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Congratulations to our Class of 2023!

5/9/2023

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College Admissions News Articles

11/29/2022

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Below are some recent articles of interest. You can also follow us on Facebook or Twitter for more college admissions news and updates!

College admissions are stressful enough. Parents, don’t make it worse. (The Washington Post)
What Does an SAT Score Mean Anymore? (New York Magazine)
Some Universities Admit by Major (Inside Higher Ed)

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Congratulations to our Class of 2021!

5/29/2021

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This has been a crazy year, but our seniors are headed to some amazing colleges in the fall and we wish them the best of luck!

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Class of 2021 Early Acceptances

1/12/2021

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Congratulations to our seniors who have heard from many great colleges already! Excited for even more good news in the coming months!

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Congratulations to our Class of 2020!

5/7/2020

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We are so excited for our seniors! They may not be ending high school as planned, but they all have so much to look forward to.

Here is a list of where our seniors are enrolled for next year. From small liberal arts colleges to big state schools, California to Maine, Midwestern towns to Manhattan, Engineering to English majors -- our seniors are headed off for some amazing experiences!

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More schools go test-optional! April 3, 2020 Update

4/3/2020

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This week, several more schools have announced test-optional policies for next year (and in some cases, beyond). Here are some of the new announcements:

And in case you missed our last blog post, here are some of the schools that announced last week:

You can find a full list at www.fairtest.org. You can also stay updated on current college admissions news by following us on Facebook or Twitter. Have a great weekend!

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College Admissions Updates - 3/27/20

3/27/2020

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Updates from Colleges

Admissions offices have begun answering questions and offering reassurance about the admissions process. Here are a few good examples:

Standardized Testing

Several schools have announced this week that they will be test optional for the Class of 2021 (and in some cases beyond that). We expect that this trend may continue given all of the SAT and ACT cancellations and the uncertainty about June test dates.

MIT has made the decision to no longer consider the SAT Subject Tests

AP and IB Exams

Beginning this week, the College Board is providing free, live AP review courses, delivered by AP teachers from across the country. You can find more information and a detailed schedule here.

May 2020 IB exams have been canceled

In the News

Canceled research, sports, recitals — college students are coping with more than closed campuses: Job fairs and internships have also been shut down, along with competitions and graduate school exams (Hechinger Report)
How Is Covid-19 Changing Prospective Students’ Plans? Here’s an Early Look (The Chronicle of Higher Education)
Colleges Fear Cuts If They Can't Fill the Next Freshman Class: Recruiting isn’t easy when campus tours are canceled. (Bloomberg)
How to Help Your High School Senior Cope With Having Their Year Cut Short (LifeHacker)
Redesigning College Admission: COVID-19, Access And Equity (Forbes)
Quarantined Berklee College of Music students’ virtual performance of ‘What the World Needs Now’ (YouTube - volume on!!)

What to do NOW from Home

Here are some lists we found online with suggestions of ways to make good use of your time at home. When admissions officers review applications next year, do you think they will be more impressed by the student who spent his quarantine time watching Netflix, or the aspiring elementary school teacher who created a YouTube channel of himself teaching introductory cooking lessons to kids or the future engineer who took an online course about how bridges are built...and then built her own out of household materials?

Teen Volunteering Ideas while Sheltering in Place (created by a counselor in CA)

40 Resume-worthy Activities You Can Do From Your Living Room Sofa (created by the Mauler Institute)

Advice from Jeff Schiffman at Tulane (scroll to “I’m a junior in high school and all of my spring extracurricular activities have been canceled”)

How to College (Social) Distance Learning Series for high school students (and any interested parents and educators). Presented on Instagram Live by Lara Schwartz and Andrea Malkin Brenner from American University, co-authors of How to College: What to Know Before You Go (and When You're There)

Session 1: Using Your Distance Learning Experience as a Gut Check for the College Transition: How to Thrive in Unstructured Time
Session 2: The New College You: Preparing to Live in a College Community
Session 3: College is School: Academic Expectations
Session 4: Taking Care of You: Preparing to Look After Your Mental and Physical Health on Your Own
Session 5: Money Talk: Financial Literacy and Budgets
Session 6: Life Beyond the Classroom: Navigating Your New College Town and Planning Your Activities
Session 7: Your College Readiness To-do List: Getting From Today to Move-In Day

Before each hour-long talk, they will post a link to Google slides in their Instagram bio and on Facebook so attendees can view the slides during the live stream. Follow @HowToCollegeOfficial on Instagram and How to College on Facebook for more details.

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College Admissions News During the COVID-19 Pandemic

3/19/2020

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We are carefully following the news and want to keep you updated on relevant changes in the college admissions world. And while we may be stuck at home, we’ve been busy participating in webinars and Zoom calls this week with other counselors and with experts including Jeff Schiffman (Director of Admission,Tulane University), Larry Alterman (Manager of East Coast Recruitment, Michigan State University), and Meredith Lombardi (Associate Director, Outreach and Education at The Common Application).

Highlights:

The May SAT and April ACT have been canceled. If you plan to register for June, do so ASAP.
AP tests may be given at home - we'll know more soon.
Many schools are hosting virtual tours and online admissions events. Whether you are still building your college list or are a senior trying to decide where to go, these are a good way to learn about the school. And for juniors, they’re a way to demonstrate interest. (Jeff Schiffman made it clear that colleges like Tulane will be tracking participation in virtual events.)
Seniors -- Some colleges are extending enrollment deposit deadlines from May 1 to June 1 (or later).

In the News:

SAT and ACT college tests canceled because of virus fears (PBS News Hour)
The COVID College Choice: How To Pick A College During A Global Pandemic (Forbes)
College in the Coronavirus Era: Wistful Goodbyes and a Sense of Loss (NY Times)
54 free online courses from the best colleges in the US (Business Insider)
How will students take AP tests with schools closed? At home, College Board proposes (LA Times)
Update from Case Western Reserve University - "We understand students’ concerns about completing Case Western Reserve’s standardized testing requirements for admission. In response, the university has approved a test-optional policy for students applying for the fall 2021 semester. In light of the unprecedented circumstances the COVID-19 pandemic has created, Case Western Reserve believes students’ best interests are served by an approach that assures them of our flexibility as they progress through the college search process."
Update from the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) - NACAC is providing this online tool as a central resource for information about changes in college admission events, deposit dates, and more as a result of the coronavirus outbreak.
Update from the University of Chicago Dean of Admissions - “We encourage students to continue to engage with whatever method of learning your school is able to offer, and to do so to the best of your ability. If your school moves to an alternative grading system or method of credit notation (pass/fail, credit/no credit, etc.), we will fully understand why the change has been made and it will not, in any way, be an issue for an admissions office.”

Future Updates:

Follow Vinik EPS on Twitter and Facebook for more updates as we help you navigate the constantly changing college admissions landscape!

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Visit to Florida Southern College

2/20/2020

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I recently spent an afternoon at Florida Southern College in Lakeland, Florida. FSC is a small, private college of roughly 2,600 undergraduate students. The school offers more than seventy areas of study, from traditional liberal arts disciplines such as history and philosophy to pre-professional programs, including business, nursing and education. Want to study citrus science? FSC may be the place for you.

Florida Southern was founded in 1883 and is the oldest private college in Florida. Most college guides rank its campus as one of the most beautiful in the country. The campus sits adjacent to Lake Hollingsworth and features 13 buildings designed by renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright, In fact, FSC boasts the largest single-site collection of Wright-designed buildings in the country. Florida Southern's campus also includes a number of contemporary buildings that are unusually striking. I've been to hundreds of beautiful colleges over the years, but the FSC campus is in a class by itself.

The small city of Lakeland is halfway between Orlando and Tampa and is just a short ride from campus. Lakeland has a number of restaurants, from Indian-Pakistani to Creole. Lakeland's historic Polk Theater shows both current and classic movies. While I was in town, 2020 Oscar winner Parasite was playing at The Polk.

Reasons to attend Florida Southern College

Small classes -- Roughly 60% of FSC classes have fewer than 20 students. Get to know your professors as they get to know you
Great weather -- Lakeland, Florida enjoys more than 300 days of sunshine a year. Who could turn that down?
Honors Program -- Interested in challenging yourself and working closely with faculty? The honors program at FSC culminates in a two year capstone project that pairs you with a professor in your field. Honors students receive priority registration, special housing and the opportunity to take extra classes for free.
Internships in Tampa and Orlando and Beyond -- Internships are so important to FSC that many departments have their own individual internship coordinators. Students in the School of Business and Free Enterprise have special access to all sorts of internship opportunities.
A fabulous, historic campus -- At how many colleges can students walk in the steps of Frank Lloyd Wright and study in one of his iconic buildings every single day?
Taco Bus Restaurant -- Are you tough enough to order El Jefe?

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9 Reasons to Consider Binghamton University

5/7/2019

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With only 13,000 undergraduates and a public school price tag, Binghamton University has a lot to offer out-of-state students. Annie and Laura visited campus last week and were impressed by the engaged faculty invested in student success, strong STEM programs and facilities, a vibrant Jewish community, and the opportunity to conduct research as a freshman. As part of the State University of New York (SUNY) system, students have access to a myriad of study abroad programs and other resources while also enjoying the community feel of a mid-sized student body.

Here are 9 more reasons you should consider Binghamton University:

Great Value - Binghamton is consistently rated one of the best values in public education. Out-of-state tuition is $23,710 and total cost of attendance is $42,574. All out-of-state students are automatically considered for merit awards ranging from $6,000-$13,000 per year, and Binghamton is also very generous with awarding AP and dual enrollment credits for courses taken in high school.
Residential Colleges - Housing at Binghamton is based on an Oxford model with six different communities, each with its own unique personalities and traditions. Each community has 4-5 residence halls and distinct amenities - check out the fire pit at Newing College or the STEAM Makerspace at Mountainview College. Many of the dorms have been renovated in recent years.
Major Metropolitan Area - Downtown Binghamton is about 10 minutes away, and a great option for off-campus housing particularly if you are taking courses at the University’s Downtown Center. Check out Strange Brew Cafe for breakfast or lunch, and Lost Dog Cafe for dinner, drinks, and a great karaoke scene!
Unique academic programs - Binghamton has several unique programs including a new BSW in Social Work, a Geography major with 8 distinct tracks, and the oldest Translation Studies Ph.D. program in the U.S. (with an undergraduate minor option).
Freshman Research - Binghamton’s Freshman Research Immersion (FRI) Program is one of the few programs in the country that encourages students to begin hands-on research as soon as they arrive on campus. Students selected for FRI join one of ten different research streams, ranging from Neuroscience to Smart Energy. Students more focused on the humanities can get hands-on opportunities through the Source Project.
Career Preparation -The Fleishman Center for Career and Professional Development received the National Career Development Association's Exemplary Career Center Award in 2017. The staff focuses on getting freshmen involved in the career exploration process from day one, and boasts an impressive array of companies that recruit on campus.
Growing Theatre program - Binghamton’s current theatre major offers three different tracks, and a new BFA program is in the works. The Anderson Center for the Performing Arts is home to multiple venues and hosts five main stage performances per year.
Experiential learning in the Business program - School of Management students focus on hands-on experience with case competitions and programming at the new Innovation Lab. Top students are invited to participate in the PwC Scholars Program, and there is a 5-year MBA option available to both business and liberal arts majors.
Access to Nature - Binghamton’s campus in upstate New York includes a 182-acre nature preserve with 11+ miles of hiking and running trails - with wifi throughout, so you never get lost!

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