What should seniors do this fall to prepare for college admissions?

What should seniors do this fall to prepare for college admissions?

This year it may be harder than normal to be a good high school student. High schools are having a hard time being good high schools, too. Whether you’re fully online, fully back to school in person, or some hybrid, please understand that everyone understands how rough this year is. If your grades have dropped or if you’re having difficulty staying focused because of unexpected circumstances, you will have an opportunity to explain that and be heard. Even in the middle of a pandemic, you should do your best. But colleges aren’t asking you to do more than that. With that in mind, let’s look at what else you can do to prepare for college.

Should you submit your test scores to a test-optional college?

Should you submit your test scores to a test-optional college?

At this point in the summer, it’s no longer news that a huge number of colleges and universities have gone test-optional for the next admissions cycle. Many have already declared they will be test-optional for a year or two after this one, and some have permanently gone test-optional. Some, of course, were already test-optional even before COVID-19 forced testing sites to cancel. So if you haven’t already taken an SAT or ACT, you shouldn’t worry. (And, for your safety, you shouldn’t take the test this fall, even if you find an open test site.) But this year many students who do already have test scores are facing a dilemma that used to only be a decision for a few people: should you send your scores to a test-optional school?

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Three quick questions with Illinois Tech

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Three quick questions with Illinois Tech

For Three Quick Questions, I send the same three questions to admissions representatives at colleges all over the country (the subject line of the e-mail is “Three quick questions”), and then I hope to hear back from them. When I do, I post them on Apply with Sanity. It’s that simple.

The three questions are meant to probe some of the things that make a school unique but that aren’t easily captured as a stat to go in a book or web search.

This response is from Diana Zhu, Admission Counselor at Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago, Illinois.

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Three quick questions with Pitzer College

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Three quick questions with Pitzer College

For Three Quick Questions, I send the same three questions to admissions representatives at colleges all over the country (the subject line of the e-mail is “Three quick questions”), and then I hope to hear back from them. When I do, I post them on Apply with Sanity. It’s that simple.

The three questions are meant to probe some of the things that make a school unique but that aren’t easily captured as a stat to go in a book or web search.

This response is from Hayley Burke, Assistant Director of Admission at Pitzer College in Claremont, California.

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Three quick questions with the University of Colorado Boulder

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Three quick questions with the University of Colorado Boulder

For Three Quick Questions, I send the same three questions to admissions representatives at colleges all over the country (the subject line of the e-mail is “Three quick questions”), and then I hope to hear back from them. When I do, I post them on Apply with Sanity. It’s that simple.

The three questions are meant to probe some of the things that make a school unique but that aren’t easily captured as a stat to go in a book or web search.

This response is from Perri Watts, Assistant Director of Admissions at University of Colorado Boulder.

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Three quick questions with Michigan Technological University

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Three quick questions with Michigan Technological University

For Three Quick Questions, I send the same three questions to admissions representatives at colleges all over the country (the subject line of the e-mail is “Three quick questions”), and then I hope to hear back from them. When I do, I post them on Apply with Sanity. It’s that simple.

The three questions are meant to probe some of the things that make a school unique but that aren’t easily captured as a stat to go in a book or web search.

This response is from Christine Grotzke, Regional Admissions Manager at Michigan Tech University.

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It seriously looks like SAT/ACT testing is going away

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It seriously looks like SAT/ACT testing is going away

A little over a year ago, I wrote about the accelerating rate at which colleges and universities were going test optional. I explained that test-optional isn’t going to last, simply because there’s no good reason for it to remain. I’m going to re-post the entire thing here, but read all the way to the bottom for really important updates and recommendations. Or at least skip down to the bottom for the updates. But really, just keep reading.

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Three quick questions with Arizona State University

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Three quick questions with Arizona State University

For Three Quick Questions, I send the same three questions to admissions representatives at colleges all over the country (the subject line of the e-mail is “Three quick questions”), and then I hope to hear back from them. When I do, I post them on Apply with Sanity. It’s that simple.

The three questions are meant to probe some of the things that make a school unique but that aren’t easily captured as a stat to go in a book or web search.

This response is from Bailey Burrows, Texas Regional Coordinator of Admissions Services at Arizona State University.

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Three quick questions with Villanova University

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Three quick questions with Villanova University

For Three Quick Questions, I send the same three questions to admissions representatives at colleges all over the country (the subject line of the e-mail is “Three quick questions”), and then I hope to hear back from them. When I do, I post them on Apply with Sanity. It’s that simple.

The three questions are meant to probe some of the things that make a school unique but that aren’t easily captured as a stat to go in a book or web search.

This response is from Daly Simpson, Assistant Director of Admission at Villanova University.

If I've said it once...

If I've said it once...

We’ve all got those words, phrases, and sentences that we use all the time. I over-use the word “apparently,” and some quick searches through this blog make me realize I apparently also over-use the phrase “all the time.” But behind the words and sentences that we repeat often are the ideas and worldviews that drive us. So this week I thought I’d explain the thoughts and motives behind some of the sentences I use most in my job as someone who writes about college admissions and advises students on their own admissions paths.

Take time to think about pleasure

Take time to think about pleasure

What do I even say? We’ve been through months of a pandemic that has killed over 100,000 people in this country alone, and most experts agree it’s a matter of when the next wave will come, not if it will come. The unemployment rate in the U.S. has reached almost 15% and is expected to hit 20% before it begins to decline. The past week has seen a wave of anguish, anger, and fear in the streets of dozens of cities over the killing of George Floyd and the systemic racism his homicide reflects. It’s a challenge to be hopeful at the moment.

The Common Application added a COVID-19 question

The Common Application added a COVID-19 question

Last week the Common Application let us know that they will be adding a question to the 2020-21 application that gives you a space to discuss the impact on you from the pandemic. Here is the text of the prompt:

“Community disruptions such as COVID-19 and natural disasters can have deep and long-lasting impacts. If you need it, this space is yours to describe those impacts. Colleges care about the effects on your health and well-being, safety, family circumstances, future plans, and education, including access to reliable technology and quiet study spaces.

Do you wish to share anything on this topic? Y/N

Please use this space to describe how these events have impacted you.”

You’ll find the prompt in the Additional Information section. Your response, if you choose to respond, will be limited to 250 words.

Finding the perfect graduation speech

Finding the perfect graduation speech

High school graduation ceremonies are quite a bit different this year. Zoom ceremonies. Socially-distant ceremonies at drive-in movie theaters. Graduation parades. Some have been postponed until brighter days in the fall (hopefully), and some quietly cancelled. The bad news is that several million high school graduates aren’t getting the pomp and circumstance they were expecting this year. The good news is that there are a lot fewer bad and boring graduation speeches to sit through.

But not all graduation speeches are bad and boring, and if there’s a year when graduates could use a little inspiration, motivation, and wisdom this is certainly it. So if you need a good speech, here are a few good ones to choose from.

What should high school students do this summer to prepare for college?

What should high school students do this summer to prepare for college?

Students finishing 11th grade and preparing for college applications have some very specific things they should do this summer. But what about everyone else? Many of the usual summer rituals for college-bound high school students are unavailable right now, and probably for the entire summer. No campus visits. No local museums or libraries. No summer trips. Probably no summer job. And, of course, no clear picture about what this fall will look like. There’s always a wide variety of circumstances when it comes to high school students in the summer. Some are getting very bored and restless, others are in a catastrophe, and most are somewhere in between. That’s true every summer, of course, but so many students’ circumstances have shifted drastically in the past few months, and almost no one is left unaffected.

So, then, what would I advise you to do this summer? Anything. You can do just about anything, I mean it.

What rising seniors should do this summer

What rising seniors should do this summer

This spring has been, to say the least, very weird. This summer also promises to be weird, even if we’re not sure yet what kind of weirdness to expect. If you plan to go to college right after high school, though, then you can’t wait for things to return to normal—who knows what that will even look like?—to get started on your college application plans. What follows are my recommendations for things you can do this summer to make your fall semester a little easier. It’s not a checklist to do in order, though. Each piece can affect all the other pieces, and you’ll find yourself updating and going through the cycle multiple times.

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Katie has chosen!

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Katie has chosen!

I’ve been a little worried about Katie. She and several members of her family had been sick. Flu-like symptoms are bad enough, but during our current pandemic they can be pretty scary. Also, she seemed to be leaning heavily toward one college, but wanted to delay her decision until the end of May. I thought maybe she was having doubts. Katie has allayed my fears, though. Read the full interview below to see how she’s feeling and where she’s going to college. Congratulations, Katie!

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Diana is done!

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Diana is done!

This spring has been a little different than the past few years for Meet the Class. With everybody staying home, there have been few campus visits or tours. High school classes have been minimal. Prom and social events have been postponed or cancelled. There’s been little hand-wringing and no last-minute decisions. Below is a short and sweet conversation I had with Diana, who will be attending the University of Oklahoma next year! Congratulations, Diana, and thank you so much for sharing your weird, stressful school year with us. Read the full interview below.