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Harvard recently rescinded admission offers for some incoming freshmen who participated in a private Facebook group sharing offensive memes.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
Early Action and Early Decision: understand the difference
September 18th, 2018Is your heart set on one particular college? Should you apply Early (note the capital “E”) to signal your devotion?
Our last blog post focused on demonstrated interest. Applying Early Action or Early Decision certainly allows colleges to see your level of interest in attending. Many colleges admit Early Action and Early Decision candidates at higher rates than we see in the Regular Decision pool.
Applying Early Action involves no risk for the applicant. It simply moves the deadline to an earlier date, typically November 1, and applicants receive admission decisions well ahead of Regular Decision timetables. We believe that Early Action programs without strings are wonderful pathways for applications.
In contrast, Early Decision is binding. This is an enormous commitment and you must be 110% certain that this is where you would like to enroll. As with Early Action, the accelerated timetable allows for a much earlier decision to be returned, typically ahead of winter break. If you’re certain about wanting to enroll, this is a great pathway … but if you worry that you might look back in March and wish your other applications were still active, then it’s the wrong choice.
(Interesting aside: Early Decision is even making its way into the boarding school world!)
A small number of extraordinarily selective colleges offer their own twist on Early Action, called Restrictive Early Action or Single Choice Early Action. In these cases, students may not simultaneously apply for Early Decision elsewhere and in some cases, they may not even apply Early Action at other private schools. Make sure that you’re reading the fine print when going this route.
Would you like to learn more about the difference between Early Action and Early Decision? The article linked below from CNBC highlights exactly what you need to know to make your best choice.
Article referenced below published on November 1, 2017 by CNBC, written by Abigail Hess
This month, thousands of high school students will submit early action (EA) and early decision (ED) applications to colleges.
The deadlines for these types of applications are typically between November 1st and November 15th. Applying early action or early decision each have their benefits, but they’re very different.
“Most people pair early action and early decision because of shared deadlines, but I find that the only similarity between the two is the timeline,” says Ian Fisher, director of educational counseling at educational advising firm College Coach.
“EA is actually much more similar to regular decision, both in terms of the competitiveness of the pool and the freedom to choose from among a range of options once they’ve been admitted.”
Read more at CNBC >>
Tagged: Applications, Boarding school, College, Early action, Early decision, High school
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
Meet a new generation of doers
August 21st, 2018In today’s world, more and more youth use the power of their voice to make a difference and we are always happy to see these outstanding young people highlighted in the media. One way local Kentucky students are sharing their collective voice is through the Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence’s Student Voice Team. This organization gives students the opportunity to make a difference in Kentucky schools across the Commonwealth. And are they ever making an impact!
One small idea can have a huge impact as long as hard work and ambition go along with it. In today’s article from Family Circle we share 5 amazing teens who are making a difference in the lives of people around them. We hope this article inspires each of you to believe in your ideas and use your talents to make an impact in this world.
Article referenced below from Family Circle
Published by John Hanc
“Ready, set, pitch!” Seventy high school and college students come to life in a conference room at New York University. Facing them in an outer ring of chairs are adults—a cross-section of government officials, foundation board members and other deep-pocketed notables from the worlds of social service and philanthropy. They will soon vote and award three students $1,000 each to fund their projects.
This is “Speed Pitch,” the culmination of DoSomething.org’s Social Action Boot Camp, which aims to inspire, empower and celebrate young people who are passionate about community service. Throughout the daylong conference, students have shared and sharpened their ideas of social reform; this is their final opportunity to present them to people of power. Each teen came with a plan for a nonprofit project, like creating a cheerleading squad for special-needs students or crafting homemade gifts for children in local hospitals. As the students deliver their two-minute speeches, the experts listen and offer advice. When a facilitator calls, “Time’s up!” the teens move one seat over and start the pitching process again. Think of it as speed dating for social causes.
Read more at Family Circle >>
Tagged: College, High school, Personal characteristics, volunteer
