Weekly Update: May 30

Not long now, everybody! The end of the school year is almost here! Just hang on a little bit longer!

BIGGEST COLLEGE-RELATED NEWS OF THE WEEK

NORTHEASTERN: NYC STYLE

Marymount Manhattan College, a small liberal arts school in New York City known for their theater programs, just announced a merger with Northeastern University. After the merger, Marymount Manhattan will be renamed Northeastern University-New York City. This will probably open up more opportunities for Northeastern applicants, who are often given the option to begin their studies at Northeastern at an alternate campus if they aren’t admitted through the traditional process. The merger still needs approval from regulators and accreditation agencies, which could take up to two years.

WANTED: COLLEGE PRESIDENTS

It’s not a job for the “faint of heart”, says Rev. John I. (or as students know him, “Father”) Jenkins, head of the University of Notre Dame for the past 19 years. As he gets ready to step down next month, the school will be looking for new leadership — as are many schools across the country! Along with Harvard, UPenn, Yale, Cornell, and UCLA, among others, 12 of the 58 private colleges in Massachusetts are currently without a president. The pressure to be as politically savvy as possible and of the highest academic caliber as possible is a tough blend to find, but seems to be what is now needed to qualify. Few will make the cut, but will even fewer apply?

THE PRICE OF PROTESTING

The administration at Trinity College Dublin has now rescinded a bill they presented to the Student Union. They had originally claimed that students had cost the university €214K ($232K) in “lost revenue” due to student protests. The university asserted that the protests blocked the entrance to the Book of Kells, a 1,200 year old illustrated manuscript, which attracts over half a million tourists each year. Student groups decried the school’s attempt to silence student voices.

A COLLEGE AND IT’S PROTESTORS COMPROMISED AND CONGRESS DIDN’T LIKE THAT

After a week of protests at Northwestern University with an encampment on the school’s green, the president and the students found a compromise and the protest ended. Unlike many other campus’ protests, this one was fairly peaceful. Students disbanded, removing all the tents except for one aid tent, and no arrests were made. Apparently, the U.S. Congress did not like this and demanded that Northwestern’s president, Michael Schill, present himself before Congress this Thursday. Evidently, “some members are expected to rake him over the coals for making a deal with students instead of bringing the hammer down.”

COLLEGE ATHLETES MAY FINALLY GET THEIR DUES

We’ve covered issues relating to NIL (name, image, and likeness) for years, and the latest update comes in the form of an agreement stemming from three antitrust lawsuits alleging $2.8 billion in damages. Now, however, current and former athletes may soon get paid! That said, details are still in the works with the lawyers, and it could take months before the agreement is finally considered settled. The agreement does not take on the issue of employment — the NCAA will likely continue to try and persuade Congress to pass a bill that would keep athletes from becoming employees.

BEST ARTICLES OF THE WEEK

What does it mean to be a “sell out”? For a long time, the term had the connotation of being someone who has traded in their moral values or integrity in exchange for more immediate gratification — perhaps money, or something else just as vulgar. But, like all human thoughts and ideas, meanings change with time. This article in the New York Times points a post-structuralist finger at young people and examines how they are re-defining the notion of “selling out”. If you go straight for the big bucks in order to position yourself in a place of power and influence to someday help make the world a better place, have you really sold out?

And to rebel against the “old” ideas of what it takes or requires to make the world better — or even to decide what “better” is — is all part of dismantling the false notion of structuralism in the first place. And kids these days do seem to be doing just that!  Paging Foucault and Derrida! But seriously, given the instability in the world for the past 20+ years — 9-11, wars, recessions, political divisions, a pandemic, more economic uncertainty — it’s not unreasonable for young people to try and do everything they can to establish a little bit of security for themselves while also trying to balance their strong desire to also create something better. While this article focuses on “elite” college students, I would posit that the desire to have stability and the power to change things for the better is not only limited to the students who attend “highly rejective” schools.

Sticking with the idea about jobs after college, Jeff Selingo’s latest newsletter reflects on how now, more than ever, people are debating the “value” of college — perhaps even to the point of wondering if college could ever guarantee a job as part of their education!

As summer gets closer, are you lining up your summer reading? Are they beach books? Romance? Something with some international intrigue or an adventure to the other reaches of the solar system? Maybe it’s the time when you are free to dig into some dense classics or the long list of “should’ve read” books you keep tacked to your bulletin board. This piece in the Washington Post is a lovely ode to the joy of reading — something we hope everyone finds time to do.

OFFICE HAPPENINGS

Speaking of summer reading — did you know that some college applications ask students to share lists of books they’ve read recently? This is also a common interview question! The beginning of summer is a great time for rising seniors to get a head start and make sure they have a few books to discuss if needed.

Students shouldn’t just mention any books, though — It’s always really helpful if at least a few of the texts can be connected to their individual interests, as a way to strengthen their narrative. To make sure all of our rising seniors are prepared, we have been working on putting together our 2024 Summer Reading List, with recommendations broken down by interest — stay tuned for that!

Lastly, as this year’s admission cycle winds down, college offices around the country are already thinking about next year and what it will bring. As we have already mentioned a number of times, this year’s FAFSA nightmare (still ongoing) and last year’s Supreme Court ruling are likely to change the way admissions officers shape their incoming freshman classes.

One aspect that has become significantly more relevant in recent months involves geography, and zip codes in particular. I have never heard so many admissions officers discuss the impact of applicant zip codes as I have lately! No kidding, it’s a huge topic right now. I would bet that the average parent has absolutely no concept of what a big impact zip codes are having behind the scenes (the thought process is that students from certain zip codes have distinct advantages over those from other zip codes, and that incorporating zip codes into the decision-making process is a legal way to achieve a more diverse class).

I was happy to weigh in on this for U.S. News readers last week — check out How Your Hometown Could Affect Your College Prospects — it explores how colleges will use geographic methods to grow a diverse student body.

This is so Vienna-specific, but every time I hear the zip code discussion I think about the nuances of 22182 and it makes my head spin. For what it’s worth, the admissions officers have been very clear about how they are assessing applicants in the context of their home zip code, not their school zip code.

As a 22182 resident, I’m zoned to Colvin Run, Cooper, and Langley. Arguably some of the best schools in the state. I chose to live here specifically for the schools and the opportunities for my children.

Yet there is a whole other part of 22182 on the other side of Tysons that is so, so, different in terms of racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic diversity. And some students from that area attend an elementary school that is ranked 3/10 on GreatSchools. But it’s the same zip code!

While this is a local example, there have got to be so many other places like this across the country. It really makes me wonder about the consequences of this newfound emphasis on zip code and how it will impact students in zip codes like 22182. Only time will tell!

Can’t wait to start your reading? Look at some of these past posts; you’re sure to find a book you love!

Weekly Update: March 19

Happy (belated) St. Patrick’s Day! For those of you in the DC area, I hope you get a chance to enjoy the cherry blossoms at the Tidal Basin this week – they’re finally here!

BIGGEST COLLEGE-RELATED NEWS OF THE WEEK

SURVEY FINDS COLLEGE STUDENTS PREFER CAMPUS GUN POLICIES

A new Gallup survey showed that 81% of current and prospective college students consider campus gun policies to be “at least somewhat important” in their decision to enroll, and 34% say they are “extremely important.” Notably, the results are similar across various demographics, regardless of age, gender, race/ethnicity and political party affiliation. The largest gap among subgroups is a nine-percentage-point difference between Democrats and Republicans. Despite that difference, however, the study still reflects a majority favoring campus gun policies, with 77 percent of Republican students considering gun policies to be important in their enrollment decisions, and 26 percent saying they are extremely important. In light of recent acts of gun violence on college campuses in North Carolina and Michigan, these results do not surprise me!

NAACP LETTER ASKS BLACK STUDENT-ATHLETES TO RECONSIDER ATTENDING FLORIDA COLLEGES

NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson sent a letter to the National Collegiate Athletic Association last week, asking Black student-athletes to reconsider their decisions to attend public colleges and universities in Florida. As I mentioned in my weekly update earlier this month, the University of Florida just closed down its diversity, equity and inclusion programs in order to comply with Gov. Ron DeSantis’ law prohibiting the use of state funding for DEI programs. Other public institutions in Florida, including Florida State University, have also followed suit.

FONTBONNE UNIVERSITY CLOSES, WASH U TO PURCHASE ITS CAMPUS

Fontbonne University in Clayton, Missouri, will be closing its doors next summer after struggling with declining enrollment and a shrinking endowment. Originally founded as a women’s college in 1923, the school has a history of being one of the country’s most diverse Catholic institutions of higher education; as of 2021, more than a quarter of its undergraduates are African-American.  After its Summer 2025 term, the property will be acquired by Washington University in St. Louis. Interestingly, the Fontbonne campus is located on the other side of Wash U’s “South 40,” where the residence halls are located.  As such, it is located closer to most of the students’ residence halls than the current Wash U academic buildings.  Although it is sad to see Fontbonne close, this will be a great expansion opportunity for Wash U!

MARCH MADNESS BEGINS

Selection Sunday is behind us and the NCAA tournament games kick off this evening with Wagner vs. Howard and Colorado State vs. Virginia. The First Four will finish up tomorrow with Grambling vs. Montana State and Colorado vs. Boise State… and then things will really kick into high gear on Thursday! We’ve written before about the impact of “Cinderella runs" on the admissions process, and it will be interesting to see what this year holds!

BEST ARTICLES OF THE WEEK

It’s been a challenging year in the college admissions world, to say the least, but we are making our way through it! I just read a Wall Street Journal article that summed it up this way: “This might be the most chaotic, frustrating, uncertain college-admissions cycle in recent history.”  

The WSJ highlighted three major factors that created this “perfect storm”: First, the Supreme Court ruling on affirmative action, which restricts how schools can consider an applicant’s race. As a result of this ruling, college applications cannot directly ask about race, but they can provide an opportunity in the essays for this information to be included. This has left many students uncertain whether disclosing their race and ethnicity would be beneficial or not to their application. On top of that, they have to figure out how to weave this information into their essays.

(Here at DCCC, we work with every single one of our students to write content on how their own unique and diverse backgrounds have impacted the person they are today. We then try to incorporate that particular content to fit college-specific supplemental essay prompts whenever possible, because colleges are looking for a class with diverse experiences and backgrounds. Sometimes these cover topics like race, ethnicity, and religion — but many times they don’t. Our students’ past essays on this topic have discussed the impacts of experiences as varied as frequent childhood relocations, to growing up with food allergies, to parental addiction and mental illness — and so many more. Everyone has something that has shaped their background in a unique way, even if it’s not immediately obvious.)

The second factor: test score confusion. We’ve heard it all – test-blind, test-optional, test-recommended, test-flexible and test-required. Understanding these new terms has added a layer of complication to the college application process, especially when students apply to colleges that require tests for certain majors or programs but don’t require them for others. Another consequence of schools not requiring test scores is that some students believe they don’t have to put any effort into prepping for them, only to realize too late that certain scholarships are tied to strong scores - or even worse, learning of last-minute policy changes at institutions that have begun to require them again. So: study for the SAT and ACT, kids! 

And lastly, the most impactful factor in upending this year’s college admissions cycle is the delayed Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) process. Usually by this time of year, students are sorting through and comparing their financial aid offers. This year, however, due to a delayed release of the new FAFSA online application and an avalanche of technological glitches, the federal government is extremely delayed in sending colleges information about applicants’ family finances and how much federal aid they qualify for. This financial information is critical for colleges in calculating need-based aid and creating financial aid offers.

Absent these offers, students are facing the possibility of blindly deciding on colleges to meet enrollment deadlines without knowing the tuition costs in advance. Or, even worse, they may not be able to enroll at all, since many students cannot seriously consider college without financial aid. This could lead to enrollment decline, which, as we have seen, can impact the very existence of certain less-selective colleges. It is ironic that the very system that was designed to help lower-income students has been their biggest bar to college enrollment.   

How did we get here? I came across a recent New York Times article that had a good breakdown of how this happened.  In 2020, Congress ordered the Education Department to streamline the FAFSA process to make it easier and more accessible. The notoriously long and complex form was whittled down from over 100 questions to fewer than 40. Unfortunately, though, it was not released until the end of December, almost three months later than the regular October timeframe. In addition to technical malfunctions that locked students out of their applications, the new FAFSA required social security numbers for both students and their parents. Students with mixed-status families have been disproportionately affected, as FAFSA delays may cause them to miss scholarship and aid deadlines. 

Two weeks ago, when the Education Department came up with a resolution to the social security issue, they discovered 70,000 emails from student applicants sitting in an inbox, unread and unanswered. The Department is now faced with processing a landslide of applications and handling 70,000 emails…and counting. Yikes.

Despite these setbacks on the national level, our DCCC students have been able to navigate this year’s application process with success! We have been hearing good news from so many colleges, and we’ve managed to stay on track thanks to the tireless work of our dedicated counselors, students and families. We can’t wait for more good news to pour in. Way to go, everyone!

On a completely different note, I want to share an excellent article from the New York Times discussing the purpose of universities, and it had me nodding my head in agreement. According to the article, an “understanding,” or something like an unspoken contract, has always existed between American universities, the government, and the people. Universities provide education with the help of government funding and tax breaks, and faculty are given academic freedom when it comes to what and how they teach and research; they are – or should be – insulated from external pressures of politics and industry.  In return, universities cultivate a pluralistic democracy and produce an educated citizenry, allowing for economic mobility and a capitalist economy. 

Stanford international studies professor Anna Gryzmala-Busse stated that “if universities are not fulfilling these missions, and are seen as prioritizing other missions, that political bargain becomes fragile.” The article points out the dangers when universities stray from their essential duty by pushing a political agenda, consequently stifling intellectual discourse and freedom of thought among its faculty and students. A social justice mentality is counter-productive to the university’s work of fostering open dialogue with multiple perspectives. Universities are increasingly forced to quickly make official statements on polarizing, political issues; issues that scholars spend years studying and continually discussing. Political interference in a university destroys its academic freedom. 

The last paragraph stuck with me: “When universities become overly political, and tilt too far toward one end of the spectrum, they’re denying students and faculty the kind of open-ended inquiry and knowledge-seeking that has long been the basis of American higher education’s success.” Well, there’s food for thought!

OFFICE HAPPENINGS

I’m excited to share an article from Northern Virginia Magazine, in which I provide advice on making your final college decision! Decision day is just around the corner for many of you, and all of us at DCCC want to make sure you are as prepared as possible.

Scholarships, location, campus culture, post-graduation jobs – there are so many important factors weighed in the balance as you narrow down those college acceptances and decide which college is the right fit for you. So, mark May 1 on your calendar (unless your colleges delayed their deadlines due to the aforementioned FAFSA problems!) and check out the article!

Anybody else go to the ACC tournament in DC last week/weekend? The Virginia games, both of which went into overtime, were insane! Especially Friday, wow. For those of you who didn’t catch it, they had a five-point lead in the last fifty seconds of regulation, and a three-point lead in the last five seconds. Despite ESPN indicating that their chances of winning at that point were over 98%, it was not to be: a very unfortunate series of events ended up resulting in a loss to NC State.

Fingers crossed for a win against Colorado State tonight!

Weekly Update: March 12

It’s finally starting to feel like spring in the DC area, and we’re wishing a happy Ramadan and easy fast to those who are celebrating this month!

BIGGEST COLLEGE-RELATED NEWS OF THE WEEK

FIRST DIGITAL SAT ADMINISTRATION TAKES PLACE

The first official (non-pilot) nationwide administration of the digital SAT took place on Saturday, and reports from students have been pretty positive so far! In addition to being online, the test is now adaptive — meaning that the difficulty of students’ questions will be impacted by their performance as they proceed through the exam. The new version is also significantly shorter than it was in the past, coming in at just over two hours with only two sections. I’m so glad it went well!

BROWN, PENN, AND UT AUSTIN ANNOUNCE TESTING POLICY UPDATES

Last week, Brown announced that they will reinstate the standardized testing requirement for the Class of 2029 (current high school juniors). The announcement also reaffirmed their decision to continue offering early decision and recognizing legacy applicants — for now, anyway. The University of Texas at Austin made a similar announcement about reinstating test scores yesterday, citing strong data-backed evidence pointing to the predictive power of standardized test scores on undergraduate performance. Penn, on the other hand, has chosen to buck this testing trend: the university will remain test optional for the upcoming admissions cycle.

LEGACY ADMISSIONS OFFICIALLY BANNED IN VIRGINIA

We knew it was coming, but Gov. Glenn Youngkin signed bills on Friday to ban legacy admission in the Commonwealth of Virginia, a move that is expected to impact applicants most at UVA and William & Mary (read the article’s quotation from William & Mary carefully, as it’s misleading, in my opinon — while everything stated is technically true, it seems to suggest that they haven’t historically given legacy applicants special treatment. I’m not even a critic of legacy admissions, but if that’s what they are suggesting… well, it’s just plain inaccurate). In other news, U.S. Senators Tim Kaine and Todd Young are now embarking on a bipartisan effort to ban legacy admissions on a national level.

PROVIDENCE COLLEGE STUDENTS SEND CAMPUS SECURITY GUARD HOME TO VISIT FAMILY

Such a sweet story out of Providence College! A group of students learned that one of their campus security guards had not returned to his native country, Nigeria, in over 11 years — and had not seen his son since he left. They organized a GoFundMe that raised money for him to take a trip home, and ended up with over $15,000!

SPELMAN LAUNCHES INNOVATIVE PROGRAM TO CREATE FUTURE BEAUTY INDUSTRY LEADERS

Did you know that Black beauty brands only make up a tiny 2.5 percent of the cosmetics and personal care market, despite the fact that Black women spend billions of dollars each year on those items? Spelman College did, and administrators and faculty are stepping up to flip that script. The Atlanta HBCU just announced a significant expansion of their cosmetic science program, including a minor in cosmetic science and a special concentration in “cosmetic chemistry” for chemistry majors. SO COOL!

BEST ARTICLES OF THE WEEK

I really enjoyed last weekend’s New York Times piece entitled “We Tried to Create a Diverse College Class Without Affirmative Action,” in which researchers presented interactive visual models depicting the differing impacts of various policies on admitted student diversity, in an effort to create a diverse class without traditional affirmative action policies. The findings were interesting: giving low-income students an admissions advantage resulted in a significant amount of economic diversity, but a very small increase in racial diversity. Giving an additional advantage to students from low-performing schools helped some, but not much. So what worked best? A two-part process that (a) identified “outlier” students that performed significantly better from their peers in the same environment, no matter what that environment was; and (b) an expanded recruiting strategy that targeted students who may not have otherwise chosen to apply to highly selective colleges.

We’ve shared a number of recent articles about why certainly highly competitive schools have made the decision to reinstate standardized testing, but this piece from The Atlantic does a great job of delving more deeply into why test-optional admissions policies hurt disadvantaged students in particular. Some of the analysis here aligns closely with the findings mentioned in the New York Times article above, too - especially the Michigan example.

I have worked with teenagers for my entire career — well before I had children. Yet as my oldest inches closer and closer to her teenage years, it’s been so interesting to see how my experiences as a parent have impacted my professional perspective. I really felt torn as I read “The Parents in My Classroom”, a Slate piece written by a teacher who complains about parents trying to maintain constant contact with her high school students during the school day. She writes that “increased parental surveillance has blurred the boundaries between home and school so much that students are not developing into independent thinkers,” and the professional in me knows she’s absolutely right. But the mom in me … well, I see the other side too — in a way that I probably wouldn’t have before. I guess the best we can do sometimes as parents is to educate ourselves about the “right” thing to do while still keeping practicality in mind.

OFFICE HAPPENINGS

There’s been a ton going on in our office lately - from RD decision releases to college essays to hiring a new counselor (more on her later!). And the ACC tournament is in DC this week! Is anybody going?

Have a great week!

Weekly Update: NOVEMBER 2! We made it!

We made it past 11/1! It is hard for me to even wrap my head around the fact that 6/29, the day of the Supreme Court decision, was a smidge over four months ago. These have been the longest four months of my life! So. Many. Essays! Predictably, the Common App (R) glitched a ton last week and early this week. If you’re reading this and you haven’t submitted all of your 11/15 apps yet - do it NOW! Don’t wait.

BIGGEST COLLEGE-RELATED NEWS OF THE LAST FEW WEEKS

HORRIFIC ANTISEMITISM ON COLLEGE CAMPUSES

Some of the recent antisemitic incidents on college campuses are so awful that I am honestly having a hard time wrapping my head around how they are possible in today’s world. Even if people are horrible enough to want to do these things (which I struggle with understanding, in and of itself) - how could they be so stupid to think that they can behave this way and get away with it? I really do not get it. When I first started drafting this post, the FBI was investigating the incidents at Cornell, and I’m so glad they were able to identify the person allegedly responsible, Patrick Dai. I hope this sends a strong message to students nationwide - no one will get away with this behavior.

VIRGINIA PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES ROLL OUT GUARANTEED ADMISSION PROGRAMS

No, not those Virginia public universities 😀 But these are great options for students, nonetheless! George Mason recently announced guaranteed admissions agreements for seniors at Alexandria City High School (formerly T.C. Williams) as well as Osbourn High School in Manassas. Students with grade point averages of 3.25 are automatically admitted - no applications, fees, essays, recommendations or test scores. VCU announced a similar initiative, except that any qualifying student in the state is eligible - regardless of high school. Students need GPAs of 3.5+, or must rank in the top ten percent of their high school class.

LIBERTY AND HILLSDALE FACE EXTREME BACKLASH

Liberty University is in hot water (to put it mildly) for their alleged violations of the Clery Act. According to the Washington Post, “Liberty failed to warn the campus community about gas leaks, bomb threats and people credibly accused of repeated acts of sexual violence — including a senior administrator and an athlete.” Several days later, Hillsdale College alumnae filed a federal suit alleging that the school violated state law and Title IX by by failing to address sexual assaults on campus. These allegations are very serious, and a good reminder to do your due diligence on any litigation involving schools on your student’s college list.

LOTS OF CHANGES AT UVA

UVA has now changed their approach to early decision and early action applications. Starting with this 2023-2024 application cycle, students will no longer be deferred to regular decision - just admitted, wait-listed, or denied. I think this is a great thing, by the way. The chances of admission post-deferral are so low - particularly with early decision - and it’s so much easier for students to be able to move on with their lives and make the best decisions possible without holding out for something that will likely never happen. Another change - UVA’s commerce (business) major will now be a three-year program instead of a two-year program. This is great for students who are hoping to have a more comprehensive, longer-term approach to business. And lastly, SCHEV approved UVA’s data science major last month, opening the door for undergraduates to move beyond the data science minor and pursue the much-desired major option.

SRAR PROBLEMS

More and more schools are requiring the SRAR, or Self-Reported Academic Record. In fact, Sally has spent quite a bit of time over the last few weeks helping our seniors complete and submit these after they submitted their actual applications. However, a number of problems have emerged over the past few days. Rutgers applicants had trouble accessing their applicant portals due to technical issues, and couldn’t link their SRARs to their Rutgers applications. Fortunately, Rutgers extended their materials deadline (and for SRAR completion) to 11/10 for students who submitted their application on time. Applicants to other schools have reported logging into their SRAR to find that it is pre-populated with inaccurate information. Make sure to check everything over with a fine-tooth comb!

BEST ARTICLES OF THE LAST FEW WEEKS

While it’s nice to see that top law firms are putting pressure on colleges and universities to make sure the anti-semitic behavior referenced earlier in this post is addressed appropriately, I am with Bill Ackman - it’s really unfortunate that the pressure has to happen in the first place. BTW, I really like the way the law firms included Islamophobia in their letter, too. This kind of hatred is just totally unacceptable across the board and makes me sick.

The last place I would have expected a mass shooting is Lewiston, Maine, home of top liberal arts school Bates College - but Bates students had a really rough time last week. Students at Bowdoin College and Colby College were also impacted, as well as local campuses of the Universities of Maine and New England. One of Sally’s children is a student at one of these schools (keeping it vague for privacy!) and it just sounds like it was a terrifying situation all around for them.

On a more positive note, researchers from UVA’s School of Education and Human development recently developed what they call the Portrait of a Thriving Youth. This is a great read for parents, teachers, and anyone else working with or supporting an adolescent or young adult - it helps us identify needs and challenges as well as milestones and competencies. As a parent, I find this kind of thing so helpful, because I constantly remind myself that adolescent behavior is developmentally normal, despite the fact that it makes me want to pull my hair out. I have to literally repeat it to myself over and over in my head: “This is developmentally normal, this is actually a good thing, it would be bad if this behavior was not happening.” Whatever works, right?!

OFFICE HAPPENINGS

Fortunately, all of our 11/1 applications were submitted well in advance of the deadlines and almost of our students have submitted all of their regular decision applications as well. Things have started to settle down for a minute and we are giving our full attention to the juniors, transfers, and grad school applicants. And all of our former clients registering for their Spring 2024 classes over the next few weeks - we’re helping with course selection!

Hope everyone had a great Halloween! Several hours in advance, my son bailed on HIS plan 😀 for our Travis/Taylor costumes in favor of wearing last year’s Pokemon costume again - so I just went with it!

Have a great weekend and enjoy the slightly warmer weather after this week’s cold front!

Weekly Update: December 9

BIGGEST COLLEGE-RELATED NEWS OF THE WEEK

A NEW TOOL FOR COMPARING SAT AND ACT SCORES

Students who received their PSAT scores this week should take a few minutes to check out the concordance widget. Compass Prep released this new tool that makes it easy for students to convert their scores from SAT to ACT and use the comparisons to make important decisions about future test prep.

CONTRACEPTIVES BOOST COLLEGE GRADUATION RATES

There’s good news this week for young women in Colorado. Researchers have found that the state’s Title X Family Planning Initiative (CFPI) - which increased access to low and no-cost contraceptives in 2009- has also increased college graduation rates for women over the past decade by up to 12%. Additionally, the data shows improvements in high school graduation rates, as well as the number of women in Colorado who earn their bachelor’s degree by the age of 24. Researchers feel these numbers are significant because they emphasize the importance of Title X policies and programs, as well as the impact contraceptive access can have upon a woman’s future. 

HIGHEST PAYING COLLEGE MAJORS OF 2022

What is your college major worth? Payscale released their annual list of highest-paying majors, so check them out. As many might expect, a majority of the top spots are held by engineering industries, computer science, and math. However, there are a few surprises on the list this year, especially for those preparing to become dental hygienists or physician assistants. And if you’re still in search of a well-paid career path, you might want to look into marine transport management! Aspiring entrepreneurs should check out this recent Forbes piece - a lot of interesting data here about small business ownership.

A NEW LEAD EMERGES IN THE UNIVERSITY OF IDAHO MURDER CASE

After receiving over 6,000 tips, investigators in the University of Idaho student murders have a new lead. On Wednesday, police announced that a white Hyundai Elantra was spotted near the off-campus house during the time of the attacks. They believe the person(s) in the vehicle could have critical information into the case. Meanwhile, the two surviving roommates - who are believed to have slept through the attacks- opened up for the first time since the tragedy. During a memorial service last weekend, they shared memories of their friends and spoke about the impact of the tragic event.

BEST ARTICLES OF THE WEEK

With affirmative action at the forefront of college admissions over the past several months, many are taking a fresh look at disparities in higher education. For decades, experts have cited a long list of factors that create a system of imbalances for students: athletic recruitment, legacy admissions, elite prep school education, to name a few. And now, in the words of Taylor Swift..

via GIPHY

Well, according to Evan Mandery, anyway. In his article for Time Magazine this week, he looks closely at the rise of private college counselors like us, which he calls the “gatekeepers.” He writes that we take “disparities between rich and poor, which diverge from birth, and explode them exponentially.” Yes, because college admissions have become increasingly competitive and complex, many families are turning to expert counselors like us at DC College Counseling for one-on-one support. I can’t deny that he’s correct about the advantages of working with us, but it’s not accurate to say that we only work with wealthy families. We also work with quite a few middle-income families as well as an increasing number of low-income families through our pro-bono program. We also do not charge anywhere near the amounts mentioned in that article - wow.

Can race impact your chances of college admissions? That’s the question many Asian-American students are asking in the wake of Harvard’s discrimination lawsuit. While students highlight their racial backgrounds on college applications, that doesn’t seem to be the case for a lot Asian-American students. In fact, many say they prefer not to disclose their race and even avoid “stereotypical” activities out of fear of bias. I can understand the stereotypical activities part - it’s awful that this has to happen, but I can understand why a student would make that choice given this landscape.

But my personal opinion - which I understand others may not agree with - is that there’s rarely a point to opting out of race disclosure. It’s almost always pretty clear whether a student is Asian based on other information in the application, so I don’t think it’s effective, and a student who chooses not to disclose when it’s obvious can instead give off the impression they are trying to hide something. Again, just my personal opinion, and of course these concerns extend far beyond college admissions. Many experts believe that heightened self-consciousness over race can have detrimental effects on students’ mental health.

The college essay is dead! This bold statement might leave essay-averse undergrads cheering, but our office of English majors was devastated to see the headline. And it’s not referring to the admissions essay, by the way! According to Stephen Marche in The Atlantic, growing AI technologies are changing the face of humanities. Students are now relying on auto-generated programs to write “original” works, from analytical essays to poetry. Some argue that the use of AI technologies isn’t actually cheating, but the issue certainly raises important questions about the role of technology in the study of humanities. Will the art of writing be relevant in the future? What value will natural language hold? Marche believes that academia will need to work hard to answer these questions and create a new vision for the future–one where humanities and technology won’t be at odds. I think writing will always be an essential skill for success in any career field and life in general!

Financial aid letters are in desperate need of revision, according to researchers at the U.S. Government Accountability Office. A recent report revealed significant problems with the ways in which schools present financial aid packages to admitted students. These letters can be confusing and misleading for families, who struggle to make sense of the numbers and compare offers across multiple schools. That’s why researchers are calling for standardization of information in financial aid packages, as well as legal disclosures, so that students can avoid costly mistakes.

Computer science may be one of the highest paying majors of 2022 (as we mentioned above), but recent undergrads could have trouble finding a lucrative job in the industry. Over the past decade, the number of students majoring in computer science has tripled, as undergrads are lured by dreams of six-figure salaries and office napping pods. However, a weakening economy has led to recent cuts within major tech companies, such as Meta and Amazon. But don’t panic yet, computer science majors! Recent data shows that there’s an increasing demand for computer science majors in the automotive and finance industries. Job seekers may just have to give up their dreams of working for Twitter and imagine a future at Toyota instead. 

If you like kids and want to earn a six-figure job within a few years out of college, we've got a school for you! Norland College, located in Bath, England, has been the premiere educational center for nannies for 130 years. The school is known for its rigorous curriculum - a mix of early childhood development studies and training in martial arts, evasive driving, and even cybersecurity. Who knew?! Graduates are in high demand and often go on to work for elite households, from the house of Windsor to ​​the house of Mick Jagger. Just don’t tell anyone if you’re admitted. Privacy is one of the hallmarks of Norland College! 

OFFICE HAPPENINGS

We have a lot of students hearing back from their ED schools both tonight and over the next few days. I feel so anxious! For our current students, please let us know as soon as you find out. We are crossing our fingers.

If you watch CNN, look for me early next week on a segment with Don Lemon about public vs. private school and which is better. I’m not sure which day yet, but I’ll post it when it comes online. Spoiler alert: it’s not a one-size-fits-all answer, in my opinion. I have children at both! They are fortunate to go to amazing schools and have incredibly dedicated, hard-working teachers. As I listened to the other panelists, I could not help but reflect on how beyond fortunate we are in the D.C. area to have so many diverse school choices. This is definitely not the case in other parts of the country!

On another note, while you’re busy making plans for winter break, don’t forget to start planning for summer as well! Several summer pre-college programs and internships have been announced recently, and deadlines are approaching fast (we know it seems early, but many applications close by mid-January!).

To see a list of summer academic, internship, and volunteer opportunities, visit our database. We update the listings weekly. And if you need help with summer applications or your resume, we can help. Book a session with us here (scroll down to the bottom) if you aren’t a current client and here if you are.