Super…Clark?
Clark Kent is my hero. You probably believe that I am referring to his more popular alter ego, but I’m not. The mild-mannered reporter who grew up on the farm in Smallville is my favorite hero. And I honestly believe that people, and especially students applying to college, would have a more positive self-image if they would be of similar opinion. When I was growing up, Superman was my favorite fictional character. Some of my fondest childhood memories are of times when my mother would pin a towel around my neck and allow me to zip around the house pretending to be the Man of Steel. Who wouldn’t want to be faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a
FAFSA Reinvented: A Guide to the Latest Changes
For 30 years, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, has been used by universities across the country to determine how much federal aid a student qualifies for. However, in 2020, the federal government voted on a measure to significantly reduce the number of questions on the FAFSA overall. It also changes how financial contributions are evaluated, and with the end of the admissions process on the horizon, it’s important to understand what these changes mean for you and your family. FAFSA Simplification Act The FAFSA Simplification Act was passed by the federal government in 2020 and represents a significant overhaul of the processes for awarding federal aid starting with the 2024-2025 school year. A large part
The New Digital SAT: How do you prepare for success?
CollegeBoard is launching the digital SAT! Have you heard? The SAT and PSAT are going digital! Starting this October, rising juniors will take the digital PSAT as the qualifying test for the National Merit Society and all administrations starting in March 2024 will be digital as well! But what does that mean for students? What exactly is changing? How can you best prepare? In this article, we’re going to explore the changes, so let’s dive in! What exactly is changing in the digital SAT? The most obvious change, of course, is that this test will be held on a computer or tablet, instead of on paper. Students will be able to take this test either on their own
Affirmative Action: What Happens Now?
The ruling by the Supreme Court’s ruling to overturn Affirmative Action has prompted many questions about what this will mean for students of color. While this policy has been widely contested for decades, there have been some clear benefits because of its implementation, so naturally there are concerns about what will happen in its absence. First, however, let’s get into a little bit of background information to better understand the impact of Affirmative Action. What is Affirmative Action? As a legal policy, Affirmative Action wasn’t initially constructed as a policy to directly affect college admissions. It was actually enacted in 1961 to counter past, present, and future discrimination in the workplace. Any and all businesses that received federal funds
When should my child start working on the Common App essay?
Writing a stellar college essay is an incredibly important part of the college application process. It’s a moment when you can pull back the curtain and really show admissions officers who you are and how you’ve become the person you are today. In those 650 words, admissions officers are looking for a chance to better understand you besides what they see in your transcripts, test scores, and recommendation letters. So when should you start writing it? Since there is such an emphasis on the essay, procrastination can truly set you up for failure, but starting early can increase your chances for success. In general, the heavy lifting of the college process starts at the beginning of the junior year. That’s
Which standardized test should my child take for college?
Standardized tests, such as the SAT and the ACT, are meant to be a way to evaluate students on a level playing field, as opposed to only using a student’s transcripts. However, it’s important to note that test scores aren’t the only things colleges use to determine a student’s ability to handle the rigors of college – they’re just one piece of the puzzle. There are a number of testing options that students can utilize in order to best showcase their strengths and figuring out which one to choose can be daunting and confusing, but the answer is truly about preferences and strengths. Students can choose between the SAT, ACT, AP, and IB, or International Baccalaureate, exams. Each test has
My child is taking a practice test. Will that be enough prep for the SAT or ACT?
Standardized testing is one of the pieces that make up a college application. It can often feel like the most important piece, and as such, parents and students truly feel the pressure to spend endless hours practicing in order to achieve perfection, but the question remains: how do you best do that? Oftentimes, the first step families take is practice tests. A practice test, whether it is the SAT or the ACT, is a previous test that is no longer in use. These tests were administered in months or even years past and can be used to better understand a student’s strengths and weaknesses within the testing environment, but are they enough? Can focusing on practice tests lead to significant
What is the best time to get started with the college process?
There’s no bad time to get started with the college process, but starting early definitely works in your favor. There are numerous steps involved, including course selection, maintaining good grades, standardized testing, and college selection, just to name a few. Starting early gives you the best possible chance later on. We like to think of it like a deck of cards. Imagine you’re sitting at a table and you’re dealt a hand of cards. You hope that maybe you’ve been given some good ones, but there’s an equal possibility that you have a hand of duds. But what if you could choose the cards you’re dealt? What if you could plan it out for yourself and decide which cards to
Comparing the ACT and SAT: Which Exam is Harder?
The ACT and SAT are two of the most commonly taken college entrance exams. Both exams are used to assess a student’s knowledge and ability to succeed in college. As such, it is important to understand the differences between the two exams and which one is more challenging. In this blog, we will discuss the differences between the ACT and SAT, what each test measures, how they are scored, the time and length of each exam, the difficulty level of each exam, preparing for the exams, the cost, and availability of the tests, and how to decide which test to take. Overview of the ACT and SAT The ACT and SAT are two college entrance exams used to measure a
Residue
In an age where most of my student meetings happen on Zoom, it was a rare privilege to meet with this young woman face-to-face. As we prepared to review her work together, I looked down at her hands and noticed that there were thin grey lines across the back of them. I asked what was wrong, but she calmly explained that she’d be working out at the gym and the tape that she used to support and protect her hands left some glue behind when she had removed it. We then continued with the lesson for the day. Later, I was still reflecting on that brief interaction. She wore the tape on her hands each day to protect them from
