Creative College Connections

Day 3 Windy City College Tour in Chicago: University of Chicago. A taste of Oxford in Chicago. Chicago's reputation for academic rigor and excellence is well-earned. But, students say the curriculum encourages exploration in a collaborative environment. Yes, some students study ALL THE TIME. But, plenty of others get involved in campus life and find time to enjoy the city. Caffeine fuels these kids... I think I counted 14 coffee spots on campus!

Day 3 of the Windy City Colleges Tour in Chicago. Stop 1: Columbia College. Film, Audio Arts/Contemporary Music, Entertainment Business, Fashion, Theater Arts, Advertising, American Sign Language... students come here for creative majors grounded in the liberal arts. Located on the famous Michigan Avenue, the university is located on some prime Chicago real estate! There's so much to see - my group toured the music/music production facilities. Student housing is rarely impressive... but it is here: spacious rooms, closet organizers, views, nice furniture, TVs in suites, outside courtyard... The list of successful Columbia College alumni is extensive.

Day 2 Afternoon of the Windy City College Tour. Lake Forest College treated us to lunch in the student dining hall 👍. This is not the Lake Forest College of a generation ago. The #1 ranking for social mobility is impressive. It means that the college is committed to providing financial resources, academic opportunities, career development resources, and other forms of support to first-generation college students. It's a big campus considering the enrollment of 1,800 and Lake Michigan is a short 10-minute walk from campus. For students who want a high-quality personalized educational experience on a pretty campus with proximity to a major city, Lake Forest is worth checking out. Oh yeah, they offer generous scholarships too, including a handful of competitive full-tuition awards!

Day 2 of the Windy City Colleges Tour - we spent the morning at Northwestern University. The campus is even more beautiful than online pics. Unlike many universities, Northwestern offers flexibility in the curriculum. Students can move between colleges and pick up second majors or minors in a variety of subjects (with the exception of the performing arts where students are admitted by audition/portfolio). Although the quarter schedule is fast-paced and demanding, students praise the collaborative culture. You can see the Chicago skyline as you look across Lake Michigan. Water, suburban location, city access, flexible curriculum, top-notch faculty, the arts, interesting architecture, D1 sports with school spirit... no wonder it's as popular as it is.

So, I've seen social media about Sister Jean at Loyola Chicago. 104 years young and going strong. Sister Jean commutes each day from her home adjacent to the downtown campus (she takes the shuttle with the students) to her office on the lakeside campus. And, of course, she attends all basketball camps - home and away. What a dynamo and an inspiration. It was our honor meeting the indefatigable Sister Jean!

Day 1 of the Windy City College Tour in Chicago. Highlights from our full day at Loyola Chicago - beautiful lakeshore campus AND downtown campus. Lots to love here. The entire university is focused on sustainability. In the School of Environmental Sustainability, the BioDiesel lab turns used cooking oil from area colleges and city museums and turns it into fuel to power the campus shuttles. The byproduct is turned into hand soap. And the VERY impressive student-run Inigo PR firm, where students are getting real-world experience developing advertising and PR strategies for companies like United Airlines.

Beautiful day on campus! Thank you

A press release from Virginia Tech reviewed some changes coming up in their application process.

1) They are removing the Early Decision (binding) option for applying. Students can apply Early Action or Regular Decision.

2) They are moving their Early Action deadline to November 15th (previously December 1st).

3) They are no longer considering legacy status in the admissions process.

Read more about the changes here, https://news.vt.edu/articles/2023/07/cm-admissions-cycle.html?fbclid=IwAR2cLTku4OGf4dWYzrQazyCApwYUot5Y5gZUMmZd7gRPgqx1NtT50xagZSA

Virginia Tech implements changes to undergraduate admissions process for 2023-24 admissions cycle The university will end early decision applications, among other changes, as it continues to employ a holistic review process to attract and enroll students of high potential from across the commonwealth and beyond.

Today is the first day of college application season! The Common App opens today!

Tonight we will launch the season with our annual "How to Tell Your Story in the College Essay" webinar at 7:00 pm EDT. It's not too late to join us, you can register here - https://us02web.zoom.us/.../721.../WN_AxLfb3j2ROy115MvlImrNA

Creative College Connections is hosting our annual "How to Tell Your Story in the College Essay" webinar on Tuesday August 1st at 7:00 pm EDT. Registration here - https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/7216874818826/WN_AxLfb3j2ROy115MvlImrNA

Join us and bring your questions!

UVA released their updated essay prompts last week. Check out the announcement on their Notes from Peabody blog here,

2023-2024 UVA Writing Prompts A blog about college admission and the admissions process at University of Virginia.

Not surprising. We expect many colleges to also end legacy admission. Note the comment about the Ivy League schools which tend to have the highest share of legacies. We suspect they are under enormous pressure by those who want to end and those who want to maintain current practices that give a big leg-up to legacies.

Wesleyan University Ends Legacy Admissions With the Supreme Court’s decision to ban race-conscious admissions, the pressure is on selective colleges to end preferences for children of alumni.

Sending off Class of 2023! 💜🎈🎉
We love working with our students and helping them launch to best college fits.

On this College Decision Day, we want to congratulation our hardworking Class of 2023! They were accepted to 122 colleges in 40 states and 2 countries!

Take a look to see where they are headed!

Three campuses with very different cultures. Each wonderful for the right student.

Our North Carolina Colleges Tour for members kicked off yesterday with visits to NC State University, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Duke University. Thanks to our College Committee for organizing this fantastic event!

Even a sling can't hold Hannah back from visiting colleges! She is off to NC this week - seeing NC State this morning and UNC and Duke this evening!

Our friends at Applerouth Tutoring are hosting "Ask the Experts: Advice from Top College Admissions Directors" on March 28th at 8:00 pm EDT. Featuring:

Shawn Felton, Director of Undergraduate Admissions at Cornell University

Carol Lee Conchar, Associate Director of Undergraduate Admissions at George Washington University

Anthony Johnson, Jr., Senior Assistant Director of Admissions at University of Georgia

This session will cover:
Testing - What does test-optional mean and how do colleges evaluate applications without test scores?
Classes & Grades - how do Honors, AP, IB, and DE classes factor into the process? Is rigor or grades more important?
Extracurricular - How should students use their time outside of school?
College visits - How can students use their time on campus wisely?

Register here - https://applerouth.onecanoe.com/registration/create/?event_code=EVT83DD8&utm_source=Applerouth+Main&utm_campaign=a14eac4ce1-AR_Lead_Gen_Webinar_IEC_Counselors_03_13_2023&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_41a7cbffe6-a14eac4ce1-110947107

Registration - OneCanoe

William & Mary and Columbia University both announced this week they are making test-optional a permanent decision this week.

https://news.wm.edu/2023/03/01/wm-extends-test-optional-admission-process-indefinitely/

https://undergrad.admissions.columbia.edu/columbia-test-optional

Columbia is Test-Optional | Columbia Undergraduate Admissions Columbia is test-optional for applicants to Columbia College or Columbia Engineering. The holistic and contextual application review process for Columbia College and The Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science is rooted in the belief that students are dynamic, multi-faceted individua...

The annual Colleges That Change Lives fair coming to east coast cities in March.

TOMORROW!
Join us Feb 15 at 7:30 pm for our webinar on the new SAT and other testing decisions. Jenna Berk, from Applerouth Tutoring, has an in-depth look at the changes coming with the digital SAT.
Register here - https://us02web.zoom.us/.../711.../WN_PALui4cyTz2_rmcoZzqzyQ
This webinar is open to all, share the link with your friends and family that may have up-and-coming SAT takers!

2023 Webinar series

Join us for our February webinar on the new digital SAT and info to make testing decisions. We are hosting Jenna Berk from Applerouth Education. Jenna will discuss changes to the SAT, how to choose the right test for you, and when to take the test.

February 15th at 7:30 EST
Register here - https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/7116745734588/WN_PALui4cyTz2_rmcoZzqzyQ

I am happy to team up with my colleagues at Loudoun Test Prep for a conversation about college admissions. If you live in Loudoun County and have a high school junior, sophomore, or even a freshman, we invite you to attend... and bring your questions! Please register, as space is limited!
https://app.planhero.com/gatherings/17593-college-admissions-strategy-creating-a-plan-for-success?fbclid=IwAR22H6jJuM1jH619pn1WPofYSc7TKKx1Ljjq6SZXbMd2KNEYmaksLBWQvPg

TONIGHT! Our first webinar of 2023 with Lumiere Education on research opportunities for high school students. It's not too late to register, https://us02web.zoom.us/.../401.../WN_j76tuVgjRpyC9lG1ljPyXA and join us at 7:30 pm EST. This event is open to friends and family, so feel free to share the registration link!

For our first webinar of 2023, we are hosting Lumiere Education to talk about research opportunities for high school students.

Join us Thursday January 19th at 7:30 pm by registering here, https://us02web.zoom.us/.../401.../WN_j76tuVgjRpyC9lG1ljPyXA This event is open so feel free to share the registration link!

Maya Novak-Herzog, Head of US Partnerships, will share how Lumiere approaches independent research and the role this research can play in the college application process.
If you have a student thinking about summer, who has a significant area of interest and wants to distinguish themselves academically, Lumiere can help!

https://www.thedp.com/article/2023/01/penn-admissions-test-optional-extension-2023-24?fbclid=IwAR3uTWEW0eySA9tr2459EaOR5AKBP-8pSMAM_td222KAy3OIjxzM4qaRIGU

News for juniors...

Penn Admissions extends test-optional policy for 2023-24 admissions cycle Penn Admissions’s announcement, released today on its blog, represents a continuation of the policies first implemented due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Good news for the Class of 2024 and beyond as another university plans on joining the Common Application. Rutgers will join the Common App next year. The Common Application makes it easier for students to apply to multiple colleges and universities by using a single platform.

We are watching closely as colleges make decisions regarding testing policy for next year's admission cycle. We anticipate that some colleges, like Purdue, will return to requiring test score submission. It's not surprising to us that another STEM-focused school seeks students with strong math test scores. Purdue joins GATech and MIT as prominent STEM universities requiring test scores.

Students who are worried about testing should know that we expect many colleges to continue their test-optional admission policies.

https://www.purdue.edu/newsroom/releases/2022/Q4/purdue-university-to-require-sat,-act-scores-for-2024-admissions.html?fbclid=IwAR293y90AvQqnU7Smio1qcJqSKeByWhqE3bMYHHLx_eFG7Y6_YaN_xBc-_0&mibextid=Zxz2cZ

Purdue University to require SAT, ACT scores for 2024 admissions Purdue University announced Tuesday (Nov. 29) that it will resume requiring SAT and/or ACT test scores for admissions applications, beginning with students who apply for Fall 2024 admission to Purdue. The resumption was recommended by university administration and endorsed by the board of trustees.

The Common App will closed yesterday July 28th, at 5:00 pm to refresh the application for the upcoming application season. It will be unavailable until August 1st.

Students can sign-in and refresh their accounts on August 1st. Information already inputted into most sections of the app will rollover. Here is an FAQ from Common App on the rollover, https://appsupport.commonapp.org/applicantsupport/s/article/What-do-I-need-to-know-about-Account-Rollover

What is account rollover? InformationArticle ContentEvery year on August 1, Common App gets a refresh. During this refresh, we roll over your account for the new application year. Account rollover helps us ensure that anyone can create a Common App account and get started at any time. Even if you don't plan on applying for a...

TONIGHT!
Join us for our Telling Your Story in the College Essay webinar at 6:00 pm (edt).
Register here - https://us02web.zoom.us/.../261.../WN_HE0QSbXGSeGTqV1uEi7cMw

Is it too early to start the college essay?

No!

Although individual colleges may not have finalized some supplemental essay prompts, the Common App writing prompts are staying the same this year. It's not too early to look at the prompts, reflect on your experiences, create an outline, and start that first draft!

Join us on Tuesday July 26th at 6:00 pm (eastern) for our annual essay webinar about Telling Your Story in the College Essay.

Register here - https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/2616534077177/WN_HE0QSbXGSeGTqV1uEi7cMw

Is writing the essay the most intimidating part of the college application process? Almost 50% of students think so!

They ranked the essay as the hardest part - over standardized testing, asking for a recommendation, and even deciding where to go in the first place!

We have a solution! Come to our webinar on How to Tell Your Story in the College Essay on Tuesday July 26th at 6:00 pm eastern.

Register here - https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_HE0QSbXGSeGTqV1uEi7cMw

We will have time for Q&A at the end, so be sure to come with your questions!

Branching out into TikTok - last week's visit to the Air Force Academy.

Hannah_Serota on TikTok

UVA released their 2022-2023 essay prompts today. There are some updates and changes from previous years, including two additional essays in addition to the student's college/major essay. These additional essays are capped at 50 words each, down from 250 words in previous years.

Have you ever looked back over meeting notes and been struck by a clear theme? Hannah had that experience after her recent IECA conference - the BIG Cs have emerged as a new trend in college admissions.
Read her June blog to find more about the BIG Cs and how they can be demonstrated in a student's application - https://www.creativecollegeconnections.com/a-new-trend-in-college-admissions

"Us and We versus I am Me"
Tip for Class of 2023: think about what this means in your life before starting college applications.