Rumors are circling and the internet is again buzzing with controversy about the August 25, 2018 SAT Reasoning Test. The College Board is accused of “recycling” the August 2018 SAT from a test or practice test given in China and South Korea in October 2017. A recently deactivated Reddit thread posted an answer…
Tag: High school junior
How Dr. Seuss Helps In Writing the “Perfect” College Essay
For all the college essay writers who believe that crafting their statements will be done in one (maybe two) drafts, take heed of Dr. Seuss’ (AKA Ted Geisel) experience on the painstaking care author’s take while ushering, shaping, crafting and editing their story until just right. From the Publishers’ Notes at the end of “What…
Ever Wonder Why The Dollars in Your Pocket Are Less?
Wonder no longer…
The Latest Iteration of Innovation for the High School Junior
Not every 16 year old (an American equivalent of a high school junior), both internationally and in the United States, has the same college planning needs. So, at Creative Marbles, we offer three different levels of support to assist families who are seeking individualized college admissions plans, in the year before most students submit undergraduate…
NO SAT!?! NO ACT!?! UChicago’s Curve Ball
Testing is not the be-all and the end-all, said James G. Nondorf, U-Chicago’s dean of admissions and financial aid. He said he didn’t want “one little test score” to end up “scaring students off” who are otherwise qualified. From The Washington Post, June 14, 2018 On June 14, 2018, the University of Chicago’s John W.…
College Application or Marriage Proposal?
Applying to college isn’t simple. Metaphorically, choosing a college can be like an arranged marriage—parents are involved in the choosing process, lifelong expectations are being weighted and future prosperity is being forecasted. “Dowries” are paid in the form of tuition, room and board, books etc. Students seek a college that’s the “right fit“, dating…
The Junior Dilemma
Right about now, junior parents’ anxieties about college applications begin rising. Thus, they begin asking, imploring, nagging, begging, commanding their 16 or 17 year old teenager to discuss the details of their college plans. However, juniors may resist their parents’ attempts to initiate conversation about their futures—mostly demonstrated by not applying for summer programs, not…
Only 2.43% Made the Cut
By definition, “highly selective college admissions” means more applicants denied than accepted. Harvard’s admissions results put the exclamation mark on the above statement. 98% or 40,003 people, a combination of “36,119 regular decision applicants, plus the 4,882 students deferred in the early action process” were denied admissions for Fall 2018. And, before assuming that applying Early…
College Admissions Decisions: The Troll Underneath the Bridge or The Gateway to Oz
As college admissions decisions are delivered to email and postal mail boxes all over the world, the decisions can seem to either validate or condemn a lifetime’s efforts. However, just as in Justice: What’s the Right Thing to Do, where Harvard Professor Michael Sandel hypothesizes a straightforward college acceptance letter, the truth can be more layered: In…
A River Runs Through It
The late winter run-off from 12 years of school melting during the latter half of a high school senior year can create an emotional flood. A confluence of Senioritis and waiting for college admissions responses quickly overruns the levees built during a senior’s youth-limited life experience. Seniors decry, “When will I hear from colleges?” or…
What If’s?
The What If’s seem more than the I Know’s when applying to college. While teens are the ones applying to college, parents have their own unique doubts, as they watch from the sidelines while their seniors complete college applications. Work colleagues who often share their opinions about college can further fuel parents’ second-guessing. But, just…
Carpe Diem
From the Business Insider, an interview with Mr. [Jeff] Bezos about choosing “service and adventure” over “ease and comfort”. “Bezos said everyone has two options for creating their “life story.” Either you go for a life of “ease and comfort” or a life of “service and adventure.” Bezos is clear about which is the right…
Guest Post: The Meritocracy-Diversity Divide
Affirmative action policies could use closer scrutiny—but don’t lose sight of their benefits. AFFIRMATIVE ACTION is an increasingly rare sort of debate, the kind where both sides present a valid analysis of a complex and thorny issue. This is not always the case. On climate change, the left is reacting to a real, imminent problem,…
The Final Lap
California’s high school seniors (and increasingly non-Californian high school seniors) will be eating turkey, yams and mashed potatoes and gravy in the glow of a computer screen, as they complete their University of California (UC) applications. Any parent who believes that Thanksgiving will be an incentive to finish college applications early will be sorely disappointed. In fifteen…
In the Midst of College Admissions, Brilliance is Born
The Daily Academic Dilemma Director: Surya Sundararajan with an assist from Hubbubbaloo Creative