On March 8, Inside Higher Ed reported that through February 15, only 44% of students who applied to college with the Common Application had submitted ACT or SAT scores. In contrast, 77% of Common App users submitted test scores last year. As discussed in a previous blog post, the pandemic [...]
It's the time of year when high school seniors who applied to college regular decision are starting to receive admissions decisions. Of course, the outcome everyone hopes for -- especially when it comes to their first-choice school -- is an acceptance, and the one they dread is a denial. But [...]
A few days ago, I was telling my parents that some of my seniors likely will have to decide which college they're going to attend without having visited, as the pandemic has upended college visits for the past year. My dad commented that he didn't visit any colleges before deciding [...]
Although the 2020-2021 college admissions cycle is far from over, we can learn a great deal about the pandemic's effects on admissions from early action and early decision outcomes. Consider the following: Applications to highly selective colleges increased significantly: early applications were up 22% at Brown, 38% at Yale, 49% [...]
I am currently reading David and Goliath by Malcolm Gladwell. The premise of the book is that disadvantages might actually be advantages, that people who are considered underdogs may in fact have the greatest chance for success, and that obstacles might really be opportunities. One section of the book focuses [...]
I recently participated in an interview with The University Network, in which I discussed the role college interviews play in the admissions process and offered tips on preparing for such interviews. You can watch a video of my interview and read a transcript of it here.
Countless businesses have been negatively affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, and colleges are no exception. In addition to all the "normal" considerations that students and parents have when it comes to choosing a college, an additional factor this year is whether colleges are financially stable and if they are at [...]
Recently, several high school juniors and their parents have asked me whether they should prepare for and take the ACT and/or SAT. As described in another blog post, due to COVID-19, multiple test dates were canceled during the spring and summer, leading more colleges than ever before to become test-optional. [...]
Guest blog post by Charlotte Hamilton “Have you ever thought about applying to a women’s college?” My high school counselor asked me this during a meeting about my college search, over twenty years ago. In fact, I had never once thought of applying to a women’s college. Going as far [...]
The college admissions process has always been stressful: after spending 3+ years working to get the best grades possible, participating in activities, pursuing leadership positions and other achievements, and studying for standardized tests, students have to figure out how to communicate all of their accomplishments to people they may have [...]
