BIGGEST COLLEGE-RELATED NEWS OF THE WEEK

MORE BAD NEWS FOR MARYLAND 529 COLLEGE SAVINGS ACCOUNTS

Another board member at Maryland 529 has resigned. Jessica McClain- a member of the audit and governance subcommittee- stepped down as the organization continues to face intense scrutiny. After freezing college savings accounts over an interest calculation error, Maryland 529 sought to correct the discrepancies. However, families are not happy with their newly adjusted totals, and now Maryland 529 admits that the issue may take until late 2023 to resolve. In response, Senator Mary Washington is requesting that the Attorney General launch an investigation. 

CONTROVERSIAL CHANGES REVEALED IN THE NEW AP AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDIES DRAFT

On February 1, The College Board released a newly revised draft of its AP African American Studies course. Several scholarly terms have been deleted, and now there is more emphasis on “foundational history” rather than “contemporary theorists.” Concepts such as reparations and the Black Lives Matter movement are no longer included in the course–but some current topics are offered as optional project ideas instead. Although many suspect the changes were the result of “political pressure,” The College Board insists that the revisions were made in response to teacher feedback. Meanwhile, educators across the country are expressing their concerns over the new draft and what it could mean for academic freedom. 

COLLEGE ENROLLMENT IS REBOUNDING

The data is in, and college enrollment numbers are on the rise! Last week the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center released their report, offering hope for the state of higher education. After significant dips in enrollment since the start of the pandemic, regions around the country are seeing an uptick in undergraduate enrollment. Most notably, the number of first-year college students increased by 4.3% in just one year. It’s not all good news, though. Undergraduate enrollment is still down 5.8% from where it was in 2019, and graduate programs experienced drops as well. However, experts insist that the numbers are ultimately encouraging as higher education continues to recover from COVID-19. 

DESANTIS PROPOSES NEW BAN AT FLORIDA UNIVERSITIES

On Tuesday, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced his plan to prohibit state universities from funding diversity and inclusion initiatives. The proposed legislation would also prevent schools from implementing such initiatives, even if “the money isn’t coming from the state.” 

BEST ARTICLES OF THE WEEK

After spending nearly half of their high school years facing quarantines, Zoom classes, and virtual social lives, the class of 2022 is out of isolation and settled into college campuses across the US. So how are they doing? That’s the question NPR posed to six first-year undergrads, who opened up about how the pandemic has affected their college experiences. While some commented on academic gaps, most focused on the social and emotional impacts of COVID-19. Many students are struggling to develop the skills it takes to be part of such a socially-driven community. As one freshman noted, “We came basically from middle school to college not knowing how to act or who we were.” Slowly, first-year students are finding their ways and creating stability in real-life once again. 

Google, Amazon, Meta- it was a “take your pick” situation for years, as computer science undergraduates in top programs across the country secured impressive internships and lucrative entry-level jobs with these tech giants. This “pipeline” steadily fed technology corporations with new talent and young professionals with job stability and high salaries. However, hiring freezes are breaking the pipeline and forcing students to reconsider their professional options. Rather than focusing on name recognition, young professionals are pivoting toward roles with lesser-known companies, while others are opting for graduate school or technology jobs in other fields, such as healthcare and finance. Fortunately, computer science continues to be a growing field, and there is no shortage of jobs if students are willing to create their own pathways.

What is the ultimate job of a college president? Last week, John Petillo- president of Sacred Heart University- shared his thoughts. He believes that in such a highly politicized world, it’s more important than ever for colleges and universities to uphold free speech and be “safe havens” for open discourse, dissenting voices, and truth. At Sacred Heart University, the core curriculum directly supports such freedoms, encouraging students to grapple with essential questions of human existence. Petillo insists that schools need to “get out of the business of higher ed becoming an echo chamber for a single political ideology” so that “our society may continue to thrive and prosper.”

OFFICE HAPPENINGS

Last week was BUSY! The latest round of EA decisions was challenging and it just gets harder and harder each year. I feel like a broken record saying that during my 10th and 11th grade meetings, but it’s true and it has become tougher each year for me to stay upbeat in the face of a totally broken system.

And I know I’m absolutely biased - but wow, this is not a time to DIY the college process unless you know what you’re doing. It’s just.. brutal out there.

I was talking to a parent last week who characterized it perfectly when he noted that for years, we all heard those horror stories of the mythical good kid from the next town over, four degrees of separation away, who supposedly “didn’t get into college.” As he pointed out, these stories are not urban legends anymore. There are legitimately good kids who will not go to college next year because they (or their parents) were in denial and didn’t take the changing landscape seriously.

If a school has early decision, that school’s early action program is not a safe option for ANYONE anymore. And if it’s a popular public flagship, same deal. Plan accordingly! I hope to write a mid-week blog about this soon because I think it’s very interesting to reflect on how our role as college counselors has changed so much over the last few years. The value we provide is so different today.

On a different note, I made time to share my thoughts on double majoring in U.S. News and World Report. While some students think more is automatically better, I encourage them to reflect on whether it’s worth it. Will the extra time, tuition, and/or effort have a good return on investment? It really depends on the industry and your career goals, as well as the flexibility of your school and the requirements of the majors involved.

Last but not least, I got to spend my free time delivering Girl Scout cookies! I am fairly confident that anyone reading this has already been hit up by 123,428 Girl Scouts already, but if not, I’ve got your hook up. We also have a few boxes of Thin Mints, Tagalongs and Trefoils (aka Shortbread, for those of you in my generation) that are ready to be delivered right away and can be at your house tomorrow if you are local and send me an email!

For those of you who are not budding Girl Scout entrepreneurs, don’t worry - we have a career-related opportunity to kickstart your path, too! Fairfax County’s Instruction 2 Industry Career Fair Expo gives teenagers a chance to learn more about in-demand career paths and hear from experts in different industries–all from the convenience of their laptop screens. The Expo is a series of live Zoom webinars that take place during after-school hours, February 13-15. Click here to learn more and register for the event.