How to handle Uncle Bob and Aunt Bertha during the holidays
November 27th, 2018Navigating through holiday social events while keeping track of application deadlines, topped with interrogations by family members about your future plans, can be a bit overwhelming. It’s a little bit like filling your plate with turkey, stuffing, vegetables and cranberry sauce and then trying to make room for the sweet potato casserole!
With Thanksgiving in the rearview mirror, now is a great time to reflect on conversations had with family and friends. And with the winter holidays quickly approaching it is important to find balance while remaining productive, enjoying some time off while continuing to check things off your “to-do” list.
The article we share below has many great tips and tricks to help guide you through the rest of the holiday season. December is a month when many students will hear the outcome of Early Decision and Early Action applications and for seniors, waiting can often be the hardest part of this process. Keeping busy and having a plan can help you through this time.
Article referenced below published on November 14, 2018 by Counselors’ Corner, written by Patrick O’Connor.
Tagged: Admission decision, Applications, College
Does your social media presence help you or harm you?
October 2nd, 2018Social media is a powerful platform and while it can be a great tool for networking, the disciplinary consequence of posting something inappropriate could be detrimental to your school or college admission prospects. Some colleges are using your social media “brand” as fair game when evaluating you for admission; perhaps boarding schools are doing the same. For that reason, application season is a great time to review your online presence. Consider your profile as a way to show the world your best self, beyond your test scores and grades.
In the article referenced below, Thao Nelson, a lecturer at Indiana University, writes an open letter to students discussing the importance of taking your future self into consideration when posting on social media. Colleges and schools want to enroll people who strengthen their student body, so “when in doubt, leave it out” is a great motto to consider before liking or posting online.
Article referenced below published by World Economic Forum, written by Thao Nelson
Dear Student,
Harvard recently rescinded admission offers for some incoming freshmen who participated in a private Facebook group sharing offensive memes. The incident has sparked a lot of discussion: Was Harvard’s decision justified? What about the First Amendment? Do young people know the dangers of social media?
I’m a business school lecturer, career services counselor and former recruiter, and I’ve seen how social media becomes part of a person’s brand – a brand that can help you or hurt you.
Tagged: Admission decision, Applications, Boarding school, College, Social media
Demonstrated interest: what’s it all about?
September 4th, 2018
Have you ever had to choose someone to help you with a project or become a member of your team, and found yourself leaning towards the person who shows more interest and dedication to the task?
Many colleges act the same way.
Assessing a student’s “demonstrated interest” has become one of the best ways to gauge an applicant’s likelihood of enrolling if admitted. We’ve discussed the importance of demonstrated interest in the past and we continue to encourage students to develop connections with admission counselors at colleges they’re considering seriously.
Demonstrated interest comes in many forms and is not restricted to campus visits. Web chats, information requests, even sending official test score reports can signal your interest to a college.
Many schools are looking for students to initiate contact with their admissions office. Seniors can demonstrate interest in the coming weeks by meeting with visiting college admission representatives in their schools and at locally-held gatherings, or emailing the admissions office to find out if and when they will be in the area. Juniors can do the same.
It’s important to note that not all colleges use demonstrated interest as a factor in admission decisions. Colleges offering admission to only a single-digit proportion of applicants, for example, do not generally encourage such contact. However, if a school strongly encourages campus visits or offers campus interviews, your level of interest will probably be taken into consideration. As always, it is important to be genuine in your communication with admission staff and be yourself.
Here’s a great article to tell you more.
Article referenced below published on May 21, 2018 by US News, written by Kelly Mae Ross
In addition to reviewing transcripts, essays and test scores, some college admissions officers look at whether prospective students have shown enthusiasm and curiosity about a school during the application process.
In the admissions world, this is what’s known as demonstrated interest.
In a 2017 report from the National Association for College Admission Counseling, 13.7 percent of colleges surveyed rated demonstrated interest as having considerable importance in freshman admissions decisions. Another 25.5 percent said it was of moderate importance.
Read more at US News >>
Tagged: Admission decision, College, Demonstrated interest
Are test-optional colleges more diverse?
May 14th, 2018As more colleges eliminate standardized tests from their admission requirements, the long-standing debate about whether test-optional schools provide more diversity on campus is still going strong. Studies have documented a correlation between family income and test performance. The higher the income, the more opportunities for test prep classes, which in turn increase scores. This typically leaves low income families, including many minority students, at a disadvantage.
Our experience shows that test scores do not always reflect a student’s strengths and abilities and we have a great appreciation for colleges that are test-optional, interested in understanding all facets of an applicant.
One significant question remains to be answered: does a test-optional admission policy really diversify a college campus? In today’s article from Inside Higher Ed, writer Scott Jaschik lays out all the evidence. After reviewing this article, what are your thoughts?
For a full list of schools that have a test-optional or flexible test policy, please visit www.fairtest.org.
Article referenced below published April 27, 2018 by Inside HigherEd
Each year, more colleges announce that they are ending requirements that applicants submit SAT and ACT scores — joining hundreds of others in the “test-optional” camp. Just this week, Augsburg University in Minnesota made such a shift. The university’s announcement said that the policy had strong faculty support and was seen as likely to boost the diversity of the student body. High school grades in college preparatory courses are the key to good admissions decisions, said officials there, just as their peers have said at many other institutions.
Read more at Inside HigherEd >>Tagged: ACT, Admission decision, College, High school, SAT
