BIGGEST COLLEGE-RELATED NEWS OF THE WEEK

VARSITY BLUES FRAUD CONVICTIONS OVERTURNED

Two parents who were convicted in the Varsity Blues scandal had their convictions overturned this week by a federal appeals court. The court overturned all convictions against Gamal Abdelaziz and all but one conviction of another parent, John Wilson.

The federal judges on the case determined that the two parents did not knowingly commit fraud, believing that they were making legitimate donations to the universities. We’ll be paying attention to how this development affects the 50+ convictions of other parents in the aftermath of Varsity Blues.

NEVER TOO LATE TO GRADUATE

A 72-year-old man graduated from Georgia Gwinnett College last week. After raising 5 kids and 15 grandchildren, Sam Kaplan got his degree in Cinema and Media Arts with his 99-year-old mother and several of his children in the audience. He hopes to become a screenwriter.

Meanwhile, at Texas Lutheran University, senior Ashley Adams is making university history by graduating alongside both of her parents on Saturday. We believe that everyone should have the chance to get their degree - but we have to say, we’re not sure many of our students would love having their parents on the same campus!

FREE TUITION PROGRAM IN MINNESOTA

The Minnesota House and Senate passed a bill that includes a free tuition program for students coming from families that make less than $80,000 per year. The program will allow Minnesota students to attend public colleges and universities for free, covering any tuition costs left over after state and federal grants and institutional scholarships. Now, these students will not need to take out loans to cover their education!

BEST ARTICLES OF THE WEEK

This CNBC article is a reality check for some college students when it comes to starting salary. Job prospects look good for the graduating class of 2023, who are graduating into a strong job market, and the average starting salary for new graduates is $56,000. However, a survey found that college students expect to be making nearly $85,000 just one year after graduating - a difference of 30K! In fact, the same survey found that many college graduates say they wouldn’t take a job for less than $72,000 - lower than the average expectation, but much higher than the average starting salary. While salary expectations vary widely across industries, it is smart for students to do their research so they can manage their expectations upon entering the workforce.

DC local Yasmine Arrington started ScholarCHIPS - a scholarship nonprofit to assisted Children of Incarcerated Parents - when she was just sixteen years old. The child of an incarcerated parent herself, Yasmine started the organization to provide a safe space for students who need support - many of whom have not disclosed at school or to their friends that their parent is incarcerated. Since the organization was created in 2010, it has awarded over $450,000 in scholarships to more than 80 students. In addition to scholarships, the organization provides each student with a laptop, access to an emergency fund, check-ins throughout the year, and the option of being matched with a mentor. Students can apply or get involved here, or donate to ScholarCHIPS here. Of course, do your research before you donate, as we have not vetted this organization - just passing it along!

We hope the moms out there had a wonderful mother’s day yesterday! My own mom sent this article to me about the #1 phrase that moms are sick of hearing and it really resonated with me (I could probably write a book on invisible labor- don’t even get me started).

Mother’s Day 2023, representing 11 years of love, joy and invisible labor :)

One thought I did have while reading, though, was that I can sleep well at night knowing that my team and I are 100% part of the solution for other parents - we absolutely, one million percent have your back and will do whatever we can to help you out and make adolescence easier on your family, whether something is directly related to college applications or not. And that’s how I ended up at Nordstrom last week, helping one of my favorite young women try on clothes for an interview - true story :) I know we get paid for our services, but at the same time, we really care and will go to great lengths to ease your load however we can (as long as it’s not illegal!). This is a central part of our mission and I think we do an excellent job living it out.

OFFICE HAPPENINGS

Shannon attended the Best of Boston counselor session this week and wanted to share some of her biggest takeaways:

Early decision is becoming more and more important. Tufts and Northeastern expect to admit about half or slightly more through the early rounds, while BU intends to admit 55% of its class early decision next cycle. Many selective and highly selective colleges around the country will have similar projections, so we encourage students to think hard about whether the strategic advantage associated with ED is the way to go!
Check your email! Tufts, Northeastern, and BU all expect to close their waitlists in mid-June, so we’ve got about a month or less of waitlist activity. In the event that students are admitted off the waitlist, the school will give them about a week (or sometimes less!) to respond. So, if you are waiting on a decision, make sure to check email regularly and prepare to commit on a short timeline.
Don’t phone in your “Why This School?” essay. All three schools at the session consider demonstrated interest, as do many others. While Northeastern does not typically have supplemental essays, for Tufts and BU, the “Why This School?” supplemental essay is the most important essay - and a big factor in their consideration of demonstrated interest! It is essential to ensure that the essay is unique, authentic to you, and could only be used to describe that single school.
P.S. We have noticed that these types of essays have been a real pain point for students post-Covid. As a result, we made the decision to offer our Class of 2024 students two options for free instruction from our essay coaches on how to approach these essays. Yes - totally free - that’s how important we think these are. If you missed the email communication and are wondering how to sign up, please email admin@dccollegecounseling.com for details.

And for any OLGC families reading - students who are members of OLGC parish with a GPA of at least 3.0 are eligible to apply for the JTC Scholarship. Interested students should apply by May 25!

Have a great week!

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.

Weekly Update: May 15