Easy Does It

School district officials around the country are struggling to define how instruction will continue, and more importantly how students will be evaluated, given that school sites will be closed through the end of the school year. Some district administrators have decided to emulate the actions of many US colleges, and implement a Pass/No Pass grading…

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Potential Second Wave of COVID-19

At the end of March, Harvard researchers predicted that there may be a second wave of COVID-19 infections in Fall 2020. For millions of students and parents, researchers forecasts could mean further interruptions to their educational plans. Without intermittent social distancing, according to Harvard resesearchers, we risk, across the globe, continued epidemic outbreaks of COVID-19…

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Top 25 Nationally Ranked Universities Adopt Pass/No Pass-Style Grades for Spring 2020

To date, thirteen of the top twenty-five US News & World Report nationally ranked universities, all adopted Pass/No Pass-style grading systems for the spring term, due to the COVID-19 health crisis: Although Pass/No Pass is the default system at UC Berkeley, University of Pennsylvania, Brown, Princeton and Yale, students can still “opt-in” to be awarded…

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How COVID-19 may affect Fall 2020 college admissions waitlists

With so many unknowns, as the coronavirus rapidly spreads around the globe, admissions officers from around the US are sharing with Creative Marbles Consultancy they aren’t sure how to predict the enrollment for the incoming classes. Admissions officers are advising that waitlists may become even more vital to round out their incoming class, as they…

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An Open Letter to the University of California

Dear UC President Janet Napolitano, the UC Board of Regents, Chancellor Gary May, Chancellor Carol Christ, Chancellor Howard Gillman, Chancellor Nathan Bostrom, Chancellor Kim A. Wilcox, Chancellor Pradeep K. Khosla, Chancellor Harry T. Yang, Chancellor Cynthia K. Larive: In reviewing the University of California’s changes to admissions policies for Fall 2021 admissions, affecting current high…

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Extended Enrollment Deadlines For Incoming First Year College Students

May 1 is traditionally the national college enrollment deadline for newly admitted first year students. However, given the widespread closures of college campuses and economic uncertainty possibly affecting students’ confidence to enroll in college, many college admissions officers have extended their enrollment deadline to June 1. The following is a list compiled by ACCEPT: Admissions…

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College Online = Digital Instruction + Childhood Redux

In a recent interview with Ron Kroichick of the San Francisco Chronicle, I shared what one one second year college student now attempting to continue his studies in Northern California not in Boston, called a “bizarre” situation. Tens of thousands of other college students who also returned home from their college campuses are now experiencing:…

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The State of A College Education: How Golden Is The Golden Ticket? Part 3

In Parts 1 and 2, sentiment amongst college students and prospective college students may already be declining, which could be exacerbated even further, as we weather the current global pandemic with closed college campuses and students dispersed to their childhood homes. Additionally, the last of the Millennials are now college graduates, but experiencing a current…

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