The 2021-22 Common Application includes a new 650 word personal statement prompt, one of seven choices: Reflect on something that someone has done for you that has made you happy or thankful in a surprising way. How has this gratitude affected or motivated you? Bold emphasis added by CMC After analyzing the new prompt, a…
Tag: High school senior
It’s Decision Time Already for May 2022 Advanced Placement Exam Registration
A month into the current school year, and The College Board is already calling for students to determine if they’ll take Advanced Placement (AP) tests in May 2022. Thus, high school site-based AP Coordinators and teachers are asking students their intentions as well as sending parent emails asking for registration fees. Potential AP exam takers…
To Interview or Not That is The Question
Many private university admissions officers invite applicants to schedule an evaluative admissions interview before they apply. Typically, applicants need to complete interviews by December of any admissions cycle. However, students should check the deadlines for interviews on admissions websites. Admissions interviews are optional, meaning if a student cannot or does not schedule an interview, no…
Students Return to a COVID Constrained School
Now back on school campuses, many students grieve the lost 18 months. Freshmen returned as high school juniors, confronting adulthood. Seventh graders returned as high school freshmen, skipping their tweens. College sophomores returned to confront graduating into life. The “new normal,” for students is wearing masks all day, teachers simultaneously managing social distancing requirements and…
Seize the Day
Seize the day Plot a path A whole new way Embrace failure, learn from wrath Look around And just beyond Stay home or move afar Wherever you go, there you are Look for answers to questions And question the answers By seeking teachers Not creatures of comfort To discover a profound consciousness flow You must…
Supplemental Essays Matter: view from someone who matters, an admission officer
“A” students, who also happen to be college applicants, notoriously follow directions to the T. So, the lack of a rubric, standard, or other detailed set of directions for writing the college essays, beyond the confirmation bias of an acceptance letter is disconcerting to say the least. Seeking to reduce confusion, the following is an…
To Apply Early Or Not That Is The Question
“I’ll have a better chance of admission if I apply early, right?” is a popular question at this time of year, every year. Applicants, seeking any seeming advantage in the admissions process, believing the objective is winning a vaunted acceptance letter, can naively choose to apply during early admissions rounds. Groomed since Pre-K, many current…
A University of Washington Freshman reflects on the college admission essay writing process
Cara, an incoming first year University of Washington student and newly published college essay writer, recently shared the following advice for high school seniors about the college essay writing process. Cara’s Advice: Step away from the prompt. Remember: college essays are all about helping admissions learn more about you, beyond just being a student. Before…
Cost of College Continues to Outpace Consumer Price Inflation
According to the New York Federal Reserve Bank’s Survey of Consumer Expectations, since January 2021, respondents consistently predict rising college education expenses in the coming 12 months: 5.6% increase in January 2021, rising to a 6.1% increase in May 2021, and most recently in July 2021, even higher at a 7.5% rise. Whereas, just a…
LET THE COLLEGE FAIRS BEGIN!
As the season of college fairs, whether virtual or in person, commences, families should pause to craft a plan before the event. Reviewing the list of college admissions officers in attendance, then discriminately choosing which college representatives with whom to connect is prudent to maximize the benefit of the speed dating-like conditions of a college…
The New College Student Dilemma
Three tasks not likely a part of a standard College Move-In Checklist, yet are on every first year college student’s mind: Establish new community (i.e. make new friends), and how do I make new friends in COVID-related restrictions? Adjust to new, constantly evolving academic expectations “What am I going to be when I grow up?”…
Guest Post: 3 Easy steps to building healthy money habits with your children!
Although intended for families with younger children, Jessica Weaver’s advice to help kids become financially literate applies to teenagers as well. Inherent to financial literacy is defining one’s values, which is an essential tool for teens and families reduce the risk of college malinvestment. The other day I was squeezing in some work while sitting…
For those applying to Yale for Fall 2022, Whether to Use the Coalition or Common Application Is Up to You
Fall 2022 Coalition Application applicants to Yale have the opportunity to submit a “Digital Upload”—an audio file, video, image, or document the student produced along with a short written description of the creation. However, Common Application applicants do not have a similar “Digital Upload” option. Curious if the difference in the information submitted between the…
Discipline question on the Common App disappearing for Fall 2022 Admissions
First year college applicants using The Common Application will no longer be prompted to report any high school disciplinary infractions, starting with the Fall 2022 admissions cycle. Similarly, counselors will not be specifically prompted to report disciplinary actions in their letters of recommendation or School Report. The Common Application CEO Jenny Rickard reasons: Requiring students…
Dear Teachers Who Write Letters of Recommendation
Thank you for writing numerous letters every year, often an extra duty added to an already lengthy list of duties. When teaching, it took me a while to figure out how to write a letter of recommendation, piecing together advice from more veteran colleagues. So, having asked many different admissions officers about useful letters of…