Weekly Update: April 15
BIGGEST COLLEGE-RELATED NEWS OF THE WEEK
DAVIDSON MAKES TEST-OPTIONAL PERMANENT
The pandemic initially forced Davidson College to begin test-optional admissions, but the school announced this week that it will be making the change permanent. At small private schools like Davidson, which can typically spend more time reviewing individual applications with less need for numbers-based selection, we expect to see more admissions offices follow suit.
WILLIAMS LAUNCHES ALL-GRANT FINANCIAL AID PROGRAM
In other small liberal arts college news this week, Williams College launched the first all-grant financial aid program in the U.S., totally eliminating students loans from all financial aid packages. More than half of current Williams undergraduates (over 1,000 students) will benefit from this change.
A CRITIQUE OF SCHOOL RANKINGS
On Wednesday, the former president of Reed College released Breaking Ranks, a new book that argues against the college rankings industry. The book focuses in particular on the U.S. News rankings, since they are some of the best-known and most respected by many parents and students, and suggests ways for colleges to combat these rankings. We’re excited to give it a read!
RUTGERS BUSINESS SCHOOL ALLEGEDLY FAKED JOBS FOR GRADUATES
In the latest example of what happens when the race for rankings gets out of hand, a former employee at Rutgers’ Business School has sued the school for faking employment for its graduates, in an attempt to increase the school’s place on the rankings list.
BEST ARTICLES OF THE WEEK
Students’ mental health has been in the spotlight in the wake of COVID-19 school closures. This week, an expert federal task force (including a GMU professor) recommended that all children over the age of 8 be automatically screened for anxiety. The task force asserted that anxiety disorders can often slip through the cracks, as children are less likely to have behavioral issues that serve as red flags to parents and teachers. It is still recommended that children over the age of 12 are automatically screened for depression and suicidal ideation. As mental health screenings become more routine, hopefully children will be treated and diagnosed earlier, before cases become more severe.
This CNN interview with Paul Tough, author of the book The Inequality Machine: How College Divides Us, serves as pushback on MIT’s recent decision to reinstate the SAT/ACT testing requirement in order to bring in a more diverse class. Tough disagrees, and explains in this interview how test scores actually increase inequality in the admissions process, without adding any real benefits to determining how successful students will be in college. A great read for those hoping to dig in more to the anti-testing argument!
Wondering how students themselves feel about the testing decisions? Check out this WSJ article, which asks college students to answer the question, “Should colleges require standardized tests?”
OFFICE HAPPENINGS
We are hiring for the summer here in our office! Stay tuned for some announcements about our new team members :) And we are still searching for a skilled essay coach to join our team - we love referrals, so if you know someone who is passionate about helping students with their writing, let us know!
Speaking of the summer - if you’re interested in trying out our college counseling or academic coaching services, we have an opportunity to share that is for a worthy cause: check out our donated services in the Women’s Club of Great Falls Scholarship Fund’s silent auction!
I know that a ton of planning has gone into this, and it looks like it’s going to be a really fun event - so fun, in fact, that it sold out before I bought my tickets!!! Oops!!
In all seriousness, if anyone local has two extra tickets or can’t attend at the last minute - please email me - I really want to go and would be thrilled to buy a pair of tickets from you!! 🤞
Lastly, a reminder that we are closed today for Good Friday. Have a great weekend, and happy Easter to those celebrating!!