“If I could bubble wrap them, I’d do that,” said Pavanish Nirula, of San Jose, whose 15-year-old daughter will be starting 11th grade this fall, while his 17-year-old son goes off to college. EdSource June 29, 2020 In conversations I’ve had with parents of late regarding the upcoming school year, they have echoed Mr. Nirula’s…
Tag: COVID-19
CAUTION: Disruption Dead Ahead
Soon-to-be Class of 2021 college applicants are delayed in engaging the college admissions process as it was defined pre-March 2020. With cancelled SAT and ACT tests this past spring, closed high schools and college campuses, no sports games sidelines or Science Olympiad stands where parents can congregate and share notes about college admissions, fewer high…
Higher Ed Management Crisis in Time of COVID-19
The 2020-21 school year plans of 1075 colleges, almost a third of all colleges in the US, as compiled by The Chronicle of Higher Education While the pandemic shows no sign of abating, increasingly college administrators are wrangling with how to maintain the efficacy of their institutions in a time of crisis. As crowded school…
College Interrupted
Although statistically the young have proven not to be affected medically by COVID-19 like more vulnerable populations of all ages with pre-existing conditions as well as those over the age of 50, doesn’t mean they have no risk of serious health consequences. Yet, knowing college-aged students can spread the virus to others at greater risk…
College Modified
College administrators are proposing two scenarios for the 2020-21 school year, first, a hybrid model of modified residential on-campus living + online instruction + limited in-person instruction and secondly, continuing distance learning with no on-campus residency. With either model, students’ college experience is severely curtailed. Incoming UCLA freshmen, who are not able to acquire housing,…
Employment Conundrum
We’re officially in a recession, meaning GDP, or the total value of goods produced and services provided in the US during a single year has declined for two consecutive quarters. The world economy is expected to contract by 5.2% this year—the worst recession in 80 years—but the sheer number of countries suffering economic losses means…
Google in the Time of COVID-19
Google News engineers compiled the latest news, statistics, and trends for locations throughout the globe in one convenient place for families to stay up-to-date regarding the on-going coronavirus (COVID-19) induced health crisis especially if their children are attending college away from home only adding to the need to know. Check out the site: Coronavirus (COVID-19)…
SAT & ACT In Flux
Like Bart Simpson above, college applicants typically are nervous about taking tests, yet with the lingering pandemic, their anxieties may be more complex. Both the ACT and The College Board added testing opportunities, beyond the usual test schedule, to compensate for cancelled Spring 2020 tests. Between July and December 2020, the ACT will be offered…
Prosperity in doubt
As reported in a study by NORC (National Opinion Research Center) at the University of Chicago: Optimism for the future generation has also fallen. In the wake of the outbreak, only 42% believe that when their children are their age their standard of living will be better than their own, whereas 57% said the same…
The Ivy League Goes Test-Optional…Almost
Following both Brown’s and Yale’s test-optional announcements, yesterday evening, June 15, Harvard became the seventh Ivy League college to suspend the requirement of SAT and ACT scores for Fall 2021 first year applicants. Why is Princeton, as the last remaining Ivy League, still requiring standardized test scores for Fall 2021 first year applicants? Since the…
Phased Return to Educational Normalcy
Leaders in the California Department of Education are proposing to reopen schools in phases, by grade level with elementary school students and teachers returning to campuses first. Elementary school students constitute the greatest number of K-12 students and the greatest percentage of schools in California, so prioritizing their return to school will serve the most…
Put Down Your #2 Pencils, The University of California Eliminates SAT/ACT Scores: Part 3
As part of a series of posts, I’ll analyze each of the University of California’s (UC) 14 Comprehensive Review factors which admissions officers will apply to select their incoming first year and transfer classes. The first post can be reviewed here, and in this second post, the following factor will be examined: Number of, content…
Plan to be flexible
As civic leaders seek to revitalize economic activity yet not at the cost of public health, many families are uncertain how to plan for the next school year to ensure continuity in their children’s learning. Adding complexity, on Wednesday, June 10, 2020 Senator Lamar Alexander also stated: Schools should plan for COVID to last at…
Teenage Unemployment Blues
Many high school and college students, who are normally camp counselors, are unemployed as many in-person and residential summer programs were cancelled. While a financial deficit for many students in the short term, cascading consequences may also affect students’ prosperity in the long term. On May 24, Patrick Thomas of The Wall Street Journal wrote…
Test-Optional Admissions for Four Ivy League Colleges
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…