Happy Earth Day! Don’t forget to check out last year’s blog about some of the greenest colleges in the country if you are hoping to be eco-focused all year round.

BIGGEST COLLEGE-RELATED NEWS OF THE WEEK

50 NEW COMMON APPⓇ COLLEGES THIS CYCLE

We were THRILLED with the announcement that UT Austin will accept the Common AppⓇ this cycle. The change makes applying to UT Austing MUCH easier for so many of our students! Texas A&M is another school added to the list - for the full list of new additions for the 2022-2023 application season, click here.

COMMON APP STUDENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE

In other Common AppⓇ news, the organization is assembling a 15-20 student group to provide feedback on the admissions process. This paid position allows students to meet with Common AppⓇ staff each month to share their views. The opportunity is open to high school juniors and seniors, as well as first and second year college students.

Applications are only open until April 26, so if you are interested in applying, check it out!

VA-10 VIRTUAL ACADEMY DAY

Planning to apply to one or more military academies in the fall? If you are seeking a nomination from Congresswoman Jennifer Wexton (or even if you are considering beginning the process), you don’t want to miss Academy Day on Saturday, April 30. This is a great opportunity to get more information about the specialized admissions and nomination process for military academies. 

TEACHER APPRECIATION WEEK

If there is an FCPS teacher who has made a big difference to you or your student, let them know! Submit either a video or written story using this form and it will be shared during the first week of May, Teacher Appreciation Week, to thank teachers for all that they do.

BEST ARTICLES OF THE WEEK

At a certain level of selectivity, particularly when you get into those single-digit admit rates, college admission becomes less about the student’s record and experiences and more about factors outside of their control. We tell families this every year, but there are always going to be some disappointed Ivy-League hopefuls who want to know WHY they didn’t get admitted. What could they have done differently? As hard as it is to hear, sometimes the answer is: nothing. As this Wall Street Journal article so powerfully illustrates, “‘extraordinary’ isn’t always enough” to gain admissions to these super selective (and highly rejective) schools. 

This article provides an interesting take on legacy preference in college admissions, arguing that not only do specific schools or lawmakers need to eliminate the practice, but social norms around legacy admissions need to change as well. There is some interesting information here about the history of legacy admissions, and worth a read for anyone interested in how legacy admissions has evolved and will continue to do so in the near future. 

OFFICE HAPPENINGS

We are busy this week and next helping Class of 2022 students make their final decisions! Current clients, if you need help with this before the deadline of May 1, make sure to let us know soon so we can squeeze you in. And if you are not a client, we still have some of our favorite strategies on the blog for students and parents when it comes to making that final college choice. 

Good luck and enjoy the weekend!

Missed a Notification? Check Out Our Recent Posts!