THE PSAT IS COMING Juniors are in the spotlight this week. Most will be taking the PSAT in school on Wednesday, October 12th. Personally, I am a big fan of the PSAT. First, it gives you an opportunity to experience a standardized test without all the usual pressure. Your score is not sent to colleges,… Continue reading NEWSLETTER – Edition 89
SAY 'YES' TO EXPLORING COLLEGES A friend invited me to visit her college alma mater and I enthusiastically said, “YES!” I just got back from a weekend visit to West Virginia University, home of the Mountaineers - and I had a wonderful time. It was a nice reminder of the advice I give students during… Continue reading NEWSLETTER – Edition 88
SHOULD 'YIELD' IMPACT HOW YOU APPLY TO COLLEGE? I’ve quoted Jeff Selingo on more than one occasion in this weekly newsletter. He’s the New York Times best-selling author of Who Gets In and Why? And when it comes to reporting on education trends, he’s definitely one to follow. He recently published a newsletter article about ‘yield’ and how it… Continue reading NEWSLETTER – Edition 87
4 STATS to Understand While Researching Colleges It’s the end of August and you’re in the middle of researching colleges. You’ve looked at acceptance rates as well as the percentage of students who receive financial aid. But have you taken a moment to consider these key statistics: 1 - Percentage of applicants who do and… Continue reading NEWSLETTER – Edition 86
College Buzzword of the Day: AUTHENTIC The Class of 2023 is currently immersed in writing the dreaded “personal essay.” Dreaded because instead of being proud of who they are, students often feel pressure to manufacture exceptionalism. College admissions officers say they are looking for authenticity, but students are unsure of how to deliver that narrative.… Continue reading NEWSLETTER – Edition 85
AVERAGE TIME = 11 MINUTES Last week I reported that according to a 2020 study by Adobe, 29 hours is the average time a student spends preparing his/her college application and essays. The same study reports that a college admissions officer spends an average of 11 minutes looking at each student's application. 11 minutes. After… Continue reading NEWSLETTER – Edition 84
29 HOURS The Common App is open and the Class of 2023 is working on all the aspects of preparing college applications. It seems like a good time to remind you about a 2020 study by Adobe. It reported that '29 hours' is the average time a student spends preparing his/her college application and essays.… Continue reading NEWSLETTER – Edition 83
COMMON APP IS OPEN! For the Class of 2023, the season of college admissions has officially begun. Yesterday, the Common Application - also known as the Common App - opened. And using this time before school starts is ideal for addressing the basics. For instance: 🔹 Go to CommonApp.org and click on the "Start your application" button… Continue reading NEWSLETTER – Edition 82
THE COLLEGE ESSAY Application season is less than a week away - which means that the college essay is already top of mind for many rising seniors. With admissions trends moving toward holistic reviews and away from standardized tests, the personal essay has become a more critical piece of the overall application. And yet, seniors… Continue reading NEWSLETTER – Edition 81
DOG DAYS OF SUMMER In OKC, we're expecting a temp of 111 degrees today. How is that possible? It’s certainly that time of year. Everyone is complaining about the heat – including me. But the heat is actually a good conversation starter with my students: Does the weather impact where you want to go to… Continue reading NEWSLETTER – Edition 80
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