Students

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Three quick questions with the University of Colorado Boulder

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Three quick questions with the University of Colorado Boulder

For Three Quick Questions, I send the same three questions to admissions representatives at colleges all over the country (the subject line of the e-mail is “Three quick questions”), and then I hope to hear back from them. When I do, I post them on Apply with Sanity. It’s that simple.

The three questions are meant to probe some of the things that make a school unique but that aren’t easily captured as a stat to go in a book or web search.

This response is from Perri Watts, Assistant Director of Admissions at University of Colorado Boulder.

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Three quick questions with Michigan Technological University

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Three quick questions with Michigan Technological University

For Three Quick Questions, I send the same three questions to admissions representatives at colleges all over the country (the subject line of the e-mail is “Three quick questions”), and then I hope to hear back from them. When I do, I post them on Apply with Sanity. It’s that simple.

The three questions are meant to probe some of the things that make a school unique but that aren’t easily captured as a stat to go in a book or web search.

This response is from Christine Grotzke, Regional Admissions Manager at Michigan Tech University.

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It seriously looks like SAT/ACT testing is going away

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It seriously looks like SAT/ACT testing is going away

A little over a year ago, I wrote about the accelerating rate at which colleges and universities were going test optional. I explained that test-optional isn’t going to last, simply because there’s no good reason for it to remain. I’m going to re-post the entire thing here, but read all the way to the bottom for really important updates and recommendations. Or at least skip down to the bottom for the updates. But really, just keep reading.

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Three quick questions with Arizona State University

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Three quick questions with Arizona State University

For Three Quick Questions, I send the same three questions to admissions representatives at colleges all over the country (the subject line of the e-mail is “Three quick questions”), and then I hope to hear back from them. When I do, I post them on Apply with Sanity. It’s that simple.

The three questions are meant to probe some of the things that make a school unique but that aren’t easily captured as a stat to go in a book or web search.

This response is from Bailey Burrows, Texas Regional Coordinator of Admissions Services at Arizona State University.

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Three quick questions with Villanova University

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Three quick questions with Villanova University

For Three Quick Questions, I send the same three questions to admissions representatives at colleges all over the country (the subject line of the e-mail is “Three quick questions”), and then I hope to hear back from them. When I do, I post them on Apply with Sanity. It’s that simple.

The three questions are meant to probe some of the things that make a school unique but that aren’t easily captured as a stat to go in a book or web search.

This response is from Daly Simpson, Assistant Director of Admission at Villanova University.

If I've said it once...

If I've said it once...

We’ve all got those words, phrases, and sentences that we use all the time. I over-use the word “apparently,” and some quick searches through this blog make me realize I apparently also over-use the phrase “all the time.” But behind the words and sentences that we repeat often are the ideas and worldviews that drive us. So this week I thought I’d explain the thoughts and motives behind some of the sentences I use most in my job as someone who writes about college admissions and advises students on their own admissions paths.

Take time to think about pleasure

Take time to think about pleasure

What do I even say? We’ve been through months of a pandemic that has killed over 100,000 people in this country alone, and most experts agree it’s a matter of when the next wave will come, not if it will come. The unemployment rate in the U.S. has reached almost 15% and is expected to hit 20% before it begins to decline. The past week has seen a wave of anguish, anger, and fear in the streets of dozens of cities over the killing of George Floyd and the systemic racism his homicide reflects. It’s a challenge to be hopeful at the moment.

The Common Application added a COVID-19 question

The Common Application added a COVID-19 question

Last week the Common Application let us know that they will be adding a question to the 2020-21 application that gives you a space to discuss the impact on you from the pandemic. Here is the text of the prompt:

“Community disruptions such as COVID-19 and natural disasters can have deep and long-lasting impacts. If you need it, this space is yours to describe those impacts. Colleges care about the effects on your health and well-being, safety, family circumstances, future plans, and education, including access to reliable technology and quiet study spaces.

Do you wish to share anything on this topic? Y/N

Please use this space to describe how these events have impacted you.”

You’ll find the prompt in the Additional Information section. Your response, if you choose to respond, will be limited to 250 words.

Finding the perfect graduation speech

Finding the perfect graduation speech

High school graduation ceremonies are quite a bit different this year. Zoom ceremonies. Socially-distant ceremonies at drive-in movie theaters. Graduation parades. Some have been postponed until brighter days in the fall (hopefully), and some quietly cancelled. The bad news is that several million high school graduates aren’t getting the pomp and circumstance they were expecting this year. The good news is that there are a lot fewer bad and boring graduation speeches to sit through.

But not all graduation speeches are bad and boring, and if there’s a year when graduates could use a little inspiration, motivation, and wisdom this is certainly it. So if you need a good speech, here are a few good ones to choose from.

What should high school students do this summer to prepare for college?

What should high school students do this summer to prepare for college?

Students finishing 11th grade and preparing for college applications have some very specific things they should do this summer. But what about everyone else? Many of the usual summer rituals for college-bound high school students are unavailable right now, and probably for the entire summer. No campus visits. No local museums or libraries. No summer trips. Probably no summer job. And, of course, no clear picture about what this fall will look like. There’s always a wide variety of circumstances when it comes to high school students in the summer. Some are getting very bored and restless, others are in a catastrophe, and most are somewhere in between. That’s true every summer, of course, but so many students’ circumstances have shifted drastically in the past few months, and almost no one is left unaffected.

So, then, what would I advise you to do this summer? Anything. You can do just about anything, I mean it.

What rising seniors should do this summer

What rising seniors should do this summer

This spring has been, to say the least, very weird. This summer also promises to be weird, even if we’re not sure yet what kind of weirdness to expect. If you plan to go to college right after high school, though, then you can’t wait for things to return to normal—who knows what that will even look like?—to get started on your college application plans. What follows are my recommendations for things you can do this summer to make your fall semester a little easier. It’s not a checklist to do in order, though. Each piece can affect all the other pieces, and you’ll find yourself updating and going through the cycle multiple times.

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Katie has chosen!

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Katie has chosen!

I’ve been a little worried about Katie. She and several members of her family had been sick. Flu-like symptoms are bad enough, but during our current pandemic they can be pretty scary. Also, she seemed to be leaning heavily toward one college, but wanted to delay her decision until the end of May. I thought maybe she was having doubts. Katie has allayed my fears, though. Read the full interview below to see how she’s feeling and where she’s going to college. Congratulations, Katie!

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Diana is done!

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Diana is done!

This spring has been a little different than the past few years for Meet the Class. With everybody staying home, there have been few campus visits or tours. High school classes have been minimal. Prom and social events have been postponed or cancelled. There’s been little hand-wringing and no last-minute decisions. Below is a short and sweet conversation I had with Diana, who will be attending the University of Oklahoma next year! Congratulations, Diana, and thank you so much for sharing your weird, stressful school year with us. Read the full interview below.

Should you apply to all the Ivy League schools?

Should you apply to all the Ivy League schools?

It’s happened again. A high school senior has made the news for getting accepted to all eight Ivy League schools. (The eight Ivies are Brown University, Columbia University, Cornell University, Dartmouth College, Harvard University, the University of Pennsylvania, Princeton University, and Yale University.) Whenever this happens, many—like me—use it as an opportunity to discuss fit, focus, and why applying to all the Ivies is probably not in your best interest. Also, whenever this happens others use it as an opportunity to discus why pointing out that it’s not in your best interest is itself not a good move. So there’s the news, the commentary on the news, and then the backlash on the commentary. What’s that all about, and what does it mean for you? Let’s explore.

Make your choice and don't look back

Make your choice and don't look back

This is the last week for most seniors to make their final decisions and commit to a college for next fall before the May 1 deadline. (There are plenty of exceptions, especially this year: students who have until June 1 because some schools pushed back their deadline, students joining waiting lists, students who are putting off college for a year.) Many made their choice a while ago, but I know that tons are still trying to decide. If you’re waiting until the last minute to make your choice, it’s likely because you’re choosing between options that aren’t easily compared.

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Things for high school seniors to consider before committing to a college

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Things for high school seniors to consider before committing to a college

For most high school seniors, this milestone year has really been ruined by Covid-19. Classes cancelled. Graduation cancelled. Prom cancelled. Senior trip, senior skip day, senior prank: cancelled. On top of that, somewhere around a million seniors are also trying to figure out if, where, and how they’ll go to college next year. Campus visits have been moved online. Some, but not all, colleges have pushed their decision/deposit date back by a month. Family financial outlooks are changing drastically. There’s just so much chaos, and it’s hard to know what to do. Unfortunately, I can’t make any of it better or easier. What I can do is give some tips and reminders to think about as you go through this process as best you can.

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Katie is doing ok!

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Katie is doing ok!

In the several years I’ve been following seniors through Meet the Class, I’ve never been as anxious and excited to hear back from them as I am right now. I haven’t met any of these students in person, but I’ve really come to like them over the past eight months. So I’m relieved to hear from Katie, who was able to make a campus tour before everything closed down, and is making use of her extended time to make her final decision. Read the full interview below.

Meet the Class gets updated each month from September to May. Each installment features an interview about both the facts and the feelings of where the student is in the process.