Dear Class of 2021 students and parents;
I’m hopeful that this May Newsletter finds you and your family healthy and safe. With any luck all those April showers will bring May flowers as well as a chance to breathe some fresh air. These last six weeks have proven to be some of the most unique many of us have ever experienced and I’m sure the coming months will present continued challenges and obstacles but throughout our virtual meetings with students we’ve found that overwhelmingly, they have adjusted, remained positive, and have been eager to continue this process. Know that we are here for any and all questions- while our answers may often be “we don’t know” or “we will have to wait and see” please never hesitate to touch base.
As one of our colleagues recently put it:
The only plans are:
No one knows
We’re making educated guesses
We know everything can change in a few day’s time.
Speaking with clarity is impossible and trying to do so is arrogant.
COLLEGE VISITS:
While we know it may be awhile before campuses are open to visitors, this does not mean stop trying to gain a better understanding of the schools you’re interested in. Virtual Tours are not ideal but they can be useful. Here is a link to a chart of 900+ schools and their different virtual tour options as well as YouTube Channel links and some quick info about each school: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ds9i204P-T_VqPcEarOkU74kkDvF5wJAWdpvFrOLmqw/edit#gid=0
COLLEGE ESSAYS “THE YEAR OF THE ESSAY”:
It has been great to connect with so many of you this past month to get going on our College Essay Process. So much great Brainstorming has taken place and drafting for some students has already begun. While we don’t have an understanding of much of this process currently, one thing we do know is that we can write really well. Some things to keep in mind: essay writing takes time; it is not an overnight process. Allow yourself (and us) the chance to step away from your writing before feeling like you’re done. Constantly ask yourself: “Is this me”. And finally, use the documents we’ve attached to serve as a guide.
Here is a link to our Essay Process Document:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1MDqb0S1PzsWmUCNmVsJtaqA2IdMkvUoZ8PNfwhlDwGM/edit?usp=sharing
Here is a link to our Personal Statement Packet:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-IVZ5vGxFFONbb9e8Xm_GcDJ2DCEjYRjlXsCWXJfPgM/edit
If you have not yet started your essay and need some support, please let us know!
STANDARDIZED TESTING:
AP Exams-good luck to students sitting for exams this month. Unprecedented for sure and responses from colleges have varied but our opinion is to stay the course, sit for the test and see what happens. For last minute information please click on the following link: https://apcoronavirusupdates.collegeboard.org/students
ACT Updates-The ACT has remained firm in their message to offer June and July ACTs. One of the reasons they’ve decided to do so is because of the scheduled Section Retesting that begins in the fall. We believe, like the March SAT, many local test centers will not open their doors for the June ACT. All updated information is here regarding both June and July ACTs as well as free practice materials and date change information:
http://www.act.org/content/act/en/covid19.html
https://www.act.org/content/act/en/covid19.html#student-parent
SAT Updates-As we know, June SAT has been cancelled. They have added a September date to the fall testing schedule. Our recommendation remains that most students should be registering for the August SAT if they were planning to retest. Information can be found here:
https://pages.collegeboard.org/sat-covid-19-updates
Test-Optional- The number of schools who have announced a test-optional policy for the coming admissions cycle has continued to grow over the last month. Please take some time to read the article I sent out last month regarding test-optional vs. test-blind. We are still recommending most students test in the fall but will continue to have the conversations on a case by case basis as we believe different institutions will use these policies differently. Information can be found here:
http://fairtest.org/university/optional
Test Prep- If you will be sitting in the fall and are considering test prep please reach out to our Director of Tutoring Tim Bauer at tim@coastal-college.com to get on his calendar, Tim will help to build a prep plan based on test dates and summer commitments.
Recent articles on the testing process-Please take a look at these articles that offer some varying perspectives on the testing process and how professionals in our industry are currently viewing the testing companies:
Rethinking Standardized Testing: https://www.nacacnet.org/news--publications/newsroom/updates-from-nacacs-president/is-it-time-to-rethink-standardized-testing-in-college-admission/
The Validity (or lack thereof) of proposed on-line SAT and ACT: https://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/just-visiting/guest-post-future-sat
TEACHER RECOMMENDATIONS (RESUMES/BRAG SHEETS):
Now is a great time to reach out to your teachers and request recommendations. Be sure to follow directions-some teachers have a very specific process they follow while others will simply reply with a “sure”. If teachers are requesting Brag Sheets or Resumes let us know and we can get to work on those with you as well.
MOVING FORWARD:
Tim and I are looking forward to future meetings and continuing these next steps of the college process! Most important at this stage is to stay safe and healthy, just breathe!
Be well;
Tony