Weekly Update: June 12

HAPPY LAST DAY OF SCHOOL, FAIRFAX COUNTY! Catholic schools finished up yesterday and most of the independent schools have been out for a little while already — so we are officially on summer break!

BIGGEST COLLEGE-RELATED NEWS OF THE WEEK

FAFSA DEBACLE CAUSES PROBLEMS FOR THOSE WHO NEED AID THE MOST

The rollout of the new FAFSA, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, has been a nightmare for students and colleges this year. As we have mentioned in previous posts, this had led to students not being able to receive their financial aid packages, compare offers and pick schools at which to matriculate. And it also means that colleges are not sure who and how many students will be enrolling for the coming school year! One latest development as a result of the chaos: more students than ever are not even bothering to complete the FAFSA due to the ongoing issues and lack of guidance and support. The University System of Maryland’s 12 schools and three higher education centers saw a decrease of 15.6% in form completion; the University of Wisconsin had 14% fewer students complete; and UVA’s Board has been informed that thousands of returning students are still waiting for their packages. Plus, the entire state of Virginia is down almost 13% in completed FAFSA forms. Unfortunately, it’s the colleges which serve those with the highest need that are also seeing the highest non-complete numbers.

THE COLLEGE MERGER TREND CONTINUES

The California State University system is waiting on Board approval for Cal Poly-San Luis Obisbo to merge with the California Maritime Academy in a bid to strengthen both of their financial challenges. If approved, the Cal Maritime students would become part of the Cal Poly student body in the 2026-2027 school year. Cal Maritime has seen a drop of over 30% of their student body in less than a decade and now serves just over 750 students. The Board will consider the plan in its November meeting.

STANFORD WILL REINSTATE TEST SCORE REQUIREMENTS NEXT YEAR, DESPITE THE FACT THAT CALIFORNIANS HAVE FEWER OPPORTUNITIES TO TEST

Beginning next year in fall 2025, students hoping to become part of Stanford’s Class of 2030 will be required to submit a standardized test score (in other words, students currently finishing their sophomore year of high school). Students applying during the upcoming admissions cycle for the Class of 2029 (those currently finishing their junior year) will still be grandfathered into the current test-optional admissions process. It is somewhat ironic that trying to take the required tests, or at least the SAT, has become harder than ever to do in the state of California. The June 4th test was abruptly canceled in Oakland due to internet issues, leaving approximately 1,400 students high and dry! Unfortunately, this lack of testing sites is not unique to Oakland. College Board, the company that makes the test, reports that there are now fewer than half as many SAT testing sites in CA as there were before the Covid pandemic. Across the country, the fact that the test has now gone digital means that students who attend schools without adequate internet infrastructure will have even less access to the tests.

COMMUNITY COLLEGE MIGHT BE THE BEST RETURN ON INVESTMENT

As student debt climbs, students and families are looking at how to get the most out of the huge financial investment that college could be. The debate about whether college debt is “good debt” these days is raging, given that it can take a student 20+ years to pay off a loan or even get close to just paying off the interest of a loan. This Forbes article sheds some light on 16 high-paying jobs that you only need an associates degree to get, making them some of the best for a true return on that educational investment. The jobs on their list all pay over $70K/year and averaging more than $100,000. Who knew?!

BEST ARTICLES OF THE WEEK

While people usually feel the power of empathy, they may not always be aware of how it is taught or gained: it is often considered a trait that a person simply has or doesn’t have. However, a new study sheds light on the practical impact that empathic parenting can have on teens. Parents who practice empathy are actually giving their adolescents the tools to developing their own capacity for empathy, both in the moment and lasting through their adulthood. The study is part of  an ongoing project called KLIFF/VIDA (Kids, Lives, Families, Friends/Virginia Institute for Development in Adulthood) at the University of Virginia. The research shows that with a grounding in empathy, “[t]eens […] start to depend less on their parents, discover their own identities, become interested in understanding the perspectives of others and learn how to navigate social situations independently.” 

If you’re solidifying summer plans, check out this piece by a former admissions officer, weighing in on the benefits of summer jobs and internships. Sure, college applications will be enhanced by these activities, but the students themselves will also learn important life skills such as time management, networking, interviewing and financial responsibility. These are all important aspects of growth and maturation that will help them successfully navigate college as well. PRO TIP: When it comes to internships, a lot of students think that unless they are at some “big firm” or nationally known company, it’s not worth it, but that just isn’t the case. Covid taught both students and colleges that creative, “out of the box” thinking can lead to some amazing opportunities. More on that below!

Recently, our essay coaches were discussing how to best guide students if they wanted to write about their learning differences or mental health challenges. This opinion piece in Scientific American, “Neurodivergent Kids Flourish When They’re Taught How Their Brain Works,” was so on point that we decided to share it anyway, even though it’s a few weeks old! When students understand their own learning styles and needs, they naturally become better self-advocates — and this leads them to truly own their education. Deeper understanding also plays a role in the college search as students grasp what successful classroom and educational environments look like for them. Not every school may have that perfect classroom or professor, but students who know what they need are better equipped to seek out supportive accommodations. A sense of empowerment will go a long way in having a fulfilling college experience.

High school students feel a great deal of pressure in their junior and senior years. It’s not just because their classes may get harder, their hormones are raging, and they are trying to figure out who they are — though all three of those things do make up a bulk of that pressure! It’s that the world suddenly begins to start asking them seemingly impossible questions about their future. What do you want to study? What are your plans? What will you be? Who will you be? Some students are on a pretty decent path towards finding out. But not everyone is. For many, the best years of their lives were not in high school, despite what all the movies, television shows and society in general promised. And life did not – is not – playing out the way they hoped. This opinion piece in the New York Times reminds us that everything can still turn around. That late bloomer can still bloom; that kid who made some bad choices, can also make good choices, too — that “[your] destiny is not shaped in high school.

Every time I am in Connecticut, I go by my high school - Choate Rosemary Hall. It was such a pressure cooker, and I have so many mixed emotions about my experience there. Ultimately, it was good for me, and helped me grow in ways that were critical later in life. However, I would most certainly NOT classify those years as the best of my life!

OFFICE HAPPENINGS

As we mentioned above, sometimes the most valuable summer and/or extracurricular opportunities do not come in the form of fancy internships. We have spent a lot of time talking about this with our students lately — especially those finishing their freshman and sophomore years of high school, as many of them are still on the hunt to find something meaningful to do this summer. They often ask us for examples of projects or undertakings that our former students have pursued, and we have a great one to share with our readers today!

While working at an international school in Thailand during the pandemic, Sonya had a student (let’s call her Jes) who used imagination and persistence to create a unique opportunity. As you may remember, the summer programs and internships dried up everywhere; some went virtual while others just hit the pause button, hoping to resume the following year. With all her original plans canceled, Jes tried to think of something she could do that would have a positive impact on people even at a time when we were all socially isolated.

Jes had read stories of older people in care homes and assisted living residences who could no longer see their families because of Covid and it broke her heart. In Thailand, there aren’t “old folks homes” or the equivalent as families live in multigenerational households. Being half Dutch, Jes tried contacting some places in Europe, hoping she could “volunteer” via Zoom or Skype, but it was not received well. She then decided to try places in the US, cold-calling nursing homes — and she struck pay dirt! She was connected with a woman named Elizabeth at a care home in the midwest, and the two began chatting virtually. Despite the 12-hour time difference, every Saturday, around midnight they would talk. This went on throughout the summer and all through Jes’s senior year.

Jes is now a junior at Duke and is still in touch with Elizabeth, who thinks of her as another granddaughter. This level of persistence, creative-thinking, and long-term commitment was something that really impressed the schools on Jes’ list. We encourage all of our students to think about how they can spend time identifying needs and using their intellectual curiosity to find solutions!

Want more on Learning differenceS? Check out these posts!

Weekly Update x2: May 15

Coming in with a double weekly update since we didn’t post last week!

The end of the second week of AP exams draws near, and we wish good luck to all who took or are still getting ready to take their exams! We know that some students will also have their own schools’ exams to look forward to in the coming weeks. Here’s to happy and productive studying for everyone! 🤞🍀

BIGGEST COLLEGE-RELATED NEWS OF THE LAST 2 WEEKS

COLLEGES STRUGGLE WITH HOW TO PROCEED WITH GRADUATION CEREMONIES

As campus protests continue, many colleges faced challenges in determining how to hold graduation ceremonies without the chaos – or if that’s even possible! Columbia University canceled their main commencement event and instead held smaller ceremonies for each of their colleges - but a few protesters were present regardless.

From the University of Virginia, to the University of Michigan, to Indiana University and beyond, clashes between police and protesters mean that university administrators are walking the line between free speech and campus safety. For some, this involved carrying on with ceremonies despite clashes, and others, like University of Southern California, canceled them altogether. 

FRATERNITIES TAKE UNEXPECTED CENTER STAGE AT SOME COLLEGE PROTESTS

At the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, the Pi Kappa Phi fraternity found themselves defending the U.S. flag as protesters attempted to replace it with a Palestinian flag. They were successful in doing so the first time, but the fraternity brothers managed to hoist the U.S. flag back in place and keep it from being taken down a second time. The White House called their actions admirable, and a gofundme by an independent source unrelated to UNC or the fraternity has raised over $500,000 to throw a “rager” for them.

On the campus of Ole Miss, a student who was captured on video making racist taunts at a Black student was expelled from the Phi Delta Theta fraternity. They found that “the action in question was offensive, outside the bounds of this discourse, and contradictory to our values.” 

ARRESTS CONTINUE ACROSS US COLLEGE CAMPUSES

The tally of how many arrests have taken place on US college campuses in the past weeks vary, with estimates around 2,800 at the time this post was written. Many professors have also been arrested.

The police in Hanover, NH released a statement about the 90 Dartmouth students arrested, while over in Durham, NH, a reluctant Chief of Police also made arrests at the University of New Hampshire.

WHO ARE THE CAMPUS PROTESTERS, ANYWAY?

Protests continue on campuses around the country and as arrests are made, university administrators and local police forces are finding that not everyone involved in the encampments, building take-overs, or marches are actual students or part of the school at all. Of the 112 arrested two weeks ago at Columbia University, 29% were not affiliated with the schools. At City College in Manhattan, 60% of 170 people arrested were not members of the school community. This makes us wonder how actions taken by the police and administrations may change going forward, if at all.

ANOTHER COLLEGE LOSES ITS PRESIDENT

Cornell University is the fourth Ivy League university, after Harvard, UPenn, and Yale, to lose their president within this past year. Dr. Martha Pollack recently resigned, in a move that seemed to surprise everyone at the university, and she will depart July 1. The search is on at all of these institutions for new leadership, a process that can take months or even years to complete.

MORE COLLEGE PRESIDENTS ARE UNDER THE MICROSCOPE

As colleges end their semesters and graduation ceremonies take place, some in altered forms or alternative settings, people are probing the methods used by university administrations, campus safety officers and local police forces in dealing with protestors on their campuses.

The president of the University of Virginia is defending his approach to use the local police to arrest a number of protestors even as others, including some faculty, express concern that it was too aggressive.

Across the country, it appears that faculty are placing their university presidents under greater scrutiny, as more members are holding “no-confidence” votes. UCLA faculty will continue to deliberate this week on the matter and Columbia University faculty are considering whether to make a “no-confidence” motion. University of Southern California, Barnard, UMass, and Emory faculties have all come down with a no-confidence or censure vote for their presidents in the past few weeks.

BEST ARTICLES OF THE LAST 2 WEEKS

As college counselors, we tell students to find schools that “fit” them — explaining that the time and effort spent searching and researching will lead to the right institution that will be their home for the next four (or maybe more!) years of their lives. Unfortunately, sometimes students get fixated on finding the “perfect” school and then panic when they fail to hear an angelic choir and heralding trumpets go off — even though they have toured dozens of amazing schools.

The reality is that there is no one perfect school! In fact, there may be several fantastic schools for each student, all a bit different and each with their own unique attributes, opportunities, and challenges. And the “challenges” part is just as important to a great college experience as the other two. Very often it’s when students are outside their comfort zone that the real growth happens: where they can expand their horizons and push themselves in new directions. This New York Times piece does a nice job of talking about the way some students can surprise those around them as they reveal how multifaceted they are. We encourage all students to find the schools that will make them feel comfortable, yet also just uncomfortable enough to grow in new and exciting ways. 

Paying for college these days is no joke! With questions about return on investment, the value of a college education, and the realization that college-related debt is proving to be a life-long albatross around a whole generation’s neck, it’s important to find new degree paths. For a long time, community colleges have been that path.

Unfortunately, they have also been looked down on and seen as “not good enough” for someone who did well in high school; it just wasn’t seen as a truly “academic” path. But the good news is that this stereotype is finally being overcome and the myth: busted!  This article shares how a California student with a 4.5 GPA chose the community college path for her first two years of college before transferring to a four-year school. The author notes, “[s]having two years off the costs of a four-year degree can save a student anywhere between $65,000 to $180,000 or more. That’s life-changing money for someone starting out.”

We actually live in one of the best areas in the country for guaranteed transfer opportunities, with NOVA's Guaranteed Admission Agreements in Virginia and University of Maryland’s Transfer Advantage Program. Both of these offer smart ways for students to be able to earn degrees from highly selective schools that may not have been realistic options directly out of high school. Additionally, for other students, these programs can make the attainment of a four-year degree a reality perhaps otherwise thought out of reach. We encourage our students to consider all of their options: both where they can get in today, and where they can graduate down the road.

Almost all of us have smartphones. And teens these days have never known a world without social media, selfies, or the algorithms that control their daily feeds. We are also at a time where mental health is at the forefront of our news, our culture and our health care. The question is: are all these things related? This author wonders if it really is the phones, as new data shows some changes in that line of thinking. However, it also shows how some of the more distressing news — an increase in suicide in teens and adults — seems to be a uniquely American trend. What is the role of culture on how we consume and relate to social media, our mental health and each other?

Visiting college campuses can be a fun, exciting and sometimes daunting experience. What are you looking for? Ivy covered brick? Expansive green quads? Modern buildings? Large, leafy trees? What makes a college campus beautiful is very much in the eye of the beholder, but see if you agree with this list of 37 of the Most Beautiful Campuses in the World! Did your favorite campus make the cut?

As a student and family research schools, an important question to ask is what new and innovative programs are they developing for an ever-changing future? How are they preparing students for jobs that may not even exist yet? Lehigh University has announced an exciting new undergraduate major that will begin taking applicants in Fall 2024 for admission in 2025: a BS in Integrated Business and Health. Housed jointly in the College of Business and the College of Health, the new Lehigh program is described as: The inter-college interdisciplinary program in Business and Health, Integrated Business and Health (IBH), trains students to become leaders in the health industry by developing an understanding of the core principles of business alongside an in-depth knowledge of health economics and policy. The program prepares future leaders of the health industry to better understand and address the vital conditions that shape community health and promote health equity.

“No,” is a complete sentence, but saying no to your child can be hard. So how do you have the conversation that the college your son or daughter wants to attend is just too expensive? This Washington Post article offers some strategies for having this difficult conversation. Working with your child to see the long-term benefits and get past the more immediate gratification can be a challenge, but chances are, they will thank you in the long run. Being able to graduate with little to no debt could shape their future for the better.

OFFICE HAPPENINGS

I spent last week in Connecticut, attending the Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA) Annual Conference. This is a great opportunity for professional development and networking with some of the country's best educational consultants, in addition to many undergraduate and graduate admissions officers. Fun fact: I currently serve on the organization's finance committee and in past years have served on the business practices committee.

In addition to attending breakout sessions including "Out of the Mouths of Deans: An Interview With Admissions Leaders from Selective Colleges" and "How to Stand Out When A is an Average Grade," I have also been making time to visit colleges. Fairfield ended up to be a surprise favorite - I’ll be back next week with a recap of everything I learned!

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Lastly, I wanted to mention that William & Mary just released their interview slots for the upcoming summer. If you plan to apply to W&M, you should definitely take advantage of this opportunity and sign up. They fill VERY quickly, so don’t wait!

Interested in reading more on ROI? Check out the posts below!

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!

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: August 19

We made it through our crazy three weeks of August! Yay! Good luck to everyone starting back at school on Monday.

BIGGEST COLLEGE-RELATED NEWS OF THE WEEK

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO GEORGE MASON!

Did you know that George Mason is turning 50 this year? Check out Northern Virginia Magazine’s profile of the school’s transformation during that time.

BEST “SUMMER JOB” EVER

A 20-year old USC student just made $110 million on Bed, Bath, and Beyond stock. He explained in a post on Reddit: “The significant appreciation of BBBY’s share price combined with the fact that I am leaving for school tomorrow played critical roles in closing the Position.” That’s some experiential education right there!

CHANGES ON THE HORIZON AS LAWSUITS CONTINUE

We have an update on the financial aid lawsuit we mentioned back in January in which top colleges are being accused of antitrust violations: it looks like it’s moving forward! A federal judge in Chicago is requiring the universities named as defendants to respond to the plaintiffs by September 9. If you’re interested in continuing to learn more about the upcoming Supreme Court case on affirmative action, check out this week’s article from Politico.

PRINCETON REVIEW RANKINGS ARE OUT

My favorite rankings! I love these because of the specific categories in which schools are ranked. This is so much more helpful than a blanket ranking with methodology that may not be relevant to a particular student. Instead, you can pick the categories that matter to you! These are really worth a read. Proud of my alma mater Wash U for once again killing it - #1 in the country for best dorms, #3 for best food and financial aid, #9 for most beautiful campus and #11 for best run colleges. And a whole bunch more but I will stop bragging now :)

COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS LESSEN BUT MONKEYPOX CONCERNS RISE

From WPI to VCU, colleges are continuing to lessen their Covid-19 restrictions. Instead, many colleges have shifted focus and are working hard to educate their students about Monkeypox prevention as the outbreaks spread.

BEST ARTICLES OF THE WEEK

A Little League player suffered a traumatic brain injury after falling off his bunk bed this week at the Little League World Series. This tragedy has brought bunk bed safety to light, and it’s a particularly timely topic this week as college students are heading back to school. Did you know that there are 36,000 injuries per year related to bunk beds? I think about all the years in boarding school that I slept on top bunks without rails - scary. If you have a student sleeping in a top bunk, make sure to purchase safety rails for them.

The Washington Post offered some great advice to parents this week about making college admissions less stressful. Some of these really resonate with me, although the best piece of advice I would give to parents is to always watch your commentary about various schools. The reality is that you may very well have no concept of where your student can get in today, and a guaranteed way to make a kid feel like a loser is for them to end up at a school their parent badmouthed six months earlier.

We write a lot about the ways that colleges use data to track applicants - but the tracking doesn’t necessarily stop after matriculation! The Wall Street Journal covered the many ways that schools are beginning to use data to change the student experience, from academic advising to identifying at-risk students.

And speaking of data - WalletHub recently put together a set of community college rankings based on methodology that considers cost in relation to career and academic outcomes. You can check out how individual community colleges performed as well as entire state systems.

If you’re wondering our how local options stacked up, Northern Virginia Community College came in at #165 and Montgomery College came in at #7 (impressive!) out of 936 community colleges nationally. Honestly, I think that both NOVA and MC offer INCREDIBLE opportunities for students who want to save some money or take a non-traditional path. Students can land guaranteed admission agreements to UVA, Georgetown, and a number of other great schools - pretty amazing if you ask me.

OFFICE HAPPENINGS

Shannon helped one of our students submit what I believe was our first binding early decision application of the year at the beginning of this past week, which was very exciting! We are all crossing our fingers for him.

Most students in Fairfax County have their senior year schedules now - so it’s a great time to cross-check with the Common App and list of planned AP tests to ensure that none of that information needs to be updated.

Have a great weekend - I will be supervising lots of last-minute summer reading, can’t wait :)

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