Author Archives: Jenny Hwang

GPA Test Prep College Admissions

Top 3 Tips to Help You Start to Prepare for College Admissions

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The COVID-19 pandemic has brought changes to every aspect of our lives, from how we socialize to how we learn, and of course, to how we need to prepare for college admissions. If you are still unsure about which path to take on your college admissions journey, don’t worry – you’re not the only one.

 

While we don’t have the superpower to predict the future, Team Insight has been keeping a close monitor on the latest college admissions news and making projections that can help keep your options open as we gear up for the 2021-2022 admissions cycle.

 

Now, let’s dive in!

 

Insight Advice #1: Provide Positive Data (as much as you can).

 

A solid GPA, a progressively challenging curriculum, and well-written college essays – all of these are considered positive data about yourself. College admissions offices want to see that you can handle the academic work, but they also want to get to know you. What are your values? How do you spend your spare time? What are you devoting your time to during the summer?

 

In addition to GPA, academic profile, college essays, extracurricular activities, and awards, another positive data you can provide on your college application is test scores. A strong ACT or SAT score adds value to your college application, even for test-optional schools. In 2021, more than half of the applicants chose to submit their test scores. From the data, those who included their test scores have a higher chance of acceptance. Approximately 60% of the students who applied for Rice University submit a test score. Of the students accepted by Rice University, 80% submitted an SAT or an ACT score.

 

Insight Advice #2: Stay Informed. Prepare Ahead.

 

While we are uncertain whether test-optional admissions policies will continue, what you can do is research thoroughly into the school of your choice. Stay informed about their testing policies. Check the admissions website and their emails to see if there are any changes in test-optional policies. Most importantly, don’t wait till the last minute! It takes time to prepare for the ACT or the SAT, so plan enough time for test prep.

 

Read more: How to approach standardized testing this summer

 

At Insight, we use the term “relative to your peers” as a guide. What does it mean? In the case of testing, if your friends are planning on taking the SAT or ACT in the fall, it may be a good idea for you to take the test, too. When the admissions office evaluates your college application, they are comparing you to those similar to you, such as your high school’s graduating class. In addition, if you are applying to a competitive school or program that may have many applicants with test scores, you should also prepare for the ACT/SAT.

 

Need help improving your SAT test scores? CLICK HERE to see our summer programs

Taking the ACT instead? CHECK OUT our ACT summer boot camps

 

Insight Advice #3: Research. Research. Research.

 

The biggest 2021 college admissions trend we’ve noticed at Insight is the rise of virtual sessions. Learning about your potential school is now as easy as tapping a few keys. Attend virtual college tours. Ask your questions at virtual info sessions. Use different websites to gather information about a school of your choice. At Insight, our counselors guide students to conduct college research starting in May or earlier, and we continuously revise their list with them.

 

Read more: How to conduct virtual college visits?

 

Another trend that has been accelerated during this time is more students are applying to selective schools, which leads to decreasing acceptance rates. For example, the acceptance rate at the University of Pennsylvania in the 90s was 39%; the acceptance rate in 2021 for UPenn was 9.9%. So be practical when building your college list. Remember, every college on your list, even your safety school needs to be a school you can see yourself in.

 

Read more: Why is it important to find your Best-Fit college?

 

Concluding Thoughts

 

Even if your top schools remain test-optional, remember that test scores may still be required for scholarships or other funding opportunities. During transitions like this, you want to remain flexible and keep your options open. This may mean spending part of your summer doing test prep, but the upside is that you will not be scrambling to take the SAT or ACT at the last minute. Keeping your options open may also mean joining a virtual tour of a college you have not heard of, but you may be pleasantly surprised at what you find. As always, we are here for you! Reach out if you have any questions!

Top 3 Tips to Help You Prepare for College Admissions

 

 

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Happy College Signing Day, Insight Class of 2021!

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Today, May 1st, 2021, we celebrate our amazing Class of 2021! Even though we can’t celebrate in person, it has been our privilege as a team to work with the students and families that entrusted us during this process. We are so proud of all the hard work, resilience, creativity, and dedication shown by our students. 

 

In one of the toughest years in college admissions, we are proud to announce that we also have a record-breaking moment: 8 of our students will be attending Stanford in the fall. Go Cardinals! All of our students are accepted into their target schools, and as many schools are planning to open up for in-person classes in the fall, we can’t wait for them to experience their new lives on campuses!

 

Below is a snapshot of some of the colleges our Class of 2021 were accepted to! 

 

As it’s very challenging to fit all the logos of these great schools onto a map, below is a list of schools our Class of 2020 were accepted to and will be attending! A huge congratulations again to our wonderful group of students, and all students that are celebrating #CollegeSigningDay today! 

 

  • Arizona State University
  • Cal Poly SLO
  • Columbia
  • UC Berkeley 
  • UC Irvine
  • UC Davis
  • UCLA 
  • UC San Diego
  • UC Santa Barbara
  • UC Riverside
  • UC Merced
  • UC Santa Cruz
  • University of Southern California (USC)
  • Boston University
  • Brown University
  • Case Western
  • Carnegie Mellon
  • Champman University
  • Cornell
  • De Anza College 
  • Drexel
  • Duke
  • Emory
  • Emerson
  • Fordham 
  • Georgetown
  • Indiana Bloomington
  • Johns Hopkins
  • Northwestern
  • NYU
  • Pitzer 
  • Pomona
  • Purdue
  • Reed College
  • Rice 
  • Rochester Institute of Technology
  • San Jose State
  • San Diego State
  • Santa Clara University
  • Saint Louis University – Main Campus
  • Stanford University
  • Syracuse University
  • Tufts
  • Tulane
  • University of Wisconsin – Madison
  • University of Cincinnati – Main Campus
  • University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC)
  • University of Massachusetts
  • University of Michigan – Ann Arbor
  • University of Minnesota – Twin Cities
  • University of Oregon
  • University of Texas at Austin 
  • UPenn
  • University of Portland
  • University of Washington – Seattle
  • Villanova University

 

 

Stop Telling Teens to Find Their Passions

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When I was applying to business school, part of my personal statement focused on how I found my passion for education and how I wanted to explore it more deeply. At that time in my life, the idea of finding a passion was gratifying, like I had somehow reached a higher plane of self-awareness. Today, after having worked with teenagers for the past twenty years as they navigate the college admissions journey though, my love of the word passion has lost its luster to the point that I rarely even say it aloud.

 

I used to ask kids enthusiastically, “What is your passion?” And then I would wait for them to blow me away with their answers. Their parents would stare at them expectantly as if meeting their child for the first time. Occasionally, I would get a surprising answer. More often than not, I received a shrug of the shoulders or a timid, “I don’t know.” I quickly, but not as quickly as I should have, realized that this simple question was too heavy to ask a young teenager – that asking them actually did the opposite of inspire, it made them feel like they were behind others, like they were somehow failing the college admissions race because they were still discovering themselves.

 

Personally, I also realized that passions change over time. While my passion for the intersection between business and education drove me to business school, it is more my profession now. Passion led me to discover as much as I could about the field, to devour articles, to take copious notes at presentations and seminars, to have conversations with as many people as possible. But if anyone asked me now, “what is your passion?” I would struggle the same as most 16-year-olds not because I don’t have interests, but rather because no one interest (other than a love for my children) captures my soul. Rather I want to be inspired by many topics – some in the same moment. I want to have spontaneity and space to learn about new things and take an interest. I don’t want to be defined by any one field or topic or endeavor. I want to be inspired by learning and the journey.

 

Rather than asking teens to have figured out their life’s calling by the time they are in high school, let’s change the conversation. Let’s ask these questions instead

What are you curious about?

What inspires you?

What do you want to learn about?

 

And then let’s give them the tools to explore. Let’s teach them that it is okay to read incessantly about a topic only to one day decide that they are no longer interested in the topic, the next. Let’s give them the space to experiment with ideas and projects that may ultimately fail. There is learning there, too. Let’s allow them to ask questions and say things aloud even if the words don’t make sense, because you are allowing them to form their thoughts and ideas without judgment. Let’s challenge them to think broadly and differently. Let’s encourage them to take risks – to try and know that making mistakes is okay. Let’s teach them to ask and answer the hard questions. Let’s teach them to communicate effectively with people of all backgrounds and experiences. Let’s show them that their world and perspective will continue to grow as long as they allow themselves to push themselves.

 

These days we are so focused on the end goal – getting kids into a certain college or on a path to a successful career. And unfortunately, many families are solely focused on a handful of career options. But if we really stop and look at those around us, what we see is that people who are truly successful and happy took a winding path. They let their lives meander with purpose towards different goals. They allowed new experiences to shape them. They learned from their failures as much as they learned from their successes. They are captivating not because of a given passion but because of an ability to tell stories about their interests, experiences, and ideas.

 

So, let’s not pressure teens to answer a question that most adults struggle with. We aren’t raising kids to just get them into college. We are raising them to be able to thrive in their lives.

Written by Purvi Mody

This article was written by Insight’s Co-Founder and Head of Counseling Purvi Mody.

Since 1998, Purvi has dedicated her career to education and is exceedingly well versed in the college admissions process. Her philosophy centers around helping kids identify and apply to the schools that are the best fit for them and then develop applications that emphasize their unique attributes and talents.

Understanding the Intent to Register Process

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Around this time of the year, many families are faced with the dilemma of choosing a college and committing to it by making the required deposit by May 1st (Note that some colleges extended their deadlines due to Covid-19). However, this can be a hard decision when (a) you have multiple colleges to choose from, and (b) when you are waitlisted at a college that you like even more. This is when the temptation to double deposit presents itself.

 

Double depositing is the act of accepting admission to more than one college by paying the deposit and securing your spot.

 

While it can be tempting to buy more time or to just delay the decision-making process, there are many reasons for you NOT to double deposit. The primary one is that you signed a pledge in the Common App that said, “I affirm that I will send an enrollment deposit (or equivalent) to only one institution; sending multiple deposits (or equivalent) may result in the withdrawal of my admission offers from all institutions.” And every Intent to Register form will have a similar statement you are agreeing to.

 

Additionally, colleges, after they receive your deposit, are assured that you are definitely planning to join in the fall. You are now a part of the student body, and the college starts sending you details about the onboarding process. Colleges work hard to ensure good yields and to create a diverse student body. Between May 1st and late August, there is considerable logistical, clerical and financial juggling that a college goes through to prepare for your arrival. Also, when you bail after accepting, it creates a cascading effect for the college, and they literally have to start from ground zero with another student at a much later stage in the process.

 

We know there is a temptation to hold two spots while you decide the college of your choice. It isn’t made easier when you hear from an older friend who double deposited and did not face any consequences. However, it is on you to make the right decision and to not take a spot away from another deserving student. Choosing to submit your deposit to multiple schools is unethical. 

 

Additionally, your high school counselor has to operate within the ethical confines of their job, and they cannot (and should not) send your final transcript to more than one college. You can get in serious trouble if the school counselor ends up notifying one or both colleges about your double deposit. Or the colleges may find out through other channels. At this stage, both colleges may rescind their admission.

 

If you are completely unable to make up your mind, there are a few things you can do:

Go back to the original reason you choose the college. What was the appeal that made you apply there? If you cannot make a physical visit, do multiple virtual tours, speak to an admissions counselor, go through the class catalogue and chart your classes for your expected major, speak to an alum, watch videos, and of course, consult with your Insight counselor. Make a deposit by May 1st with confidence and certainty after you have done all the required research and soul searching.

 

If you are waitlisted at a college that comes through later in June or July, and if you prefer to attend that college, then you can call the admissions office at the school you have accepted and talk to an admissions counselor to see if they have a protocol in place for you to withdraw your acceptance. All colleges will have a different process, and you will lose your deposit for sure, but that’s a small price to pay when you gain the opportunity to attend the college that is your first choice.

 

Read more: Waitlisted – What Can I Do?

 

This is admittedly a difficult time; however, it all turns out for the best in the end. While it is difficult to make a choice, once you do, you and your family can celebrate the end of this part of the journey and look forward to the next chapter in your lives!

 

Please contact us at info@insight-education.net if you have questions regarding decision making, waitlists, appeals, and more.

 

Good luck!

Priya and The Insight Team

 

Written by Priya Singh

This article is written by Insight College Admissions Counselor Priya Singh.

Priya Singh is a College Admissions Counselor and also an avid yogi. She often uses yoga and meditation to help students with learning and stress management during the college admissions process. Since 2014, she has helped many high school students, including students with learning disabilities, to reach their best-fit schools. Read her full bio here.

Waitlist and Appeal – What Should You Do?

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We always look forward to this time of year filled with excitement — the time when college decisions are released. It marks years of hard work and dedication. It also brings with it hope for the future and a new beginning. And while we celebrate acceptances and struggle with denials, many don’t know how to react to getting waitlisted. In this article, we will explain waitlisting and what you can do, as well as whether you should appeal a denial.

A waitlist offer tends to conjure more disappointment than hope. This is mainly because most don’t understand what the waitlist means and because students are truly just tired of waiting any longer. Many students take this to mean that they fell short or that they are a college’s second, third or 40th choice.

 

But what does being offered a position on the waitlist mean?

Colleges have limited seats available to offer which leaves admissions officers having to make some tough choices. When they are offering you a waitlist position, they are sending you the message that they think you are a great fit for the class and your accomplishments have not gone unnoticed. You would be a fantastic addition to the campus, but they need to see how many admitted students will accept their offers of admissions before they pull students off the waitlist to fill any open spots in the freshman class.

Most waitlists are unranked. Colleges are not lying when they say that. It is not some ploy to appease you. Remember that admissions officers are trying to build a well-rounded class. Once the college receives the decisions from its admitted students, they then go through the waitlist to see which students would best complement the incoming class.

At this point, they may also need to evaluate the financial aid it has available to offer students. Accordingly, they will admit students off the waitlist in small batches, offering more spots as they become available. This process is usually complete no later than June, but in very rare situations we have seen students get an offer of admission from the waitlist in early August. This was particularly true during the summer of 2020 due to the impact that Covid had on admissions outcomes for the high school class of 2020.

Wondering what you can do to get off the waitlsit? Contact us today!

Although in our experience students do indeed get off waitlists successfully, it is vitally important that you not rely on a waitlist position. Unfortunately, some colleges are putting thousands of kids on a waitlist and admitting few students. In 2019, 48% of schools admitted less than 10% of students that accepted a waitlist position. Seven percent admitted no one. In that same year, the University of Michigan offered more than 12,000 students a waitlist position and only admitted 89 students. Similarly, UC Irvine offered a waitlist position to more than 17,000 students (about the seating capacity of Madison Square Garden and almost twice the size of the incoming freshman class) and offered spots to 1,600 students. Private schools are no less predictable. Dartmouth took no one off the waitlist while Boston University later offered spots to 11% of students that accepted the waitlist. Conversely, Vanderbilt is well known for the fact that ten percent of their freshman class has historically come from an original waitlist position.

While you are waiting for the waitlists to clear, you must accept a position at another school. You should also be excited about that offer and have the full intention of attending and graduating from that university. If a waitlist offer from a school you love DOES come through, you will absolutely have the option to accept that position and withdraw from your original school. In some years, waitlists can clear as late as just a couple of weeks before classes start. You don’t want to be waiting by the mailbox – virtual or real.

 

What can I do about being waitlisted?

It may sound like the college has all the power in this situation. But you do not need to just comply and play the waiting game. Think clearly about whether or not the school or schools that offered you waitlist positions are among your top choices. You are not obligated to accept the position. If it is not a school you would seriously consider, politely turn it down and give another student a chance. Chances are that by declining a waitlist spot you are helping a student or even a close friend at your own high school. Collecting admissions offers is not the goal of the admissions process. Finding a school where you thrive both academically and socially is the actual goal.

If you do want to stay on the waitlist, you are unlikely to get a decision back before the May 1 SIR deadline. This means you must decide among the colleges that accepted you where you will attend. Do not rely on the waitlist. It is completely unpredictable how many students will be offered spots off the list. It can vary from 0 to 300 depending on the college and the year.

While you wait, be excited about your other prospects. Do your due diligence. Visit colleges. Talk to current students. Get engaged with the school you accept. Chances are strong that the college where you submit your Intent to Register is where you will be in Fall.

If you are accepted from a waitlist, you will have very little time to decide. If you decide to accept, you will need to first withdraw your Statement of Intent to Register from the school you accepted. Chances are your family will lose the deposit. It is an extremely straightforward process, and it happens every year. You are not violating any agreements or laws. They may ask you for proof that you were admitted from a waitlist.

 

Can I do something about denials? Should I appeal?

Yes, and no. We get a lot of requests to help with appeals for students who just can’t understand why they received the decision that they did. As tough as it can be to hear, more often than not, the denial decision from a college is the final decision, and launching an appeal process will be unsuccessful because they do not allow them.

However, a great reason to put an appeal together, assuming the university in question offers an appeal process, is if there was something missing from your application. Something you didn’t tell colleges about that you probably should have!

We have worked with students who have successfully appealed a denial because they were afraid to discuss something like a personal struggle that would have given colleges context about why their academic performance wasn’t a strong as it otherwise may have been. Or, not explaining a dip in grades in their application and just glossing over it, hoping that the college didn’t notice.

Another reason could be a major accomplishment may have occurred in the time between submitting the application and receiving the decision! This can be a wonderful thing to make sure the college is aware of. Not all schools will look at new information, so do your research on what constitutes the basis of an appropriate appeal for each university.

Whatever the reason may be for why essential information wasn’t included in the application, those are the types of things we will be looking for if a student comes to us wanting to launch an appeal. It needs to be based on some information that you are ADDING to your file that was missing from the original application.

So, when you receive your decisions and start to think about your next steps, keep in mind the types of information necessary to launch a successful appeal and see if you have any of those. Completing an appeal takes work, time, and emotional energy, so it is important to make sure you understand all your options and if this is the right one for you.

We work with students and families on appeals, waitlists, and college decision meetings. Reach out to us today at info@insight-education.net for more information!

 

All the very best!

Team Insight

Congratulations & Thank You, Class of 2021

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As we are wrapping up the 2020-2021 admissions season (and now anxiously waiting with our seniors as results trickle in), all of us at Insight wants to thank our students and families for being resilient, creative, and flexible in the face of all the changes. Most of all, we are grateful to be a part of their college admissions journey.

 

What are our students saying?

“I just got my SAT scores on Friday, and I am happy to let you know that I scored an 800 on both the Biology-M and Math II tests. Thank you so much for your help and constantly encouraging me. Also, please thank the rest of the Insight team for me for providing complimentary practice tests and quickly grading them. That really helped a lot.”

 

“Thank you so much! It has been a pleasure working with you, and I really appreciated your help with the essays and how to convey my passions and goals. I will be sure to let you know as I start getting college admissions decisions.”

 

“2020 has been a unique experience for everyone. Thank you for helping our son meet the challenges of applying to colleges, remotely, over the last long months of senior year. We truly appreciate your help and guidance to our son, and the overall peace you have brought into our home.”

 

 

“I just wanted to thank you again for your help during the college admission process. My family and I have been scrambling to figure out the process for years, and especially coming from an immigrant family and being the first in my family to go to college in the US, there was a lot of pressure but also confusion along the way. You were super helpful and encouraging throughout the process, not only when it came to choosing schools, but figuring out how to apply, so thank you so much for all of the help. Half of the work was on my end, but the other half was definitely everything you helped me with on my essays and application materials (some of which I’ll treasure as pieces of writing for a while —especially that personal statement), so I’m super thankful that I had your help along the way and that everything worked out in the end. I’m so excited for the next four years! “

 

“Thank you so much for all your help over the last 4-5 months. I was very nervous about the college application process because of the many different components and essays which had to be written. You helped alleviate a lot of this stress by guiding me through the whole process and providing helpful feedback on all my essays.”

 

“We wanted to thank you for your support and hard work during the last few years and especially during this home stretch of school applications. We are glad that our son got an opportunity to work with you.”

 

college application advice from undergrad admissions office

“I really enjoyed working with you on the essays, and I’m beyond grateful for your help and support. As of now, I have only gotten back one decision – an acceptance from UPitt. I’ll make sure to update you on the other schools when they begin to come out.”

 

“Thank you so much for helping me formulate my thoughts into words and help me write my essays. I got into Ut Austin for biology – still waiting for the Honors decision. I also got into Drexel undergrad – still waiting for the BSMD decision. I will be sure to update you when I hear more decisions back.”

 

“Thank you SO MUCH PURVI! I can’t even begin to thank you for what you’ve done for me. I really couldn’t have gotten here without you. In shock. Thank you x10000000000000! I have the best college counselor in the world! And, btw (for the record)- you made my LIFE!!!!! truly!!!!!

P.S. Planning to accept the Harvard offer of admission tomorrow – talked it over with family, and am positive I want to go!”

 

“All my college applications are submitted! I have double-checked my portals and the colleges have everything they need except for my mid-year report, which will be sent by the school soon. I will continue to look for interviews, events, virtual visits, etc. in order to further my interest in schools. Also, I wanted to let you know I sincerely appreciate all your help during this process. You made it much easier for me to understand and assisted me in gaining inspiration for my essays, along with many other things.”

College Facts Friday: UMass Amherst

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  1. Founded in 1863 as an agricultural college, UMass Amherst was originally called the Massachusetts Agricultural College.

  2. UMass Amherst is the flagship and the largest campus in the University of Massachusetts system, as well as the first established.

  3. The official college color is maroon.

  4. The White House has named UMass Amherst to the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll for four consecutive years, in recognition of its commitment to volunteering, service-learning, and civic engagement.

  5. UMass is part of the Five Colleges Consortium, which comprises four liberal arts colleges and one university. Its students can attend classes, work with professors, check out resources, and more from other campuses. Check out which campuses are part of the five.

  6. The Minuteman Marching Band is from UMass Amherst, and it is the largest marching band in New England, consisting of more than 390 members.

  7. Notable alumni include Serena Williams (tennis player who won 4 Olympic Gold Medals) and Steve Sinofsky (former president of Windows at Microsoft)

  8. The UMass Amherst campus is known for its sustainability. In fact, this is one of the only public universities to use the fresh fruits and vegetables in the dining commons from its very own permaculture gardens. (Read more here)

  9. Residential Life at the University of Massachusetts Amherst is one of the largest on-campus housing systems in the United States. Over 14,000 students live in 52 residence halls! (Learn more here)

  10. Learn more about UMass Amherst on social media! Check out their Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and more!

Why It Is Important to Find Your “Best Fit” College

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Warren Buffett (Chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway). George Lucas (creator of “Star Wars”). Larry Page (co-founder of Google). Jerry Jones (owner of the Dallas Cowboys). Arnold Schwarzenegger (former Governor of California, movie star). Oprah Winfrey (media executive, former talk show host, actress, etc.).

 

What do all these people have in common? You might be thinking that they are all extremely successful and some of them are even billionaires. That is correct. But what you might not know is that while they are all extremely successful, another commonality is that none of them earned an undergraduate degree from an Ivy League school.

 

Insight #1: It’s more important what you do at college, not which college you attend

Warren Buffett graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.  George Lucas graduated from USC (but first attended Modesto Junior College).  Larry Page graduated from the University of Michigan.  Jerry Jones graduated from the University of Arkansas.  Arnold Schwarzenegger graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Superior (but first attended a community college, Santa Monica College).  Oprah Winfrey graduated from Tennessee State University.   

 

With college decisions being released and high school seniors deciding where they will go to college, it’s important to remember that what matters most is not what college or university you attend, it’s what you do while you’re there.  Regardless of what college or university you attend, the most important thing is that you excel at whichever of the thousands of institutions of higher learning you decide to attend—whatever that means to you.  It’s important to take advantage of internship or work opportunities, to make connections with your classmates and professors, and to attend your classes and do as well in them as possible.  Also, college is an amazing time in life—in addition to building up your resume, remember to have a little fun.

 

Insight #2: Sometimes it’s better to be a big fish in a small pond

Sometimes it’s better to be a big fish in a small pond, rather than the other way around. In other words, if you attend Harvard, you are going to be one of thousands of students who did extremely well in high school and probably had perfect or near-perfect standardized test scores. You will be surrounded by extremely accomplished people, and therefore, it may be harder for you to get noticed or make yourself stand out from the crowd.

 

But don’t get me wrong—I’m not saying you shouldn’t go to Harvard. If you are lucky enough to be accepted by Harvard and think you can thrive in a very competitive academic environment, then Harvard may be the place for you. What I am saying, however, is that if you are one of the tens of thousands of students that don’t get admitted to Harvard every year, don’t dismay—that rejection can open new doors for you.

 

Insight #3: Find your “best fit” college, not simply the most highly ranked college that accepted you

The most important aspect of college admissions is finding the “best fit” college. Maybe the best fit is Harvard. Maybe it’s a large state school. Maybe it’s a small liberal arts school back east. Everyone is different and thus the “best fit” college for your best friend may not be the “best fit” college for you.

 

And maybe the “best fit” college for you is a place where you can be a big fish in a small pond. There is a lot to be said about attending a school where you can build up your self-confidence by being near the top of your class, having real relationships with your classmates and professors, and not having to worry about being in a cutthroat environment.

 

The bottom line is this: if you are one of the few to be accepted by an Ivy League school, that is awesome; and if you decide it’s the “best fit” school for you, more power to you. However, if you are like most students, who are not accepted by an Ivy League school, you should remember that it’s more important that you attend a college where you will thrive, rather than blindly attending the most highly ranked school that accepted you.

 

 

Written by Jason Katz

This article was written by Insight Counselor Jason Katz.

Jason has helped hundreds of students gain admission to their best-fit universities. In addition, he wrote more than 170 college admissions/college life columns for the Palo Alto Daily News and the San Jose Mercury News. Read his full bio here.

To Test, Or Not To Test?

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In a land, devastated by famine and drought, shimmering pools of water and images of plenty tempted travelers and visitors. Were these hallucinations? Oh dear reader, these visions are inspired by the financial waves crashing on colleges – I was using a metaphor for the feast and famine landscape higher education institutions are facing thanks to the pandemic. Namely – some schools are financially “feasting” while others are facing enormous revenue shortfalls. Not all colleges and universities are in the same boat!

 

Consider this. The Wall Street Journal recently stated, “Binding early decision applications rose by 22% at Brown University, 23% at the University of Pennsylvania, 29% at Dartmouth College, and 49% at Columbia University. At Yale University and Harvard University, applications under the restrictive early-action option jumped by about 38% and 57%, respectively.”

 

Chart showing increase in number of college applications

 

Outcomes from Early Applications from the Class of 2021

 

The pandemic accelerated the shift in testing policy, leading to drastic changes in the college admissions landscape. In just a few weeks in the spring of 2020, over 95% of selective four-year colleges and universities announced their decisions to be test-optional for 2020-2021. Many seniors did not have an opportunity to take the SAT or ACT in 2020 before their application deadlines. Those who had planned for testing early (such as our Insight students) had the option to choose to submit their scores. With the barrier of testing removed for many students, they suddenly imagined the possibility of an acceptance offer from a school that might have been a dream previously.

 

This year is pivotal as students who are disadvantaged or discouraged by testing will have more possibilities than ever before. In fact, many highly selective schools such as Amherst, Boston College, Colgate, Columbia, Cornell, Harvard, UPenn, Rice, UVA, and Williams have recently extended their temporary policies to 2021-2022 application cycle; most others are expected to follow suit by spring.

 

A word of caution before you decide that the SAT or ACT will be gone forever – it is important to point out the wording of these testing policy announcements for additional insight into the school’s attitude toward testing. For example, Brown’s announcement started with “the extraordinary circumstances that continue to face students this year.” Stanford’s note in responding to Covid on standardized testing outlined that “if you have already taken the ACT or SAT…, then you are welcome to self-report them.” And Princeton’s statement included its process for determining academic rigor. “When considered in context and in conjunction with other academic factors, testing such as the SAT or the ACT can be very helpful in assessing a student’s preparation for Princeton’s curriculum.”

 

Without the barrier of test scores, many colleges are seeing surges in number of applications this year, as we saw with the Wall Street Journal article. Harvard saw applications rise by 42% overall and the University of California system by 16%. However, admissions offices are also delaying decision releasing date or making more use of wait lists due to the volume of applications. Overall, many top colleges showed a decrease in acceptance in the early admissions stage.

 

Chart showing drop in acceptance rate in popular colleges

 

 

Class of 2022: Keeping Your Options Open in a Competitive Context

There are so many colleges that changed their policies in light of the pandemic – you can read our very comprehensive and helpful list of test-optional schools here – that it becomes difficult to sift through the actual changes specific colleges make, the changes that College Board or ACT make, and the realities that colleges face – to figure out what you yourself want to do!!! Jeff Selingo tweeted about the practical limitations that admissions offices face – they simply cannot “add more days to the reading calendar,” which is why standardized tests are still useful as a “governor on apps.” If you were managing an admissions office, would you use tools that helped you make your work more efficient? Probably.

And something for applicants to consider is the behavior of one’s classmates – do you think others in your graduating class will skip the opportunity to take these tests? All things being equal, students who have scores to report retain a potential advantage over those who don’t. Having the option to send scores—to all colleges, to some colleges, or to no colleges—is a path we can help you plan.

As we continue to carefully monitor trends, we will continue to analyze the data available to us and share our insights on the impact of flexible testing policies. We’ve already seen that a relaxed testing policy does not make a highly selective school less competitive. In reality, it can boost a college’s desirability, continuing to limit the available spots and demand for them. Universities that were already in demand reached record high levels of interest in 2020, especially in their early application rounds, resulting in record low early admit rates.

 

Wish to improve your test scores? Check out Insight’s upcoming SAT / ACT classes here.

 

In the coming years, we will see if applicant and admission profiles at competitive colleges alter and what role testing policies have in that change. Please continue to follow Insight Education through social media as we update you on the latest in college admissions or schedule a 1-hour college planning session with our experienced counselors to personalize your academic and testing strategies. 

 

Read more: Ready, Set, Take the Test!

Written by Meilin Obinata

This article’s main contributor is Insight Senior College Admissions Counselor Meilin Obinata.

Meilin Obinata is a Senior College Counselor who enjoys learning from her students. She believes education is a creative endeavor and creates a space that allows students to explore new ideas. As a Bay Area native who grew up in Santa Cruz, she is familiar with the local schools. Read her full bio here.

The Importance of Writing A Letter of Continued Interest

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I remember one student telling me, “But Meilin, they deferred me! And I’m so tired of writing apps! Why do I have to keep writing to these people if they don’t want me?”

She was indeed tired of this application process. She had in fact worked very diligently, thoroughly, and even passionately (believe it or not!) on the essays within her college applications. And she was quite dejected after hearing from her dream school, only to hear that she was to join the waitlist. It’s not fun to receive a deferral letter, telling you that you have the option to join a waitlist. I asked her point-blank if she still wanted a chance at getting in. She did. Well then, there was only one thing to do: write a letter of continued interest. But how to go about doing that?

 

Before we dive in, consider a few things.

 

  1. Reflect. Is the school still a top choice? Because it is possible that you applied to some Early Actions or even an Early Decision half-heartedly. You might decide to not express your interest.
  2. Instead, if there are more schools with Regular Decision deadlines that are appealing to you, you could focus your energies on those applications.
  3. Prepare. What are the mechanics of your response? Does the school wish to receive more materials from people on the waitlist? If not, do not send more materials (which would waste the precious time of the admissions office). If you need to fill out a form within a specific platform, then, do that. If you need to email a specific person in the admissions office, then by all means do that.

 

Mechanics

 

  • Follow their wishes – platform, format, etc.
  • Compose a respectful, informative, and enthusiastic letter.

 

Content of the Letter of Continued Interest

 

    • If the school is in fact YOUR absolute top choice, then by all means, please state that outright.
    • Be sure to:
                – Give new information
                – Express appreciation
                – Take a tone of positivity
                – Include the most appealing aspects of the college that you have not previously discussed
    • Remember, this is still a writing sample so put your best foot forward.

 

The college applications process is a long, arduous road. But it is important to consider it as a marathon – not a sprint. So pace yourself, and remember that each bit of effort you put into the process may yield something later – or not – but you never want to regret missing an opportunity to take a step that would get you closer to a result you want.

 

By the way, in case you are wondering, this student later learned that she was moved from the waitlist and was offered an acceptance. That made her quite happy. Regardless of the result, the thing I would like you to think about is – as people say in basketball – you miss every shot you do not take. And, if it’s something you really want, then, please take the best shot you can!

 

Read More: How to Focus Forward After an Initial Rejection

 

Written by Meilin Obinata

This article is written by Insight Senior College Admissions Counselor Meilin Obinata.

Meilin Obinata is a Senior College Counselor who enjoys learning from her students. She believes education is a creative endeavor and creates a space that allows students to explore new ideas. As a Bay Area native who grew up in Santa Cruz, she is familiar with the local schools. Read her full bio here.