This year has seen a lot of change, and the Common App is part of that. For the first time in years, the Common App has a new essay prompt: “Reflect on something that someone has done for you that has made you happy or thankful in a surprising way. How has this gratitude affected or motivated you?” According to…
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Talking about broad topics is fraught with peril. As I mentioned last week, college applications are up, except that they’re only up at some schools and a lot of the increase comes from students submitting more applications, not more students submitting applications. Today I’m going to tackle public university tuition directions for the coming year. Before going there, I need…
This past fall, there was considerable concern about decreases in college application for the fall of 2021. In November, the Common App reported an “alarming” decline, particularly among lower-income and first generation students. Coming on top of a 3.6% decline in undergraduate enrollment for the fall of 2020, the drop in applications was a source of considerable anxiety. As of…
It’s back-to-basics week for me and time to talk about getting started saving for college. If you want your children to go to college, you need to save. Period. That’s the easy part. Harder is where and how much. People worry that they’re going to lose out on financial aid if they save. Yes, your savings will add a small…
Today there was big news from the College Board: SAT Subject and Essay tests are being eliminated. In their announcement, the College Board stated their goal was to “reduce demands on students” and to “respond to the changing needs of students and colleges.” One reality of those changing needs is, very few colleges require SAT subject or essay tests, largely…