5 Things High School Juniors Need To Know About College Admissions

December is a critical month for high school students. For seniors, December is when they start receiving admissions decisions from colleges for Early Action/Early Decision applications. While December marks the end of a long period of work for seniors, it marks the beginning of an important period in the life of your junior.

I sent the following email to all my juniors and am sharing this with you so that you can be prepared as your own student begins to journey down this road.

Senior year will be fun, but it will also be hard. This catches some students off guard. You will be taking some of your hardest classes AND celebrating a lot of "lasts": your last first day of high school, last Homecoming dance, last football game, etc. There will be a lot of things competing with your goal to get your applications and essays done. And you will be doing this with some uncertainty because we do not yet know what restrictions we will be under for COVID. Regardless, one thing is certain: you will be applying to college, and there will be deadlines, so plan ahead. I recommend students complete all applications, regardless of deadline, by Thanksgiving, which is November 25, 2021 (mark your calendar!).

What's the best way to reach that Thanksgiving goal? Here are three tips, straight from my current seniors:

1. Start early - the earlier you do the work, the easier the road ahead will be

2. Divide the work into chunks - Do you know how to eat an elephant? One bite at a time. If you can do some work each month between now and next November, you will be less stressed and more able to enjoy your senior year activities. I suggest setting aside a regular time each week to work on your college assignments.

3. Stay connected - to your high school counselor, to your teachers and to your independent educational consultant, if you are using one. Each of these people will play a critical role in keeping you on track so read the emails they send you, be active in class and look for opportunities to share your plans with them.

Here is what you can expect over the next few months:

• Testing plan - by now, you should know which test is best for you (ACT or SAT) and you should have registered to take that test three times between now and the end of junior year. I know many test dates have been canceled due to COVID, so it’s a good idea to keep track of your registrations to share this with your colleges on the application. Follow me on Facebook as I will share information about which colleges will be extending their test-optional or test-blind policies to the class of 2022.

• College Criteria - by December, you should have an idea of what you want and need in a college experience, begin researching colleges, AND have a plan to visit some schools (virtually!) to firm up these criteria.

• Major - by January/February, you should have a good idea of what academic subject interests you most and how you might learn more between now and senior year through an internship, job, research project, or other activity.

• College List - by March/April, you should have a fairly solid list of colleges that you are interested in applying to (and be able to say why)

• Application/Essay Preparation - by May, you should have all your high school materials gathered and begin to work on applications and essays by doing some preliminary writing; you also will have identified two teachers to ask for recommendations before school is out.

• Application/Essay Execution - during the summer, you will identify how many applications you will complete, how many essays need to be written, and how you will get that work accomplished by that Thanksgiving deadline.

If you stay organized and have put in the work during your junior year, senior year will go much more smoothly.

To set up a free consultation to learn more about my process and how it might benefit you or your student, click here.

Important News for Rising 2021 Seniors (& their parents)

Happy 4th of July! While we celebrate our independence, COVID-19 continues to cause disruptions to the college admissions landscape, as it has with all other aspects of life. News comes out daily about fall plans at institutions across the country, but with the ever-changing landscape, any updates are usually out-of-date even as they are published. Here are the answers to questions I am asked on a regular basis. I hope you find them helpful and useful in planning your summer with your student.

What do I need to know as my student heads into senior year?

Most colleges will NOT require test scores for admissions, including the California State University and the University of California systems. For a full list of institutions and their current policies (it's expanding daily), use this link. 

Thank goodness for this, as many students have yet to take the ACT or SAT for the first time. I recommend, though, as least trying to take one or the other, if and when students can, as many colleges for now are still planning to use tests for awarding merit scholarships.

AP test results will be available beginning July 15. For specific information on score release, click here.

And there's more good news, as some colleges have announced that they will accept any score for college credit (and even give credit to students who didn't or weren't able to take an AP test.)

Colleges will be understanding with the lack of letter grades, participation in extracurricular activities or meaningful instruction for the spring semester of 2020. 

There will be a question on the college application asking for information on how COVID-19 and its restrictions have impacted your student. All students should answer this prompt - please contact me if you have questions about this.

Colleges are beginning to announce changes to their admissions timeline; many schools are considering something like what Princeton has announced - one deadline, slightly later. Read more here.

While this may sound like good news, I highly recommend that students complete their applications and essays before Thanksgiving, regardless of application deadlines. Trying to finish applications over the holidays creates more stress between you and your student and generally produces poorer quality essays.

What should my student be doing now to make sure all deadlines are met?

July is a critical month for rising seniors because it is the last month of preparation before students enter the execution phase. On August 1, colleges will publish their additional essay requirements and application questions for the class of 2021. Ideally, students need to have their college list finalized by August 1 so that they can build a workable timeline and plan to attack these essays and college-specific questions.

By now, your student should have 

• chosen and confirmed a major of interest or general area of study 

• established a list of college search criteria, including financial parameters

• confirmed at least two teachers willing to write a recommendation

and should be in the process of

• finalizing the college list (by August 1)

• completing a resume and list of activities/accomplishments

The next steps are

• brainstorming topics for the personal statement

• determining how many applications are required

• completing all basic sections of the application(s)

If you are not sure where your student is on their tasks or if you have questions about how to accomplish these steps, please contact me. 

Is it too late for me to get help for my student?

Absolutely not. As a college planning coach, I work with students at all stages. I prefer to start working with students before they've developed their list, as I get a better sense of the student's strengths and needs and can be most effective then, but if my workload allows, I often take on students in the summer before senior year, or when needed, after senior year begins. I can provide support for essay brainstorming and development, timeline and deadline management, college list research and balancing and essay review, among other things. And referrals are always appreciated.

Recently, I introduced the first in a series of individual mini-sessions geared to each step in the process, to accommodate students who prefer to work in short bursts or for families who do not want or need more comprehensive support:

• How to Build a College List - a 2-part series, live now, registration information available here

• The Common Application - available beginning July 10

• The University of California Application - available after August 1, when the application opens

• How to write your Common Application essay - available beginning July 10

• How to write your Four UC Personal Insight Questions - available beginning July 10

Please contact me with any questions or if you know of someone who would like support for their rising senior. That's why I'm here!

Advice for Sophomores & Juniors re COVID-19

Whenever I am stressed or things around me are uncertain, I rely on two things for clarity: FACTS and ACTION. The coronavirus has thrown a monkey wrench into things; here is what you need to know and what steps you can take to cope, move forward and yes, even thrive. 

Testing

In addition to affecting your school schedule, the coronavirus has also impacted SAT and ACT test dates. See below for announcements from these organizations. If you were/are registered for a canceled or rescheduled test date, you should receive communication directly from the testing agency regarding next steps and options. Your best course of action is to register NOW for upcoming tests. There is good news: there are still several test dates on the calendar that will work for students and more and more colleges are moving to “test optional” decisions.  Overall, it’s likely colleges will be flexible in the upcoming admissions season given the disruption the virus has caused.

• May 2 SAT cancellation announcement

• April ACT reschedule announcement

For now, there have been no changes to the schedule for AP testing, but the College Board is considering in-home testing and other changes so that students can continue learning and test. Here is the latest news on AP testing: https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/about-ap/news-changes/coronavirus-update.  Students should check email regularly for any additional updates.

High School Classes & College Planning

Many of you are now doing online school, some for the first time. While it might feel odd, I’m thankful that many of you can continue classes at home. This will at least help you keep some sense of routine, which is helpful during a crisis like this. But will being out of school affect your journey to college? The short answer is, we don’t yet know exactly what will happen, but remember that this is affecting EVERYONE, including colleges and their admissions staffs. Colleges won’t hold against you anything that is out of your control - but they WILL hold you accountable for things that you CAN control. 

Things you can control:

• How you use your time during this period

• The choices you make 

• Your level of effort

• Your attitude

So, what to do?

1. Keep up with your studies. If you find it challenging, connect with your friends, teachers, and counselor (virtually of course) for support.

2. Stay current with your college planning & assignments. Have you finished your YouScience assessment (or do you know what you do well and what your career interests are)? How’s your research going on what majors you find interesting? Have you come up with your top 10 criteria for your college search? How’s your college research coming? There are lots of steps still to come in your college journey and now is a great time to make some progress. If you’re not sure what you’re supposed to be working on, reach out and ASK me (or your high school counselor if you’re not a client).

3. Teacher relationships: This spring, juniors will ask at least two teachers to write letters of recommendation for them. Your teachers are available now like never before; reach out to them and engage with them. Ask questions. Teachers can be a lot less intimidating online than in person!

4. Practice: Even though SAT and ACT test dates might be up in the air, use this extra time to prepare. Take practice tests. Use online resources to prepare, including Khan Academy.

5. Stay connected: You may be physically isolated from your friends and classmates but here is where your digital life will work for you. Reach out to friends and share what’s happening with you. We were created to be social beings so make sure you are feeding that need.

6. Explore: You might find that you have some free time on your hands now that your activities are limited. What to do? Here are some suggestions:

• Ivy League college courses you can take now for free

• Go to YouTube, type in “tutorial” or “how to” and learn how to do something 

• Call a distant family member

• Reread a favorite book(s) from your childhood

• Find an Excel tutorial. Knowing advanced Excel functions (VLOOKUPs, Pivot tables) is a huge resume booster and no one learns them, for the most part, until they start work. You’ll be way ahead of the game.

• Learn something through online classes: MOOCs from EdX, MIT Open Courseware, Saylor, Coursera, Open Culture, Outschool, and or get a Google Cloud certification in G Suite. 

• Find an online discussion group like Brave Writer, which has some cool movie discussion groups for high schoolers (though those aren't free)

• Read books (especially literature). It’s good for your college applications and your brain!

• Watch Ted Talks.

• Watch films on the American Film Institute’s Top 100 List (The Criterion Collection is available for streaming). 

• Learn to code through Udacity.

• Take a virtual museum tour. 

• Develop fundamental life skills, like cooking, cleaning, doing the laundry, financial literacy, sewing, ironing – all of those things that you’re going to learn in a crash course in your first year of college!

• Pick up old hobbies you haven’t had time for once you started high school. Drawing, painting, or playing chess or Scrabble are great places to start. 

• Start a new hobby: grow a hydroponic vegetable garden, build an aquarium, organize your room like Marie Kondo, or develop an app. 

• Write! Did you know that many of our world’s greatest works came out of enforced “social distancing”? Look at Nicolò Machiavelli, Sir Isaac Newton, Dante Alighieri, Ernest Hemingway, Victor Hugo, Albert Einstein, and many, many more greats!

• Create a YouTube channel showcasing your hidden talent.

• Go for a walk in nature.

• Learn how to meditate.

• Build a Rube Goldberg Machine that opens the front gate for the postman.

• Watch a Broadway play

• Other good suggestions Social distancing doesn’t have to doom your weekends - CNN article

And finally, one of my favorite suggestions: keep a journal. Writing has many benefits, including improving your writing, spelling, and grammar, relieving stress, boosting memory and inspiring creativity. It is also very likely that the coronavirus and its aftermath will be the topic of some college supplemental essay prompts, so this is a great time to collect your thoughts and impressions.

Looking for topics to get you started? Here are some thoughts and the positive qualities that you can demonstrate with your answers:

Creativity - what problems have you encountered since COVID-19 started? What solutions have found to those problems?

Resilience - What lessons are you learning from this situation? How will those be useful to you in the future?

Service - What challenges do you see others facing? How can you help them?

Curiosity - What do you think could have been handled differently in facing this challenge? What do you want to know more about?

The bottom line: do SOMETHING. Staying engaged is critical to your mental health and well-being and has the added benefit of being something you can talk about in your college applications, interviews and beyond.

Meetings

The CollegeMadeClear office is open during this time but ALL meetings will be held by Zoom videoconference until further notice. Please choose this option when scheduling your meeting. Contact me here if you would like guidance for your student.

This virus (and its aftermath) are unprecedented but it doesn’t define you - it’s what YOU do in response that is what matters.  I’m here to help you weather this storm. Contact me if you have any questions.

Stay calm and stay CLEAR!

Anne

Advice for Seniors re COVID-19

Whew, it’s been an interesting couple of weeks, hasn’t it? Well, whenever I am stressed or things are uncertain, two things help to keep me on track: FACTS and ACTION. The Coronavirus has caused a great deal of disruption; here is what you need to know and steps you can take.

Admissions Decisions

May 1 has traditionally been considered the deadline for students to commit to the college of their choice. Many colleges have extended this deadline to June 1; the situation is fluid as colleges respond and developments continue.

If you haven’t yet heard from colleges on your list, try to be patient. Admissions officers are doing their best to make decisions and communicate them by April 1.

If you’ve heard from colleges, but have yet to make a decision, unfortunately, most college campuses are now closed to visitors and tours are no longer possible. Here are some alternative ways to get the information you need to make your decision:

• Watch videos on Campus Reel on your College Made Clear account to hear from students and tour campuses virtually (if you are not a CollegeMadeClear client, you can find Campus Reel here)

• Contact colleges and ask to be connected with a current student to ask questions

• Check out the college through its YouTube channel, LinkedIn page or social media presence.

• Use these virtual resources: YouVisit, CampusTours and this list of virtual college visit options (colleges are adding to it daily)

• Reach out to your Admissions Officer directly to ask any questions you have; many are available and offering to speak one-on-one through videoconference or by phone

• Review your original “top ten” list of needs. Is it still accurate? Which colleges address each need most completely?

• Check your portal for email regarding any change in decision deadlines

• You may also find these resources helpful to provide some perspective: How to make college decisions when campuses are closed - NYTimes article and ​How COVID-19 will affect the 2020 Admissions Cycle - Forbes article

If you have made your decision, now’s the time to:

• Let other colleges know

• Check your portal for news about admitted student events; many have been canceled or moved to an online format

• Stay focused on your studies. Engaging in your coursework will not only give you something to do but colleges still want to see your second semester grades; show them you can persevere through challenging times.

Testing

While some current and future SAT and ACT test dates have been canceled or rescheduled, these generally don't affect most seniors. No announcement has been made yet about AP tests. Here is the latest news https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/about-ap/news-changes/coronavirus-update and as I am notified, I will let you know.

Wherever you are in the process, try to be patient, check your college portals frequently and reach out  to a trusted friend or adult if you need to talk it over or just vent.

Hang in there - the Coronavirus does not define you and soon, we will be looking at this situation through the rear view mirror.

Keep calm and stay CLEAR!

PSAT - What You Need To Know

This month most high school students received PSAT standardized test results. As for the test, here's what you need to know:

1) These test results are a fairly good indicator of the score your student can expect on the SAT (assuming no additional preparation). However, each section (Evidence-Based Reading/Writing and Math) uses a scale of 160 to 760, so it's not a direct comparison. The highest score a student can get on the PSAT is 1520. (Score ranges for the official SAT will be from 200 to 800, though with a maximum score of 1600.)

2) PSAT scores are not used by colleges to determine admissions; they are aimed at providing students with practice for future testing. Colleges will NOT see these scores.

3) These scores will provide your student information on how they stack up against their peers across the country. This information can often be motivating for students to put more effort into their studies.

You may find this article helpful: http://www.ibtimes.com/psat-scores-2016-how-find-results-online-understand-them-2433963

Next steps:

Your student's score report will provide exhaustive detail on which questions were answered correctly (or not), the degree of difficulty of each question, and which areas might require additional attention. Please take advantage of the free (PSAT/SAT only) test preparation provided through Khan Academy; your student can link his/her test results directly to free customized prep with Khan. Information is included in your test report. Contact me if you have questions or follow this link. https://www.khanacademy.org/sat

If your student is a freshman, there is no action to take other than to encourage your student to continue to take the most rigorous coursework possible while still maintaining high marks. At some high schools, depending on your student's score, he/she may be contacted by the school about participating in targeted test prep; some high-potential students are receiving this kind of enhanced assistance. Contact me or your student's guidance counselor if you would like further information.

If your student is a sophomore, now is the time to consider taking a full-length practice ACT and SAT (if this hasn't already happened). I can then compare these results to help determine which test will benefit your student the most come junior year. Contact me for more information.

If your student is a junior and hasn't yet taken full-length practice ACT and SAT tests, do it NOW. Colleges accept both and now is the time to determine which test best suits your student. Your student should then plan to take his/her preferred test at least two times before the end of junior year. The first test can be done after general preparation or no preparation; after the first test, I recommend targeted test preparation to augment the low scoring areas prior to test #2. Please contact me ASAP to get access to free practice tests and to receive a full test plan.

If your student is a junior and has taken full-length practice ACT and SAT tests, now is the time to identify your student's preferred test and schedule testing. Remember that students will be taking AP tests in early May and may have other scheduling issues so examine all test dates closely. Over the holidays is a perfect time to review calendars and identify best times/dates for testing to lock in now. Find the test dates and registration information below:

AP Testing - http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/public/exam/dates_fees/index.html

ACT Testing - https://www.act.org/content/act/en/products-and-services/the-act/registration.html

SAT Testing - https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/sat/register/dates-deadlines

If you have any questions about the PSAT, your student's score report, or test plans, don't hesitate to contact me.