We hope that all of our students are looking forward to a relaxing Thanksgiving break!

BIGGEST COLLEGE-RELATED NEWS OF THE WEEK

UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA RELEASES EARLY ACTION DECISIONS

Yes, UGA is releasing its 2021 EA decisions TODAY - so check those portals! We’re keeping our fingers crossed for some good news for our students going into Thanksgiving break. As we have seen with other large public universities, UGA has seen an increase in applications. They are up 27% over last year’s early action pool. Their average ACT was 32, average SAT was 1404, and average unweighted GPA was 3.91. That’s pretty intense! Keep an eye out for our upcoming post about early action decisions, what they mean, and what to do next!

DECEMBER STANDARDIZED TEST CANCELLATIONS

While we’ve been excited by the good news about potential coronavirus vaccines, cases are still increasing throughout Virginia, and with those increases come SAT and ACT cancellations. McLean High School and Yorktown High School both cancelled the December SAT, and Annandale High School has cancelled the December ACT. While these links can be helpful, we continue to highly recommend that families call to check in with individual testing centers about December tests - this list is not always up to date, and we anticipate more cancellations to come.

SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY OFFERS FREE MOCK CLASSES

The College of Engineering and Computer Science at Syracuse is offering free mock classes in December. This is a great opportunity for high school students to get a sense of the (virtual) college classroom, and connect with Syracuse professors. We recommend that students who choose to attend these classes keep their camera and microphone on, so they can engage with the professor during and after the class. We’re especially excited for the Introduction to Aerospace Engineering class on December 10, taught by the Director of the Aerospace Engineering program.

TERRIFIC TEN COLLEGE EXPLORATION SERIES

Ten top public research universities - including Clemson, Penn State, UT Austin, UC Boulder, and UGA - are offering joint virtual sessions to discuss every aspect of the college admissions process, from finding your fit to financial aid. Register for one or more of their upcoming sessions on December 2nd and 3rd for a one-stop shop to learn more about these excellent schools.

BEST ARTICLES OF THE WEEK

The New York Times published an interesting article this week about so-called “weed out” classes in STEM education. Most universities have that introductory science class that upperclassmen tell warning tales about, but the practice of weeding out students from a subject due to an introductory class is an outdated one, left over from the days where STEM programs simply could not support a large number of students. This article emphasizes the importance of students building relationships and connecting with their values in making it through these notorious classes. In short, weed out classes are less about a student’s academic ability and more about his or her mindset and the social connections they make in the classroom.

This NBC News report gives an unsettling perspective on Parent Plus loans, a program that allows parents to take out loans to help their children pay for college. The 3.5 million parents that have taken out these additional loans now collectively owe nearly 100 billion dollars - and these parent numbers are not included in the data that the government releases about student loan debt. While parents, like students, were granted a reprieve from making payments during the pandemic, this provision is set to expire at the end of the year, a deadline that is looming closer for parents who are struggling to make payments. For our parents and students beginning to contemplate financial aid packages, let this serve as a reminder to read them extremely carefully! Many that appear to meet full need may in fact include Parent Plus or other high-interest loans.

OFFICE HAPPENINGS

This week, I attended several conference sessions with the Independent Educational Consultants Association. I was especially excited to have the opportunity to present on Monday with a group of other educational consultants from around the country.

Some of my favorite sessions from the IECA conference included a virtual UVA session with admissions officer Tom McGovern, where I learned about the new Data Science major that UVA will be adding over the next few years.

Shannon and I also made sure to tune into “Unprecedented: Admissions Advice during a Pandemic” with admissions representatives from the University of Rochester, Ohio Wesleyan University, UT Austin, and Northern Arizona University. Here are our main takeaways for students and families:

Demonstrated interest WILL still be a factor in the admissions process at many schools, both this cycle and next cycle. Students who are unable to visit schools in person should be opening and clicking on emails, attending virtual visits, interacting on social media, reaching out to admissions counselors, and otherwise interacting with the colleges on their lists. If you are wondering whether demonstrated interest is a factor at a particular school, you can also reach out to the admissions office directly (no need to give your name!) and ask whether they consider demonstrated interest in admissions. (This was not in the session and reflects only my own opinion, but I am positive that some of the schools that do not consider demonstrated interest actually do. Sort of like demonstrated need. I wish everyone could just be up front!)

I have written about test-optional before, but it is worth repeating that a test-optional policy means that students who do submit test scores will have those scores considered as part of the application. If you have doubts about the test-optional policy at a particular school, make sure to check the website or ask an admissions officer to clarify. Some schools have additional requirements for students who do not submit test scores or are test-optional for admission but require test scores from students who enroll, so it is important to read carefully and make sure that you have all of the information.
We have been hearing from a lot of our juniors as we work to put together their activity lists that some activities have been shortened or canceled due to the pandemic - and that is okay! Admissions officers understand that this is not a typical school year, so my advice to students is to continue to focus on things you are passionate about, but don’t worry too much if your extracurricular involvement looks a bit different this year than it has in the past.
In addition to “official” virtual visits and tours on the school’s website, look out for Instagram Live or Facebook Live videos, webinars on YouTube, and other ways to get to know schools virtually (and check out our tips to make the most of your virtual visit).

Our office will be closed next Thursday - wishing everyone a happy Thanksgiving!