Weekly Update: February 27

Happy Tuesday!

BIGGEST COLLEGE-RELATED NEWS OF THE WEEK

ATHENS COMMUNITY SHAKEN AFTER UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA AND AUGUSTA UNIVERSITY STUDENT DEATHS

Two tragedies occurred over the past week in Athens, Georgia. On Wednesday, a UGA freshman died by suicide in his dorm room. The following day, a former UGA student who had transferred to Augusta University’s College of Nursing (also in Athens) was murdered while out for a morning jog. Fortunately, a suspect is in custody. It’s incredible to think about how this poor girl was attacked while just getting some exercise in broad daylight. Our thoughts and prayers are with these students’ families, friends, and the entire Athens community.

YALE UNIVERSITY REVERSES COURSE TO BEGIN REQUIRING STANDARDIZED TEST SCORES AGAIN

Yale announced the results of an internal study which demonstrated that standardized test scores are the best predictor of undergraduate student success on their campus. More importantly, these results have led Yale to join Dartmouth in requiring SAT or ACT scores during the upcoming application cycle.

UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN ADOPTS NEW TEST-OPTIONAL POLICY

Just as Yale decided to pivot back to test scores, University of Michigan formally adopted a test-optional policy that replaces their previous test-flexible policy. If you can’t keep these policies straight, you aren’t alone! The main difference seems to be that the test-flexible policy offered candidates the chance to substitute their AP or IB scores for SAT or ACT scores, if they chose to do so. Now, their AP or IB scores will be evaluated separately from their choice to apply with (or without) SAT or ACT scores. Half of the internet seemed to get this wrong - and understandably so, given how confusing the shift is. Many online posts incorrectly announced that Michigan was not going to consider AP or IB scores at all anymore. This is a good reminder to always confirm policy changes directly with the school!

SYRACUSE INCORPORATES MENTAL HEALTH INITIATIVE INTO BUSINESS CURRICULUM

Kudos to Syracuse for recognizing the importance of teaching future business professionals about the importance of mental health and wellness. As part of the Nass Mental Health Initiative, undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in the Whitman School of Management will now be better equipped to handle the challenges associated with their future careers. Through coursework, guest speakers, special seminars and more, students will learn to use tools to help manage stressors and also learn when to seek help.

“COURT STORMING” THRUST IN THE SPOTLIGHT AFTER DUKE PLAYER INJURED

Immediately after Duke’s surprising loss to Wake Forest this past weekend, player Kyle Filipowski was injured by enthusiastic Demon Deacon fans storming the court. As everyone watching the game on television saw, Duke coach Jon Scheyer was absolutely furious and has since called for the ACC to ban the practice. Wake coach Steve Forbes agrees, and has shared his own concerns about player safety.

BEST ARTICLES OF THE WEEK

So you know that NIL stands for “name, image, and likeness.” But what exactly does that mean in real-world terms? What’s the relevance? Why does everybody care so much? Whether you’re NIL-savvy or have never even heard the acronym before, check out this Washington Post article for a deep dive into all things NIL. As a word of caution, you might end up just as confused by the end of the piece as you were at the start - but maybe that’s the point?

Back in November, we wrote about the extent of the financial mismanagement at the University of Arizona. The New York Times has now explored the full impact of the situation, as well as the potential effects on various stakeholders. The article also delves into the long-term impacts felt by the greater community in the city of Tucson.

Lawmakers in the state of Massachusetts are pushing for a potential change to higher ed taxation that is both very significant and could set precedent for the rest of the country. In “Ending The Ivy League’s Tax Dodge,” The Lever provides background into a situation that has mostly flown under the radar of mainstream media so far. As the piece details, private colleges and universities don’t have to pay state or federal income taxes right now. This allows their endowments to build at a rapid rate, which in turn allows them to “give back” by providing generous financial aid packages, and in some cases, by conducting research.

But is this fair, when many of these schools have acceptance rates so low that the general population does not resasonably have any chance of benefiting from the financial aid packages? Or would the general population benefit more from simply taxing these schools on the value of their endowments? That’s what the state’s House Committee on Revenue will need to decide by April 30. A proposed bill hopes to levy a 2.5% annual tax on university endowments larger than $1 billion (on the full amount of the endowment, not just the income it generates).

The tax would then be allocated towards a fund called the Educational Opportunity for All Trust Fund, which would be used “exclusively for the purposes of subsidizing the cost of higher education, early education and child care for lower-income and middle-class residents of the commonwealth.” I can see both sides, but one thing is for sure: the outcome has the potential to have major long-term implications for financial aid at private colleges and universities nationwide.

Speaking of policy shift implications, The Dartmouth provided its readers with an inside look at some of the aftermath of the recent campus-level policy shift that reinstated the standardized testing requirement. Campus safety officers were present at a “tense” meeting between 50-70 students and President Sian Beilock, during which the students discussed their (negative) reactions to the recent decision. However, it is important to note that this group of students does not necessarily represent the entire 4,500 student body.

OFFICE HAPPENINGS

Where oh where are the Common Application ® essay prompts? We have now passed last year’s record-breaking late essay release date and our juniors are ready to get started! Some communication from the Common Application ® organization as to what to expect moving forward would be appreciated 😊

In other news, I’m continuing our first round of winter check-in meetings with juniors and helping them finalize some of their upcoming college visits. Virginia public school students have an upcoming day off on March 5 as a result of the presidential primary, and this is a great time for a college visit. After all, there are relatively few opportunities to see colleges in session without having to miss school!

One of the other topics we discuss at these check-in meetings is standardized testing progress, and we got some frustrating news last week - one of the high schools that a lot of our students attend has a prom date conflict with the April ACT. I absolutely hate when this happens (we see it more often with the May SAT), and it’s a great reminder for all students to look up the dates of any special end-of-year events in advance to check for standardized testing conflicts. Remember that there’s the April ACT, May SAT, May AP exams, the June SAT, and the June ACT!

Have a great week - fingers crossed that we have essay prompts on which to report in our next blog entry!

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!

Trend Watch: The Newest (Non-Data Science!) Undergrad Programs to Keep on Your Radar

AMERICA LOVES Data SCIENCE THIS YEAR

Have you noticed that practically every college in the country either just introduced, is in the middle of introducing, or is planning to introduce a new academic program in data science? Okay, so that might be a slight exaggeration, but there’s no question that new programs in data science are practically EVERYWHERE these days! And we think it’s a great field, so we are in full support of that.

However, if data isn’t your thing, don’t worry! We have a variety of other new programs to share that are not related to data science in the least. Whether you’re hoping to turn your passion for gaming into a career or become a famous music producer, keep reading for some exciting new options to keep on your radar:

UNC Chapel Hill’s B.S. DEGREE in Applied Sciences

If you’ve always wanted to be an engineer in theory but are worried about studying the hard sciences at such a high level, this brand-new program is for you! It “connects engineering to the liberal arts” and “train[s] students to be problem-solvers with the skills and mindset to address complex, interdisciplinary problems.” This expands on the popular minor program in the same field that UNC introduced in 2020.

Students can choose from two tracks, materials engineering and environmental engineering, and the environmental engineering track will actually be in partnership with the Gillings School of Global Public Health. The environmental engineering choice in particular could be a great option for those interested in environmental science and health — even from a policy standpoint.

UCLA’S B.A. DEGREE IN MUSIC INDUSTRY

Ready for a career in the music industry but also want to make sure that you’re employed at graduation? You have to check out this new degree program at UCLA, which also builds upon a popular existing minor. It combines the liberal arts, business, and music, and offers a “leadership-focused professional degree which prepares students to transform the creative, entrepreneurial, and executive structures of the music industry.”

How cool — and you’d be in such an amazing location! Not surprisingly, the program even incorporates an internship requirement, so that all students are able to gain real-world experience before they graduate.

OREGON’S B.A./B.S. DEGREE IN CHILD BEHAVIOR HEALTH

If you already know that you want to work with children in a therapeutic or wellness setting, you don’t have to go through a traditional four-year program before heading to graduate school to specialize. The University of Oregon recently introduced a pioneering 2+2 undergraduate program in conjunction with the Ballmer Institute for Children’s Behavioral Health — the first of its kind in the entire country!

Students will gain the “knowledge and skills to improve the behavioral health and wellness of youth … [while learning] to equitably deliver evidence-based interventions to promote wellness and prevent mental health problems from developing or worsening in children and adolescents.”

The first two years of the program will take place at the University of Oregon, where students will pursue core requirements and pre-major coursework. The last two years will take place at the Ballmer Institute, and will involve experiential education and a deep level of specialization closer to what one would expect from a graduate program. By the time students graduate, they will already have achieved over 700 hours of field work in Oregon public schools!

SYRACUSE’s B.S. DEGREE IN ESPORTS COMMUNICATION & MANAGEMENT

I need to write this one down for my 7-year-old son, whose career aspirations involve playing video games on YouTube and getting people to pay to watch him (I wish I was kidding!). In all seriousness, though, gaming is a billion-dollar industry and there are many legitimate career opportunities out there. Two of the most renowned undergraduate schools at Syracuse, the Newhouse School of Public Communications and Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics, have now joined forces to create an interdisciplinary program that “connects innovative gaming environments and technology with the sports media industry” and prepares students for careers in the field.

For the parents out there who might be unfamiliar with the terminology, esports does not necessarily mean electronic versions of athletic sports, like playing tennis on the Nintendo Wii. Esports is simply competitive gaming, in all forms.

Students will develop “industry-specific competencies in event management and marketing, broadcasting/production, communications, content creation, entrepreneurship, strategic communications and esports experience and design.” There are three tracks: Esports Business and Management, Esports Communications, and Esports Media and Design, so students can focus their course of study on their individual interests and career goals. We always say to follow your passions, right?!

WEST VIRGINIA’S B.A. DEGREE IN PROFESSIONAL WRITING AND EDITING

Many students assume that English majors primarily focus on writing, but that’s typically not the case at all: almost all traditional undergraduate programs in English revolve around literature. This can be a disappointment for potential English majors — it’s sort of like thinking you’re taking AP Lang and realizing you signed up for AP Lit instead, for context! And the writing-centric programs that do exist are often geared towards technical writers.

This new program at West Virginia University, on the other hand, provides students with the opportunity to spend their undergraduate years focusing on the art of writing itself. Graduates will be prepared to analyze, problem-solve, and write in nearly any industry, with optional specializations in Editing and Publishing, Creative Writing and Narrative Strategies, and Theories of Literacy and Language. No matter which profession they pursue, this type of degree will be an enormous asset! It also involves a required capstone internship, giving students the chance to use their writing skills in the workplace before graduation.

---

You might wonder: what’s the benefit of pursuing a brand-new program when others are more established? Well, from a selectivity standpoint, this can be a slightly easier way to get an applicant’s foot in the door, because seats need to be filled and there may be less competition, as the general population may not be aware of the program yet.

For example, our (admittedly non-scientific) anecdotal evidence has shown that business majors at Rice and engineering majors at Wake Forest have had an easier time in the application process in recent years than other candidates. So if you have a profile that otherwise fits the bill, this could be a great path!

But don’t apply for specialized programs like these without some demonstrated interest in the field — admissions committees aren’t stupid, and the president of the high school pre-med club who volunteers at the local hospital every weekend is going to have an uphill battle trying to prove their commitment to the music industry!

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

View fullsize

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

Trends and Themes: January 2024

January is always a good time to reflect on the trends and themes of the most recent application cycle and look ahead to what’s coming in the 2024-2025 admissions cycle. As chair of the Committee on Current Trends and Future Issues of PCACAC (Potomac and Chesapeake Association for College Admission Counseling), Sally and the committee have been keeping track of the following trends:

ChatGPT made a splash in 2022 and since then more generative artificial intelligence programs have been released. Throughout 2023, many people in college admissions questioned how these chatbots would impact the college admission essay and supplements and how institutions would respond. Some schools have instituted new policies to address this issue; for example, the University of California system includes a Statement of Application Integrity in which they state that the “UC conducts regular screenings to verify the integrity of the responses” and “may request authentication of the content or writing as the student’s.” Our March 1 blog post, Rejected! How ChatGPT Destroys the College Admissions Essay, offers an in-depth look at the risks of using AI chatbots to write college essays.

The Supreme Court decision on race consideration in college admission released at the end of June 2023 had a significant impact on the way that colleges are reading applications this cycle and changing their internal processes. Many schools changed their supplemental essays in order to comply with the ruling, including the University of Virginia. Their new prompt asks students: “What about your individual background, perspective, or experience will serve as a source of strength for you or those around you at UVA?” Other schools added on more essays.

In December 2020, Congress passed legislation requiring the Department of Education to update and simplify the FAFSA (the application which determines eligibility for federal student aid) by December 31, 2023. The Department of Education has begun a “soft launch” of the redesigned FAFSA and students and families can begin to complete their applications. We have yet to see the impact of the changes in the formula the government uses to calculate the Student Aid Index (SAI). One of the more significant changes is the removal of the number of children a family has attending institutions of higher education in a given year. 

Changes relating to standardized testing have continued to emerge as a trend. While many schools saw an increase in applications and an increase in applications from historically underserved populations, other schools have decided to return to requiring either the SAT or the ACT. Two great examples are CalTech and MIT. Based on data from their internal review, CalTech has extended their moratorium on standardized test scores through the fall of 2025 and will no longer consider test scores in the admissions process. Conversely, MIT’s internal research demonstrated the need for test scores to be used in conjunction with a holistic review, to properly assess an applicant's preparedness to succeed given MIT’s curriculum. MIT requires students to complete a minimum of two semesters of calculus and two semesters of calculus-based physics regardless of their major. 

In addition to institutional policies based on internal research, the 2023-2024 admission cycle saw an increase in some state schools returning to requiring standardized test scores or considering test scores in specific cases such as below a certain GPA or for consideration for scholarships. For example, the University System of Georgia announced that they would continue the temporary test score waiver for schools not including the University of Georgia, the Georgia Institute of Technology, and Georgia College & State University. 

The increase in both state and federal government oversight and involvement grew over the past year to include: a congressional hearing on antisemitism on the campuses of Harvard University, Yale University, and the University of Pennsylvania; Department of Education investigations in response to alleged incidents of antisemitism and Islamophobia; the North Carolina state legislature appointing board of directors; and proposed federal legislation introduced by Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) to ban legacy admissions. We anticipate that such oversight and proposed changes will continue through 2024 and will keep our readers abreast of any changes and their impact on students in the college application process.

Finally, the mental health of college students remains a priority for institutions across the country. Many schools are in the process of increasing access and resources for students who are struggling with issues ranging from anxiety and depression through substance abuse education and addiction counseling.

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!

Holiday Celebrations Across College Campuses

The winter holiday season is filled with celebrations, special foods, and beautiful decorations. Whether you celebrate Hanukkah, the Winter Solstice, Christmas, Kwanzaa, or other holidays, this time of year is marked by traditions at home and at school. Last year we highlighted some of our favorite college Thanksgiving traditions, so this year we are highlighting some of our favorite winter holiday celebrations on college campuses across the country!

CHRISTMAS ON 5TH, BAYLOR UNIVERSITY

From Christmas carols to the tree lighting, students and members of the Waco, Texas community will fill the center of campus in celebration of Baylor’s traditional Christmas on 5th. They can enjoy food trucks, arts and crafts, pictures with Santa and Mrs. Claus, and other holiday activities supported by many student organizations. The festivities include performances ranging from live Nativity scenes to The Nutcracker to Holiday Carols from Around the World by the Department of Modern Languages & Cultures, and culminate in a Christmas tree lighting and concert.

KWANZAA AND FEAST OF FAITH, NORTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY

The African American Cultural Center at NC State invites students for an early celebration of Kwanzaa and the Feast of Faith, taking place before final exams as Kwanzaa falls during winter break. NC State teaches the principles of Kwanzaa, which include unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity, and faith. In this special event, the community finds new ways to focus on Black resilience, innovation, and joy!

CHANUKAH IN THE SQUARE, COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON

Students at the College of Charleston gather to recognize the Festival of Lights in Marion Square with the annual Chanukah in the Square, the largest Jewish celebration in South Carolina. Sponsored by the city and the school, everyone is invited to enjoy live music and food ranging from traditional hot latkes to kettle corn. Students can also take part in the 16th annual lighting of the giant menorah!

CHRISTMAS ON CAMPUS, UNIVERSITY OF DAYTON

For 60 years, the University of Dayton community has held Christmas on Campus. Student organizations host activities ranging from a carnival with activities sponsored by fraternities and sororities to performances from campus dance, music, and demonstration group. There’s also ornament making, cookie decorating, pictures with Santa, and more! But UD students don’t just celebrate: they buddy up with over 1,000 local children from the Dayton City Schools to explore and enjoy. 

LATKAPALOOZA, DUKE UNIVERSITY

Duke students celebrate Latkapalooza each year at the start of Hanukkah. This fun event includes a candle lighting with traditional Jewish prayers, latkes, and even a jelly doughnut-eating contest! Co-sponsored by the Jewish Student Union and Jewish Life at Duke, all students are welcome to play the Dreidel game and try latkes, a pancake-like traditional dish made from potatoes.

YULE LOG CELEBRATION, WILLIAM & MARY

At the annual Yule Log Celebration of peace, joy and gratitude, students and alumni gather to enjoy music and singing; a reading of traditional poems; and, for good luck, the tossing of holly sprigs into the fireplace. If you’re in a different city, you can still participate - check out the Yule Log gatherings across the country for alumni, families, and friends of the school. There’s even an option for those who can’t celebrate in person at all: William & Mary provides a live feed of the festivities in Williamsburg, along with videos of the fireplace and recipes for the traditional cakes, cookies, and cinnamon rolls.

Happy Holidays!

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!

‘Tis the season…for early application decisions!

Over the next few weeks, many schools will release their early application decisions - especially those with binding early decision plans (some non-binding early action decisions will not come in until January or even February). If you aren’t sure when to expect decisions from the schools on your list, check out this website for expected dates and times.

Make sure to consider where you want to be when you receive your decisions. We recommend you log into your portal or open your email or letter in the privacy of your room or home, not in your high school cafeteria ​​or while with a group of friends. You need to be able to have an honest, emotional response. We have seen a trend developing in which students record themselves opening their admission decisions and then post the video on TikTok. We definitely do NOT recommend this approach!

You should also take some time to decide how you want to share this information, whether positive or negative. Tell your parents. Tell your counselor at school. And of course, tell us! Beyond that, remember that YOU get to decide if and when you choose to share your news with anyone else.

Read on for some helpful tips, broken down by decision!

• If Accepted:

• First of all, congratulations!

• Be gracious. Congratulate yourself. It is ok to celebrate—but be appropriate. Remember there are many of your peers and friends who have not heard anything, are still applying to schools, or have been deferred, waitlisted or denied ​​(sometimes by the same school that just accepted you!).

• Be grateful. Thank your parents. Thank your recommenders. A hand-written thank you note goes a long way for an educator who cares about your success and puts the effort in to meet your school’s deadlines. 

• Be engaged. Your acceptance is not the signal to check out or give in to “senior slide.”

• Be proactive. If you have been accepted early decision, be sure to withdraw your applications from the remainder of your schools. You agreed to do this when you signed the early decision form.

• IF Deferred:

• Continue to work hard in your classes. Many schools will ask you to submit midyear grades in the portal, on the SRAR, or from your counselor.

• Check with us or your school counselor before sending additional submissions. More is not necessarily better. Follow the school’s directions for submitting materials.

• Compose your letters of continued interest (LOCI). Write brief (seriously: brief!) letters that state why you want to attend the schools and why you would be a great fit. Check out our prior blog post: Writing an Effective Letter of Continued Interest: Instructions and Samples, and again, only do this if the schools at which you were deferred will accept them (most will!).

• If Waitlisted:

• Respond. Be sure to follow the school’s instructions to accept your place on the waitlist. 

• Redouble your efforts and study, study, study. These schools will see your 3rd and 4th quarter or winter and spring term grades, which, if strong, can help you.

• Refocus. Be sure to deposit at another school by May 1 to ensure you are going to college somewhere, even if you remain on other waitlists.

• If Denied:

• Process the news. It’s ok to allow yourself time to be disappointed (for a day or two). What you feel is real and needs to be expressed, but cannot take over your life. This sounds impossible, but don’t take it personally. Read our previous post:  5 Steps to Take After Being Deferred or Denied Early Admission.

• Maintain perspective. Remember you have a balanced list for a reason.

• Pull yourself together and submit your remaining applications. Do not allow a denial to paralyze you. You need to continue to work hard in your classes and make sure all of your remaining applications are submitted.

• Prioritize self-care. Got a shredder? Print out your letter and shred it! Have a fire pit? Invite friends over and make s’mores out of your denial letters! Be creative and find a way to move forward!

If you ARE A CURRENT CLIENT:

• If you need help adding new schools to your list or reviewing application materials over winter break, make an appointment with Colleen or Sally to review it and discuss whether or not you need to make any changes

• If you need more essay coaching meetings, book them as soon as possible (but don’t add new schools without running that by us first)!

If you need help now but didn’t work with us earlier in the process on an ongoing basis, it’s not too late.

• If you need help adding new schools to your list or reviewing application materials over winter break, you can book one of our Class of 2024 Strategy Sessions.

• If you already know where you want to apply and just need help finishing up all those essays, you can book pay-as-you-go essay coaching sessions here. 

NOTE: We may be able to add additional essay coaching availability depending on demand, so the earlier you let us know you need help, the better! Please send our admin team an email to discuss options if you can’t find a session that works for you using the links above.

REMEMBER: We are rooting for you just as much as you are (maybe even more!). Stay smart, stay positive, and enjoy the rest of senior year! 

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!

Tips For Creating Your College List

Because deciding where to apply to college is a critical step in the college admissions process, it’s important to be thoughtful and thorough.

Creating a college list can also be really fun and exciting, as you explore all of your options and imagine where you’ll be for the next four years. However, with so many schools to choose from, it can be overwhelming! Here are some tips to help you get started and make a strong college list.

Start early

Junior year is the ideal time to start putting together your college list. After all, the earlier you begin this process, the more time you will have to consider your options. Plus, you’ll save yourself a lot of stress later on! During the spring of your junior year, set aside some time to talk with your college counselor (if you haven’t already) and attend any college fairs or information sessions in your area. This is also a great time to tour colleges and see what campuses look like while school is in session!

A note to eager ninth and tenth graders: While it’s never too early to start thinking about college and doing some preliminary research, don’t pressure yourself to make a definitive college list right now. Your interests and goals may change over the next few years, and you’ll want to keep your options open. What you can do, however, is start thinking about preferences in a big-picture sense. Keep reading..

Determine what you want

Before you start sifting through thousands of colleges and universities, you’ll need to figure out what you actually want in a school. For example, do you think a small, liberal arts college is the environment for you, or do you like the idea of a big university? Do you want to stay close to home or maybe venture to a different part of the country? Is it really important that you go somewhere with small class sizes or a particular academic program? Here are some important factors to consider, which can help direct your college search and list: 

• Size of school

• Location

• Student demographics

• Academic programs

• Extracurricular opportunities

• Campus culture 

As you determine what you want, also take note of any priorities, as well as must-haves. It’s really helpful to understand the MOST important factors driving your search and areas where you are willing to be more flexible and open. 

Research, research, research! 

When it comes to researching schools, a quick Google search won’t cut it. You’ll need to dig a bit deeper. Take advantage of college search websites and databases to help you find schools that match your criteria and learn more about specific colleges and universities. The Princeton Review, Niche, and Cappex are just a few resources that make collecting data and comparing schools easy.  You’ll also want to look at individual school websites and social media accounts. Why? Well, because third-party websites can tell you a lot about the numbers, but the school itself will be able to give you insights into its campus culture and student body.

But don’t just rely on your laptop to conduct research. There are plenty of ways to collect information IRL (in real life), too! Attend college fairs in your areas and information sessions at your school. You can also reach out to current students and alumni, as well as admissions representatives. Check a school's admissions web site to learn how to contact representatives. Bonus: You might also find opportunities to attend live webinars or information sessions, too!

Visit campuses

One of the best ways to get to know a school is to visit the campus. Ideally, it would be great if you could visit all of the campuses on your college list. But in most cases, that’s just not realistic. So if you can’t visit a school on your college list, consider touring a comparable college or university in your area. That way you can still get a feel for factors such as size and setting. 

We also recommend taking a virtual campus tour, which most schools now offer. Check out Campus Tours or a specific school’s admission page to start your virtual walk! 

Stay organized

Conducting research is great, but it’s not going to help you make a college list unless you stay organized. Create a system for keeping track of the information you gather for each school. We HIGHLY encourage students to set up a spreadsheet to easily compare multiple schools. 

Revise and refine

Making a college list is NOT something you can create in just a weekend and then check off your ‘to-do’ list. It’s a living, breathing document that will continue to change as you “do your homework.” Be sure to update your list regularly as you narrow down your priorities, visit schools, and learn more about what you like and don’t like. 

Strike a balance

When it comes to a college list, balance is key. You want to make sure you have a healthy mix of safety schools, target schools, and reach schools. In the past few years, the admissions world has changed a LOT, and schools that were once considered safeties are now much more selective. Be sure to research admissions data to get a better sense of how likely you are to be admitted to a particular school. 

As part of creating a balanced list, don’t overdo it on the number of colleges! You may think that applying to 25 schools is increasing your odds and keeping your options open, but more isn’t always better. You’ll be bombarded with a lot of essay writing and a lot of confusion. Of course, the number of schools on a college list will vary depending upon a student and their particular situation; however, a good rule of thumb is that if you’re starting to get past 15, you might want to take a step back.

Be open-minded

Finally, it’s important to be open-minded as you make your college list. The dream school you’ve been thinking about for years might not actually be such a dream once you visit. Or maybe a big university is a little too overwhelming for you after all, even if you don’t want to admit it. Explore your options, knowing that you might just find a great fit in an unexpected place. 

Do you need help creating your college list?

That’s what we’re here for! Whether you’ve just finished sophomore year and want to start getting serious about your college list now, or you’re a soon-to-be-senior in need of some motivation and strategy, we can help. Book a session today!