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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).
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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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Waiting for Early Decision Results: How to Stay Calm

12/3/2017

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You researched colleges, you visited campuses, you agonized over your choices and finally narrowed it down to your one chosen favorite – the lucky winner of your Early Decision (ED) application. After submitting the application in early November, you moved on – there were other applications to complete, midterms to take, and Thanksgiving break plans. But all of the sudden it is now December! You could actually hear back as early as next week from some schools (though most schools will notify applicants more towards the middle of the month).

How can you stay calm while waiting for what feels like the most important decision of your life?

Focus on the great schools you have already been accepted to. This time last year, one of our clients applying ED to Cornell had already received a generous scholarship to Tulane University. Another had been accepted to the Honors program at the University of Pittsburgh. A client who applied Early Decision to Bates College had been offered a substantial merit award from Clark University, and a student applying ED to Tufts was excited to have already been offered a spot at his dad’s alma mater, Indiana University. We encourage all of our clients to apply to at least one school with rolling decisions or early notification. That first acceptance does wonders for students’ stress levels!

Stay off of social media. If your school is one of the later ones to release decisions, or if you didn’t get the news you were hoping for, do you really want to see pictures of your friend Johnny sporting all of his new Duke gear?

Make sure all of your other applications are in. I know it is tempting to let your regular decision applications sit – after all, they aren’t due until January, and you may get good news from your Early Decision school in mid-December. But what if you don’t? Then you’re in a bad mood, it is Winter Break, and you’re doing a sloppy rushed job on your remaining applications instead of enjoying the holidays. Plus Murphy’s Law says that if you invest a lot of time on the other applications, you’ll end up getting into your Early Decision school, right? And at that point, you’ll be so happy you won’t care about the wasted time or application fees.

Focus on your grades. Senior grades matter. A LOT. Particularly for regular decision schools, and any Early Decision or Early Action schools where you are deferred to the regular pool. These schools will all be waiting for your fall transcript, and these are the grades that tell them the most about the student you will be when you get to their campus. And if you are admitted Early Decision or Early Action, schools will still want to see your final transcript before you officially enroll. Last year I had a client who was questioned about her dramatic drop in grades second semester, and she had a rocky 48 hours in June where she wasn’t sure if the school was going to revoke her acceptance.

Spend time with your family and friends. After all, in about nine months, you’ll be moving away – possibly to the next town, or possibly across the country. Cherish the time you have with your family and friends while you can. Have your mom teach you how to do laundry and boil and egg.

Remember that there is more than one “perfect” school. You have a variety of schools on your list for a reason. They all have something to offer and if you put together a thoughtful list then they should all be schools where you know you can be happy and successful. Every one of my clients who did not get in to his or her ED school has ultimately been excited about his or her options.

Continue doing the things you love. Hopefully all of those activities weren’t just for college applications. So keep volunteering at the soup kitchen, training for the half-marathon, or teaching kids to play piano. Hobbies are one of the best ways to relieve stress. I hear that some people find baking brownies to be very calming – if this is you, I can send you my address!

Good luck making it through the waiting game of the next several weeks and/or months. For two great New York Times articles on coping with the stress of college admissions decisions, check out: College Advice for the Cost of a Single Post-it Noteand How to Survive the College Admissions Madness. And just remember Frank Bruni’s sage advice in his best-selling book title, “Where You Go Is Not Who You’ll Be.”

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​Second Semester Seniors: Is there anything left to do?

2/14/2017

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By now, many of you are probably thrilled to be finished with the college application process. While I do know of a few February 15 or later deadlines, all of our senior clients have finished their applications and have either sent in a deposit or are waiting for some decisions to be released next month. So, is there anything left to do on the college admissions front? Here are a few things to consider:

  • Don’t slack off! I know, I know, you’ve heard this a million times. But I can assure you that colleges revoking or threatening to revoke admission offers is NOT an urban legend – we’ve seen it happen.  More than once.  If you were a straight A student and get a B or two this spring, you should be just fine. But if you suddenly go from a 4.0 to B's and C’s, you could be in real trouble.

  • Attend Admitted Student Days. If you are still contemplating your options, these are great opportunities to see a college in a new light, meet prospective classmates, and ask tons of questions.  If you’ve already submitted your deposit, it is still a fun way to get excited and meet people who will be your classmates. I often hear of people meeting their freshman roommates this way!
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  • Think about the Summer. Because I am also a career coach, you probably expect me to tell you to get a jumpstart on internships. While that can be a good idea, and a great way to explore your potential major/field and make sure you like it, it isn’t necessary. This could be one of your last summers to truly take it easy – so spend time with your family and high school friends or work as a camp counselor one last summer. The summer before my freshman year at an Ivy League college, I sold shampoo in a mall hair salon.
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  • Update colleges sparingly. If you were deferred or waitlisted at a top choice college, you should update them with any noteworthy new information. But make sure it is something they will actually be impressed by, and don’t overdo it!
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  • Read your mail (and e-mail). The college where you enroll will send you lots of important information about housing, course registration, financial aid, etc. Make sure you read it all and pay attention to deadlines! If you’ll be away, have your parents keep an eye on your mail. I remember my dad calling me at the beach during Senior Week to read me the letter with the name of my freshman roommate!
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  • Join LinkedIn. High school graduation is a great time to join the grown-up world of social media. You’ll want to have a LinkedIn profile when you start looking for your first internship, so you might as well get started – here are some tips for building a great student profile. Also, if you are evaluating different colleges, careers, or majors, the University alumni search feature is a great tool to see what grads are doing with their degrees.
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  • Read a Book. If your college assigned all freshman a book to read, read it! Or for some lighthearted preparation for living on your own, read The Naked Roommate: And 107 Other Issues You Might Run Into in College by Harlan Cohen. Here are some other good articles to check out as you prepare for freshman year.
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  • Get excited! Once you’ve decided where to attend, join your class Facebook group, follow your college on Instagram, and buy a travel guide for your new city! You can also check out LoJo Bands for some fun spirit wear made by current Georgetown students and founded by one of our former clients!
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Enjoy the rest of your senior year, but not too much! 

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Thinking of Studying in Canada?

1/24/2017

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Canada has become an appealing destination for U.S. undergraduates because of the opportunity to get a world-class international education at a more affordable cost and without crossing an ocean.

Today we attended a lunch meeting with representatives from The University of Guelph (Guelph, Ontario), Queen's University (Kingston, Ontario), Concordia University (Montreal, Quebec) and Bishop's University (Sherbrooke, Quebec) to learn more about the benefits of studying at a Canadian university.

Here are some noteworthy facts we learned:
  • Students at Queen’s University can spend their entire freshman year studying in a 15th-century castle at the Bader International Study Centre in the UK. Queen’s University has around 25,000 students and features competitive programs in Commerce (Business) and Film Production.
  • Concordia University has a campus in the heart of downtown Montreal – ranked the top city in North America for students - as well as a more traditional suburban campus a 20-minute shuttle ride away. 6% of Concordia’s 46,000 students are from the United States. Concordia’s rocketry division recently took first place ahead of MIT and Yale at the Intercollegiate Rocket Engineering Competition.
  • University of Guelph, located one hour west of Toronto with 22,000 students, has its own Turfgrass Institute. It also features a top graduate veterinary program with many opportunities for undergraduates to study animal related fields.
  • Bishop’s University, with only 2,400 students, is one of the few primarily undergraduate institutions in Canada. Business is the most popular program, and the Physics Department ranks just behind Caltech for percentage of students continuing on to PhD programs.  

If you can stand the cold, it may be worth considering whether you might like to #LookNorth for your undergraduate education! 
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FAQs about Early Decision II

12/13/2016

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PictureImage credit: Teen Vogue
What is Early Decision II (ED II)?

Early Decision II, similar to Early Decision I, is a binding commitment -- if you are admitted, you promise that you will attend. Once admitted, you must withdraw all other applications. Typically, ED II deadlines are the same as a school's Regular Decision deadline (though in some cases, i.e.
Grinnell College, it can be earlier).

What types of students should consider ED II?

Early Decision II can be a great option for several types of students:

-Students who were not admitted to their Early Decision I or first-choice Early Action school. You should hear from most Early Decision I and Early Action schools by mid-December, and most ED II applications are due in early January.

-Students who only recently decided that a particular school is their top choice. You may not have been ready to commit by the ED I deadline but are now sure this is the right school for you.

-Students who did not apply ED I because they were waiting for fall test scores or grades to bolster their applications. You are now a better candidate.

Does every school offer ED II?

Early Decision II is offered at many small liberal art schools that also offer ED I, and more schools are adding this option every year. Here is a good
list of schools with ED II, but always check a school's website to confirm.

According to a 2015
New York Times article: “Of the more than 625 colleges that use the Common Application, about 30 percent offer E.D. I; 13 percent offer both E.D. I and II. Among the latter are selective liberal arts colleges (Colby, Pomona, Swarthmore) and small private universities (Brandeis, Emory, Vanderbilt). But hardly any publics offer E.D. II., and no Ivys.”

Does ED II carry as much weight as ED I?

Applying early and making a binding commitment to a school nearly always improves your chances of being admitted. Many schools report their Early Decision statistics without distinguishing between ED I and ED II. But anecdotally, it is typically (at least slightly) more advantageous to apply ED I. For example, for last year’s freshman class, Hamilton College accepted 42 percent of ED I applicants and 32 percent of ED II applicants. Hamilton’s regular decision acceptance rate was 23 percent.

What if I already submitted my application? Can I change it to ED II?

In many cases, a school will allow you to convert your regular application to ED II, if you submit the required forms. Contact the particular school for details on how to proceed.  Some schools will even allow this after the deadline has passed, if they have not yet reviewed your application.

Can I apply ED II to the same school if I was not accepted in the ED I round?

No.  Once a decision has been made on your application, you may not apply to the same school until the following application year.

When will I receive a decision?

This varies by school, but many ED II deadlines are in January and decisions are released in mid to late February.

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Monkeys and Revolving Restaurants! Random College Facts: Southeast Edition

12/6/2016

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We thought we'd post some fun facts to distract you from the stress of finishing college applications, studying for finals, and waiting for Early Decision results! 

Did you know that.... 

Duke University loves monkeys! Established in 1966, the Lemur Center in Duke Forest is the world’s largest sanctuary for rare and endangered prosimian primates. 

The Indigo Girls, Amy Ray and Emily Saliers, chose their band name while students at Emory University in the mid-1980's. Both were English majors and transfer students, and they frequently return to campus for homecoming concerts. 

Can't bear to leave Fido home? Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Florida, is one of the only colleges to have pet-friendly dorms. They even have a separate graduation ceremony for outgoing pets. 

The University of South Carolina is home to the state's only 360 degree rotating restaurant, Top of Carolina. USC's campus also hosts the National Advocacy Center, a centralized training center for the U.S. Department of Justice.

Agnes Scott College, a tiny (but beautiful!) all-women school 6 miles east of Atlanta, has been the setting for numerous movies and TV shows, including Driving Miss Daisy, Scream 2, and The Blind Side.
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FAQ: How should I prepare for an alumni interview?

11/29/2016

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Many schools give applicants the opportunity to interview with local alumni as part of the application process. In some cases, this is offered to all applicants, while others require applicants to follow specific procedures. For example, if you want “priority consideration” for an interview with a Duke alum, you need to submit your Regular Decision application earlier than normal - by December 20. At Carnegie-Mellon, you need to search the alumni directory and submit a request online. Be sure to check specific instructions for each school on your list.

Alumni interviews typically occur in a public place like a coffee shop, and are generally low-key and conversational. Be sure to come prepared with questions for the interviewer, and do your homework to show you are excited about the particular school.

Basic etiquette rules always apply – dress appropriately (suits are not required, but no ripped jeans or sneakers!), be on time, turn off your cell phone, and send a thank-you note. It never hurts to do a practice mock interview with a counselor or a parent!

​For some great insight on what questions interviewers typically ask, and what they are looking for, check out this recent article from Business Insider: “A former Harvard admissions interviewer shares the 5 questions she asked almost every applicant.”

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A report from the front lines of the 2016 NACAC national conference...

9/23/2016

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​by Bruce Vinik

More than 6,000 professionals from the US and around the world have gathered in Columbus, Ohio for three days to take stock of the state of college admissions.  It's where the Dean of Admissions from an Ivy League school can rub shoulders with a public high school guidance counselor from a small town in the Midwest.  They are here to talk about all things college admissions, from recruitment strategies and standardized testing to high school advising and helicopter parents.

On Thursday afternoon, I attended an educational session titled How Numbers Are Used (and Misused) in the Admissions Process.  The presenters included a couple of high school college counselors, one independent counselor and Jon Boeckenstedt, the Associate Vice President of Enrollment from DePaul University.  Within the world of college admissions, Jon is regarded as a numbers guru, someone who uses data to try to understand the intricacies of the college admissions landscape.

The basic takeaway from the session -- pay attention to the right numbers, not the wrong numbers. The wrong numbers include all the different ranking systems that are out there, from US News and World Report to Forbes -- the data they use to formulate their rankings is arbitrary and misleading.  

The right numbers include data that individual colleges publish about their own admissions decisions.  These numbers tell an important story.  The panelists made one particular point that stuck with me, not because the point is new but because it reinforces something we tell parents and kids all the time.  In getting into selective colleges, the difference between early decision and regular decision is often enormous.  Most schools accept a much higher percentage of early decision applicants than regular applicants.  It's not unusual for colleges to admit one out of four regular students vs two out of four ED students.  That's a big difference and one that kids and parents need to think about seriously.  The panelists were not passing judgment about the ethics of early decision; they were simply urging counselors to urge families to pay attention to the right numbers.

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Essay Prompts for Class of 2017

6/28/2016

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It is almost July, and essay questions for rising seniors are starting to trickle out.  Here are a few that have been released recently:
  • University of Pennsylvania
  • University of Virginia
  • University of Chicago
  • University of Michigan
  • University of California
And just as a reminder, here are the 2016-2017 questions for the Common Application and the brand new Coalition application. While you can likely use your Common Application essay for the Coalition, note that the suggested word limit differs! 

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​FAQ: I’m about to finish my Junior year, when can I start working on the Common Application?

6/1/2016

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Good news! In past years, the Common Application was not available until August 1 before your Senior year. Starting this year, you can create an account and begin working on your Common Application in June (or earlier), and most of your information will rollover on August 1.  For details on what will rollover and what will not, click here. For example, don’t bother working on the individual college supplements because those haven’t yet been updated for Class of 2017! But feel free to enter all of your demographic data, test scores, high school information, etc.
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For now, focus on your coursework and exams and on preparing for the SAT or ACT if you are taking it in June.  But once Junior year is complete and the SAT and ACT are finished, it is time to at least set up your Common Application account so you can get as much as possible done over the summer. Senior year will be busy enough with your toughest classes, leadership positions in athletics or extracurriculars, and finishing up college visits and essays – completing the Common Application is an easy way to check something off your list while you have more free time! 

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Vinik Educational Placement Services, Inc. * 4701 Sangamore Road, Suite S105 * Bethesda, MD 20816 
301-320-9711 * info@vinikeps.com 

  • Home
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