Weekly Update: February 21

Welcome back to reality after the long weekend!

BIGGEST COLLEGE-RELATED NEWS OF THE WEEK

U.S. SUPREME COURT UPHOLDS NEW TJHSST ADMISSIONS PROCESS

In a somewhat surprising decision yesterday, the U.S. Supreme Court chose to uphold a prior court’s decision and will not hear the case alleging that the new TJ admissions process is unconstitutional. Instead of the former process, which was based primarily on test scores and grades, the new process involves a holistic approach that will ultimately have a major impact on geographic and socioeconomic factors. It was modified specifically in order to ensure larger representation from under-represented groups, and has resulted in exactly that - the Asian-American student population has dropped sharply as a result.

Most spots are now spread equally among every single middle school in the county, ensuring admission for the top 1.5% of each school’s students — regardless of that school’s quality or where those students stand in the overall applicant pool. All students who do not fall in the top 1.5% of their class will be able to apply for the small percentage of remaining spots, but preference for those will be given to students who receive special education services, are low-income, attend traditionally lower-performing schools, or are not native English speakers.

In a dissent with which Justice Thomas agreed, Justice Alito explained that he believes the new process is discriminatory and represents “a grave injustice on diligent young people who yearn to make a better future for themselves, their families, and our society.” Check out pages 30-39 of the document, if you can find it - the version I had went down at some point late last night, but I’m linking to it anyway in case it comes back up.

THE COLLEGE BOARD AGREES TO PAY FINES OVER SELLING NEW YORK STUDENTS’ DATA

The attorney general of New York, Letitia James, accused the College Board of selling private student data including “students’ names, contact information, ethnicities, grade point averages and test scores” to more than 1,000 colleges and scholarship programs. In 2014, New York State Education Law 2-D barred the commercialization of such information. Between 2018 and 2022, however, the College Board made millions of dollars licensing this information. Though the College Board still maintains that there was no improper use of the information, they did agree to pay $750,000 to settle the claims.

UPENN FIRST IVY TO OFFER B.S.E. IN ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

There has been a lot of attention on Artificial Intelligence (AI) in and around schools since the release of ChatGPT and other generative AI sites and tools, much of it negative. Questions such as “How do we stop students from using it?”, “How can we detect if students are cheating?”, and “What constitutes plagiarism for students or even faculty now?” have been asked and discussed in faculty rooms, classrooms, and online. Most Artificial Intelligence degrees are housed in computer science departments. At the University of Pennsylvania, however, the Penn School of Engineering and Applied Science has turned the questions on their head. Penn has now become the first Ivy League university to offer a degree in AI engineering, as Philadelphia’s Channel 6 ABC affiliate reports.

SURVEY BY THE YALE DAILY NEWS INDICATES CORRELATION BETWEEN STUDENTS ON FINANCIAL AID AND STANDARDIZED TEST SCORES

New research points to a link between students who need full or significant financial aid to attend college and their likelihood to take and submit SAT/ACT scores. The Yale Daily News undertook its own survey of current undergraduates at Yale and found “that Yale College students receiving financial aid are less likely to have included an ACT or SAT score in their Yale applications than students not on aid.” This finding corroborates the research from Opportunity Insights released in January 2024, which studied the relationship between standardized test scores and students’ academic success at Ivy-Plus colleges. This research comes as Dartmouth recently announced the decision to reinstate its policy to require test scores, and Harvard committed to a test-optional policy through its Class of 2030. Yale is completing its internal research with a decision expected by the end of February.

BOWDOIN AND GEORGETOWN CONTINUE TO BE FULBRIGHT POWERHOUSES

The Chronicle of Higher Ed reported on schools that produced the most Fulbright Scholars and Students. This incredible opportunity to study and live abroad comes with steep competition, yet Bowdoin College in Maine has been the top producer of Fulbright U.S. Students among baccalaureate schools for four years running! This year, according to the Fulbright Program, 47 Bowdoin students applied and 23 received grants. Oberlin in Ohio and Pomona in California were not far behind. Georgetown University has been the top producer of Fulbright U.S. Students among doctoral universities four out of the last five years (in 2021-2022 Brown University was number one) with 40 students receiving grants. Brown University (RI) and Harvard University (MA) were the next closest schools. 

BEST ARTICLES OF THE WEEK

As more and more small, tuition-driven colleges and universities struggle with a death spiral of rising costs and falling enrollments, many have had to get creative to keep their doors open. Some schools have begun to monetize at least one asset whose value has risen even in today’s tough environment: real estate. A recent New York Times article writes about colleges that are selling property to raise funds. The article leads with the New School in New York City, which is selling their five-story West Village townhouse that serves as the official residence of the school’s president — currently, that’s Interim President Donna Shalala, a former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services who also served as the University of Miami President for nearly fifteen years.

And speaking of real estate — it’s not all just being sold. Large, expensive, and tricked-out student housing complexes are popping up across the country. The New York Times reports on the trend and the developer bringing these projects to life in 23 states. Students benefit from numerous in-dorm amenities such as fitness centers and pools, and can even take advantage of apps to match themselves with roommates. But the properties are not university residence halls, which can be good or bad depending on your perspective. It might be better than the sketchy off-campus apartments many parents will remember from the 1990s and early 2000s, but these apartments aren’t cheap, either — Hub on Campus Blacksburg, near Virginia Tech, lists monthly rental rates between about $900 and $1,800 per person depending on suite size, according to Apartments.com. Bigger may be better from the developers’ perspectives right now, but it’s hard to know how it will look for students down the road. 

In more local news, check out Washingtonian’s coverage of the Georgetown University consulting club challenges. Over the last 10+ years, these student-run organizations at Georgetown and peer schools have become quite popular, with demand to participate far exceeding the number of student slots. Most of these organizations offer local companies and nonprofits the benefits of their consulting work, usually pro bono or for a nominal fee, and students are able to gain relevant experience that looks great on their resumes. However, many students (particularly first-generation, low-income, LGBTQ+ students, and those of color) felt excluded by the competition to be accepted into one of Georgetown’s six groups. As a result, a student advisory board implemented new guidelines in August of 2023 that required all clubs to open their membership. This has created a huge problem from the organizations, which have now grown from 60 to 300+ students overnight.

As the FAFSA redesign and implementation continues to be a concern, USA Today detailed one potential change that could alleviate student and family confusion over financial aid awards: standardization. When trying to compare financial aid offers from multiple schools, students and families can struggle to make sense of which aid is school-specific aid, federal aid, or self-help aid in the form of work-study and loans. A standardized format would help families understand exactly how much of the total cost of attendance they are expected to contribute and how much will be covered by each form of aid.

In response to the U.S. Department of Education’s delays in processing the FAFSA and transmitting the information to colleges and universities, many schools have extended their deadlines by which students will need to make their decision and submit a deposit where they intend to matriculate. The Washington Post recently published an article that lists all of the area colleges and universities (those in Maryland, the District of Columbia, and Virginia), the school’s deadline to respond, and whether that deadline has been extended. According to the Post, the list will be updated when and if any schools announce changes to their deadlines. For a list of schools across the country, the American Council on Education is maintaining a searchable list.

Finally, in this piece in The Athletic, Brendan Quinn takes readers inside BYU’s Men’s basketball program as they make the transition into the Big 12 and a new world of high-stakes college sports. BYU Advancement Vice President Keith Vorkink (who oversees athletics) and Head Coach Mark Pope know that navigating this transition into the best basketball conference in N.C.A.A. Division I Basketball is no easy feat. Balancing the school’s mission and culture with the demands of DI recruiting, new rules about name, image and likeness opportunities, and the transfer portal creates a tension, but Pope’s commitment to his mission, his profession, and, most important, his players is remarkable. This article takes readers into the recruiting and gives a glimpse of the unique support Pope provides his players.

OFFICE HAPPENINGS

Yesterday got a little crazy after the TJ decision broke! We work with a lot of TJ students (as well as a lot of TJ hopefuls in middle school) and I know this is a sensitive topic for many. I have a child in the FCPS system and we are zoned to Cooper Middle School, one of the schools that will likely continue to experience a significant negative impact as a result of the ruling.

Yet after seeing what I have over the last 15-ish years of working with TJ kids, I don’t think I would want either one of my kids to go to TJ, whether they could get in or not. Many of our TJ families complain about a culture they feel is toxic, and the funny thing is that it doesn’t seem to pay off from an outcomes standpoint. TJ applicants often perform worse in the college admissions process than their similarly-achieving peers at other schools because of the extraordinary amount of internal competition.

On a happier note, I am going to hold myself back on sharing details because of privacy reasons, but I just have to brag for a minute that our seniors are absolutely killing it on their ED II decisions. We have kids going to an absolutely phenomenal array of highly selective schools and this past week has involved one piece of good news after the other. I am so incredibly proud of them!

Once again, early decision programs are the way to go if students don’t need to compare scholarship offers and want to end up at highly selective schools. Students who follow our advice on this consistently achieve significantly better outcomes than their peers who decide they don’t want to apply ED. I love ED II, in particular, because it allows students to shoot for a dream reach ED and then a more manageable reach in the second round.

CATCH UP ON OUR WEEKLY BLOGS BELOW!

Weekly Update: February 13

Happy (early) Valentine’s Day!

If you’re interested in learning about some college-specific Valentine’s traditions, don’t miss our post from last year: Schooled in Love: Fun Valentine's Day Facts From College Campuses

BIGGEST COLLEGE-RELATED NEWS OF THE WEEK

BROWN UNIVERSITY STUDENTS HUNGER STRIKE TO PROTEST CONFLICT IN GAZA

Campus debates and protests related to the war in Gaza continue. Last week, American University imposed a ban on indoor protests at the school in the wake of ongoing campus conflict. This week, Brown University is in the spotlight, with eighteen students on day seven of a hunger strike (at the time of publication), calling for the school to “‘divest from the genocide in Gaza,’ and allow them to make their case to the university’s governing board,” according to The Washington Post. Brown’s president, Christina Paxson, maintains that the university should not be making decisions about its endowment in response to political issues.

COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES RESPOND TO NEW TIMING OF FAFSA DATA

Problems with the rollout of the new Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) have been widely reported, and have created major problems not just for students and families, but also for colleges and universities around the country. Once the delayed information reaches colleges, the schools will still need to scramble to put financial aid packages together. Some colleges have already extended their commitment deadlines from May 1 to June 1 in response, so that students have enough time to make educated decisions once the delayed information reaches them. The University of California system has moved their deadline to May 15 for all nine UC campuses, with the exception of out-of-state and international students accepted to UC Berkeley.

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION RESPONDS TO FAFSA DEBACLE

Now, the U.S. Department of Education (which oversees the FAFSA) has established a $50 million fund to help schools deal with the backlog—and backlash. The Department will also provide a “concierge service” for schools. “A senior department official said all historically Black and tribal colleges will have the opportunity to get direct support from the agency,” the article says. Colleges seem pretty underwhelmed by the response so far. The article quotes Kiely Fletcher, Vice President for Enrollment Management at the University of Illinois at Chicago (and the first institution to extend its commitment deadline to June 1) as saying “While we appreciate the secretary providing an updated timetable, the partial measures do little to alleviate the burden and anxiety expressed by students, their parents and higher ed professionals.”

CONGRESS RESPONDS TO DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION OVER FAFSA DELAYS

Today, the leaders of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, and the House Committee on Education and the Workforce responded to Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona’s announcement that the department will provide additional supports for high schools as they work with students and families to complete and submit the FAFSA and for colleges as they prepare financial aid packages. In addition to committee leaders Senators Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Patty Murray (D-WA) and Representative Robert “Bobby” Scott (D-VA), 106 senators and representatives co-signed the letter, which asks the Secretary of Education to clarify how the department will minimize the impact of these delays — especially for those students most in need of financial aid. The letter poses a set of seven questions that Congress wants answered. The letter concludes by asking if there are any “specific requests that Congress can respond to in order to help address related issues moving forward.”

LOCAL EFFECTS OF FAFSA DELAYS FELT AT DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM

One of the largest impacts in our local area will be felt at the DC Tuition Assistance Grant (DCTAG) program. DCTAG is administered through the D.C. Office of the State Superintendent of Education and provides scholarships to D.C. residents to offset the cost of attending one of 300 participating colleges and universities. The aim is to help D.C. families with the cost of college as there is not an in-state option for D.C. residents. Because of the U.S. Department of Education's announcement that programs and schools will not receive the data from the FAFSA until mid-March, DCTAG has delayed opening the application until March 11, 2024.

VANDERBILT AND CORNELL EXTEND TEST-OPTIONAL ADMISSIONS

On the heels of Dartmouth’s announcement last week about reinstating standardized testing in the admission process, Cornell University and Vanderbilt University reported that they will each extend their test-optional admissions policies established during the pandemic. Cornell extended their policy for one more year. Several of Cornell’s schools have already adjusted admissions policy to “test free,” meaning they will not consider standardized test scores at any point in the admission process. Vanderbilt has extended their policy for three additional years in order to conduct internal research before making a permanent decision.

BEST ARTICLES OF THE WEEK

Following Dartmouth College’s aforementioned testing announcement, Inside Higher Ed interviewed Vice President and Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid, Lee Coffin. Coffin makes the point several times that the decision came after an internal study of admissions data for the last few years at Dartmouth. It was a decision made for Dartmouth using data from Dartmouth and is not intended to be a bellwether decision in the standardized testing controversy. Of course, though (as Coffin acknowledges), when an Ivy League university makes an announcement like this, it draws attention from all constituents.

A debate about the value of a college degree versus technical, vocational, and other skilled labor and career training has been going on quietly for the last several years, because leaders are struggling to assess the value of CTE programs. Unfortunately, standard ways of tracking outcomes and collecting data don’t apply, as it’s hard to match up workforce data with protected student records. This week, The Washington Post weighed in on the struggle. “States that do connect school and work data, such as Florida and Maryland, have found that taking career courses in high school can lead some students to earn higher wages after graduation,” Wall writes. But with data hard to come by, and some of it contradictory, it seems as if the debate will carry on a while longer. For now, as the College Board makes clear, getting education beyond a high school diploma is crucial to economic success, and a college degree is one of the best investments a family can make.

In “Legacy Admissions May Not Be at Odds With Diversity,” Wall Street Journal columnist Jason Riley addresses an aspect of the debate over legacy admissions that has attracted comparatively little attention: the negative effects ending the practice might have on minority students. Riley argues that “ending the practice might undercut the left’s campus diversity objectives.” He writes: “Affirmative-action policies have been in place for a half-century. Hundreds of thousands of black students have matriculated at selective colleges and universities across the country, and their children stand to benefit from legacy admissions. Now that race-conscious admission policies have been banned, legacies are one way for schools to maintain a racially mixed student body without violating the Supreme Court’s decision.” Riley also notes that some leaders at HBCUs have expressed anxiety about legal bans of legacy consideration. He quotes Brenda Allen, the president of Lincoln University, a small black college in Pennsylvania, who notes: “People have generations of folks who go to these institutions. My school is like that. We recruit family members … Being able to recruit legacies is important, especially at HBCUs.”

Snowplow, bulldozer, helicopter — we have all read the various research, news coverage, and parenting advice columns that discuss the pros and cons of super involved parenting. The New York Times published a story this week about two new surveys which suggest that there is more to the story when it comes to this style of parenting. In fact, the surveys show that “nine in 10 parents rate their relationships with their young adult children as good or excellent, and so do eight in 10 young adults.” Many past researchers have studied the negative effects of intense parenting on the child — they are less self-reliant, more frequently live at home, and continue to be financially dependent on their parents well into their late twenties; however, these surveys indicate that closer relationships between parents and their adult children can be beneficial to both. In some families with young adults living at home, three-quarters of them contributed to the family expenses and one-third of adult children helped support their parents financially.

OFFICE HAPPENINGS

In recognition of President’s Day, our office will be closed on Monday, February 19 and will reopen on Tuesday, February 20. Wishing everyone an enjoyable long weekend!

CATCH UP ON PAST BLOGS BELOW!

Weekly Update: February 6

Happy National School Counseling Week! I spent 10 years as a school-based college counselor, and as I always say, nothing makes me happier than collaborating with my school counselor colleagues.

There are things that school counselors can do for students that independent counselors cannot, and there are things that independent counselors can do for students that school counselors cannot. When families allow school counselors and independent counselors to collaborate together, it’s the best of both worlds and the students benefit SO MUCH!

Here’s a related blog post I wrote a few years ago, which delves into the differences between expectations families should have for school counselors and independent counselors.

BIGGEST COLLEGE-RELATED NEWS OF THE WEEK

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE REINSTATES SAT/ACT REQUIREMENT

On Monday morning, Dartmouth College announced that they will require applicants to submit standardized test scores in the upcoming undergraduate admissions cycle. When Dartmouth’s new president, Sian Beilock, started in the summer of 2023, she tapped four sociology and economics professors to complete an internal study on the use of test scores in admissions. In their January 30 memo to President Beilock, the researchers stated several key findings.

First, test scores “are highly predictive” of academic achievement at Dartmouth. Interestingly, they also “predict career success, including high levels of earnings and attendance at elite graduate schools, holding family income constant.” Second, the correlation to academic success is consistent among all demographic groups they studied (regardless of socioeconomic background). Third, they concluded that the test-optional policy currently in place “is likely a barrier to Dartmouth identifying less-advantaged students who would succeed at Dartmouth.” Finally, they conclude that the test-optional policy has not increased the number of less-advantaged applicants in the admission pool.

What is new about this study are these third and fourth points, which assert that the data shows that there were less-advantaged applicants with SAT scores in the 1400 range who did not submit those scores to be considered (the study included data and SAT scores from students who applied test-optional, but whose scores the admissions office was able to see after the admissions process was concluded). Dartmouth historically has admitted disadvantaged students with lower test scores, taking into consideration “students who are excelling in their environment.” The question becomes whether or not schools will seek more socio-economic diversity now that they are unable to use race as a factor in admission decisions, and, therefore, start to require students to submit test scores.

VIRGINIA SENATE PASSES BILL TO BAN LEGACY ADMISSION

The Virginia state legislature has taken the next step toward ending legacy preference in the college admission process. On January 23, 2024, the Virginia Senate unanimously passed Senate Bill 46 which will prohibit public colleges and universities from “providing any manner of preferential treatment in the admissions decision to any student applicant on the basis of such student’s legacy status … ” The Virginia House of Delegates unanimously passed House Bill 48 on January 31, 2024. Both bills are now with the Committee of Conference and once they are reconciled into one bill, both houses will vote again. Since both bills were passed unanimously, it is expected that the reconciled bill will also pass and be sent to Governor Glenn Youngkin to sign. Governor Youngkin has indicated that he is likely to sign the bill, which would make Virginia the first state to ban legacy admissions at public colleges and universities. Following the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in June 2023, Virginia Tech announced a change in admissions policy to eliminate both legacy status and race from consideration when making admissions decisions. The University of Virginia reported that 15 percent of their students last year were legacy, though that statistic does not clarify how many students received preferential treatment in the admission process.

MORE ISSUES WITH NEW FAFSA IMPLEMENTATION WILL AFFECT TIMING OF FINANCIAL AID PACKAGES

Already plagued by delays in launching the redesigned FAFSA, the U.S. Department of Education Office of Federal Student Aid issued an update and revised timeline for the time needed to process FAFSA submissions. Now, the department will not begin to send students’ information to colleges and universities until the first half of March, an additional six weeks later than initially announced. In prior years, the FAFSA opened on October 1 and could deliver student data to schools in four to six weeks. As a result of the redesign and now the additional delay, most colleges and universities will be delayed in providing applicants with financial aid award packages. Many institutions of higher education require both the FAFSA and the CSS/Profile (administered by the College Board). These schools will be able to calculate “estimated” financial aid packages, but cannot finalize those until they receive the official data from the Federal Student Aid office. A handful of schools have already announced that they will extend the traditional May 1 enrollment deadline for students to make a deposit a the school they intend to attend.

UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT FACING MAJOR BUDGET CUTS

The effects of the Covid-19 pandemic continue to ripple across many aspects of education. This week, The Chronicle of Higher Education reported on budget cuts at the University of Connecticut—amounting to an across-the-board 15% budget cut (spread over 5 years) for every school, department, and program. Other public colleges have also seen cuts, which observers attribute to reductions in what had been an influx of Federal money during 2020 to help weather the pandemic storm. In the years since, many public colleges have relied on state legislatures to continue to provide the additional funding. Now legislatures in many states are pushing back—Connecticut, West Virginia, and Arizona, to mention a few—expecting the public colleges to find alternative sources of revenue. Faculty members and administrators say the cuts will have a big effect, perhaps none bigger than the losses of whole departments and graduate programs (including graduate teaching assistants). How this will play out over the coming five years of cuts will be interesting to watch.

PENNSYLVANIA GOVERNOR PROPOSED SWEEPING REORGANIZATION OF 25 STATE UNIVERSITIES AND COMMUNITY COLLEGES

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro says the system of state universities and community colleges is broken and has proposed sweeping reforms to fix it. While there are no current plans to close any of the 10 state universities that comprise the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) and 15 community colleges, the new plan will bring oversight under a single governing body, while allowing each to remain independent. These schools have faced significant enrollment declines and are bracing for more projected drops due to demographic changes. Pennsylvania State University, University of Pittsburgh, Lincoln University, and Temple University each receive some state funding, but are not owned by the state and will not be affected by the changes in governance.

BEST ARTICLES OF THE WEEK

In the article “Why Campus Life Fell Apart,” The Chronicle of Higher Education takes a look at how the Covid-19 pandemic affected student engagement on college campuses. Past studies and analyses have found that student engagement directly impacts student success in college. When students are unable to participate in clubs, organizations, and campus activities, they do not develop the teamwork, leadership, and project management skills necessary to keep student-led extracurriculars running from year to year. Students need these clubs and organizations to make connections with other students and build a sense of community and shared purpose. Because student leadership changes yearly and many clubs and organizations did not meet for multiple years, schools need to be more involved in providing leadership training and rebuilding institutional knowledge to revive clubs and organizations and re-engage students.

While the previous article looked at the interpersonal and communication skills lost by students during the pandemic, The New York Times published the results of a national study of elementary and middle-school students’ learning loss in math and reading between 2019-2023. Overall, students have made up approximately a third of what they lost in mathematics during the pandemic while regaining a quarter of what they lost in reading, according to researchers from Stanford University, Harvard University, and Dartmouth College. This extensive study looks at cumulative learning loss across states and the country, but also presents data by school district which clearly identifies significant disparities from district to district. (This tool allows you to look at math scores by district from 2019 through 2023.) In last week’s blog post, we detailed the efforts Fairfax, Arlington, Alexandria, and Loudoun Counties are making to address learning loss for students in grades three through eight.

In his Forbes blog on college admissions, Brennan Barnard has asked college deans and directors of admission for their advice for students as they start the college admission process. They responded: start with self-reflection; assess your interests and strengths; explore your options by visiting local schools and accessing virtual opportunities to get to know schools; and remember that this is your journey. The deans and directors also had advice for families, especially parents: guide your student, but allow them to take ownership of the process; find the balance between encouraging your student’s self-discovery and learning and doing it for them; have an open discussion about finances and college choices; and remember to keep your student and their happiness at the forefront of the process. We agree! This is all advice we also share with students and families as we help them navigate the journey.

The U.S. Department of Education has proposed a change in how students are billed for textbooks and course materials in college. Under President Obama’s policy, colleges were allowed to include the cost of books and materials in their tuition and fees. In doing so, they were able to work directly with publishers to negotiate lower prices. Critics of the policy say that this prohibits students from finding materials and resources at lower costs. Some students like the convenience of the costs included in tuition and fees, while others say they are required to buy textbooks or materials that are seldom used in the course.

Virginia’s Attorney General has filed suit against the NCAA, alleging that the association which oversees college athletics does not have the authority to block colleges donors/boosters from enticing athletic recruits through compensation. The attorney general joins his Tennessee counterpart in asking a judge to block the NCAA rule restricting competition under the NIL, the name-image-likeness rule, which allows amateur athletes to be compensated for any use of their name-image-likeness, arguing that the rule limits competition.

OFFICE HAPPENINGS

On Groundhog Day, Punxsutawney Phil did not see his shadow foretelling an early spring. With the nicer weather, February is a great time to visit college campuses. Whether you are considering the specific school or taking advantage of the range of schools in our area, nothing can replace an in-person tour. And as we always say — even if you don’t think your student is particularly interested in any of the schools in the DC area, these easy local visits can still be so helpful when it comes to differentiating preferences. For example, if you recognize that GW is too urban, you can very easily save yourself the trip to BU and NYU!

Some schools offer upcoming special programs for juniors, while others offer individual or group tours:

American University—February 19 Winter Preview Day

Catholic University—February 17 Cardinal Preview Day 

George Mason University—March 25 Junior Visit Day and March 1 College of Engineering and Computing Junior Visit Day

George Washington University—Schedule an In-Person Foggy Bottom Campus Tour and consider adding Discover the Arts at GW or GW Engineering In-Person Tour. 

Howard University—Schedule an Information Session & Campus Tour

University of Maryland—February 19, Discover Maryland

Have a great week!

IN CASE YOU MISSED THEM, CHECK OUT our january updates!

Weekly Update: January 30

Welcome to our last post of January - although it is hard to believe it is the end of January, with recent temperatures in the mid-70s!

BIGGEST COLLEGE-RELATED NEWS OF THE WEEK

JAMES MADISON UNIVERSITY APPLICATIONS TOP 40,000

JMU received a total of 40,232 undergraduate applications for the class of 2028, an increase of 78% over the 22,603 applications they received in 2021. Melinda Wood, JMU’s associate vice president for access and enrollment management and director of admissions, attributes the increase to ongoing efforts on several fronts, including increased national exposure as JMU’s athletic teams have continued to excel. After all the controversy we wrote about last fall, the JMU football team ultimately did compete in their first bowl game against the Air Force Academy this past December.

NEW BILL INTRODUCED IN MARYLAND STATE LEGISLATURE TO GUARANTEE ADMISSION TO STUDENTS IN TOP 10 PERCENT OF CLASS

Maryland Senate President Pro Tem Malcolm Augustine has introduced Senate Bill 5, which would require specific state colleges and universities to accept students in the top 10 percent of their class at Maryland public and private schools. The 10 included institutions include the University System of Maryland–UMD Baltimore; UMD College Park; UMBC; UMD Eastern Shore; UMD Global Campus; Bowie State University; Coppin State University; Frostburg State University; Salisbury University; Towson University; and the University of Baltimore. Morgan State University and St. Mary’s College of Maryland, which are public schools that are not part of the University System of Maryland, would also be required to implement the plan. Virginia and Tennessee are among the states that have recently implemented similar policies at certain universities.

HOW SUPREME COURT DECISION, FREE TUITION, AND POLICY CAPPING OUT-OF-STATE STUDENTS AT UNC-CHAPEL HILL AFFECTED APPLICATION NUMBERS

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I got this from one of our seniors while I was eating lunch on Saturday and it just made my day :)

In 2023, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill was at the center of a Supreme Court decision that limited the ways in which colleges and universities can consider race in admission decisions. Many predicted the landmark decision would have a direct, negative impact on applications for the class of 2028. In response, former Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz implemented several new initiatives that include providing North Carolina undergraduate students whose families make less than $80,000 per year free tuition. At the same time, the university hired additional admissions team members to recruit in “under-resourced” areas of North Carolina. Early numbers indicate that those initiatives have had an impact as Interim Chancellor Lee Roberts announced last week that applications are up 15% over applications received by the same date in 2023. UNC-Chapel Hill has received approximately 67,000 applications in 2024 in contrast to approximately 58,000 at the same time last year. Despite all of this, our students actually done pretty well - with multiple EA acceptances that came out a few days ago.

CANADA ANNOUNCES CAP ON INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

Last week, Canadian officials announced a new two-year cap on the number of student permits issued to incoming international students. The initiative seeks to address severe housing shortages across provinces. In 2023, Canada approved almost 1 million study permits for international students, however, under the new policy, there will be a 35 % reduction, or approximately 350,000 fewer study permits. At the same time, the policy will also limit the number of work permits approved for foreign students after graduation from a Canadian institution. Popular university options for U.S. students include the University of Toronto (U of T), McGill University, and the University of British Columbia (UBC) as they offer excellent undergraduate educations at a lower cost than many private and public universities in the U.S.

A pre-Covid visit to LMU with some of my favorite colleagues - love that California sun in November!

LOYOLA MARYMOUNT UNIVERSITY CUTS SIX NCAA DIVISION I SPORTS

Loyola Marymount University (LMU) announced plans to cut six NCAA Division I sports at the end of the 2023-2024 seasons in an effort to maintain equal access and opportunities for athletes. The sports announced include men’s and women’s rowing, men’s and women’s track and field, women’s swimming, and men’s cross country. LMU’s more than 400 student-athletes are the highest among the West Coast Conference member schools’ athletic programs. The decision to reduce the number of teams allows LMU to redirect its funding to its other DI teams. LMU is assisting students affected by the decision in a number of ways, including continuing to honor students’ athletic scholarships and financial aid, and supporting students who want to transfer to another school to continue to play their sport in college.

NATIONAL CENTER FOR EDUCATION STATISTICS REPORT SHOWS 968 PERCENT INCREASE IN UNDERGRADUATE DATA SCIENCE DEGREES

The results are in and the number of undergraduate degrees awarded in data science jumped from 84 in 2020 to 897 in 2022. Wow! The report released by the National Center for Education Statistics also included an increase in degrees awarded in data analytics from 325 in 2020 to 767 in 2022. The Department of Labor projects that jobs for data scientists will increase by 36 percent over the next 10 years. Majors in data science, data analytics, and statistics are all increasing in popularity, particularly as students can combine them with other areas they are passionate about. Interestingly, in a study released by the Association of Computing Machinery (ACM), “data science has a higher concentration of female students than comparable majors, such as computer science and cybersecurity.”

BEST ARTICLES OF THE WEEK

The New York Times reporter Bernard Mokam, shared his reflections on changes in the college essay since writing his own 10 years ago. Mokam, a former admissions essay coach himself, wrote on how the college essay and what students choose to write about has changed in light of the Supreme Court decision on the use of race in college admission decisions last June. His research for his article and the conversations he has had with students inspired Mokam to reflect on his own college essay and ask himself, as a Black American attending a boarding school in Massachusetts, if he would have made any changes. While he admits that there is no way to know what he might have changed, he does acknowledge that through the process of self-reflection, writing, and editing the college essay, students learn about their values and themselves.

As has been well-documented, colleges are coping with a mental health crisis among students, faculty, and staff. The New York Times Magazine took an in-depth look into the series of suicides in 2021 on the small, New England campus of Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI). The article takes readers through the events and the response of the school’s administration and faculty. The lessons WPI and its leaders learned are a starting point for other colleges and universities as they assess their mental health resources and emergency procedures. Charlie Morse, the former director of counseling, hopes that the choice to be open, honest, and transparent with all of the members of the WPI community can serve as a framework for best practices for other educational institutions that are faced with such a crisis. 

In past blog posts throughout December and January, we have followed the redesign and launch of the new FAFSA, the application all students must complete in order to receive federal financial aid. NPR’s “All Things Considered” reports that the U.S. Department of Education has confirmed they will fix the error in the formula used to calculate a student’s Student Aid Index (SAI) which we covered on December 12 (the Department of Education neglected to account for inflation in the new formula used to calculate the SAI). (To understand how the SAI is calculated and/or estimate your own eligibility, go to the Federal Student Aid Estimator.) The failure to adjust for inflation results in a lower “income protection allowance” and, in turn, leads to students qualifying for less aid. NPR reports that the mistake could underfund students by $1.8 billion in federal student aid. Unfortunately, the Department of Education has not given a timeline to fix this error, further delaying the release of data to colleges and universities, and, therefore, financial aid packages for applicants.

The board of governors of Florida’s state university system ruled last week to remove sociology as a course students could take to fulfill their core curriculum requirements. It will now be replaced with a “factual history course.” According to The New York Times article, the new course will cover “America’s founding, the horrors of slavery, the resulting Civil War and the Reconstruction era.” This is the latest change enacted by the board in response to Governor Ron DeSantis’s Individual Freedom Act, more commonly known as the Stop W.O.K.E. Act, which was passed in April 2022. 

Once again, this week’s uplifting story comes from a marching band – The Mighty Sound of Maryland of the University of Maryland, College Park. When Alejandro Marroquin answered the door Sunday morning, he never expected to see someone dressed in a turtle costume and members of the UMD marching band standing in his front yard. James Massey, Jr., UMD Director of Undergraduate Admissions, handed Alejandro a letter while saying, “Congratulations! You’ve been accepted to the University of Maryland, College Park.” Alejandro’s parents were in on the surprise, having been contacted a few days prior by the office of admissions to arrange to deliver the good news in-person. Alejandro quickly joined the band to show off some of his percussion skills. Alejandro will be the first in his immediate family to attend college; he plans to major in Cinema and Media Studies and play percussion in the band at UMD.

OFFICE HAPPENINGS

This week we’ve seen the release of early action decisions from a number of large, state flagship universities, including the University of Michigan, the University of Wisconsin, the University of North Carolina and the University of Maryland, as well as a number of private institutions such as the University of Richmond and the University of Miami. We are continuing our work with seniors who were deferred by their early decision or early action schools to craft their letters of continued interest (LOCI). If you are a current client, we encourage you to book a meeting with us to discuss your decisions received and advise you in writing your LOCIs. 

If you are a student who is not working with us, follow up with your school counselor about your deferral and take a look at our past blog post about drafting your letter of continued interest.

And as I shared on social media over the weekend, our team participated in a training session over the weekend to get ready for Common Application® essay season!

We expect prompts for this main personal statement - the essay that students will send to each of their schools - to be released in February for the high school Class of 2025. We’re excited to jump right in and help our juniors navigate this important milestone in the admissions process!

Happy Groundhog Day!

Take a look at all of our january updates!

Weekly Update: January 25

BIGGEST COLLEGE-RELATED NEWS OF THE WEEK

VIRGINIA SENATE VOTES TO BAN LEGACY PREFERENCE IN ADMISSIONS

Virginia Tech got rid of legacy last summer, and it looks like we’re about to see the other Virginia schools follow suit. Here’s my unpopular opinion of the day: I am really bummed and disappointed about this. And I say that as someone who did not have the benefit of legacy preference to any schools I wanted to go to, when I applied to college - so I have no personal skin in the game here. But after so many years hearing incredibly heartfelt stories from students who have grown up watching basketball games with their parents in the JPJ for the previous 18 years or similar - these people live and breathe for their schools. I could share so many fun stories I’ve heard over the years - college-themed Christmas trees, family pets named after coaches, and more! Why shouldn’t those kids, who are already loyal members of a community, be able to get some preference to strengthen and formalize their role in that community? I assure you that unqualified legacies are not being admitted to these places anyway, so it just feels very unfair to me. My guess is that the average person on the street - or average lawmaker - does not realize that legacies still have to be exceptionally qualified applicants in order to get in under the current climate.

FAIRFAX COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS TO HOST ANNUAL GAP YEAR FAIR

On Tuesday, January 30, 2024, from 6:00 to 8:30 pm, FCPS School Counseling Services is partnering with Go Overseas to host the 2024 Gap Year Fair at Marshall High School (inclement weather plan: Thursday, February 1, 2024, 6-8:30 pm). A gap year is a break in schools between completing high school and beginning college which is typically a year-long break. The program begins at 6:00 pm with Gap Year 101, where an expert gap year counselor will present a general overview and then open up to questions. The fair itself begins at 7:00 pm. Students and families will be able to speak with gap year program providers, trip leaders, advisors, and gap year alumni and explore programs ranging from outdoor and experiential opportunities to travel and language immersion to community service and internships. Students should register using this link.

AN ENTREPRENEURIAL MINDSET CAN TEACH PERSISTENCE

The most recent “Teaching” newsletter in the Chronicle of Higher Education discusses a recent study that took a look at how an entrepreneurial mindset can help students who experience challenges, setbacks, or negative emotions to persevere through rather than disengage. Eliana Crosina, an assistant professor of entrepreneurship at Babson College in Massachusetts and her team document four ways in which professors can support students and teach them to persist. One of those actions suggests professors work with their colleagues to create a community to support both students and faculty. The newsletter’s author also brought into the discussion the dichotomy between a movement to deemphasize grades known as “ungrading” and the traditional classroom, in which students receive a final grade for the course.

SENSE OF COMMUNITY IS CRITICAL TO BLACK MALE COLLEGE COMPLETION

Katelynn Jarrells’ article “Building Belonging to Benefit Black Male Students” focuses on advice for college faculty and staff in addressing the significant drop in the rate of black male students who complete a bachelor’s degree. Research demonstrates that efforts to create a sense of belonging are more effective in supporting black males to degree completion than an emphasis on individualism has been. Virginia Commonwealth University’s success with their Men of Color Initiative is a model for other institutions of higher education in ways to help students feel connected to a community. This article argues that DEI training (diversity, equity, and inclusion) is inadequate and calls on colleges and universities to refocus on building community and engaging diverse students.

DIRECT-ADMISSION PROGRAMS ON THE RISE

Direct-admission programs have increased significantly over the past three years. State legislation in Idaho, Minnesota, and Georgia guarantees admission to specific state colleges or universities to students who meet specific criteria. A new collaboration between the Common Application and Niche, a college search website, allows students to input their information into an account, and participating colleges - including George Mason University, locally - can view and respond with an offer of admission for students who meet their criteria.

COLLEGES INVOLVED IN FINANCIAL AID ANTITRUST LAWSUIT CONTINUE TO SETTLE

An antitrust lawsuit filed in January 2022 accused 17 colleges and universities of acting as “a price-fixing cartel” when they collaborated on financial aid formulas. The lawsuit contends that the 17 schools violated the terms of the federal antitrust exemption that prohibited them from taking a family’s ability to pay into account when making admission decisions. University of Chicago was the first defendant to reach a settlement in August 2023, while Emory, Rice, and Vanderbilt followed in September, October, and November respectively. Brown, Columbia, Duke, and Yale settled earlier this week.

BEST ARTICLES OF THE WEEK

A study released this week reports that 86 percent of college and university faculty and staff support implementing new learning models which focus on skills and competencies. The survey also assessed the use of “comprehensive learning records” (CLRs) to document students’ mastery of these skills or competencies. More community and technical colleges are taking the lead on the shift to map learning to the skills employers are looking for in their employees. 

The cost of college has been in the news frequently over the past month. The New York Times article, “Why Is Paying for College So Complicated?” provides an overview and history of the financial aid system in American colleges and universities. Ron Lieber, the author, provides insight into the rise of merit aid and federal and state grants, savings, and loan programs. In our January 16 Weekly Update we shared an article about the College Cost Reduction Act introduced into the U.S. House of Representatives, and in our January 5 Weekly Update, we included an article about the launch of the redesigned FAFSA, which has been plagued by delays and other issues. Last week, a different New York Times article chronicled the choices recent college dropouts have faced and why some young people are questioning whether or not a degree from an expensive school is worth the debt.

Financial concerns are not just affecting high school and college students, but also having an impact on higher education institutions across this country. The University of Redlands in southern California west of Los Angeles announced its third merger with a floundering school—nearby Woodbury University located in Burbank, just north of LA. In 2019, Redlands merged with San Francisco Theological Seminary, and, in 2022, they began the merger process with the Presidio Graduate School in San Francisco. In 2023 alone, 15 colleges and universities closed, merged with another school, or were acquired by other schools. 

Amid renewed controversy over the role of the SAT and ACT in college admissions, the Commonwealth of Virginia has initiated funding for tutoring for students in grades three through eight who performed poorly on the reading and/or math SOLs (Standards of Learning). An article in The Washington Post details the plans to implement the requirements of ALL In VA, the education plan announced by Governor Youngkin in September in response to learning loss as a result of the pandemic. Tutoring efforts have begun in Fairfax, Arlington, Alexandria, and Loudoun counties. Each district has the authority to determine who is eligible for the tutoring, how the tutoring will be implemented, and how families will be notified. 

And in the feel-good story of the month, the Oakton High School marching band learned that they were the winners of the high school small band division of the first ever “For Whom the Band Tolls!” competition, in which marching bands were challenged to create performances using the songs and sounds of Metallica. Over 450 high schools and colleges entered the competition in one of five divisions, and the marching band will receive a customized package of musical equipment with a value of $15,000. Performances by each of the winning bands, including the Oakton High School Marching Cougars, can be viewed on YouTube. Congratulations, Cougars!

OFFICE HAPPENINGS

Do you want to build a snowman? Across the northern Virginia, DC, Maryland region, students enjoyed two snow days last week! Sally’s 9th grade daughter and her friends found enough snow to build a little snowman. Whether it was sleeping in, reading a book, playing outside, or enjoying some family games, we hope our students and their families were able to enjoy the days off.

In other news, we are busy gearing up for a meeting with all of our essay coaches this weekend to get ready for the upcoming 2024-2025 Common Application (R) essay prompt release! It will be nice to have our entire team together, albeit virtually!

check out our most recent weekly updates in case you missed any!

Weekly Update: January 16

BIGGEST COLLEGE-RELATED NEWS OF THE WEEK

FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY SYSTEM EASES REQUIREMENTS FOR JEWISH STUDENTS SEEKING TRANSFER DUE TO ANTISEMITIC FEARS

Florida State University System Chancellor Ray Rodrigues issued an emergency order this week for the state system to “remove barriers for undergraduate students who are seeking to transfer to a Florida university because of a well-founded fear of antisemitic or other religious discrimination, harassment, intimidation, or violence.” Rodrigues' action came after Florida Governor (and Republican presidential candidate) Ron DeSantis said in his annual State of the State that Jewish students would find Florida welcoming them “with open arms.”

NEW BILL INTRODUCED TO U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TO MAKE CHANGES TO FEDERAL GRANTS AND LOANS FOR STUDENTS

Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives have introduced a bill intended to make major changes to how students pay for college. The “College Cost Reduction Act” includes a variety of changes to student loans, capping how much a student can borrow, making colleges potentially responsible for unpaid loans, and reforming the Pell Grant program (doubling it for many juniors and seniors), among other things. Some of the changes have bipartisan support, including Pell Grant reform, but it’s not clear yet how much support the full bill will attract.

EMORY UNIVERSITY’S FACULTY SENATE SEEKS ANSWERS AFTER INVESTIGATION INTO USE OF ATLANTA POLICE IN PEACEFUL STUDENT PROTEST

Wading into the recent conversation on many campuses about freedom of speech and assembly, this week The Chronicle of Higher Education examines a campus incident and subsequent university actions from last year. Students at Emory University staged a demonstration in April to bring attention to their concerns about the Atlanta Police Department and a new training facility it plans to build. The students organized the peaceful protest on the University Quad, but when some students decided to camp out overnight, the Open Expression Observer (a trained faculty or staff member acting on behalf of the dean of campus life) alerted the students that they needed to disperse or possibly face conduct violations and be forcibly removed by campus police. Sometime after midnight, the observer contacted the campus police, who in turn called the Atlanta Police, and dozens of officers from both departments dispersed the protest. Now, the school’s faculty and students want the university to explain itself.

UNITED NEGRO COLLEGE FUND RECEIVES $100 MILLION GIFT TO SUPPORT POOLED ENDOWMENT FOR HBCUS

Thirty-seven Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) got good news as the new year began. The United Negro College Fund is engaged in a $1 billion capital campaign that is to include at least $370 million for HBCU endowments. The Lilly Endowment Inc., a “private philanthropic foundation supporting the causes of religion, education and community development,” put a big dent in that goal with a $100 million gift toward that $370 million goal. According to Inside Higher Ed, the average HBCU endowment is only about $16 million, so an additional $10 million from the UNCF for each school would be truly meaningful. (For comparison, William and Mary’s endowment is almost $1.4 billion.)

SUNY CHANCELLOR AND BOARD OF TRUSTEES APPLAUD NY GOVERNOR’S PROPOSED GUARANTEED ADMISSION INITIATIVE

In New York Governor Kathy Hochul’s State of the State address on January 9, 2024, she announced her plan to offer direct admission to students in the top 10 percent of their graduating classes to State University of New York and City University of New York schools. In a statement released by the Chancellor and Board, “As we have seen in other states, this plan will advance equity while helping to retain our most talented students.” In addition, the governor is proposing legislation which will require every public school district to ensure all high school graduates complete the FAFSA or the NY State DREAM Act Application or sign a waiver attesting that they were made aware of the financial aid opportunities, but chose not to apply.

BEST ARTICLES OF THE WEEK

In response to the U.S. Supreme Court decision last June, James Murray Jr., a Ph.D. student at the University of Kentucky, argues that the end of race-based considerations in college admissions opens a door for reparations for the descendants of enslaved people in the form of educational consideration and tuition remission. Citing a variety of legal scholars—as well as questions from conservative Supreme Court Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh during oral arguments—Murray suggests that a person’s specific genealogical lineage should be examined, not that person’s racial makeup per se, to determine preferences and financial assistance up to full tuition. 

Arena BioWorks is a Cambridge, Massachusetts, startup company with interests in pharmaceuticals and biotechnology. On the face of it, there’s nothing unusual about that, but when The New York Times refers to company researchers as “a splinter group of scientists,” you can bet this is no ordinary startup. With half a billion dollars on hand, Arena BioWorks isn’t just filling its coffers with money—it’s luring academic researchers away from tenured and high-visibility jobs at prestigious universities. Paydays for some of these rock-star scientists are reputedly in the range of $10 million, not to mention the freedom to explore their areas of interest with a lot less bureaucracy than in a university setting. A single, deep-pocketed research company (funded by Michael Dell of Dell Computers and Boston Celtics owner Stephen Pagliuca, among others) probably isn’t going to blow up university research by itself. But it’s a sign that times are changing in biotech and colleges and universities probably need to start thinking differently about how they approach the care and feeding of science students and faculty, as well as their output. 

At the input end of things, Forbes blogger Brennan Barnard says students should start thinking differently about how they approach the college admission process. Calling on high schools students to “revolt against the idea that admission is a zero-sum game” and “resist the impulse to approach your studies as simply a means to an end”—maybe harder to do now, knowing there’s a $10 million biotech payday out there—he urges students not to let the prospect of admission to a given school or a given major dictate what courses and academic risks they take. He goes on to call for a measured approach (like the one we urge students to take) to things like testing and rankings. In short: “Revolt against a single definition of success and the notion that being admitted to any one college will guarantee contentment or thriving.”

As if to prove the value of Barnard’s advice, in his newsletter writer Jeff Selingo shares some “where are they now” type reporting about three students he followed through the admission process in his book “Who Gets In, and Why.” All members of their different schools’ classes of 2019, Grace (accepted at UCLA), Nicole (Northeastern University), and Chris (Gettysburg College) have followed a variety of paths since graduation. Love this!

The students’ stories show in vivid color that the acceptance and rejection letters are only the first steps in the next part of the story and that the costs (financial, emotional, and personal) of “success” in the process accumulate long after a high school senior crosses a stage to become a graduate. The stories he told in the book and the stories he tells now are worth reading, because there’s something in them for just about anyone applying to college today.

OFFICE HAPPENINGS

As we approach the midpoint of the school year, our students are busy with midterm or final exams and papers, but juniors are making time for their first round of check-in meetings to make sure they are on track! Once the second semester begins, we recommend students and families begin to plan for college visits or revisits in February, March, and April.

Of course, college visit planning will look different depending on the students’ class years. Juniors should be researching colleges, attending virtual visits and information sessions, and beginning to make plans to take advantage of school breaks, long weekends, and in-service days for on-campus trips. As seniors receive admission decisions, they should make note of programming that schools are offering for accepted students and look ahead to March and April to get some visits on the calendar, especially if they have not yet been able to visit a school in person yet. Remember: it is not a good idea to commit to a school that you’ve never seen in real life!

And on a lighter note, who else has been watching RushTok this week? Panhellenic (sorority) recruitment has just finished up at so many schools, including Northwestern, Tulane, Villanova, Virginia Tech and fan favorite SMU, and some of us (cough) have been tuning in for all those #OOTDs. I just finished a meeting with a junior who knew more about each chapter’s reputation on the various campuses than some of the girls who attend the actual schools probably do—I was very impressed with her research :)

While you can learn a lot about a school’s culture through these videos, remember that you’re seeing content created for entertainment purposes - and some of these girls are professional content creators! So the stories they tell are not necessarily reflective of the typical student experience at each of the schools. Still, there’s no denying the amount of Cartier jewelry on the SMU campus— that’s for sure!

INTERESTED IN MORE TIPS ON COLLEGE VISITS? CHECK OUT THESE POSTS

Weekly Update: January 9

It’s been a week since winter break ended and everyone is back to the grind!

BIGGEST COLLEGE-RELATED NEWS OF THE WEEK

GWU SETTLES COVID-19 LAWSUIT FOR $5.4 MILLION

This week, a district judge in Washington, DC approved a settlement between The George Washington University and the four students who filed suit against the university. The students alleged that GW broke their enrollment contract following the switch to online education as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. While similar lawsuits have been filed against colleges and universities across the country, many have been dismissed only to be reversed on appeal. Other universities have reached similar settlements and/or provided refunds of room, board, and fees to students impacted by the change to distance learning.

FEDERAL JUDGE RULES WEST POINT CAN CONTINUE TO CONSIDER RACE IN ADMISSIONS

Students for Fair Admissions, the group whose lawsuits against Harvard University and the University of North Carolina led to the Supreme Court’s ruling about race in college admission decisions last June, filed a petition with the court in September to prohibit the U.S. Military Academy at West Point from considering race in its admissions decisions. The Supreme Court specifically excluded U.S. service academies from the June ruling. The U.S. District Court judge in New York wrote in his opinion that “a full factual record is vital to answering this critical question” and that an injunction at this time would require West Point to change their admissions process in the middle of a cycle. A federal judge in Maryland issued a similar ruling in mid-December allowing the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis to continue to include race in making admission decisions. However, this is likely not the end of the court’s involvement in either case, as they now both continue to move forward through the court process.

MIT PRESIDENT SENDS MESSAGE TO COMMUNITY WITH PLANS TO ADDRESS DISCORD ON CAMPUS

Sally Kornbluth, president of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and one of three university presidents to testify before the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, sent a message to the MIT community that included four steps to address what she has identified as “challenges” in the community that need to be “solved.” Claudine Gay, the former president of Harvard University, and Elizabeth Magill, the former president of the University of Pennsylvania, each faced significant backlash and criticism following their appearance before the committee and have since resigned their positions. Dr. Kornbluth not only outlined these four steps in her letter, but also delineated current ongoing initiatives in which the community can participate as they work to rebuild trust, educate community members about antisemitism and Islamophobia, and “address conflict on [their] campus.”

UCLA PURCHASES NEARBY MALL TO CONVERT INTO SCIENCE INNOVATION CENTER

UCLA has purchased a closed indoor mall two miles from its campus, which will be transformed into a biomedical research facility to be named the UCLA Research Park. The site “will house two multidisciplinary centers focusing on immunology and immunotherapy as well as quantum science and engineering.” With little room to expand its Los Angeles campus, this is UCLA’s third acquisition in the past two years – the first was the purchase of “the Art Deco-style Trust Building”, which was renamed UCLA Downtown; the second was the purchase of Marymount California University’s 24.5-acre campus and their 11-acre residential campus in San Pedro, approximately 30 miles from UCLA’s main campus.

UC BERKELEY TAKES STEPS OVERNIGHT TO BUILD WALL AROUND THE PEOPLE’S PARK

In 2018, UC Berkeley developed plans to build a large residence hall on a property known as the People’s Park, which was taken by the university through eminent domain in 1969 and has been held up in litigation ever since, after city of Berkeley residents began occupying it in 1970. In the early morning hours of January 4, however, law enforcement officers from the UC and Cal State police, the California Highway Patrol, and other area sheriffs’ departments helped UC Berkeley clear the park of protesters and erected a fence made of double stacked cargo containers. However, the university cannot begin construction of the 1,100-bed residence hall until the California Supreme Court determines that UC Berkeley has completed the requisite environmental reviews.

RECENT STUDIES SHOW ADMISSIONS SCATTERGRAMS DISCOURAGE STUDENTS FROM APPLYING TO MOST SELECTIVE COLLEGES

Many high schools use college counseling programs, such as Naviance, Scoir, and MaiaLearning, that include the use of scattergrams. These are visual representations which plot application outcomes on graphs with GPA and standardized test scores of past applicants from that high school, without sharing identifying information of the applicants. Two recent studies contend that students who view the scattergrams are discouraged from applying to the “most competitive schools, such as Harvard and Stanford.” At the same time, after viewing scattergrams, students with lower GPAs and/or standardized test scores are more likely to apply to four-year colleges and are encouraged by the statistics to aim higher than they had previously believed possible.

BEST ARTICLES OF THE WEEK

For a number of years, college application statistics, undergraduate enrollment numbers, and six-year graduation rates have indicated a decline in male enrollment and completion of undergraduate degrees is declining. Inside Higher Ed published an opinion piece by Joe Henry, Dean of Students at King’s University College at Western University in Ontario, Canada, in which Henry shines a light on this gender gap in both Canadian and US colleges and universities. He calls on professionals in both admissions and student affairs to address this gap, starting with understanding the data available and recommending that better data should be collected in order to provide support and interventions to increase student success. 

The New York Times article, The Misguided War on the SAT, brings to light recent research into the value of SAT scores, and more generally standardized test scores including the SAT and ACT, and their ability to predict student success in college and beyond. While many highly selective colleges and universities have instituted test-optional policies, the research indicates that test scores are better predictors than high school grade point averages. In their study of “Ivy Plus” colleges, the authors of the study looked at multiple measures of student success, including whether students were accepted into “elite graduate schools” or were “working at a prestigious firm.”

In a related article, The New York Times explained the “science of reading” movement that is at the heart of reforming how reading is taught in K-12 education and how colleges and universities are preparing educators. One of the hopes of supporters of the movement is that this redesign will raise the reading test scores of students across the country. In 2022 the Virginia General Assembly passed the Virginia Literacy Act requiring all Virginia public schools to align their reading curriculum with science-based reading research and evidence-based literacy instruction.

While the debate about the efficacy of using standardized test scores in college admissions continues, students and admissions professionals alike are grappling with understanding and adapting to the Supreme Court’s ruling in late June 2023 regarding the use of race in college admissions. In Friday’s “The Daily” podcast from The New York Times, producer Jessica Cheung interviews those on both sides of the admissions process, specifically focusing on students’ disclosure of their racial identity through their activities and essays. In the 237-page decision, Chief Justice John Roberts wrote a key passage that Ms. Cheung summarized as meaning “the student must be treated on the basis of his or her experiences as an individual, not on the basis of race.” As she researched the impact on the Class of 2024, she noticed a trend of new supplemental essays which include prompts that ask applicants to “talk about lived experiences and how you could uniquely contribute to their campus.” In our blogs, Questions on the Affirmative Action Decision – Answered! and Weekly Update: August 7, we wrote about these exact changes and their impact on our students.

Finally, The Learning Network asked students and educators to answer the following question in any medium they chose: “What can you show or tell us that might help explain what it’s like to be an educator or a student in a secondary school right now?” In the article “What High School Is Like in 2023: The Winners of Our Multimedia Challenge,” The New York Times shares the responses of the 25 winners. From essays and poems to videos, pictures, and even interactive media, see their submissions and artists’ statements as they attempt to explain high school in 2023.

OFFICE HAPPENINGS

It’s one of our busiest times of year - course selection season! We’re helping students all the way from middle school through junior year in high school choose the right classes to take next year. There are so many nuances and implications to consider, from keeping doors open in the future, demonstrating interest in a particular field, and showing the desire to challenge oneself. Check out some of our published guidance on middle school course selection and high school course selection, or book a one-time strategy session for targeted strategic advice based on your student’s interests and background.

As we approach mid-January and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day on Monday, January 15, we remind you that our office will be closed for the day. Enjoy your long weekend!

Stay up-to-date with our recent weekly updates!

Weekly Update: January 5

Happy New Year! We hope everyone enjoyed the time off from school and the opportunity to catch up on sleep, TV shows, or favorite blogs! 

My kids and I went to Newport Beach, CA for the week between Christmas and New Year’s. It was nice to get away and the area is fantastic. Now I understand why Chapman has emerged as a favorite (especially for film students) over the last few years! I also really love UC Irvine and had the same impression I had when I saw it a few years back - that more East Coast students should consider it as an excellent alternative to UCLA, UC San Diego, and USC!

BIGGEST COLLEGE-RELATED NEWS OF THE WEEK

HARVARD UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT RESIGNS

In an unexpected move, Harvard University President Claudine Gay resigned on Tuesday, January 2 after weeks of backlash following her appearance before a congressional committee looking into antisemitism and questions regarding plagiarism including six new charges. On December 31, two members of The Harvard Crimson Editorial Board penned an editorial – Dissent: For Harvard’s Sake, It’s Time to Let Gay Go – in which they stated that “the continuation of Gay’s tenure as president only hurts the University.”

SIMPLIFIED FAFSA LAUNCHED

The Department of Federal Student Aid (FSA) launched the redesigned FAFSA this past week. Students and parents are now able to access the 2024-2025 FAFSA during what the department is calling a “soft launch period.” However, reactions to the new FAFSA and website have been anything but positive. Students and parents should expect “maintenance pauses” during which the FAFSA may not be accessed and users are directed to try back at a later time. Also new, when logging in, students and parents may be placed in a “waiting room” to help optimize website volume. The department will begin to process FAFSA forms in mid- to late-January. If you are applying for financial aid, be sure to check each of your college’s financial aid websites for their deadlines and any additional forms required such as the CSS/Profile, uploaded documents (tax returns, etc.), and school-specific forms. We encourage families who need to submit to not give up on the new seemingly problematic process and continue to try and submit their FAFSA. Consider registering for one of the FAFSA Completion Events or Line-by-Line Events held by College Access Fairfax. These are incredibly helpful and FREE!

COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP

The Michigan Wolverines and Washington Huskies are playing one another in Houston on Monday evening, and it seems like those in the know (in other words.. not me!) are putting their money on Michigan! I’ll be rooting for Washington, because Michigan is already impossible to get into and the absolute last thing we need is a national championship win!

BEST ARTICLES OF THE WEEK

Each year The New York Times publishes a selection of student essays “about money, work, social class, and other related topics.” These essays are great examples of how to take an enormous topic like money and write a piece that conveys what is unique about each student, while telling a story about who the student is and what is important to them.

Derek Thompson of The Atlantic raises an interesting and poignant question in a recent article, “How Anxiety Became Content.” Has the shift in how anxiety and other mental health diagnoses are discussed in the media and in social media taken a once taboo topic and popularized it? And if so, is this shift creating a feedback loop for those with anxiety? In his article, Thompson explores these themes with a clinical psychologist at USC.

Not exactly a traditional article but I saw this TikTok post about hard discussions relating to college major selections and really liked it. I know this is a controversial topic, and I don’t agree at all that you can’t earn a living with less “lucrative” majors (I’m an English major and have done pretty well for myself as a business owner!). But at the same time, I think it’s incredibly important for students to understand more about the cost of living and income potential when they go to make career-related decisions.

Lastly, New York magazine interviewed parents and admissions professionals to expand on the results of a study we covered in a blog post last summer, underscoring that “children who are wealthy, but not private-jet rich, [are] at a disadvantage for admission to the most elite colleges.”

OFFICE HAPPENINGS

Our meetings with juniors have picked up as they begin to research schools and build their lists. At the same time, we are continuing our work with seniors who were deferred by their early decision or early action schools to craft their letters of continued interest (LOCI). More early application decisions are expected throughout January and through the beginning of February. If you are a current client, we encourage you to book a meeting with us to discuss your decisions received and advise you in writing your LOCIs. 

If you are a student who is not working with us, follow up with your school counselor about your deferral and take a look at our past blog post about drafting your letter of continued interest.

As the days begin to get longer again, enjoy the growing minutes of daylight!

interested in more updates and trends? take a look at these posts!

Weekly Update: December 19

As we head into the final weeks of December, emotions are running wild as our students have been learning their early application results! We’ve been anxious too!

BIGGEST COLLEGE-RELATED NEWS OF THE WEEK

LEGACY ADMISSIONS – NOT JUST FOR THE MOST SELECTIVE SCHOOLS

The U.S. Department of Education released data this week on the number of colleges that give preference to applicants with legacy status. A new push to eliminate legacy admissions emerged after the Supreme Court’s decision on colleges’ use of race in admissions decisions this past June. In the 2022-2023 academic year, under 600 colleges and universities consider legacy status while making admissions decisions, with approximately two-thirds of those schools accepting more than 50 percent of applicants.

UVA ANNOUNCES EXPANSION OF ACCESSUVA PROGRAM

UVA’s president announced the decision of the Board of Visitors to expand AccessUVA, the financial aid program to benefit more low- and middle-income students and families. The program was started in 2004 as a way to attract more applicants from diverse backgrounds. Students from families with incomes of $50,000 or less (previously $30,000 or less) will receive grants and scholarships to cover the cost of tuition, fees, room, and board. Families whose incomes are $100,000 or less will receive grant or scholarship aid equal to tuition and fees or more. And finally, families with annual incomes below $150,000 (an income increase from $125,000/year) will receive a minimum of $2,000 in grants. Additionally, UVA has set caps on the total students can borrow within each income bracket, both annually and cumulatively over their four undergraduate years at UVA.

VIRGINIA SENATOR TAKES THE LEAD IN REQUESTING FAFSA CLARIFICATION

Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) is part of a group of U.S. senators asking the Department of Education to provide “clear guidance and communication” regarding the implementation of the new FAFSA to students and their families. The Department of Education has announced that the FAFSA will be available by December 31, 2023, but the senators are asking for “an actual date.” Recent articles have suggested that once the new FAFSA is launched, there will be further delays in the time needed before the information will be sent to colleges and universities. This comes on the heels of the FAFSA calculation problems we discussed last week.

HARVARD UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT BACKED BY BOARD

Fallout continues following the testimony of Harvard University President Claudine Gay before a U.S. House of Representatives hearing regarding increased incidents of antisemitism on campus. While there was a public cry for her resignation, both the Board of Overseers and the hundreds of faculty supported President Gay in continuing in her role. Since giving her testimony, President Gay has apologized for and clarified her remarks.

STUDENTS ARRESTED IN SIT-IN AT BROWN UNIVERSITY

At a sit-in at Brown University’s University Hall, 41 students were arrested and charged with trespassing. The action was organized by Brown Divest Coalition, a student group demanding that the university divest from companies that produce weapons and support a ceasefire in Gaza. More than two hundred additional students protesting outside the building on the Green were not arrested.

FCPS ANNOUNCES PLANNED OPIOID AWARENESS EVENT IN JANUARY

Earlier this year, Cayden Foster, a Centreville High School student, died from a fentanyl overdose. His parents have asked Dr. Michelle Reid, FCPS Superintendent, to share their story as part of a community conversation about opioid awareness. Please watch their story and join Dr. Reid at Edison High School at 6:30 p.m. on January 10 for this important conversation about opioid and drug use in Northern Virginia and Fairfax County. You can register using this link, though it is not required to register in advance. For more information and resources, visit FCPS’s website.

BEST ARTICLES OF THE WEEK

A year ago, the media was focused on the impact that ChatGPT and AI tools were going to have on the college essay and supplements. Now recent research from Stanford University shows that the hype and attention may have been over the top. The research analyzed surveys from over 40 high schools and found that 60 to 70 percent of students reported that they had recently cheated – about the same number as compared to last year, prior to ChatGPT. Pew Research Center surveyed over 1,400 adolescents in the U.S. and found that 32 percent reported having heard “nothing at all” about ChatGPT and another 44 percent had only heard “a little.” What we know from our essay work is that students who answer the prompt with highly specific, personal examples fare better in the admissions process!

Entrepreneur and Texas resident Elon Musk may try his hand at education. Reportedly, one of his charities’ tax filings indicates plans to use a $100 million gift from Musk to open a K through 12 school focused on STEM education. Once the school is operational, they will create a university to educate students in person and use technology to offer distance learning.

We mentioned two weeks ago that students might be avoiding Ivy League schools as a result of the anti-Semitism that has been rampant on their campuses since October 7. It turns out that we were on to something, because early applications to Harvard were down by 17%. And that’s not all - word on the street is that a lot of admitted Harvard students are, in fact, turning elsewhere - a theme emphasized in this New York Post article. Remember, Harvard has a restrictive early action program, so applicants are not obligated to enroll. Like I mentioned before, I think we will be seeing the consequences of this for a while.

OFFICE HAPPENINGS

The level of stress we feel at this time of year can be pretty intense. Most people have one kid to worry about, but we have about forty! Whether we’ve been working with a student since seventh grade or just for a few months, we hold their hands every step of the way and become very emotionally invested in the outcomes.

We had a lot of good news - more than I was expecting given the circumstances relating to the Supreme Court ruling and all of the uncertainty associated with it - but some disappointing decisions too. And at the end of the day, I really believe that the kids who consistently work hard and make smart decisions will end up somewhere great. They don’t always get into their absolute top choice, but it will still be a happy outcome - it always is.

And with all of that behind us, we’re taking a much-deserved break! Some of us are working reduced hours this week, and then our office will be fully closed from Friday, December 22 through Monday, January 1.

We will reopen on Tuesday, January 2. We wish everyone a safe, healthy, and restful winter break and a Happy New Year!

Interested in other Weekly Updates? Check out these recent posts!

Weekly Update: December 12

What a week! Colleges have begun to release early application decisions, and while it’s still too soon to draw any conclusions, we are watching for trends. More to come on that next week or the week after!

BIGGEST COLLEGE-RELATED NEWS OF THE WEEK

THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES HOLDS HEARING ON CAMPUS ANTISEMITISM

The House Education Committee opened an investigation into Harvard University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and the University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) last week following testimony by their respective presidents regarding increased incidents of antisemitism on their campuses. In the hearing, the presidents faced intense questioning by committee members amid growing reports of antisemitism and Islamophobia on their campuses among others. UPenn president, Liz Magill, faced tough criticism for her answers to the committee’s questions and on Saturday, December 9, tendered her resignation as UPenn’s president (she will remain a tenured faculty member in their law school). In addition, the chairman of the board of trustees, Scott Bok, resigned. Following the hearing, 70 members of Congress signed a letter calling for the resignation of all three university presidents. The New York Times reported Monday that over 500 Harvard faculty members (of approximately 2300) signed a petition in support of Dr. Claudine Gay and urged the Harvard Corporation and the Board of Overseers to “resist political pressures … including calls for the removal of President Claudine Gay.”

CORNELL UNIVERSITY TO LIMIT EARLY DECISION ADMISSIONS

Cornell University’s Faculty Senate has voted to limit the proportion of applicants admitted through early decision. This change is coming after almost one-third of the Class of 2027 was admitted through early decision. What is not included in the article is that nearly one-half of the enrolled class was admitted through early decision. In September, the University’s Presidential Task Force on Undergraduate Admissions issued its recommendations for changes to the admission process. The article is not specific about any new target the college has set, but it is clear that the class of 2028 will have a measurably smaller percentage of ED “yes!” envelopes and emails to send out.

ERROR IN NEW FAFSA CALCULATIONS

Previously, we have written about the changes coming to the FAFSA, the application for financial aid administered by the U.S. Department of Education. There have been multiple delays in implementing the changes, but now there are also errors in the way the FAFSA will calculate the Student Aid Index (SAI), which colleges use to calculate their financial aid packages. To give background, when the FAFSA calculates how much families can afford to spend on education each year, the formula protects a certain amount of annual income on which a family is expected to live before having to contribute to educational costs. That amount needs to be adjusted for inflation, and Congress mandated that the Department of Education increase it significantly for the calculations to be fair, given the recent record-high inflation. Parental income was supposed to be protected by 20% more than it was before. That’s HUGE! But the Department of Education didn’t follow through, so the calculations were never changed. For some families, this will have a significant impact on financial aid awards and eligibility.

GRADE INFLATION … AT YALE?

We have heard about grade inflation for years, especially as a result of the pandemic and how it has impacted college admissions. Last week, The New York Times published an article citing a new report that “nearly 80 percent of all grades given to undergraduates at Yale last academic year were A’s or A minuses.” Faculty and students are asking: “What does excellence mean at Yale … if most students get the equivalent of ‘excellent’ in almost every class?”

BEST ARTICLES OF THE WEEK

Despite going 13-0 for just the third time in their history, the Florida State Seminoles will be on the outside looking in during the final year of the NCAA four-team playoff format. In what is already a controversial decision, the 13-member selection committee of coaches, athletic directors, and former players chose the top four teams based on a combination of record and the committee’s judgment about teams’ schedules and win quality. CNN contributor Cari Champion believes that TV ratings are among the unofficial factors the committee evaluates, and Florida State’s ratings suffered after star QB Jordan Travis suffered a season-ending broken leg in mid-November. While not everyone agrees, Florida State University athletic director Michael Alford told CNN, “Today’s decision by the committee has forever damaged the credibility of the institution that is the College Football Playoff,” adding that the committee “failed football.”

Next year will see an expanded 12-team format that limits the committee’s reach to only four teams, with several conference winners earning automatic inclusion. The new format would have left Florida State as the fifth seed and in a good position for a playoff run. But next year is, as they say, a long way off — and the controversy will be a long time ending. Once again, Rick Clark shared his reaction and insight to the football playoffs in the Georgia Tech Admission Blog titled The Committees and Decisions of College Admission… And College Football. This is such a great read!

When Adrian College in southern Michigan faced a significant decline in enrollment, the new president decided to look to athletics to reverse the trend. Since an all-time low enrollment of approximately 800 students in 2005, the college has steadily increased the student body, attracting new students by recruiting for 30 new athletic teams. Since 2005, the college has more than doubled enrollment, but Adrian isn’t the only college to employ this tactic. Small, private colleges are adding athletics as a means to increase both enrollment and income giving new meaning to Field of Dreams’ “if you build it, they will come.” In particular, schools are attracting more male and minority applicants, while at the same time, they are building new facilities to house the teams funded by the increased revenue.  

Unfortunately, not even athletics can save the College of St. Rose in Albany, NY, which announced last week that it will be closing at the end of the academic year. They are working with current students to assist them in transferring to other schools to finish their degrees.

Almost 300 students have registered to take a new course at Harvard this spring: Taylor Swift and Her World. Colleges and universities across the country are joining the craze offering courses in literature, poetry, psychology, and entrepreneurship based on the career and creativity of Taylor Swift.

The New York Times published an opinion piece by Jessica Grose titled “Why Parents Can’t Quit the Elite College Arms Race,” which takes a deep dive into the obsession with highly selective or, as many have shifted to calling them, highly rejective colleges and universities.

OFFICE HAPPENINGS

Last week, Sally was in Waterville, Maine, visiting Colby College, a small liberal arts college serving approximately 2,300 students. About an hour north of Portland, Maine, Colby was the first college to offer the 4-1-4 plan or “Jan Plan” — an approximately four-week term during which students take a single course, often in a non-traditional discipline. Students can also take advantage of study abroad and internship opportunities during Jan Plan. DavisConnects — Colby’s career counseling program — provides students with opportunities in three areas: hands-on or experiential learning, specialized advising, and global opportunities for education and networking. Not only does DavisConnects’ dedicated staff help match students with these opportunities, it also has awarded more than $6 million in grants to students to access them.

The Colby Commitment to funding students’ education places it in a select group of schools that meet 100% of students’ demonstrated financial need without any loans. In addition, for families with a total income of $150,000 or less and typical assets, Colby calculates a family contribution of not more than $15,000 per year.

Colby sits atop Mayflower Hill and boasts outdoor trails for walking, running, and even cross-country skiing. The college has a three-year-old athletic and recreation facility, four new residence halls (with a fifth in the works), and a brand-new performing arts center that opened in September 2023. A close-knit community, Colby is known for students who love to learn and explore multiple disciplines. It is not unusual to meet students who have a major and multiple minors or a double major.

Enjoy the last week of school before the holiday break (for most of you, anyway)!

Interested in More updates? Check out these recent posts!

Weekly Update: December 5

December’s arrival means students are finishing up any remaining regular decision supplemental essays and applications. Every year our students tell us how happy they are to be done well in advance of the winter break and January deadlines! While we all hope that the early admission decisions will bring good news, it takes some of the pressure off to know that all of the essays are finished, no matter what.

BIGGEST COLLEGE-RELATED NEWS OF THE WEEK

UVA RELEASES ED AND EA NUMBERS

The Cavalier Daily reported that the University of Virginia received 42,093 early action and early decision applications—an increase of 3.4 percent over last year’s early application totals and a record number of first-year applications. Early decision applications rose by 4.4 percent for a total of 4,428 applications, while early action applications total 37,665. UVA has also announced that early decision applicants will receive notification of their decision by December 15, and early action applicants will receive decisions by February 15. In a change this year, students who apply under either the early decision or early action plan will receive a decision of admit, deny, or waiting list and will no longer be deferred to regular decision.

FAIRFAX COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD APPROVES COURSE CHANGES

All new courses and changes to GPA weighting or classification of a course (from optional to standard or vice versa) must be approved by the Fairfax County School Board each fall. In their November meeting, the school board approved new options in career pathways—including courses in pilot training (for both manned and unmanned aircraft), healthcare careers, and welding, as well as a new online computer science course in artificial intelligence programming. In addition, they approved making the “Cybersecurity Fundamentals” course available at all FCPS high schools. The complete list of changes is available to the public.

BEST ARTICLES OF THE WEEK

While you should take some of this with a grain of salt—schools like Vanderbilt, Wash U, and Emory are not exactly "Plan B" for even the most qualified applicants out there—maybe Plan A-Part 2?—this New York Post article brings up an interesting point about a trickle-down effect that might result from students avoiding Ivy League schools because of anti-Semitism. 

If this occurs, I predict one of two scenarios. First, if students choose to apply to other highly selective schools instead of the Ivies, the acceptance rates at the other schools could plummet with the influx of applications.

Alternatively, students could still apply to the Ivies but ultimately choose not to enroll—whether by pulling out of ED agreements, or (in the case of RD applicants) choosing the other schools instead. 

I actually think this second outcome seems more likely and more impactful, as many students had already completed their applications or at least solidified their lists before the events of October 7. A big mid-cycle shift like this has the potential to throw all the admission models into chaos this spring. In that case, we could see significant over-enrollment at the other group of schools with major consequences for students applying in future class years.

This New York Times article is a few weeks old, but we thought it was worth mentioning as juniors begin to think more about their options for teacher letters of recommendation. This may seem obvious, but recent data emphasizes how much better teachers know their students if they have them in class for multiple years. "With more time to get to know each student personally, teachers gain a deeper grasp of the kids’ strengths and challenges [and] ... they’re able to identify growth not only in peaks reached, but also in obstacles overcome. The nuanced knowledge they acquire about each student isn’t lost in the handoff to the next year’s teacher.”

As more state legislatures set limits on out-of-state enrollment, an article from Inside Higher Ed highlights the cost of going over those limits. The University of North Carolina at Wilmington has exceeded the 18 percent limit the state legislature set each of the past two years. The policies of the UNC System sanction any university that overenrolls out-of-state students two or more years in a row and requires that those students’ tuition be removed from that university’s budget—a potential cost to UNC Wilmington of 4 million dollars.

OFFICE HAPPENINGS

As we approach the release of early application decisions for many schools, students should check College Kickstart’s Class of 2028 Blog for updates on the specific dates and times colleges will notify applicants.

This week Sally attended a webinar for high school counselors and independent educational consultants by Compass Prep, a national test prep company that tracks developments in standardized testing. Based on data released by the College Board, the performance this fall of 11th graders with PSAT scores between 1400-1520 increased by around 7,000 students, or about 16 percent. In 2022, 3 percent of test takers scored in this range. In 2023, it was 3.4 percent.

Compass Prep is predicting that this increase will equate to a higher cutoff for National Merit Commended Scholars and Semifinalists. Even so, Compass Prep predicts the selection index for National Merit Semifinalists will remain 221 for students in Virginia and 223 for students in the District of Columbia. Students in Maryland, however, might face a predicted increase from 221 to 222.

Have a great week!

Weekly Update: November 21

It’s Thanksgiving week - almost time for turkey, football, friends, and family! Yet for seniors, this time of year can be especially challenging. They are trying to keep their grades up while teachers try to squeeze in assessments between Thanksgiving and winter breaks, and they are also juggling hundreds of emails and requests to set up portals, add optional admissions videos, and apply to additional “special programs.” Not to mention the stress and anxiety that comes with waiting on decisions!

So every year as we head into this holiday, I am reminded of the need to help seniors prepare for the onslaught of unsolicited questions and advice that comes with well-meaning visiting relatives, annual family gatherings, and uncertain notification dates. You know how it goes: Auntie Anne asks if Susie has heard from X college or Uncle Oscar asks Jimmy why he doesn’t add Oscar’s alma mater to his list “just to see what happens.” The “helpful” inquiries just pile stress on the already stressed senior.

Our advice to parents: help your son or daughter prepare a couple of polite responses, acknowledge that the comments come from a place of love and affection, and still politely end the conversation.

For example: “Thank you for asking, Auntie Anne. I’m excited to hear back from schools, too, but right now I am focusing on my classes and finishing my regular decision applications.” Responses that redirect the conversation can help the senior focus on the near future and control what she can control.

Or: “Thank you for your thoughts, Uncle Oscar. I will certainly take a look at your alma mater’s website when I get back to my applications after the Thanksgiving break.” Jimmy doesn’t commit to anything more than a quick look at the school’s website, while making it clear that he is on vacation too.

BIGGEST COLLEGE-RELATED NEWS OF THE LAST FEW WEEKS

PSAT SCORES (AND NATIONAL MERIT CUTOFF ESTIMATES) RELEASED

PSAT scores were released on November 6 or 16, depending on the date students took the test (if your student hasn’t received their score reports, have them go see their school counselor!). Check out Compass Prep’s analysis of this year's scores as well as their estimates for Commended Students and Semifinalists. It sounds like Commended Students can expect a 2 point cutoff increase, and while the Semifinalist increases vary by state, most will be in the 1-2 point range.

RISE IN NUMBERS OF EARLY APPLICATIONS

Now that the deadlines for most early applications have passed, the Common App has released preliminary data about early decision and early action numbers. According to them, early applications to member schools are up 41% over pre-pandemic numbers from 2019-2020. We will have to wait until the final application numbers are available before fully understanding the trends, but this increase may reflect a more permanent shift in students and colleges relying on early admission plans. We know from our work with students on the applications and essays that most students have quite a few early deadlines, some of which have moved to early October (and even early September for schools with rolling admissions or those that release admissions decisions in waves).

MICHIGAN SIGN-STEALING SCANDAL LEAVES HARBAUGH SUSPENDED

The Big Ten has made the decision to suspend coach Jim Harbaugh for three games as a result of the ongoing controversy relating to low-level employee Connor Stalions. Stalions is accused of attending opponents’ games in person, often disguised in the respective teams’ gear, to record their signs and signals as part of an extensive scheme to give Michigan an unfair advantage.

UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA IN FINANCIAL TROUBLE

Students applying to the University of Arizona will want to pay close attention to the recent reports of financial mismanagement - after financial predictions turned out to be wildly inaccurate, the school now admits to having only 97 days of cash on hand. President Robert Robbins has warned that “draconian cuts” may impact academic and athletic programs, salaries, and jobs.

PC: JMU Marketing and Branding Department

BEST ARTICLES OF THE LAST FEW WEEKS

Georgia Tech’s Rick Clark offers advice to juniors about test-optional admissions in his recent post: Middle 50%, Test Optional (… and Country Music?) He explains that middle 50% test score ranges are not as straightforward as they used to be (neither is test-optional admissions in general!), so students need to carefully analyze the information provided. After all, what does that range even represent? Accepted students or matriculated students? He recommends students ask questions when they look at colleges and universities' middle 50% of test scores to understand whose scores are included in that figure. As you develop your standardized testing plan, make sure you understand if the schools on your list require test scores, are test-optional, are test-blind, or if they are test-optional but prefer test scores. Some schools also have different policies based on majors, so be thorough. We help all of our current clients make these decisions, so if you’re a non-client who could use some assistance, feel free to book an introductory meeting.

Are you confused about the controversy between JMU and the NCAA? This feel-good piece is definitely worth a read (Unfortunately, the NCAA denied the latest waiver request this past week, and then things took another turn over the weekend when JMU lost to Appalachian State despite breaking attendance records for ESPN’s College GameDay). Whether they get to play in a bowl or not, the cynic in me is a little bit concerned about the inevitable admissions impact after so much athletic success. And we don’t have much wiggle room - last year, applications were up over 68% from just two years prior. 68%! That’s huge.

Speaking of football, this New York Times piece on young football players with C.T.E. was incredibly moving and tragic. It’s awful to think of these poor kids suffering this way, and the recommendation to delay tackle football until high school is compelling, given the latest research.

Lastly, don’t miss Vanity Fair’s excerpt from Among the Bros: A Fraternity Crime Story by Max Marshall. Named by Amazon as a “Best Book of the Year 2023,” it covers a disturbingly extensive, multimillion-dollar underground fraternity drug ring at the College of Charleston and has been the talk of the higher education world for the past few weeks. It reads a little bit like Bama Rush meets the Murdaugh’s, and I’ve already downloaded the book to read over the holidays.

OFFICE HAPPENINGS

We’ve been busy finishing up those last-minute additions with seniors (so. many. videos. this. year!) and of course, getting ready for Thanksgiving! At Sally’s house, that looks a little different from mine, so she’s sharing a few thoughts below on the challenges of having a student home from college!

College students arrive home, often for the first time since starting the semester, and have different expectations than parents do. My priorities are about family time, hearing about her life at college, making sure she spends time with her siblings, and having fun/making memories together. On the other hand, her priorities may be relaxing, catching up on sleep, seeing her friends, more sleep, eating her favorite meals, and more sleep. She has been completely independent since Labor Day, making all the decisions about her time, her car, and her responsibilities. Suddenly, she is home and doesn’t necessarily have the same freedoms. Even to go shopping, she will have to work with our schedules to borrow a car because her own will still be at school. 

Of course we have different expectations: I am excited to have my kid home, and she is excited to be at home with her family. But even those expectations can be a mismatch. When she left for college, her younger sister had finished middle school, but now she is one-third of the way through 9th grade and has begun to exert her independence and navigate a social life of her own. College students can find it jarring that their family hasn’t frozen in time while they were away. In the same way, parents forget that their “kid” has been making adult decisions for months. The kid expects to be on vacation during break, while we parents are expecting them to jump back into family life including chores like loading the dishwasher, picking up siblings at practice, and coming home at a “reasonable time.” (This last one is definitely fraught with differing expectations!)

What have I learned from our son’s four years and our daughter’s previous two years returning for break? There is no one right way to navigate the shift, not even with the same kid in subsequent years. My advice is to acknowledge the differences beforehand (as in, during the car ride home from the airport) and to be patient with each other. As much as I want to spend time with her, I also have to remember to respect our daughter’s independence. Similarly, she has to remember to balance her need to take a real break before returning to school for final exams and to respect that she is part of a family with work, schedules, and time commitments. 

And when she thinks I am demanding too much or I think she is coming home too late, I hope we remember to give each other a little leeway as we sail these uncharted waters together.

Enjoy the Thanksgiving break!

Weekly Update: NOVEMBER 2! We made it!

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

BIGGEST COLLEGE-RELATED NEWS OF THE LAST FEW WEEKS

HORRIFIC ANTISEMITISM ON COLLEGE CAMPUSES

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

VIRGINIA PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES ROLL OUT GUARANTEED ADMISSION PROGRAMS

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

LIBERTY AND HILLSDALE FACE EXTREME BACKLASH

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

LOTS OF CHANGES AT UVA

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

SRAR PROBLEMS

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

BEST ARTICLES OF THE LAST FEW WEEKS

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

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

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

OFFICE HAPPENINGS

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

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

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

Weekly Update: September 20

It’s been a WHILE! We’ve been absolutely slammed these first few weeks of school as we try to finish up with our seniors during this unusual application cycle in the wake of the Supreme Court decision. No kidding, I have started this post about ten times. I think it’s safe to say that blogging might be a little bit more sporadic until mid-October, but we’ll get back to our normal posting schedule soon enough :)

BIGGEST COLLEGE-RELATED NEWS OF THE LAST FEW WEEKS

US NEWS MAKES SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES TO METHODOLOGY

U.S. News & World Report changed 17 of the 19 metrics they use in their annual college rankings, and boy did this year’s rankings look different than ever before! While the usual suspects are still right at the very top, so many other schools saw a major impact. Highly-selective private schools seemed to see the most negative impact and large public schools had the most positive impact. This is not surprising when you consider that class sizes, professors with terminal degrees, and alumni giving rates have now been removed from consideration. Added in their places were a number of factors that relate to first-generation and disadvantaged students. Important considerations, for sure, but so are the ones that were removed, in my opinion. As we always say, think about the factors that are important to YOU and look for rankings that emphasize those.

1 IN 3 COLLEGE STUDENTS HAVE SEEN OR EXPERIENCED ANTISEMITISM

How terrible - the “Jewish on Campus” watchdog group recently reported that a third of U.S. college students have been exposed to antisemitism. About half of that group experienced it directly, while the other half witnessed it. If you’re interested in more on the history of antisemitism in higher education, don’t miss the podcast Gatecrashers, which I posted about last fall. I was surprised by how much I personally learned from it, and would highly recommend it.

BOULDER IS THE NEW VILLANOVA

I kid you not, last winter I was on a call with a colleague as we commiserated about how insane that admission cycle’s results were, and he said something to the lines of “we’re okay as long as nothing changes with Boulder.” He went on to explain his belief that Boulder was one of the last schools out there with relatively relaxed admissions standards alongside a recognizable name. It was an excellent point… while it lasted. Word on the street is that their applications are up 40% year over year, and that statistic was from last week - before Saturday night happened. Sigh! And while I know that Villanova has always been more selective than Boulder, I’m still getting major 2016 and 2018 flashbacks.

FLORIDA APPROVES THE CLT

In the latest development on the ongoing battle between Florida and the College Board, the state just approved the CLT, or Classic Learning Test, as an alternative to the SAT and ACT. Because the CLT emphasizes Christian thought, it’s mostly been accepted by private Christian schools so far - definitely a strange move for public schools. It should be noted that the faculty representative on the state university system’s board of governors voted against this decision, citing a lack of data.

BEST ARTICLES OF THE LAST FEW WEEKS

While Wash U may be mourning their recent drop in the rankings (who cares about undergraduate class size, right?!) - they did end up winners in a different category. Yes, my alma mater is no longer the least economically diverse elite school in the country - Tulane is the unfortunate recipient of that honor now. Wash U, according to the New York Times, is actually now the institution with the greatest increase in economic diversity over the last decade. You can read more about the New York Times’ College Access Index and where various schools place on this scale.

Speaking of Tulane, they were featured in a different New York Times article, as well, for coming in at 2/3 female! (Poor Tulane. Plus a 29 point ranking drop. Rough month). We posted about the college gender gap a month or two ago, and I think it’s going to become more significant as schools fine-tune their policies in the wake of the Supreme Court ruling. This is tricky, because I can understand the rationale for having a balanced class. It’s hard all around.

Not quite an article, but I really enjoyed Wake Forest’s response to the recent rankings. Their 18-spot fall seemed particularly unfair to me, given that so much of the shifts had to do with social mobility. For those not in the know, Wake just introduced AN ENTIRELY NEW APPLICATION PLAN several months ago that’s JUST for first-generation students. That school is incredibly committed to social mobility, whether it is reflected in an arbitrary ranking or not.

And even further away from a traditional article, I wanted to share this TikTok video. Warning, some of the language is colorful, but I really like this guy and the messages he shares are typically spot-on. This one is about how to get a 4.0 in college, but it’s completely applicable to high school too. It’s so simple I feel like this is obvious! But then again, how many people are actually taking the time to do it, obvious or not?

OFFICE HAPPENINGS

As many of you know, Shannon had her last day at DC College Counseling. We definitely miss her and wish her all the best. She started working with us in the middle of Covid, so it’s been an interesting three years and it was wonderful to have her support!

We were incredibly excited to welcome Sally to our team, and you’ll “meet” her on the blog soon - but in the meantime, you can see her bio on our website here! She brings an incredible amount of experience to our organization and we are very lucky to have her.

I got to step out of the office a little early last week to go to the annual Madison vs. Marshall football game to watch my daughter cheer for VYI!

I am always so impressed with how kind the Marshall and Madison cheerleaders are to the little ones each year. This is such a big deal to them and the girls make them feel so special. Thank you for that :)

I was in U.S. News & World Report this week providing recommendation advice, and I have to say I’m pretty honored that they chose to share our materials with the world as examples! That Hermione letter makes me smile. We give it to our students to share with their recommenders so the recommenders can see an example of what a strong letter should look like. Our essay coach Alan wrote it, and he’s the best creative writer I know. Not surprisingly, he’s also the coach that does the final edit of all of our Common App essays!

In other news, we have come across SO many opportunities lately for students interested in taking on leadership roles at school or in the community. Check out the following provided by either Elaine Tholen or Karen Keys-Gamarra:

• The Fairfax County Teen Advocates Program is for youth ages 12-19 who want to be community leaders against dating violence. Teen Advocates participate in campaigns to raise awareness about dating and sexual violence and other issues that impact youth. They also work with their peers and Fairfax County agencies to design fun events, such as the annual Art Contest and Talent Showcase, which engage community members in conversations about tough topics like abuse. Click here to apply by September 29 and to learn more about the program.

• Are you a young person between the ages of 10 and 29 with an idea of how digital tools can be used to help improve other young people’s well-being? Do you have ideas about how we could creatively use technology to increase young people’s knowledge around issues that impact them? The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is looking for creative innovators with solutions to pressing issues around well-being. Is this you? If so, apply today for the Youth Well-Being Prize Competition! Applications are open now and close on September 29, 2023. To apply, please fill out the application form and submit here.

• Calling all student artists! The Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District is seeking students to design posters to submit to the 2023 Youth Poster Contest. The theme for this year is ‘One Water.’ This contest is open to all K-12 students in Fairfax County, and scouts are eligible to earn a poster contest patch. Additionally, this year will feature a new digital poster contest open to students in grades 7-12. Learn more about both poster contests and download your entry form on the Conservation Poster Contest website. Entries are due by September 30, 2023.

• The Youth Conservation Leadership Institute (YCLI) is a program for 9th-12th grade students offered by Virginia’s Soil & Water Conservation Districts. YCLI focuses on volunteer service, environmental stewardship, leadership, and connecting students with environmental issues in their local communities. YCLI students complete a 20-hour project of their choosing throughout the school year, meet with their cohort, and receive the guidance of mentors. Learn more about YCLI and apply by Monday, October 2.

• The Fairfax County Police Department is accepting applications for Public Safety Cadets. Young people between the ages of 14-20 who are interested in learning more about law enforcement and are ready to provide community service are encouraged to apply. Public Safety Cadets is a national organization that partners with law enforcement agencies to provide leadership, ethics, and career preparation training. Fairfax County operates three units in three different locations within the county with police officers serving as mentors. Find more information and the Public Safety Cadet application on the Fairfax County Police Department website. Applications are due by Monday, October 2, 2023, at 7:30 p.m.

Have a great rest of your week!

Weekly Update x2: August 14/21

Happy first day of school to FCPS students starting this week! We have been SWAMPED and are combining two weeks of updates for you!

BIGGEST COLLEGE-RELATED NEWS OF THE WEEK

WEST VIRGINIA CUTS FOREIGN LANGUAGES

West Virginia University made the controversial decision last week to cut all foreign language instruction and let go of professors in response to budget constraints. The proposed cuts include other programs as well, for a total of 32 majors and 7% of the university’s faculty. With declining enrollment, WVU has determined that the drastic cuts are necessary to maintain more popular programs like forensics, engineering, and neuroscience. Professors and students are objecting to the cuts.

While many other public universities have faced budget constraints, WVU is the first state flagship to make such extreme cuts to its programs in response. The proposed cuts, if approved, will take effect in May.

ATTACK AT HOWARD UNIVERSITY

Howard University ramped up security last week after three Howard students were attacked by a mob of teenagers outside of a residence hall and one student was stabbed. In response to this act of violence, as well as rising rates of violence in DC as a whole, Howard has worked to increase security on campus in advance of the arrival of the newest freshman class. The changes for this orientation include “safety paths” on campus with officers stationed every 100-200 feet, and some events being moved indoors where student IDs can be checked on entry.

CHANGES TO FCPS TRANSCRIPTS

I almost had a heart attack last week as I was scanning through a general FCPS email to parents one night and noticed that major changes had been made to high school transcripts effective immediately. They are good changes, actually, but we had already finalized so many self-reported transcripts and senior year schedules and I knew a lot of that work would need to be redone. You can read about the changes here: basically, all courses that receive honors/advanced weighting will now have the designations to match on the transcripts. To be honest, this was a long time coming as the former policy just made no sense - why wouldn’t all courses with honors weighting be called honors? I’m glad they fixed it, but wish they would have done it sooner. I scrambled to put a plan in place and emailed all of our families at 11:00 that night! We’ve been able to get everything fixed for most of the impacted students already, so I’m glad for that!

NEW FAFSA IS COMING

A new version of the FAFSA, said to be more user-friendly than previous versions of the form, is expected to be unveiled for the 2024-2025 school year. In addition to eliminating the “discount” for families with multiple students in college at once, the new form will also replace “expected family contribution” with the “student aid index,” a guideline for the amount of aid for which a student qualifies. The number of questions on the form has also been reduced, which we certainly hope will make this challenging process a bit easier for families!

Unfortunately, the changes do mean that the FAFSA will be released significantly later this year - the form often comes out in October, but this year, it is not expected to be released until December. Colleges and universities are updating their due dates for the FAFSA accordingly, with some pushing March dates to April or rethinking winter priority deadlines.

BEST ARTICLES OF THE WEEK

We definitely empathized with Clara, the mother in this Town & Country article, who is allowing her son to take a laid-back approach to college admissions in favor of a more balanced experience in high school. There can be something very freeing about intentionally choosing to bypass the rat race. Two words of caution, though: first, if your family is going to go in this direction, you have to truly understand the landscape and what the outcome will be. Some parents say things like: “We have very realistic expectations - he doesn’t need to go to an Ivy! We would be thrilled witha place like Tufts!.” Well, Tufts has a 9.7% acceptance rate - that’s more selective than Harvard was, when today’s parents applied. Tufts isn’t a safety for anyone anymore! Even the University of South Carolina - a fine place, of course, but not the most selective school, historically - is adamant that they are looking for As on transcripts in math, science, and English classes specifically.

Next, after you’re made peace with the outcome, you have to firmly commit to this approach - you can’t change your mind junior or senior year. That would be the absolute worst thing to do. Your family would undergo an enormous amount of stress trying to “catch up” and would likely not be able to catch up anyway, because admissions committees assess students on their performance from grades 9-11.

If you are an international student applying from abroad to US schools, check out this article for a clear breakdown of what might be an unfamiliar education system. Learn about the different types of schools in the US and how the grading system, majors and minors, and exam schedule may differ from your home country. This is also a great primer for US students and families who feel confused by some of the terminology schools use (what are majors vs. concentrations?).

Plus, check out this comprehensive look at legacy admissions, and what it might mean for more schools to eliminate it.

And finally, there are a lot of changes, both good and bad, when a child moves away from home for the first time. Unfortunately, we all know that college students have been suffering from a mental health crisis in recent years, and one mental health issue that is particularly common on college campuses is eating disorders. This article offers some tips to help talk with your student and protect them from this type of mental health challenge when they head off to their new campus home.

OFFICE HAPPENINGS

It’s #firstdayfairfax and so many of you are heading back to school! My son James was so excited to go back this morning that he was literally running down the street to try to get into his first grade classroom faster!

We are so lucky to have an amazing neighborhood public school - every year I think to myself that there’s no way this year’s teacher is going to measure up to last year’s (or in last year’s case, that James’ teacher wouldn’t measure up to his sister Caroline’s amazing kindergarten teacher) and somehow they manage to just have a whole team full of rockstars over there. Very grateful! Caroline starts her first day of middle school on Wednesday at OLGC with another incredible team of rockstars and I am so grateful for them too.

(Also, I can’t believe I have a child in middle school! Yikes!)

I would just like to put it on the record that I had nothing to do with this sock choice :)

It has been such a whirlwind over the past several weeks between August 1 and today, when about half of our students returned to school. This has always been the busiest time of the year by a very long shot, and as the FCPS start date inches earlier and earlier, everything compresses into a shorter and shorter period.

This year’s enormous increase in essays as a result of the Supreme Court ruling has just been the cherry on top of a fun three weeks :) Our students and essay coaches have been cranking out supplemental essays at a record pace, and many of our students are close to finishing their Common ApplicationⓇ work! We’re so excited to see everything start to come together.

As always, we will have more space for Late Start Seniors after our first cohort finishes up - so feel free to schedule a Meet & Greet session if you’re a senior who still needs help! We have appointments available as early as next week during school hours (parents are able to attend on their child’s behalf, if that’s easier), and our first after-school availability at the moment is on Thursday, September 7.

Have a great week!

Weekly Update: August 7

August is here, and we are busy!

BIGGEST COLLEGE-RELATED NEWS OF THE WEEK

COMMON APP UPDATES

This has been a doozy of a Common App® update! For more on that, check out our Special Topics post from last week: Notable Common Application® Changes - 2023-2024 Edition. Since I wrote it, we continue to discover more essay changes (from the prompts that schools originally released for this application cycle) every single day. I have never seen anything like this in my entire career and I do not like it one bit! This is a hard enough process without kids having to re-write a bunch of essays! And even from the schools that have not changed their essays - they have added so many more. The overall essay load for are students has been truly unprecedented this cycle - which is especially challenging when paired with the significantly-delayed release of the Common App® personal essay prompts that gave everyone a late start. And that’s why I’m on my 12th hour of work today as I type this :)

COLLEGE BOARD RECOMMENDS FLORIDA SCHOOLS NOT OFFER AP PSYCHOLOGY

In the latest conflict between the state of Florida and the College Board, the College Board has asked Florida high schools not to teach its AP Psychology course. The Florida State Board of Education banned teaching students throughout high school about sexual orientation and gender identity in March, and asked the College Board to perform a review of the AP curriculum to determine that it aligned with Florida laws. In a recent statement, the College Board said that “any AP Psychology course taught in Florida will violate either Florida law or college requirements,” and advised schools not to teach the course. But now it might be back on? Time will tell..

FORMER STUDENT SUES UVA

We’ve talked on the blog before about Morgan Bettinger, the former UVA student who was accused of threatening a group of Black Lives Matter protesters and received harassment online. Now, Morgan is suing UVA, stating that the university violated her free speech rights by punishing her for the remark. Both President Jim Ryan and former Dean of Students Allen Groves are named in the lawsuit, which is the most compelling legal document I’ve ever seen. The detail, the story, etc- it reads like fiction! Pretty incredible, and so devastating for that poor girl.

BEST ARTICLES OF THE WEEK

This article, “The Real, Hidden Truth About College Admissions,” discusses whether elite colleges in the United States receive too much credit for preparing students for the future. After all, neither the president nor the vice president went to top universities - and neither did the House minority or majority leader, the Senate minority leader, or the vast majority of Fortune 500 CEOs. This Duke professor argues that the real test of a student’s outcome isn’t the selectivity of their college, but instead whether they take advantage of all of the opportunities they are offered during (and after!) their college years. 

We talk with students a lot about the impact of their location - for our students, mainly in Fairfax and Loudoun Counties - on their admission to top Virginia public colleges. This graphic is really helpful in visualizing the difference between a student applying to, say, UVA from rural Virginia, versus those applying from Northern Virginia. Some of the most rural counties in southwestern Virginia have 89-90% admit rates for Virginia public four-year colleges, versus a 67% admit rate for students in Fairfax County.

OFFICE HAPPENINGS

Week 1 of August is done! 🙏 Many of our students have rolled over their Common ApplicationⓇ, our essay coaches continue to work through supplemental essays, and we are so impressed with how hard our students are working. For many of them, this is the final stretch - and they will definitely see their hard work pay off this fall! 

One of the topics we mentioned in last week’s post has come up this week in our office with our own students - the use of ChatGPT. Remember: many schools are asking students to certify that they did not receive help from ChatGPT when writing their college essays, and others are providing instructions about the extent of Chat GPT help that they will allow. Our essay coaches are doing a great job flagging this in meetings when it’s an issue, and we encourage all parents to discuss it with their children as well. Please, please review policies on the use of ChatGPT or other large language models carefully, to ensure that your essays are your own work! Trust me - we are all about making things easy when we can. If there’s a way to be more efficient, I promise, we’re all over it. But using ChatGPT for college essays is not going to make things easier for anyone. It’s just going to wind up getting you in trouble!

Weekly Update: July 31

BIGGEST COLLEGE-RELATED NEWS OF THE WEEK

COMMON APPLICATION® RELEASE

The 2023-2024 Common Application® will be released tomorrow, after a several-day shutdown period.  We’re excited! We will be hard at work updating all of our application guides and sending them out to our clients soon. 

VIRGINIA TECH GETS RID OF ED APPLICATION PLAN

Virginia Tech announced late on Friday that they will be doing away with their ED application plan this cycle. Students applying to VT will now have two options: Early Action or Regular Decision. As part of the change, the Early Action deadline will be moved forward, so students will need to apply by November 15 rather than VT’s previous December 1 EA deadline. In addition to complying with the Supreme Court decision to eliminate race and ethnicity as a consideration in the admissions process, VT has also made the decision to eliminate legacy preference as well.

UNC PROHIBITS SEX DISCRIMINATION IN ADMISSIONS AND HIRING DECISIONS

Anybody remember this article? It caused such a stir at the time, I don’t think I’ll ever forget it - and I would say at least 2-3 parents per year mention it, 13 years later. And now the girls trying to find boyfriends are not going to see their situation improve anytime soon! UNC’s board has announced that they will not consider “race, sex, color or ethnicity” in admissions or hiring decisions. This resolution, which at least one board member noted “goes well beyond the Supreme Court ruling,” also explicitly prohibits using admissions essays as a proxy for race. 

BIG CHANGES AT NEW COLLEGE

When Florida governor Ron DeSantis replaced many of the leaders at Florida’s New College, we knew that there would be changes to the small and previously liberal campus. Under new leadership, the school will have a record number of incoming students this fall, with much of the growth coming from recruited athletes. In March, the college announced the creation of a new athletic department, driving recruitment. While the number of incoming students is higher, metrics like average SAT, ACT, and GPA have gone down. This larger class will come in as the school works to fill 36 vacant faculty positions, about a third of the college’s full-time faculty members. 

The board also eliminated the college’s diversity office, a move that one trustee discusses in this opinion piece about DEI programs. The public institution has also requested $2 million in funding to create a center that will oppose cancel culture on college campuses. 

CU BUFFS MOVE TO BIG 12

CU Boulder’s Buffaloes will go back to the Big 12 conference after the coming season. The university left the Big 12 in 2011 for the Pac-12, a conference which lost its two powerhouses when UCLA and USC announced their move to the Big Ten. This is part of a larger realignment within college athletic conferences - as CU Boulder joins the Big 12, Oklahoma and Texas will likely leave; both are in the process of moving to the SEC.

BEST ARTICLES OF THE WEEK

There has been a lot in the news recently about legacy admissions (see the VT news above!), and it can be difficult to keep up with the changes and the reasoning behind them. If you’re looking for a refresher, this article covers what legacy admissions is, why it is relevant now, and what the impact might be of the current legacy admission investigation at Harvard. Plus, it contains a list of all the schools that currently consider legacy as part of the admissions process.

On Thursday, a House subcommittee held a hearing about the cost of higher education and its value for families. Democrats focused the hearing on for-profit colleges, while Republicans expressed concern about the transparency of colleges and universities when it comes to their value proposition. One solution they raised is a risk-sharing approach, where colleges and universities will become responsible for student loans that alumni are unable to pay. The committee explored other aspects of the process as well, including the Biden administration’s proposed regulations defining what it means for an institution to prepare its students for “gainful employment,” as well as increased accountability for schools. 

This opinion piece from the National Review argues that accreditation, which previously served as a measure of accountability and value, is no longer an accurate way to represent the quality of education from a particular institution. The argument is that required programs, like DEI programs, are not improving educational quality but are still relevant to accreditation.

OFFICE HAPPENINGS

It is hard to believe this is already our final weekly update of July! The Common App® is rolling out in less than eight hours (!), and we will hit the ground running tomorrow with our Class of 2024 students. August is our busiest month of the year, but we love seeing our students’ hard work all come together!

Have a great week!

Weekly Update: July 24

BIGGEST COLLEGE-RELATED NEWS OF THE WEEK

MARIUPOL STATE UNIVERSITY GRADUATES THE CLASS OF 2023

Ukraine’s Mariupol State University held its graduation ceremony about 400 miles away from its war-torn home city of Mariupol last week. Only about 60 of the university’s 500 graduating students attended the event in person, with the rest tuning in online. The university has been educating students virtually since the city fell to the Russian offensive last year; with about 5,000 students before the war, it now has an estimated 3,200 students actively enrolled. The university has begun constructing its new campus at a former military education center in Kyiv. 

WESLEYAN DOES AWAY WITH LEGACY ADMISSIONS

Wesleyan University announced last week that it will no longer factor legacy into its admissions process in the wake of the Supreme Court decision. Wesleyan joins highly selective schools like Amherst, MIT, Johns Hopkins and Carnegie Mellon, who have already ended legacy admissions. 

NEW VDOE MODEL POLICIES

FCPS shared the Virginia Department of Education’s new model policies last week, raising concerns about what the changes in the policies may mean for LGBTQIA+ students. Glenn Youngkin emphasizes parents’ rights in the publication, which quotes Virginia code § 1-240.1: “A parent has a fundamental right to make decisions concerning the upbringing, education, and care of the parent's child.” As such, schools are now ordered to defer to parental preference on a variety of issues, ranging from preferred pronouns to the use of school counseling services. The policies also mandate that every student (and their parent) has the right to opt the student out of sharing bathrooms and locker rooms with transgender students. FCPS is conducting a review of the policies, and reaffirmed the commitment to inclusivity for all students. 

UNIVERSITY PRESIDENTS RESIGN

This week saw two major resignations of university presidents, at Stanford and Texas A&M - both related to the universities’ journalism programs! A Stanford freshman journalist exposed photoshopped images in President Marc Tessier-Levigne’s research in November, after years of rumors that the research was doctored. In December, a Board of Trustees review of 12 of Tessier-Levigne’s papers found issues in the five papers on which he was the primary author. Though he is stepping down, Tessier-Levigne will remain on Stanford’s faculty as a biology professor.

At Texas A&M, President M. Katherine Banks resigned following controversy over her appointment of journalism director Kathleen McElroy. Dr. McElroy said that she was initially offered a five-year contract, but that it was changed to one year after conservative alumni groups objected to her work promoting diversity, including an op-ed that argued for the hiring of more non-white university professors. The controversy over the appointment, which Dr. McElroy ultimately turned down, led to the resignation of both Dr. Banks and the dean of the College of Arts & Sciences. 

SARAH LAWRENCE COLLEGE ADDS AFFIRMATIVE ACTION SUPPLEMENTAL ESSAY

If you are a student with opinions on the Supreme Court’s affirmative action decision, Sarah Lawrence wants to hear what you have to say! The university has added a new supplemental essay option to its application, which reads:

"In a 2023 majority decision of the Supreme Court of the United States, Chief Justice John Roberts wrote, 'Nothing prohibits universities from considering an applicant's discussion of how race affected the applicant's life, so long as that discussion is concretely tied to a quality of character or unique ability that the particular applicant can contribute to the university.' Drawing upon examples from your life, a quality of your character, and/or a unique ability you possess, describe how you believe your goals for a college education might be impacted, influenced, or affected by the Court's decision."

BEST ARTICLES OF THE WEEK

Everyone is talking about a new study from Harvard and Brown researchers, published this morning, which found that the top 7% of college students come from families earning over $611,000 - the top 1% of the income distribution in the United States. It also found that on average, legacy students at top colleges were actually more academically qualified than non-legacies, and that graduates from private high schools had stronger academic credentials, objectively, than those from public high schools.

This aligns with an argument that professors and others have made for a long time - that increasing socioeconomic diversity means admitting fewer highly qualified students to college. But the studies also found that 16% of college students come from that top 1% of income - far higher than the percentage that excel academically. The three factors that this newsletter sees as the cause are (a) legacy admission, (b) admission from top private schools, and (c) admission for recruited athletes, who are often more affluent than other applicants. 

At first glance, the data suggests that the higher the household income, the greater the chances of admission to a highly competitive school. However, this is not the case. One nuance I noticed is that this trend only applies to the top 5% of household incomes. Between the 20th and 95th percentiles, the relationship between parent income percentile and acceptance rate is inversely proportional.

Look carefully at the numbers. Once you hit the 40th percentile in parent income, admissions rates fall. They go up slightly between the 95th-97th percentiles, a little more between the 97th-99th, and of course they skyrocket at the 99th percentile.

I would highly recommend reading the study yourself, by the way, as there are a lot of fascinating nuggets like this and I can’t summarize all of them!

It is no surprise that colleges are often liberal enclaves, with students typically more likely to vote Democrat. This Politico article explores the impact that liberal college towns have on more conservative areas of the country, arguing that Democratic votes in Dane County, home of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, make it nearly impossible for Republicans to win in Wisconsin. The same pattern is happening in a variety of other states, too - examples include Arizona, the Carolinas, Georgia, Texas, and even our home state of Virginia.

OFFICE HAPPENINGS

Essay work is full steam ahead here in our office! We noticed a definite lag in schools releasing their essay prompts after the Supreme Court decision, but many of our students have been able to get a great head start on their supplemental essay work anyway.

So many, in fact, that I used my time out of the office last week to catch up on essay edits! I thought this was a funny picture - I was on a boat from Cannes to St. Tropez and hot-spotting in :) Every hour counts, right? I have mostly graduated from direct essay work with our students, but I still provide extra levels of review on every single essay they produce with our team (at no extra charge!). If you’re thinking “wow, she must review a TON of essays” - you’re not wrong. I do. But the perfectionist in me needs to do it or I can’t sleep at night!

I’m sad to say that my essay edits are now taking place in a much less exciting environment, as I’m back in the office! We’re gearing up for the Common AppⓇ release next Tuesday - we’ll be working hard to make sure that all of our clients have an updated, comprehensive guide to completing the 2023-2024 application during the week of its release!

Have a great week!

Weekly Update: July 17

BIGGEST COLLEGE-RELATED NEWS OF THE WEEK

WAKE FOREST DOES AWAY WITH INSTITUTIONAL APPLICATION

Students will no longer be able to apply to Wake Forest using the school’s own institutional application - this cycle, Wake will offer only two application options: Common or Coalition/SCOIR. This is particularly important for students who want to take advantage of Wake’s rolling ED application. The rolling admissions process makes it possible for a student to apply ED to Wake in August or September and, if they receive a deny decision, apply ED I to another school before the November deadline. 

However, the Common ApplicationⓇ only allows students to apply ED I to a single school and will block any subsequent ED I applications, even if the student hears back from the first school early. As a result, students wishing to apply rolling ED to Wake should do so using the Coalition/SCOIR application, so that they can apply ED I to another school, if need be, through the Common AppⓇ. 

HOUSE COMMITTEE INVESTIGATES UC BERKELEY PROGRAM

The House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party is expressing concerns about national security risks posed by UC Berkeley’s Tsinghua-Berkeley Shenzhen Institute, a collaboration with China’s Tsinghua University. The Committee is questioning whether Berkeley has properly disclosed Chinese funding for the Institute, as well as whether the Institute gives China access to U.S. military technology. Berkeley has said it will cooperate with the inquiry. 

UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE FACES $8 MILLION FINE

The NCAA is fining the University of Tennessee eight million dollars following an investigation into recruiting violations. Tennessee football also faces five years probation. The number means that Tennessee will lose a total of 28 scholarships for athletes. The university has already self-imposed a loss of 18 scholarships, and will need to hold back 10 additional scholarships over the next several years. 

COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY INSTITUTE CHALLENGES TEXAS TIKTOK BAN

A lawsuit filed last week by the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University supports a coalition of faculty from Texas public universities, who argue that the state’s TikTok ban prevents them from using the platform to teach or conduct research. Texas is one of several public state university systems to ban TikTok on school-owned devices or networks. The lawsuit asks that faculty be exempted from the ban, so that they can use TikTok for research and teaching.     

BEST ARTICLES OF THE WEEK

Jeff Selingo’s Next newsletter last week covered some of the biggest things we are watching in the wake of the Supreme Court’s affirmative action decision. We were particularly interested in Jeff’s discussion of when college admissions officers will know about the racial and ethnic makeup of the incoming class. Will they only be able to see the data after students commit in May, or will they have the ability to look before students submit their deposits? 

While race cannot be used as a factor in admissions, if deans know the makeup of their class before deposit deadlines, race may play a major role in recruitment. If race is a factor in yield, we may see it impact financial aid packages, visits, and other outreach that contributes to how colleges increase their yield. 

A fact that won’t be surprising to most parents: college is getting more expensive. Average tuition at private colleges is $40,000, and goes down to $10,500 as an average for state colleges. But for highly selective colleges, those numbers are much higher. This article digs into some of the reasons why a college like Harvard has a final cost - including tuition, fees, housing, books, and cost of living - of $95,438 per year. Causes include the salaries of faculty. The main business of colleges, after all, is teaching - which is something that has not (yet) been outsourced to advances in AI or other tech. Plus, wealthy families are able and willing to pay more in tuition for nicer dorms, better food, and prettier campuses. And state subsidies are dropping - 37 states decreased the amount they spend on public education between 2020 and 2021. 

But there is a silver lining: while the sticker price of college has gone up, the amount that the average student actually pays for college is going down. Adjusting for inflation, students and families pay 11% less on net for college than they did five years ago. 

This article explores the impact that “ALDC” admissions has on the college admissions landscape, and how it may change in light of the Supreme Court decision. ALDC stands for athletes, legacies, children of donors, and children of faculty and staff - a population that makes up about 5% of Harvard applicants, but 30% of admitted students. This example is not unique amongst highly selective colleges, and the likely outcome from ALDC admissions is a whiter student body - something that may not be possible for colleges to maintain after the affirmative action decision. 

OFFICE HAPPENINGS

Wondering how to fill that “Honors” section on the Common AppⓇ? Looking for some more activities this year? Check out some of these contests and other opportunities:

Library of Congress Friends’ Choice Video Game Challenge - Create video games that “improve public knowledge of civics” and win up to $20,000! This contest is open until November 27. 

Virginia’s Soil & Water Conservation Districts Photo Contest - Submit up to 10 photos showing what conservation looks like by August 1 and win in one of three categories, including Young Photographer for photographers under age 18. 

Northern Virginia Soil & Water Conservation Poster Contest - Design a poster focusing on the theme of watersheds and “One Water” and submit by September 30. Winners will be forwarded to the state competition. 

Fairfax Food Council Youth Representatives - Rising juniors who live and attend school in Fairfax County, Fairfax City, and Falls Church are eligible to apply, and should do so by September 15. 

National Environmental Youth Advisory Council - If you are over 16 and interested in environmental science or other related issues, this is a great position. Apply by August 22, and don’t forget to check out their info session on August 7. 

If you are a current client interested in any of the above positions, let us know - we are happy to help with your application!

Weekly Update: July 10

BIGGEST COLLEGE-RELATED NEWS OF THE WEEK

CLEMSON UNIVERSITY BANS TIKTOK

Clemson University announced today that students will no longer be able to access TikTok through the campus network. Students, faculty, and staff can still access TikTok on personal devices using their cell networks, but the app will not be accessible on campus Wi-Fi. The university says the decision was made in order to maintain campus security.

FLORIDA ATLANTIC UNIVERSITY PAUSES PRESIDENTIAL SEARCH

On Friday, Florida Atlantic University’s Board of Trustees received a letter from the Florida State University System Board of Governors, alleging that there were anomalies in the university’s presidential search. The university argues that the anomalies were a result of a questionnaire sent out by an independent search firm, AGB Search, and were not authorized by the university. Anomalies in the questionnaire included asking a male candidate if his sexual orientation was “queer” and whether he was a “male or transgendered male.” The university is cooperating with the Board of Governors’ investigation.

LSU MAKES HISTORY IN MLB DRAFT

The MLB draft began Sunday night, and LSU made history when its players went numbers one and two overall, the first time two college teammates have been selected for the top slots back-to-back. LSU also had four draft picks total on Sunday, the most of any team in the first night. The big wins in the draft come on the heels of LSU’s national championship win last month.

BEST ARTICLES OF THE WEEK

We’ve been anticipating the effect of the recent Supreme Court case on legacy admissions since long before the decision was handed down, and we’re starting to see the impact play out. Last week, a legal activist group filed a complaint against Harvard University, arguing that the school’s legacy admissions preference discriminates against Black, Latinx, and Asian students. This interesting opinion piece from a Princeton professor argues that in fact, the presence of legacy students at elite colleges benefits underprivileged students, because they can network with students that have more “cultural capital” and useful connections.

Another group with a clear admissions advantage? Recruited athletes. This opinion piece argues that it is athletic preference, not legacy admissions, that should be the first practice to go in an effort to make admissions more fair. Over 1,000 Harvard students, for example, are recruited athletes, and they receive significantly more preference in the admissions process than even legacy students. The author, who was a recruited athlete at Princeton, argues that the number of athletic recruiting slots a school offers is a “de facto quota,” which goes against the decision by the Supreme Court. We will have to see whether legacy admissions, athletic recruitment, or any other aspects of the admissions process change in the next few months and years after the decision.

For students looking for less selective schools that have great name recognition and on-campus recruitment opportunities, public state flagships are a great option! This article lists the state universities with acceptance rates over 50%, and features well-regarded schools like the University of Alabama, Penn State, and Virginia Tech. While it is important to take the acceptance rates at state schools with a grain of salt, as they are often much lower for out-of-state students than for those applying in-state (or vice versa, depending on the state!). I would not include Virginia Tech as a less selective option for Virginia residents, unfortunately, But this list could be a great starting point for students who are beginning to build their college lists!

And for college students heading off to school in the fall and looking for tips, check out Forbes’ top five financial tips for college kids to follow. This summer is a great time to start building credit, creating a budget, and getting familiar with the perks offered to you as a college student, which can range from free museum or movie tickets to free public transit in your college town to discounts at local businesses. I will add my own tip here: return your library books, and when you get a letter in the mail about library fines, DO NOT ignore it. In one sense, it’s kind of funny that the biggest mistake I made in college was failing to return library books, but the consequences were a lot less funny. The library reported me to the credit bureaus, it impacted my credit score, and when I bought my first home in my early 20s, I had to pay a higher mortgage interest rate as a result. I was never so happy to see that fall off my credit report!

OFFICE HAPPENINGS

If you didn’t catch my FAQ on the Supreme Court’s recent ruling, posted at the end of last week, check that out here.

Speaking of the Supreme Court decision, I think that it is impacting some of the timing around supplemental essay prompt releases for the current admissions cycle. Schools which have had the same essay prompts for years have now indicated that they are considering making changes as a result of the ruling - because of increased dependence on essays. And from other schools that have always released prompts by this point in the cycle, we’re just hearing crickets…

If you want to know which schools have released prompts already, we keep a running pre-8/1 list here: 2023-2024 Supplemental Essay Prompts. As a reminder, our goal is to help our students complete as many essays as possible before August. This gives them plenty of time to get a lot of it out of the way before the school year starts, so they can focus on their classes (and enjoying senior year) in the fall!

Have a great week!