I have struggled with how best to share all of the ever-changing news relating to the college admissions process throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. At first, I was trying to update our Coronavirus Page every day, but it became too time-consuming. Still, the links on that page should provide the most up-to-date information regarding a situation that is constantly changing.

Instead, I’m going to try publishing a weekly update each Friday with the biggest news and best articles of the week, plus anything interesting that’s been happening in our office!

Here goes:

Biggest News of the Week

AP Exams did not start out so well, to put it mildly. In addition to thousands of students having to choose between no credit vs. retaking their exams in June, cheating was rampant (see screen shot!). So frustrating for everyone involved. Most of the complaints we heard were about three exams: AP Physics C: Mechanics, AP Calculus AB, and AP U.S. History.
William & Mary announced a shift to a test-optional pilot program that will last three years (Classes of 2021-2023 will be impacted). By the way, William & Mary was the big shocker of the 2019-2020 application cycle for Virginia residents before all hell broke loose in March with the virus. They waitlisted so. many. qualified. candidates. It was insane and felt very different from previous years. ED is the way to go there, no question (like basically every other school!).
Villanova will be test-optional for the Class of 2021 and also added an EDII option. I think we are going to see many more schools move to EDII. Which is awesome because I LOVE EDII. It’s still relatively under-utilized as a strategy. We were 4/4 for EDII acceptances this year with the Class of 2020, and were also 100% with the Class of 2019, although I can’t remember offhand how many we had - around 3-5, I believe. The right EDII strategy can be huge for a candidate.
The Cal State system announced that it will not provide in-person instruction this fall and the UC System has indicated that they will likely follow suit. Remember that the UC and Cal State systems were some of the first to announce a switch to test-optional admissions - UC made the decision all the way back on April 1.
FCPS just announced this afternoon (Friday, May 15) that school buildings will remain closed in July. Students in grades 7-12 will be able to pursue daily synchronous instruction through Online Campus coursework for a reduced price. Be careful - this is not for everyone. The grades count - if it doesn’t go well, they will be on the transcript regardless. If you haven’t looked at our Guide to Virtual Instruction Alternatives for FCPS Students, check that out.
Speaking of, everybody is talking about MISC. I personally think this is the final nail in the coffin for in-person K-12 instruction this fall.

Best Articles of the Week

Loved, loved, loved this article from the Atlantic. I think that our society needs to open our eyes more to the idea of college students starting at home through online learning. I know it stinks, believe me. But this too shall pass and no matter what happens over the next four years or where the classes take place, the students will have degrees from the schools in question. That’s what’s most important at the end of the day in my personal opinion.

“We must ask ourselves: What would make leaders gamble with human life this way? The answer is twofold: fear and acquiescence—both of which, when left unchecked, lead down a path to moral damnation. The fear of the fiscal damage associated with empty campuses in the fall is the primary reason that schools are exploring every option to avoid that possibility … The other reason higher-education leaders may be forced into questionable decisions is their refusal to stand up to the unrealistic expectations of many faculty and staff members, students, alumni, and other stakeholders. If you are a college president right now, not everyone is not going to like what you do. But if you are fair, honest, and transparent, you will be respected; and it is always better to be respected than liked.”

An interesting piece from New York magazine about what the future of higher education may look like (side note: wow, the BC stuff, ha!). Not sure If I agree with the prediction but it was interesting to consider.
This piece from Forbes considers the future of K-12 education through four separate models. I haven’t heard too many others discussing microschools - but maybe they should be!

Office Happenings

After just over ten months, our trademark was approved this week! So exciting.
During the last several weeks, we have had an incredible amount of 10th graders sign up for ongoing services. I don’t know that we have ever had this many 10th graders sign up in such a short period of time… but I’m glad because starting early makes it so much easier in the long run! So much easier to do things right the first time than have to backtrack later and fix mistakes. Right now, we are helping many of these students strategically map out their summer experiences and target their test prep.
Most of the 11th graders have been done with their Common App essays for a while and the focus over the last few weeks has shifted to teacher and counselor recommendation work. We have an extensive process that I referenced on the blog last year.
Our July calendar should be live by the beginning of next week. Two months in and (knock on wood) our pivot to 100% virtual services has gone exceptionally well, even though I’m getting lonely here all alone. All of our students are Zoom experts now!

Enjoy the weekend, everyone!