On Wednesday, June 3, The College Board announced that the online, at-home SAT will not be available for Fall 2021: The College Board will pause on offering an at-home SAT this year because taking it would require three hours of uninterrupted, video-quality internet for each student, which can’t be guaranteed for all. After The College…
Category: Education
COVID-19 impacts Fall 2020 academics
As K-12 school administrators debate different options about how to re-open school campus doors to students and teachers in the fall, they are deferring to doctors and public health officials for guidance. So, families must decide, based on the most accurate information regarding the coronavirus outbreak they can acquire, what degree of risk they are…
Defining Life’s Purpose in 500 Words or Less
My advice to a high school senior or transfer student, who’s preparing to share their innermost thoughts with a perfect stranger (AKA a college admissions officer), as they draft college essays would be to consider the acclaimed author, Stephen King’s, view on writing: The most important things are the hardest to say. They are the…
International Academic Collaboration Under Siege
When students and professors from different countries collaborate, the quality of the university scholarship improves concomitantly. Yet, many international students, particularly Chinese students, are less sure if they can complete their studies at U.S. universities, given current travel bans and changes to U.S. foreign policy. …as President Trump’s confrontation with Beijing over trade and security makes pursuing…
Why risk malinvestment in college?
Another characterization of a college education, that might give students and parents pause to reflect on why they want to attend college is as follows: There is an amazing opportunity just waiting for you, and you can get in on the ground floor for only $120,000. If you act now, you will be virtually guaranteed…
Put Down Your #2 Pencils, The University of California Eliminates SAT/ACT Scores: Part 2
Since now first year University of California (UC) applicants are not required to submit SAT or ACT scores, many students ask, “What will ‘replace’ the missing information from test scores?” Yet, as Ms. Han Mi Yoon-Wu, UC Director of Undergraduate Admissions stated in her response to CMC’s Open Letter to the University of California: In…
Modern Adulthood
“Adulting” classes may likely be the byproduct of a generation raised by “Helicopter Parents”, parents who don’t encourage self-sufficiency as their kid matures. Many students’ sole responsibilities have been managing schoolwork and extracurriculars, punctuated with the occasional “clean your room”, yet rarely do students I advise have part-time jobs. And, until the shelter-in-place, when school…
The Commencement Wisdom Well
The excitement of those students on the cusp attending college is palpable. Yet, simultaneously, many are inventorying their lives, attempting to envision the next two, four, or maybe more years of college. Listening to past college graduation speeches helps incoming college students anticipate what’s ahead. Graduation speakers typically wax philosophically about their life experiences, offering…
Delayed Economic Vitality
As the Class of 2020 commences, into what economic state do they commence? As reported by Courtney Weaver in the Financial Times on May 28, 2020: With US unemployment at its highest level since the second world war and the country still grappling with the economic fallout of coronavirus, university graduates are watching start dates…
New COVID Related Questions on The Common App
In order for students to provide a complete and thorough summary of their achievements and qualifications for admissions, The Common Application added two new questions to the form. The Common Application is an online application utilized by almost 900 public and private universities across the US and internationally, which make applying to college more efficient…
The Quandry of Reopening Schools in a Pandemic
As school officials brainstorm ways to reconvene students and teachers in the school building, while living in the midst of a pandemic, educators add “montioring students’ health” to their primary mission of helping students learn. As such, students will also add “decontamination ritual” with “do your homework” as their “get ready for school” checklist. In…
Students Balk, Lawyers Talk
Currently, students at 25 different universities are suing for fees and tuition refunds. Students’ sentiments can generally be summized in the language of the Cornell students’ lawsuit: Students have been deprived of the opportunity for collaborative learning and in-person dialogue, feedback, and critique. The remote learning options are in no way the equivalent of the…
Dear College Applicant…
Ever wonder why college brochures seem to flood the mail box of high school students all over the nation? Wonder no longer. [The] College Board, which sells lists of high-school students’ names, ethnicities, parents’ education and approximate PSAT or SAT scores, at 47 cents a name. The Wall Street Journal, November 5, 2019 Over half…
Beyond Graduation
Although disappointing to not participate in the traditional celebratory graduations, for the Class of 2020, what are the opportunities as they commence into the next stage of their lives? The Class of 2020 graduates into a time where asking tough questions about the status quo is the norm. Many are asking, “What is normal?” We’ve…
Understanding “Why College?” Is More Important Than Ever
On May 11, administrators at Northwestern University, a 169 year old institution, ranked #9 National University according to US News & World Report with a $10.8 Billion endowment fund, announced expense reductions, including: furloughing 250 staff, halting hiring, suspending contributions to pensions, as well as cutting salaries for university administrators. For the second year in…