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Undergraduate Admissions Uncensored

Caltech cuts SAT Subject Test, alters official ACT/SAT submission requirements

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Caltech’s Undergraduate Admissions office, with the support of the Faculty Committee on Freshman Admissions, has revealed that it’s eliminating the university’s long-standing requirement for submission of SAT Subject Test scores as part of the undergraduate admissions process. This change takes effect for students applying for the Caltech starting in Fall 2020.

Caltech has long required students to take and submit scores from the SAT Subject Test in Mathematics Level 2 along with at one science themed SAT Subject Test (in either ecological biology, molecular biology, chemistry, or physics).

“In reviewing our admissions requirements, we have come to the conclusion that the requirement for submission of SAT subject test scores creates an unnecessary barrier to applying for a Caltech education,” announced Nikki Chun, director of undergraduate admissions, noting that only a small percentage of high school students take the SAT subject tests. “We are guiding our focus back to long-term academic STEM preparedness based on coursework and grade performance.”

Of course, SAT Subject Tests do assess students’ depth of knowledge in advanced high school sciences.

Chun added that the Caltech admissions process has always focused, and will continue to focus, on seeking students who will approach the Institute’s core curriculum with as much enthusiasm and interest as they do classes in their specific major.

“This move will definitely widen the door for talented candidates we may not have been able to reach in the past who deserve our consideration.” said Jarrid Whitney, Caltech’s assistant vice president for student affairs, enrollment and career services.

In related news, Caltech will continue to require submission of SAT or ACT scores for first-year admission; however, applicants will not be asked to pay ACT, Inc. or College Board for the submission of ACT or SAT results “until and unless they are accepted and decide to matriculate at Caltech, Whitney adds.” Thus, Caltech will now accept self-reported scores during the admissions process.

Columbia unveils NYC-Tel Aviv dual degree program

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Columbia University has announced a new Dual Degree Program between Tel Aviv University and Columbia University, which will complement Columbia’s ongoing successful Dual BA Programs with Sciences Po in France, now in its ninth year, and with Trinity College Dublin, now in its second year.

Students enrolled in the Dual Degree Program between Tel Aviv University and Columbia University will begin their college educations in one of six academic tracks in Israel, where they undertake the intensive undergraduate curriculum at TAU, one of Israel’s most distinguished institutions of higher education. After two years in Tel Aviv, students matriculate at Columbia, where they will complete the requirements for a major and fulfill the Columbia Core Curriculum. Upon completion of the Program, students will graduate with two bachelor’s degrees: one from Tel Aviv University and another Columbia University.

Students may apply using an online application by February 3, 2020, for fall 2020 enrollment. For admissions requirements please visit the Program website. Students interested in starting the program in Fall 2020 should apply using an online application by February 3, 2020. For admissions requirements please visit the Program website.

 

 

How to Respond to an Early Decision or Early Action Deferral

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Don’t become devastated by an Early Decision or Early Action admissions deferral. Fight back and earn your spot at the college of your dreams.

If the college or university that defers you remains one of your top choice colleges, there are a number of steps you can take to give yourself a fighting chance for regular decision. Watch the video below or read on to find out how.

-Write directly to the admissions office informing it that this college or university is still your number one choice, that you appreciate the fact that you will be up for consideration for admission again in the regular admissions cycle, and that you would definitely attend if accepted.

-Make sure that you keep the admissions office updated with any and all new developments since your initial application. Any new honors, grades, scores, activities, and awards are worth mentioning in this letter. Make sure that your high school counselor sends out your new transcript promptly at the end of the first semester ( or 2nd Trimester). This means that you want to keep earning very high grades for the duration of your senior year.

-Depending on the school, sometimes deferred candidates can interview again or for the first time. Find out if this is an option by contacting the admissions office. The very act of calling to ask shows that you are still eager to attend.

-Remain positive in all communications with this college or university and with your school counselor and communicate to your school counselor how much you still want the opportunity to attend this college or university.

-Contact all contacts that you have talked with through the college admissions process that are in any way related to this college or university. Remind them that you are still dedicated to this college or university and ask them if they have any recommendations as to how you can demonstrate your continued commitment to this college or university.

Finally, make sure to complete your remaining applications (and interviews) to a very high standard. Make sure that you have safety schools on your list that excite you. This will give you more college options come March/April.

UMass changes EA decision options

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University of Massachusetts Amherst has announced a significant change in what types of responses applicants could receive when applying Early Action (EA).

Previously, UMass EA applicants were either admitted, denied, or given the option of being moved to the regular decision applicant pool. Beginning this year, EA applicants will be given the opportunity to opt onto UMass’ waitlist instead of being moved into the regular decision pool. In making the announcement to high school counselors, UMass shared the following:

“We believe this will give the applicant a better understanding of where they stand earlier in the process. Because you have previously supported your school’s students throughout their UMass Amherst application process, we write to thank you and to let you know how much we appreciate your help. Our holistic review process depends on input from high school counselors, faculty, and staff such as yourself.”

UMass is also encouraging students to include all required materials when they submit their applications. As always, UMass will review every application that is submitted, but priority will be given to applications that are complete by the deadline. This is especially important because of the compressed timeframe for making decisions. For example, if Early Action applicants submit materials after November 5, UMass will still evaluate their application, but only after UMass has evaluated the applications that were complete when the application was submitted by November 5. The same is true for UMass’ January 15 Regular Decision deadline. Information on materials that are required with the UMass application is available on our Admissions web site.

UMass also shares that transcripts submitted with the application that do not include first-term senior grades do not lessen the overall importance of senior grades. Students admitted to UMass are still required to provide senior grades via their final transcript, and if there is a significant drop in an applicant’s performance during his or her senior year, UMass Amherst reserves the right to rescind admission based on this information.

Finally, UMass We encourages students not to use their high school email address as the email address for their application. On the Common Application UMass states that “UMass Amherst has moved to an electronic notification system. This means we use the student email address provided on the Common Application for all official communications by the Admissions Office. This includes notification of any admissions decision.” UMass has apparently found that some high schools restrict emails from outside the high school or school district and this has disrupted applicants using their school email addresses from receiving important emails from UMass.

Rolling Admission vs. Regular Decision

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When deciding how to apply to a particular college, many students look for that college’s final application deadline, and then, working backwards in their minds, such students decide that they simply need to get all of their application materials into that college by that application deadline date. What such students fail to realize is that many (but not all) colleges that have such Regular Decision application deadlines also review applications and make admissions decisions on an ongoing basis well before their application deadlines.

Don’t be Regular if you can help it! What I mean by that statement is this: while many colleges have Regular Decision application deadlines (usually in January through March) many of these same colleges will review applications and make decisions on such applications well before their drop-dead deadlines (in most cases Regular Decision deadlines, but in other cases these are known as simply “Application Deadlines” at colleges where the deadlines extend very late – approximately late spring through summer). Don’t treat such colleges as Regular Decision for your purposes. Treat them as Rolling!

When you apply Regular Decision you are applying by the college’s Regular deadline. Students can apply to more than one college Regular Decision. Regular Decision admissions decisions tend to be received by students between March and April. When a college is Rolling Admissions, it reviews applications on an ongoing basis and accepts students on a space available basis. Students can apply to more than one college Rolling Admissions as well.

Yet, many of the same colleges that will let you throw in an application by a Regular deadline also review applications by either an earlier Priority or Early (Action or Decision) deadline OR are simply Rolling Admissions colleges.

Of course you would want to apply to a college that offers both Priority and Regular deadlines by the Priority deadline! After all, what’s the definition of priority?! Early Decision can come with major pros and cons. Early Action is generally a good idea for students to consider as well.

But in the case of colleges that offer Rolling Admissions – again, when a college reviews applications as they are received and makes decisions on an on-going basis – it is always best to apply to any such college as soon as you have decided on applying to that college. Some Rolling Admissions colleges don’t have any application deadlines, but a good number of Rolling Admissions colleges do have firm deadlines. Which means they are both Regular Decision and Rolling Admissions colleges. In such a scenario, you want to get your application in ASAP.

Some examples include Indiana University (which has a Regular deadline of February 1, but starts rolling out admissions decisions as early as September; it should also be noted that IU has an EA deadline of November 1), University of Arizona (Regular deadline is February 14, but I regularly have students who have gotten into Arizona by mid-September of their senior years), and Penn State University (which has a Regular deadline of November 30, but also is famous for rolling out decisions in tranche after tranche starting in November; like IU, Penn State also has an EA deadline these days of November 1). Many private colleges also roll out their decisions starting in either the fall or early winter.

The bottom line is this: always work your hardest to determine as early as possible whether colleges on your list review applications on a Rolling basis and make admissions decisions on a space available basis – even if these colleges have firm Regular Decision application deadlines. Colleges that do this are often objectively easier to get into the earlier in the admissions cycle that you can apply. So apply as early as possible if you can put together a strong application early in the fall. Other than Instant Admissions, my favorite way for students to apply to college is Rolling Admissions, and now you can see why. It’s a great feeling knowing you have gotten into one or more colleges by Thanksgiving of your senior year in high school without having to commit to attending such colleges until much later in your senior year (usually by May 1).

So, embrace the superficial contradiction and celebrate colleges that are both Regular Decision and Rolling Admissions because in so doing you will always treat such colleges as Rolling at heart.

Tufts now offers international gap-years and semesters to high school applicants

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While Tufts University in Massachusetts is best known as a very selective research university that offers a diversity of strong undergraduate degree programs, it also offers two First-Year Global Programs that could be great experiences for students looking for a novel start to their undergraduate studies. Both of these programs offer the opportunity to live and work overseas with a cohort of other Tufts students while supporting a community organization, living with a local host family, and discovering the world beyond the borders of the United States of America.

A First-Year Fall Semester Abroad: The Tufts Civic Semester

  • Civic Semester participants take classes together on the Tufts campus in August before departing for one of two service locations (Peru or China) where they study the local language and work part-time at a community organization.
  • Students return to campus for their Spring term with a full semester of academic credit, allowing them to graduate in four years.
  • Civic Semester is a student’s first semester of college, and tuition and fees cover all expenses, including the option to utilize financial aid awards.

A Gap Year Before Tufts: The Tufts 1+4 Bridge Year Program

  • Tufts 1+4 is a year of full-time international work before students begin their four years of study on campus.
  • In one of four countries (Uruguay, India, Brazil, or Ecuador) across the globe, students make a difference on an issue they care about, have time to explore new interests, and return with a deeper sense of self and a broader perspective on the world.
  • The Tufts 1+4 program offers full financial support for any student who is admitted to the program and qualifies for Tufts financial aid at any level.

If you are interested in one of these unique programs, you should indicate interest in them on your first-year application to Tufts. You will have the chance to apply for them on the Tufts applicant portal once you submit your Tufts application or at any time once you have been accepted to Tufts University.

For more information, contact firstyearglobal@tufts.edu.

You CAN apply Restrictive Early Action and Early Action under the right conditions

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Restrictive Early Action and Single-Choice Early Action policies used by hyper-selective colleges such as Stanford, Yale, Harvard, and Princeton aren’t as restrictive as you may think. These colleges still allow you to apply to two classes of colleges at the same time as applying REA or S-CEA. There is no reason why you can’t receive admissions decisions from multiple colleges by no later than January of your senior year in high school. Don’t use REA or S-CEA as an excuse to apply to most colleges Regular Decision.

Dickinson College updates value of scholarships and more

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Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania

Dickinson College’s merit scholarships are designed to recognize exemplary academic performance without regard to financial need, and the Carlisle, Pennsylvania-based college recently restructured the amount each scholarship is worth. Prospective applicants should sit up and take notice!

Only the presidential scholarship requires a separate application; therefore, all Dickinson applicants are considered for the other merit awards by submitting a compelling Common Application.

  • Presidential Scholarship $35,000/year
  • Provost Scholarship $30,000/year
  • 1783 Scholarship $25,000/year
  • John Dickinson Scholarship $20,000/year
  • Benjamin Rush Scholarship $15,000/year

Those are some major awards that would lead to serious reductions in a student’s cost of attendance.

In other Dickinson College news, the college no longer offers Early Action admission. Dickinson will maintain two rounds of Early Decision (with November 15 and January 15 deadlines) and Regular Decision (a January 15 deadline).

In addition, Dickinson has partnered with MyinTuition, which is a quick college cost estimator. It’s a simple and straightforward way for families to anticipate their out-of-pocket cost and get a sense of their eligibility for need-based aid.

Finally, and in many ways most important, Dickinson’s recent development of a Center for Advising, Internships & Lifelong Career Development has strengthened the college’s emphasis on student success by strategically combining Dickinson’s Career Center, Office of Academic Advising, internship/externship programming and alumni career services. The college is already seeing the fruits of this new organizational structure:

  • 98% of Dickinsonians are employed, completing an internship, attending graduate school or pursuing a fellowship one year after graduation.
  • 94% of the class of 2019 completed an internship, research, externship, service-learning or field experience course.
  • Dickinson’s acceptance rates for the class of 2019 are 94% for law school (compared to the 75% national average, according to the Law School Admissions Council) and 95% for medical school (compared to the 39% national average, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges).
  • 100% of the class of 2023 connected with faculty and Center for Advising, Internships & Lifelong Career Development advisors to select classes.

Those members of the Class of 2020 or 2021 interested in Dickinson should consider attending either Dickinson’s October 14 or November 9, 2019 Fall Open Houses, which offer an wonderful opportunity to get to know Dickinson up close.

The new Common Application is here. Are you ready to complete it?

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Hey Class of 2020!

In a scene from Steve Martin’s 1979 movie, The Jerk, his nebbish-y character Navin R. Johnson runs pell mell down the street upon seeing his name in print for the first time (in the phonebook), declaring to anyone within earshot:

“The New Phonebook is Here! THE NEW PHONEBOOK IS HERE!!!!”

How times have changed. Who uses phone books any more? Do they even print them?
No matter…at this time every summer I find myself filled with excitement and a desire to pronounce to all near and far, whether they give a plugged nickel about it or not:
“The new Common Application is here. THE NEW COMMON APPLICATION IS HERE!!”

Yeah, I’m a bit of a nebbish myself when it comes to this sort of stuff…every August 1 a brand spanking new Common Application comes out, and that means that you can – and should – access, register for free, and – wonder of wonders – begin filling out what will become (for many if not most of your colleges) your bona fide, actual college application!!!

So join in my excitement and go to www.commonapp.org and click on the “Apply Now” link, register, follow directions and get your college applications started!!

(Those of you who have already started the 2018/19 common application can do an “application rollover” by logging in to your existing common application and follow a few simple steps and affirmations. It’s so easy even a college advisor like myself can do it, so jump right in and get in to the new 2019/20 common application and do your thing! All information will roll over EXCEPT any potential college supplemental writing you did – those you must start anew).

Note that you need to include at least one number, letters (one capital, one lower case) and a symbol (!@#$%^&*) in your ten to sixteen character password. Make sure you write down your password (and don’t be too cute – you don’t want to lose it!).

After you’re registered go to the “College Search” link and type in the name – or partial name – of a college from your top 10 list and hit “search”. You don’t need to fill in every blank – takes too long – just a partial name and you’ll be able to locate your school).

Click the box next to your college and then click “Add.”

Do this for every school on your list (don’t be exclusive at this stage – you can add and remove schools freely over the next five months) and then go to your ‘Dashboard’ and voila, there’s your college list!

If you can’t find a particular school (after making sure you’re spelling it correctly) it most likely means that that school doesn’t take the common application. Not to worry! Just make note that you’ll have to register and fill out their own on-line application. No big deal!

Now begin filling out the common application. The sections are: “Profile”  “Family”  “Education” “Testing”  “Activities”  “Writing”

The last section, “Courses and Grades,” is somewhat nonsensical and you’ll most likely not have to complete it. If it says you do curse a bit and follow directions. Just busywork, and you’ll need to work off your transcript so get a hold of that if you don’t already have a copy.
Note that with the exception of the “Writing” and “Activities” sections, all the other portions of the Common App are easily completed. 
 
You’ll also be able to see which, if any, of your schools require additional writing – either in the form of an additional essay or short answer questions. Look in the dashboard under each college for “Questions” and “Writing Supplement.” Most of the “Questions” will be quick and easy, go ahead and fill out all those short answer responses. It’s the writing supplements that usually entail some extra work.
Keep track, and in a future rant I’ll talk about how to organize all of your extra writing on a central ’to-do’ list I call “The Grid.”

So there you have your next assignment campers: register and then fill out the “Profile,” “Family,” “Education,” “Testing,” and “Activities” sections of the Common Application! This is exciting!!! You’re really doing it!!!!!!

***

This is also a great time to be writing your first and your second (extra…additional…icing on the cake…one for the Gipper) essays. You also should have (or be constructing) an academic/activity resume, which you’ll find multiple uses for, which I’ll be sure to tell you about if you ask me.

If any of the above has you confused, if you’re still struggling to get going on your essays, resume, list of colleges, or if you just want to qvell with me about my Yankee’s amazing season (forget the killer B’s, we’ve got Mike Tauchman and DL LaMahieu!!!!), give me a call or email and we’ll chat. This time of year I’m about helping students organize their ‘to do’ list for the remainder of the summer and the fall.

And remember to relax, it’s still summer vacation (for some of you) fer cryin’ out loud! Enjoy yourself!

From your erudite escort, your humorous homeboy, your perceptive preceptor, your confident confidante…

Gary, the College Guy

P.S. As always, feel free to forward this rant to other rising seniors and their parents, or send me names/email addresses of folks whom you think would benefit from reading my rants. Or you can send them to my web page, which has all my rants for anyone to see. IMHO there’s not enough good, coherent information out there, and you’ve just waded through about the best there is!