who are residents of the MCC’s tax district (Small District 1A-Dranesville) and will be 15-17 years of age on May 21, 2022. One slot is for a student living within the Langley HS boundary, and one slot is for a student living within the McLean HS boundary, although neither student needs to actually attend the schools. Candidate petitions are due by March 11. For more information, check out the Community Center’s website. 

We have these opportunities in mind because we are spending a lot of time this month with our current juniors, discussing high school course selection, testing plans, extracurricular activities, teacher recommendations, and more! This is a perfect time to get started on the undergraduate or law school admissions process - for more information, book a Meet & Greet to chat with us. 

Lastly, we are also working on trying to reduce student stress and anxiety as much as possible. Just when everything felt like it was going back to normal again, the omicron variant came in with a fury and did a number on adolescent mental health. if you are noticing your student’s anxiety becoming an issue at home, you should check out this week’s parent workshop by the highly-sought-after Dr. Dan Shapiro. There are so many families who could benefit from some help in this area, and we think Dr. Dan is great!

You can register here for Thursday’s program.

Have a great weekend, and stay warm!

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Weekly Update: January 14

Happy Friday! A note that our office will be closed on Monday for MLK, Jr. Day. Have a great long weekend!

BIGGEST COLLEGE-RELATED NEWS OF THE WEEK

TOP COLLEGES SUED FOR ANTITRUST VIOLATIONS

Sixteen top universities, including Yale, Georgetown, Penn, MIT, Brown, and Northwestern, are being sued for antitrust violations in response to the way that they work together when determining financial aid awards for students. The lawsuit was filed in Illinois this past weekend, and claims that over 170,000 students were overcharged in a financial aid system that amounts to price-fixing by the colleges. 

Though the schools do coordinate their financial aid processes, this system has been exempt from antitrust laws because all of the schools named in the lawsuit are need-blind, so financial need is not considered a factor in their admissions processes. But the lawsuit casts doubt on whether these universities truly do not consider need as an admissions factor. 

This is why we never recommend “applying just to apply” if you already know you won’t qualify for need-based financial aid! For more about this, check out our blog post on the FAFSA.

GO DAWGS!

On Monday night, the University of Georgia beat Alabama in the national football championship. This is the first title for Georgia since 1980. UGA’s campus as well as the city of Atlanta and other areas around Georgia have been celebrating the historic win!

ENROLLMENT CONTINUES TO DROP

This feels like a groundhog-day story at this point, but college enrollment nationwide continued to drop this fall, despite vaccine availability. The decline equals over a million students in the workforce rather than in the classroom, which we can expect to have an impact on the US economy moving forward, especially if this trend continues beyond the pandemic years.

UVA PROVOST BECOMES PENN’S NEXT PRESIDENT

Liz Magill, the Provost at UVA, has been selected as the next president of the University of Pennsylvania. In 2019, Magill became the first female provost at UVA. Magill will begin her new role at Penn on July 1. Ian Baucom, the current Dean of Arts & Sciences, will become UVA’s new provost. 

BEST ARTICLES OF THE WEEK

This week’s biggest story is that of Mackenzie Fierceton, a graduate student at the University of Pennsylvania. Fierceton was admitted to Penn as an undergraduate, first-generation student - she wrote her senior thesis based on her time in foster care. After Fierceton was awarded a Rhodes Scholarship, however, her story began to fall apart. 

An anonymous informant emailed Penn’s administration to reveal that Mackenzie grew up in an affluent suburb, with her mother, who was a college graduate. The email, sent to both Penn and the Rhodes Trust, included images of Mackenzie from her high school yearbook - skydiving, horseback riding, and whitewater rafting. Both organizations began extensive investigations into her story. Ultimately, Fierceton withdrew from the Rhodes scholarship. Penn is also withholding her diploma until their investigation is complete. 

In December, Mackenzie Fierceton filed a lawsuit against Penn for their handling of her case, and particularly the “unjust” withholding of her degree. The case also raises issues of how victims of child abuse are treated, and whether her essays and descriptions of her childhood are reflective of what she experienced. 

At the center of the controversy was Fierceton’s undergraduate admissions essay, detailing the severe child abuse that landed her in the foster care system. These events have brought to the surface the pressure that some students feel to write about trauma as the topic for an engaging college essay. But as we tell our students every year, you don’t need to have experienced hardship to write an engaging essay - and pretending you did can clearly backfire! Our Wow Writing Workshop process helps students tell THEIR stories in a clear, interesting, and exciting way.

OFFICE HAPPENINGS

In our midweek blog this week, we covered your questions about summer opportunities. And yes, you should begin thinking about summer opportunities now! A couple that stood out to us this week were Vanderbilt’s Programs for Talented Youth, which serve students in grades 1-12. Applications are open now for the university’s in-person residential Summer Academy for 7-12th graders, as well as the Virtual Research Experience. 

If you don’t have the money to spend this summer on an impressive-sounding college program, don’t worry! There are plenty of free or even paid opportunities to specialize and develop your niche as an applicant. We’re excited about the course options available through FCPS’s High School Academies, which give the opportunity to specialize in a variety of areas for all FCPS students!

That’s it for today - enjoy the long weekend!

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Weekly Update: January 7

We hope you all had a fun and restful break, and we’re excited to be back with our first weekly update of 2022!

BIGGEST COLLEGE-RELATED NEWS OF THE WEEK

FCPS CANCELLED DUE TO SNOW

An FCPS snow day turned into a snow week as students in Fairfax County, Arlington County, and other local districts had an entire extra week of break due to the weather. We hope that our students enjoyed the extra week off and were able to catch up on some rest before heading back to the classroom next week!

CHICAGO SCHOOLS CLOSE  

In Chicago, it isn’t snow that is keeping the schools closed. Schools have now been closed for three days due to the standoff between the teachers’ union and city officials. Officials want the school year to proceed in person, while the teachers’ union is calling for more COVID-19 precautions and more widely available testing. As of this posting, there is no sign of a resolution to the difficulties, and we expect to see schools continue to be closed next week, leaving some families scrambling to find childcare. 

HBCU CAMPUSES TARGETED WITH BOMB THREATS

Howard and Spelman were two of the eight HBCUs that received bomb threats on Tuesday. The FBI and local police investigated the threats and found no bombs, but the targeted threats caused some anxiety for students and staff on campus. Howard students and staff reported that as one of two HBCUs in DC, they feel particularly vulnerable to these types of threats. 

NCAA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP

Monday night’s championship game between the University of Alabama and the University of Georgia will be the first game in what George Will calls the “name-image-likeness era.” The players in this game will be the first to benefit from the NCAA’s new NIL regulations that allow student-athletes to profit off of the use of their name, image, or likeness - a reversal of the NCAA’s strong commitment to not paying amateur players.

BEST ARTICLES OF THE WEEK

Jeff Selingo’s latest newsletter offers some ideas on how to make a big campus feel small. What they all have in common is building community. Having a “cohort” on campus is important, whether something formal like a sports team or club or just a group of peers. But building relationships with faculty mentors is also essential, and forced “mentorship” does not have nearly the same positive effect as genuine relationship-building. This was especially interesting to read during the pandemic, as online learning has made these types of connections more difficult to create for college students. 

A couple articles from The Atlantic this week underline this sentiment: that perhaps school closures cause more harm than good, at both the college and K-12 levels. Between struggles with mental health and the learning loss that comes from remote learning, both articles outline the risks that continued school closures pose to students.  

This was an interesting article about the benefits and drawbacks of taking dual enrollment classes during high school. If you are considering a dual enrollment class, we’d encourage you to think about it in the context of what is available at your high school. If you have maxed out your high school’s offerings, particularly in core subjects like math and foreign language, dual enrollment courses could be great options. However, as the article says, they aren’t necessarily a foolproof way to obtain college credits. Just note that most of this information applies to dual enrollment college courses that are taught at community colleges, rather than “college-level” coursework in high school such as AP and IB. 

Wondering what’s going on in your high school teacher’s brain during a typical school day? A high school English teacher sums it up for the Washington Post.

OFFICE HAPPENINGS

As we check in with our 10th and 11th grade students in the next few weeks, a big part of our conversations is selecting summer plans. It seems early, but many summer program applications are open right now! If you are looking for enrichment opportunities this summer or even this spring, take a look at our summer opportunities database, updated today. One new opportunity we’re sharing is paid work as a referee for the Great Falls Reston Soccer Club - a way to earn some extra money and round out an activities list for an athlete who is an aspiring education, kinesiology, or sports psychology major! 

We have had a lot to catch up on after the break, and decisions keep coming in for our Class of 2022 students. We are so proud!! We are also working on initial research and application materials with the Class of 2023. To learn more about how we can help your student navigate this coming admissions cycle, book a Meet & Greet.

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