Weekly Update: January 29

2021 is already flying by - can’t believe this is our last blog post of January!

BIGGEST COLLEGE-RELATED NEWS OF THE WEEK

SCHOOLS CONTINUE TO ANNOUNCE TEST-OPTIONAL ADMISSIONS FOR 2021-2022

Every week brings more test-optional updates, and BC, Penn, and the College of Charleston are the most recent schools to announce that their test-optional policy will continue for the Class of 2022 - phew! But this also serves as a good reminder to read the fine print - Penn, like the other Ivy League schools, has not yet decided what test requirements will be for athletes, for example. Wondering whether to submit test scores with your application? Check out our blog post from earlier this week for considerations. 

VA SCHOOLS REPORT RECORD APPLICATION NUMBERS

If you’ve been keeping up with the blog, you already know that highly selective schools have seen a huge rise in application numbers this cycle, and our local universities are no exception! William & Mary received 17,400 applications, a 23% increase over last year and the first time the school had 15,000 applicants. Virginia Tech also received a record-breaking 42,084 applications this cycle, a 36% increase over last year! We will be waiting to see whether this rise in applications drives admissions rates down at our in-state schools. 

WHAT MATTERS FOR COLLEGE STUDENTS IN THIS ECONOMY

Job postings for new graduates with bachelor’s degrees fell by 40% last spring due to the COVID recession. Now that a new crop of college graduates is about to enter the job market, competition for these jobs will be even more intense. A student who is overqualified for their first job out of college is likely to still be in a job they are overqualified for after five years in the workforce, so it is more important than ever to job search carefully and network well. Our advice for all college students - yes, freshmen too! - is to get connected with your career services office early and take advantage of everything your school has to offer to help you find a career. For more career advice, I encourage you to read Jeff Selingo’s latest article, Good Jobs in Bad Times. Current college students should also check out Denison University’s Launch Lab, a cutting-edge career center that is open to all liberal arts students! 

ARE YOU A DARTMOUTH APPLICANT WITH ATHLETIC TALENT? YOU MIGHT HAVE JUST WON THE PROVERBIAL COLLEGE ADMISSIONS LOTTERY!

Are you a men’s or women’s golfer, swimmer, or diver, or a men’s lightweight rower? Did you happen to apply RD to Dartmouth? If so, you should reach out to the varsity coach for your sport immediately.

Dartmouth initially canceled their men’s and women’s golf, men’s and women’s swimming and diving, and men’s lightweight rowing programs... but in a surprise turn of events, the university made an announcement today that these programs will be reinstated in the fall as a result of Title IX compliance issues.

However, as anyone familiar with athletic recruiting knows, these coaches are going to be scrambling to fill their rosters. They likely did not follow the typical recruiting schedule as they believed that the teams would no longer exist in the fall, and the application deadline has now passed. In our opinion, any RD applicants who may be able to play for one of these teams are going to go straight to the top of the institutional priority list over the next few weeks.

BEST ARTICLES OF THE WEEK

We shared this New York Times article about merit aid on Facebook this week, but it is so important it is worth sharing again! Take the time now to have an honest conversation with your 8th or 9th grader about how their high school grades will be used in the scholarship process. Talk to your student about how much you have saved for their college, what you are willing to pay, and how that will impact their school choices. It is so much better to have these conversations early, before students get their hopes up about specific schools that may just not be an option! Yes, conversations about money with your teenager may be uncomfortable, but it is important for them to know how their performance now could impact their opportunities later. If you’re looking for more guidance in strategizing with your 8th or 9th grader, book a Class of 2023-2025 Strategy Session and we can help!

A high school English teacher in Cliffside Park, NJ, had the great idea to collect student essays about their experiences with COVID-19 and publish a series of memoirs. Students were able to use the book to process the physical, mental, and emotional effects of the pandemic, and it is a great reminder to all high school students who are struggling right now that they are not alone. All the proceeds from the sale of the book will go toward a scholarship fund for the students. 

And after the memoirs, lighten the mood by sharing this “applicant’s guide” from McSweeney’s - some of these made us laugh out loud! Poor Florida State ;)

Lastly, if you are applying to college from outside the United States, check out this piece from U.S. News & World Report with a to-do list for prospective international applicants during the upcoming cycle. Perfect timing as one of our own international applicants just received his first acceptance letter yesterday!

We received this email this morning from our applicant’s father - it’s been a LONG JOURNEY and we are THRILLED for their family!

Let me tell you - if you think we’ve had it hard here in the U.S., it’s been nothing compared to what these kids abroad have been navigating. We could not be happier for this very deserving student who will now be studying at a top school in the U.S. next year!

OFFICE HAPPENINGS

It is hard to believe how fast this year has gone, but it is already time for high school students to start thinking about their summer plans! The process is more uncertain this year than ever, so we recommend that students have a summer option they’d like to pursue if the pandemic allows, and then a backup option that would make them equally happy if COVID-19 necessitates that they choose a virtual experience this summer.

Still not sure of your summer plans? Check out our Summer 2021 Virtual Opportunities Database for some ideas! We will continue to add new in-person and virtual opportunities in the DC area and around the country on a weekly basis, so bookmark this page to stay up-to-date on all of your summer options.

Have a great weekend, and stay warm!

Weekly Update: January 22

Another Friday, another weekly update!

BIGGEST COLLEGE-RELATED NEWS OF THE WEEK

TEST OPTIONAL ANNOUNCEMENTS CONTINUE FOR THE CLASS OF 2022

We know that a lot of current juniors have been anxiously waiting to see if their dream school will require test scores next cycle. The test-optional announcements keep rolling in, with Penn State and Amherst recently announcing that they will continue test-optional admissions through at least 2023. These schools join others, including Baylor, in committing early to remaining test-optional. BU and Cornell are among the schools that are still undecided, while other super-selective schools like Stanford have announced that they hope to resume considering test scores if possible. We’ll keep you updated!

Looking for a school that won’t accept test scores at all? Check out “test blind” schools like Caltech, Dickinson, Reed, the University of San Diego and the University of California system (Berkeley, UCLA, etc). But remember: a lack of test scores does not mean “easy admissions process.” It simply means that the other factors count more.

FREE FCPS WEBINARS

The FCPS Parent Resource Center is offering four webinars for parents in February about supporting students emotionally during this difficult time. Webinar topics include Teen Depression and Social-Emotional Learning. It’s free to register for these events, which will also be available for replay later on Youtube. In light of the mental health challenges that the pandemic has exacerbated among students, this is a timely and helpful series for any parent!

HOWARD UNIVERSITY BAND ACCOMPANIES HARRIS AT INAUGURATION

Students in the Howard University band had the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity this week to escort Vice President Kamala Harris, a Howard alumna, in Wednesday’s inaugural parade. Despite social distancing challenges and the fact that only some members of the band were able to perform, the band’s director commented on the personal importance of Harris’s election for Howard students. 

BEST ARTICLES OF THE WEEK

I’m so glad someone finally wrote this article for NPR - yes, you CAN ask for more money from your college! This is true of undergraduates and especially graduate students. In this tumultuous year, if the FAFSA doesn’t accurately capture your financial situation, reach out to your school to see if you can receive additional help. Your first financial aid offer is not final!

Before we started this application cycle, many in the higher education industry thought that enrollment at community colleges would rise, as students chose to spend less on Zoom classes and wait out the pandemic before returning to four-year colleges. But the truth has been very different. Community colleges are seeing a steep decline in enrollment, and students at two-year colleges who have taken a break from education during the pandemic are less likely to return to full-time schooling. Meanwhile, the price tags at highly selective colleges are not dropping - on the contrary, Stanford, Yale, Dartmouth, Brown, and Harvard have all raised tuition despite continued online learning. While community college isn’t for everyone, it’s always worth checking out Northern Virginia Community College’s guaranteed transfer agreements. When you think about what it takes to be admitted to UVA as a freshman and just how competitive that process has become, the possibility of a guaranteed spot for spending two years at NOVA can look pretty appealing.

OFFICE HAPPENINGS

It is always exciting and nerve-wracking for us as we wait for our students to receive decisions, but we had a longer wait this cycle as many EA/ED decisions were released late - and we are still waiting on many of them, from UVA to Michigan to Wisconsin. The trend is likely to continue for RD decisions - all of the Ivy League schools have announced that their decisions will be delayed, and they will give students until May 3 to deposit. This gives less time to students who may have to make other decisions by May 1, which will only add more pressure during a year when it is difficult to visit campuses to make decisions. Trying to get to know a college virtually? Check out our post for tips!

As we covered already this week, the SAT has canceled the essay section as well as the subject tests. We expect that the ACT Writing section will soon follow suit, and honestly do not foresee a big change for our students with this change, as most schools do not consider the essay. 

The bigger change, as we mentioned several days ago, is for the subject tests. We pinpointed certain groups of students who will be more likely to be impacted, and there’s no question that STEM-oriented students in each of those groups will feel the greatest impact. Did you know that one particular subject test comprised over 70% of the subject tests administered this cycle? The Math II test was particularly common for students hoping to demonstrate higher-level math abilities for an edge at highly selective schools (though historically they have not been a strong predictor of student success, as those students were all scoring so high that there really was not much variation in test scores!).

The College Board is likely to push AP exams now as an admissions tool, and it is possible that highly selective schools will place more emphasis on AP scores in the absence of Subject Tests. We anticipate seeing schools respond to pressure from the College Board by making AP exams more accessible for all students, including freshmen and sophomores. Already, the deadline to sign up for AP exams has been extended to March 12, but don’t run out and sign up just yet! As we mentioned in the last post, AP exams are meant to be taken after an official College Board-approved AP course. If you are a client, talk with us before changing your exam strategy.   

—

And lastly - this really has been a very busy week! - I was able to attend the Independent Educational Consultants Association’s Professional Member Retreat. This is geared specifically for more experienced educational consultants like me, as opposed to their normal conferences (which are great too) that are open to anyone. I got so much out of it, and Shannon and I have already met about ways we can incorporate new ideas into our practice!

I was invited to co-present a session on Client Experience that took place yesterday, and enjoyed facilitating ideas with my colleagues around the world. It was great to share best practices about the ways to “make happy clients” and I was honored to be asked! I do think our clients are pretty happy! ;)

Keep an eye out for upcoming posts on what you need to know about testing (yes, even more!) and a bit on the differences between the function of an independent school college counselor and an independent college counselor.

Have a great weekend!

Weekly Update: January 15

Happy Friday! A note that our office will be closed on Monday for MLK, Jr. Day. Have a great long weekend and be safe!

BIGGEST COLLEGE-RELATED NEWS OF THE WEEK

PROTECTING COLLEGE CAMPUSES FROM COVID-19

A new study this week found that combining social distancing, mandatory mask-wearing, and routine testing would prevent 92-96% of COVID-19 infection on college campuses. Interestingly, the report asserts that this method would be more effective than online-only classes, which would only prevent about 63% of cases. It is worth noting, however, that this study used a computer model to make its predictions - and actual college students are likely to follow these rules imperfectly. 

COVID-19 FUNDS RELEASED TO COLLEGES

The Department of Education released over $20 billion in new funds for colleges and universities yesterday. Even more funding could be on its way, as Biden’s new COVID-19 relief plan includes $35 billion in aid for these institutions. This round of relief will enable schools to implement safety measures, as well as providing more flexibility for emergency grants to individual students. Unlike the last round of funding, it will also be available even to students who are not academically eligible for federal financial aid. Curious about how much funding your school will get? The CDC released a list of aid received by each individual institution.

NEW COVID-19 DISCIPLINARY MEASURES AT MICHIGAN

The University of Michigan released a plan to hold most classes remotely during the winter semester - and as you know, we will continue to share these new plans with you as colleges decide on their new schedules. But in addition to the changes for classes, Michigan’s plan also outlines stricter disciplinary measures for students who do not follow social distancing and masking rules on campus. College students should make sure that they are familiar with the disciplinary measures at their own institution - we have seen COVID-19 disciplinary measures cause issues for many students, and you don’t want to be one of them!

BEST ARTICLES OF THE WEEK

Those who were paying attention to college news in 2016 may remember Emma Sulkowicz, the Columbia University student who protested Columbia’s handling of her alleged rape by carrying a mattress around campus. Around the same time, Ben Feibleman, a Columbia student, was accused of sexually assaulting a female classmate. He was found guilty and expelled without a diploma. But as this New York Times article recounts, Columbia recently settled a lawsuit with Feibleman by restoring his diploma, even as the university stood by its initial verdict in the case. This complicated case reveals the implications of changing rules surrounding sexual assault on campus - Feibleman’s case was made possible by Trump administration’s regulations for due process for those accused of sexual assault, and this is an interesting case to consider for the incoming Biden administration as they debate whether to roll back those regulations. 

This article from Jon Boeckenstedt for the National Association of College Admissions Counseling (NACAC) is a must-read for all those involved in the college admissions process. Boeckenstedt dispels a lot of the myths that surround college admissions and gives an honest look at how the process works. He acknowledges both the humanity in the admissions process as well as the hard financial and institutional realities that admissions officers need to contend with as they try to select the most successful incoming class. 

Jeff Selingo, who wrote my new favorite book on college admissions, made some interesting predictions in his most recent newsletter for the college landscape in 2021. Here are some of them:

1. Student experience will take center stage. After a year when we all realized that college is so much more than just attending classes, colleges will bring more focus to the student experience, improving the relationship between student-facing offices like advising, career services, and financial aid. 

2. Improving the academic experience will be a top priority. Parents and students alike are realizing during this time that online classes are not providing the best value for their tuition dollars. Selingo expects that academic departments will work to integrate in-person and online learning and personalize the learning environment for each student. 

3. Humanities may see a comeback. As we know only too well, after the Great Recession, students and parents were interested in STEM subjects and focused on majors and programs that would lead to successful careers. Selingo hopes that the pandemic will show the importance of thinking, writing, synthesizing information, and developing a growth mindset, and allow a resurgence in studies in the humanities.

OFFICE HAPPENINGS

While we’re busy advising on course registration for younger students (#yesyouhavetocontinueSpanishsenioryear #sorry), helping Class of 2022 students put together their college lists, and helping Class of 2021 students wrap up, we are also busy with other types of applications! We’ve got applications for Ph.D. programs, MBAs, law school, transfers, even primary and secondary schools!

Speaking of, it’s actually going to be really interesting to see how the independent school admissions process will play out this year - I have never seen such a competitive landscape. So many families are looking for spots and the spots just aren’t there in the non-entry years.

In any case, one of the things we love about this work is getting to know students across all grade levels and stages of education! If you want to learn more about what we can do for you and your student, book a Meet & Greet or Strategy Session to fit your needs.

Oh, and we also just celebrated our one-year anniversary in the not-so-new-anymore office this week!

Probably should have taken down that little Christmas tree before I took the photo :)

While it’s not unusual for us to never meet clients in person when they live outside of the DC metro, it’s wild to think that some of our current seniors who live right here in Vienna have already finished up the process without stepping foot in our office.

That said, I see the light at the end of the tunnel with the vaccine and I’m really hopeful that we will be back up and running normally in a couple of months.. although it will be interesting to see how many kids prefer working over Zoom for convenience! I do miss the human interaction, but I am pleased at how well it all worked out this past year and I could see some students wanting to continue that way.

Enjoy the long weekend!

Weekly Update: January 8

We hope you all had a fun and restful break, and we’re excited to be back with our first weekly update of 2021!

BIGGEST COLLEGE-RELATED NEWS OF THE WEEK

FCPS BOARD DELAYS SCHOOL REOPENING

The FCPS School Board voted to indefinitely pause the Return to School plan and reevaluate in early February. In more hopeful news, Governor Northam announced that K-12 educators are now in group 1B and may receive vaccines later this month, which is very promising for the return to the classroom. YAY! Edit: A press release went out late this afternoon indicating that educators in Fairfax County will be able to get vaccinated as early as Monday, January 11!

BETSY DEVOS RESIGNS

The Secretary of Education submitted her resignation on Thursday, following the riots at the Capitol this week. DeVos is the second cabinet-level official to step down in the wake of recent events. She’s not the most popular name in town, but she did do quite a bit of work to push school choice and keep schools open during the pandemic. We will keep an eye on how those policies might be affected in the coming months. 

COLLEGES CONTINUE TO STRUGGLE WITH SPRING SCHEDULES

With the five deadliest days of the COVID-19 pandemic taking place over the last two weeks, colleges are struggling with how to plan for spring semester. Syracuse, which laid out its spring semester plans in September, announced on Monday that it will start and end the term two weeks later than planned. UNC will start the semester on time but remotely, delaying in-person undergraduate classes for three weeks. Georgetown is facing backlash for keeping students remote during the spring semester, while nearby schools like American and Catholic will be returning to in-person instruction. We are watching closely, as more schools are likely to change their plans for the spring in the coming days.

CHALLENGING ADMISSIONS YEAR FOR STUDENTS AT TOP COLLEGES

As we have said many times on this blog, the overall decrease in college enrollment in the US is not reflective of the landscape at highly selective schools. Early applications at Harvard are up 57% over last year, and the early admit rate was cut nearly in half, from 13.9% to 7.4%. Yale apps are up 38%, and acceptances down to 11%, and the trend continues at Penn and Dartmouth. The Ivy League schools aren’t the only ones impacted, either - UVA and UGA also saw increases in early applications. 

NORTHEASTERN BEGINS COVID-19 VACCINATIONS

Northeastern University, an authorized Massachusetts vaccine provider, became one of the first colleges in the country to issue COVID-19 vaccines this week. About 1,500 people at Northeastern, including 1,000 students who work in direct patient care, are eligible for Phase 1 vaccinations, and 88 people have been vaccinated so far. The university plans to begin Phase 2 vaccinations in February.

BEST ARTICLES OF THE WEEK

The CDC and the Department of Health and Human Services released a report this week that reveals an average of a 56% rise in COVID-19 cases in counties where colleges and universities had in-person learning. The report does not indicate whether the spread was as a result of in-person learning, or other sources of spread in the community. 

Students and faculty at DC area colleges spoke out this week about their relationships with the U.S. government and their reactions to the riot at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday. Their statements underline D.C.’s status as a “college town,” and the links between Washington and the D.C. educational institutions. 

The New York Times is inviting students to share their college essays about experiences and issues that defined 2020. Submitters will have a chance to be interviewed or have their writing featured. Of course, we encouraged our own students to steer clear of Covid-related topics in their college essays, but there were so many major issues this past year that I am sure some would qualify. We always say that the hardest part about working on essays is that we can’t share our students’ amazing progress, so this would be a great opportunity for students to have a wider audience for their stories!

OFFICE HAPPENINGS

So many people send us emails this time of year saying “You’re probably so relieved to be done with the admissions season…” but did you know that the month of January is probably our third-busiest of the year, after August and September?

Not only are we working with Class of 2021 students on follow-up work such as additional interview prep or LOCIs, we’re also assisting with initial research and application materials with the Class of 2022, who are putting together college lists at a very difficult time. The rate at which colleges are changing their requirements and deadlines is keeping us on our toes! Class of 2022 families who want to learn more about our ongoing services can book a Meet & Greet.

That said, what really makes us crazy busy this time of year is not actually our work with juniors or seniors (or our grad student or transfer applicants, for that matter). Why are we so swamped? Two words: course registration. As soon as the new year hits, FCPS course registration for the following academic year begins in full force, and this January is no exception.

Are you struggling over whether it’s better to earn a B in an honors course or an A in a regular course; wondering which electives to choose; or wondering about the credibility of your 15-year-old son who swears up and down his school counselor said it was no problem at all to go ahead and drop Spanish since he already met his foreign language graduation requirement in 10th grade? You are not alone!

Pro tip: the best money you’ll ever spend on the college admissions process (truly!) is our one-hour strategy session for your 8th, 9th, or 10th grade student. You’ll walk away knowing exactly which courses to choose, which tests to take and when, and what your student needs to be doing (and NOT doing) at this very moment if they want to be one of our success stories down the line.

Whether your family ever sees us again after the meeting is totally up to you, but starting off on the right foot will ensure that you ultimately begin the active stage of the admissions process in a position of strength, because you won’t be frantically trying to make up for mistakes you didn’t even know you were making.

Like dropping Spanish :)

Weekly Update: December 18

We are really thrilled with the good news from so many of our seniors, and look forward to hearing the rest of the decisions as they come out! Our office will be closed for the next two weeks during the FCPS break, but please keep us updated - we can’t wait to celebrate for you!

BIGGEST COLLEGE-RELATED NEWS OF THE WEEK

EARLY ACTION/EARLY DECISION RESULTS

We have posted so many times about how much we love College Kickstart’s list of early decision and early action release dates, which is updated nearly every day and can be really helpful for students still anxiously awaiting decisions. But for data on those decisions that have already come out, the site also released this list of initial early admission rates. We can see the impact of increased applications at selective schools like Columbia, which saw a 49% increase in ED applications, and Dartmouth, which saw a 29% increase. Stats have not been released yet on MIT’s early action, but some sources are predicting a 60% increase in applications this cycle!

DEFERRALS MAY IMPACT RD ADMISSION AFTER ALL

As we have been saying for months, most colleges assured students that the increase in Class of 2020 deferrals would not impact Class of 2021 applicants. However, in the last week, we’ve begun to see some evidence of policy shifts on this topic - it sounds like some of the most selective schools are beginning to rethink that approach (and not in a good way!). This interview with Dartmouth Dean of Admissions Lee Coffin suggests that while the office did not take deferrals into account during the ED cycle, it will do so during the RD round. Yikes! Along the same lines, Harvard admitted an historically low number of students during the early action round to compensate for deferrals. And that’s despite a 57% increase in applicants year over year! This is really concerning news for RD applicants, and is yet another reason why students who were not admitted in this round should seriously consider applying ED II. 

RECORD NUMBER OF MED SCHOOL APPLICATIONS THIS CYCLE

The pandemic has changed everything about college and grad school admissions, but may have been particularly influential in medical school applications, which are up 18% over last year. Top schools like Stanford have seen a 50% increase in applications in what medical school admissions offices have started to term the “Fauci Effect.” The senior director of the American Association of Medical Colleges likens this wave to the large numbers of young men and women who entered into the military after 9/11.

MACKENZIE SCOTT DONATES MILLIONS TO COLLEGES 

MacKenzie Scott, ex-wife of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, has donated nearly two billion dollars to small colleges and universities that tend to serve low-income or minority students, including more than a dozen HBCUs as well as technical and community colleges. Recipients included Prairie View A&M University, which received $50 million, and Borough of Manhattan Community College, which received $30 million. For many schools, these were the largest single gifts they had ever received. Ms. Scott made the gifts after her team interviewed the presidents of the colleges about their mission and goals. 

BEST ARTICLES OF THE WEEK

As previously mentioned, we experienced an unprecedented early admissions cycle this year in terms of skyrocketing numbers of applicants, and the WSJ did a great job of covering the “dramatic growth” today. We knew it was going to be messy, but this past week was just insane.

Binding early decision applications rose by 22% at Brown University, 23% at the University of Pennsylvania, 29% at Dartmouth College and 49% at Columbia University. At Yale University and Harvard University, applications under the restrictive early-action option jumped by about 38% and 57%, respectively.

The massive jumps—and resultant declines in acceptance rates—illustrate just how chaotic this admissions cycle is shaping up to be.

We can’t say that all of our news was perfect- we had two decisions in particular that were very frustrating. That said, we’ve been totally. blown. away. by how well our students have done on the whole despite these crazy increases. Offhand I would say that about 80% of our students who applied ED were admitted to their top choice schools, and we’re talking about some extremely selective institutions, several of which are Ivy League schools that were mentioned in that article. Congratulations, guys!

This piece from the Chronicle of Higher Education makes a radical proposal - that instead of employing human beings to read applications and make admissions decisions, students should be matched with schools using an algorithm that takes into account the preferences of the applicant as well as those of the program. The article cites the racial and socioeconomic disparities in traditional admissions as the reason why the system needs such a drastic overhaul. The system would also help struggling colleges to meet enrollment goals, a goal that is even more salient as colleges go into debt during the COVID-19 crisis. We’re not sure that they will ever be able to fully replace admissions readers, but it is definitely an interesting proposition! 

There have been multiple articles this week about the difficulties that students and counselors face during the admissions process this cycle. The LA Times notes that school counselors have often been unable to reach their students through remote learning platforms, but the lack of technology isn’t the only issue. Students and families contending with unemployment, anxiety, and illness are not motivated and are sometimes unable to complete the time-intensive work of applying to colleges. NPR stresses how these effects are even more profound for first generation and low-income students, who are left with fewer resources than past cycles in what has become the most challenging and capricious cycle we have ever seen.

OFFICE HAPPENINGS

We have been trying hard to keep up with the ED/EA statistics from as many schools as we can, and sharing our information to help clients make good decisions about ED II and RD applications!

Shannon attended a Best of Boston session with Tufts, BU, and Northeastern this week and learned that Tufts is admitting fewer students early this year (only 18% of the entering class), and that interestingly, they have seen a HUGE increase in applications from Virginia. Figures, right?! We know that many of our students have become interested in Tufts, and are keeping our fingers crossed for them in a cycle with a lower admit rate and stiff competition! 

And of course, we have seen so many decisions come out this week! But keep in mind that whether you were accepted, deferred, or denied, your responsibilities do not end with your decision letter. Deferred or denied students should read our post from earlier this week for next steps. And for those who got good news, keep an eye out for next week’s blog post on important steps to take after your ED acceptance. 

We hope you all have a great holiday, and we’re keeping our fingers crossed for those still waiting on decisions!

Weekly Update: December 11

A big week as we start to see some decision come out for our students! And a busy week for us as we continue working hard on transfer and graduate school applications before the holidays.

BIGGEST COLLEGE-RELATED NEWS OF THE WEEK

UVA CLASS OF 2025 EARLY DECISION STATISTICS RELEASED

Dean J provided a very helpful update yesterday about UVA’s early decision statistics from this past application cycle. My initial thoughts: while applications increased substantially (by 36% if my math is correct!), the actual number of students accepted through ED increased as well - by about 29%. This resulted in an ED acceptance rate that only decreased by a couple of percentage points from last year, despite the huge increase in applications. This is great news for ED applicants. However, unless UVA plans to increase the size of their freshman class, which I do not believe is the case, EA and RD applicants will likely feel an impact. The additional slots allocated to ED applicants will have to come from somewhere, and I anticipate that EA and RD will be a little more competitive as a result.

OTHER SCHOOLS RELEASE STATISTICS FOR THIS CYCLE

UVA is not the only school that we’ve been watching for early statistics. Emory published that their Early Decision I applications were up 8% from last year, UNC up 10%, and Duke saw an even larger increase of nearly 18%, and as a result is expecting an early admit rate of only 16 to 17% when decisions are released later this month. While we don’t know the stats yet for Virginia Tech, they have received more applications so far this cycle than in all of last cycle - and a 35% increase in EA applications! This record increase is not particularly promising for applicants. We should have more to share about ED and EA statistics next week.

CONFLICTING REPORTS ON WHAT WILL HAPPEN THIS SPRING

While we are excited at the new COVID-19 vaccine developments, cases are still rising and leaving colleges with a difficult decision to make about what will happen during the spring semester. Some schools, like Georgetown and Princeton, plan to invite students back to campus after a nearly entirely virtual first semester, while other schools view reopening in person as a financial necessity. But college-age students are not likely to receive a vaccine anytime soon, so the revenue losses in higher education are likely to continue throughout the spring.

BEST ARTICLES OF THE WEEK

The Wall Street Journal published an article this week about students who chose to take a gap year rather than commit to remote learning during the pandemic. As we’ve noted before, while there are more students deferring this year than in the past, the numbers have not shifted drastically - the vast majority of students chose to continue with their education virtually. This is in part because many traditional gap year pursuits, like working and traveling, are not available to students right now. Many students who chose to interrupt their studies were doing either remote work or pursuing a passion project. The article stresses the need for students who are considering a gap year to focus on improving their skills and maturity, and making sure to have a structure to their days in the absence of classes.

The Washington Post also published an interesting look back on the first semester of pandemic college, reporting that it was not during classes that coronavirus spread on campus, but rather in dorms and at social events off campus. We’ll echo the article and say that if colleges want to provide in-person instruction for students, they also need to provide safe ways to socialize - it is just not realistic to expect every student to hunker down in their dorm room when not in class. We hope that increases in testing and a vaccine on the horizon will make the spring semester safer for students, as colleges learn from looking back on the fall.

This NPR segment on applying to college during the pandemic provides some great insight on how it feels to be a high school senior right now, and reminds all of us to cut the students in our lives some slack at this very stressful time! This has been a difficult year for students and school counselors to connect and receive necessary resources, and made an already challenging process even more difficult on kids and their families.

OFFICE HAPPENINGS

Oh my gosh - what an exciting but nerve-wracking week with all of the ED/EA decision releases! We’ve been refreshing College Kickstart’s Class of 2025 Early Decision and Early Action Notification Dates post nonstop, and this evening is going to be extra crazy with decisions from UVA and Virginia Tech coming in! Not to mention Amherst, Williams, Stanford, Richmond and others.

While the college admissions process is uncertain by nature, this year has been absolutely brutal from the unpredictability standpoint. We have a whole crop of kids who are expecting decisions in the next four days and I know everyone is on edge. With that in mind, here are some quick thoughts that seniors (and their parents) can keep in mind over the next few days:

• Like the late, great Tom Petty said, the waiting is the hardest part. Emotions are running high right now and the build-up to decision day can make even the most rational among us feel not-so-rational after all. Know that this is temporary, though - everyone will snap back to their normal selves when acceptances or denials come around. Obviously, we always hope for good news, but bad news can also provide a welcome sense of closure.

• Unfortunately, there are many kids out there who will not learn their final decision for a few months yet, because they will be deferred into the regular decision pool. Instead of dwelling on the situation, move forward and become familiar with the many actionable steps that can be taken right now to turn things around. Check out our post from last year: How to Turn a Deferral into an Acceptance: Everything You Need to Know!

• Whatever the decision, know that it will all work out in the long term. I swear. It ALWAYS does! I completely understand that this process can feel devastating in the moment. It’s been 18 years since my own college rejection experience and I can vividly remember how crushing it was - but I am so grateful that things ultimately worked out the way they did.

• If you are a client and learn a decision, please email us! We try to give everyone space in case the news isn’t positive, so we won’t bug you unless it’s been a few days… but rest assured everyone in our office is holding their breath and waiting for your update :) If the news is not positive and you’d like to schedule a session to discuss a possible change in strategy or anything else, go ahead and book one here to take place next week.

• If you are not a client but recognize that you need help, we have a few emergency strategy sessions available over the break while our office is closed, and can offer emergency essay help over the holidays as well for an additional fee. It is NOT too late, and this kind of help can be such a game-changer. See the review below from one of our emergency help families from last year! You can email Donna if you have any questions or need more information.

Good luck - we are rooting so hard for each and every one of you!

Weekly Update: December 4

December already! We are excited to have heard some good news from our early applicants already and are busy wrapping things up with the last of our late-late-start seniors. 

BIGGEST COLLEGE-RELATED NEWS OF THE WEEK

EARLY ACTION/EARLY DECISION RELEASE DATES

All early applicants may want to bookmark this page - this running list of decision release dates for EA and ED is updated nearly every day. It’s going to be a busy week ahead! And remember to keep an eye on your application portal for each given school regularly regardless of the listed release date. This is the only way to ensure that you don’t miss any important updates. 

PARENT PLUS LOAN DATA RELEASED

We wrote two weeks ago about how parents should be wary of Parent Plus loans, which can often be included in what seem like “full ride” financial aid packages. For the first time on Wednesday, the U.S. Department of Education provided data on these exact loans. This new data gives a more thorough picture of how students are paying for college, and reveals that parents of students at art schools, HBCUs, and small private colleges are most likely to take out these high-interest loans to help support their students. 

UVM ELIMINATES 23 PROGRAMS

Also on Wednesday, the University of Vermont announced proposed cuts to 23 programs in the College of Arts and Sciences. The university cites declining enrollment as the reason for budget shortfalls. Among the cuts will be the elimination of the geology, religion, and classics departments. Thousands of students and faculty have petitioned to protest the cuts. This story reveals a broader worry for other universities, making it clear that economic budget cuts aren’t just impacting small schools - we may start to see the effects everywhere. 

BEST ARTICLES OF THE WEEK

There have been debates for years about the inability of NCAA Division I athletes to profit off of their skill - today, strict NCAA rules prohibit basketball and football stars from making money, even as their likenesses are used in advertising and video games. But one group of athletes is able to take advantage of lucrative sponsorship opportunities: cheerleaders. NCAA rules about amateurism do not apply to cheerleaders, as this New York Times article reveals, and top cheerleaders can make as much as $5,000 a post doing sponsored social media advertising in uniform. It will be interesting to see whether other athletes will be able to follow in these cheerleaders’ footsteps when the new NCAA rules are adopted in January.

We know that a lot of our students have been stressed about SAT and ACT testing being cancelled - and with good reason! But this article put our stress in perspective when we learned about the nine hour college entrance examination that South Korean high schoolers must complete. Students begin preparing for this exam as early as kindergarten, and though it was postponed due to COVID, precautions ensured that even students who tested positive for coronavirus would be able to take the test in specially-prepared negative-pressure hospital chambers, accompanied by exam administrators in protective suits. YIKES. And South Korean students don’t need to worry about running late - all banks, businesses, and government offices delayed opening to lessen traffic, and police on motorcycles were deployed to escort late students to the testing sites! 

Countries like South Korea are known for prioritizing education, and many of these students would likely have attended college in the U.S. But international student enrollment during the pandemic is plummeting, dropping 43% this fall. Racial bias in the U.S. and stricter immigration policies have also contributed to the drop. The decline in international enrollment means a budget deficit at many schools, where international students often pay full tuition or more, and it also means a less diverse learning environment for domestic students at U.S. colleges. 

The Washington Post’s picks for holiday reading are always exciting for me, and this year’s list includes an admissions-related novel! Admission, by Julie Buxbaum, is a fictional take on the Varsity Blues scandal. Have you read any of the books on this list? Leave us a comment with any of your recommendations! 

OFFICE HAPPENINGS

Shannon has been attending a lot of school sessions for updates on their early admissions pools and information for our upcoming school profiles, which will be available to all of our clients and members of our vault! If you follow us on instagram, you saw that we loved the “breakfast” treats package that Newman University sent in advance of their session yesterday!

Also, speaking of treats, did you know that today is National Cookie Day? Basically right up there with Christmas in my book in terms of important holidays.

Delicious cookies from our neighbors at Crumbl down the street!

I have heard of a whole bunch of outbreaks at various schools over the last several days - including my son’s preschool, which caused me to panic a little bit! In case this helps anyone else who is worried about having been exposed, AllCare Family Medicine will give rapid and PCR tests at the same time. It was surprisingly hard to find a place to do both! I had to drive to their Alexandria location after meeting with a doctor from the Tysons location, but it was definitely worth it for peace of mind that my household is Covid-free.

Stay safe, everyone, and have a nice weekend!

Weekly Update: November 27

I know that this Thanksgiving wasn’t quite typical, but we hope that our students were able to enjoy the time with their families and take some much-deserved rest!

As for us in the office- not to sound sappy, but we’re incredibly thankful to have the opportunity to work with all of you. I’ve been asking everyone in my life to tell me their six words of gratitude and mine, as they relate to my professional life, are “Love coming to work each day.” And I think all of us really feel that way! So truly - thank you for entrusting us with such an important time in your lives. It is such a privilege to be able to partner with such wonderful families, not only through the college process but also through the laughter and tears of adolescence itself. We don’t take it for granted for a minute!

BIGGEST COLLEGE-RELATED NEWS OF THE WEEK

FEWER STUDENTS, MORE COLLEGES

As our students know, applying for college this cycle is even more stressful than in previous years, and since many early application deadlines have passed, we are learning more and more about what the application pool will really look like. Fewer students are applying to colleges, particularly low-income and first generation students, but the ones who are applying are applying to more colleges, on average - and test-optional schools are seeing the majority of this increase.

STUDENTS DEBATE TRAVELING FOR THE HOLIDAY

Many schools have already ended in-person classes, intending for students to finish out the year at home after returning for Thanksgiving break. But with the CDC guidance advising Americans to stay put for the holiday, students were left to decide whether they should risk traveling home, or remain on campus even after the semester had ended. Some chose to take precautions and fly home, while others remained on campus to celebrate with friends. We are still waiting to see whether Thanksgiving travel has put more students and families at risk.

SCHOOLS REVIEW PANDEMIC SAFETY PROTOCOLS

As coronavirus cases rise around the country, schools are left to consider how best to safely reopen in the spring. Some are introducing new testing and screening protocols, and as we’ve covered before, many are cancelling spring break to keep students on campus. We expect more schools to announce changes to their spring reopening plans as we move into December.

BEST ARTICLES OF THE WEEK

College students, just like the country as a whole, have been hit hard by economic uncertainty during the pandemic. This article from the New York Times illuminates how students have created mutual aid networks to help each other cope with financial insecurity. How cool! These aid networks collect small donations, which at some schools have totaled tens of thousands of dollars, and then redistribute the funds to peers who need help covering housing, food, or medical costs. These networks are entirely student-run, often operating independently from formal administration initiatives, and they illuminate the generosity of students and donors in helping their peers during a difficult time. 

We have never been the biggest fans of using numbered rankings to make decisions about undergraduate programs - there is so, so much more that goes into finding the right fit for each student, and not every student and family values the same metrics when it comes to a school. That’s why we liked this list, which includes the top-ranked schools in fifty different categories based on student reviews, so prospective applicants can seek out the characteristics or specializations most important to them. It was interesting to see how many schools were given multiple “best” designations, some of which were unrelated. For example, MIT really cleaned up - they had five out of the fifty! “Best private college,” “Best academics,” and some of the others weren’t surprising, but did you know that Newsweek considers them the “Best college for veterans”? Also, I am in full agreement on their pick for the “Best college in the midwest,” just saying ;)

“Of all the great schools in the Midwest, Washington University stands out because it checks off so many of the boxes that most students care about.” Yes!!!!

While UNC notably sent students home after just a week of in-person instruction this fall, Duke served as an excellent example of an institution that reopened safely and basically did everything right. It did so by using pooled testing and contact tracing to identify infected students and stop major outbreaks from happening on campus or in the surrounding areas. I had never heard of pooled testing before, so this was fascinating to me. The CDC recently published an in-depth report on Duke’s efforts, and we hope that other schools will learn from their example when they bring students back in the spring. 

Jeff Selingo’s newsletter from this past week covered some interesting trends emerging in the current application cycle. In the midst of the pandemic, students are rethinking the desire to attend college far from home and instead applying to more institutions within driving distance. If this trend continues into next year, we may see some acceptance rates increase, especially at schools in the Northeast and Midwest that will see fewer applicants from around the country. 

Jeff also weighed in on the testing question, and says that the most selective private institutions have received test scores from over 70% of applicants this cycle, making them most likely to reinstate a testing requirement after the pandemic is over. But for most schools, test-optional admissions has been a great way to increase the diversity of the applicant pool; unless they receive an overwhelming number of applications, he believes they are more likely than not to remain test-optional.

OFFICE HAPPENINGS

We’ve been busy with deadlines coming up for UC schools next Monday, as well as a few last scholarship and EA applications on December 1! We were able to enjoy a break yesterday and are helping with some last minute questions today, particularly with the UC application.

While this year is atypical in terms of holiday gatherings, I always like to give a friendly reminder to the well-meaning adults out there that under no circumstances should you ever ask seniors about the college admissions process at this time of year! I know, believe me, it is so tempting. But if students end up with good news to share and want to share it down the line, they will. Or you’ll learn from someone else through the grapevine. But please don’t initiate that conversation! :)

We hear about this so much on the back end - all of the well-meaning inquiries (most of which are grounded in genuine interest and care) end up causing so much anxiety for these kids. Dealing with a college rejection is bad enough, as for some it’s truly their first major life disappointment. But what makes everything so much worse is a rejected student’s (often misplaced) assumption that they will ultimately have to update all the random adults who have asked them over the previous several months about their college plans. This situation ends up creating additional feelings of shame and embarrassment that are completely avoidable if the conversations had never taken place.

So, try as hard as you can not to mention anything related to college admissions to any high school senior in your life, unless you are their parent - no matter how excited you are for them or how much of a shoo-in you think they are for a given school. And even if you are their parent, try to hold back! The less emphasis you place on admission to a specific school, the less of a crisis it will be if the student is not admitted.

Enjoy what is hopefully a long weekend for everyone - happy Black Friday shopping!

Weekly Update: November 20

We hope that all of our students are looking forward to a relaxing Thanksgiving break!

BIGGEST COLLEGE-RELATED NEWS OF THE WEEK

UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA RELEASES EARLY ACTION DECISIONS

Yes, UGA is releasing its 2021 EA decisions TODAY - so check those portals! We’re keeping our fingers crossed for some good news for our students going into Thanksgiving break. As we have seen with other large public universities, UGA has seen an increase in applications. They are up 27% over last year’s early action pool. Their average ACT was 32, average SAT was 1404, and average unweighted GPA was 3.91. That’s pretty intense! Keep an eye out for our upcoming post about early action decisions, what they mean, and what to do next!

DECEMBER STANDARDIZED TEST CANCELLATIONS

While we’ve been excited by the good news about potential coronavirus vaccines, cases are still increasing throughout Virginia, and with those increases come SAT and ACT cancellations. McLean High School and Yorktown High School both cancelled the December SAT, and Annandale High School has cancelled the December ACT. While these links can be helpful, we continue to highly recommend that families call to check in with individual testing centers about December tests - this list is not always up to date, and we anticipate more cancellations to come. 

SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY OFFERS FREE MOCK CLASSES

The College of Engineering and Computer Science at Syracuse is offering free mock classes in December. This is a great opportunity for high school students to get a sense of the (virtual) college classroom, and connect with Syracuse professors. We recommend that students who choose to attend these classes keep their camera and microphone on, so they can engage with the professor during and after the class. We’re especially excited for the Introduction to Aerospace Engineering class on December 10, taught by the Director of the Aerospace Engineering program.  

TERRIFIC TEN COLLEGE EXPLORATION SERIES

Ten top public research universities - including Clemson, Penn State, UT Austin, UC Boulder, and UGA - are offering joint virtual sessions to discuss every aspect of the college admissions process, from finding your fit to financial aid. Register for one or more of their upcoming sessions on December 2nd and 3rd for a one-stop shop to learn more about these excellent schools.  

BEST ARTICLES OF THE WEEK

The New York Times published an interesting article this week about so-called “weed out” classes in STEM education. Most universities have that introductory science class that upperclassmen tell warning tales about, but the practice of weeding out students from a subject due to an introductory class is an outdated one, left over from the days where STEM programs simply could not support a large number of students. This article emphasizes the importance of students building relationships and connecting with their values in making it through these notorious classes. In short, weed out classes are less about a student’s academic ability and more about his or her mindset and the social connections they make in the classroom. 

This NBC News report gives an unsettling perspective on Parent Plus loans, a program that allows parents to take out loans to help their children pay for college. The 3.5 million parents that have taken out these additional loans now collectively owe nearly 100 billion dollars - and these parent numbers are not included in the data that the government releases about student loan debt. While parents, like students, were granted a reprieve from making payments during the pandemic, this provision is set to expire at the end of the year, a deadline that is looming closer for parents who are struggling to make payments. For our parents and students beginning to contemplate financial aid packages, let this serve as a reminder to read them extremely carefully! Many that appear to meet full need may in fact include Parent Plus or other high-interest loans. 

OFFICE HAPPENINGS

This week, I attended several conference sessions with the Independent Educational Consultants Association. I was especially excited to have the opportunity to present on Monday with a group of other educational consultants from around the country.

Some of my favorite sessions from the IECA conference included a virtual UVA session with admissions officer Tom McGovern, where I learned about the new Data Science major that UVA will be adding over the next few years.

Shannon and I also made sure to tune into “Unprecedented: Admissions Advice during a Pandemic” with admissions representatives from the University of Rochester, Ohio Wesleyan University, UT Austin, and Northern Arizona University. Here are our main takeaways for students and families:

Demonstrated interest WILL still be a factor in the admissions process at many schools, both this cycle and next cycle. Students who are unable to visit schools in person should be opening and clicking on emails, attending virtual visits, interacting on social media, reaching out to admissions counselors, and otherwise interacting with the colleges on their lists. If you are wondering whether demonstrated interest is a factor at a particular school, you can also reach out to the admissions office directly (no need to give your name!) and ask whether they consider demonstrated interest in admissions. (This was not in the session and reflects only my own opinion, but I am positive that some of the schools that do not consider demonstrated interest actually do. Sort of like demonstrated need. I wish everyone could just be up front!)

1. I have written about test-optional before, but it is worth repeating that a test-optional policy means that students who do submit test scores will have those scores considered as part of the application. If you have doubts about the test-optional policy at a particular school, make sure to check the website or ask an admissions officer to clarify. Some schools have additional requirements for students who do not submit test scores or are test-optional for admission but require test scores from students who enroll, so it is important to read carefully and make sure that you have all of the information. 

2. We have been hearing from a lot of our juniors as we work to put together their activity lists that some activities have been shortened or canceled due to the pandemic - and that is okay! Admissions officers understand that this is not a typical school year, so my advice to students is to continue to focus on things you are passionate about, but don’t worry too much if your extracurricular involvement looks a bit different this year than it has in the past. 

3. In addition to “official” virtual visits and tours on the school’s website, look out for Instagram Live or Facebook Live videos, webinars on YouTube, and other ways to get to know schools virtually (and check out our tips to make the most of your virtual visit). 

Our office will be closed next Thursday - wishing everyone a happy Thanksgiving!

Weekly Update: November 13

We have been busy helping our late-late-start seniors submit for the November 15 early deadline. Good luck to everyone submitting this weekend!

BIGGEST COLLEGE-RELATED NEWS OF THE WEEK

LATEST AFFIRMATIVE ACTION LAWSUIT HITS UNC

The anti-affirmative-action group Students for Fair Admissions, which has previously brought litigation against Harvard and the University of Texas, is currently arguing against UNC in the Winston-Salem federal court. The group claims that UNC discriminates against white and Asian-American students in admissions, while the university argues that its use of race in admissions is just one factor that is considered holistically in the context of the application. Just yesterday, a federal appeals court upheld the 2018 ruling in Harvard’s favor on this same issue. We will be watching closely to see if any of these affirmative action cases, including this most recent one, make their way to the Supreme Court. 

FLORIDA PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES SEE APPLICATIONS DECLINE

We have written before about the State University System of Florida’s refusal to go test-optional this cycle. This makes Florida the only state in the US (aside from Wyoming) to require students to test. As we expected, the controversial decision has resulted in a decline in applications - applications to Florida public universities are down a whopping 50% this cycle! 

USNA NAMES FIRST BLACK FEMALE BRIGADE COMMANDER

Midshipman 1st Class Sydney Barber (a senior at the Naval Academy, for those unfamiliar with the lingo!) has been named brigade commander for the spring semester. This is the university’s highest student leadership position, and is the first black woman and the sixteenth woman to serve as brigade commander in USNA’s history. She will be responsible for the day-to-day activities and professional training for the nearly 5,000 Naval Academy midshipmen.  

FCPS ATHLETICS AND RETURN TO SCHOOL UPDATE

As Fairfax County Public Schools continues with the phased-in approach to in-person learning after last night’s heated school board work session, they have also released an update on school sports. FCPS athletes will be allowed to return to the Virginia High School League competition in December, with basketball practices beginning on December 7 and all other winter sports practices on December 14. Loudoun County will also be competing this winter, and Arlington gave in to the pressure and reversed their previous decision - so they will too!

IVY LEAGUE SPORTS WILL NOT COMPETE IN WINTER SEASON

In another sports update this week, the Ivy League Council of Presidents released a unanimous decision yesterday to suspend intercollegiate competitions for winter sports. Students will still be allowed to practice and train on campus, and will not lose a season of NCAA-eligibility.

APPLICATIONS ARE DOWN OVERALL - BUT THAT MAY NOT MAKE A DIFFERENCE

As we mentioned last week after Shannon’s “Coffee with the Carnegie Mellon Deans” conversation, applications to college are down overall this cycle as a result of the uncertainty caused by the pandemic. Fewer students this year have applied early or filled out the FAFSA compared to previous years. However, for many of our students, that may not have as much of an impact as you might think - applications to highly selective schools, especially those that are newly test-optional, are UP this cycle. The number of highly selective schools in the US represents a very tiny fraction of the whole - everyone is trying to get in to the same 50 (or so) schools when there are over 4,000 four-year colleges and universities in the United States. While we did expect numbers to rise at the selective institutions, particularly at the public schools with lower tuition thresholds, I don't think any of us thought that UVA would have a 35% year over year increase in early decision applicants! That’s incredible.

BEST ARTICLES OF THE WEEK

Harvard and Columbia have introduced new certificate and “lifelong learning” programs to their business schools, a move that could change the way we think about business education. The idea behind these programs is that rather than completing a business degree in two years and graduating with an MBA, students will return to their education over a lifetime, through online re-education and certification. We have been busy with business school applications this cycle, and so far our students remain interested in traditional, two-year MBAs - but we’re interested to see how these programs change the landscape of MBA admissions. 

Georgetown University Law Center has debuted a new “Lawyers as Leaders” course to celebrate its 150th anniversary and respond to the political and cultural events of 2020. The course focuses on social justice and is the largest class in the Law Center’s history, enrolling over 300 students. During this course, Dean William M. Treanor interviews Georgetown Law faculty about pressing issues for young lawyers. Videos of these conversations are also available on Georgetown’s website, a great resource for any aspiring lawyers or any students interested in social justice! 

We wrote last week about how schools are preparing for students to leave for a long break this Thanksgiving, but parents also have to prepare to have their students home. This New York Times article offers tips for parents during this unusual time. From practical points about scheduling travel and quarantine, to checking in on your student’s emotional state, this is a must-read for any parent feeling apprehensive about welcoming their children home for the holidays. 

Also last week, we mentioned that we would be paying close attention to how the outcome of the election will impact higher education. This article gives some big-picture ideas of how higher education policies might change, particularly in response to a Vice President who is an HBCU graduate and a First Lady who is a community college instructor. We know that information about higher education policies will continue to develop, so keep an eye out for further updates!

OFFICE HAPPENINGS

As we wrap up early applications with our late-late-start seniors, many of our juniors are just starting to research and put together their college lists. We have had a lot of questions about how to get a feel for the school when the student is unable to visit in person. If you are in the same boat, check out our post from earlier this week for some tips to help really get to know a school during virtual visits.

If you are feeling overwhelmed by the search process, find out more about how we can help by booking a Meet & Greet!

Weekly Update: November 6

Happy Friday at the end of a crazy week! We’re keeping a close eye on the election results and learning about how they may impact higher education.

BIGGEST COLLEGE-RELATED NEWS OF THE WEEK

THE ATLANTIC NICHE SPORTS STORY TAKES A TURN

You may have seen that we covered a story on our blog last week that discussed the world of niche sports in college admissions. Since that story was released, the Atlantic has made significant changes after discovering that both the author of the piece and its main subject had deceived fact-checkers about several important details. These allegations cast doubt on the entire piece, particularly as the author has had previous instances of journalistic misconduct - “Ruth S. Barrett” is in fact Ruth Shalit, who left DC years ago as a young journalist due to a plagiarism scandal. We are waiting to see if the Atlantic allows the now-edited story to stand, or if more will come to light that necessitates the retraction of the whole story. 

HAVERFORD STUDENTS GO ON STRIKE

Last week, the president and dean of Haverford College sent out an email to dissuade students from participating in the Philadelphia protests following the police shooting of Walter Wallace, Jr. Students responded by going on strike. The strike has continued or over a week, with some students refusing to work, attend classes, or complete assignments until the school provides more support and aid to first-generation students, students of color, and LGBTQ+ students. Many students at Bryn Mawr, which has a close relationship with Haverford, have joined the strike in solidarity. Some faculty have also canceled classes.

COLLEGES RAMP UP PRE-THANKSGIVING TESTING

As we’ve discussed before, many colleges have chosen to send students home before Thanksgiving and keep them at home until January or February. This widespread strategy will hopefully minimize COVID risk from students’ frequent travel. But they are still headed home soon, and it is possible that students who have contracted the virus on campus will be bringing it home to their families during the holiday. To combat this potential outcome, many colleges are ramping up testing in advance of Thanksgiving. UVA is one of a number of schools that will give every student a chance to test shortly before they leave campus. Some schools, like the SUNY system, are taking it a step further by requiring students to test negative before they can head home.  

BEST ARTICLES OF THE WEEK

So many of the students with whom we work are budding entrepreneurs! I love hearing their creative ideas, and as a small business owner myself, it’s been exciting to see how so many colleges have created programs specifically related to entrepreneurship. From Carnegie Mellon’s Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship to the new Entrepreneurial Leadership and Innovation minor at Lewis & Clark College, these are popping up left and right. The Wall Street Journal published an article this week that all entrepreneurial students should definitely check out - a list of college courses that business owners wish they had taken. I certainly wish I had been able to take some of these in college!  

Especially right now, so much attention has been on the national media - and on the void created by the collapse of many local newspapers. The New York Times published an interesting article this week about how this void is being filled by undergraduate reporters. In some college towns, the university newspaper is the only local newspaper available and college students are stepping up to cover major stories during the pandemic. Many student papers, including The Michigan Daily and The Indiana Daily Student, have been the first to break the news of outbreaks of coronavirus on campus. 

OFFICE HAPPENINGS

We've noticed some concerning shifts this week regarding the impact of COVID-19 at local schools. We work with a lot of kids at one particular independent school that made the decision to shut down for a period of time because a teacher was diagnosed earlier this week. Arlington Public Schools actually reversed course a few days ago to postpone in-person learning indefinitely, and yesterday they made the (rather unpopular! sorry guys) decision to cancel winter sports. FCPS is still rolling out their phased return-to-school plan but we will see what happens. You can track FCPS cases here, as some students are already back and others have students and teachers coming in and out of the building for various reasons.

In the meantime, we had a very insightful question from a Class of 2022 student asking about how signing up for in-person vs. virtual learning at FCPS next semester will affect the college admissions process. Such a smart question, right? I told her that I was surprised that she was the only student who asked.

So in case you were wondering - my opinion is that the decision about in-person vs. virtual learning won’t really matter too much from the admissions standpoint. FCPS has been communicating all along that the quality of education will be the same across both platforms, and that is what they will likely communicate to colleges as well if asked - though I would be surprised if FCPS shared a student’s choice in the first place! 

My advice for any FCPS student is to choose the option that you think will give you the best chance of academic success and the highest quality of life. If you are happy and successful, that will have a much greater impact on your overall chance of success in the admissions process than the choice itself.

Switching gears a bit, we have seen a lot of speculation about how schools will consider test-optional applications this cycle. Shannon attended a “Coffee with the Carnegie Mellon Deans” event just this morning and learned that applications this cycle are down across the board for Common App schools. However, don’t get too excited - Carnegie Mellon and other highly selective schools like it that have traditionally been very dependent on test scores have received more applications since going test-optional. This shows that students who would potentially have felt that more selective institutions were “reaches” based on test scores are now deciding to apply. We are really interested to see how Carnegie Mellon and peer schools navigate this new normal - and whether all of these test-optional policies will continue during the 2021-2022 admissions cycle!

It is a GORGEOUS day outside - have a great weekend!

Weekly Update: October 30

Happy Halloween!

BIGGEST COLLEGE-RELATED NEWS OF THE WEEK

ACT SETTLES CLASS-ACTION LAWSUIT

The ACT had to pay out $16 million to students in California this week. The students sued ACT because the organization indicated on score reports when the students had received extra time on the test or had another documented disability (it is worth noting that the SAT does not include disability status on score reports). Thankfully, the ACT stopped this practice in 2018 as a result of the pending lawsuit and the settlement forbids them from restarting this practice in the future. 

UNIVERSITY OF DAYTON FRESHMAN DIES OF COVID-19

This week saw another tragic death of a college student due to complications from COVID-19. 18-year-old Michael Lang died after a long hospitalization in LaGrange, Illinois. It is not clear if Lang caught the coronavirus on campus, where he was living until switching to remote learning on September 13. Every time I read a story like this, I’m heartbroken - as a parent and as an educator, I can’t even imagine such a devastating loss. It underscores the stakes involved in keeping young people, particularly college students, safe and healthy during this time. 

Michael Lang, a first-year student at the University of Dayton (PC: University of Dayton)

FCPS RETURNING TO SCHOOL! (AND SCHEDULE CHANGES)

It’s official - almost 11 months after COVID-19 began, Dr. Brabrand announced that FCPS high school students will be heading back for in-person instruction on January 26. Many parents have expressed frustration that the return will only involve two days of in-person instruction (augmented by two days of virtual instruction). Fingers crossed that we can keep the cases low enough in our area that the plan actually comes to fruition in January! On another note, Dr. Brabrand also extended the first quarter of the current school year. Students will now have until Monday, November 2nd at 5 p.m. to complete missing assignments.

BEST ARTICLES OF THE WEEK

The New York Times published an article this week recounting the drastic budget cuts that schools are having to make as a result of the pandemic. Even Harvard University, with its nearly $42 billion endowment, reported a deficit this year. The temporary hiring freezes, furloughs, and early retirements that colleges implemented at the start of the pandemic are giving way to more permanent measures, including cuts to programs and faculty. Other school systems, like those in Connecticut and Pennsylvania, are merging multiple schools or campuses to create single operating units with centralized administrations as a way to cut costs. The article notes that many of the changes happening now on college campuses are likely to outlast the pandemic and will change higher education for this entire generation.

This Forbes article details the potential impact of the election on college admissions. The impact is not limited to the presidential election - it could be a result of state and local elections as well. These effects include a shortage of counselors at public schools. (As an aside: did you know that the average school counselor handles a caseload of 480 students?! That’s why it’s so important to provide your counselor with lots of content for the recommendation letter!) The election may also dictate whether or not schools are permitted to take race into account for admissions, as well as their ability to accept international students. Funding for higher education institutions could also be dependent on potential federal stimulus. 

This is a great article from Dr. Lisa Damour, author of Untangled. You may have seen her book on my bookshelf in my office! It’s an absolute must-read for parents, teachers, and other adults in the lives of teenage girls. In this article, she tackles the lack of motivation that some teenagers are experiencing during the pandemic. We have definitely noticed this for some of our students - it is so hard to stay motivated when studying virtually. Damour covers the two forms of motivation, extrinsic and intrinsic, and discusses how students can use both in a balanced way. This is such an important point! I think a lot of times as parents we want our students to learn because they love the material or are intellectually curious. But sometimes there is a late-night study session or a difficult class, and the promise of ice cream at the end is what gets the student through it - and that’s okay too! Keeping up the balance is how we can really help our students stay motivated over the long term. 

OFFICE HAPPENINGS

Shannon had the opportunity on Wednesday 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. The shift to virtual events has been a challenge for a lot of organizations during COVID-19, but we’ve loved participating in these types of events this cycle! If you have a group that would like us to come speak at an event, please reach out and we’ll do our best to fit you into our calendar. 

Our students already know how to avoid these common admissions misconceptions!

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 Northern Virginia families as well - if you need help with the FAFSA, CSS Profile, or other financial aid forms, 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. They will literally walk you through the forms line by line. Class of 2021 seniors and their parents can also set up individual appointments to complete the FAFSA with 1:1 help. Such an amazing organization!

CONGRATULATIONS to all of our seniors who have submitted their early applications! We are so proud of all of you (and so beyond relieved to have hit this milestone, let’s be honest!). If you’d like to get a head start on post-submission emails, check out Wednesday’s blog post for instructions. Otherwise, enjoy the Halloween weekend and stay safe!

Weekly Update: October 23

Another week, another Friday update!

BIGGEST COLLEGE-RELATED NEWS OF THE WEEK

STATE SCHOOL APPLICATION NUMBERS RISE

Applications are predicted to rise at a lot of state schools this cycle, and we are already seeing this play out at the University of Georgia. UGA’s Early Action deadline was October 15, and the school received over 20,000 applications - a huge 25% increase. We will be paying close attention to these numbers at other public schools as we come upon the November 1 deadline.

RETURN OF BIG TEN FOOTBALL

College towns across the Midwest are preparing for the return of Big Ten football this weekend. Though the rules prohibit even the players’ families from entering the stadiums to watch the games, the mayors of these towns are still concerned that they will turn into COVID-19 test cases with the return of alumni and fans who will follow the team to the towns’ restaurants and bars, even if they can’t attend the game. It will definitely be interesting to see whether the weekend ahead brings about an increase in cases, or if students, fans, and alumni can celebrate safely. 

DUKE’S TEST-OPTIONAL ADMISSIONS PLAN

It’s the question that everyone has been asking - how will highly selective schools read applications fairly when some applicants submit test scores and others don’t? Many admissions officers have told us that they have no clue, which is not particularly surprising but concerning nonetheless. Christoph Guttentag, Duke’s Dean of Undergraduate Admissions, shared an interesting approach recently and I wonder if more schools are going to follow his lead.

One way he hopes to ensure fairness to applicants is by “ensuring that the percentage of accepted students who applied with test scores will roughly equal the percentage of students who applied without.” In other words, the office will be working to make sure that the admissions rate is roughly the same for test-optional and non-test-optional students.

I will admit that I have spent far too long wrapping my mind around how this could play out in terms of strategy. Anecdotally, I think that the likelihood of a student having taken the SAT or ACT a couple of times before March of their junior year also correlates with higher levels of achievement on paper (or at least higher levels of motivation) across the board. Many of these students were hardcore about test prep during the summer after their sophomore year, and that’s the same personality type that finishes essays early, has straight As, and so forth.

Yes, there are some outliers. But by and large, I think that this will be a more qualified group of applicants simply because the ones who prepared and took these tests earlier than their peers are more academically driven in general. So how will it play out if an admissions committee is committed to equal percentages? Could it end up that kids in the group with scores will actually face some discrimination, in a sense? Maybe it’s actually a better idea for a strong candidate to withhold scores to be placed in the pool with less competition? It’s just so hard to say because we don’t know if other schools will follow this route or if Duke will stick to the plan. I’m so intrigued!!!

BEST ARTICLES OF THE WEEK

We all know by now that the COVID-19 pandemic has reinvigorated the debate surrounding the use of standardized testing during the college application process, and I’ve talked before about how some schools that go test-optional this cycle may never go back. This Huffington Post article by a Class of 2021 applicant from Arlington provides some more insight into the testing system from a student who is going through the process right now. It is definitely worth a read, and I hope that colleges and universities take note of all that our students can accomplish when they aren’t spending time on test prep! 

The Washington Post published an article this week written by one of Shannon’s favorite Boston College professors! For an office like ours, full of English majors, the need for college literature classes is obvious. But for those who are more skeptical about study in the humanities, this is definitely worth a read. Learning how to read and analyze texts is, as Professor Rotella puts it, essential “equipment for living.” We notice how our own students improve as they work with us on their college essays through the Wow Writing Workshop, and we’re excited to be able to provide them with skills that they can use in their college writing and literature classes. Despite the emphasis that many students, families, and schools place on STEM subjects, there is always a reason to learn how to read and write well as part of a good education. 

The specter of the Varsity Blues scandal is still haunting elite college admissions. This article from the Atlantic covers the latest casualty of the scandal - high-stakes niche sports. While most parents don’t go as far as photoshopping pictures of their children playing a sport they’ve never played, there is still a culture in wealthier districts of students competing in sports like squash, crew, and fencing in the hopes that they will be able to enter top schools as athletic recruits. 

On its face, this extreme strategy seems like it could work - almost 18% of Princeton students are athletic recruits (compare that to only 2% at a state school like the University of Alabama!). But as this article suggests, niche sports are on the chopping block at many schools, and the financial strain from COVID-19 may mean that even more schools consider cutting the squash or fencing program. 

Another article from The Atlantic this week - they are on a roll - explores the real reason that students choose to go to college. No one knows it better than we do, as we hear from our students and families: college is about more than the classes. Sure, our students are looking for strong academic programs and career preparation, but they are really excited about the campus experience. There has been a lot of debate about whether schools should discount tuition if students are learning online, and this article speaks to the reason for that. Even if students are able to attend classes and learn the material (whether that is possible for some students online is a whole different debate!), they are certainly missing something essential about the college experience.

OFFICE HAPPENINGS

I mentioned in last week's blog post that I find it very gratifying to work with last-minute students because we are able to restore order in their lives so quickly. Here's some completely unsolicited feedback I received this past week from one of their parents!

To give context, this student's parents signed their contract on October 5 and she submitted her first early application on October 21! This particular application required two supplemental essays plus her main Common App essay, so we've been busy with her but we made it happen! We have been working with a lot of students who are just beginning the process, and it was nice to hear this positive feedback. I’d like to agree that we are really good at what we do :)

If you are interested in working with us for those regular decision deadlines (they are coming up faster than you think!), please book a Meet & Greet.

Enjoy the weekend! Such amazing weather today!

Weekly Update: October 16

As more and more of our traditional seniors submit, we’ve been able to accept additional late start seniors! We had so many begin this past week. I’ve written about this before - that even though the work is condensed and it can be rushed (not my ideal timeline for sure), it’s very gratifying to work with these families. They come in so stressed and pulling their hair out, and we are able to basically restore calm and order to their lives within a few days :)

We’re now full for early November deadlines but still have a few spots left for December, January, and possibly mid-November deadlines. Late start families should start the process by signing up for a Meet & Greet here.

BIGGEST COLLEGE-RELATED NEWS OF THE WEEK

SAT RESULTS RETURNED

The results of the September 23 School Day SAT came back yesterday (October 15), and the results from the October 3 SAT came back this morning. Anecdotally, we have seen many students disappointed with their scores. Now everyone is waiting on ACT scores, and there is still a lot of uncertainty about whether they will be released before the November 1 early deadline, as conflicting information has been released. These close-call score reports have definitely been stressing me out and making it difficult for students to submit applications early! I literally helped people submit applications on the day of the deadline yesterday, which I don’t think I’ve ever done in my whole career.

SWARTHMORE DISCONTINUES COUNSELOR ADVOCACY CALLS

Swarthmore sent out an email to counselors this week stating that they are discontinuing their practice of holding school counselor calls before decisions are released. The email stated, “After conducting internal analysis, we found that counselor calls were requested disproportionately by private and independent school counselors and rarely by public school counselors and college access advisors."

The point that they are making here is completely correct, and there is certainly room for improvement in the equity of who receives the opportunity to advocate for their students. But this is still a hard pill to swallow for those families at independent schools during a year in which additional context and advocacy would have been particularly useful. While I recognize that it would require more work from staff, I wish that Swarthmore had offered to reach out to more public school counselors as well, rather than discontinuing the calls entirely. This is a year when our students need more context shared with admissions officers, not less. We will be watching closely to see if other schools follow suit after this announcement. 

SPRING CALENDAR CHANGES AT COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES

Many schools have already begun to shift their Spring 2021 academic calendars to provide a safer experience for students during the pandemic. Lehigh and Fordham are among the colleges pushing back the start of classes and eliminating spring break to try to limit student travel and, hopefully, coronavirus spread. Texas A&M is also eliminating spring break, starting the semester on time and ending early, with a single-day break in March. Davidson gave students a surprise, single-day break last Friday, and plans to replace Spring Break with two shorter breaks, during which students are encouraged not to travel away from campus.  

UVA RELEASES CLASS OF 2024 DATA

UVa has finally released more information about its most recent incoming class. The Class of 2024 is the smallest class UVa has seen since the Class of 2016, and it is also the most diverse in the institution’s history. Though the class is smaller, it is still over the University’s enrollment target. This article also states that the return of the early decision option is not the reason for the decline in the acceptance rate last cycle, according to the university, as only 10% of the class was admitted early decision. The stats also show some COVID impact - twice the usual amount of UVa applicants chose to take a gap year rather than enroll in the Class of 2024. 

ENROLLMENT DOWN NATIONALLY DURING COVID-19

UVA is not the only school that is seeing an enrollment decline during the pandemic. This study out of the National Student Clearinghouse in Herndon, reveals that first-year enrollment is down by 14% at public four-year universities and down by 12% at private institutions. Graduate enrollment, however, is up throughout most of the country (see our post from earlier in the week for more about the pros and cons of applying to graduate school this cycle). 

BEST ARTICLES OF THE WEEK

This New York Times interview with Jeff Selingo contains so many great tips for students and parents, and I really encourage you to read the whole thing! But if you take anything away, I want to emphasize his answer to a question about whether students should apply early decision this year:

Selective colleges with already robust early decision pools are likely to accept more students that way. As I point out in my book, that’s exactly what they did in the wake of the 2008 recession. They didn’t want to take a chance that they’d struggle to fill seats in the spring. Schools that traditionally filled maybe a quarter to one-third of their classes through early decision boosted that proportion to upward of half in the fall of 2008.

I expect the same this year. They don’t have much room to grow that part of the incoming class — after all, they likely won’t admit 75 percent early — but they’ll up the numbers where they can.

While I know it can be difficult to choose to commit to a school in a year when students may have been unable to tour the campus, this reinforces my advice that early decision can be a great choice for students who do know where they want to go to school - and more so this year than ever!

I always tell students who are waffling about making a binding commitment that they need to reframe their thought process. The question should not be “Binding commitment or not?” because they have to make a binding commitment at some point regardless of where and how they enroll. Instead, the question should be “Is it worth making the commitment a few months early to increase the chances of admission at my top-choice school?” The answer is usually yes.

The New York Times has published a lot on the admissions process this week, and I also recommend this article that contains advice from a range of college admissions officers. I particularly want to point out the answers from Seth Allen at Pomona and Zaire McCoy at Rollins about the impact of deferrals on this cycle’s applicants. I have fielded so many questions about how deferrals will affect applicants (I wrote a detailed post about this back in July), so I was glad to see that Allen and McCoy also felt that deferrals would not have a huge impact on this year’s class. Shannon has been attending a lot of counselor information sessions that emphasize the same thing - colleges are working to mitigate the effects of deferred enrollment, so this shouldn’t be something that has current seniors overly concerned, at least for right now.   

I don’t know if this is quite as simple as it sounds, but it is worth reading this study out of Georgetown, which found that Joe Biden’s free public college plan would pay for itself within ten years. The study results indicate that even though Biden’s plan would cost $73 billion a year, it would be offset by a $186.8 billion increase in tax revenue from workers who would earn more money because of their advanced education. I always approach these “free college” plans with a little bit of skepticism from the taxpayer standpoint, but if it really is that simple it sounds good to me!

Finally, if you are a podcast lover like me, check out this NPR podcast episode which explores the coronavirus testing protocol at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The campus has seventeen testing centers and tests all students and staff on campus every few days. Students are required to have a negative result in order to enter campus buildings and attend classes.

Because the school does its own testing in-house, there are days when 2% of all coronavirus testing in the U.S. is done on that particular campus! It was interesting to hear about the impact of this aggressive testing model, especially considering that Illinois still saw coronavirus spikes from students socializing even after knowing they had received a positive test result.

OFFICE HAPPENINGS

Submitting is most seniors’ favorite part of this process (at least until the acceptances roll in!), but as we keep repeating and over and over and over again….submitting an application DOES NOT mean that the work is done.

After submitting, students need to continue checking email daily and keep track of the status portal login information for each school. These portals are essential because they will show if information or application components are missing. Applicants can then take care of any missing pieces (which often involves following up with recommenders) and can ultimately make sure all materials have been received.

Some schools will also use the portal to request additional information or outline next steps.. and this can come as a surprise! Below is an example of a form that appears on the University of South Carolina portal. All applicants applying to the school have to fill out this form in order to complete their applications. Students must indicate which “one supplemental material” they are providing for review (SAT/ACT scores, three alternative test scores, or a graded paper).

This is a great example of a portal situation that could go wrong quickly if ignored. Interestingly enough, the USC application doesn’t indicate that this form exists on the portal or that the student is required to fill it out.

So if a student didn’t log in to the portal, he would naturally assume that his requirements had been met - particularly if he had already submitted his SAT scores. However, that’s not enough - without the completed form by November 2, USC would consider his application incomplete and would not review it. All of the student’s hard work would go down the drain! And if you’ve had the “pleasure” of writing those USC Honors College essays this fall, you can understand exactly how frustrating that would be!

Finally, some of the emails with portal access can time out quickly (within 24-48 hours), so if students miss these emails, they will have to follow up with the admissions offices to explain why they aren’t checking their email each day as requested - not a great impression to give off!

Have a great weekend and check those portals!

Weekly Update: October 11

Even as we continue to be busy with seniors submitting their applications (so much fun!), we are also starting to work with a lot of juniors on big-picture strategy for the next two years.

The cyclical nature of admissions means there are always new students starting with us, and we love getting to know them! If you are a Class of 2022, Class of 2023 or Class of 2024 student interested in working with us, you can book a Meet & Greet to talk more about your goals.

BIGGEST COLLEGE-RELATED NEWS OF THE WEEK

FAIRFAX COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS VIRTUAL COLLEGE WEEK

Fairfax County Public Schools are pivoting to a virtual approach instead of their traditional College Fair and College Night. They will have live virtual sessions from Monday, October 19 - Friday, October 23. There will be two sessions each evening, and students should take a look at the schedule to see which sessions they may be interested in attending, because many of the sessions are for populations with particular interests, including Attending College in Europe, Applying to a Military Academy, and Dual Enrollment. 

NOTRE DAME’S PRESIDENT RETURNS TO CAMPUS WITH COVID-19

As you may have seen on the news this week, Notre Dame’s president Rev. John I. Jenkins was infected with the coronavirus at the White House reception for Judge Amy Coney Barrett, a former Notre Dame Law professor. Students have petitioned for his resignation for violating his own mask mandate at the event, and his infection has sparked faculty debate on campus as well. Father Jenkins is perhaps the most high-profile case of a school president being infected with COVID-19, but I anticipate that as the school year goes on, we will continue to hear debate about the responsibility of administrators and schools officials to set an example for the rules enforced on their campuses. 

CANCELLATION OF DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION PROGRAMMING

The White House’s recent executive order against “divisive concepts” in federally-funded programs has some schools scrambling to cancel diversity, equity, and inclusion programming or risk losing federal funding. The University of Iowa has paused DEI programming entirely for two weeks, and some military academies are cancelling or postponing a planned showing of the film Malcolm X. Other schools, like the University of Michigan, are reaffirming their commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion work. 

DEADLINE SHIFTS KEEP COMING

Colleges have been changing deadlines and requirements nonstop. We've posted about this before, but it continues to happen left and right. Some of the recent deadline shifts have included Penn State, Michigan, and Duke. This past week, Tufts and Villanova joined the group. I anticipate we will see more of this over the next week. We will be keeping a close eye on deadlines for our students, and we recommend that everyone watch closely for continued changes during this tumultuous year. 

BEST ARTICLES OF THE WEEK

TJ has been in the news again recently for its latest attempt at diversifying the student body. At this nationally-renowned public high school, only 1.7% of the student body is low-income, and only 5% is made up of students of color. TJ has previously tried other strategies to increase the diversity of the student body, including revisions to admissions essays and tests and the hiring of a full-time outreach specialist, but the school was largely unsuccessful. Now, it plans to raise the GPA necessary for admission to a 3.5, and then admit students based on a random lottery system.

I found this Washington Post article in support of the lottery plan to be really interesting, particularly because of the implications for college admissions. It is actually more difficult to be admitted to a highly selective college from a magnet school like TJ than it is from other Nova high schools. This is one reason, as the article says, why many smart students from Northern Virginia may not be interested in attending TJ - and why, for the lottery, students who sign up are clearly motivated to take on a challenging STEM education in high school. 

Jeff Selingo, who wrote my top college admissions article of the year, has written another Washington Post article about “feeder” schools for top colleges. The term always makes me think of an old-fashioned idea of New England prep schools, but even in 2020, 18% of the nation’s high schools are responsible for a full 79% of admitted students! This happens in part because admissions readers who are familiar with the rigor of certain high schools can be confident that students from those schools are prepared to succeed in college coursework. 

Because COVID-19 means that some students won’t have test scores or spring semester grades to measure academic ability, admissions officers may lean harder than ever on high schools that are familiar to them. In our area, this applies particularly to our nationally-recognized Fairfax County and Montgomery County schools. The reputation of our local schools could be a plus in the admissions process more than ever this cycle! 

This New York Times article really speaks to the feelings of loneliness that we’ve been hearing about from our Class of 2020 students. Even for the students who are happy to be on campus for (at least partial) in-person instruction, coronavirus precautions have completely transformed their college experience. Students are telling us that it is hard to get a break from school work, with all the social activities that they would normally use to unwind being cancelled or put on hold. This serves as a good reminder to our students (and to all of us!) that while focusing on work is important, we need to be conscious of making time for ourselves right now too.

I love the idea from two students in this article to shut down computers by 10:00 or 11:00 pm and focus on some face-to-face time with the people around you! 

OFFICE HAPPENINGS

I snuck out of the office on Friday to head to Annapolis! I’ve mentioned a few times that we are working on a lot of service academy nomination applications this year and I am thrilled to say that every last one of those nomination applications is DONE! Now we are working on the actual academy applications, but those are a breeze compared to the nomination apps. The process was always complex pre-COVID, but this year has just been a complete nightmare from a logistical standpoint.

If you aren’t familiar, students seeking appointments to service academies need to not only be admitted to the academy itself but also receive a nomination. These nominations are incredibly, incredibly competitive. For example, Tim Kaine receives 500-600 per year and picks 10! The goal is to pursue as many nominations as possible to increase the chances of getting one - but every nomination application is different. The one commonality is that each senator and/or representative typically wants the student to mail every single component together in a packet, which makes it a little tougher from a logistical standpoint in terms of tracking everything and collecting the materials from the various recommenders - of which there are MANY!

In COVID times, all of the different senators and representatives have made different modifications to their process. Some want scores, some don’t. Some want certain evidence of attempted testing registration, some don’t. Some want everything in the packets, some don’t. I won’t even get into the situation that occurred when one of the offices was closed during the week of the deadline and hundreds of nomination packets were stuck in FedEx tracking limbo. It’s no one’s fault, and we are masters of organization with this stuff, but it’s a LOT. Shannon has been a total rockstar in managing all of it!

Anyway, with all of this going on over the past couple of weeks, I couldn’t help looking at all the midshipmen I saw in Annapolis and wondering to myself about where their nominations came from and what their secret sauce was! There is no question that a USNA appointment would be such an amazing opportunity for the right student. However, it’s really important to know what you’re getting into. If you’re in the Class of 2022 and think you may be interested, we highly recommend applying to Summer Seminar! Not only will this give you a taste of USNA life, but attending will also improve your chances of nomination and admission. Applications are due January 4, but you really need to get them in by mid-December at the latest.

—

Changing gears entirely - I have been a big fan of Dr. Dan Shapiro for many years and recently saw that he put some of his courses online for parents to follow at their own pace. I am personally really excited to take this course, as soon as I have a free minute, and I thought I would share it here as well because I know that it would be useful to a number of our parents.

As an aside, I would also highly recommend his most recent book, Parent Child Excursions: ADHD, Anxiety, and Autism, which is enormously helpful for anyone whose child struggles with any of the three or a combination.

—

One last thought from the past week - as our rising seniors have been learning the results of their recent SAT and ACT exams, we've continued to field questions left and right about applying test-optional. I have started suggesting that students email the admissions reps directly to ask their advice - nothing beats going right to the source, after all!

I have to say, the results of these emails have exceeded my expectations. While most of them quote a party line about not being able to advise students one way or the other, nearly all of them still add some commentary that makes it pretty darn clear what they think the student should do. So if you have questions - don’t hesitate to reach out!

Enjoy the weekend!

Weekly Update: October 2

And.. October it is! With our first deadlines less than two weeks away, everyone has been very busy! It’s kind of killing me that the results of the 9/23 school-based SAT are released THE SAME DAY as the first round of deadlines (10/15). Yet in order to submit an application to at least one of those schools, students have to answer a question about whether or not they are submitting test scores for consideration. So stressful on everyone involved. The idea of submitting an application the day it is due literally gives me heart palpitations, yet at the same time it’s unavoidable if students are waiting on that round of scores to decide!

BIGGEST COLLEGE-RELATED NEWS OF THE WEEK

THE FAFSA IS OPEN

Finally, the moment some of you have been waiting for… the FAFSA opened yesterday, and if you intend to complete the form, I encourage you to do it as soon as possible. It is more important than ever this year to complete this form promptly!

If you are unsure whether or not you should complete the FAFSA, you can check out my earlier posts here and here to help make the best decision for you and your family. There are a lot of myths about the FAFSA that circle around every year, so if any of our current clients have questions about the process, make sure to reach out to us! We will help you decide how to proceed.

MORE VIRTUAL VISITS

We are working hard to keep our list of virtual college fairs, tours, and information sessions updated, as more and more schools open up registration for virtual events. Some upcoming events that we’re excited about are the Virtual College Exploration fair for Atlanta-area colleges, the Six Colleges events hosted by Amherst, Bowdoin, Carleton, Pomona, Swarthmore, and Williams, and the NWHE special topics sessions that Notre Dame, Wash U, Johns Hopkins, and Emory have put together. 

COMMON APP REMOVES DISCIPLINARY DISCLOSURE FOR CLASS OF 2022

After finding that the disclosure of disciplinary history disproportionately impacts low-income students and students of color, the Common App has decided to remove the question beginning with the Class of 2022. Students who recorded a disciplinary incident were also nearly twice as likely as others to leave their applications incomplete, choosing not to apply to college at all. The Common App will no longer ask students or their counselors to disclose disciplinary information.

But before we get too excited, I should also note that schools will still be able to ask about disciplinary history on their supplements, and it is likely that many will continue to do so.

It was through pressure from schools that the Common App chose to add this question in the first place in 2006, and Common App schools can continue to require it going forward. So while this is definitely a step in the right direction, it is not a guarantee that Class of 2022 students will not have to report disciplinary action. The right choice is always to avoid disciplinary incidents, but in the event that you do have to report, check out my recent video for some tips!

BEST ARTICLES OF THE WEEK

As my current clients know, I find transparency in college admissions to be incredibly important! So I really enjoyed this article about econometric modeling as it relates to the admissions process. We always emphasize the necessity of demonstrating interest in your school of choice by attending information sessions and (virtual) tours, but this article highlights additional ways to engage without the ability to see a college in person. Some tips I want to emphasize are:

1. Visit the college’s website and click “request more information” - this will enter you into the college’s enrollment management system. 

2. Once you are on that list, you will likely receive a lot of emails, but if you can, click on the links within the email and explore more about the college. Many colleges track this type of engagement, so taking the time to read and learn more is a great way to demonstrate interest. 

3. Like, share, and comment on the college’s social media posts. This kind of engagement may also be tracked. 

The key to any of this engagement is to make sure you have ONE email address that you use for all interactions with colleges (including social media accounts linked to this address). We encourage many of our clients to set up a gmail account just for this purpose. And of course, if you interact with any college on social media, be very careful of what they will see if they click on your profile! 

This Forbes Investigation into the SAT is long, but a worthwhile read. There has been a long-running conversation about the value of the SAT in college admissions, but the change in testing policies due to COVID-19 has sparked a renewal of that conversation. In my opinion, many of the schools who are going test-optional this cycle are likely to remain so, even after the pandemic has passed. That said, I do have my doubts as to whether that will be the case for the most highly selective schools - I’m just not sure how they would be able to assess academic performance without that data point - but it will be interesting to see how it plays out.

Either way, I’m very interested to see how next cycle will look, and I hope that we will see more and more schools focus on students’ academic progress over the course of four years, rather than their preparation for a single test day. What do you think of the potential shift toward test-blind admissions? Has your student been impacted by SAT difficulties this cycle? Comment and let us know! 

We have continued to field a ton of questions this year about how deferrals and changes in class size relating to COVID-19 will impact that Class of 2021. But this article also shows that the pandemic will have a positive impact for transfer applicants, at least in the short term. Over three-quarters of colleges anticipate having a higher admit rate for transfers this year! However, this may be short-lived; I expect that transferring will become more difficult in the long term. COVID-related deferrals mean that many schools may welcome a larger-than-usual first year class in 2021, and be less likely to admit transfer applicants in future cycles. We are already well underway in our work with prospective transfer applicants, and if you are considering transferring, now is the time to book a transfer strategy session!   

It seems like every time I post this Friday blog post, I see something come out right afterwards that I wish I had been able to include. This New York Times article from last Friday notes that one of the major reasons students are still putting in so much effort to take standardized tests in a year when most schools are test-optional is because they hope to receive merit aid. Merit aid can be one of the most opaque parts of the college admissions process, so I was excited to see this article shed some light.

The article also points out that some schools, like the College of Wooster in Ohio and Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington, are offering pre-application financial estimates so that prospective students can assess how much college will cost before they apply. If anyone hears of other schools offering this service, let us know in the comments - we’ll be keeping an eye on how this impacts the admissions process. 

We have worked with so many students this year who care deeply about the commitment to “going green” that college and universities demonstrate, and I think this trend will only continue as high schoolers become more and more environmentally-conscious. The Sierra Club’s “Cool Schools” list ranks colleges based on their environmental commitments, and it is a “cool” alternative to more traditional college rankings.

OFFICE HAPPENINGS

We’ve begun to spend a lot of time helping our students with post-submission follow-up, and I had a question from a student this week that I thought would be helpful to share as I did not find the answer to be intuitive. Hopefully this will clear things up for anyone else in the same boat!

Many schools require students to submit their self-reported grades and test scores after their applications are submitted. The form through which this takes place is known as a Self-Reported Academic Record, or SRAR. Virginia Tech is one of those schools, and has introduced a test-optional question this year that allows students to decide whether or not they want the SAT and/or ACT to be considered.

Our student wasn't sure how to indicate that she wanted to share her AP scores, but not her SAT/ACT scores. On the Common App, this is very straightforward and easy to do. However, the language that VT used in their question confused both of us.

As you can see, it reads "To allow Virginia Tech access to your self-reported test scores, select Yes below."

However, it turns out that students who want to self-report their AP scores only should actually go ahead and answer NO to this question but should enter their AP scores anyway through the drop-down box under "Add New Exams." The same goes for students who want to share IB or CLEP scores. I honestly would not have thought to do it that way! Thankfully, our VT rep is very helpful and emailed me back to explain, and I was able to pass the information on to our student.

—

I’ve gotten a lot of questions about how it works to submit over Zoom, so one of my seniors yesterday allowed me to share a screen shot of our submission session with all of you (she’s blocked out, obviously). It really does feel just like the real thing! Ignore my goofy smile - I get really excited to click submit and she was equally excited too!

I love each and every one of our seniors but have to brag for a minute about the particular girl - it occurred to me during our session that I literally have not seen or spoken to either one of her parents since I met her mom at our consultation, which took place probably 15 months ago. I mean not ONCE! How cool is that? I truly would not know these people if I saw them on the street :) We have emailed back and forth a few times and my team and I always CC them on everything, so they are always informed, but she’s worked with us independently the entire way. We helped advise her on every single detail - from college tours, to standardized test approaches, to writing amazing essays, to perfecting and submitting every application! And she was so on the ball that she actually finished her testing and most of her college visits pre-COVID!

While that example is a little extreme, and some parents prefer to be actively involved in each step (don’t worry, we love you guys too and welcome as much or as little involvement as each family wants!), on average we probably have less parent contact than most would guess. When families choose to hand us the reins, they always end up to really appreciate the outcome - not only because it reduces stress in the home and they are able to focus on their own lives knowing that their kids are in good hands, but also because of the life skills that their children gain through the process.

SOME OF OUR FAVORITE BOOKS ON THE SUBJECT!

It’s important to be able to know how to communicate and interact with adults without using parents as intermediaries. It’s also important to be able to take ownership over tasks - we try as much as possible to use careful scaffolding and constant reminders to help our students step out of their comfort zones and truly become ready for college - not just to get in, but also to succeed when they get there!

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 18

Now that our students have headed back to school, they are juggling classes and extracurriculars along with finishing up their applications. We’re so proud of their work ethic!

BIGGEST COLLEGE-RELATED NEWS OF THE WEEK

MATH TUTORING FROM VIRGINIA TECH

I’ve been excited to pass on the information for so many interesting FREE programs lately! This one from Virginia Tech has Department of Mathematics students offering free virtual math tutoring to students in grades K-12. I really encourage kids to take advantage of this service during Fall 2020 and hopefully beyond!

COLLEGE BOARD LAUNCHES AFRICAN DIASPORA CURRICULUM

Between rescheduled SATs and online AP exams this spring, most people I know aren’t interested in hearing more from the College Board. But they remain an influential organization, and they’ve created an ambitious new AP curriculum on the African diaspora. This was developed alongside Columbia’s Teachers College and the non-profit African Diaspora Consortium. 

This program has been tested in select public schools for the past three years, and now it will be available to students across the country. This curriculum is not an AP subject course - instead, it is linked to the Capstone program, which gives teachers more flexibility to cater the course to their student population.

DIVISION I SPORTS UPDATE

The big news in college sports is that the Big Ten conference will start its season on October 24, citing advances in rapid testing that make it possible for student-athletes to play football this fall after all. Big Ten originally announced in August that it was suspending football in the fall and considering a spring season. 

Meanwhile, the NCAA Division I Council released several updates this week. The NCAA college basketball season start date has been pushed to November 25, with the DI Council saying that many schools will have sent general students home by this point, leaving six weeks or so for basketball to begin on mostly-empty campuses. The Division I Council also extended the recruiting “dead period” through the start of the new year. This means that coaches will not be able to recruit prospective student-athletes in person, though they can still do so virtually.

BEST ARTICLES OF THE WEEK

This is not an article, but SUCH a cool webinar series out of Franklin & Marshall College! F&M is teaming up with admissions professionals from other schools to put out really helpful webinars about the admissions process. I can’t emphasize enough what a great resource these will be. If you only have time for one, I particularly recommend the “Selective College Admission: Case Studies” presentation to 9th-11th grade students and families. And remember: you do not have to have any interest in F&M to benefit from this. Case studies run by individual admissions offices are often-times only open to alumni or special friends of the institution - but this is a valuable opportunity for any family to gain insight into the inner workings of a selective admissions office. You can sign up here for a morning or evening session.

Back in the good old days of last February, when we were still doing crazy things like shaking hands with each other, sending kids to public school, and walking around without masks over our faces, I tried to analyze the impact of the return to Early Decision on the overall application landscape at UVA. I was genuinely curious about how it would all pan out in the spring and planned to post a follow up after regular decision results came through. I never did, partially because I did not have access to all of the data I wanted, but mostly because I believed that COVID’s impact on waitlist movement would probably cancel out the increase in selectivity I’d originally envisioned. However! I was wrong.

College Kickstart put out a blog post with all of the notable changes in admissions rates from this year, and even with an incredibly active waitlist, UVA’s admissions rate declined. Same thing happened with Boston College, for the same reason. BC filled 37% of its class with Early Decision applicants, so the admit rate fell by 15%. UVA was not far behind: with the added Early Decision option accounting for 19% of the class, the admit rate fell by 13%. Since both schools are keeping that Early Decision option, we assume that the rates will stay similar this cycle. A good reminder that if you are confident a school is your number one choice (and you know how you will pay for college), Early Decision might be the way to go.

Traditional college sports may be risky during COVID-19, but that doesn’t mean that intramural competitions aren’t taking place. The National Association of Collegiate Esports has seen a major increase in schools looking to esports programs to replace a fraction of the lost school spirit and lost revenue that accompanied the suspension of traditional sports. Almost 200 colleges in the United States already offer scholarships for esports players. I can’t say that I think streaming and esports will ever replace college football or basketball for fans, but it is definitely an interesting trend to watch.

OFFICE HAPPENINGS

We are busy with so many virtual tours and information sessions. It has been exciting to see what schools have been able to put together online to replace in-person campus visits. For a list of upcoming virtual fairs, tours, and information sessions for students and parents, see our latest post. Some of these virtual events begin as early as this weekend - let us know what you think of them!

Speaking of virtual events, this past weekend I gave a long-planned virtual presentation to a community organization to which many of my families have belonged over the years - it was a lot of fun and there were 93 different sets of families in attendance! We were able to survey the moms to tailor the presentation to address their most common topics of interest and fears, and the format worked very well. We also collected a ton of questions in advance so that I could answer them for the benefit of the group at the end of the session.

Shannon was just asked to hold a similar presentation for a different group in D.C., and she’s been busy working on preparations this week. We do these often for various high schools and local parent organizations, especially in the fall, and are always happy to expand our reach. If you have a group that would like one of us to come speak at an event, please reach out and we’ll do our best to fit you into our calendar!

In other exciting news - we finished up with our last service academy nomination packet for the first Virginia deadline next week. Had some COVID-related snafus so I drove the materials to FedEx myself to make sure they got where they needed to be.

Casual Friday :)

It occurred to me that it’s been a LONG time since I’ve personally mailed a student’s application materials anywhere. Between having admin staff here on site during normal times plus the fact that most everything is sent electronically now, I honestly can’t even remember. Years and years. 7-8 at least. But hey, we are a full service operation and I am not above running around if needed!

Happy New Year to our friends who are celebrating Rosh Hashanah this weekend- and Happy Friday to everyone else (although I think most of us could use a fresh new year right about now, am I right?!)!

Weekly Update: September 11

Thinking about 9/11 today along with everyone else, I’m sure. The events of September 11 have been on my mind a lot these past six months, as I mentioned last spring, because I felt like it really defined my high school years. I have thought a lot about the parallels between what that represented for my high school class and what COVID will ultimately represent for the Class of 2021.

BIGGEST COLLEGE-RELATED NEWS OF THE WEEK

TEST-OPTIONAL, BUT ESSAY REQUIRED!

If you read any section of the blog today, I hope it is this one! Some schools have added additional requirements to their applications for students who apply test-optional - and these requirements are going under the radar, because they are often NOT included or mentioned on the application itself. Students will only be instructed to submit additional information upon gaining access to their post-application-submission status portals.

The University of South Carolina has added a requirement for “one required supplemental material” from their applicants. Students who do not send in test scores will need to submit graded writing assignments. And this might be a difficult one for students to catch, because they will be asked to complete Supplemental Materials Forms AFTER submitting their applications, but the forms are still due by the original application deadline! 

Applicants to the University of Delaware under their Test-Optional Admissions Program will not only need to complete additional supplemental essays, but also submit “any additional evidence of academic skills.” If you are a current client, we can help you select the most relevant material to submit for this (vague!) stipulation. 

We will absolutely alert every one of our current clients if we learn about a change that impacts one of their applications, but it is always best for students to take a proactive approach as well. Read and re-read the school’s test-optional policy and to get your application in early, so you have time to monitor your status portal and send in any additional required materials after submitting. Anything else needed should be reflected on your status portal! 

And I have to say - I’m not thrilled about what schools are doing here. Has this year not been hard enough for students? Is it really a great idea to simultaneously add more requirements while failing to publicize them? Incredible.

FLORIDA STATE SYSTEM STILL REQUIRES TESTING

State universities in Florida are still refusing to drop the requirement for ACT or SAT scores as part of their application. This makes Florida the only public university system other than Wyoming with a test score requirement. Applicants, admissions officers, and college counselors are continuing to pressure the state to waive it. If they do hold on to the requirement, there will be many applicants who can’t qualify for admission because they are unable to test.

Fun Fact: The state of Florida has an incredibly generous merit scholarship program for in-state residents. Students with weighted GPAs of 3.5+ and scores of 29/1330 have their tuition 100% covered at public universities (University of Florida, Florida State, etc). Crazy, right? So, the state’s failure to drop the testing requirement is going to have an enormous impact on families that expected their children to go to college tuition-free!

A GREAT (FREE!) RESOURCE FROM DAVIDSON

Davidson College is offering a free admission intensive that runs until early November (though you can also register for individual sessions). These look like great sessions whether you are applying to Davidson or not. And if you are, this is also a great way of demonstrating interest in Davidson! As we know from the WSJ article in last week’s blog, that’s an essential part of the process!

COLLEGE FOOTBALL IS (SORT OF) BACK

Despite threats from the coronavirus, college football is still happening at some Division I schools, prompting apprehension from health experts. But for those schools that have chosen not to play this year, there are also concerns: the suspension of the season has been devastating for towns where college football is an essential part of the community.

BEST ARTICLES OF THE WEEK

There is so much in the news recently about whether or not a traditional four-year college experience is “worth it.” As I’ve mentioned before, I am still all for this route. So I was excited to read this opinion piece from the New York Times that does a great job of articulating why the traditional college experience still can’t be beat by online courses or certificate programs. Like Mr. Iyer, I am constantly amazed by the experience, maturity, and open-mindedness of our students, and I can’t wait to see them go on to be brilliant college students. Being part of a campus community is essential to showing our kids different perspectives and allowing them to think critically and form their own ideas. The college experience is honestly about so much more than just finding a job after graduation! 

CNN has compiled a really interesting list of health experts’ opinions on whether or not it is safe for college students to return to campus. There is a lot of information here, but it is definitely worth taking a look at opinions from the president of the American Medical Association, as well as college stakeholders like the co-chairs of the American College Health Association’s COVID-19 task force. They cover everything from talking to your student about health and safety on campus to what they think college will look like in a post-COVID world.  

This is not exactly an article, but Georgia Tech has put out a very helpful podcast called College Admissions Brief that covers various parts of the college admissions process. The episodes are less than ten minutes long and give actionable advice for students and parents. I’ve been getting so many questions this cycle about testing - their latest episode on standardized tests and test-optional admissions is definitely worth a listen!   

In my post last week about Dr. Fauci’s advice that students who test positive for the coronavirus stay on campus, I commented that most parents I knew would want to have their sick students home. I’m even more convinced of that after reading this article! Schools have been so focused on keeping sick students from infecting others that they have not thought about the care and support that these students will need when they are ill, isolated, and far from home. We are all rooting for colleges to be able to keep students safe, so it is heartbreaking to read about issues like these. 

We’ve talked a lot about the coronavirus response on campus, but a lot of students are still learning from home - including most of our Class of 2021 students! The Washington Post has provided a list of helpful tips for Zoom classes. The tips are geared toward college students, but many of them will also be useful for high schoolers completing their first semester on Zoom. 

OFFICE HAPPENINGS

HUGE congratulations to all of our National Merit Scholarship Semi-Finalists and Commended Students this year! I don’t think we’ve ever had so many of our students on the list before - and this is just the FCPS list! We are so proud of all of you!

Our office calendar is packed with counselor-only webinars and virtual tours of various schools these next few weeks - Shannon is taking most of them on and she is excited to share her tips and impressions with all of you. Keep an eye out for a future post here with a list of virtual info sessions for students to attend as well! 

Her favorite virtual tour of the past week was provided by the United States Air Force Academy - which is timely because we have both been working like crazy all week on service academy nomination applications! Oh my gosh - these are an incredible amount of work. The process is so different from the traditional college application process, but for the right student, a service academy might be a great fit!

If you are applying this year, make sure that you are working to send nomination applications to both of your state’s senators and your representative, as well as the vice president - applying through every possible avenue is the best way to maximize your chances of being nominated. In Virginia, this is especially important, since we have so many students interested in service academies in our state. Mark Warner’s deadline is coming up in about a week and a half!

No matter where you are applying this year, we are in the home stretch of this process! If you are feeling overwhelmed by all of the upcoming deadlines, it’s not too late to set up a Meet & Greet - students who start this week should still be able to have their applications submitted by November 1. 

Good luck to everyone starting school, whether in-person or virtual, this week!

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!