Weekly Update: May 15

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:

1. 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!

2. 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. 

3. 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!

Weekly Update: January 3

BIGGEST COLLEGE-RELATED NEWS OF THE WEEK

COLLEGES BAN TIKTOK

Some college students are in for a big surprise when they return to campus after winter break. One of the world’s most popular social media apps will now be off limits at some US colleges and universities. Several schools in Georgia, Alabama, and Oklahoma have recently blocked TikTok from campus computers and networks in response to state executive orders, which banned the app on state-issued devices. Growing cybersecurity concerns have also prompted many schools to delete their university-administered TikTok accounts in favor of other platforms. Students are vowing that the bans won’t stop them from using the popular platform, though. There’s a convenient workaround: they can still access TikTok from the comforts of their personal devices and phone plans. 

PROSECUTORS REQUEST SIX YEAR SENTENCE FOR VARSITY BLUES MASTERMIND

Last Wednesday prosecutors filed a sentencing memorandum, asking that William Singer- the “mastermind” behind the Varsity Blues scandal- serve six years in prison and pay over $10 million in restitution. This request is in stark contrast to what Singer’s attorneys have proposed: community service and three years of probation. So why the disparity? Prosecutors claim that Singer’s fraud was “staggering in scope” and “breathtaking in its audacity and the levels of deception it involved.” Singer responded by issuing a statement of apology and remorse to the court. We will continue to track this story, as Singer is scheduled to be sentenced on January 4. 

IDAHO PROFESSOR FIGHTS BACK AGAINST TIKTOK MURDER ALLEGATIONS

TikToker Ashley Guillard made headlines this past week for her psychic attempts to solve the University of Idaho murder case. Guillard, a tarot card reader, created over 40 posts on her social media platform implicating Idaho professor Rebecca Scofield in the tragedy. Professor Scofield’s attorney issued two cease and desist letters before filing a lawsuit for defamation. Guillard doesn’t seem worried, though, about the lawsuit. According to reports, Guillard said she’s “gleaming with excitement” at the chance to share her ideas in court.

IDAHO MURDER SUSPECT ARRESTED

On Friday, officials arrested a suspect in the University of Idaho quadruple homicide case. Bryan Kohberger was apprehended in Pennsylvania, after officials confirmed his DNA was a match to evidence found at the scene of the crimes.

NATIONAL MERIT AWARDS GO UNRECOGNIZED AT TOP VIRGINIA HIGH SCHOOL

There’s a “war on merit” at Fairfax County’s Thomas Jefferson High School (more widely known in our area as TJ). The school has been accused of failing to notify or recognize students named as Commended Students by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation. As a result, nearly 1,200 students missed the chance to bolster their college applications with this honor. Many parents are calling this a “criminal act” and are insisting that the school take responsibility. According to a recently released statement, Fairfax County Public Schools is “looking into the matter” and will correct the notification process going forward.

CAUSE OF PRINCETON STUDENT’S DEATH REVEALED

For months, many have speculated about the cause of a Princeton University student’s death. In October, the body of Misrach Ewunetie was found near campus tennis courts, just two days after Ewunetie was reported missing. Although there were no indicators of foul play, many wondered what happened and why. This past week investigators revealed that Ewunetie died by suicide: a fatal mixture of antidepressants and anxiety medication. 

BEST ARTICLES OF THE WEEK

$60,000 college tuition price tags, tens of thousands in student loans, raging debt: how did we get here? That’s the question David Love is posing, as he traces the history of the American student loan crisis. He examines the shift from college education being perceived as a “public good” to an individual “private endeavor.” Love also looks at the politics and policies that have informed access to college education over the past forty years, making it a luxury for those who can afford the soaring costs. Ultimately, Love calls for an ideological shift back to college as a public good “rather than a profit center.”

Teachers got an unwanted holiday gift this year: a new technology that makes cheating even easier for students. ChatGPT is a newly released AI bot that provides well-written, almost “human-like” answers to any question the user may pose. While this may be a handy app for the curious, it’s anything but for teachers and professors who are concerned about academic integrity. Gone are the days of checking for plagiarism via a Google search. Many educators are worried that ChatGPT will make it impossible to determine originality in student work. And with ChatGPT’s refined features, which include the ability to script paragraphs in different writing tones, teachers will have to work extra hard to distinguish a student’s authentic writing style from an AI response. ChatGPT is aware of the potential for cheating and has offered teachers advice: educate students about cheating; provide them with support so they won’t cheat; and change up typical essay or exam questions to make them more sophisticated. We’re not convinced that these measures will solve the potential problems of AI and cheating. But students beware: your teachers know about this technology, and they’re on the watch! 

A recent New York Times opinion piece delves into a topic that comes up quite frequently in our office: whether or not to disclose mental health issues in college applications. As the author found, this type of disclosure can be a red flag to admissions officers and can have a significant negative impact on admissions decisions. All things being equal, we do not recommend disclosing. However, sometimes all things are not equal - if it’s obvious from other aspects of a student’s application that something serious was going on, it can be better to go with the truth instead of leaving admissions officers to make guesses that are often times worse than the reality.

OFFICE HAPPENINGS

It’s a new year, and we have a new collection of Summer 2023 opportunities for high schoolers! Visit our database to see the latest internships, pre-college programs, and volunteer experiences available. And don’t delay! There are several opportunities with January application deadlines.

If you need help with summer program applications, resumes, or cover letters, book a session with us. Meeting times in January are filling up fast!

Weekly Update: November 11

We want to thank all of our veterans for their service 🇺🇸

BIGGEST COLLEGE-RELATED NEWS OF THE WEEK

LEARN BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING AT SIX FLAGS

Every year, over 100 first year students in biomedical engineering and physics at Johns Hopkins have a unique learning experience - riding roller coasters at Six Flags. The program - really an experiment - has been running for 20 years, with students measuring acceleration, heart rate, altitude, and other metrics on the amusement park rides. It also serves as a bonding experience for these future biomedical engineering majors. 

ABA VOTES ON TEST SCORES IN LAW SCHOOL ACCREDITATION

In one week, the ABA’s Council of the Section of Legal Education will vote on whether to continue to require standardized testing be used in law school admissions in order for law schools to remain accredited by the organization. Currently, law schools must use a “valid and reliable” test for admissions - a category that grew to include the GRE in November 2021. 

Even if the measure passes next Friday, it will still need to go before the ABA’s House of Delegates in February for final approval. In a 2018 attempt to eliminate the requirement, the measure was withdrawn before that approval process began. 

“VARSITY BLUES” YALE COACH SENTENCED TO FIVE MONTHS

The former Yale women’s soccer coach, who pled guilty to a charge of wire fraud in 2019 for his involvement in the Varsity Blues scandal, was sentenced to five months in prison on Wednesday. The coach, Rudy Meredith, was the first to tell authorities about Rick Singer, after Meredith was caught soliciting a $450,000 bribe from a father in April 2018.

SENATOR BEN SASSE APPROVED AS UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA PRESIDENT

Senator Ben Sasse (R-NE) will leave the Senate in January in order to assume his new position as the President of the University of Florida on February 6, 2023. The Board of Governors approved Sasse’s appointment during a regular meeting on Wednesday despite the ongoing controversy related to his selection.

BEST ARTICLES OF THE WEEK

A group of college students move into a convent… It may sound like the beginning of a punchline, but this is what happened at Neumann University in Pennsylvania. Neumann, a Catholic university, wanted more housing for students - and the convent on the edge of campus, once home to 1,600 nuns and now with a population of only about 300, had some extra bedrooms. While the nuns and students have separate entrances to the building and eat in separate dining halls, they have bonded over dorm pizza parties, painting pumpkins, and even learning a TikTok dance. Neumann anticipates moving even more students into the sisters’ home in the future. 

What does buying tickets to Taylor Swift’s tour have to do with college admissions? According to Jeff Selingo, buying concert tickets and applying to college have a few similarities. In his latest newsletter, Selingo explores the impact of early admissions, particularly early decision, on college admissions. At some schools, it is basically impossible to be admitted without applying early - and this phenomenon is only increasing. With ED becoming the new RD, we expect this trend will only be exacerbated by an economic downturn. During the Great Recession, colleges relied heavily on ED, so there is precedent to this increase. 

Lastly, don’t miss the Washington Post’s concerning expose about Yale’s handling of students with mental health challenges. I know that dealing with these struggles is sort of a lose-lose situation from an institutional standpoint- the colleges are of course very concerned about the students’ welfare, but still need to minimize their own liability. Still, this does not feel like a good solution to me at all - there has to be a better way.

OFFICE HAPPENINGS

I just finished the 2nd to last week of the intensive part of my Goldman Sachs 10KSB program! (we will still meet during 2023 and have our “graduation” in May but the commitment will be substantially smaller than the 20+ hour weekly time commitment this past fall).

Anyway, we were working on operations and processes this past week (which I am truly passionate about) and had a fun exercise in which we had to work with our groups to provide instructions to build a PBJ sandwich. I led my group and it turned out we were only the 7th in the entire history of the program to wind up with an actual sandwich at the end! The other groups wound up with a peanut butter jar on the bread and so forth, but I helped my group create a detailed standard operating procedure to ensure a consistent product with no room for error.

This is exactly how I run DC College Counseling, and I have to say I am very proud of what a great job we do from an operations standpoint. We are not figuring things out on the fly - from college essays to proofreading applications to course registration - even for providing reminders and updating status charts - we have a well-thought-out system for every single thing we do. This gives us the opportunity to provide a consistently amazing client experience that reduces stress for our families and yields the positive outcomes they want.

(Ok - done bragging - now I will go back to struggling through financial statements, which are 100% NOT my superpower).

In other news - our juniors are really focused on the college search process right now, and we are so excited to get their feedback! It really is like a puzzle, finding a great list for each individual student, and we have so much fun working with our students to find their perfect fit(s)

If you are feeling overwhelmed by the choices or unsure how to research schools, book a Meet & Greet to learn more about how we can help!

Lastly, if you’re a high school student who loves to read, or is looking for a volunteer opportunity, become a member of the Fairfax Library’s Teen Advisory Board. The position will allow students in grades 7-12 to share ideas to improve teen programming at the libraries, as well as gain volunteer hours. Email alisha.hasson@fairfaxcounty.gov for more information or to apply. 

Enjoy the weekend!

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Weekly Update: June 17

Happy Father’s Day this weekend to all the dads being celebrated! And I apologize that we are posting on Saturday instead of Friday - I was basically going nonstop all day every day last week with rising senior meetings!

BIGGEST COLLEGE-RELATED NEWS OF THE WEEK

GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY PHASES OUT “COLONIALS” NAME

GW has committed to doing away with the “Colonials” moniker by the 2023-2024 school year, in response to criticism that the name glorifies colonialism. The announcement is the result of two years of committee deliberations on the name, as well as the name of the Student Center on campus (which was renamed last year). The change won’t impact only the sports teams, but also services on campus like the “Colonial Health Center” and “Colonial Cash” dining dollars. 44% of students voted against the name, versus 43% who voted in favor.

FINAL VARSITY BLUES VERDICT

The final parent charged in connection with the Operation Varsity Blues scandal was acquitted yesterday of charges that he bribed the Georgetown tennis coach with $200,000 cash to treat his daughter as a recruit. This is a surprise in the string of Varsity Blues trials that have led to guilty verdicts earlier this year.

MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR 529 ACCOUNT

As college tuition bills start to come due, many families are finding smaller balances in their 529 accounts after the stock market decline. This article provides some strategies that you can use if you are looking at a 529 balance that is no longer sufficient to fund your student’s education.

COLLEGE ENROLLMENT ISSUES AREN’T GOING AWAY

Though many colleges hoped that pandemic enrollment drops were temporary, it appears that the pandemic has changed how students think about their college education. Fewer high school students are choosing to pursue higher education immediately following school. In some states, including Indiana and West Virginia, less than half of 2020 graduates chose to pursue full time education after high school. We will have to keep an eye on how these trends affect future numbers in the workforce. 

UVA ESSAY PROMPTS OUT!

As promised on social media, I wanted to take some time to discuss the brand-new UVA essay prompts that were released earlier this week. I’m focusing on the ones that Arts and Sciences students will have to write, becuse that’s where most of our students apply.

First, I have to mention that these new essays serve as a great example of why students should never begin writing until a school has confirmed their essay prompts for the upcoming cycle. You never know when a prompt will change for the coming year, and you don’t want to waste your time and effort drafting an essay for an outdated prompt. UVA has used more or less the exact same Arts and Sciences mandatory prompt since the beginning of my career and probably even earlier, so this was definitely not an essay that anyone expected would change - but it did, out of nowhere!

Next, remember that every essay you submit should be used as a tool to share something new about you that the admissions committee doesn’t already know. So when you’re writing about a college course that all UVA students should take, don’t just write about something you think is cool. Make sure it’s relevant - that you are clearly linking it to your background, life experiences, or personality. This way, the admissions committee can learn something new about you that would reflect positively on your candidacy.

Here’s an example - let’s say I’d like to learn more about how to make TikTok videos. If I wrote about how I want to make TikToks because I think TikToks are cool and I really like watching them in bed on my phone before I fall asleep, the admissions committee would learn nothing about me. But if I wrote about how watching TikToks on my phone before I fall asleep every night led me to realize that I could incorporate them into my business’s social media strategy, the admissions committee would start to learn more about what I do and who I am. I could then go into my history of success with content marketing and why I believe that other budding entrepreneurs at UVA could benefit from instruction in this area too.

Regarding the “choice” prompts, I would recommend avoiding the “topic you could speak about for an hour” and “expert-level skill” options, because I think that those are too similar to the Arts and Sciences essay. On the other hand, I think the “favorite word and why,” “website the internet is missing,” “happy place” and “message on Beta Bridge” prompts are probably going to lend themselves more easily to sharing new information to the committee. Those would allow students who know they want to write about something specific to come in and tie that information directly to a message, word, happy place or nonexistent website!

BEST ARTICLES OF THE WEEK

In his latest newsletter, Jeff Selingo dives into the importance of the student experience when it comes to choosing a college. A survey of over 100 institutions indicates that the student experience is one of the main fears in the college world today. Selingo shares a story that is common to many college students - a student looking to get his questions answered and moving from the registrar’s office, to the financial aid office, to the career center, to his academic advisor, and finally to an academic dean, repeating his story each time. Selingo argues that colleges need to improve their service infrastructure and enable students to get their questions answered - through technologies like chatbots and smart speakers - so that services catch up with the physical infrastructure that so many colleges have been investing in for the past several years. 

The third and final installment of Forbes’ series on college admissions encourages students and counselors to become “data scientists,” delving into schools’ admissions data in order to maximize their success and better understand the process. We AGREE! While some of the statistics mentioned in the article aren’t readily available, students and families interested in pursuing some of this data can Google “[School Name] Common Data Set” to find the latest statistics that the college has released on its admissions and class makeup. This is a wise move for anyone looking to assess their chances of admission at a particular school. 

I particularly recommend using Common Data Sets to calculate the difference between ED and RD acceptance rates, for schools that have both. Here’s how we explain this in our early decision guide, available to clients through our vault:

It takes some math, but you can quickly determine the acceptance rate of ED applicants by dividing the number accepted by the number who applied. When determining non-ED numbers, you’ll need to subtract the ED folks (applied and admitted) from the total numbers and then again divide the number accepted by the number who applied. Now you can compare these rates and determine the importance of ED to a school. 

Here’s an example from the 2019-2020 Common Data Set for the University of Pennsylvania. Most Common Data set numbers are split by gender which requires an additional step in calculations. After adding the male and female numbers together, we learn the following on page 8:

Total Number Applied: 44,961 // Total Number Admitted: 3446 // Total Number Enrolled: 2400

Then we scroll down to page 13, where we learn the following about the ED numbers:

Total Number Applied ED: 7109 // Total Number Admitted ED: 1280

We can then use this information to calculate the following statistics:

Total Acceptance Rate = 3446/44961 = 7.66% // Percentage of Class Filled ED = 1280/2400 = 53%

ED Acceptance Rate = 1280/7109 = 18% // RD Acceptance Rate = (3446-1280) / (44961-7109) = 5.72%

You can also see that students applying ED have a very clear advantage over those applying RD - it’s practically a lost cause at a 5.72% acceptance rate - and this was using number from several years ago!

Finally, this interview with the current president of USC (and former president of Dartmouth and UNC), Carol L. Folt, explores the experience and importance of students who move from community college to a four-year university. The subject is personal for Folt, who got her bachelor’s degree at UC Santa Barbara after beginning her education at a community college, and her perspective is an interesting way to look at both sides of this issue.

OFFICE HAPPENINGS

I (Colleen) am writing this post on a plane to Greece! I’ll be out of the office for the next two weeks, and Shannon will be holding down the fort. Families with college counseling questions should email her while I’m away, and of course Courtney and Donna are there as always to help out with administrative and scheduling needs!

We hope our students are also getting some time to relax, too! But if anyone out there is still looking for summer opportunities, don’t miss our mid-week post on last-minute Summer 2022 options for high school students.

We’ve also got a couple of opportunities to share this week for current college students! If you are a student interested in sharing your college experience with others, College Scoops is seeking student ambassadors willing to film a video about their college for high school students to use as they try to get a feel for the campus culture (particularly difficult when travel is limited). If you’d like to create a video for your school, reach out to moira@collegescoops.com for more information. 

And if you are a current college student looking to pursue a mental health career, the Chesapeake Center for ADHD, Learning, and Behavioral Health is looking for you! Interns for their Fall 2022 internship will have the opportunity to co-facilitate group programs and sit in on various other meetings, receiving valuable hands-on experience working with clients as well as marketing & programming. Interested students should send their resume to communications@chesapeakeadd.com. 

Enjoy the weekend!

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Weekly Update: April 8

BIGGEST COLLEGE-RELATED NEWS OF THE WEEK

MY DREAM CAME TRUE!!!!!!

UT Austin will be on the 2022-2023 Common App!!!! Yay!!!!!

If you have ever dealt with the nightmare that is ApplyTexas, you will understand why I am celebrating!!!🎊🤠👏🌮

UCLA JOB POSTING FOR $0 SALARY

Yes, you read that right - UCLA posted an adjunct position for a Ph.D.-holding biochemist and offered no compensation. While UCLA removed the posting after backlash, the unfortunate fact is that arrangements like these are not uncommon in academia, which often expects Ph.D. students and adjunct professors to work for little or no pay. And right now, 70% of college faculty are untenured, part-time, or adjunct faculty with little job security. This is a concern not only for those working in academia, but for undergraduate students taught by overworked and underpaid professors who usually cannot give them the mentorship and relationships that they need.

THE TEEN DC COUNCIL CANDIDATE

Henry Cohen, an 18-year-old student at Jackson-Reed high school, is running for representative on D.C’s council. Cohen argues that young people do not have enough representation in local government, and is actively campaigning in Ward 3. Kind of cool to see young people getting involved in local politics at this level!

VARSITY BLUES CONTINUES WITH MARK RIDDELL SENTENCING

Mark Riddell, the “proctor” in the Varsity Blues scandal who was accused of taking SAT and ACT exams in the place of students, will be sentenced in federal court today in Boston. He is expected to serve a lighter sentence, as he has been cooperating with authorities since pleading guilty in 2019. 

MASK MANDATES ARE BACK

Following the latest spike in coronavirus cases, Georgetown and Johns Hopkins both reinstated their indoor mask mandates this week. Students returning to Georgetown after Easter break later this month will also be required to test negative before returning to campus. Having struggled with this ourselves as we’ve contemplated returning to in-person work with students this summer, we hope that the mask mandates are no longer necessary very soon!

BEST ARTICLES OF THE WEEK

MIT made the argument last week, when it reinstated standardized testing, that the tests actually made the process more equitable, rather than less, for students that have not had as many academic resources. In an Atlantic article this week, the author explores this argument, concluding that MIT is correct to say that rather than causing inequity in the admissions process, the SAT merely reveals educational disparities that are already there. 

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again - a top tier university is not the right fit for every kid! While we love helping our academic high-flyers pursue their Ivy League dreams, we also know that the ultra-competitive process isn’t for everyone. This article explores how parents can help their students revise their expectations and focus on the college that is right for them - not just the one with the biggest reputation. This is so important for kids to hear, especially now after receiving their decisions!

Finally, we are starting to see how the students who spent much of their high school careers learning remotely have been performing in college. The answer is - not great. Especially in classes like math and science, where material is directly built off of what students have learned in high school, college students are struggling. In addition to the challenges of online learning, pass-fail grades at many schools meant that students were able to “pass” challenging courses without actually mastering the material. We expect that we will continue to see these types of issues as students make the transition from high school to college over the next few years. 

OFFICE HAPPENINGS

Know a teen of “outstanding character” in McLean? Nominate them for the McLean Citizens Associations’ Teen Character Awards. This award is meant to recognize teenagers who have made an impact on their community, whether by leading a service project or caring for a younger sibling or elderly relative at home. A nomination application is available here - Application - Outstanding Character Award for Teenagers. Make sure to get those nominations in by the Friday, April 22 deadline!

Have a great weekend and enjoy the sun!

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Weekly Update: February 11

BIGGEST COLLEGE-RELATED NEWS OF THE WEEK

DOLLYWOOD LATEST EMPLOYER TO PAY FOR COLLEGE

Dolly Parton’s theme park announced this week that it will pay for full college tuition for employees, as well as books and fees. The perk is available to seasonal, part-time, and full-time employees. We love seeing stories like this about how employers support their employees’ pursuit of higher education!

LONGEST SENTENCE YET PASSED DOWN ON VARSITY BLUES

Trials continue for parents involved in the Operation Varsity Blues scandal, and the longest sentence yet - one year and one day - was handed down this week. Gamal Abdelaziz was one of the first parents to face trial in the case (others, like Lori Laughlin, pleaded guilty and did not go to trial). Meanwhile, two-thirds of parents charged have received sentences of three months or less. Abdelaziz’s lawyers intend to appeal the decision.

DONOR AND LEGACY PREFERENCE IN JEOPARDY DUE TO H.R. 6559

Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) introduced a bill last week to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965. He seeks to prevent colleges and universities from giving preferential treatment to donors and/or legacies - with the caveat that the ban on legacy preference could be waived if it is “in the best interest of students who have been historically underrepresented in higher education.” You may remember that when Colorado banned legacy preference last year, we mentioned it was a big deal because of the precedent it set. We’re particularly interested to follow this bill in light of the upcoming Supreme Court case on affirmative action.

SCHOOL MASK MANDATES STILL IN FLUX

The Virginia Supreme Court dismissed a parent lawsuit contesting Governor Glenn Youngkin’s mask-optional executive order this week. Currently in many counties in Northern Virginia - including Fairfax, Alexandria, and Arlington - mask mandates can remain in place while the order is on hold. On Thursday, Fairfax County announced that it would make masking optional once COVID transmission reached “moderate levels.” We expect to see more changes to mask orders in the coming weeks, in Virginia as well as around the country.

BEST ARTICLES OF THE WEEK

As debates around the country continue over banned books and school curricula, there have been several interesting articles this week that shed some light on these issues. This article argues that the purpose of higher education is “critical inquiry,” while The Atlantic this week explored the nuances of discussing versus using offensive language in the classroom. (Side note: If you’re particularly interested, FCPS community members can actually review and weigh in on elementary language arts instructional materials here until the end of February).

We also enjoyed this personal essay about how the author nearly “ruined” her daughter’s talent show - with the message that in some cases, it is important to allow children to be bad at something in order for them to learn and grow.

OFFICE HAPPENINGS

In case you missed it, we wrote a blog post earlier this week about UVA’s (very surprising!) EA decisions. If you, like us, are scratching your head at some of the decisions you’ve seen or heard about recently, this is worth a read!

Have you checked out our Summer 2022 Internships Database recently? If not, you might be missing out on some great opportunities! We update this page every week with local and virtual internships and college courses. Now is the time to get your plans set for this summer! If you are an employer with an internship or job opportunity for high school students, let us know - we would love to feature your posting on our page. 

Lastly, some of you hit 100 days of school this past week - whether you’re a senior getting ready to graduate, or a junior getting ready to be done with this difficult year, it’s all downhill from here! Well, except for the 10th graders… buckle up :)

Our first student from the HS Class of 2035 dressing up like a 100-year-old to celebrate 100 days of Junior Kindergarten this week! :)

Enjoy the weekend!

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Weekly Update: October 29

Happy Halloween!

BIGGEST COLLEGE-RELATED NEWS OF THE WEEK

LORI LOUGHLIN PAYS TUITION FOR TWO COLLEGE STUDENTS

After being released from prison for her role in the Varsity Blues scandal, Lori Loughlin paid more than $500,000 in tuition for two college students. There haven’t been any details released about the students yet, but the amount is roughly the same as Loughlin and her husband paid to have their daughters admitted to USC as recruits for the crew team. 

HOWARD’S PRESIDENT RESPONDS TO STUDENT PROTESTS

As the student sit-in at Howard University’s student center entered its third week this week, the president of the university released a letter calling for an end to the “occupation” of the Blackburn center. The president called the sit-in a health and safety risk that impeded essential student services on campus. Students insist that they will continue to occupy the center until their demands are met for improved housing on campus.

SCHOOL CURRICULA AT THE CENTER OF VA GOVERNOR’S RACE

As election day for the Virginia governor’s race draws closer, the issue of public school curricula has become central to the campaign. After Youngkin’s campaign released an ad this week featuring a mother who fought for parents’ rights to veto certain books after her son read Toni Morrison’s Beloved in his AP English class, parents’ rights and curriculum decisions have become notable issues for both candidates. 

STUDENTS HOLD WALKOUTS AT LOUDOUN COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS

On Tuesday, students at several Loudoun County schools held ten-minute walkouts on Tuesday to protest the schools’ handling of sexual assault cases. The walkouts were a response to two incidents allegedly perpetrated by the same student at two different high schools, one in May and one in October. Parents and students are demanding more transparency from the school district when it comes to sexual assault cases.

BEST ARTICLES OF THE WEEK

A controversial piece in The Atlantic explored Amherst’s decision to end legacy admissions, and the “fairness” of college admissions. The author doesn’t believe that ending legacy admissions will suddenly make the process fair for under-served populations, but it’s a great start, he feels. “Amherst took one step closer to it this week. And for that, I’m happy to light a sparkler.”

One note about this article and legacy admissions in general: I personally believe that the general public has a TON of misconceptions about the impact of being a legacy candidate. Whether you’re for it or against it, it’s important to recognize that the student must already be qualified for legacy status to make a difference. This is just fact.

So nobody’s getting into a school because of legacy status if they aren’t qualified, I promise. To the dismay of their parents, they are rejected just like everybody else that’s not qualified! Development legacy cases are different, but those kids are being admitted because of the development part, not the legacy part. Where legacy can make a big difference, though, is when it comes to narrowing down a pool of highly qualified applicants. Especially when it comes to those who choose to apply to the school through a binding Early Decision plan.

Speaking of qualified applicants… according to a Washington Post poll, about half of high school students said the pandemic had a negative impact on their academics. That is by far the largest group, with a third of students saying that there was no impact, and ⅙ who felt that the pandemic actually improved their academics. Some of the positive impacts that students saw were a closer relationship with their parents, as well as less stress and a less intense workload than during in-person classes. 

Undergraduate college enrollment is still down due to COVID-19, particularly when it comes to low income students or non-traditional students with children and families. Unfortunately, it seems like last year’s huge decline in enrollment wasn’t just a blip - and we may soon be faced with a large population of students who did not complete their college degrees. Especially now that the labor market is strong and wages are going up, it is likely that low income students may choose to enter the workforce rather than go to college. 

In the past two years of the pandemic, college enrollment has fallen a total of 6.5% - the largest two-year decrease in fifty years. But the decline is not spread equally - selective schools are bouncing back, while community colleges are continuing to see declining enrollment.

OFFICE HAPPENINGS

It’s that time of year again - lots of speaking engagements! Shannon had the opportunity yesterday to speak at a College Selection webinar through the office of the DC Student Loan Ombudsman. The Ombudsman’s role is to help make higher education available and affordable for all DC residents, and Shannon was really excited to participate and talk to students about what they should consider when selecting a college, essay preparation, and application timelines. And timehop reminded me that I spoke at a junior parent night at Marshall HS two years ago today!

The shift to online events has presented a challenge for a lot of organizations during COVID-19, but it’s been almost 20 months and we’re virtual presentation pros at this point! From moms’ groups, to school-sponsored presentations, to community and religious organizations, to sports teams - we’ve done it all! If you have a group whose members could benefit from our (free!) guidance, please reach out and we’ll do our best to fit you into our calendar for the upcoming year. 

I also wanted to mention that the office of the Student Loan Ombudsman is an excellent resource for DC families with questions about paying for college. College Access Fairfax provides resources for Nova families as well - if you need help with the FAFSA, CSS profile, or other financial aid issues, I really recommend attending one of their free virtual seminars. These events are open to anyone and can be really helpful in figuring out financial aid questions. 

CONGRATULATIONS to all of our seniors who have submitted their early applications! We are so proud of all of you. Enjoy the Halloween weekend!

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Weekly Update: October 8

BIGGEST COLLEGE-RELATED NEWS OF THE WEEK

FAIRFAX COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS VIRTUAL COLLEGE WEEK

Fairfax County Public Schools are continuing with a virtual approach to college fairs this fall. They will have live virtual sessions from Monday, October 18 - Thursday, October 21. There will be three sessions each evening, and students should take a look at the schedule to see which sessions they may be interested in attending - there are sessions available for everyone from ninth graders to high school seniors. 

COVID-19 JOB MARKET BOUNCES BACK

As you may have noticed from all of the “help wanted” signs, the job market is coming back as more people are vaccinated. While class of 2020 students graduated into a very difficult market, the class of 2021 is finding a much easier time when it comes to the job search. On campus recruiting has begun again at several schools, helping to connect these students with employers. Part-time work and internships have also been picking up.

If you are (or you know!) a local college student looking for an internship, we are hiring! Interested students should send us their resumes via email. 

FIRST VARSITY BLUES TRIAL WRAPS

Lawyers delivered the closing arguments in the first Varsity Blues trial on Wednesday, and the jury is deliberating as we write this blog. The lawyers for the two fathers facing trial argued that they did not know the methods that Rick Singer was using, and believed they were making legitimate donations. We’ll be watching closely for the outcome of this trial, which will likely set precedent for the upcoming trials of parents and others involved in the scandal.

BEST ARTICLES OF THE WEEK

We liked this post from Akil Bello (featured in the Varsity Blues documentary!) a lot, and wanted to share it because it has a lot of helpful information in terms of making the decision to take a standardized test. However, there were two pieces of information from Akil that don’t align with the advice that we’d give students, so we want to also provide a clarification. Keep in mind that all advice is subjective and dependent on many factors such as geographic location, etc.! 

1. We believe that students should take their first SAT/ACT during the fall of junior year if possible, and finish testing by the end of junior year. This empowers them to make final decisions about their college list after they know their scores. Otherwise, they'd be making these decisions based on guesses about what their scores might look like. That can lead to overshooting or undershooting in terms of selectivity, and we prefer to work with actual numbers.

2. We really agreed with everything in the test prep section and found that to be very valuable. For example, the 6-8 week span and the potential for improvement. The one part we didn't agree with is about potentially making the choice NOT to prep if a student scores above the 90th percentile with no prep after the fall of 11th grade. This is accurate from a national standpoint, but not at the schools to which most of our students hope to attend. 90th percentile scores are not going to cut it at their schools of choice - even UVA's 25th-75th% range reflects the 97th-99th percentile of ACT-takers. This means that only a quarter of UVA's admitted students who sent ACT scores came in lower than the 97th percentile (depressing, right?). So don't be lulled into a false sense of test prep security if you reach the 90th percentile and hope to attend a highly selective school.

When the College Board got rid of the SAT II earlier this year, many of us speculated that AP exams would come to be more significant in the college admissions process. This article in Psychology Today explores why that may not be such a great idea for students. In fact, the way that many AP classes are taught - “to the test,” to prepare students to take the AP exam - is the exact opposite of how many actual college classes are designed. In college, it will be far more important that students learn to think critically than that they memorize facts (that they promptly forget!) in order to score well on a standardized exam. 

While we agree with much of what this article says, the fact is that for many students, AP classes are part of setting themselves up for success in the college process. And until schools stop offering them as part of the curriculum (as many private schools have!), it is important for students to take a rigorous curriculum based on what is offered by their high school. So we are sorry to say that our general advice is, take the AP class! Of course, this is also particular to the student, and there are certainly students for whom the cons outweigh the pros when it comes to managing an AP course load. 

While we like to think that the work we do is pretty important, we wouldn’t have said it was a “matter of life and death” - until this interview! Angus Deaton, a Nobel prize winner and professor emeritus at Princeton, suggests that four-year college graduates are less likely than those who did not attend college to succumb to “deaths of despair” - suicides, drug overdoses, and the like. The gap between people with a bachelor’s degree and those without when it comes to these tragedies is only growing in the United States.

OFFICE HAPPENINGS

I was so honored and excited to co-host a roundtable session on “The Joys and Challenges of Being a Female Entrepreneur” today for IECA, the professional organization to which Shannon and I belong. Here’s a snapshot of some of the attendees! I’m on the top row to the left with my co-host, Dr. Pat Smith, to my right.

October is National Women’s Small Business Month, and this roundtable was a great way to celebrate. It was heartwarming to see how all of these individual consultants run very different businesses, yet we all care immensely about providing our families with the best possible experience.

Have a great weekend!

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Weekly Update: September 24

The official start of fall is here - hope everyone is enjoying the beautiful weather!

BIGGEST COLLEGE-RELATED NEWS OF THE WEEK

LIVESTREAM LEARNING BEGINS FOR FCPS STUDENTS

Students in Fairfax County Public Schools will be able to stay on top of their coursework even when they are quarantined or exposed to COVID-19. Students who can’t make it to class will be offered livestream instruction (via Zoom or Google Meet) and interactive check-ins with teachers during the period in which they are out of the classroom. 

COLLEGE RANKINGS FROM THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

As we always say, it is good to take college rankings with a grain of salt - and one way to do that is to look at a variety of different rankings systems (there are many out there beyond U.S. News!). We’ve already shared on the blog the rankings from Forbes and our personal favorite, the Princeton Review rankings. 

Different ranking systems use different criteria, and the most important factor for the WSJ is one we think is super important too- career outcomes and ROI! This ranking measures where they work, how much they earn, and how much debt they have. So it's not shocking to learn which schools topped the list: Harvard, Stanford, MIT, Yale, and Duke. Keep scrolling down, though - there are some surprises. For example, Carleton College is #35 while UVA is #55.

COLLEGES ADD NEW PROGRAMS IN RESPONSE TO COVID-19

As the workplace shifts, so do college programs, and many schools have added new programs in response to the major changes brought by the pandemic. New offerings include options in health communications and health law, for obvious reasons, and those in e-sports and cybersecurity respond to our increased time in the virtual space. NYU has also added a masters’ program in health law & strategy. 

PENN CHANGES RECOMMENDATION LETTER REQUIREMENTS

The University of Pennsylvania announced this week that they will be changing their requirements when it comes to letters of recommendation - starting this cycle! In the past, Penn has required a counselor letter and two teacher letters of recommendation. Now, they will continue to require letters from counselors and one teacher, but the third letter can be from any adult you choose: it might be a teacher, but may also be a coach, employer, mentor, or even just an adult who knows you well. If you are a student who has already applied to Penn, don’t panic! Two teacher letters are still perfectly acceptable, and in fact that is still our strong recommendation.

BEST ARTICLES OF THE WEEK

The Wall Street Journal published a great article this week about how Rick Singer’s “side door” worked - examining the Varsity Blues scandal in depth as trials continue this week. USC’s assistant dean of undergraduate admissions testified that the eleven students who were admitted after using Rick Singer’s services would not have been accepted without their (fabricated!) athletic experience. At USC, the admissions rate for recruited athletes is 85-90% - compare that to just 15% for all applicants! In the wake of Varsity Blues, USC plans to audit team rosters and to implement increased scrutiny in reviews of academic credentials. 

Our colleagues at College Kickstart released some of their latest admissions data in a private session for members that Shannon attended yesterday. To recap, some of the major trends we noticed last cycle were:

• An 11% increase in applications across the board (Virginia Tech, for example, saw a 39% increase! 😬)

• Schools relying more on early decision to fill their classes

• Smaller schools (like Williams and Dartmouth) having the inability to absorb gap year deferrals and admitting smaller classes as a result.

These factors combined to make for a very competitive admissions cycle, particularly for regular decision applicants!

This cycle, we are probably going to continue to see these elevated application volumes, as well as a widening gap between ED and RD acceptance rates. That means that schools like Colgate and BC, which would have been targets for many of our students a few years ago, are now reaches; same goes for flagship public schools like UGA and UC system schools, which are becoming more competitive. We always encourage our students to take advantage of early decision options where possible, and that just became easier thanks to the new ED II plans available at Carnegie Mellon, Emerson, and Loyola Marymount. 

Finally, we are still encouraging our students to take a standardized test if it is available to them - but talk to us before sending the scores, because we can’t emphasize enough that this is a very individual decision. Some schools, like Georgetown and all of the Georgia public universities, are back to requiring tests this cycle, but even for those that don’t, testing still seems to make a positive difference for most (not all!!) applicants. At very selective schools, applicants were nearly two times more likely to be admitted with test scores than without! At Emory, for example, students who submitted test scores were 2.3 times more likely to be admitted. Colgate and Boston University showed similar results. Meanwhile at other schools, like Boston College, Vanderbilt, and Harvey Mudd, there were very slight difference in admissions rates between those with test scores and those without. 

OFFICE HAPPENINGS

Shannon will be presenting at a free event next Wednesday at 12:00 pm as part of the Less Stress Parenting webinar series. Great concept, right? We are all about less stress parenting here! If you feel overwhelmed by the college admissions process, you can register here to check out the event!

I was so surprised and excited to be featured in the Tysons Reporter this week by the amazing Realtor Laura Schwartz (alongside Emily of Tangible Designs - she did all of our branding and logos a few years ago and was so great to work with)!

And yes - I’m transitioning back to my maiden name! (From one hard-to-spell name to another, but at least this one is mine 😀)

Lastly, our earlier blog covered a variety of virtual info session options this fall, but we are so excited that there are also some in-person events coming to our area! Notre Dame will be coming to the Tysons Corner Marriott on Wednesday, October 6 - this is an excellent way to learn more about the school and to demonstrate interest. Students can register here to attend!

Have a great weekend!

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Weekly Update: September 17

BIGGEST COLLEGE-RELATED NEWS OF THE WEEK

OPERATION VARSITY BLUES TRIALS BEGIN

The first trial for parents implicated in the college admissions scandal began on Monday. In opening statements, their lawyers blamed not only Rick Singer for duping the parents, but also the college admissions process as a whole for being susceptible to this type of manipulation. 

In other Varsity Blues updates, Georgetown’s former tennis coach was the latest to plead guilty on Wednesday, in advance of his scheduled trial in November. 

WANT TO START A 529? GO TO SCHOOL IN NYC

Starting this fall, every public school kindergartner in New York City will receive $100 in a 529 account. The new initiative is aimed at closing the wealth gap in NYC. In addition to the initial deposit, students will have the opportunity to earn up to $200 in rewards. With the initial deposit as well as rewards and donations, the program is expected to yield $3,500 per student on average by the time the children reach 12th grade. 

While New York is the largest public school system, it isn’t the first to start this type of initiative - in 2011, San Francisco began opening accounts with $50 for every student entering the public school system. 

Though these amounts may not seem like much, studies show that students with at least $500 in a savings account are three times more likely to enroll in college and four times more likely to graduate than students with no savings

WHAT IS THE BEST COLLEGE TOWN IN AMERICA?

ESPN’s new bracket hopes to determine America’s best college football town! Vote every Wednesday for your favorite team, current college, or (hopefully!) future college town as they work to determine the winner this fall.

And if you’re attending a game in a college town, you might want to avoid staying at an Airbnb! This Wall Street Journal article shared information from a study showing that Airbnb hosts “jack up their prices” for their biggest rival teams because of “affiliation bias”—in other words, the hosts just can’t stand the visiting team’s fans.” And many of the units end up going unrented, which ultimately hurts the owners because they lose money - but at least they know they were loyal!

BEST ARTICLES OF THE WEEK

I loved this article from the New York Times about raising resilient children. If the past year and a half has taught us anything, it is that resilience is key! As we know firsthand, resilient kids are more likely to bounce back and even to thrive when they are faced with disappointment (like a waitlist decision from their dream school!), and this article lays out some actionable steps that parents can take to increase their children’s resistance. I know that I’ll take advantage of these tips, and I encourage every parent to think about how they can model resilience for their kids.

The Wall St. Journal article we covered last week about the widening gender gap in higher education has received a lot of attention in the past few weeks, spawning several response articles. This one from The Atlantic explores the history of this gap, and the role of ideas about masculinity in discouraging boys from seriously pursuing higher education. Not only do boys enroll in college at lower rates than girls, but in middle and high school, girls tend to spend more time studying, get in trouble less often, and get better grades across all subjects. The article suggests that the answer to this issue doesn’t happen in college admissions - instead, we need to address the gap that appears in early adolescence to control the ripple effect for higher education.

OFFICE HAPPENINGS

Shannon attended a networking event this week with so many amazing professionals from the DC area! We love being able to make connections and refer our students to people that we trust for tutoring, testing, evaluation, and more. Stay tuned for some collaborations and events that we have in the works!

We are busy with so many virtual tours and information sessions. We had hoped for some in-person tours this year, but you can’t beat the convenience of the virtual options! For a list of upcoming virtual fairs, tours, and information sessions for students and parents, see our latest post, and bookmark it for later - we’ll add new events as the dates are released. Let us know what you think of these virtual events!

Enjoy the weekend!

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Weekly Update: March 5

Happy March - and happy (part-time) BACK TO SCHOOL to our FCPS students! Wow - talk about the longest spring break ever :)

BIGGEST COLLEGE-RELATED NEWS OF THE WEEK

TOP 20 MOST EXPENSIVE COLLEGES

The cost of college attendance gets a lot of attention, but the fact is that many schools offer both merit- and need-based aid, so the advertised cost of attendance may only be paid by a fraction of students. A more relevant measure for most students is the average price that students pay for their education, calculated by CTAS Higher Ed Business. The University of Chicago, for example, has the highest cost of attendance at more than $80,000, but most students do not pay this full cost. The “real” most expensive school in the US? Wake Forest, with an average cost of nearly $63,000 per student. 

Three schools near the top of the list - NYU, BU, and USC - have students paying a premium for their locations in major coastal cities. NYU, benefitting from an influx of applications like so many top schools this year, may even shoot to the top of the list as we get more data. 

IECA RELEASES NEW STANDARDS

As we’ve written on the blog before, DC College Counseling may not be the right fit for every student looking to work with an independent counselor. However, if you are a student looking to work with someone outside of your school counselor, make sure you do your due diligence! Shannon and I are both members of the Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA), which means that we are required to uphold certain ethical and professional standards. Anyone can call themselves a counselor - look for outside accreditation and experience so you can be confident in the person that you are trusting to help you with such an important life decision!

The IECA recently released new “We Believe” standards in the wake of the Varsity Blues scandal. We stand behind all of these standards, but our favorite has to be #2: “We believe independent educational consultants should act respectfully, honestly, compassionately, ethically, and professionally with every student.” 

OPERATION VARSITY BLUES ON NETFLIX

Speaking of Varsity Blues, we’re excited to check out the new Operation Varsity Blues movie when it premieres on Netflix on March 17. The movie recreates conversations recorded through FBI wiretaps during the investigation, and it is definitely disturbing to hear some of what went on during this scandal.

RICE INTRODUCES BUSINESS MAJOR

Rice University will be introducing an undergraduate business major this fall! This is really exciting for students who have been interested in the incredible STEM programs at Rice and want to be able to further develop their business skills. And since we have a ton of students every year looking for business programs in the South, we’re glad to have another alternative to recommend! Since the school is trying to fill the major with incoming students and current freshmen, fewer students will be eligible - meaning that a student who is interested in the new major might have a slight admissions advantage at this extremely selective institution.

BEST ARTICLES OF THE WEEK

We try to help our students develop the skills they need for college as they work with us throughout the process, but we know that students need a variety of different levels of support to be successful as they move on to this next step. For parents that have been really involved in supporting their students, it can be challenging to get them ready to work on their own as college students. We found this Atlantic article to give some really helpful strategies for parents to help their students improve executive functioning skills in advance of heading to college. As an executive functioning coach, Shannon definitely agreed with all of the tips in the article! And if you want to learn more about how our process can help your student develop self-advocacy, make sure to book a Meet & Greet with us!

One of the most common questions we’ve received during the pandemic is how students can complete community service or volunteer projects while staying safely distanced. Our Summer Opportunities Database is a great resource for these types of opportunities, but for more ideas, check out this New York Times article about how teenagers managed to volunteer this year despite the new challenges. These students phone banked, organized, tutored, and completed other amazing volunteer projects this year.

Interested in a particular organization or nonprofit but not sure how to start volunteering? Our favorite tip is to reach out to the organization and ask them what their needs are right now. Then, you can create a proposal for volunteer or internship experience that meets those needs. This method demonstrates initiative and also makes the choice to take on a volunteer or intern a no-brainer for these organizations!

We know that it has been difficult for students to feel that they really got to know a college during a virtual tour. All the Zoom videos tend to blur together, and students are savvy enough to know that admissions officers are intentionally presenting an overly positive version of the student experience. This Washington Post article illuminates just one of the student-led virtual tour companies that ask real students, unaffiliated with the admissions office, to reveal their perspectives on their school. Check it out! Some of our other favorite resources for student voices are Niche and Unigo, and we always encourage you to connect with current students or alumni at schools that interest you - if you don’t know someone personally, your high school counselor may be able to connect you to a former student. 

OFFICE HAPPENINGS

One of the best parts about having Shannon on board in our office is that we can be so much more available to our current clients! Starting next week, we are introducing a month-long pilot of drop-in hours, where current clients can hop into a Zoom meeting to ask Shannon a quick question or provide an update without booking an appointment. Drop-in hours will be from 11:30-1:30 on Thursdays, so parents and students can feel free to pop in during their lunch break for a quick chat with Shannon. This video will show you how to access drop-in hours:

I appeared on Newsy last Friday to discuss the Students for Fair Admissions vs. Harvard case and the potential implications that the reversal of affirmative action policies could have on the college admissions process. Watch the entire interview on our Facebook page.

And lastly, a really exciting opportunity for FCPS students to pursue a leadership role - serving as Student Representative to the School Board. Current 9th, 10th, and 11th grade students can apply now to represent student interests to the School Board. 

Have a great weekend! 

Weekly Update: September 25

I can’t believe this is already my last weekly update of the month. Time is speeding by and it feels like every day now we have another student clicking “submit” - so exciting!

BIGGEST COLLEGE-RELATED NEWS OF THE WEEK

SAT UPDATES: CHECK WITH YOUR TESTING CENTER

It sounds like everyone was able to get through this past week’s school-based SAT administration relatively unscathed (although I have heard a lot of complaints about the reading passages). However, there might be some issues ahead. Out of the nearly 700,000 students registered to take the test on September 26 and October 3, almost half will be unable to take it due to test center closures. In a perfect world, students should have heard from College Board already if their test was impacted; however, we know it doesn’t always pan out like that in reality! If you have a test scheduled for tomorrow or for October 3, please call your test center directly to confirm that you will be able to take the test as scheduled.

SOME UNDERGRADUATE COLLEGES AT CORNELL WILL BE TEST-BLIND FOR THE 2020-2021 CYCLE

Cornell’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences; College of Architecture, Art, and Planning; and the SC Johnson School of Business (which includes both Dyson and the Hotel School) will be test-blind this cycle, meaning that scores will not be considered for any applicant. If you haven’t already, you can read more about the difference between test-optional and test-blind admissions in my blog post from April. 

PAC-12 FOOTBALL UPDATE

Now that we’re well into fall, I’m seeing college sports updates every week! The Pac-12 announced yesterday that it will play a seven-game season beginning on November 6. This follows the news that I shared last week from the Big 10, which has also reversed its original decision to suspend play this fall. If you are following along, that means that only one top conference, the Mid-American Conference, has no plans to play a fall football season.

NETFLIX REALITY SHOW ABOUT GALLAUDET PREMIERES OCTOBER 9

Netflix has just released the trailer for its new reality series, Deaf U, about life at Gallaudet University right here in DC. One of the producers for the show is Nyle DiMarco, who is from Frederick and attended Gallaudet (he also won America’s Next Top Model in 2015). The trailer definitely made me excited to check out the first episode on October 9!

UC IMPROPERLY ADMITTED AT LEAST 64 STUDENTS

A California state audit recently found that the University of California admitted at least 55 students who were under-qualified as a result of family connections or donations. The audit was conducted in response to last year’s Varsity Blues scandal, which had previously identified at least three students at UCLA and UC Berkeley who were improperly admitted. Auditors found that UC admitted 22 students falsely designated as student-athlete recruits, and an additional 42 applicants were admitted to Berkeley based on connections to staff, leadership, and donors.

Perhaps even more discouraging, the audit also found that admissions staff were insufficiently trained and supervised, leading to inconsistent application reviews. Hopefully, the UC system and other institutions will learn from this and pay a little more attention to their oversight processes. They have already pledged to follow the auditors’ recommendation of verifying athletic ability and donor records before admitting students. 

One silver lining of the shift to test-optional admissions at many schools is that admissions officers are receiving additional training to read and review applications without test scores. I am optimistic that training will help keep admissions practices consistent in these offices that are re-training for this cycle. 

BEST ARTICLES OF THE WEEK

This article from the Washington Post does a nice job of providing a big-picture look at the manner in which college campuses opened this past fall. The ability to control COVID-19 in a university setting depends on so many factors, including whether the school is public or private, whether the surrounding area is urban or rural, and the number of students on campus. It was helpful to understand the issues at play during a year in which colleges are making really tough calls when it comes to on-campus instruction.

This profile of Washington State cross-country runner Andrew Cooper gave me a lot to think about when it comes to college athletics. Cooper was a strong voice in the Pac-12 players’ initiative, which made demands of administrators related to health and safety, racial justice, and economic rights, and is dedicated to making these types of athletic reforms. He ultimately hopes to provide a collective bargaining agreement for student-athletes, among other changes to the NCAA. Players’ rights are particularly important right now, when COVID-19 is spreading and illuminating health risks for student-athletes. 

I love being able to promote free programs from colleges and universities, and I’m really excited about these sessions on Activism & Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion from Pomona College. We’ve seen our students including activism experience in the activities sections of their applications more and more frequently, as they have taken advantage of more opportunities for civic engagement during their high school years than past cohorts. This article does a great job of discussing the nuances of including student activism during the application process. Just as there is no single way to be an activist, there is no one-size-fits-all advice for representing student activism in the application - for our clients, we can help you put your best foot forward in the application process while remaining true to yourself and your beliefs. 

You may remember my post from earlier this month, where I revealed my college admissions “article of the year” from Jeff Selingo. If you missed that post, I encourage you to go back and take a look - I break down the three pieces of advice that I hope you take away. The article made me so excited to read Jeff’s new book, which he discusses in this recent interview (along with his views on how admissions has changed during the coronavirus pandemic). I am plugging away at the book bit by bit every night, and it’s great so far!

I also provided a FAFSA update in that same September 5 post, and shared that it opens for Class of 2021 students on October 1 (this coming Thursday). I mentioned that if you experienced a dramatic shift in finances as a result of COVID-19, the FAFSA will not pick that up. If that is the case for your family, you will need to complete the FAFSA as early as possible with 2019 tax information and then reach out to financial aid offices directly to request a “professional judgment” review, for which you can submit new material like layoff notices, unemployment checks, or medical bills. This article from the New York Times expands on my guidance and provides an excellent overview of the steps that students and families will need to take to qualify for financial aid in that type of scenario.

OFFICE HAPPENINGS

We can’t engage in the same level of travel to college campuses this year, but that does not mean our research stops! In fact, we take it more seriously than ever, because our families can’t visit either - and they are relying on us to provide them with up-to-date insider information that is not always obvious from their online research.

Shannon has been attending a ton of counselor-only virtual visits and presentations in order to write up individual profiles to help our students with their decision making and school-specific essays. Ultimately, these profiles will go up on our Membership Vault for current clients and subscribers, but in the meantime, here are just a couple of examples for anyone hoping for a preview!

This time of year is definitely bittersweet as we begin the active stages of the process with juniors and finish up with seniors. Usually I think “it feels like yesterday that the seniors were having their own junior year meetings,” but NOT THIS YEAR! Haha, September 2019 feels like a century ago! We received an email a few days ago from a student who started out as one of our most reluctant writers last year but ended up with absolutely amazing work:

We get a lot of feedback like this about how students’ writing skills improve throughout the process - so once they matriculate at the college they choose, they already have a leg up on college writing! My favorite part of my job is hearing about how we were able to help students feel more confident in themselves during what can be a (very!) challenging process.

I have another video to share - this time about submitting test scores. I have been fielding questions about this topic over and over again during the current application cycle, and I hope my advice will help students make the tough decision about whether or not to share their test scores with schools.  As you can see, it’s not as straightforward as we’d hope!

Have a great weekend and good luck to those taking the SAT tomorrow! Don’t forget to call your test center this afternoon to double-check that the test is on as planned!

Weekly Update: September 5

Can’t believe it’s Labor Day weekend! Hope everyone is enjoying and staying safe!

BIGGEST COLLEGE-RELATED NEWS OF THE WEEK

JUDGE ORDERS UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA SYSTEM TO GO TEST-BLIND

We’ve been following along as more and more schools choose to make testing optional this cycle due to COVID-19, but this is a new one! Alameda County Superior Court Judge Brad Seligman ruled that the UC system is no longer allowed to consider ACT or SAT scores from applicants. 

The UC system had already adopted a test-optional policy, but this new ruling means that they will not consider scores at all - whether applicants want their scores considered or not. This is a test-blind policy - and you can learn more about test-optional vs. test-blind admissions in my blog post from April. Thanks to an awesome senior mom for being the first one to send this to me :)

MORE VARSITY BLUES

Yet another parent was charged in the Varsity Blues scandal this week. Yikes! If you haven’t already, you should check out the tell-all book that came out about the scandal earlier this summer.

FAFSA UPDATE

The 2021-2022 FAFSA opens on October 1 for Class of 2021 seniors, and it is better to fill it out sooner rather than later! The blog posts that I wrote last winter will be helpful for families deciding whether or not to apply, and I stand by my recommendation: If you don’t have financial need, don’t fill out the forms. I personally think that advice will be more sound than ever this coming fall, as colleges will look to make up budget shortfalls with full-pay applicants.

That said, one big caveat - if you have experienced a dramatic shift in finances recently as a result of COVID-19, the calculators likely won’t pick that up. In fact, we won’t see COVID-related changes reflected on the calculators for quite a while because of PPY. However, financial aid offices will still take other information into consideration when attempting to capture a holistic assessment of a family’s ability to pay. So I highly recommend filling out the FAFSA if you think there is any possible chance you may qualify, whether the calculator says you will or not. The people who I do not think should apply are the ones who know full well they won’t qualify but are wondering if they should “apply just to apply.”

FAUCI ASKS COLLEGES TO KEEP STUDENTS ON CAMPUS

We’ve been paying close attention to colleges changing their reopening plans because of COVID-19, and we’ve seen some schools like JMU, Notre Dame, and NC State open in person and then go remote due to outbreaks on campus. This week, Dr. Fauci urged colleges to keep infected students quarantined on campus, rather than sending students home due to outbreaks. This makes sense to protect the communities at home, but I also know a lot of parents who would prefer to have a sick child at home rather than quarantined in a dorm room! 

BEST ARTICLES OF THE WEEK

There’s no shortage of interesting college admissions articles out there (as you know from my weekly posts), but probably once every year or so I come across a piece that makes me really, really excited. It’s almost like I know while reading it for the first time that I’m going to keep coming back to it and referencing it for years.. and come on, who wouldn’t get excited about that?! #nerd (In case you are wondering, this was the last such article).

I came across the most recent "article of the year” about a week ago- just after I’d posted the last blog update - and here it is in the WSJ: “The Secrets of Elite College Admissions” by Jeff Selingo. Seriously - you need to read this article. It’s a teaser for the author’s upcoming book, which I have already pre-ordered!

There’s so much I want to say but I will limit myself to highlighting what I hope are your three greatest take-aways:

• An applicant’s activities must support their intended major. MUST. This is why our first or second meeting with every junior (or Late Start Senior) is spent ensuring alignment between the Common App activities section and the student’s intended major.

• Teacher letters of rec must provide specific, detailed information about how the candidate performed in the classroom. MUST. A glowing character reference will not cut it. Again, this is why we spend substantial time and effort helping our students provide their teachers with the right rec letter content.

• “Why this school” essays must demonstrate how the student’s interests fit with the school’s unique offerings. MUST! They cannot be generic and boilerplate. This is why we use our proprietary “ASC Method” for these essays - to help students rack up those LTE points!

The rest of this week’s articles may not be quite as interesting as that one, but I still have some others worth sharing!

This piece from the Washington Post reports on the interesting method that the University of Arizona has used to prevent coronavirus outbreaks on campus - wastewater testing. Hopefully, other schools will see the success at Arizona and use this method to get ahead of campus outbreaks, so we don’t have to see more students sent home. Pretty fascinating if you ask me!

I really feel for the students at JMU who have had to leave campus due to the outbreaks, and I hope that they are isolating and testing to keep their communities safe! This blog post offers a great read for daily coronavirus status updates in Virginia - especially as it relates to college campuses.

I’ve been posting a lot recently about the tension between students and administrators when it comes to who is to blame for coronavirus outbreaks on campus. This New York Times piece goes deeper into personal tensions for the students themselves. I don’t envy how tough it is for all of the students, even the socially responsible ones, to keep the peace on campus while keeping themselves safe. 

I have to say, amidst all the COVID-19 news, I love to read stories about safe ways to make the most of the college experience this fall! Along the same lines of the U Experience, which I posted about several weeks ago, I found this in-depth article about college “collab houses” really hopeful. Just something else to remind me how resilient, inventive, and adventurous our students are during this crazy year. 

OFFICE HAPPENINGS

Maybe it’s just a holdover from my own days in school (or working at a school!), but September always feels to me like a month of new beginnings. And even though it is still hot and humid here in DC, I’m already looking forward to fall. 

As I have mentioned before, we are continuing to transition from working primarily with our original Class of 2021 cohort to spending more time with our Late Start Seniors. I believe this past week we had four or five different students completely finish their applications, and we have a whole bunch more set to finish next week. Congratulations, guys!

I find it ironic that after years of meaning to do so, I finally documented the entire submission process last fall and of course Common App unexpectedly changed things up for the current cycle! I can’t be too frustrated, though, because they actually simplified it a lot. You don’t have to put in any of the information about the mailing address or email address - the only information that needs to be typed in is the credit card number. So all in all, it’s a much easier and faster process than in years past!

My sample account - I didn’t actually submit it, don’t worry!

If you are reading this and feeling overwhelmed - it’s not too late for help! Seniors who book a Meet & Greet within the next several weeks will likely be able to finish their applications by November 1!

Weekly Update: August 21

Another Friday, another blog post!

BIGGEST COLLEGE-RELATED NEWS OF THE WEEK

COLLEGES OPENING AND CLOSING AGAIN

What a week with colleges reopening and closing again. We all knew this was going to happen, and students and administrators are blaming one another. I was more on Team Blame the Administration until a meeting I had yesterday with one of our transfer applicants.

It was interesting to hear a student perspective from a normal, social, intelligent kid with a good head on her shoulders. She and her friends at her school are behaving responsibly, but some of the stories she was telling me about friends at other schools… wow. Hearing her take definitely left it in a different light for me. At this point I don’t think it’s rocket science how this spreads, and I think we can all agree that parties with hundreds of people and no masks are probably not the best call.

INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS GOING VIRTUAL

Sort of college related? In the past week it seems like a TON of independent schools announced the shift to virtual learning. Sigh! I honestly don’t even know what the right thing is to do anymore - it is what it is at this point, I guess!

VARSITY BLUES

Lori Laughlin and Mossimo Giannulli were sentenced today to two and five months in prison, respectively. Yikes. Good lesson for everyone!

NCAA ELIGIBILITY CHANGES

This is a really big one, actually - a lot of people were nervous about this, but NCAA finally announced that prospective student athletes who will enroll full-time for the first time during the 2021-2022 school year (in other words, the HS Class of 2021) will not have to take standardized tests. I’m so glad they made this decision now and didn’t wait!

QUARANTINE MEALS

Oh my gosh - these quarantine meals sound so terrible I laughed out loud while reading it! A lemon, granola bar, and cookie?! I am sorry but who eats a lemon? Much less for dinner?? I feel sorry for these kids!

BEST ARTICLES OF THE WEEK

One of our rising senior dads sent me this very interesting piece from NBC News about regional public universities and specifically Ohio University. I thought it was very interesting (and sad). It’s not exactly a promising outlook for these types of institutions.

Not sure I consider this a “best article,” but this Bloomberg article about college admissions becoming more unfair has attracted so much attention in the admissions world this week that i’ll include it anyway.

It goes on to conclude that the economic impact of the virus will lead admissions offices to have to favor these less-qualified, wealthy applicants. I agree with that prediction, but I have two thoughts:

• This will make much more of a difference at mid-first-tier or second-tier schools. I do not think this is going to change the game at Harvard, for example.

• There is nothing fair about this process. Nothing at all. Certain factors will become more or less fair depending on each year’s landscape, but if you’re hoping for fair, you’re going to be disappointed. Might as well just try to control what you can control and make yourself the best candidate you can.

Okay, so not exactly an article. But if you feel like some fun instagram browsing, I love checking out all the dorm room decor at this time of year. Every year I become more impressed!

Do you see how they attach headboards over the dorm beds? This is genius. Seriously, where were these 20 years ago? If I ever have a career change, I want to be a dorm room designer!

Not messing around at SMU and Mississippi State, that’s for sure.

And don’t worry, guys, you can have fancy dorm rooms too! This cracks me up.

OFFICE HAPPENINGS

Did you catch my video on our facebook page?

We’re so excited to be adding Shannon to our team on September 1!

Here’s a little more about her background:

As the former Director of Recruitment at Georgetown University, Shannon’s unique skill set blends selective admissions experience with the pedagogical expertise gained as an academic coach and First-Year Writing instructor at Boston College. She has worked extensively with students across ability levels, from academic high-flyers to those struggling with anxiety, specific learning disabilities, and ADHD. Her enthusiasm, patience, and dedication helps students not only to achieve success in the high school, college and graduate school admissions processes, but also to retain invaluable strategies for their future academic endeavors.

Shannon graduated from Phillips Academy Andover before attending the College of William & Mary as a Monroe Scholar and participant of the William & Mary/ St. Andrews Joint Degree Programme. She later received her master's degree in English from Boston College, where she achieved certification from the Center for Teaching Excellence. 

In her spare time, Shannon enjoys reading memoirs and personal essays, teaching group fitness classes, and the New York Times crossword puzzle. Her favorite places in D.C. are the Botanic Garden and the National Gallery of Art.  

Current clients can book meetings with her here.

Have a great weekend!