Wrapping up the month of August!
BIGGEST COLLEGE-RELATED NEWS OF THE WEEK
NATIONAL MERIT SCORE UPDATES
We’ve seen dramatic shifts and adaptation with more or less everything this year in the college admissions landscape, and the National Merit cutoffs are no exception! They decreased across the board, although we can’t blame this change on COVID. It’s because of the major scoring issue I posted about on social media this past winter.
Here’s an updated list of the official scores for our area
VIRGINIA: 221 Cutoffs with 369 Semifinalists & 1612 Commended
MARYLAND: 221 Cutoffs with 296 Semifinalists & 1057 Commended
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: 222 Cutoffs with 28 Semifinalists & 184 Commended
Virginia is consistent with past years in that it is one of the most competitive states. It’s been predicted that at least 40 states will have lower cutoffs this year, with the Commended Student score cutoff falling from 212 to 209.
We have quite a few Commended Students this year and a few Semifinalists too. Congratulations, guys!
ON MY READING LIST
Written by Penn’s former Dean of Admissions, Eric Furda, and college admissions expert, Jacques Steinberg, The College Conversation: A Practical Companion for Parents to Guide Their Children Along the Path to Higher Education, is set to be released on September 22nd. I seriously cannot wait to grab my copy - I think so highly of both of them. I’ve written before about how much I really love Eric Furda, and I’m also a huge fan of Jacques Steinberg, author of The Gatekeepers (2002). Although it’s a little outdated now, I still consider it a must-read for any family wanting to dig deeper into the college admissions process. Steinberg once ran a very popular New York Times college admissions blog called The Choice, and while it was discontinued in 2013, I encourage families to use it as a resource to this day.
THE UNIVERSITY SYSTEM OF GEORGIA FINALLY WENT TEST-OPTIONAL
This was a really long time coming! Announced just this past Tuesday, dozens of Georgia colleges and universities (including University of Georgia and Georgia Tech) decided to forgo their SAT/ACT test requirements for prospective applicants due to COVID scheduling concerns. Of course this obviously means that GPA, teacher recommendations and essays now mean that much more. Oh! And some schools may even reconsider kids they originally denied!
WELLESLEY IS OFFERING A REALLY COOL (FREE) OPPORTUNITY FOR GIRLS
AMPLIFY: Wellesley’s Leadership Series is now open for registration! Specifically for high school juniors, seniors and transfer students, this series is geared towards helping students find their voice and develop pivotal leadership skills as they approach their college years. Just a quick look at the session descriptions and I’m wishing it was open to parents and counselors, too! Register now for access to AMPLIFY, running from Sunday, October 4th through Sunday, the 11th.
ESSAYS KEEP CHANGING IN THE COMMON APP
Gosh, this is driving me nuts. Last night I was helping a student finalize her applications and we found out that Fordham dropped their second essay - which they released on the Common Application just weeks ago. Ugh! Columbia also changed the word count on two of their essays in the last week or so, requiring a ton of our students to make changes to finalized pieces. I find this so frustrating and I wish that the schools would have the courtesy of sending out some kind of email communication when they make these changes.
BEST ARTICLES OF THE WEEK
For all the articles out there that seem to highlight everything going wrong right now, I found this NYT article to be super refreshing. It explains how parents and educators (any adults, really) can booster a teenager’s emotional well-being during these times of uncertainty. They even specifically mention “reliable routines,” something I believe we do well with our work and meetings here at DC College Counseling. Families can expect our team to provide structure and routine. We also provide a comfortable environment (albeit virtual for the time being!) where students can truly be their authentic selves. In combination, this really allows students to get those creative juices flowing and work up to their full potential!
This next one isn’t college related per se but with the craziness of 2020 and my years of experience working with families, I felt the need to include this one from The Washington Post. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all about having a positive mindset and resilience, but kids also need a safe place to share their emotions while feeling heard and supported. The college application process this year is understandably provoking a whole new level of stress and anxiety for most, and I try to find a happy balance of positivity and keeping it real.
With affirmative action again on the ballot in the state of California this fall, residents will have a chance to repeal Proposition 209. This article looks specifically at the disadvantage of the legislation, and is definitely worth a read if you are interested in issues relating to affirmative action and the admissions process.
Thanks to my reader who sent me this article about Google’s new career certificate programs - these sound pretty compelling. That said, while I do love innovation, I’m obviously still pro- “graduate from a 4-year college.” I would love to see some kind of blend of the two.. maybe in the future? I think that colleges and universities could do so much more to prepare students to be marketable in the workforce.
I touched on this last week too, but it seems to be circling our news cycles and I’m not sure when it’ll stop! CNN had a few college professors and administrators weigh in on the psychology behind why college students are struggling to follow all the new COVID guidelines back on campus.
OFFICE HAPPENINGS
We’ve been incredibly busy with essays, essays, and more essays. So many essays! The hardest part for me (I say this every year but it’s true) is not being able to share them. Some of them are just so unbelievably amazing and it makes me sad that they won’t have a larger audience.
Also, it’s a big back to school week around here! Some of our students already started school this week, more start next week, and the rest start the week after that!
Typically our school year schedule offers less appointments during the business day and more during late afternoons and early evenings, but this year is a little unusual with all the virtual learning. We actually had a lot of requests to continue offering availability for meetings during the school day and ended up with sort of a hybrid schedule. Both new clients and existing clients are able to book meetings through the end of October.
Also, we opened up the late start waitlist now that so many of our seniors are done with their applications or are on the verge of being done. If you have a senior and still need help - you’re in luck! You can book a Meet & Greet here to get started right away, and anyone who begins in the next few weeks should be able to finish applications by November 1 unless it’s a particularly unique situation.
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And speaking of back to school - I decided to share some advice on disciplinary violations in the college admissions process on our facebook page this week! For whatever reason, we have been dealing with a ton of these over the past year. As you kick off the school year, don’t forget my #1 tip!
A whole bunch of you have asked me what I ended up doing about leaving FCPS and starting my daughter at a new school. I said I’d post an update on the blog, so here you go!
Even though I lack confidence in FCPS as a district, we loved our experience at her school and have nothing but great things to say about all of the teachers, staff, and administration there. It was a much harder decision to leave than I thought it would be. She was also accepted to Level IV AAP, and it was so, so incredibly hard to give that up. It pains me to even type that out! Yet after second-guessing myself all summer long, we finally went through with leaving.
I would rather not post her new school’s name here (because it will come up as a search term) but you can see it in the sign she is holding. I have nothing but incredibly positive things to say so far. They are doing such an impressive job with everything COVID related - I truly cannot imagine how much time and effort is being put forth but we are so appreciative. This morning on the way to school she said “I don’t just like it, I love it!” WHEW!
Have a great weekend and GOOD LUCK to all you SAT-takers! Everyone in our office is rooting for you, big time! Make sure to get some sleep tonight!