We are really thrilled with the good news from so many of our seniors, and look forward to hearing the rest of the decisions as they come out! Our office will be closed for the next two weeks during the FCPS break, but please keep us updated - we can’t wait to celebrate with you!
BIGGEST COLLEGE-RELATED NEWS OF THE WEEK
OMICRON SPIKES START TO SHUT DOWN CAMPUSES
Cornell made headlines at the beginning of the week after needing to shut down its campus due to coronavirus spikes - the libraries are closed to students, and they will need to take finals online. All activities, including fall graduation, are cancelled. One by one, many other schools began to follow suit with a similar approach, including GW, Princeton, NYU, Tufts, and Middlebury. On the high school side, Georgetown Prep suspended classes until after winter break after 30 students were diagnosed with COVID-19. We expect to see more school closures this winter if Omicron continues to spike. Stanford, DePaul, and others have moved their winter quarters/J term equivalents online, and Penn State issued a statement today cautioning that the “community should prepare to alter plans in case the spring semester must start remotely at University Park.”
COLLEGES BEGIN REQUIRING VACCINE BOOSTERS
Given the closures, it is perhaps no surprise that some colleges have started requiring students to have vaccine boosters. Syracuse, UMass Amherst, Boston College, Northeastern, Wesleyan, and Notre Dame are just a few of the colleges that have started implementing a booster requirement.
HARVARD ADMISSIONS WILL BE TEST OPTIONAL THROUGH 2026
Harvard announced yesterday that it will continue with test-optional admissions through 2026. We suspect that such an announcement from a leader in higher education will reverberate, with more schools deciding to follow suit. But we don’t expect to see a change from Georgetown - traditionally a huge proponent of testing, they confirm their decision to require tests in order to evaluate students without the risk of grade inflation that accompanies GPAs and transcripts.
THE RETURN OF THREE YEAR DEGREES
More than a dozen schools, including Harvard and Georgetown, have joined a pilot led by the University of Pennsylvania to create a three-year bachelor’s degree program. The idea is not for students to take the same number of credits in three years, but to include more credit options for summer programs, internships, experiential learning, and other non-traditional opportunities, creating a new and more flexible curriculum.
LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES FROM FCPS
FCPS students have many different opportunities to take advantage of this year - including Nova’s Early Online College program, which allows FCPS juniors and seniors (and those in neighboring counties) to take up to two tuition-free college courses online this fall. Applications are due January 14. This is a really great way for students to explore their area of interest in-depth, and get some college credits under their belts.
Freshmen and sophomores can look into other Summer Learning opportunities available to them through FCPS.
BEST ARTICLES OF THE WEEK
Does your child have a mindset that will set them up for success? This article explores four factors - Education, Accountability, Self-motivation, and Company kept - that are apparent in childhood and linked to adult success. The good news is that these skills and characteristics are teachable, so young students can start building habits now that will set them up for success later.
The strict vaccination requirements in New York City prevent high school athletic teams from competing in tournaments that allow unvaccinated athletes - meaning that they cannot compete against local teams from Long Island or Westchester County, as well as students from Catholic or private schools within the city.
This article explores the precautions - including masked practices - that schools are currently implementing for sports like wrestling, and considers whether these policies do more harm than good for young athletes.
OFFICE HAPPENINGS
One question that comes up for us again and again from prospective clients is “But do you work with students like my child?” - and the answer is likely yes! We work with a wide range of people, from Ivy-League-bound high fliers to recruited athletes and more. If you are wondering if our services are a good fit for your student, check out our new “Who We Work With” page for some examples of typical client profiles that we see here at DC College Counseling!
We have been trying hard to keep up with the ED statistics from as many schools as we can, and sharing our information to help clients make good decisions about ED II and RD applications! UVA, for instance, published a blog with early stats, including a 38% ED admit rate for in-state students and a 25% ED admit rate for out of state. Just over 1,000 students received defer decisions. For more results, check out this list of early admit rates from College Kickstart.
And of course, we have seen so many decisions from our clients come out this week. But keep in mind that whether you were accepted, deferred, or denied, your responsibilities do not end with your decision letter. Deferred or denied students should read our blog from last year for next steps. And for those who got good news, check out this blog post on what to do after your ED acceptance.
We hope you all have a great holiday, and we’re keeping our fingers crossed for those still waiting on decisions!
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