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
CELEBRATING MILESTONES Last week, I was celebrating a major milestone: My oldest son got married! Grayson and Shelby married on the 4th of July, surrounded by a supportive group of family and friends. It was truly a wonderful celebration. Of course, I am excited to share that news … but I also want to tie… Continue reading NEWSLETTER – Edition 79
COLLEGE ADMISSIONS: BACK TO THE BASICS In the past couple of newsletters, I’ve written about the ways high school students might be spending their summers. In this week’s issue, I thought I would mention what I’ve been up to lately. In one word: READING. Specifically, I am going back to the basics with some of… Continue reading NEWSLETTER – Edition 78
FINDING A PASSION What are colleges looking for when they evaluate applications from high school students? One key attribute is “passionate involvement in a few activities that are meaningful.”If you are looking for a way to help your student explore his/her interests and connect in a meaningful way to his/her passions, I have a couple… Continue reading NEWSLETTER – Edition 77
Scout College Consulting 