Choosing classes for the upcoming high school year is often fraught with questions, typically prioritizing how to meet and exceed the college admissions eligibility requirements: What’s the “right” number of Advanced Placement (AP), Honors and/or dual enrollment community college courses during one year to be competitive for college admissions? How do I balance managing the…
Each Spring Break, families pilgrimage to colleges reasoning that by visiting a college campus their teenagers will be motivated to select colleges. However, since many colleges are still conducting some classes online or not requiring in person attendance, in order to mitigate the on-going risks due to COVID, families may not experience students milling about…
On Friday, March 4, 2022, University of California, Berkeley admissions officers revised earlier estimates about reductions in enrollment from over 3000 students to 400 for Fall 2022, forecasting that most of the drop will impact graduate applicants. On March 3, 2022, the California Supreme Court did not grant a stay in the lower Superior Court’s…
With test optional/test free/test blind admissions policies, applicants (and their families) are empowered with choice how to present a student’s unique qualifications for admissions. Yet, like with any choice, being informed to choose responsibly is essential. First, as previously posted in What’s the difference between Test-Optional, Test-Blind, and Test-Free College Admissions Policies?, students must understand…
Since March 2020 and extending through May 1, 2022, payments and interest on all Federal education loans, both student loans and Parent PLUS loans have been suspended as parts of various COVID-related economic relief policies. Borrowers have not been obligated to send payments, and for anyone already behind in their payments, no additional penalties have…
Enrolling in college is a process, executed over a series of conversations, which increase in frequency starting during the Spring of Junior year and typically extends through the first semester of college, as teens and their families are seeking agreement about which college is most valuable. The more a family accepts that college admissions isn’t…
For at least one more application cycle, all Ivy League applicants will once again consider if they can demonstrate their aptitude with a standardized test score. Yale and Princeton admissions officers recently announced maintaining test optional admissions policies through Fall 2023, joining the rest of the Ivy League colleges, although with varying timeframes for the…
Often, through these past 24 months living a thoroughly disrupted modern life, retreating from large gatherings, trying to avoid the infection of a floating piece of RNA, we have glimpsed imperfect awareness in quiet moments, comparing life: pre-COVID and now during COVID, while impatiently anticipating post-COVID life, like wishing the microwave was faster. And, those…
Students applying to college worry about being denied admissions, a seeming failure at the end of a twelve year long competition in the modern academic meritocracy. They’re frustrated that no guarantees exist, despite being taught that everyone has equal opportunity to compete in the modern academic meritocracy. As Michael J. Sandel, Harvard professor, argues in…
Updated: March 23, 2022 In September 2021, Cornell University, one of the eight Ivy League colleges, announced the continuation of their test-optional/test-free admissions policy for Fall 2023 and 2024 first year admissions, affecting current Class of 2023 high school Juniors. Will the remainder of the Ivy League follow Cornell’s lead, extending test-optional policies for another…
Applying to college is complicated. Many believe their past laurels will merit an acceptance letter, yet often fret about distinguishing themselves from other similarly qualified candidates. Thus, when all the boxes of biographical information are completed, the heavy lifting of answering, “Who am I?” in 500 words or less begins. Yet, for many teens, self-reflection…
As of December 16, 2021, Harvard is the latest college to join the chorus of admissions officers extending test optional/test-blind/test-free admissions policies for at least the next Fall 2023 application cycle and often beyond. (Longstanding Harvard Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid William R. Fitzsimmons announced extending test-optional admissions policies for the next four years…
Yesterday, I discussed how changes to academic letter grades may impact students, educators and families with Aubrey Aquino of KFBK News Radio, here in Sacramento, CA. Some school district officials, like those in Sacramento City Unified School District, Oakland Unified School District and Los Angeles Unified School District, will no longer award D’s or F’s…
Now that the October 2021 PSAT is done, “Should I take the SAT/ACT or not?” is the refrain of Class of 2023 high school juniors and their parents. And, understandably so. While the University of California (UC) system, Cornell University and Stanford University are clear that current Class of 2023 juniors will not need to…
