Category: College Prep

College Facts Friday: Emory University

Welcome back to another round of #CollegeFactsFriday! This week we are visiting the Peach State, Georgia. Just 3 miles away from Georgia’s state capitol Atlanta is Emory University, a private research liberal arts college.

1. Emory’s official mascot is Swoop the Eagle, but its unofficial mascot is Dooley the Skeleton, a dapper biology lab skeleton (completed with top hat and cane). Dooley first appeared on the Emory Oxford campus in 1899 and 1909, where he was seen perching in a science lab and writing letters to the student publication the Emory Pheonix.

2. Founded in 1836, Emory is the second oldest private higher education institute in Georgia (established just three years after Mercer University)

3. In 1841, Emory sent off its very first graduating class. The class size was three! Fast forward 180 years later, now the university has almost 2000 students in their first-year class.

4. The largest healthcare system in the state of Georgia is Emory Healthcare, part of Emory University.

5. Famous Emory alumni include Robert W. Woodruff (former president of The Coca-Cola Company), Thomas Milton Rivers (also known as the “Father of Modern Virology”), and Warrick Dunn (former NFL player).

6. Love song and dance? Songfest is a fun Emory tradition, in which first-year students from each residence hall perform an original song about their new home on campus! It’s a great way to meet your hallmates. Learn more about other wonderful first-year events.

7. The first PhD studied at Emory was Chemistry in 1948. Learn more about Emory’s history and traditions.

8. Another tradition is Wonderful Wednesday. It’s a weekly celebration happening on Wednesday afternoon where faculty, staff, students, and all members of the Emory community join in for food, fun, and themed events!

9. For three consecutive years, Emory has been recognized as the largest employer in Atlanta! Read the news here.

10. Want to learn more about Emory? Check out their undergrad admissions blog or follow them on social media (Twitter, Facebook, & Youtube)

Top 10 Summer Tasks for College Admissions

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Summer is the perfect time to get a jump-start on your college admissions process. There are several steps that you can take to make the admissions process as stress-free as possible during the Fall. Even though your friends may procrastinate, there is no reason for you to do so.

1. Create your college list

Spend your time researching colleges since you have more free time now. Simply looking at the rankings is not enough. Check out academic programs, extracurricular opportunities, campus environment, social atmosphere, size, location, student body, etc. You are going to be at this school for at least four years so you want to make the best decision possible. Once you have a list of schools that you love, assess your chances of getting in. And be as honest with yourself as possible. Have other people help you make this assessment as well.

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

2. Request Teacher Recommendations

As you start to create your college list, think about how many recommendations you will need. Some schools will also specify which grades and/or subjects the teachers should have taught you. Also really think about which teachers know you well. The grade is not as important as the relationship. Colleges use this recommendation to learn about your personality and how you interact with others.

3. Visit Colleges – Virtually or In-Person

While many college campuses tend to be quieter during the summer, it is still a good idea to visit different types of colleges. If you are unsure about what setting will suit you best, these visits will tell you much more than reading information. Make good use of virtual college tours and online information sessions, too. While you might not visit every college on your list, you will have a much better sense of what is a better fit for you.

Read more: How to Get the Most Out of Virtual College Tours

4. Brainstorm Essay Topics

Sit down and just write about the experiences you have or the things that you want colleges to know about you. This is a time to reflect on what is important to you. It is fine to read past essays, but it is not okay to copy the exact content. Remember that colleges want to learn what makes you unique – and you ARE unique!

5. Draft Your Personal Statement

Once you have brainstormed some ideas, try to draft an actual personal statement. The Common Application and Coalition Application essay prompts are already available. While you will be able to swap out essays for different colleges, write personal statements that you are comfortable sending to multiple colleges. Also start drafting supplemental essays since you might have to do research or more reflection.

Read more: How to Answer the Common App Essay Prompt

6. Complete the Common Application or Universal College Application

These applications will go live in early August. Fill them out completely as soon as you can. At Insight, we typically host Senior College App Clinics in the first week of August to walk our students through every step of their applications, from background information to extracurricular activities. Having all the data entry finished before school starts gives you more time to focus on important things, such as your personal statement, course work, and standardized testing preparation.

7. Fill out the online Net Price Calculators

No matter your family’s financial situation, your parents are certainly thinking about how to finance your college education. Your parents can complete a Net Price Calculator online for each college you are considering. This will give them an estimate of what each college will cost. While this does not take into account merit-based scholarships, it gives you a starting point.

8. Prepare for Standardized Testing

For those who want to improve their ACT or SAT scores, summer is the best time to prepare. Learn how to maximize your score during the summer with our guide on How to Prepare for the ACT or the SAT this Summer. For rising seniors who want to apply for Early Action or Early Decision, you need to take the ACT by September or the SAT by October. If you are applying for Regular Decision, you should take the ACT or the SAT by December.

Need help boosting your test scores? Join our SAT Boot Camps HERE or check out our ACT Boot Camps.

9. Check out Interview Policies

Once you have a final college list, find out if interviews are required or recommended. There might be earlier deadlines if you want to request an interview. If schools offer you the option to interview, take advantage. This is a chance to really show a different side of you to someone representing the college. If you are worried about your interview skills, practice with a parent or mentor.

Read more: How to Answer College Interview Questions (In the Way Your Interviewer Wants!)

10. Create a timeline for deadlines

If you miss a deadline, there is very little that you can do to recover. So mark your calendar. Set alerts for yourself. Plan ahead to submit everything at least two weeks ahead of time to avoid any problems.

Your entire summer should not be spent focused on college admissions, but use your time well. The more you do now, the less you will be worried about later. More importantly, you will be approaching your applications with confidence and preparedness.

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.

College Facts Friday: Carleton College

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Happy Friday! For this week’s #CollegeFactsFriday we are visiting the state of 10,000 lakes. Carleton College, home of the Knights, is a private liberal arts college located in Northfield, Minnesota.

1. The most popular majors at Carleton College include: Social Sciences, Physical Sciences, Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services, Biological and Biomedical Sciences, and Mathematics and Statistics.

2. From 2000 through 2016, students and alumni of the college included 122 National Science Foundation Graduate Fellows, 112 Fulbright Scholars, 22 Watson Fellows, 20 NCAA Postgraduate Scholars, 13 Goldwater Scholars, and 2 Rhodes Scholars.

3. Carleton College’s school color is blue and maize.

4. Carleton offers many fantastic study abroad programs that span the globe and is extremely generous with financial aid. As a result, a whopping 75% of students choose to go abroad while at Carleton.

5. A relatively new tradition, the Silent Dance Party helps to relieve stress and take place immediately before final exams. Students meet in the library at 11 pm with headphones and the same dance music playlist. Students listen to the playlist in synchrony, dancing silently in the library before moving on to other locations on campus.

6. Each Friday, students can choose to send flowers to each other’s campus mailboxes!

7. Carleton marks the beginning and end of each year with special convocations in the chapel. Since 1970, seniors have lightened the somewhat formal mood by gathering in the balcony to blow bubbles over faculty members as they enter the chapel in full academic regalia.

8. During the winter, Carleton sets up two hockey rinks on the Bald Spot (large grass area in the center of campus). The Rec Center rents out ice skates (for free) which is very popular among students. Additionally, many people play hockey and broomball, which is like hockey played in regular shoes while hitting an actual ball with a broomstick. Cross-country skiing in the Arb is always a fun activity, and many people go sledding down Bell Hill.

9. Instead of the traditional cheerleaders, Carleton College has the Gender Neutral Cheerboys. These superfans support Carleton sports teams with silly chants and goofy antics, like doing pushups for points scored.

10. Want to learn more about Carleton College? Follow them on Instagram and Twitter.

College Facts Friday: Boston University

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1. The Boston University Bridge is one of three places in the world where a plane can fly over a car driving over a train traveling over a boat. This is also possible with the Steel Bridge across the Willamette River in Portland, Oregon, and the 25 de Abril Bridge in Lisbon, Portugal.

2. The Judson B. Coit Observatory is open to the public on Wednesday nights so that people can observe the constellations and night sky. (Insight Counselor Ramya highly recommends this experience!)

3. In 1947, Boston University became the first university in the United States to provide college degrees in public relations.

4. BU doesn’t have a campus in the traditional sense. BU is built along Commonwealth Avenue, which means everything can be reached by walking forward or backward. This gives the incoming freshmen a much easier time to familiarize the campus.

5. Influential alumni include Dr Martin Luther King Jr, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and actress Julianne Moore.

6. Boston University’s color is white and scarlet.

7. Boston University traces its roots as far back as 1839 during the establishment of the Newbury Biblical Institute in Newbury, VT. The Massachusetts Legislature chartered the school the name “Boston University” in 1869.

8. Several buildings on BU campus have earned several historic preservation awards, such as the School of Law tower, the Alan & Sherry Leventhal Center, Myles Standish Hall, and the Dahod Family Alumni Center (formerly The Castle).

9. The Boston University Castle (or BU Castle or simply “The Castle”) located on Bay State Road is a Tudor-Revival style mansion. BU typically uses it for receptions or concerts but also rents out The Castle for events.

10. Can’t get enough BU facts? Follow them on social media, such as Twitter (@BU_Tweets) or Facebook, for campus photos, student stories, and more!

Insights into Transferring Colleges

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Are you thinking about transferring colleges? If so, you’re in the right place, because I’m a transfer student and I’m going to tell you about my experience.

Insight counselor Jason’s insight #1: Don’t blindly follow the college rankings.

When I was a senior at Palo Alto High School, I applied to approximately ten colleges. I did not work with an Insight counselor, and thus did not receive a lot of educated guidance regarding what college would be the best fit for me. My parents were helpful, but most of their information about colleges was 30 years out of date. My guidance counselor at PALY was so overworked and overwhelmed that I was only able to meet with her twice. So, I was left with how prestigious I perceived colleges to be and their ranking in US News & World Report.

Once I received all my acceptances, I decided to attend New York University—mainly because I thought it would be cool to live in New York City and because of NYU’s ranking in US News & World Report.

Insight counselor Jason’s insight #2: Don’t be fooled by your initial impressions. College is a four-year experience.

When I first arrived at NYU, it was cool and exciting! So much to see, so much to do. The Statue of Liberty, the Empire State Building, Broadway plays, every type of restaurant imaginable, nightclubs, Washington Square Park, Greenwich Village, Central Park, running into celebrities on the street, and on and on. I went to a Yankees game, I stood in the fountain featured in the opening of “Friends”, and supposedly my dorm room was across the hall from the dorm room Adam Sandler lived in years earlier. And that New York pizza—to this day I still haven’t found a better slice of pizza than the one a block away from my dorm room at Mama Mia What A Pizza!

However, after the initial rush of excitement about living in New York City wore off, I began to realize that my experience at NYU was missing many things. First and foremost, I’m extremely close with my family and they were across the country in California—I was homesick. Additionally, having grown up in the California suburbs, I was used to sunshine and temperate weather—not below freezing temperatures and sleet and snow. Not to mention I enjoy lots of trees and grass, and room to roam without running into someone. This environment that I craved is found in the suburbs—not in the middle of New York City.

Finally, I realized that not only was living in the most fast-paced, unforgiving city in the country not for me, but that NYU itself was a poor choice for me. I wanted a school that had a defined campus, had a real sense of community, and had more school spirit.

So, despite the fact that I was doing very well academically at NYU, I made the difficult but necessary decision to transfer. The question was—where to?

Insight counselor Jason’s insight #3: Again, don’t blindly follow the college rankings.

Although I did have good times at NYU, my experiences there pretty much taught me what I did not want in a college. I did not want a college in a big city, I did not want a college located in a freezing cold area of the country, and I did not want a college that lacked a true campus and school spirit. However, don’t get me wrong—NYU is an amazing place and is a great fit for many students, just not for me.

So, like when I was a senior at PALY, I put together another college list and began applying. And although I had a better sense of the type of environment I wanted in a college, I was still caught up with the US News & World Report rankings. I was accepted to schools like Vanderbilt, the University of Michigan, Washington University in St. Louis, and the University of Virginia.

However, in the end I blocked out the cultural pressure and decided not to let the rankings dictate where I transferred to. I thought about the reasons I was leaving NYU, the most important of which was being close to my family. Thankfully, almost as an afterthought, I had thrown in an application to Santa Clara University and this is where I ended up transferring to. As added bonuses, SCU also happens to be a school with nice weather, a beautiful defined campus, and lots of school spirit.

Insight counselor Jason’s insight #4: No college is perfect.

Although SCU turned out to be a great choice for me, there were a couple of downsides to transferring. For example, I wish I had received more guidance regarding how many of my credits from NYU would transfer to SCU. It would not have changed my decision to transfer to SCU, but it would have lessened the shock and disappointment I felt when I arrived at SCU and was told that many of my credits from NYU would not transfer to SCU.

Another downside was the social aspect of transferring. Summer orientation for freshman and freshman year in general, is a seminal moment in many people’s lives when life-long friendships begin. (I can attest to this, as the best man at my wedding was a friend I met at NYU’s summer orientation). So, if you transfer colleges, you will have missed out on freshman year at the school you transfer to, and it can sometimes feel like you are behind socially, and that many friend groups have already been formed. Once these groups have formed, it can be difficult to join in.

Insight counselor Jason’s insight #5: Transferring is not for everyone, but it was the right choice for me.

The bottom line is that after the initial excitement wore off, I was not happy at NYU. I probably could have “toughed it out” at NYU and graduated faster than I did by transferring and losing some of my initial college credits. But how would staying at NYU have affected my mental health and emotional development? Probably not in a positive way.

Transferring gave me a second chance to make the correct college choice for me—with a much better understanding of what I wanted out of a college than I had when I was a senior at PALY.

Read more: Why is it important to find your “best-fit” college?

Thinking about transferring between UCs? Check out this post: Transferring Between UC Campuses…Wait, That’s Possible?

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.

College Fact Friday: USC

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1. Their motto is “palmam qui meruit ferat, let he who merited the palm bear it,” meaning “achievement should be rewarded.”

2. When the University of Southern California was founded in 1880, the University employed 10 faculty members and welcomed a class of 53 students. Tuition for the first year was only $15.00 per semester, and students were not allowed to leave town without the knowledge and consent of the university president.

3. The first USC valedictorian was a woman, Minnie C. Miltimore, for the class of 1884.

4. The southwest corner of the Pueblo of Los Angeles is part of the original land grant given by the King of Spain in 1781. That can still be found today at the corner of Figueroa Street and Exposition Boulevard.

5. USC is the only university in the world to have a gold medal-winning athlete in every summer Olympiad since 1912. (Similar: USC has produced more Olympians, Olympic medalists, and Olympic gold medalists than any other U.S. university.)

6. The Trojan Marching Band is the only collegiate marching band in the U.S. that has earned a platinum record — two actually.

7. There has been some debate to which school claims the title as the real USC – University of South Carolina or University of Southern California

8. USC is the oldest private research university in California.

9. Although not located in tech-central Silicon Valley, USC was actually one of the earliest nodes on ARPANET and is the birthplace of the Domain Name System (DNS)

10. To learn more about USC, follow them on social media such as Twitter, Instagram, or check out their Podcast

Will Passing the AP Exams Help You Save Money on College Tuition?

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Newsflash: colleges are not consistent in their approach to honoring AP Credits. Some institutions have transparent and user-friendly policies. I’ve heard that some people believe that they could even save money on tuition by taking AP courses and passing the AP exams. The idea seems quite straightforward – spend a few hundred dollars now to save thousands of dollars later.

Will I really save money with my AP test scores?

The REAL answer is – it depends. It depends upon where you actually enroll, the graduation requirements of the specific college (for example, Arts and Sciences vs. School of Engineering) you are pursuing credits for. The cost or time savings you are hoping to capture ultimately depends upon where you actually attend.

For example, the UC system will issue semester or quarter credits for sufficiently high AP scores (3 and higher) across a wide variety of AP subjects – but depending upon the specific campus, the credit could be general education credit instead of subject matter credit. Your dreams of jumping ahead in your major by skipping a few classes in college might work out – or it might not.

University of Michigan’s College of Literature, Science & the Arts even communicates which AP scores fulfill prerequisites for some of their courses, whether Economics, Biology or Electrical Engineering. That is handy!

On the other hand, some institutions are much more fickle about how they look at the AP scores, giving them extreme scrutiny. Harvard gives exactly ZERO credits for getting 5’s on the AP Computer Science Principles exam or the AP Computer Science A test or the AP World History exam for that matter. But passing the AP European History test gets 8 credits while doing the same on the AP Statistics exam gets only 4. For AP Physics C, one of the most difficult courses taught in American high schools, also only gets a nod of 4 credits from Harvard. What???

What should I do then?

Well, when you are trying to graduate from college, likely you will have your favorite or least favorite subjects – and if you are “missing” anything, it could be in the subject area on which you have spent the least amount of time. If you are hoping to eliminate having to take art or math or a foreign language – whatever is not your cup of tea – AP scores may or may not save you! It really depends on the school you end up attending.

In practical terms, this means when you are planning your high school academic courses, it is important to clearly identify for yourself what are the many reasons you are taking a particular class – did it really “earn” a place on your schedule?

Course selection might not sound very exciting; it is basically like choosing what kind of work you will be performing for a semester or the entire school year. You will want to know why you are choosing what you are choosing. So choose carefully. Your high school likely has a grace period for determining how long you can try a class before dropping it, but they also may limit your ability to join a replacement class if you drop whatever was on your original plan.

Read more: Balancing Your High School Course Load

Weighing the pros and cons of a given course schedule is something that we do with students and families all the time, with a practiced eye for what works or what doesn’t. If you are wondering about how many AP courses to take, be sure to check out this post. And reach out to us with questions, we are here to help!

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.

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!

Need a boost to your college admissions success?

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What Do the New UC and CSU Standardized Testing Requirements Mean For You?

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Insights into UC and CSU Standardized Testing Requirements for the 2021-2022 Admissions Season

According to the University of California Application Center, “UC will not consider SAT or ACT test scores when making admissions decisions or awarding scholarships.” In other words, UC is test-blind for the high school class of 2022.

Because UC is test-blind, this may mean that other factors such as grades, strength of curriculum, essays, and extracurricular activities might hold even greater weight. So, please consult with your Insight counselor and make sure you are keeping your grades up, taking the strongest curriculum you can handle, writing great application essays, and doing meaningful extracurricular activities.

Regarding the California State Universities (CSUs) there is not currently an official stance on standardized testing requirements that applies to the entire CSU system, so please contact each CSU that you are applying to, in order to find out what their standardized testing requirements are. However, I spoke with the admissions office at Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo, and it is not considering SAT or ACT scores for the high school class of 2022. So, like the UCs, Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo is test-blind for the high school class of 2022.

The most important factors Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo will be considering for admission include GPA, extracurriculars, work experience, and strength of curriculum (what a student does beyond the minimum course requirements).

If you have any questions about the UC and CSU standardized testing requirements for the high school class of 2022 and about how you can make your applications stand out, please contact your Insight counselor.

Finally, it’s very important to remember that just because the UC system and many CSUs are test-blind for the high school class of 2022, this doesn’t mean the end of standardized testing. In fact, the data shows that for the high school class of 2021 (when many schools were test-optional) the students that submitted good SAT or ACT scores—especially to elite colleges and universities—were more likely to have gained admission. In other words, it is still important to prepare for and take the SAT or ACT.

Need help preparing for the SAT or the ACT? Check out our ACT Boot Camps or SAT Classes.

Are you worried about the recent cancellations/postponements of the SAT and ACT?

Are you wondering if any schools have changed their testing requirements and whether you should still take standardized tests? If so, please read on for important information from Insight counselor Jason.

The University of California system has been debating for years about whether to eliminate its SAT/ACT requirement.

While standardized testing advocates say the tests predict college readiness and can help identify promising disadvantaged students with lower GPAs, anti-test advocates claim that standardized testing makes admissions less fair since higher test results are correlated with higher family incomes. Earlier this year UC decided to keep the SAT/ACT requirement.

However, due to the coronavirus pandemic and all the uncertainty students now face, both the UC and CSU systems have decided that the SAT/ACT will not be required for students applying for Fall 2021 freshman admission.

University of California Testing Policies

According to UC’s April 1, 2020 Counselors and Advisers Bulletin:

“UC will suspend the standardized test requirement (SAT and ACT) for students applying for fall 2021 freshman admission. This modification is not intended as an admissions policy shift but is rather a temporary accommodation driven by the current extraordinary circumstances.”

Additionally, according to a FAQ posted on the UC admissions website:

“Students applying for Fall 2021 are not precluded from taking standardized tests (SAT or ACT) and sending scores if they are able. Doing so can support their statewide UC eligibility, application for certain scholarships, and help them fulfill some University graduation requirements.

Campuses will adjust their internal processes accordingly to ensure that no student is harmed in admissions selection should they not submit a test score.”

California State University Testing Policies

Not long after the UC’s announced their policy, the California State University (CSU) schools followed suit.

The CSU system announced that they will not use test scores to determine eligibility for the fall 2021 class.

According to CSU Chancellor Timothy P. White, “This temporary change will ensure equitable access to the university and should provide some measure of relief to prospective students and their families.”

Under the new CSU admissions policy, first-time freshmen for the term of fall 2021 must meet the new requirements to have earned a high school diploma, completed their “A-G” requirements, and have earned a GPA of 2.5 or better.

What Does this Mean for Me?

In other words, if you are a student applying for freshman admission to a UC or CSU campus for fall 2021, you do not have to take the SAT or ACT.

However, if you have already taken the SAT or ACT or are able to take the SAT or ACT in the future, submitting your score may have a real positive impact on your application and UC graduation requirements.

As a result, people should not assume that getting into a UC will be significantly easier next year – that would be a mistake.

Additionally, as of now, this does not impact the class of 2022 or 2023 – so current sophomores and freshmen should not work under the assumption that testing will not be required for admission to the UCs or CSUs.

What are Other Colleges Doing?

Also, it is important to note that not all colleges have dropped the testing requirement. As a result, students should plan to test if they will be applying to even one college that has not made that announcement.

Students applying for very competitive and specialized programs should still be planning to take the appropriate tests. If you are wondering whether you should be testing, please consult with an Insight counselor.

Finally, although this latest news about the UCs/CSUs may be great for current high school juniors that don’t test well and that want to attend a UC or CSU, this is definitely not the time to stop testing.

Concluding Thoughts

We want to emphasize that even though the UCs and CSUs have dropped their testing requirement for students applying for fall 2021 freshman admission, as of now this change only affects that group.

Many colleges and specialized programs still require standardized testing (including the UCs—except for fall 2021 freshman admission).

During these unprecedented and uncertain times, please remember that Insight counselors are here to discuss your college admissions and testing plans. Overall, this UC and CSU news is good, but should be taken cautiously.

This article was written by Insight Counselor Jason Katz.

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
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