Have you ever read an essay draft and thought, Yikes! What will readers think? Such a great kid, and he comes across as pompous (or rude or self-important or….)
Maybe your student really is full of himself. Or maybe his self-confidence just doesn’t translate well on the page.
We’ve all been there.
The solution? I call it the Mad Libs Cure.
Next time you’re struggling with tone, try responding with this formula:
I know you are trying to convey _____________, (I’m a committed volunteer) but it’s coming across as _______________ (I’m the only one who REALLY cares about racism in my community.)
I believe you. You sound like _______________ (a really committed volunteer), but let’s refocus on your audience and the purpose of this essay.
If your audience were _______________ (your town council), and you were trying to convince them to _____________ (revamp the volunteer program), you might use this essay to ____________ (demonstrate the strengths and weaknesses of the program).
But that’s not your audience. Your audience is admissions reps, and your purpose is ____________ (to demonstrate that you will be a great addition to the campus community. With that in mind, you need to focus on ________________ (yourself; not you in comparison to others.)
Let’s look at this essay together and figure out how to get the tone right.
Give it a shot and let us know how it goes.
About the Author
Kim Lifton is President and Co-founder of Wow Writing Workshop a premier college application essay coaching and professional training company, offering private, virtual writing coaching services to professionals and students throughout the world. Since 2009, Wow has been leading the college admissions industry with our unique approach to communicating messages effectively through application essays, including personal statements, activity and short answer essays and supplements. Kim leads a team of writers and teachers who understand the writing process inside and out. Kim blogs regularly about the college essay’s role in the admission process for multiple industry publications and websites. In 2019, she was named a LinkedIn Top Voice in Education. She can be reached by e-mail at kim@wowwritingworkshop.com
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In 2020 the Tier for 2 Education Foundation awarded $25,000 each to 10 different students. They are again offering the opportunity for your students to apply for consideration. Here are the details:
The 1 for 2 Education Foundation is seeking highly motivated applicants of accredited U.S. four-year colleges and universities.
For the 2020 academic year the Foundation selected a diverse group of ten scholars who attended both public and private high schools from seven states. Grants of up to $25,000 per academic year were made to attend both public and private colleges and universities across the U.S.
For the 2021 academic year the Foundation intends to award at least two and up to ten merit-based scholarships. The size of the individual grants is determined on the basis of tuition remaining after considering all other forms of tuition assistance obtained by the scholar.
Requirements to Apply:
• An up to date official transcript from current school
• Signed 1 for 2 Education Foundation Pledge form
• All required application questions must be answered, and fields completed
• Applicant must be living in the United States but is not required to be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident
• The college or university must be in the United States
• GPA must be at least 3.7 unweighted, 4.0 weighted
Application Deadline: After 500 complete applications are received or February 15, 2021, whichever occurs first.
The Foundation considers the applicant’s high school academic record, leadership and community service activities, and letters of recommendation. Applicants are also assessed on the alignment of their values with the Foundation’s values as it relates to their intention to fulfill their Pledge to the Foundation.
While receiving a scholarship from the Foundation, scholars are required to attend the Foundation’s annual Gathering. During this event, scholars will have a chance to meet other scholars, graduates, and directors. They will also participate in personal development and learning sessions aimed at preparing them for academic, career, and life goals. The 2021 Gathering is planned for July 29 – August 2, 2021, in Michigan. All reasonable costs to attend the Gathering are covered by the Foundation.
Applicants are required to make the following pledge:
In consideration of the 1 for 2 Education Foundation (“the Foundation”) making this scholarship grant I pledge to support the mission of the Foundation to build a community of scholars who are dedicated to being life-long learners by:
a) participating in the annual Foundation Gathering while receiving my scholarship,
b) supporting my fellow Foundation Scholars’ academic and career goals during my lifetime, and
c) paying for a comparable scholarship grant for two persons, who are not related to me by blood, adoption, or marriage, during my lifetime
The Common Application is a single application that students can use to apply to over 900 colleges and universities. Although filling out one application streamlines the process of applying to college, the Common Application includes many sections and takes most applicants hours to complete.
Think of the Common Application as an opportunity for college applicants to take the raw material of their high school experience and transform it into the best possible audition for college admission. Each section of the Common Application is there for a reason, whether to obtain hard facts about test scores and demographics or soft facts that imply character and personal skills. Accordingly, students need to invest time and thoughtfulness in their responses to each question. The application should be completed by the applicant; the parent’s role is to encourage and support the student in maintaining momentum and meeting deadlines and to answer the student’s questions or guide the student to helpful resources.
Below is a description of the sections of the Common Application and tips on how to write an effective response to each one.
Profile and Family Sections:
Questions in these sections help admissions officers piece together the student’s identity—what kind of community they grew up in, what type of diversity they have been exposed to or will bring to the college, demographic information and family dynamics. This information is provided by using drop down menus or typing short answers. Students will have the option to discuss further details of hardships or unique circumstances that may have impacted their education in the Additional Information section (see below.)
Education and Testing Sections:
Colleges use the Education and Testing sections of the Common Application, in conjunction with the student’s transcript and school profile (uploaded to the Common Application by the school counselor), to gain a full understanding of the applicant’s academic abilities and educational journey, including a student’s adaptability to new environments, capability for academic rigor and academic strengths and weaknesses. Students are asked to provide information about their current high school, high schools previously attended, college courses they have taken and senior year classes including AP, IB, and dual enrollment courses. Students are given the option to self-report their ACT or SAT scores as well as their AP or IB test scores; whether to do so depends on multiple factors such as the intent to re-test or apply to college under test optional policies. It is wise to consult with an expert before self-reporting test scores.
Activities Section:
Applicants are provided space to describe ten extracurricular activities in the Activities section of the Common Application. Each activity must be clearly explained within a maximum of 150 characters. This short but significant part of the application is an opportunity for students to carefully craft their words, providing a vibrant description of themselves beyond academic achievement. Though organized activities such as sports, clubs and employment are important to include, students should allow themselves to think broadly about the way they have engaged in their interests and responsibilities and include hobbies, family obligations, and self-initiated educational pursuits. Though there is space for ten activities, it is the quality that counts, not the quantity.
Writing Section:
The Writing section of the Common Application consists of three parts: The Personal Essay, Disciplinary History and Additional Information.
The Personal Essay:
College essays are not primarily beautiful pieces of prose or a demonstration of masterful, mature writing skills. They are an opportunity for students to tell the admissions officers who they are and how they will contribute to the campus community. The essay places grades, letters of recommendation, standardized test scores and list of extracurricular activities in context. It also adds the student’s voice to the application. And effective college essay assists the admissions officer in understanding a full picture of the student behind the application.
Disciplinary History:
Students who have received disciplinary consequences in high school are asked to write a short essay explaining the circumstances and reflecting on the experience. Colleges want to know that the student has matured and what he/she has learned from the incident. Students should avoid excuses and make sure that they demonstrate maturity and accountability when describing the situation.
Additional Information:
This section of the Common Application is optional but students who bypass this section miss an opportunity to enrich their application by describing achievements, interests, extenuating circumstances and unexplained hardships that do not fit into the other parts of the application. The following are some examples of appropriate and beneficial uses of the Additional Information section.
Providing more information about a significant activity, where 150 characters allowed in the Activities section was not enough to fully explain the significance.
Links to the student’s social media sites, always curated for consumption by admissions staff, including podcasts, blogs, LinkedIn and Instagram.
Colleges value inclusion and diversity in many forms, including neurodiversity. Students with learning disabilities, ADHD or autism can explain how their neurodiversity has challenged and/or impacted them positively.
Explanation of discrepancies in the high school transcript.
College-Specific Questions:
Each college that uses the Common Application can tailor the application to meet its own needs by adding additional questions. Many of these questions require brief answers. Some colleges, however, will also ask applicants to write one or more supplemental essays. Often, these essays ask why an applicant is choosing to apply to their college. The answers to this question help college admissions officers gauge their applicants’ level of interest in attending their college. Since college admissions officers want to accept the least number of students to fill their freshman class, they do not want to offer an acceptance to a student who is not eager to attend. The key to answering the question, “Why College X?” is to be very specific in your reasons for wanting to attend. If you can exchange the name of College X with College Y and the essay still works, you are not being specific enough to convince admissions of your interest.
In addition to writing a detailed “Why College X?” essay, there are other ways to demonstrate your interest in a college. The College Spy has created a checklist of tasks that students can complete to convince colleges of their interest. If you would like a free copy of this checklist, please email The College Spy’s founder, Michelle McAnaney, at michelle@thecollegespy.com.
Follow The College Spy on Twitter for additional tips and strategies for your application. You are also invited to join the College Admissions Parent Information Group, hosted by The College Spy on Facebook.
Professor Marcus du Sautoy is a British mathematician, a distinguished author of popular science books and regular contributor for several national newspapers. He holds the prestigious Simonyi Professorship in the Public Understanding of Science at the University of Oxford and is the chairman of Mangahigh Board of Advisors. He is also the former president of the Mathematical Association, and a Fellow of the Royal Society. Here, he delves into the origins of mathematical competitions and how, to this day, your students can win the big bucks by getting involved.
We always love a good competition at Mangahigh. The chance to earn a medal or to see your school climbing the leader board really seems to motivate students to notch up the lessons and levels in our games.
But what students may not realise is that math competitions and the chance to earn medals by solving math problems have always been part of the mathematical landscape. Indeed, in the sixteenth century, mathematics competitions in Italy were spectator sports with crowds cheering on their champion as they battled over problems set by their opponents.
It was during one such competition in Bologna that a breakthrough on one of the big open problems at the time occurred. It was made by a mathematician by the name of Tartaglia which means the stammerer. He had been left with a speech defect after a battle with knives rather than equations that had left with a terrible scar across his face.
Students at school learn how to solve a quadratic equation like x2−5x+6=0.
The challenge is to find two numbers that make this equation true.
There is a general formula that solves these quadratic equations. If the quadratic equation has the form ax2+bx+c=0 where a, b and c are numbers then the formula:
x=−b±b2−4ac2a gives values of x which solve this equation. The search for the method to solve quadratic equations was begun over 2000 years ago by the Ancient Babylonians, but it took the invention of algebra by the Arabs in the ninth century to be able to write it in this form.
But what if the equation was a bit more complicated and included x3 rather than just a simple x2. The challenge of coming up with a formula to solve cubic equations had confounded many mathematicians across the world, from China to India to the Arab world. It was one of the big open problems of the time. Which is probably why Tartaglia’s opponent Fior in the match in Bologna challenged him with a long list of cubic equations to solve.
But Fior and the crowd that had gathered to witness the match were staggered when Tartaglia was able to effortlessly solve one cubic equation after another walking away with the prize money that was on offer to the winner. It was clear that Tartaglia must have discovered a formula that would solve cubics like the one that students learn at school for quadratics. Many mathematicians tried to get him to divulge the formula but Tartaglia was not going to give away his secret formula that was the key to him winning more mathematics competitions and prize money.
Eventually though one of the senior mathematicians of the day, Cardano, persuaded him to explain his formula with the promise that he would keep it to himself and tell no one else. Tartaglia shared the poem that he had concocted to remember the formula with the hope that Cardano might help him to secure a position at the university. Cardano though was so excited by the formula that he eventually couldn’t keep it to himself and ended up publishing the formula in one of his books. Tartaglia was furious, especially as the job he was promised never materialised.
We are still trying to find clever ways to find formulas to solve equations even today. Indeed, there is a very big prize waiting for anyone who can understand solving equations called elliptic curves. These are equations where on one side you have a quadratic equation in y and on the other a cubic equation in x. For example, y2=x3−2. The challenge is to find numbers (x,y) which solve this equation. Here one could take x=3 and y=5. There is a million-dollar prize waiting for the first person to find a way to understand how to solve these sorts of equations in general.
So, if your students have enjoyed earning medals in our range of competitions, why not let them know there is big prize money out there for anyone who can solve the big mathematical mysteries that still remain uncracked.
You can get your students involved and practising their own quadratic factorising with the below activities from Mangahigh:
You can find out more about the story of solving the cubic in Marcus’s book Finding Moonshine. To find out more about the million-dollar math problem about elliptic curves, check out Chapter 4 of The Number Mysteries.
Leading math resource provider, Mangahigh is celebrating Halloween with a specially themed online math competition for all schools: no tricks, just treats!
From 23rd to the 30th October, students across the US will be competing in the Halloween Math Quest learning challenge to boost engagement in math, improve attainment and win prizes for their school.
Open for entries from today for schools in two categories, less than 200 students and more than 200 students, participants will be tasked with completing a series of online Halloween math challenges. Each challenge will add to the school’s total score and Amazon vouchers and digital certificates will be awarded to the top 10 schools in each category.
All learning activities included in the competition are aligned to the Common Core State Standards and offer a problem-solving approach to achieving math learning. The competition, run by math resource provider Mangahigh, is open to all schools across the US, both existing users and non-users. During the competition all schools can access Mangahigh free of charge.
Recently, I had an email exchange with a mom who questioned her daughter’s Common App personal statement.
How are you feeling about its quality? the mom asked.
Her daughter is a very smart girl. Driven by causes. Great mind. Incredibly mature. She wrote an excellent essay showcasing her interest in social justice; she focused her story on one conversation about food insecurity at a progressive summer camp.
Any admissions reader would know she was kind, compassionate and driven, fueled by progressive causes.
Still, the mom wasn’t so sure.
Has this ever happened to you? (No need to answer… I know the answer is yes!!!)
We’ve been in this business for a long time, and yes, this still happens to us. Even though we set expectations upfront. Even though we keep parents in the loop throughout the entire process. It’s just part of the job.
At Wow, we are respectful, but we have learned how to stand our ground.
We help our students write the best essays they are able and willing to write. We supervise our coaches; we also trust them completely. We all follow the same process, and that helps us determine when students are done. And when essays are good enough.
We judge a finished essay by its theme – and improvement. Which does not mean sentences are better. Or that the writing is tighter.
Improvement can mean more clarity. Additional insight. Or more focus.
Our goal is to help every student answer the prompt and show insight. Using their own story. Their own words. And their own voice.
When I read a second draft or a final essay, I pay attention to how a story has changed and improved, not if it is perfect.
This girl’s essay was done! I told the mom. And I told her why. Confidently.
This is a quality essay. The story answers the prompt, shows insight into who she is and is reflective. It improved phenomenally from the first draft till the last draft. It sounds like your daughter. That’s what colleges want. Best of all, she is really happy with it.
And guess what? The mom backed off.
When parents say they don’t like a student’s final essay, or it is not good enough, stand your ground. Respectfully. With confidence. Explain why the essay works, how it has improved and what it shows colleges about the student.
This review guide from Step 8 of the Wow Method will give you some insight into how we do it. (This is page 18 of our 39-page guide we give to counselors at the end of our College Essay Experience training).
Kim Lifton is President and Co-founder of Wow Writing Workshop a premier college application essay coaching and professional training company, offering private, virtual writing coaching services to professionals and students throughout the world. Since 2009, Wow has been leading the college admissions industry with our unique approach to communicating messages effectively through application essays, including personal statements, activity and short answer essays and supplements. Kim leads a team of writers and teachers who understand the writing process inside and out. Kim blogs regularly about the college essay’s role in the admission process for multiple industry publications and websites. In 2019, she was named a LinkedIn Top Voice in Education.
Free Student Classes: If you’re a school counselor who wants to help students with the basics, encourage them to sign up for my next free student class, or listen to the recording. You are welcome to sign up, too.
The overall employment rate for high school graduates is expected to grow by 5% from 2016 to 2026, which is the average amount of growth expected for all occupations, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. While an individual isn’t guaranteed employment with a high school diploma, those who do find a job may earn more and can expect lower unemployment rates than those without a diploma. In 2018, workers with a high school diploma earned approximately $200 a week more than those without, and the unemployment rate was around 5%.
For high school graduates, the top earners are those who receive on-the-job-training and apprenticeships in occupations such as driver, storage and distribution manager, detective and criminal investigator and commercial pilot, but all require at least a high school diploma to get started.
Resume Builder has posted 4 great Resume examples you can use as templates for your students to help them create their first resume.
Common Key Skills and Action Verbs for High School Resumes
The skills needed for employment as a high school graduate vary depending on the type of employment and will be listed within the specific job description. For many occupations, employers use applicant tracking systems (ATS) to scan resumes looking for individuals who match the job description. This helps eliminate unqualified individuals from the applicant pool.
When crafting your resume and cover letter, it’s important that you use the right combination of key skills and action verbs to ensure you make it through the first round of the application process. For high school graduates, there are some general skills and action verbs that are helpful for use in your job hunt.
Key Skills & Proficiencies
Ability to follow directions
Active listening
Customer service
Interpersonal skills
Organization
Reading
Software programs
Time management
Verbal communication
Written communication
Action Verbs
Accomplished
Attended
Balanced
Communicated
Earned
Exceeded
Explored
Gained
Handled
Identified
Maintained
Observed
Participated
Performed
Tips for Writing a Better High School Resume
Showcase your educational achievements
Education provides transferable experience for high school graduates when applying for entry-level positions. Consider any leadership positions you’ve held, any honors received and any clubs or activities that demonstrated your ability to perform the duties of the position you are applying for. For example, for a landscaping or groundskeeping job that requires someone with knowledge in gardening and the ability to operate landscaping tools, be sure to mention any agricultural classes or involvement in the Future Farmers of America (FFA) club and any other experience you have working in an outside environment.
Example #1
Good
High School Diploma Buckhead High School, Buckhead, GA, August 2015 – May 2019
President of FFA from 2018 to 2019
Received certificate of recognition in horticulture
Actively participated in National Ag Week
Bad
High School Diploma Buckhead High School, Buckhead, GA, August 2015 – May 2019
Example #2
Good
High School Diploma Tallahassee High School, Tallahassee, FL, August 2015 – May 2019
Completed the Pathways to Horticulture program
Presented class-winning landscape design as an end-of-the-year project
Assisted with the care and cultivation of the school flower garden which contained over 50 species of flowers and plants
Bad
High School Diploma Tallahassee High School, Tallahassee, FL, August 2015 – May 2019
Highlight non-work experience important for the role
Feature any abilities you’ve learned through summer volunteer opportunities. Many high school graduates take part in volunteer positions to gain expertise and fill the time off from classes in a productive and meaningful manner. For example, a high school graduate interested in a future in the medical field and who has volunteered at a local hospital throughout the summer can include the skills obtained waiting on patients and supporting trained medical professionals.
Example #1
Good
Assisted with changing over 50 beds, cleaning rooms, answering patients’ calls and helping patients with chronic conditions perform daily tasks
Bad
Kept patients happy on a daily basis
Example #2
Good
Obtained CPR certification while volunteering
Bad
Learned how to care for patients
How to Align Your Resume With the Job Description
Aligning your resume with the job description helps you get the attention of the hiring manager and strengthens your chance at getting an interview. When making a decision on the best candidate, the hiring manager needs to see you have the background to fit in with the company culture and handle the required tasks. To do this, you should customize a single resume for each position you apply for instead of sending out a standard general resume.
To do this, start by scanning through the job description, and highlight all important skills and requirements the company has listed. Your resume should include as many of these skills as possible. As a high school graduate, focus on any skills and achievements you achieved throughout the course of your educational career, including any experience gained through part-time employment and summer jobs.
Example Job Description for High School Graduates
Hometown Pharmacy is devoted to serving its customers and contributing to the wellness of the community by providing quality products in a friendly atmosphere. Our patient-centered business requires an applicant with a passion for the health industry and a commitment to customer service. The ideal applicant will work closely with the pharmacist, other team members and support staff to complete transactions and to ensure the satisfaction of each customer. The individual will help check the accuracy of filled prescriptions, keep inventory filed and neatly organized and help answer any questions from shoppers.
Responsibilities:
Provide excellent customer service through active communication
Manage incoming phone calls from medical facilities and patients
File and maintain existing confidential customer files within the online database
Monitor on-hand inventory
flexible work-week schedule
Assist in all duties as assigned
Qualifications:
Must be 18 years of age
High school diploma
Interest in the medical field
Computer skills preferred
Strong verbal and written communication skills
Preference is given to those going into a college degree program in the medical field
Incorporate the skills you’ve highlighted in the job description with your existing skills and experience to help you get noticed. As a recent high school graduate, you likely won’t have much work history, so it’s important to convert educational experience to job skills and include any volunteer opportunities. If you’ve volunteered over the summer or through an internship, use that experience as work experience.
High School Graduate Work Experience Example
Front Desk Volunteer, Animal Medical Care, Gainesville, GA
August 2019 – Present
Manage incoming phone calls from existing and new patients
File and maintain health information for over 150 patients
Assist patients in completing transactions for new medications
inventory of in-stock pet medications
Provide support to all veterinarians and other staff members
Work a flexible work-week schedule
Treat each animal with respect and care in a timely manner by prioritizing cases based on the immediate need
Resume Builder offers free, HR-approved resume templates to help you create a professional resume in minutes. Choose from several template options and even pre-populate a resume from your LinkedIn profile. Create an account to save your progress and multiple versions, plus download as a PDF. Here is the link to get started: https://app.resumebuilder.com/
Not everyone has heard of CLEP, but the 50-year-old program is gaining traction with high school students.
The College Level Examination Program (CLEP), offered by The College Board, is a series of 30+ credit-bearing exams which test learners of all ages on college freshman-level subjects; passing scores on the exams are accepted for credit by more than 2,900 colleges and universities. High school administrators and teachers are advising their juniors and seniors to get a head start on college by earning credit via CLEP exams. Passing eight CLEP exams equals an entire freshman years’ worth of college credit – saving learners and their families thousands of dollars on tuition and an entire year of college.
There are various resources available to students interested in taking CLEP exams, including Modern States’ “Freshman Year for Free” program. Modern States, a nonprofit dedicated to making a college degree more affordable and accessible, offers a catalog of tuition-free, self-paced CLEP courses taught by college professors. Students can take one course or many, and the philanthropy pays the $89 test fee and reimburses proctoring fees – making any credit earned from passing a CLEP exam completely free.
Students across the country are looking for ways to save on college costs, especially since many high schools and colleges moved their classes online. “The more credits our students can earn now exponentially increases their chances of earning a degree,” said Eric T. Jones, superintendent of a West Tennessee school system. “We will do anything to help stack the odds in their favor and help minimize the amount of debt they take on.”
Despite challenges brought on by COVID-19, education remains a priority. By empowering high school juniors and seniors to prepare for and pass CLEP exams, schools are providing them a critical opportunity to get a head start on college.
How do they get to know a college from afar when most colleges have suspended all on-campus visits through the fall semester? How do students, families, and college counselors get a better feel, vibe or insight into campus life directly from the current student community? Typically, when you choose a book or movie to read or watch, respectively, who do you ask for a recommendation? YOUR peers! You ask your friends, family, neighbors and read articles from people you trust and follow. Currently, everyone is gathering information about colleges and their surrounding communities from Google, admissions representatives, college websites, and their individual networks. It takes a lot of time, energy and resources to collect the data. The end result, there is too much data and not enough information.
This is the busy season for educational consultants who are working with their students to fine tune their applications, essays, and their college lists. Finding a fit on paper is one thing, but finding a fit from all other aspects of college life is another. And now, it is even more difficult. The art of finding the right fit is pinpointing where the student will thrive socially, mentally, physically, and academically. This is a place they will live, learn and grow for the next 4 years. This is a place they will call home. What do they want it to look like? What is the real vibe and feel of the college and community? Are these the students you want to be friends with, study with, live with and laugh with? How can you connect with the current community from afar?
What if the following questions could be answered for your students? What was the deciding factor in choosing your college? What do you wish you knew at freshman orientation? If you could give three tips to a high school junior or senior, what would they be? What is the social scene like? If students do not join greek life is there still an opportunity to go to parties and have a social life on campus? How easy is it to make friends? What would you recommend in terms of hitting the ground running?
College Scoops has worked diligently and tirelessly to reach out to its student and parent ambassador community to ask for their help. They have created timely, informative and creative videos highlighting students’ burning questions about campus life. They have developed Student Q&A videos to help your students get a more informed feel of the campus from afar. Their student ambassadors want to help as they were in the prospective students’ shoes not too long ago. They know it must be so hard to make decisions about a particular school without actually walking the grounds of the campus, participating in a tour or information session, engaging with students during a visit in the cafeteria or on the quad, auditing a class or staying overnight for a visit.
Have students that aren’t quite sure where they want to go to College yet? Check out College Scoops or e-mail Moira McCullough at moira@collegescoops.com for more information.
The cost of College has continued to rise in recent years as many parents know. With the COVID-19 pandemic hitting, we may have hit a tipping point and many parents are realizing they don’t have the funds necessary to fully fund their children’s education. A recent study by Discover Student Loans bears this out as nearly 40% of parents that didn’t plan to apply for Federal Aid now say they plan to as a result of COVID-19.
Other notable findings include from the survey include:
More parents are planning to take advantage of federal aid given their shifting financial situations
48% of parents lost income as a result of the pandemic, and 44% said they can’t afford to pay for as much of their child’s education as they had originally planned.
Of parents worried about paying for college, 53% are concerned their child is not receiving enough financial aid – up 9% from the pre-pandemic survey.
26% of families said they would appeal their student’s financial aid package given COVID-19.
Despite a greater focus on financial aid, there’s confusion about when the FAFSA application becomes available
Discover Student Loans’ published an earlier survey in March that revealed (50%) believed the FAFSA was available year-round.
That survey also revealed just 25% of parents correctly identified the FAFSA application becomes available in October.
More than two-thirds of 4-year colleges and universities in the U.S. will not require applicants to submit ACT or SAT scores for fall 2021 admission. The National Center for Fair & Open Testing (FairTest), which maintains a free, online master list, reports that more than 1,570 schools are now test-optional. The federal government counts 2,330 bachelor-degree granting institutions.
“An overwhelming majority of admissions offices will assess applications from high school seniors without requiring ACT or SAT scores,” explained FairTest interim Executive Director Bob Schaeffer. “It is important for students, their families, and counselors to understand that ‘test-optional means optional.’ In other words, students who do not submit results from standardized exams will neither be advantaged nor disadvantaged. Many of these schools will remain ACT/SAT optional for admissions cycles after fall 2021.”
The test-optional list now includes nearly all of the nation’s most selective universities and liberal arts colleges. More than 800 institutions ranked in the top tiers of their respective categories by U.S. News & World Report do not require ACT or SAT scores.
FairTest has led the test-optional movement since the late 1980s. At that time, all but a handful of schools required the ACT or SAT. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, more than 1,070 colleges and universities did not require standardized scores. About 500 additional schools waived test scores in the last six months, many permanently or for multiple years.
FairTest’s frequently updated directory of test-optional, 4-year schools is available online at https://www.fairtest.org/university/optional — sort geographically by clicking on “State”
