Weekly Update: January 30

Welcome to our last post of January - although it is hard to believe it is the end of January, with recent temperatures in the mid-70s!

BIGGEST COLLEGE-RELATED NEWS OF THE WEEK

JAMES MADISON UNIVERSITY APPLICATIONS TOP 40,000

JMU received a total of 40,232 undergraduate applications for the class of 2028, an increase of 78% over the 22,603 applications they received in 2021. Melinda Wood, JMU’s associate vice president for access and enrollment management and director of admissions, attributes the increase to ongoing efforts on several fronts, including increased national exposure as JMU’s athletic teams have continued to excel. After all the controversy we wrote about last fall, the JMU football team ultimately did compete in their first bowl game against the Air Force Academy this past December.

NEW BILL INTRODUCED IN MARYLAND STATE LEGISLATURE TO GUARANTEE ADMISSION TO STUDENTS IN TOP 10 PERCENT OF CLASS

Maryland Senate President Pro Tem Malcolm Augustine has introduced Senate Bill 5, which would require specific state colleges and universities to accept students in the top 10 percent of their class at Maryland public and private schools. The 10 included institutions include the University System of Maryland–UMD Baltimore; UMD College Park; UMBC; UMD Eastern Shore; UMD Global Campus; Bowie State University; Coppin State University; Frostburg State University; Salisbury University; Towson University; and the University of Baltimore. Morgan State University and St. Mary’s College of Maryland, which are public schools that are not part of the University System of Maryland, would also be required to implement the plan. Virginia and Tennessee are among the states that have recently implemented similar policies at certain universities.

HOW SUPREME COURT DECISION, FREE TUITION, AND POLICY CAPPING OUT-OF-STATE STUDENTS AT UNC-CHAPEL HILL AFFECTED APPLICATION NUMBERS

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I got this from one of our seniors while I was eating lunch on Saturday and it just made my day :)

In 2023, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill was at the center of a Supreme Court decision that limited the ways in which colleges and universities can consider race in admission decisions. Many predicted the landmark decision would have a direct, negative impact on applications for the class of 2028. In response, former Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz implemented several new initiatives that include providing North Carolina undergraduate students whose families make less than $80,000 per year free tuition. At the same time, the university hired additional admissions team members to recruit in “under-resourced” areas of North Carolina. Early numbers indicate that those initiatives have had an impact as Interim Chancellor Lee Roberts announced last week that applications are up 15% over applications received by the same date in 2023. UNC-Chapel Hill has received approximately 67,000 applications in 2024 in contrast to approximately 58,000 at the same time last year. Despite all of this, our students actually done pretty well - with multiple EA acceptances that came out a few days ago.

CANADA ANNOUNCES CAP ON INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

Last week, Canadian officials announced a new two-year cap on the number of student permits issued to incoming international students. The initiative seeks to address severe housing shortages across provinces. In 2023, Canada approved almost 1 million study permits for international students, however, under the new policy, there will be a 35 % reduction, or approximately 350,000 fewer study permits. At the same time, the policy will also limit the number of work permits approved for foreign students after graduation from a Canadian institution. Popular university options for U.S. students include the University of Toronto (U of T), McGill University, and the University of British Columbia (UBC) as they offer excellent undergraduate educations at a lower cost than many private and public universities in the U.S.

A pre-Covid visit to LMU with some of my favorite colleagues - love that California sun in November!

LOYOLA MARYMOUNT UNIVERSITY CUTS SIX NCAA DIVISION I SPORTS

Loyola Marymount University (LMU) announced plans to cut six NCAA Division I sports at the end of the 2023-2024 seasons in an effort to maintain equal access and opportunities for athletes. The sports announced include men’s and women’s rowing, men’s and women’s track and field, women’s swimming, and men’s cross country. LMU’s more than 400 student-athletes are the highest among the West Coast Conference member schools’ athletic programs. The decision to reduce the number of teams allows LMU to redirect its funding to its other DI teams. LMU is assisting students affected by the decision in a number of ways, including continuing to honor students’ athletic scholarships and financial aid, and supporting students who want to transfer to another school to continue to play their sport in college.

NATIONAL CENTER FOR EDUCATION STATISTICS REPORT SHOWS 968 PERCENT INCREASE IN UNDERGRADUATE DATA SCIENCE DEGREES

The results are in and the number of undergraduate degrees awarded in data science jumped from 84 in 2020 to 897 in 2022. Wow! The report released by the National Center for Education Statistics also included an increase in degrees awarded in data analytics from 325 in 2020 to 767 in 2022. The Department of Labor projects that jobs for data scientists will increase by 36 percent over the next 10 years. Majors in data science, data analytics, and statistics are all increasing in popularity, particularly as students can combine them with other areas they are passionate about. Interestingly, in a study released by the Association of Computing Machinery (ACM), “data science has a higher concentration of female students than comparable majors, such as computer science and cybersecurity.”

BEST ARTICLES OF THE WEEK

The New York Times reporter Bernard Mokam, shared his reflections on changes in the college essay since writing his own 10 years ago. Mokam, a former admissions essay coach himself, wrote on how the college essay and what students choose to write about has changed in light of the Supreme Court decision on the use of race in college admission decisions last June. His research for his article and the conversations he has had with students inspired Mokam to reflect on his own college essay and ask himself, as a Black American attending a boarding school in Massachusetts, if he would have made any changes. While he admits that there is no way to know what he might have changed, he does acknowledge that through the process of self-reflection, writing, and editing the college essay, students learn about their values and themselves.

As has been well-documented, colleges are coping with a mental health crisis among students, faculty, and staff. The New York Times Magazine took an in-depth look into the series of suicides in 2021 on the small, New England campus of Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI). The article takes readers through the events and the response of the school’s administration and faculty. The lessons WPI and its leaders learned are a starting point for other colleges and universities as they assess their mental health resources and emergency procedures. Charlie Morse, the former director of counseling, hopes that the choice to be open, honest, and transparent with all of the members of the WPI community can serve as a framework for best practices for other educational institutions that are faced with such a crisis. 

In past blog posts throughout December and January, we have followed the redesign and launch of the new FAFSA, the application all students must complete in order to receive federal financial aid. NPR’s “All Things Considered” reports that the U.S. Department of Education has confirmed they will fix the error in the formula used to calculate a student’s Student Aid Index (SAI) which we covered on December 12 (the Department of Education neglected to account for inflation in the new formula used to calculate the SAI). (To understand how the SAI is calculated and/or estimate your own eligibility, go to the Federal Student Aid Estimator.) The failure to adjust for inflation results in a lower “income protection allowance” and, in turn, leads to students qualifying for less aid. NPR reports that the mistake could underfund students by $1.8 billion in federal student aid. Unfortunately, the Department of Education has not given a timeline to fix this error, further delaying the release of data to colleges and universities, and, therefore, financial aid packages for applicants.

The board of governors of Florida’s state university system ruled last week to remove sociology as a course students could take to fulfill their core curriculum requirements. It will now be replaced with a “factual history course.” According to The New York Times article, the new course will cover “America’s founding, the horrors of slavery, the resulting Civil War and the Reconstruction era.” This is the latest change enacted by the board in response to Governor Ron DeSantis’s Individual Freedom Act, more commonly known as the Stop W.O.K.E. Act, which was passed in April 2022. 

Once again, this week’s uplifting story comes from a marching band – The Mighty Sound of Maryland of the University of Maryland, College Park. When Alejandro Marroquin answered the door Sunday morning, he never expected to see someone dressed in a turtle costume and members of the UMD marching band standing in his front yard. James Massey, Jr., UMD Director of Undergraduate Admissions, handed Alejandro a letter while saying, “Congratulations! You’ve been accepted to the University of Maryland, College Park.” Alejandro’s parents were in on the surprise, having been contacted a few days prior by the office of admissions to arrange to deliver the good news in-person. Alejandro quickly joined the band to show off some of his percussion skills. Alejandro will be the first in his immediate family to attend college; he plans to major in Cinema and Media Studies and play percussion in the band at UMD.

OFFICE HAPPENINGS

This week we’ve seen the release of early action decisions from a number of large, state flagship universities, including the University of Michigan, the University of Wisconsin, the University of North Carolina and the University of Maryland, as well as a number of private institutions such as the University of Richmond and the University of Miami. We are continuing our work with seniors who were deferred by their early decision or early action schools to craft their letters of continued interest (LOCI). If you are a current client, we encourage you to book a meeting with us to discuss your decisions received and advise you in writing your LOCIs. 

If you are a student who is not working with us, follow up with your school counselor about your deferral and take a look at our past blog post about drafting your letter of continued interest.

And as I shared on social media over the weekend, our team participated in a training session over the weekend to get ready for Common Application® essay season!

We expect prompts for this main personal statement - the essay that students will send to each of their schools - to be released in February for the high school Class of 2025. We’re excited to jump right in and help our juniors navigate this important milestone in the admissions process!

Happy Groundhog Day!

Take a look at all of our january updates!

Weekly Update: January 25

BIGGEST COLLEGE-RELATED NEWS OF THE WEEK

VIRGINIA SENATE VOTES TO BAN LEGACY PREFERENCE IN ADMISSIONS

Virginia Tech got rid of legacy last summer, and it looks like we’re about to see the other Virginia schools follow suit. Here’s my unpopular opinion of the day: I am really bummed and disappointed about this. And I say that as someone who did not have the benefit of legacy preference to any schools I wanted to go to, when I applied to college - so I have no personal skin in the game here. But after so many years hearing incredibly heartfelt stories from students who have grown up watching basketball games with their parents in the JPJ for the previous 18 years or similar - these people live and breathe for their schools. I could share so many fun stories I’ve heard over the years - college-themed Christmas trees, family pets named after coaches, and more! Why shouldn’t those kids, who are already loyal members of a community, be able to get some preference to strengthen and formalize their role in that community? I assure you that unqualified legacies are not being admitted to these places anyway, so it just feels very unfair to me. My guess is that the average person on the street - or average lawmaker - does not realize that legacies still have to be exceptionally qualified applicants in order to get in under the current climate.

FAIRFAX COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS TO HOST ANNUAL GAP YEAR FAIR

On Tuesday, January 30, 2024, from 6:00 to 8:30 pm, FCPS School Counseling Services is partnering with Go Overseas to host the 2024 Gap Year Fair at Marshall High School (inclement weather plan: Thursday, February 1, 2024, 6-8:30 pm). A gap year is a break in schools between completing high school and beginning college which is typically a year-long break. The program begins at 6:00 pm with Gap Year 101, where an expert gap year counselor will present a general overview and then open up to questions. The fair itself begins at 7:00 pm. Students and families will be able to speak with gap year program providers, trip leaders, advisors, and gap year alumni and explore programs ranging from outdoor and experiential opportunities to travel and language immersion to community service and internships. Students should register using this link.

AN ENTREPRENEURIAL MINDSET CAN TEACH PERSISTENCE

The most recent “Teaching” newsletter in the Chronicle of Higher Education discusses a recent study that took a look at how an entrepreneurial mindset can help students who experience challenges, setbacks, or negative emotions to persevere through rather than disengage. Eliana Crosina, an assistant professor of entrepreneurship at Babson College in Massachusetts and her team document four ways in which professors can support students and teach them to persist. One of those actions suggests professors work with their colleagues to create a community to support both students and faculty. The newsletter’s author also brought into the discussion the dichotomy between a movement to deemphasize grades known as “ungrading” and the traditional classroom, in which students receive a final grade for the course.

SENSE OF COMMUNITY IS CRITICAL TO BLACK MALE COLLEGE COMPLETION

Katelynn Jarrells’ article “Building Belonging to Benefit Black Male Students” focuses on advice for college faculty and staff in addressing the significant drop in the rate of black male students who complete a bachelor’s degree. Research demonstrates that efforts to create a sense of belonging are more effective in supporting black males to degree completion than an emphasis on individualism has been. Virginia Commonwealth University’s success with their Men of Color Initiative is a model for other institutions of higher education in ways to help students feel connected to a community. This article argues that DEI training (diversity, equity, and inclusion) is inadequate and calls on colleges and universities to refocus on building community and engaging diverse students.

DIRECT-ADMISSION PROGRAMS ON THE RISE

Direct-admission programs have increased significantly over the past three years. State legislation in Idaho, Minnesota, and Georgia guarantees admission to specific state colleges or universities to students who meet specific criteria. A new collaboration between the Common Application and Niche, a college search website, allows students to input their information into an account, and participating colleges - including George Mason University, locally - can view and respond with an offer of admission for students who meet their criteria.

COLLEGES INVOLVED IN FINANCIAL AID ANTITRUST LAWSUIT CONTINUE TO SETTLE

An antitrust lawsuit filed in January 2022 accused 17 colleges and universities of acting as “a price-fixing cartel” when they collaborated on financial aid formulas. The lawsuit contends that the 17 schools violated the terms of the federal antitrust exemption that prohibited them from taking a family’s ability to pay into account when making admission decisions. University of Chicago was the first defendant to reach a settlement in August 2023, while Emory, Rice, and Vanderbilt followed in September, October, and November respectively. Brown, Columbia, Duke, and Yale settled earlier this week.

BEST ARTICLES OF THE WEEK

A study released this week reports that 86 percent of college and university faculty and staff support implementing new learning models which focus on skills and competencies. The survey also assessed the use of “comprehensive learning records” (CLRs) to document students’ mastery of these skills or competencies. More community and technical colleges are taking the lead on the shift to map learning to the skills employers are looking for in their employees. 

The cost of college has been in the news frequently over the past month. The New York Times article, “Why Is Paying for College So Complicated?” provides an overview and history of the financial aid system in American colleges and universities. Ron Lieber, the author, provides insight into the rise of merit aid and federal and state grants, savings, and loan programs. In our January 16 Weekly Update we shared an article about the College Cost Reduction Act introduced into the U.S. House of Representatives, and in our January 5 Weekly Update, we included an article about the launch of the redesigned FAFSA, which has been plagued by delays and other issues. Last week, a different New York Times article chronicled the choices recent college dropouts have faced and why some young people are questioning whether or not a degree from an expensive school is worth the debt.

Financial concerns are not just affecting high school and college students, but also having an impact on higher education institutions across this country. The University of Redlands in southern California west of Los Angeles announced its third merger with a floundering school—nearby Woodbury University located in Burbank, just north of LA. In 2019, Redlands merged with San Francisco Theological Seminary, and, in 2022, they began the merger process with the Presidio Graduate School in San Francisco. In 2023 alone, 15 colleges and universities closed, merged with another school, or were acquired by other schools. 

Amid renewed controversy over the role of the SAT and ACT in college admissions, the Commonwealth of Virginia has initiated funding for tutoring for students in grades three through eight who performed poorly on the reading and/or math SOLs (Standards of Learning). An article in The Washington Post details the plans to implement the requirements of ALL In VA, the education plan announced by Governor Youngkin in September in response to learning loss as a result of the pandemic. Tutoring efforts have begun in Fairfax, Arlington, Alexandria, and Loudoun counties. Each district has the authority to determine who is eligible for the tutoring, how the tutoring will be implemented, and how families will be notified. 

And in the feel-good story of the month, the Oakton High School marching band learned that they were the winners of the high school small band division of the first ever “For Whom the Band Tolls!” competition, in which marching bands were challenged to create performances using the songs and sounds of Metallica. Over 450 high schools and colleges entered the competition in one of five divisions, and the marching band will receive a customized package of musical equipment with a value of $15,000. Performances by each of the winning bands, including the Oakton High School Marching Cougars, can be viewed on YouTube. Congratulations, Cougars!

OFFICE HAPPENINGS

Do you want to build a snowman? Across the northern Virginia, DC, Maryland region, students enjoyed two snow days last week! Sally’s 9th grade daughter and her friends found enough snow to build a little snowman. Whether it was sleeping in, reading a book, playing outside, or enjoying some family games, we hope our students and their families were able to enjoy the days off.

In other news, we are busy gearing up for a meeting with all of our essay coaches this weekend to get ready for the upcoming 2024-2025 Common Application (R) essay prompt release! It will be nice to have our entire team together, albeit virtually!

check out our most recent weekly updates in case you missed any!

Weekly Update: January 16

BIGGEST COLLEGE-RELATED NEWS OF THE WEEK

FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY SYSTEM EASES REQUIREMENTS FOR JEWISH STUDENTS SEEKING TRANSFER DUE TO ANTISEMITIC FEARS

Florida State University System Chancellor Ray Rodrigues issued an emergency order this week for the state system to “remove barriers for undergraduate students who are seeking to transfer to a Florida university because of a well-founded fear of antisemitic or other religious discrimination, harassment, intimidation, or violence.” Rodrigues' action came after Florida Governor (and Republican presidential candidate) Ron DeSantis said in his annual State of the State that Jewish students would find Florida welcoming them “with open arms.”

NEW BILL INTRODUCED TO U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TO MAKE CHANGES TO FEDERAL GRANTS AND LOANS FOR STUDENTS

Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives have introduced a bill intended to make major changes to how students pay for college. The “College Cost Reduction Act” includes a variety of changes to student loans, capping how much a student can borrow, making colleges potentially responsible for unpaid loans, and reforming the Pell Grant program (doubling it for many juniors and seniors), among other things. Some of the changes have bipartisan support, including Pell Grant reform, but it’s not clear yet how much support the full bill will attract.

EMORY UNIVERSITY’S FACULTY SENATE SEEKS ANSWERS AFTER INVESTIGATION INTO USE OF ATLANTA POLICE IN PEACEFUL STUDENT PROTEST

Wading into the recent conversation on many campuses about freedom of speech and assembly, this week The Chronicle of Higher Education examines a campus incident and subsequent university actions from last year. Students at Emory University staged a demonstration in April to bring attention to their concerns about the Atlanta Police Department and a new training facility it plans to build. The students organized the peaceful protest on the University Quad, but when some students decided to camp out overnight, the Open Expression Observer (a trained faculty or staff member acting on behalf of the dean of campus life) alerted the students that they needed to disperse or possibly face conduct violations and be forcibly removed by campus police. Sometime after midnight, the observer contacted the campus police, who in turn called the Atlanta Police, and dozens of officers from both departments dispersed the protest. Now, the school’s faculty and students want the university to explain itself.

UNITED NEGRO COLLEGE FUND RECEIVES $100 MILLION GIFT TO SUPPORT POOLED ENDOWMENT FOR HBCUS

Thirty-seven Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) got good news as the new year began. The United Negro College Fund is engaged in a $1 billion capital campaign that is to include at least $370 million for HBCU endowments. The Lilly Endowment Inc., a “private philanthropic foundation supporting the causes of religion, education and community development,” put a big dent in that goal with a $100 million gift toward that $370 million goal. According to Inside Higher Ed, the average HBCU endowment is only about $16 million, so an additional $10 million from the UNCF for each school would be truly meaningful. (For comparison, William and Mary’s endowment is almost $1.4 billion.)

SUNY CHANCELLOR AND BOARD OF TRUSTEES APPLAUD NY GOVERNOR’S PROPOSED GUARANTEED ADMISSION INITIATIVE

In New York Governor Kathy Hochul’s State of the State address on January 9, 2024, she announced her plan to offer direct admission to students in the top 10 percent of their graduating classes to State University of New York and City University of New York schools. In a statement released by the Chancellor and Board, “As we have seen in other states, this plan will advance equity while helping to retain our most talented students.” In addition, the governor is proposing legislation which will require every public school district to ensure all high school graduates complete the FAFSA or the NY State DREAM Act Application or sign a waiver attesting that they were made aware of the financial aid opportunities, but chose not to apply.

BEST ARTICLES OF THE WEEK

In response to the U.S. Supreme Court decision last June, James Murray Jr., a Ph.D. student at the University of Kentucky, argues that the end of race-based considerations in college admissions opens a door for reparations for the descendants of enslaved people in the form of educational consideration and tuition remission. Citing a variety of legal scholars—as well as questions from conservative Supreme Court Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh during oral arguments—Murray suggests that a person’s specific genealogical lineage should be examined, not that person’s racial makeup per se, to determine preferences and financial assistance up to full tuition. 

Arena BioWorks is a Cambridge, Massachusetts, startup company with interests in pharmaceuticals and biotechnology. On the face of it, there’s nothing unusual about that, but when The New York Times refers to company researchers as “a splinter group of scientists,” you can bet this is no ordinary startup. With half a billion dollars on hand, Arena BioWorks isn’t just filling its coffers with money—it’s luring academic researchers away from tenured and high-visibility jobs at prestigious universities. Paydays for some of these rock-star scientists are reputedly in the range of $10 million, not to mention the freedom to explore their areas of interest with a lot less bureaucracy than in a university setting. A single, deep-pocketed research company (funded by Michael Dell of Dell Computers and Boston Celtics owner Stephen Pagliuca, among others) probably isn’t going to blow up university research by itself. But it’s a sign that times are changing in biotech and colleges and universities probably need to start thinking differently about how they approach the care and feeding of science students and faculty, as well as their output. 

At the input end of things, Forbes blogger Brennan Barnard says students should start thinking differently about how they approach the college admission process. Calling on high schools students to “revolt against the idea that admission is a zero-sum game” and “resist the impulse to approach your studies as simply a means to an end”—maybe harder to do now, knowing there’s a $10 million biotech payday out there—he urges students not to let the prospect of admission to a given school or a given major dictate what courses and academic risks they take. He goes on to call for a measured approach (like the one we urge students to take) to things like testing and rankings. In short: “Revolt against a single definition of success and the notion that being admitted to any one college will guarantee contentment or thriving.”

As if to prove the value of Barnard’s advice, in his newsletter writer Jeff Selingo shares some “where are they now” type reporting about three students he followed through the admission process in his book “Who Gets In, and Why.” All members of their different schools’ classes of 2019, Grace (accepted at UCLA), Nicole (Northeastern University), and Chris (Gettysburg College) have followed a variety of paths since graduation. Love this!

The students’ stories show in vivid color that the acceptance and rejection letters are only the first steps in the next part of the story and that the costs (financial, emotional, and personal) of “success” in the process accumulate long after a high school senior crosses a stage to become a graduate. The stories he told in the book and the stories he tells now are worth reading, because there’s something in them for just about anyone applying to college today.

OFFICE HAPPENINGS

As we approach the midpoint of the school year, our students are busy with midterm or final exams and papers, but juniors are making time for their first round of check-in meetings to make sure they are on track! Once the second semester begins, we recommend students and families begin to plan for college visits or revisits in February, March, and April.

Of course, college visit planning will look different depending on the students’ class years. Juniors should be researching colleges, attending virtual visits and information sessions, and beginning to make plans to take advantage of school breaks, long weekends, and in-service days for on-campus trips. As seniors receive admission decisions, they should make note of programming that schools are offering for accepted students and look ahead to March and April to get some visits on the calendar, especially if they have not yet been able to visit a school in person yet. Remember: it is not a good idea to commit to a school that you’ve never seen in real life!

And on a lighter note, who else has been watching RushTok this week? Panhellenic (sorority) recruitment has just finished up at so many schools, including Northwestern, Tulane, Villanova, Virginia Tech and fan favorite SMU, and some of us (cough) have been tuning in for all those #OOTDs. I just finished a meeting with a junior who knew more about each chapter’s reputation on the various campuses than some of the girls who attend the actual schools probably do—I was very impressed with her research :)

While you can learn a lot about a school’s culture through these videos, remember that you’re seeing content created for entertainment purposes - and some of these girls are professional content creators! So the stories they tell are not necessarily reflective of the typical student experience at each of the schools. Still, there’s no denying the amount of Cartier jewelry on the SMU campus— that’s for sure!

INTERESTED IN MORE TIPS ON COLLEGE VISITS? CHECK OUT THESE POSTS

Weekly Update: January 9

It’s been a week since winter break ended and everyone is back to the grind!

BIGGEST COLLEGE-RELATED NEWS OF THE WEEK

GWU SETTLES COVID-19 LAWSUIT FOR $5.4 MILLION

This week, a district judge in Washington, DC approved a settlement between The George Washington University and the four students who filed suit against the university. The students alleged that GW broke their enrollment contract following the switch to online education as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. While similar lawsuits have been filed against colleges and universities across the country, many have been dismissed only to be reversed on appeal. Other universities have reached similar settlements and/or provided refunds of room, board, and fees to students impacted by the change to distance learning.

FEDERAL JUDGE RULES WEST POINT CAN CONTINUE TO CONSIDER RACE IN ADMISSIONS

Students for Fair Admissions, the group whose lawsuits against Harvard University and the University of North Carolina led to the Supreme Court’s ruling about race in college admission decisions last June, filed a petition with the court in September to prohibit the U.S. Military Academy at West Point from considering race in its admissions decisions. The Supreme Court specifically excluded U.S. service academies from the June ruling. The U.S. District Court judge in New York wrote in his opinion that “a full factual record is vital to answering this critical question” and that an injunction at this time would require West Point to change their admissions process in the middle of a cycle. A federal judge in Maryland issued a similar ruling in mid-December allowing the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis to continue to include race in making admission decisions. However, this is likely not the end of the court’s involvement in either case, as they now both continue to move forward through the court process.

MIT PRESIDENT SENDS MESSAGE TO COMMUNITY WITH PLANS TO ADDRESS DISCORD ON CAMPUS

Sally Kornbluth, president of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and one of three university presidents to testify before the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, sent a message to the MIT community that included four steps to address what she has identified as “challenges” in the community that need to be “solved.” Claudine Gay, the former president of Harvard University, and Elizabeth Magill, the former president of the University of Pennsylvania, each faced significant backlash and criticism following their appearance before the committee and have since resigned their positions. Dr. Kornbluth not only outlined these four steps in her letter, but also delineated current ongoing initiatives in which the community can participate as they work to rebuild trust, educate community members about antisemitism and Islamophobia, and “address conflict on [their] campus.”

UCLA PURCHASES NEARBY MALL TO CONVERT INTO SCIENCE INNOVATION CENTER

UCLA has purchased a closed indoor mall two miles from its campus, which will be transformed into a biomedical research facility to be named the UCLA Research Park. The site “will house two multidisciplinary centers focusing on immunology and immunotherapy as well as quantum science and engineering.” With little room to expand its Los Angeles campus, this is UCLA’s third acquisition in the past two years – the first was the purchase of “the Art Deco-style Trust Building”, which was renamed UCLA Downtown; the second was the purchase of Marymount California University’s 24.5-acre campus and their 11-acre residential campus in San Pedro, approximately 30 miles from UCLA’s main campus.

UC BERKELEY TAKES STEPS OVERNIGHT TO BUILD WALL AROUND THE PEOPLE’S PARK

In 2018, UC Berkeley developed plans to build a large residence hall on a property known as the People’s Park, which was taken by the university through eminent domain in 1969 and has been held up in litigation ever since, after city of Berkeley residents began occupying it in 1970. In the early morning hours of January 4, however, law enforcement officers from the UC and Cal State police, the California Highway Patrol, and other area sheriffs’ departments helped UC Berkeley clear the park of protesters and erected a fence made of double stacked cargo containers. However, the university cannot begin construction of the 1,100-bed residence hall until the California Supreme Court determines that UC Berkeley has completed the requisite environmental reviews.

RECENT STUDIES SHOW ADMISSIONS SCATTERGRAMS DISCOURAGE STUDENTS FROM APPLYING TO MOST SELECTIVE COLLEGES

Many high schools use college counseling programs, such as Naviance, Scoir, and MaiaLearning, that include the use of scattergrams. These are visual representations which plot application outcomes on graphs with GPA and standardized test scores of past applicants from that high school, without sharing identifying information of the applicants. Two recent studies contend that students who view the scattergrams are discouraged from applying to the “most competitive schools, such as Harvard and Stanford.” At the same time, after viewing scattergrams, students with lower GPAs and/or standardized test scores are more likely to apply to four-year colleges and are encouraged by the statistics to aim higher than they had previously believed possible.

BEST ARTICLES OF THE WEEK

For a number of years, college application statistics, undergraduate enrollment numbers, and six-year graduation rates have indicated a decline in male enrollment and completion of undergraduate degrees is declining. Inside Higher Ed published an opinion piece by Joe Henry, Dean of Students at King’s University College at Western University in Ontario, Canada, in which Henry shines a light on this gender gap in both Canadian and US colleges and universities. He calls on professionals in both admissions and student affairs to address this gap, starting with understanding the data available and recommending that better data should be collected in order to provide support and interventions to increase student success. 

The New York Times article, The Misguided War on the SAT, brings to light recent research into the value of SAT scores, and more generally standardized test scores including the SAT and ACT, and their ability to predict student success in college and beyond. While many highly selective colleges and universities have instituted test-optional policies, the research indicates that test scores are better predictors than high school grade point averages. In their study of “Ivy Plus” colleges, the authors of the study looked at multiple measures of student success, including whether students were accepted into “elite graduate schools” or were “working at a prestigious firm.”

In a related article, The New York Times explained the “science of reading” movement that is at the heart of reforming how reading is taught in K-12 education and how colleges and universities are preparing educators. One of the hopes of supporters of the movement is that this redesign will raise the reading test scores of students across the country. In 2022 the Virginia General Assembly passed the Virginia Literacy Act requiring all Virginia public schools to align their reading curriculum with science-based reading research and evidence-based literacy instruction.

While the debate about the efficacy of using standardized test scores in college admissions continues, students and admissions professionals alike are grappling with understanding and adapting to the Supreme Court’s ruling in late June 2023 regarding the use of race in college admissions. In Friday’s “The Daily” podcast from The New York Times, producer Jessica Cheung interviews those on both sides of the admissions process, specifically focusing on students’ disclosure of their racial identity through their activities and essays. In the 237-page decision, Chief Justice John Roberts wrote a key passage that Ms. Cheung summarized as meaning “the student must be treated on the basis of his or her experiences as an individual, not on the basis of race.” As she researched the impact on the Class of 2024, she noticed a trend of new supplemental essays which include prompts that ask applicants to “talk about lived experiences and how you could uniquely contribute to their campus.” In our blogs, Questions on the Affirmative Action Decision – Answered! and Weekly Update: August 7, we wrote about these exact changes and their impact on our students.

Finally, The Learning Network asked students and educators to answer the following question in any medium they chose: “What can you show or tell us that might help explain what it’s like to be an educator or a student in a secondary school right now?” In the article “What High School Is Like in 2023: The Winners of Our Multimedia Challenge,” The New York Times shares the responses of the 25 winners. From essays and poems to videos, pictures, and even interactive media, see their submissions and artists’ statements as they attempt to explain high school in 2023.

OFFICE HAPPENINGS

It’s one of our busiest times of year - course selection season! We’re helping students all the way from middle school through junior year in high school choose the right classes to take next year. There are so many nuances and implications to consider, from keeping doors open in the future, demonstrating interest in a particular field, and showing the desire to challenge oneself. Check out some of our published guidance on middle school course selection and high school course selection, or book a one-time strategy session for targeted strategic advice based on your student’s interests and background.

As we approach mid-January and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day on Monday, January 15, we remind you that our office will be closed for the day. Enjoy your long weekend!

Stay up-to-date with our recent weekly updates!

Weekly Update: January 5

Happy New Year! We hope everyone enjoyed the time off from school and the opportunity to catch up on sleep, TV shows, or favorite blogs! 

My kids and I went to Newport Beach, CA for the week between Christmas and New Year’s. It was nice to get away and the area is fantastic. Now I understand why Chapman has emerged as a favorite (especially for film students) over the last few years! I also really love UC Irvine and had the same impression I had when I saw it a few years back - that more East Coast students should consider it as an excellent alternative to UCLA, UC San Diego, and USC!

BIGGEST COLLEGE-RELATED NEWS OF THE WEEK

HARVARD UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT RESIGNS

In an unexpected move, Harvard University President Claudine Gay resigned on Tuesday, January 2 after weeks of backlash following her appearance before a congressional committee looking into antisemitism and questions regarding plagiarism including six new charges. On December 31, two members of The Harvard Crimson Editorial Board penned an editorial – Dissent: For Harvard’s Sake, It’s Time to Let Gay Go – in which they stated that “the continuation of Gay’s tenure as president only hurts the University.”

SIMPLIFIED FAFSA LAUNCHED

The Department of Federal Student Aid (FSA) launched the redesigned FAFSA this past week. Students and parents are now able to access the 2024-2025 FAFSA during what the department is calling a “soft launch period.” However, reactions to the new FAFSA and website have been anything but positive. Students and parents should expect “maintenance pauses” during which the FAFSA may not be accessed and users are directed to try back at a later time. Also new, when logging in, students and parents may be placed in a “waiting room” to help optimize website volume. The department will begin to process FAFSA forms in mid- to late-January. If you are applying for financial aid, be sure to check each of your college’s financial aid websites for their deadlines and any additional forms required such as the CSS/Profile, uploaded documents (tax returns, etc.), and school-specific forms. We encourage families who need to submit to not give up on the new seemingly problematic process and continue to try and submit their FAFSA. Consider registering for one of the FAFSA Completion Events or Line-by-Line Events held by College Access Fairfax. These are incredibly helpful and FREE!

COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP

The Michigan Wolverines and Washington Huskies are playing one another in Houston on Monday evening, and it seems like those in the know (in other words.. not me!) are putting their money on Michigan! I’ll be rooting for Washington, because Michigan is already impossible to get into and the absolute last thing we need is a national championship win!

BEST ARTICLES OF THE WEEK

Each year The New York Times publishes a selection of student essays “about money, work, social class, and other related topics.” These essays are great examples of how to take an enormous topic like money and write a piece that conveys what is unique about each student, while telling a story about who the student is and what is important to them.

Derek Thompson of The Atlantic raises an interesting and poignant question in a recent article, “How Anxiety Became Content.” Has the shift in how anxiety and other mental health diagnoses are discussed in the media and in social media taken a once taboo topic and popularized it? And if so, is this shift creating a feedback loop for those with anxiety? In his article, Thompson explores these themes with a clinical psychologist at USC.

Not exactly a traditional article but I saw this TikTok post about hard discussions relating to college major selections and really liked it. I know this is a controversial topic, and I don’t agree at all that you can’t earn a living with less “lucrative” majors (I’m an English major and have done pretty well for myself as a business owner!). But at the same time, I think it’s incredibly important for students to understand more about the cost of living and income potential when they go to make career-related decisions.

Lastly, New York magazine interviewed parents and admissions professionals to expand on the results of a study we covered in a blog post last summer, underscoring that “children who are wealthy, but not private-jet rich, [are] at a disadvantage for admission to the most elite colleges.”

OFFICE HAPPENINGS

Our meetings with juniors have picked up as they begin to research schools and build their lists. At the same time, we are continuing our work with seniors who were deferred by their early decision or early action schools to craft their letters of continued interest (LOCI). More early application decisions are expected throughout January and through the beginning of February. If you are a current client, we encourage you to book a meeting with us to discuss your decisions received and advise you in writing your LOCIs. 

If you are a student who is not working with us, follow up with your school counselor about your deferral and take a look at our past blog post about drafting your letter of continued interest.

As the days begin to get longer again, enjoy the growing minutes of daylight!

interested in more updates and trends? take a look at these posts!

Weekly Update: December 19

As we head into the final weeks of December, emotions are running wild as our students have been learning their early application results! We’ve been anxious too!

BIGGEST COLLEGE-RELATED NEWS OF THE WEEK

LEGACY ADMISSIONS – NOT JUST FOR THE MOST SELECTIVE SCHOOLS

The U.S. Department of Education released data this week on the number of colleges that give preference to applicants with legacy status. A new push to eliminate legacy admissions emerged after the Supreme Court’s decision on colleges’ use of race in admissions decisions this past June. In the 2022-2023 academic year, under 600 colleges and universities consider legacy status while making admissions decisions, with approximately two-thirds of those schools accepting more than 50 percent of applicants.

UVA ANNOUNCES EXPANSION OF ACCESSUVA PROGRAM

UVA’s president announced the decision of the Board of Visitors to expand AccessUVA, the financial aid program to benefit more low- and middle-income students and families. The program was started in 2004 as a way to attract more applicants from diverse backgrounds. Students from families with incomes of $50,000 or less (previously $30,000 or less) will receive grants and scholarships to cover the cost of tuition, fees, room, and board. Families whose incomes are $100,000 or less will receive grant or scholarship aid equal to tuition and fees or more. And finally, families with annual incomes below $150,000 (an income increase from $125,000/year) will receive a minimum of $2,000 in grants. Additionally, UVA has set caps on the total students can borrow within each income bracket, both annually and cumulatively over their four undergraduate years at UVA.

VIRGINIA SENATOR TAKES THE LEAD IN REQUESTING FAFSA CLARIFICATION

Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) is part of a group of U.S. senators asking the Department of Education to provide “clear guidance and communication” regarding the implementation of the new FAFSA to students and their families. The Department of Education has announced that the FAFSA will be available by December 31, 2023, but the senators are asking for “an actual date.” Recent articles have suggested that once the new FAFSA is launched, there will be further delays in the time needed before the information will be sent to colleges and universities. This comes on the heels of the FAFSA calculation problems we discussed last week.

HARVARD UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT BACKED BY BOARD

Fallout continues following the testimony of Harvard University President Claudine Gay before a U.S. House of Representatives hearing regarding increased incidents of antisemitism on campus. While there was a public cry for her resignation, both the Board of Overseers and the hundreds of faculty supported President Gay in continuing in her role. Since giving her testimony, President Gay has apologized for and clarified her remarks.

STUDENTS ARRESTED IN SIT-IN AT BROWN UNIVERSITY

At a sit-in at Brown University’s University Hall, 41 students were arrested and charged with trespassing. The action was organized by Brown Divest Coalition, a student group demanding that the university divest from companies that produce weapons and support a ceasefire in Gaza. More than two hundred additional students protesting outside the building on the Green were not arrested.

FCPS ANNOUNCES PLANNED OPIOID AWARENESS EVENT IN JANUARY

Earlier this year, Cayden Foster, a Centreville High School student, died from a fentanyl overdose. His parents have asked Dr. Michelle Reid, FCPS Superintendent, to share their story as part of a community conversation about opioid awareness. Please watch their story and join Dr. Reid at Edison High School at 6:30 p.m. on January 10 for this important conversation about opioid and drug use in Northern Virginia and Fairfax County. You can register using this link, though it is not required to register in advance. For more information and resources, visit FCPS’s website.

BEST ARTICLES OF THE WEEK

A year ago, the media was focused on the impact that ChatGPT and AI tools were going to have on the college essay and supplements. Now recent research from Stanford University shows that the hype and attention may have been over the top. The research analyzed surveys from over 40 high schools and found that 60 to 70 percent of students reported that they had recently cheated – about the same number as compared to last year, prior to ChatGPT. Pew Research Center surveyed over 1,400 adolescents in the U.S. and found that 32 percent reported having heard “nothing at all” about ChatGPT and another 44 percent had only heard “a little.” What we know from our essay work is that students who answer the prompt with highly specific, personal examples fare better in the admissions process!

Entrepreneur and Texas resident Elon Musk may try his hand at education. Reportedly, one of his charities’ tax filings indicates plans to use a $100 million gift from Musk to open a K through 12 school focused on STEM education. Once the school is operational, they will create a university to educate students in person and use technology to offer distance learning.

We mentioned two weeks ago that students might be avoiding Ivy League schools as a result of the anti-Semitism that has been rampant on their campuses since October 7. It turns out that we were on to something, because early applications to Harvard were down by 17%. And that’s not all - word on the street is that a lot of admitted Harvard students are, in fact, turning elsewhere - a theme emphasized in this New York Post article. Remember, Harvard has a restrictive early action program, so applicants are not obligated to enroll. Like I mentioned before, I think we will be seeing the consequences of this for a while.

OFFICE HAPPENINGS

The level of stress we feel at this time of year can be pretty intense. Most people have one kid to worry about, but we have about forty! Whether we’ve been working with a student since seventh grade or just for a few months, we hold their hands every step of the way and become very emotionally invested in the outcomes.

We had a lot of good news - more than I was expecting given the circumstances relating to the Supreme Court ruling and all of the uncertainty associated with it - but some disappointing decisions too. And at the end of the day, I really believe that the kids who consistently work hard and make smart decisions will end up somewhere great. They don’t always get into their absolute top choice, but it will still be a happy outcome - it always is.

And with all of that behind us, we’re taking a much-deserved break! Some of us are working reduced hours this week, and then our office will be fully closed from Friday, December 22 through Monday, January 1.

We will reopen on Tuesday, January 2. We wish everyone a safe, healthy, and restful winter break and a Happy New Year!

Interested in other Weekly Updates? Check out these recent posts!

Weekly Update: December 12

What a week! Colleges have begun to release early application decisions, and while it’s still too soon to draw any conclusions, we are watching for trends. More to come on that next week or the week after!

BIGGEST COLLEGE-RELATED NEWS OF THE WEEK

THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES HOLDS HEARING ON CAMPUS ANTISEMITISM

The House Education Committee opened an investigation into Harvard University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and the University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) last week following testimony by their respective presidents regarding increased incidents of antisemitism on their campuses. In the hearing, the presidents faced intense questioning by committee members amid growing reports of antisemitism and Islamophobia on their campuses among others. UPenn president, Liz Magill, faced tough criticism for her answers to the committee’s questions and on Saturday, December 9, tendered her resignation as UPenn’s president (she will remain a tenured faculty member in their law school). In addition, the chairman of the board of trustees, Scott Bok, resigned. Following the hearing, 70 members of Congress signed a letter calling for the resignation of all three university presidents. The New York Times reported Monday that over 500 Harvard faculty members (of approximately 2300) signed a petition in support of Dr. Claudine Gay and urged the Harvard Corporation and the Board of Overseers to “resist political pressures … including calls for the removal of President Claudine Gay.”

CORNELL UNIVERSITY TO LIMIT EARLY DECISION ADMISSIONS

Cornell University’s Faculty Senate has voted to limit the proportion of applicants admitted through early decision. This change is coming after almost one-third of the Class of 2027 was admitted through early decision. What is not included in the article is that nearly one-half of the enrolled class was admitted through early decision. In September, the University’s Presidential Task Force on Undergraduate Admissions issued its recommendations for changes to the admission process. The article is not specific about any new target the college has set, but it is clear that the class of 2028 will have a measurably smaller percentage of ED “yes!” envelopes and emails to send out.

ERROR IN NEW FAFSA CALCULATIONS

Previously, we have written about the changes coming to the FAFSA, the application for financial aid administered by the U.S. Department of Education. There have been multiple delays in implementing the changes, but now there are also errors in the way the FAFSA will calculate the Student Aid Index (SAI), which colleges use to calculate their financial aid packages. To give background, when the FAFSA calculates how much families can afford to spend on education each year, the formula protects a certain amount of annual income on which a family is expected to live before having to contribute to educational costs. That amount needs to be adjusted for inflation, and Congress mandated that the Department of Education increase it significantly for the calculations to be fair, given the recent record-high inflation. Parental income was supposed to be protected by 20% more than it was before. That’s HUGE! But the Department of Education didn’t follow through, so the calculations were never changed. For some families, this will have a significant impact on financial aid awards and eligibility.

GRADE INFLATION … AT YALE?

We have heard about grade inflation for years, especially as a result of the pandemic and how it has impacted college admissions. Last week, The New York Times published an article citing a new report that “nearly 80 percent of all grades given to undergraduates at Yale last academic year were A’s or A minuses.” Faculty and students are asking: “What does excellence mean at Yale … if most students get the equivalent of ‘excellent’ in almost every class?”

BEST ARTICLES OF THE WEEK

Despite going 13-0 for just the third time in their history, the Florida State Seminoles will be on the outside looking in during the final year of the NCAA four-team playoff format. In what is already a controversial decision, the 13-member selection committee of coaches, athletic directors, and former players chose the top four teams based on a combination of record and the committee’s judgment about teams’ schedules and win quality. CNN contributor Cari Champion believes that TV ratings are among the unofficial factors the committee evaluates, and Florida State’s ratings suffered after star QB Jordan Travis suffered a season-ending broken leg in mid-November. While not everyone agrees, Florida State University athletic director Michael Alford told CNN, “Today’s decision by the committee has forever damaged the credibility of the institution that is the College Football Playoff,” adding that the committee “failed football.”

Next year will see an expanded 12-team format that limits the committee’s reach to only four teams, with several conference winners earning automatic inclusion. The new format would have left Florida State as the fifth seed and in a good position for a playoff run. But next year is, as they say, a long way off — and the controversy will be a long time ending. Once again, Rick Clark shared his reaction and insight to the football playoffs in the Georgia Tech Admission Blog titled The Committees and Decisions of College Admission… And College Football. This is such a great read!

When Adrian College in southern Michigan faced a significant decline in enrollment, the new president decided to look to athletics to reverse the trend. Since an all-time low enrollment of approximately 800 students in 2005, the college has steadily increased the student body, attracting new students by recruiting for 30 new athletic teams. Since 2005, the college has more than doubled enrollment, but Adrian isn’t the only college to employ this tactic. Small, private colleges are adding athletics as a means to increase both enrollment and income giving new meaning to Field of Dreams’ “if you build it, they will come.” In particular, schools are attracting more male and minority applicants, while at the same time, they are building new facilities to house the teams funded by the increased revenue.  

Unfortunately, not even athletics can save the College of St. Rose in Albany, NY, which announced last week that it will be closing at the end of the academic year. They are working with current students to assist them in transferring to other schools to finish their degrees.

Almost 300 students have registered to take a new course at Harvard this spring: Taylor Swift and Her World. Colleges and universities across the country are joining the craze offering courses in literature, poetry, psychology, and entrepreneurship based on the career and creativity of Taylor Swift.

The New York Times published an opinion piece by Jessica Grose titled “Why Parents Can’t Quit the Elite College Arms Race,” which takes a deep dive into the obsession with highly selective or, as many have shifted to calling them, highly rejective colleges and universities.

OFFICE HAPPENINGS

Last week, Sally was in Waterville, Maine, visiting Colby College, a small liberal arts college serving approximately 2,300 students. About an hour north of Portland, Maine, Colby was the first college to offer the 4-1-4 plan or “Jan Plan” — an approximately four-week term during which students take a single course, often in a non-traditional discipline. Students can also take advantage of study abroad and internship opportunities during Jan Plan. DavisConnects — Colby’s career counseling program — provides students with opportunities in three areas: hands-on or experiential learning, specialized advising, and global opportunities for education and networking. Not only does DavisConnects’ dedicated staff help match students with these opportunities, it also has awarded more than $6 million in grants to students to access them.

The Colby Commitment to funding students’ education places it in a select group of schools that meet 100% of students’ demonstrated financial need without any loans. In addition, for families with a total income of $150,000 or less and typical assets, Colby calculates a family contribution of not more than $15,000 per year.

Colby sits atop Mayflower Hill and boasts outdoor trails for walking, running, and even cross-country skiing. The college has a three-year-old athletic and recreation facility, four new residence halls (with a fifth in the works), and a brand-new performing arts center that opened in September 2023. A close-knit community, Colby is known for students who love to learn and explore multiple disciplines. It is not unusual to meet students who have a major and multiple minors or a double major.

Enjoy the last week of school before the holiday break (for most of you, anyway)!

Interested in More updates? Check out these recent posts!

Weekly Update: December 5

December’s arrival means students are finishing up any remaining regular decision supplemental essays and applications. Every year our students tell us how happy they are to be done well in advance of the winter break and January deadlines! While we all hope that the early admission decisions will bring good news, it takes some of the pressure off to know that all of the essays are finished, no matter what.

BIGGEST COLLEGE-RELATED NEWS OF THE WEEK

UVA RELEASES ED AND EA NUMBERS

The Cavalier Daily reported that the University of Virginia received 42,093 early action and early decision applications—an increase of 3.4 percent over last year’s early application totals and a record number of first-year applications. Early decision applications rose by 4.4 percent for a total of 4,428 applications, while early action applications total 37,665. UVA has also announced that early decision applicants will receive notification of their decision by December 15, and early action applicants will receive decisions by February 15. In a change this year, students who apply under either the early decision or early action plan will receive a decision of admit, deny, or waiting list and will no longer be deferred to regular decision.

FAIRFAX COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD APPROVES COURSE CHANGES

All new courses and changes to GPA weighting or classification of a course (from optional to standard or vice versa) must be approved by the Fairfax County School Board each fall. In their November meeting, the school board approved new options in career pathways—including courses in pilot training (for both manned and unmanned aircraft), healthcare careers, and welding, as well as a new online computer science course in artificial intelligence programming. In addition, they approved making the “Cybersecurity Fundamentals” course available at all FCPS high schools. The complete list of changes is available to the public.

BEST ARTICLES OF THE WEEK

While you should take some of this with a grain of salt—schools like Vanderbilt, Wash U, and Emory are not exactly "Plan B" for even the most qualified applicants out there—maybe Plan A-Part 2?—this New York Post article brings up an interesting point about a trickle-down effect that might result from students avoiding Ivy League schools because of anti-Semitism. 

If this occurs, I predict one of two scenarios. First, if students choose to apply to other highly selective schools instead of the Ivies, the acceptance rates at the other schools could plummet with the influx of applications.

Alternatively, students could still apply to the Ivies but ultimately choose not to enroll—whether by pulling out of ED agreements, or (in the case of RD applicants) choosing the other schools instead. 

I actually think this second outcome seems more likely and more impactful, as many students had already completed their applications or at least solidified their lists before the events of October 7. A big mid-cycle shift like this has the potential to throw all the admission models into chaos this spring. In that case, we could see significant over-enrollment at the other group of schools with major consequences for students applying in future class years.

This New York Times article is a few weeks old, but we thought it was worth mentioning as juniors begin to think more about their options for teacher letters of recommendation. This may seem obvious, but recent data emphasizes how much better teachers know their students if they have them in class for multiple years. "With more time to get to know each student personally, teachers gain a deeper grasp of the kids’ strengths and challenges [and] ... they’re able to identify growth not only in peaks reached, but also in obstacles overcome. The nuanced knowledge they acquire about each student isn’t lost in the handoff to the next year’s teacher.”

As more state legislatures set limits on out-of-state enrollment, an article from Inside Higher Ed highlights the cost of going over those limits. The University of North Carolina at Wilmington has exceeded the 18 percent limit the state legislature set each of the past two years. The policies of the UNC System sanction any university that overenrolls out-of-state students two or more years in a row and requires that those students’ tuition be removed from that university’s budget—a potential cost to UNC Wilmington of 4 million dollars.

OFFICE HAPPENINGS

As we approach the release of early application decisions for many schools, students should check College Kickstart’s Class of 2028 Blog for updates on the specific dates and times colleges will notify applicants.

This week Sally attended a webinar for high school counselors and independent educational consultants by Compass Prep, a national test prep company that tracks developments in standardized testing. Based on data released by the College Board, the performance this fall of 11th graders with PSAT scores between 1400-1520 increased by around 7,000 students, or about 16 percent. In 2022, 3 percent of test takers scored in this range. In 2023, it was 3.4 percent.

Compass Prep is predicting that this increase will equate to a higher cutoff for National Merit Commended Scholars and Semifinalists. Even so, Compass Prep predicts the selection index for National Merit Semifinalists will remain 221 for students in Virginia and 223 for students in the District of Columbia. Students in Maryland, however, might face a predicted increase from 221 to 222.

Have a great week!

Tips For Creating Your College List

Because deciding where to apply to college is a critical step in the college admissions process, it’s important to be thoughtful and thorough.

Creating a college list can also be really fun and exciting, as you explore all of your options and imagine where you’ll be for the next four years. However, with so many schools to choose from, it can be overwhelming! Here are some tips to help you get started and make a strong college list.

Start early

Junior year is the ideal time to start putting together your college list. After all, the earlier you begin this process, the more time you will have to consider your options. Plus, you’ll save yourself a lot of stress later on! During the spring of your junior year, set aside some time to talk with your college counselor (if you haven’t already) and attend any college fairs or information sessions in your area. This is also a great time to tour colleges and see what campuses look like while school is in session!

A note to eager ninth and tenth graders: While it’s never too early to start thinking about college and doing some preliminary research, don’t pressure yourself to make a definitive college list right now. Your interests and goals may change over the next few years, and you’ll want to keep your options open. What you can do, however, is start thinking about preferences in a big-picture sense. Keep reading..

Determine what you want

Before you start sifting through thousands of colleges and universities, you’ll need to figure out what you actually want in a school. For example, do you think a small, liberal arts college is the environment for you, or do you like the idea of a big university? Do you want to stay close to home or maybe venture to a different part of the country? Is it really important that you go somewhere with small class sizes or a particular academic program? Here are some important factors to consider, which can help direct your college search and list: 

• Size of school

• Location

• Student demographics

• Academic programs

• Extracurricular opportunities

• Campus culture 

As you determine what you want, also take note of any priorities, as well as must-haves. It’s really helpful to understand the MOST important factors driving your search and areas where you are willing to be more flexible and open. 

Research, research, research! 

When it comes to researching schools, a quick Google search won’t cut it. You’ll need to dig a bit deeper. Take advantage of college search websites and databases to help you find schools that match your criteria and learn more about specific colleges and universities. The Princeton Review, Niche, and Cappex are just a few resources that make collecting data and comparing schools easy.  You’ll also want to look at individual school websites and social media accounts. Why? Well, because third-party websites can tell you a lot about the numbers, but the school itself will be able to give you insights into its campus culture and student body.

But don’t just rely on your laptop to conduct research. There are plenty of ways to collect information IRL (in real life), too! Attend college fairs in your areas and information sessions at your school. You can also reach out to current students and alumni, as well as admissions representatives. Check a school's admissions web site to learn how to contact representatives. Bonus: You might also find opportunities to attend live webinars or information sessions, too!

Visit campuses

One of the best ways to get to know a school is to visit the campus. Ideally, it would be great if you could visit all of the campuses on your college list. But in most cases, that’s just not realistic. So if you can’t visit a school on your college list, consider touring a comparable college or university in your area. That way you can still get a feel for factors such as size and setting. 

We also recommend taking a virtual campus tour, which most schools now offer. Check out Campus Tours or a specific school’s admission page to start your virtual walk! 

Stay organized

Conducting research is great, but it’s not going to help you make a college list unless you stay organized. Create a system for keeping track of the information you gather for each school. We HIGHLY encourage students to set up a spreadsheet to easily compare multiple schools. 

Revise and refine

Making a college list is NOT something you can create in just a weekend and then check off your ‘to-do’ list. It’s a living, breathing document that will continue to change as you “do your homework.” Be sure to update your list regularly as you narrow down your priorities, visit schools, and learn more about what you like and don’t like. 

Strike a balance

When it comes to a college list, balance is key. You want to make sure you have a healthy mix of safety schools, target schools, and reach schools. In the past few years, the admissions world has changed a LOT, and schools that were once considered safeties are now much more selective. Be sure to research admissions data to get a better sense of how likely you are to be admitted to a particular school. 

As part of creating a balanced list, don’t overdo it on the number of colleges! You may think that applying to 25 schools is increasing your odds and keeping your options open, but more isn’t always better. You’ll be bombarded with a lot of essay writing and a lot of confusion. Of course, the number of schools on a college list will vary depending upon a student and their particular situation; however, a good rule of thumb is that if you’re starting to get past 15, you might want to take a step back.

Be open-minded

Finally, it’s important to be open-minded as you make your college list. The dream school you’ve been thinking about for years might not actually be such a dream once you visit. Or maybe a big university is a little too overwhelming for you after all, even if you don’t want to admit it. Explore your options, knowing that you might just find a great fit in an unexpected place. 

Do you need help creating your college list?

That’s what we’re here for! Whether you’ve just finished sophomore year and want to start getting serious about your college list now, or you’re a soon-to-be-senior in need of some motivation and strategy, we can help. Book a session today!

Why Did You Go There? Reflections on Our College Decisions

On Monday, high school seniors breathed a collective sigh of relief as they celebrated National Decision Day, otherwise known as the deadline for choosing a school and submitting a deposit. As we scrolled through Instagram and saw all of the excited smiles and college swag, we couldn’t help but get nostalgic. We started thinking about our own college admissions experiences and the decisions we made!

We’ll admit that our journeys had a few bumps in the road, but there’s a LOT you can learn from our experiences. Read on to see who applied ED II to three, yes three schools; who banned their embarrassing father from campus tours; and who waited until April 30 to make a decision.

Washington University in St. Louis

COLLEEN’S STORY:

When I was a junior in high school, my school had college fairs twice per year where students could walk around and meet the various admissions representatives. My best friend and I were walking around together, and she stopped to talk to the Williams representative. While I was waiting for her, I noticed that the Wash U rep next to the Williams rep was also named Colleen! I knew nothing about Wash U - and was not particularly interested - but I was happy to chat with a fellow Colleen, and learned about Wash U as a bonus! I ended up becoming really interested and went with my mom to visit campus, and we both loved it. It also helped that a family member, my mom's brother, lived in St. Louis - I was close with my uncle and his family, and liked that I would have someone there if I needed anything.

I have written before about how my dream school was Notre Dame, and when I got rejected during the early action round as a senior, I was just devastated. At that point, I had gotten into my safety schools (Penn State and Tulane) but sort of recognized that if I got outright rejected from Notre Dame, I was likely not going to get into my second choice (Georgetown) either. It had a similar admissions landscape, and I knew that I needed to be strategic!

My next three choices - and I would have been happy with any of them - were Vanderbilt, Emory, and Wash U. I actually liked Vanderbilt the best, and so did my mom - we had visited campus twice by that point, and I think we both thought I was going to end up there after ND didn't work out.

But then I learned that all three had early decision II , and Wash U notified 1/15, Emory notified 2/1, and Vanderbilt notified 2/15. At the time, the order of their deadlines aligned with the order of their selectivity - Wash U was the most competitive of the three, then Emory, then Vanderbilt. So I decided to apply early decision II to all three schools with the idea that I would maximize my options that way, and once I got in somewhere, I'd just pull out of the remaining schools before they admitted me.

Fortunately, it all worked out - I found out on 1/15 that I got into Wash U, pulled out of Vanderbilt and Emory, and the rest was history! (And isn’t it funny how the selectivity of these places has changed so much in the last twenty years?!)

Moral of the story:

It’s all about strategy, and a component of that involves coming to terms with reality. I accepted that Georgetown wasn’t likely to happen and instead developed a strategic approach that would maximize my chances at the schools where I actually HAD a chance.

PSA: WE ARE NOT IN 2003 ANYMORE AND THIS PARTICULAR STRATEGY IS NOT ONE TO FOLLOW! ONLY ONE ACTIVE ED APPLICATION AT A TIME, PLEASE :) THIS WOULD NEVER FLY TODAY! YOU WOULD LIKELY WIND UP NOT GETTING IN ANYWHERE BECAUSE THE SCHOOLS WOULD COMPARE LISTS!

College of William & Mary

SHANNON’S STORY:

I have always had difficulty making decisions, so it is no surprise that I waited until the last minute (April 30!) to put down my deposit (p.s. - the last minute strategy is not one we recommend!). I was deciding between entering the William & Mary St. Andrews Joint Degree Programme or attending Georgetown. Both schools had initially crossed my radar with my very basic search criteria of "medium-sized" and my dad's insistence that I stay on the East Coast, and my mom and I had just completed two admitted students days (and a late-night drive from DC to Williamsburg).

I chose W&M for several reasons. There weren't as many students attending from my New England boarding school, so I valued the opportunity to step out on my own and make new friends (I had several close friends attending Georgetown already). I was also looking for a quintessential "college town" experience and wasn't sure about Georgetown's proximity to the city. But what ultimately led to my final decision was how seen and understood I felt throughout my application process to William & Mary. The open-ended "optional essay" let me send the school an essay that no other schools had received, and one that I felt really described me. I was able to share my authentic self and feel accepted during the process, and I thought, "This school really gets me. If they think I'm a good fit, they must be right!"

I'm not going to lie, I really struggled with my college decision process! But in the end, I had the best experience at William & Mary and St. Andrews, and I am confident that I made the right decision for me. 

Moral of the story:

Trust yourself, even when it seems hard, and get ready for a great four years!

Franklin and Marshall College

STACI’S STORY:

When it came to the college admissions process, I was a mess. I had no idea where I wanted to go and couldn’t decide between big or small, urban or rural, domestic or international. So how did I narrow down my college list? I didn’t. I applied everywhere! Okay, well not everywhere but to 17 schools—and this was long before the days of digital Common Applications. I don’t remember every school on my ridiculously erratic list, but I do know it ranged from Dickinson College to NYU to the University of Essex. Yes, I was even thinking of studying in the UK or Paris.

Seventeen-year-old me wasn’t that stressed about my 17 applications or the big decision ahead of me. It would all sort itself out. All I had to do was visit the schools to which I had applied and surely I’d get that magical “this is it!” feeling on one of the campuses. That never happened, though. Senior year crept by, and I still couldn’t narrow down my options. 

So what role did my parents play in all of this? They were my accomplices! I was their first child, so they had no idea how to navigate the college admissions process. My dad- who negotiated for a living- thought that me applying to so many schools would wield him more bargaining power when he walked into an admissions office and tried to “wheel and deal” the cost of tuition, like it was a used car dealership. I was mortified, and eventually my mom had to ban my dad from campus visits. And speaking of my mom, well, she tried to be quietly supportive. However, the mother in her couldn’t help but try to pressure me to stay close to home.

By spring of my senior year, I was in a perfect storm. I had 13 acceptance letters, 2 clueless parents, and zero “this is it!” feelings. So I rsvped ‘yes' to several admitted student days, and I’m so glad I did! These events made all the difference. When I went to Franklin and Marshall College, I was greeted by the president of the college. He stood there for several minutes chatting with me and then walked me to the building where I needed to be for my first session. I think he could sense how nervous I was since my parents weren’t there. Throughout the day, I experienced that same friendliness and care from everyone I met on campus. Unlike other schools, where the admitted student days left me feeling a bit overwhelmed and invisible, F&M made me feel like I mattered, like they really wanted me there. Of course, I still tortured myself and my parents by not trusting my gut feeling. I spent weeks second-guessing myself, but eventually I chose F&M. 

So that’s how I ended up going to college at a small liberal arts school in Amish country, Pennsylvania. Looking back, I sometimes get a little pang of regret, thinking it would have been more exciting to have gone to college in a big city. But I truly loved my time at F&M, and it was definitely the right environment for my teenage self.

Moral of the story:

Figure out what you want and do your research BEFORE you start applying to schools. And if you don’t have a clear direction (and your parents don’t either), ask for help! My parents and I could have saved ourselves so much stress and a whole lot of fights if we had had professional guidance. Sorry, Mom and Dad! 

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Congratulations to the Class of 2023 on your college decisions! If you are a current client and haven’t let us know your final decision, please email us and share your news!

Weekly Update: April 10

We hope you all had a wonderful spring break!

BIGGEST COLLEGE-RELATED NEWS OF THE WEEK

FREE TUITION FOR BOSTON STUDENTS

Good news for hopeful students in Boston! The city government announced on Wednesday that residents are now eligible for up to three years of tuition-free education at six community colleges across the city. The “Tuition-Free Community College Plan” does not impose limits on age, income or even immigration status, and only requires students to fill out the FAFSA. 

NEW CHANGES PROPOSED FOR STUDENT ATHLETES 

On Thursday, President Biden’s administration released a proposal which addresses recent controversy over transgender athletes’ participation in school sports. The proposal would protect transgender athletes from being “categorically” banned from sports – a tenant of Title IX. At the same time, schools would have the ability to limit an athlete’s participation based on “competitive fairness” or injury risk. Many are debating what this proposal could mean for school sports and worry about how states may interpret and perhaps challenge the potential new policy. 

DATA TELLS A CHILLING TALE OF SCHOOL SHOOTINGS

377. That’s the number of school shootings in US schools since 1999. The Washington Post has been tracking data related to gun violence in schools for years now, and the numbers continue to tell a chilling tale. Click here to see the data on factors such as the typical age of shooters, the populations most often affected by gun violence, and a database of personal stories from witnesses and survivors.

BEST ARTICLES OF THE WEEK

If you want to know what college students really care about, don’t rely on TikTok or Twitter. Look to the opinions section of the student newspaper instead, according to Jonathan Malesic in The New York Times. As an educator, Malesic finds that undergraduates are often hesitant to share their thoughts on bigger world issues via social media. However, their beliefs emerge in the opinion pages of school newspapers, where students are more likely to write about issues that “hit closer to home” - from the fears of growing up to navigating relationships to pleading with other undergrads to put their phones away in class. Although these topics may not seem like the most pressing issues of the day, they are important for undergraduates as they navigate this phase of life. As Malesic affirms, such essays do “what opinion writing should do for society: help us understand and improve our own and one another’s lives.”

As we reported last week, college applications continue to reach historic highs while acceptances reach historic lows. As a result, the college admissions process is becoming increasingly cutthroat and parents are becoming increasingly anxious. So how can parents avoid being “jerks” as they help steer their children toward higher education? The answer is not that simple. According to S. Mitra Kalita in “How to Not Be a Jerk in the Cutthroat College-Admissions Process,” we must start with understanding the landscape. Parents need to look at the realities of the process and the fact that it’s definitely NOT like it used to be.  Furthermore, Kalita believes that it’s important for parents to not simply talk about diversity but to promote the “collective” through our actions. In these ways, we are better preparing students for the real world and the complexities they’ll encounter in different environments.

When Tamara Kay was hired as a sociology professor at Notre Dame, she never imagined that she would one day require police security outside her classroom. Kay, who conducts research on abortion and is a proponent of abortion rights, has faced increased threats because of her work, which has been published in popular media outlets and on social media platforms. In a heightened political climate, Kay’s work is more dangerous than ever. Kay believes that the university has not adequately addressed her security concerns, but also recognizes the challenge of finding another academic position if she were to leave the university.

OFFICE HAPPENINGS

Earth Day is just around the corner, and if you’re looking for a way to be an environmental advocate, consider volunteering at Fairfax County’s Earth Day Event. The event takes place on Saturday April 22 in Chantilly, VA, and there are multiple shifts available for students ages 15+.

The official countdown to summer is on! If you’re still trying to figure out your summer plans, be sure to visit our database for an up-to-date list of internship and academic opportunities for high schoolers. You could conduct health research, work for an Edtech company, or learn how to be a digital marketer — if you apply NOW!

Teacher Recommendation Etiquette

Writing a letter of recommendation is a big responsibility for teachers! They know that their letters offer the admissions committee important insight into what students are like in the classroom, and can play a vital role in strengthening any application. 

Because of this, teachers take recommendation-writing seriously, and you should too! When it comes to requesting a letter, it’s important to be thoughtful and polite. A quick “hey, write my recommendation letter please” won’t cut it! 

Keep reading to learn the most polite ways to request a recommendation. Not only will your etiquette make a good impression on your teacher, it will also help ensure a high-quality letter.

Don’t make assumptions

Contrary to popular belief, a teacher is NOT required to write you a letter of recommendation. So don’t automatically assume they will. You have to officially ask, and you should definitely pop the question BEFORE you list the teacher as a recommender on your college application form. After all, the last thing you want to do is make your teacher feel pressured to write you a letter and create an awkward situation for both of you. 

Request your recommendation early

Teachers are some of the busiest people around! In addition to teaching and planning and grading, they’re likely being inundated with dozens of other requests for recommendation letters. Be respectful of your teacher’s time by asking them early. And by early, we mean by the spring of your junior year. Trust us, your teacher will greatly appreciate having the summer break to draft your letter. If you wait until the last minute, you could run the risk of the teacher declining to write on your behalf - or even worse- submitting a generic recommendation!

Ask in the right place, at the right time

Be thoughtful about when and where you ask for a letter of recommendation. If possible, talk to your teacher face-to-face. It’s more personal that way, and you won’t have to worry if your message got lost in their inbox. Also, timing is everything! Running up to your teacher right before class starts to pose such a big question is NOT a good idea. Neither is raising your hand and interrupting class with your request (yes, we’ve actually seen that happen!). Instead, plan to visit your teacher at a time when their classroom isn’t overrun with students and they’ll actually have a few minutes to chat. Not sure when they’re available? Email and ask them.

If you’re not able to meet with your teacher in-person, write them a polite email. See below for tips on how to phrase your request. 

Give them an out

Teachers love to help their students; they really do! In most cases, they’ll be happy to write a letter of recommendation. But there are times when a teacher may want to say no–and that’s a good thing! If a teacher feels like they might not be able to write you the strongest letter of recommendation, it’s important that they have an out.

To create space to give your teacher the easiest out possible, carefully phrase your request. Instead of bluntly asking “will you write me a recommendation,” shape your question like this: “Do you think you know me well enough to write me a supportive letter of recommendation?” By focusing on how well the teacher knows you, you create a polite exit strategy for your teacher if they need it while taking the pressure off of both of you. 

Provide necessary information

Once your teacher agrees to write you a letter of recommendation, ask them what they need from you. Some teachers require students to fill out an information form, and if that’s the case, complete it and return it to your teacher in a timely manner. Don’t make them have to track you down. That’s bad etiquette! 

If your teacher doesn’t give you a form, create one of your own. Write your teacher a short letter or fact sheet that highlights specific details about your personal strengths, interests, and performance in their class. This is a great way to help shape your letter without being pushy or demanding. Plus, you’ll make the writing process much easier for your teacher. We help all of our ongoing clients navigate this process and create top-quality content, but if you aren’t working with us, consider asking a trusted adult for help. You want to make sure to be accurate and extremely specific about the characteristics that describe your best self, with lots of supporting anecdotes.

Show your appreciation

It probably goes without saying, but don’t forget to thank your teacher for agreeing to write you a recommendation. Even more importantly, don’t forget to thank them AFTER they submit the recommendation, too. A lot of time and thought goes into these letters, and your teacher will appreciate you acknowledging their hard work. 

Finally, when you start receiving your acceptance letters, share the good news with your recommenders. They’ve been an important part of your college application process, and it’s good manners to make them part of the celebration as well. 

Weekly Update: April 3

BIGGEST COLLEGE-RELATED NEWS OF THE WEEK

IVY LEAGUE ACCEPTANCE RATES REMAIN AT HISTORIC LOW FOR CLASS OF 2027

On March 30, a small pool of high school seniors celebrated Ivy Day - the day when many Ivy league institutions released their admissions decisions. In recent years, the number of applications to Ivy League schools has soared while acceptance rates have reached historic lows. And 2023 is no different! This year Yale accepted just 4.35% of applicants - the lowest percentage ever for this university - and UPenn reached its highest number of applicants in history- over 59,000! Curious about Brown, Dartmouth, Columbia, and others? Click here to see the latest Ivy League admissions data.

CLASS OF 2027 ACCEPTANCE RATES RELEASED

Although it was the Ivy League that made the news last week, several other schools released their admissions rates for the Class of 2027. College Kickstart has compiled a list of the latest data and continues to update their website as information is released. We encourage families to bookmark this website! 

WHAT’S THE ULTIMATE DREAM COLLEGE? A RECENT SURVEY FINDS SURPRISING ANSWERS

Schools like Harvard, Princeton, and Yale have long been at the top of students' college lists. But watch out, Ivy League! There are new dream schools rising in the ranks. According to a recent survey by The Princeton Review, the top ten dream schools now include NYU, University of Michigan, and UT Austin. What university holds the coveted number one spot on the list? Read more to find out! 

A NEW STUDY LOOKS AT THE IMPACT OF RACE IN COLLEGE ADMISSIONS

What could the end of affirmative action in college admissions mean for students? Last week Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce released its most recent study, which found that banning race considerations in college admissions could have a big impact on minority enrollment. Even if colleges consider class status, several minority groups - such as Hispanic and Pacific Islander students - would not be adequately represented on college campuses. In fact, their enrollment could significantly decline. In order to truly increase diversity of enrollment, the entire admissions process would have to be reconfigured, according to many. 

COLLEGE STUDENTS IN CHINA ARE GIVEN TIME OFF TO FALL IN LOVE

Spring is in the air, and hopefully love is too for college students in China. Several vocational colleges in the country have extended a one-day national holiday into a week-long spring break. And they’ve issued directives for what students should do with the extra time off: enjoy the beauties of nature and love. Many believe this move is part of the country’s efforts to rebound from declining birth rates and a negative population growth rate. The government has been recently offering tax incentives for couples and extended maternity leaves. Now young adults are being encouraged to focus on personal growth and relationships.

Best Articles of the Week

What’s making teens so unhappy these days? Just look to TikTok for the answers, according to Jay Caspian Kang, a writer for The New Yorker. The popular social media app is inundated with high schoolers sharing the pressure and the hopelessness they feel as they prepare for their futures. In an increasingly competitive college admissions landscape, students are desperately searching for the right “algorithm” for success via TikTok videos, often finding that nothing is “good enough.” Although many well-intentioned social media users are chiming in on the data, the strategy, and the shared anxieties, no amount of virtual camaraderie will fix what Kang sees as a broken system. In order to improve the stresses associated with high tuition costs, competition, etc. Kang believes a revolution is necessary. But will it come? Not likely, according to this writer, but only time will tell.

For years, students have based their college searches on factors such as academic programs, research opportunities, dorm facilities, and yes, the food! However, there are new considerations coming to the forefront of college decisions: politics. A recently released study from the Art & Science Group has found that students are increasingly “ruling out institutions” based on policies and laws in particular states, especially related to Roe v. Wade and LGBTQ rights. Since this is a fairly new trend in the college admissions world, experts aren’t quite sure what impact politics might ultimately have on enrollment, both geographically and by institution. For now, colleges and universities are encouraged to focus heavily on their identity and their marketing efforts in order to continue attracting students, despite the political climate of the state.

Every April, we celebrate Earth Day to promote environmental efforts and practices.  But did you know that colleges and universities are working year-round to protect the earth? Over 400 schools have signed a climate pledge, vowing to achieve carbon neutrality, and many are working on projects to be more sustainable and environmentally-conscious. Ohio University, for example, has transformed their food waste problem into a literal growth opportunity, thanks to their unique composting system. Ball State University successfully replaced a seventy-year-old heating system with an efficient geothermal system, and University of Minnesota at Morris has created such a successful renewable energies design that they’re able to donate excess power to the local town. If you’re interested in learning more about other schools at the forefront of sustainability research and design, read more about environmental standout colleges here.

OFFICE HAPPENINGS

Summer is right around the corner, and there are so many great opportunities still available for teens. Be sure to check out our internship database, where we maintain an up-to-date list of internships, volunteer opportunities, and academic enrichment programs. Some of the most recent postings include working for a Fortune 500 company in Reston, VA, and preparing for a career in leadership and advocacy at the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights.  

And don’t forget that we are also looking for summer interns here at DC College Counseling. If you’re interested in learning more about how a small business is run, consider applying. We’re especially looking for college students who are social media savvy. Please email your cover letter and resume with the subject line “DCCC Summer Internship” to Shannon@dccollegecounseling.com.

Weekly Update: March 20

We hope everyone had a happy St. Patrick’s Day and a great week!

BIGGEST COLLEGE-RELATED NEWS OF THE WEEK

MARCH MADNESS UPSETS

March Madness saw a big upset for UVA on Thursday, when Furman scored a 3-point shot in the last 2 seconds of the game to win! And speaking of Virginia, we saw a repeat of their 2018 historic loss to 16-seed UMBC when 16-seed Fairleigh Dickinson beat 1-seed Purdue. On Saturday, the upsets continued with Princeton’s victory over Missouri, marking only the fourth time in history that a team seeded 15th reached the Sweet Sixteen. Despite the upset, Mizzou’s head coach is still one to watch - check out this article, which explores Coach Dennis Gates’s unique and sincere approach to coaching college basketball. 

WELLESLEY STUDENTS VOTE TO MAKE TRANSGENDER MEN AND NONBINARY STUDENTS ELIGIBLE FOR ADMISSION

Students at Wellesley, one of the most highly regarded women’s colleges in the country, voted last Tuesday to make transgender men and nonbinary students eligible for admission. While this is an indication of the direction the student body is leaning, the vote is non-binding, and Wellesley admissions has announced that they will stick with their original policy of not offering admission to trans men. The gender policy at Wellesley states that the school is open to all students who live and identify as women, including transgender women and nonbinary people who were assigned female at birth. Most women’s colleges, including Spelman, Bryn Mawr, and Barnard, are aligned with Wellesley’s policies; some, like Mount Holyoke, already admit students regardless of gender, including trans men and nonbinary students. 

HAMPSHIRE COLLEGE WELCOMES NEW COLLEGE TRANSFERS

New College of Florida, a small progressive college in the Sunshine State, recently experienced a big shake-up with a new board of trustees appointed by Governor Ron DeSantis (R-FL). Now, Hampshire College, a similar school in Massachusetts that, like New College, welcomes progressive students and does not assign grades, has opened its doors to any New College student in good standing and offered to match the in-state tuition that many of these students have in Florida. 

So far, one New College student has transferred and four others have applied. Hampshire, which nearly closed in 2019 and in the last several years experienced an enrollment drop from 1,500 students to less than 500, is using this opportunity to increase the size of its student body while serving Florida students who wish to transfer. 

BEST ARTICLES OF THE WEEK

We’ve gotten a lot of questions recently from students and parents about the huge numbers of applications to top schools, and it is still going strong post-pandemic! Application numbers at top colleges have increased 32% since 2020. This means that overworked admissions officers are attempting to read nearly one-third more applications in the same amount of time, so colleges are encouraging students to apply early action in order to spread the application review over a longer period. Of course, this often means more deferrals, which is frustrating! For more information about this aspect of the college admissions landscape, as well as a peek behind the curtain at what actually happens in an admissions office after a student is deferred, we recommend this op-ed from Jeff Selingo.  

Shannon attended a session last week on the Princeton Review’s 2023 College Hopes & Worries Survey. The most surprising thing we saw in the survey was that the students’ top concern when it comes to college admissions was SAT and ACT testing - yes, even more than financial considerations, completing applications, or getting in! This is interesting because it shows that while many colleges continue to offer test-optional admissions, students realize that a strong test score can still be a major asset during the application process. 

We’ve always said that college rankings should not be the #1 consideration for undergraduate applicants, but we still understand that they can often be important to students and families. With potential shake-ups in the rankings, including Columbia’s recent withdrawal after a professor discovered inaccuracies in its data, attitudes may be shifting. For a deep-dive into all things college rankings, we recommend this Time article. 

Are you a senior heading to school in the fall and wondering about creating your own major? Check out this student’s story - she may just convince you on the benefits of choosing your own path through college! And speaking of choosing your own path - have you heard about Fairleigh Dickinson’s Jordan Sarnoff, the youngest D1 men’s basketball sports information director in history? We loved this profile on him - what a great example of how taking initiative and pursuing your own interests can pay off in a huge way.

OFFICE HAPPENINGs

I like data, so I always think the connection between college admissions and March Madness is fascinating in terms of predicting application trends in seasons to come. There was actually a fascinating study about this a few years back which found that private schools saw the biggest increase in applications after a Cinderella run, although the impact was just temporary.

Anecdotally, I think that certain private schools in the highly-selective (but not ultra-selective) category see more of a long-term impact, and it doesn’t necessarily have to be a Cinderella run as defined by the researchers. Villanova’s sustained increase in selectivity after the 2016 and 2018 wins is a great example of this. It’s next to impossible to get into Villanova now, if you don’t ED.

On the home front, my son was so excited for the Miami/Indiana game all weekend and I felt sorry for him when he crashed shortly after it began!

What a game, though! After half time I started to get really nervous that he was going to wake up to a loss this morning but thankfully Miami came back strong. Sorry to our Indiana friends out there :) I am hoping for a good game against Houston on Friday but am managing my expectations!

How to Really Demonstrate Interest in a School

Test scores, GPAs, a great list of activities- we know these are all important factors in a college application. But there’s another key ingredient in the admissions process: demonstrated interest. This might sound like a fancy phrase, but it really just means you’re making the effort to show you’re truly interested in attending a particular school. 

Why demonstrated interest matters

To understand why demonstrated interest matters in college admissions, think about sports. Let’s say that a coach is trying to put together a roster for the fall football season. He might have 100 athletes trying out, but he only has space for 50 on the team. Now the majority of the athletes are skilled and therefore potentially worthy of a roster spot. So how does the coach choose amongst such a talented pool of athletes? He looks for effort! The coach hones in on the players who come to the optional workouts, who ask for feedback, who get to know the other players. These actions let the coach know that a player is truly invested in being part of the team. 

The same goes for college admissions. A school only has so many spaces on their “roster,” and they want to make sure they fill it with students who are committed to being part of the team. In other words, schools are trying to get a sense of how likely you are to enroll if they admit you. They don’t want to take students who will choose another school instead!

How to really demonstrate interest

Get on theIR digital radar

One of the easiest (and earliest) ways you can demonstrate interest in a college or university is to get on their digital radar. Go to the school’s website and request information from the admissions office. Typically, the admissions page will have a quick form for you to fill out, and then you’ll start receiving emails. 

Pro tip: We know it can be super annoying when you’re bombarded with so many college emails, but if you’re interested in a school, take the time to actually open the emails. These communications often contain valuable information about admissions-related events. Plus, thanks to email-tracking technology, schools can see if you actually open their emails; how long you keep them open; and how you engage with them. Click some links, read the text, maybe even forward emails to a parent!

Another great way to get on their digital radar is to sign up for virtual information sessions, campus tours, and webinars. Be sure to take notes during these sessions. The information can help you demonstrate even greater interest later on! And if you have the opportunity to interact during the session by asking questions, go ahead and do so. Just make sure that you have taken the time to write well-thought-out questions in advance!

Finally, we recommend following the school on its social media platforms. It may seem like a small move, but it’s another efficient way to express interest and gain more insight into the school’s culture. This goes without saying, but make sure that your own social media is locked down and free of anything objectionable.

Make contacts and connections

Actively seek out ways to connect with the admissions team. Check out regional college fairs and make absolutely sure to attend college information sessions when they’re offered at your high school (even if it means missing out on a study hall or occasional class). And don’t be shy! Introduce yourself to the admissions representative and ask questions to help stand out among the crowd. 

Remember that admissions representatives typically arrive at schools with lists of students who are already on their radar, usually through the digital means mentioned above! They want to try to put names to faces and see whether these same students actually show up at the sessions. After all, they typically travel long distances to come visit schools! You don’t want someone thinking “I just flew halfway across the country to be here but Johnny can’t even make the time for me when I’m in his school building! He’s obviously not serious.”

So if you’re not able to attend a session held at your school, send an email to the representative to let them know why you weren’t able to come. “I was so disappointed that I wasn’t able to attend your session today, but I had to review for my AP Calc test tomorrow…” goes a long way in terms of clearing up your lack of attendance. Slipping in an anecdote from other contact you’ve had with the school is always a nice addition to that type of communication!

Pro tip: When you meet an admissions representative, always always always ask for their contact information. Then reach out within 24 hours to reintroduce yourself (and remind them where they met you); thank them for their time; and ask any follow-up questions you may have. 

For those who don’t have a chance to meet an admissions representative in person, there’s another way to connect. Many schools have a team of regional representatives, whose information is available on the admissions webpage (here’s an example). If you have legitimate questions, you can reach out this way to get them answered! One note here is that you should not reach out just to reach out, or to ask questions that can be researched - true, legitimate questions only. In today’s post-Covid world, admissions officers are absolutely swamped by application volume and will not appreciate receiving emails that look like they are sent solely for the purpose of establishing contact. This could actually have the opposite effect and harm your chances!

Visit campus

The more face time you can create, the better. Schedule an official campus tour, which will give you the chance to meet members of the admissions team, current students, and sometimes even professors. You can also get more time on campus by registering for open houses and prospective student days. If you live within a 2-3 hour drive, you should make every possible effort to attend something official on that campus. And if the college is located within your metropolitan area, it’s truly non-negotiable.

Pro tip: We know it’s not always feasible to visit a college in person if you live far away. That’s okay! Just be sure to put some extra effort into attending virtual and/or regional events and connecting with the admissions team via email. 

Write awesome essays

Remember those notes we encouraged you to take when attending attended information sessions? Well, here’s where they come in handy. As part of your application, you might be asked to write a “Why This School” essay. This is the perfect chance to share exactly WHY you’re so interested in a particular college or university. Be sure to include specific features that make the school unique and showcase that you’ve done your homework. 

Pro tips: Even if an essay prompt is labeled optional, write it!  And check your application portal carefully after you submit your materials. When you officially apply, some schools post additional (optional) essay prompts in your portal. Usually, these prompts ask why you want to attend the school or how you’ve learned more about the institution. 

Interview

If the school offers you the chance to interview as part of your application process, take it! In most cases, you’ll meet with a member of the admissions team or an alumni representative virtually for about 20-30 minutes.

Pro tip: Be prepared to express your interest in the interview! Make a list of specific reasons why you’re interested in the college or university and ask thoughtful questions to show you’re seriously considering this school. 

Consider applying early

One of the strongest ways to demonstrate interest is to apply early decision through a binding program. That shows you are 100% committed to attending the school. Of course this is a BIG decision and one that can have financial implications, so families shouldn’t take this lightly. An experienced college counselor or school counselor can be a great resource to help families strategize. 

Write a letter of continued interest

If you find yourself deferred or waitlisted, you can write a letter of continued interest. This communication lets the school know you are still serious about wanting to attend. It’s also a fantastic space to share how you’ve continued to learn more about the school and reiterate why it’s a good fit for you.

Pro tip: Try to highlight something specific you’ve done or learned about the school since you applied. For example, you might mention what stood out to you most when you took a campus tour last month or a conversation you had with a current student.

How NOT to demonstrate interest

As much as you want to make an effort to engage with a school, you don’t want to go overboard. Avoid these common pitfalls to ensure you’re making the right impression when you’re demonstrating interest.

contact the admissions team too often

Communicate with school representatives but not so much that you develop a reputation for being a pest. Too many emails or phone calls can get annoying and end up demonstrating desperation rather than healthy interest.

take center stage at information sessions and during campus tours

We definitely encourage you to engage when you’re on a campus tour or attending an information session. BUT that doesn't mean you should take over! Avoid interrupting others when they are speaking, and stick to relevant comments/questions. Remember that you can alway stay after the event or email the person if you want to chat more.

LEAVE A MEMORABLE IMPRESSION

It’s not just your behavior within a session that you need to be conscious of - remember that you’re on display from the minute you arrive on that campus until the minute you leave! I worked in admissions at a school that offered applicants the opportunity to participate in on-campus interviews. Our colleagues working at the front desk would often give us a heads up about any questionable behavior they observed. “Your 10am is here - he’s been fighting with his dad the whole time in the waiting room.” or even worse (and yes, this happened way more than you would want to know): “Your 1pm is here, but don’t shake her hand. I could hear that she didn’t wash her hands after using the bathroom.” Gross!

fill your essays with facts and figures

When you’re writing an essay about why you’re interested in a school, truly focus on why you are interested in the school. Don’t waste valuable space trying to “impress” the admissions team with how much you’ve learned about demographics and graduation rates. The data doesn’t doesn’t demonstrate your interest, just your ability to memorize facts.

GOOD LUCK!

Weekly Update: March 13

BIGGEST COLLEGE-RELATED NEWS OF THE WEEK

REGULAR DECISION NOTIFICATION DATES FOR CLASS OF 2027

It’s that time of the year! Colleges and universities across the U.S. are starting to release their regular decision notifications. College Kickstart is tracking regular decision notification dates for the class of 2027. We encourage high school seniors to bookmark this website, which is frequently updated. Good luck! 

BROWN UNIVERSITY DECIDES TO REMAIN TEST-OPTIONAL…FOR NOW

On Friday, Brown University announced that it will remain test-optional for the 2023-2024 admissions cycle. This news comes just one week after Columbia University made headlines for its decision to go test-optional indefinitely. Brown plans to reevaluate its temporary testing policy again for the 2024-2025 cycle. Stay tuned! 

MORE UNIVERSITIES DROP OUT OF THE U.S. NEWS AND WORLD REPORT RANKINGS

Hot off the press! Bard College just announced that they are dropping out of the U.S. News and World Report’s annual undergraduate rankings. Bard is the third undergraduate institution to leave the rankings, following Colorado College and Rhode Island School of Design. 

YOUNG ADULTS REJECT COLLEGE AT ALARMING RATES

The numbers are in, and they aren’t so good for college enrollment! Since the beginning of the pandemic, college enrollment numbers have dropped at alarming rates. Young adults have adopted a more pragmatic approach to education, rejecting the traditional college model in favor of trade industries and alternative employment pathways. While these paths are helping students save money and develop a confident “do-it-yourself” attitude, experts worry that this trend could have dire effects on the economy, as well as industries that require degrees. However, young adults aren’t so worried, at least not for now. They are making strides toward the future “one step at a time.” 

FOUR UNIVERSITIES BLAST OFF INTO AERONAUTICAL RESEARCH FOR NASA

Students and faculty at Notre Dame, Boston University, Tennessee Technological University, and New Mexico State University just received an out-of-this-world opportunity. NASA recently selected teams at these four schools to conduct aeronautical research for the agency as part of its University Leadership Initiative. The diverse, multidisciplinary teams will contribute to some of NASA’s most prominent research goals, including infrastructure development and aircraft design. If you’re interested in learning more about each team’s research topic, click here.

BEST ARTICLES OF THE WEEK

I’ve got a secret to share! No, actually make that ten secrets. Last week, I contributed to an article in U.S. News and World Report, revealing things you might not know about your college professors. For example, contrary to popular opinion, professors (even at big universities) can tell if you’re actually paying attention in class, and they can spot a bad excuse from a mile away. In order to make a good impression on your professors and develop strong relationships (and grades!), there are a few simple things you can do, from strategically choosing your seat to fact-checking your excuses. Click here to learn more about all ten secrets and tips for building rapport with your professors.

With inflation continuing to wreak havoc on the economy, families are more concerned than ever with finding ways to cut college costs. Surprisingly, some of the best ways to stretch your college tuition dollars are pretty simple–if you’re strategic and plan ahead. High schoolers can earn a hefty number of college credits for free by taking advantage of dual enrollment programs and/or advanced placement courses. Community colleges are also a great- but often underrated- resource to save money. Students can save thousands by attending a local community college and then transferring to a four-year college or university. There are also plenty of options for course sharing, which involves taking some community college classes during winter or summer breaks to offset the cost (and academic load) of a typical semester. 

I actually graduated a year early from college, so I can add a few tips here for others trying to do the same thing. At current tuition prices, this could save about $80k! (1) Take an extra class each semester. If your school is on a traditional 120-credit system and you take just one extra 3-credit course per semester, which is usually free to do, you will shave off a total of 18 credits by the end of your third year. (2)  Look for ways to pick up credit for things you would do anyway. In my case, I got 12 credits for internships I would have done anyway for resume purposes! I also got 9 credits worth of piano lessons, which was beyond easy and kind of a nice stress reliever too. 

Speaking of saving money, a huge controversy is brewing at Valparaiso University in Indiana. The school needs to update their aging dorms, and doesn’t have the funds to do it - so they are planning to sell several pieces of art for $10 million in order to fund the project. Not surprisingly, many professors are furious. Personally, though, I agree with the engineering professor quoted in the article: students should be prioritized. Money doesn’t grow on trees, and it’s not right to put kids in a room with single-pane windows during an Indiana winter. If they can sell the art to raise the money they need without cutting aspects of the undergraduate experience that would more directly impact students, I think this is an understandable solution. For what it’s worth, I had a really nice visit to Valparaiso back in 2019. I would absolutely recommend it as a great option for STEM or music-oriented students interested in a close-knit, smaller campus community.

With the birth of ChatGPT- a technology that can provide just about any answer or piece of writing that a student may need- those in the education world are asking a lot of questions. How will this technology change the nature of writing assignments? How will teachers catch cheaters? What updates will need to be made to plagiarism policies? While these questions represent legitimate academic concerns, Paul LeBlanc- president of Southern New Hampshire University- thinks we aren’t asking the right questions. Rather than concerning ourselves with the short-term effects on curriculum and assessment, we should be thinking about the bigger picture. How will this technology redefine knowledge? How do we teach students to use the technology, rather than allowing it to use us? LeBlanc believes that universities have a critical role to play in this paradigm shift. Schools need to prepare students to navigate technologies and provide a distinctly human touch on jobs that no algorithm can replace.

OFFICE HAPPENINGs

Are you looking to support your high school student AND a great cause? Then consider bidding on a DC College Counseling Strategy Session to benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.  Our one-hour session will help your student kick off the college application process with a thorough analysis and action plan!

Weekly Update: February 21

BIGGEST COLLEGE-RELATED NEWS OF THE WEEK

VIRGINIA TECH RELEASES EARLY ACTION DECISIONS

The last of the major Virginia early action releases occurred with Virginia Tech on Friday evening. VT reported more than 47,000 applications for 7,085 seats in the freshman class, and so many qualified students were unfortunately waitlisted. We definitely encourage all students to read VT's Waitlist FAQ . Note that VT's released numbers represent totals, not just their EA pool. 

Note If you are interested in learning more about other VA schools and their early action data, keep reading! There’s more on this topic and my thoughts later in this post.

STUDENTS PROTEST AT GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY 

There’s a call for big changes at Georgetown University. In response to incidents over the past several months, students formed the group Georgetown University Protects Racists (GURP) and have been protesting the ways in which the university handles hate crimes and bias incidents. Georgetown officials are now working with student leaders to address these issues, and an external review of the university’s systems is being conducted. 

TRAGIC SHOOTING AT MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY LEAVES THREE STUDENTS DEAD

Last week a gunman opened fire at Michigan State University, killing three students and injuring five others. The attacker- Anthony Dwayne McRae- fled the scene and was later found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. He reportedly did not have any ties to MSU, and his motive is unknown at this time. As of Sunday night, university police reported that three of the injured students remain in critical condition. Meanwhile, the MSU community resumed classes on Monday. Faculty and administrators are working to support students through the rest of the semester with lighter course loads and credit/no credit options for academic classes.

WELLESLEY COLLEGE APOLOGIZES FOR MISHANDLING SEXUAL ABUSE CASE

Last week, Wellesley College president Paula Johnson issued an apology for the school’s mishandling of a sexual abuse case. The written statement was released the same day The Boston Globe published an expose on Wellesley’s former running coach, John Babington. Babington was accused of sexual abuse by a student in the late 1990s but continued working at Wellesley until 2013. In her letter, President Johnson thanked the alumna for sharing her story with The Boston Globe and reaffirmed the school’s commitment to preventing sexual harassment. She insisted,  “There is no question that Wellesley would handle such conduct very differently today.”

CLEMSON UNIVERSITY ANNOUNCES EXCITING NEW MAJOR

There will be a new major to choose from at Clemson University in the fall of 2023! Clemson announced its plans to offer an undergraduate automotive engineering program next year- the first of its kind in the United States. The university is already regarded as a leader in this field of study, having launched a graduate program in automotive engineering in 2006. Now undergraduates will have the opportunity to prepare for dynamic careers in automotive manufacturing thanks to Clemson’s interdisciplinary and experiential curriculum, as well as its “unique geographic advantage.”

BEST ARTICLES OF THE WEEK

Does college need to be four years? That’s the question Professor Steven Mintz (University of Texas at Austin) recently tackled in his opinion piece for Inside Higher Ed. With the rising cost of college tuition, many students are dodging the traditional four-year model. Rather than paying for required electives and stressing out over overloaded semester course schedules, students are turning to online course alternatives and dual enrollment programs. The result is cheaper, more efficient credit earnings, but at what cost? Many wonder if these pathways diminish the value of a college education. The question is one that continues to incite big debates, and Mintz is happy to share where he stands. Ultimately, Mintz believes that students are bogged down in courses that don’t mean anything to them and are subject to far too many lectures and discussion-based classes. He hopes that in the future schools will turn to more meaningful, project-based learning opportunities for undergraduates, as well as increased options for “career-aligned degree pathways.” 

Race, politics, religion–these topics may be controversial, even off-limits in some places, but not at the University of Austin (and no, that’s not a typo - University of Austin, not UT Austin!). The university’s Forbidden Courses summer program creates a space for civil engagement on topics that are often “forbidden” as topics of discussion. Students have the chance to “inquire openly into vexing questions with honesty and without fear of shame.” In other words, students are free! Whether they want to ask questions, offer a dissenting opinion, or challenge a belief, they can do that. If you’d like to hear students share their experiences in the forbidden courses or see the lineup of Summer 2023 offerings, click here.

Watching the Howard University swim team is a marvel for many, and it’s not because they’ve got the school dance team cheering them on at the sidelines. In a sport where only 2% of college athletes are Black, Howard University swim coach, Nic Askew, has made historic strides. Since taking over the program eight years ago, he’s revamped a once hopeless team. Over sixty school swim records have been broken, and last year, Howard earned a second-place finish at the Northeast Conference championship. Although Howard’s team is admittedly not a national powerhouse, they are “on the front line of change” in a sport that has historically denied access to the Black community.

OFFICE HAPPENINGS

As I mentioned earlier in the post, we’ve been spending a lot of time tracking early decision and early action data for this year’s admission cycle as well as doing our best to make meaning of what we see.

If you were surprised to find yourself on the VT waitlist, you’re in good company with a lot of others! Let’s take a step back in time to understand more about what’s been happening over in Blacksburg. During the 2016-2017 admissions cycle, VT accepted way too many students and over-enrolled their freshman class. As a result, they decided to be very conservative with acceptances in 2017-2018, but took it too far and ended up way below their enrollment goals. Ultimately they had to take about 2,000 students from the waitlist to fill the class. But then they went too far in the opposite direction again the following year! (Are you noticing a trend..?). Yes, in 2018-2019, they accepted far too many students again, and the situation attracted national attention because of the housing crisis in Blacksburg that resulted.

A few years ago at Virginia Tech!

Since that point, they have consistently under-enrolled - better than over-enrolling, I guess! During the following years, they took 3,961 (2019-2020), 3,286 (2020-2021) and 2,458 (2021-2022) students from the waitlist, respectively. These numbers represent HUGE percentages of the freshman class as a whole - taking 3,961 students off the waitlist for a freshman class of 7,000 is extremely significant.

This year, I’m wondering whether the possibility of a pending recession will impact the new pattern of under-enrollment leading to large waitlist acceptances. It could: historically, we see more students choosing public universities during periods of economic uncertainty. If more VT accepted students choose to enroll instead of pursuing private options, this could result in less spots for waitlisted students. There’s also the chance that VT accounted for this possibility when it came to building out this year’s model. Time will tell!

As for UVA, they released their EA decisions about a week before VT, and their numbers are up as well. As is typical for their office, UVA broke everything down to make the differences between EA and ED clear. It’s also really nice that they provide an in-state vs. out-of-state breakdown, but at the same time, keep in mind that data representing the entire state of Virginia may not represent the breakdown for Fairfax and Arlington counties. Anecdotally, I found UVA to be a little more predictable in their decision-making than they were over the last two years, which was a welcome surprise! VT was just completely unpredictable.

Last but not least, JMU's decisions came out about a month ago, and their increases were perhaps the most significant of all. Their 2022 EA numbers (for the HS Class of 2023 - it can get tricky because JMU releases in December while the other two release in the new year) were up 30% from the previous year and up 83% from two years ago. INSANE! Despite those enormous increases, I did find JMU to be pretty predictable for our applicants.

Bottom line? Even though we had pretty good luck with predictability this year, none of these schools are safeties anymore. Make sure to plan accordingly - if you want a Virginia public safety, you need to explore other options. We have so many great schools, so try to keep an open mind and check some of the others out.

Weekly Update: February 6

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. 

5 Steps to Take After Being Deferred or Denied Early Admission

Last week was the one that so many high school seniors were waiting for–early decision releases! The news came flooding in, and we were anxious all week long! If you’re still waiting, remember that you can check this website to see the official list of release dates and times. It’s updated almost daily!). 

We are absolutely thrilled to see that so many students have been accepted into their first choice schools. Thanks to all of our families who emailed us to share the news! If you were admitted early decision, make sure you carefully read our recent blog post for ED admits. We outlined 5 crucial steps you need to take now that you’ve been accepted. 

But what happens if you didn’t receive the decision you were hoping for? Well, first of all, don’t get down on yourself. There's been a HUGE increase in applications over the past two years, and it looks like that trend will continue. As of November 1, college applications for Fall 2023 were up 41% from the 2019-2020 cycle. All of these numbers add up to inevitable disappointment for some students. 

If you didn’t get the news you wanted or were expecting, don’t panic! This is NOT the end of your college admissions journey. Take a look at these 5 steps for managing deferrals and denials.

Do you need help navigating a deferral or denial?

Book a session with us by clicking here. We offer strategy sessions and writing support.

For More Information:

If you are looking for more information on details we mentioned above, we encourage you to read some of our blog posts from past cycles:

How to Turn a Deferral into an Acceptance

Writing an Effective Letter of Continued Interest: Instructions and Samples

Weekly Update: November 25

BIGGEST COLLEGE-RELATED NEWS OF THE WEEK

A SHUTTLE BUS CRASHES AT BRANDEIS UNIVERSITY

On Saturday night, tragedy struck at Brandeis University when a shuttle bus full of students crashed into a tree. One student was killed, and twenty-six others were injured. The cause of the accident is unknown at this time, but an investigation has been launched. Meanwhile, the university canceled classes on Monday and Tuesday, allowing students to leave early for Thanksgiving break. Additional opportunities for support were offered to those still remaining on campus.

UVA SHOOTING VICTIM IS RELEASED FROM THE HOSPITAL

There is some good news to share in the aftermath of the UVA shooting. After undergoing two surgeries, UVA football player Mike Hollins was released from the hospital this week and is recovering at home. Hollins told investigators that he was one of the first students to escape from the bus during the deadly shooting where Christopher Darnell Jones, Jr., opened fire on classmates, killing three. However, he returned to the bus to help other students escape. Hollins was shot in the back but is walking again.

UVA CANCELS GAME AGAINST VIRGINIA TECH

Last weekend UVA canceled its football game against Coastal Carolina and instead held a memorial service for victims of the tragedy. The Cavaliers were also scheduled to play Virginia Tech tomorrow, but have decided to cancel this game as well and bring their season to a close.

GOVERNOR YOUNGKIN RESPONDS TO UVA SHOOTING WITH NEW PROPOSAL

In response to the UVA shooting, Governor Youngkin announced his plans to propose new mental health legislation in the state of Virginia. His agenda includes addressing mental health staffing shortages, which were recently highlighted in the Joint Legislative and Audit Review Commission study on K-12 publication education, and improving access to “day of” treatment. 

IDAHO STRAGEDY CONTINUES TO BAFFLE INVESTIGATORS

As we reported last week, four University of Idaho students were found murdered in a home off campus. Two roommates in the same house were not harmed. Investigators have been working around-the-clock to identify a suspect, vowing to work through the holiday weekend to find answers. This is the first murder the town has had in seven years, and residents have been trying to help police, calling in over 1,000 tips and leads. While the case is still largely shrouded in mystery, officials have pieced together a timeline of events leading up to the murders and are following up on rumors of stalking. For a more detailed account of events and evidence, click here. And if you are a true crime junkie like me, all the theories on Reddit will keep you busy!

BEST ARTICLES OF THE WEEK

“How does that happen?” That’s the question many are asking administrators at Fairfield University. The school has recently come under scrutiny for its sharp decline in Pell Grants, which support students from low income families. Over the past four years, Pell Grant recipients at Fairfield have dropped by 44%. The 7.5% of Fairfield students who now receive these grants is the lowest of any college in the country. Some argue that the stark decline is the result of Fairfield’s increasing reputation and rising selectivity. Others believe that low income applicants may be finding better fits and more inclusive communities elsewhere. In the meantime, the university has put forth initiatives to support underrepresented students, including the Company Scholars and Fairfield Bellarmine Scholarship. Both programs are designed to create affordable and accessible opportunities to a Jesuit education.

Online gambling is the newest extracurricular activity offered at several universities, The New York Times reports. Gambling companies have begun targeting colleges and universities for sports betting partnerships. Especially for universities that have strong sports cultures and loyal fanbases of students and alumni, these deals can be lucrative. In fact, some claim that sports betting is helping colleges recuperate from pandemic losses and bolster their athletic programs. However, the ethical implications of gambling in higher education has been called into question. Many are particularly concerned with the effects such behaviors may have upon students. Not only could betting lead to gambling disorders among such a young population; some are concerned about the pressure and impact this could have upon student athletes. Only time will tell how big of a gamble these partnerships will actually be.

In his newsletter this week, Jeff Selingo takes a close look into the state of test optional admissions: year three. While some schools are continuing to make year-to-year decisions on testing requirements, other institutions have finally “close[d] the book on testing,” most notably the University of California. UC’s decision raises a host of questions about the future of testing and the overall admissions process. Will other schools follow in UC’s footsteps? Will students continue to sit for the ACT or SAT? And what impact will a lack of testing have upon yield models and student success long term? For now, many schools are delaying announcements regarding testing, as they wait for more data to emerge.

OFFICE HAPPENINGS

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, we are offering our ONLY deal of the year!

Whether you’re a 9th-10th grade family wanting help with next year’s summer plans or course registration; an 11th grade family ready to jump right into the admissions process; or a college student wanting to learn about transfer or graduate admissions options… we’ll help you get started before it's too late!

Take advantage of 50% off Meet & Greets OR 50% off Class of 2025-2027 Strategy Sessions now through Cyber Monday.

To book a Meet & Greet: https://zcu.io/r8BI

To book a Class of 2025-2027 Strategy Session: https://zcu.io/MseA