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Best College Acceptance Gifts for the Class of 2021

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After applying ED to Tulane, my first two students in the Class of 2021 received their offers of Fall 2021 admission this week. Thus, around these parts at least, College Acceptance Season has officially begun!

With the bulk of Early Decision and Early Action notifications set to be released in December, now is the time to determine what you will buy your special someone (maybe even yourself) who hopefully will be getting into college real soon (if he or she hasn’t gotten in already). While most Early Decision and Early Action acceptance notifications coincide with the height of Christmas-Hanukah shopping season, this year, to mark getting into college, you really don’t want to give simply a fruitcake or a Rudolph sweater. You want to make your gift college acceptance-centric.

So, go on and surprise your special someone or treat yourself with gifts that mark the occasion of getting into college and celebrate college life in general by browsing through the 2020-2021 College Acceptance Gift Collection presented by Admissions.Blog.

A bit of a back-story: for nearly a decade I sent acceptance gifts to my students accepted Early Decision and Early Action at their first-choice colleges, and these gifts’ massive popularity got many people both near and far asking, “Where did you think of that?” or, “That’s the perfect gift for my future Terrapin (or Gator, or Bruin, etc.), how can I get my hands on more just like it?” So, several years back, I decided to open up Admissions.Blog’s online gift shop designed specifically for your future or current college student.

Gifts detailed in the gift collection run the gamut from college apparel to dorm safety products. No matter your budget or needs, we’ve got the perfect college-themed gifts that are fun and practical.

So, what are you waiting for? Start Shopping below!

Congratulations on getting into college Rolling, Priority, ED, or EA!

Represent with or Protect your Tech (and this year, life!) with College Pride!
Skinit makes some of my favorite phone cases and laptop, AirPod, PlayStation, and Xbox skins around. What’s great is that on some of these items you can not just find styles that match your personality; you can also find designs that flaunt your college colors. Below are some examples of some of my favorite skins or cases.

This year, with a plague all around us, we’ve added a way to show college pride while covering your face. FOCO and Original Retro Brand make some face masks that future college students will love even as they gasp for air.


In the same vain, it’s also important not to misplace your technology and charge your gadgets regularly. I love this all-in-one bamboo charging station by NEXGADGET because it’s compact, which is perfect for a dorm room and it’s also quite stylish.

Protect Yourself!
Sad to say, college dorm showers are gross! Showaflaps make my favorite antibicrobial flip flops for your (hopefully) daily showers while on campus.

At many college campuses it also gets quite cold in the winter; therefore, how about some house boots to keep your feet nice and warm during your first winter on campus? Hanes makes my favorites in this category, and their unisex bad boys double as awesome dorm room slippers. Added bonus: no-slip!

Keep the Peace in Your Dorm Room
They say that good fences make good neighbors. In the context of a dorm room, good room dividers make good roommates. Sometimes we all need a bit of our own space, and MyGift makes my favorite dorm room divider because it can also double as a chalk board.

Look Good On Campus
While it makes the most sense to dress for success during the school day and while in class, once nighttime rolls around, strip down to a graphic tee that showcases your sense of humor. My favorite pop-culture inspired, random, college-themed, and all around fun t-shirt designs that are sure to grab the attention of fellow travelers in your dorm, at the library, or in the dining hall are below.





Look Good In Bed
Get your head out of the gutter! When it’s time to go to sleep or simply nap, there is no need to do so in a drab quilt. You should be able to snuggle up in your college colors, and Dormitory101 makes the very best double-layered, double-sided blankets made from the softest material you’ve ever felt – and they’re easy to take care of. No pilling. No extra care instructions. Just the comfiest, coziest fleece that will last years after graduation.

Congratulations on getting into college/university!

Parents, congrats – your child is going to college!

Students, great job! Now, let’s party!

How to Prepare for IELTS Online at Home

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As IELTS experts, we spend a lot of time answering questions about IELTS Exam preparation and the best ways to go about preparing for this all-important exam during a global pandemic.

Online education is becoming the new normal during a time when nobody wants to leave their home unless absolutely necessary. Many still think there is a one-size-fits-all magic formula for preparing for the IELTS (International English Language Testing System), and I think it’s time that we dispel this myth once and for all, and in so doing, here are a few hard truths about IELTS Online Test Preparation.

Hard Truth #1: IELTS Test Preparation is Different for Different people

While some people are ready for taking their IELTS tomorrow; some may be best positioned to do well on the IELTS only after six months of hard work ahead of them. It depends on the individual. Students often feel that this isn’t the right test for them. Unfortunately, just because something worked for someone you know, doesn’t mean the same will work for you. It is important to understand your areas of improvement and take coaching from an Online IELTS institute that is able to provide personal attention to you. There are various diagnostic tests available on the internet. You can attempt those diagnostic tests and find out your weak areas. Any exam preparation is different for different people. It all depends on what strategies the individual best responds to.

Hard Truth #2: Direction plays a key role

We know there is a lot of free information available on the internet, and we know you want to “teach yourself” using this free information. But trust me; we talk to dozens of people on a daily basis that thought the same thing. Why should you take IELTS Training when there is so much free material available on the internet? Well it’s free but not structured, a Top IELTS Online coaching institute will be able to provide you with a proper training plan, tips and tricks, and feedback on areas in which you need the most improvement. Guys, you have to think a lot before choosing whether to join a prep program or engage self preparation, I get it. IELTS is an expensive exam; I think it’s better to take prep seriously and engage in structured expert prep if you can afford it.

 IELTS Online Test Preparation Recommendations

1: Figure Out your Level

The first thing that you should do when you decide you’re going to prepare for IELTS at home is to find out exactly what your current level is. Then you can make an appropriate timeline and some realistic goals. NEVER book your IELTS test date before knowing and assessing your level. You will certainly regret it. Most online IELTS classes will be able to provide you with a free mock IELTS test that you can take to assess your own level. 

2: Build on your Weaknesses

Once you know what your level is, stop practicing the questions immediately. The practice questions were good enough to give you the format of the test. Now is the time to focus completely on building up the weak skills that you have identified. Look for Online IELTS coaching that provides you with skills-building lessons on grammar, vocabulary, and other important skills required to crack the IELTS Exam. 

3:  Start Practicing Again

Once you have worked on your weaknesses, it’s time to start practicing IELTS questions again. This time, you can focus more on understanding the format of the test, such as how the questions and information will be presented to you. Many institutes have designed full length mock tests for IELTS very similar to the final IELTS exam. Some even have module based tests. It may be the case that you are good in listening and weak in writing, and if so, then you can practice more questions within the writing module.

4: Get Feedback from an Expert

Once you feel that you are ready for the IELTS, it’s incredibly helpful to get feedback about your progress from someone who knows what they’re talking about. This can be a tutor in your daily life or a trained IELTS prep partner. If you decide to do this before taking your test, chances are you will have a lot more knowledge and confidence, which will make it much more likely for you to succeed on your first try! Guidance from an expert plays an important role in cracking IELTS exam in the first attempt.

What’s the Final Message for IELTS Preparation Online?

Remember, you are a unique individual. Your Online IELTS test preparation is not going to look the same as your friend’s preparation. If you want to succeed on your first try, you need to be honest with yourself about your weaknesses and you need to be realistic about your timeline. And if you need help, get it from an expert. 

Why Your Common Application Essay is So Bad

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If your attempt at writing a strong Common Application essay is failing, chances are that you are making this one major mistake in the drafting process. Fix it and you will give yourself a fighting chance to write an essay that is actually decent.

 

Write an essay worthy of getting you into your dream college! Expert college application essay review and editing are just a click away! Meanwhile, learn about another reason your college application essay is so bad.

“Your anguish is justified.” The ACT apology for canceling your registration.

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Many colleges have gone test-optional for the 2020-2021 admissions cycle, and so far, ACT, Inc., the publisher of the ACT, has done all it can make colleges appear prescient by doing so.  When you can make the individuals running Mizzou (went test optional this week) appear forward-thinking you know you are really scraping the bottom of the barrel when it comes to organizational effectiveness.

Throughout the spring and early summer ACT administrations were cancelled with little to no notice. Students often registered for testing sites miles away from home in the hopes that they had found a rural school willing to allow them into the building to take the ACT only to find that they were student #251 out of 500 students in line, and the school, because of social distancing, was only accepting the first 250 students to show up.

All this happened with no warning or guidance from ACT, Inc.

In other cases, students showed up to a school on a Saturday morning only to find the whole place locked up and the ACT unable or unwilling to give any pre-test or post-test guidance as to why the test was never administered. Was it the ACT’s fault or was it that proctors just didn’t show up or was it because the school was closed by some higher power? Does it matter?

Obviously, the plague spreading around the Earth came at a time when many long-standing institutions were least capable of dealing with it. Most venerable institutions in the U.S. are notable for their lethargy, inflexibility, listlessness, and lack of leadership, and their reaction to doing business through a plague is to remain in denial as long as possible.

Yet, now that summer is waning, the hits keep on coming for the ACT.

The latest ACT snafu comes in the form of a random email some students who thought they successfully registered for the September ACT received this week that read as follows:

Hi [Student Name],

We’re sorry. We know on Monday you visited MyACT to register for the ACT test and did not have the experience you were hoping for or the one we wanted to provide you. Your anguish is justified.

We are refunding your full transaction amount that occurred on July 27 through MyACT.

Your order did not complete as expected and you do not currently have an ACT test registration.

MyACT will be up and running on Monday, August 3 at 10:00am CT, and you will be able to register successfully. Customer Support teams are not able to complete or change registrations until our system is back up on Monday.

Thanks for your patience.

What’s going on in Iowa? ACT, Inc. claims a new registration system is in the offing in 48 hours. Maybe come August 3 the powers that be at the ACT will wake up fully aware that their entire business model is hanging on by a thread and they will chart a positive course for the standardized test. But, would you be money on that? Chances are ACT, Inc. will keep stumbling from embarrassment to embarrassment into the fall and winter until someone who is actually a leader takes charge and proactively guides the organization forward in a world unlikely to return to fetid “normal” any time soon.

In the meantime, if you can earn a strong ACT or SAT score and the college(s) you are applying to is test optional, it’s still my recommendation to grin and bear this shady process. Test optional is not test blind; therefore, the clamor to take the SAT and ACT will remain no matter how bad both of these test makers behave.

The (former) SAT word for all of this: debacle. The (current) SAT words for all of this: hot mess.

MIT to no longer consider SAT Subject Test scores

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MIT has made the decision to no longer consider the SAT Subject Tests as part of the admissions process. You can find MIT’s full revised testing requirements here.

MIT states: “…in fairness to all applicants, we won’t consider them (Subject Tests) for anyone. We think it would be unfair to consider scores only from those who have scored well and therefore choose to send them to us. They are neither recommended nor optional; they are simply not a part of our process anymore.”

While the announcement comes as the Coronavirus spreads from China to all corners of the world, MIT claims the decision was not taken in response to the pandemic. Earlier this week, Case Western University used the pandemic as its excuse for going fully SAT-ACT optional for the high school class of 2021.

For a full list of colleges that currently require, recommend, or favorably consider SAT Subject Test scores, visit ConvertYourScore.org.

Case Western Goes Test Optional in Response to COVID-19

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Never let a crisis go to waste is a maxim someone at Case Western University must deeply believe in, as the university’s admissions office announced today that it is now test-optional for students entering in the fall of 2021.

Case Western framed this admissions switcheroo in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has forced the ACT and SAT to cancel spring test dates.

“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.”

The university went on to add, “We will determine policies for future classes in winter 2020/21.”

Expect more colleges to do this. While clear-eyed people will find unsavory the trend of colleges wrapping self-interest-guided decisions in imitative altruism during a real crisis when so many real people are suffering and losing their jobs/incomes – and potentially their lives, college admissions deans and their overlords are focused on generating as many applications as possible no matter the calamity that surrounds them. 

Whatever happened to unvarnished honesty, especially in a time of crisis? Case – and many other colleges – want as many applicants as they can muster from the high school class of 2021 in what is likely to be an admissions cycle characterized by “softer” demand than college administrators want to contemplate.

I’ll believe “students’ best interests are served” when these same institutions reduce the price of tuition and/or offer permanent full-time online degrees. We don’t even know if recently deposited students from the high school class of 2020 will be able to start their college experiences on campus in August. In the meantime, congrats to Case on the PR and aggressively-timed (why not announce this over the summer?) attempt to stabilize your finances for FY2021-2022.

Aerial view of Cleveland, Ohio, home to Case Western Reserve University

How to Approach 2020-2021 Common App Essay Prompts

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How do you tackle the main essay on the Common Application to give yourself the best shot of writing an essay that is acceptance worthy at even the most selective colleges and universities?

While your essay should be unique, your approach to writing a great essay should actually be both formulaic and geared towards differentiating your story and perspective on life from those of other applicants.

Students (and their parents) who are serious about figuring out which Common App essay prompt to pursue should take the time to watch the entire video below. In it, I walk you through each prompt that will appear on the “common” portion of the 2020-2021 Common App and give each a grade for the average and not so average Common App applicant. After you watch the video make sure to learn why you still may be having a hard time drafting anything other than bad or downright horrible responses.  Enjoy!

ACT to allow section-specific retesting starting in 2020

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ACT, Inc. is dramatically reforming and enhancing the ACT® test with options that keep students’ interests in mind. Beginning with the September 2020 national ACT test date, ACT test takers will have more options when taking the ACT:

  • ACT Section Retest—Students who have already completed a full ACT test can choose to retake one or more sections (English, math, reading, science, or writing) without having to retake the entire test.
  • Superscore reporting—To support the growing trend of students taking the ACT test multiple times, score reports will now include a calculated ACT Superscore, along with an ACT Composite score.
  • Faster results with online testing—Students will be able to choose to take the ACT online at a test center on national ACT test dates and get their multiple-choice test results as early as two business days after taking the test

These new options, according to ACT, Inc., will offer students, “more choices, a better experience, and greater confidence that their ACT test scores best reflect their hard work, overall academic achievement, and potential for success throughout their lives.” I tend to agree. Students being able to choose to retake only the sections in which they want to improve their scores (after initially taking the full ACT test) is a wonderful, student-centered approach. ACT, Inc. should be applauded for this reform.

Faster score reports means that students will be able to make decisive plans for college sooner, and superscoring will help students demonstrate to colleges and universities their best achievement in each subject. The ACT is already the preferred choice for many test-takers, despite College Board efforts in recent years to win test-takers back with yet another re-centering of scores. The newly announced changes by ACT will make ACT even more popular starting in September 2020. At a time when more colleges are going test-optional, it’s not surprising that the testing agencies – ACT, Inc. and College Board – will feel ongoing pressure to make their tests student-friendly.

Learn more about the changes here.

How did Ivanka Trump get into Wharton?

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Recently, Tucker Carlson of Fox News asked on his evening program, “How did (CNN host and child of a former Democrat Governor) Chris Cuomo get into Yale?”

The answer to this question is important for all Americans to know for the reasons Tucker Carlson explains in his monologue.

Yet, just as important, if not more important, would be for Americans to get answers to the following two related questions:

  1. How did Ivanka Trump (who is obviously the most powerful woman in America right now by virtue of her personal and professional proximity to President Trump) get into Penn’s Wharton School of Business in 2002 – as a transfer student no less?
  2. Would Ivanka still have gotten into Wharton with the same qualifications if she had submitted her transfer application after her father made his famous escalator speech announcing his run for president in 2015?

As thousands of rising high school seniors around the world embark on completing their college applications for “selective” American colleges over the weeks ahead, the answers to the above two questions would be clarifying and important for these young people to know.

Update: The powers-that-be at Penn changed their admissions policy just a couple of weeks after this post was published. The change, had it been implemented in years/decades prior, would have meant that Donald Trump and Ivanka Trump both would have been denied admission to Penn. Learn more here. 

Ivanka Trump and family pose between Locust Walk and Jon M. Huntsman Hall on Penn’s campus in May 2004

Parents: Don’t Become Aunt Becky During Your Child’s College Admissions Process

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At the root of so many parents’ anxieties about their children going through the college admissions process is not dread over the eventual act of sending their children off to live on their own. Instead, what inspires some parents to cheat on behalf of their children is some parents’ frightful realization that their the children will actually earn what’s coming to them. This is another way of saying that maybe, just maybe, the children won’t get into a colleges the parents want them to get into unless the parents insert themselves into the process in order to “augment” the college applications of their children in some way, shape, or form.

With that in mind, parents, as we head into summer, and your rising seniors enter into the climatic months of the college application process, please watch the video below. I hope it saves you from the perils of not embracing whatever outcome may await your child in the college admissions process based on what your child – the student – is willing and able to put into the process without breaking any rules, cutting corners, and/or taking advantage of any unethical “application supplementation.”

 

To receive additional sage, and quite humorous, advice from the perspective of educator Gerry Brooks, click here.