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!