College Planning & Admissions Blog

New & Noteworthy - Student Loan Forgiveness

6/3/2022

The current administration is striving to make student loan relief programs work for everyone. Efforts to revise IDR(Income-driven repayment plan) regulations will produce substantially more affordable monthly payments for millions of borrowers. Recent actions complement steps the administration has already taken within its first year to cancel more than $17 billion in debt for 725,000 borrowers in addition to extending the student loan payment pause, saving 41 million borrowers billions of dollars in payments each month. The Department has now approved approximately:

$6.8 billion for more than 113,000 public servants through improvements to PSLF(Public Service Loan Forgiveness program);
$7.8 billion for more than 400,000 borrowers who have a total and permanent disability;
$1.2 billion for borrowers who attended ITT Technical Institutes before it closed; and
Nearly $2 billion to 105,000 borrowers who were defrauded by their school.

To make college more affordable for current and future students, President Biden has called for and Congress has included in bipartisan legislation a $400 increase in the maximum Federal Pell Grant—the largest increase in the maximum award in over a decade.
To protect students and taxpayers from predatory or low-value colleges, the Department has also restored the FSA Office of Enforcement and started efforts to strengthen key rules including borrower defense to repayment and gainful employment.
The situation is continually updating so stay informed regarding these changes. For further information see the U.S. Department of Education and Federal Student Aid.

Pre-College Programs for Summer 2022

5/5/2022

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When planning for college sometimes the summer opportunities are forgotten.
Students may want to beef up their transcripts to be more competitive at college application time. Maybe they are lacking in AP classes, or want to explore a possible area of interest to major in at college, or show some skills they haven't been able to demonstrate at their high school. Some students choose to get summer jobs to demonstrate responsibility and independence.
In addition there are summer programs that offer students interesting classes to challenge them, sometimes for college credit. They may want to pursue music or theater in depth and work with professionals in the arts. Or become involved in business or political programs with internships and leadership councils.
Other students want the chance to live on a college campus to see what it's like. Some colleges have their own summer offerings, both academic and recreational, for high school students or host teen programs that utilize their facilities. This can help students gain confidence in themselves, help them develop their college list, and offer chances for dialogues with peers and lifelong friendships.
Unfortunately because of the Covid-19 pandemic, many of the programs over the last couple of summers have been canceled or offered only online. Virtual courses can be useful if in-person opportunities are not available. However there are some programs being offered at college campuses for the summer of 2022.
Here’s links to several pre-college programs:
Tufts University
University of Chicago
University of Wisconsin
Drexel University
Champlain College
Loyola Marymount University
Bard College at Simon’s Rock
plus these programs:
EXPLO
Girls Who Code
College Matchpoint

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New and Noteworthy - SAT Going Digital Starting with the Connecticut School Day SAT this March 2022

3/4/2022

Collegeboard has announced that the SAT exam will move from the traditional paper and pencil format to a digital format. The format change is scheduled to roll out internationally next year and nationally in the U.S. in 2024. However, Connecticut will utilize the new digital version this March 23 - 25 and 29 - 30, 2022 for the Connecticut School Day SAT for current juniors in high school.

The digital version will also shave an hour from the current version, bringing the reading, writing and math assessment from three hours to about two. Test-takers will be allowed to use their own laptops or tablets but they'll still have to sit for the test at a monitored testing site or in school, not at home. Calculators will be allowed on the entire Math section, and scores will be available in days, rather than weeks, still on the 400-1600 point-scale.

They have designed the test software so that if there are battery or internet connectivity issues, the test will be saved and the student can return to it without losing their work.

For a full description of what aspects of the new digital SAT will stay the same and what will be different, see Collegeboard's SAT Suite of Assessments https://satsuite.collegeboard.org/digital?SFMC_cid=EM669978-&rid=124890901

At one time essential for college applications, scores from admission tests like the SAT and rival ACT carry less weight today as colleges pay more attention to the sum of student achievements and activities throughout high school.

There has also been criticism that the exams favor wealthy, white applicants and disadvantage minority and low-income students, and an increasing number of colleges have adopted test-optional policies in recent years, which let students decide whether to include scores with their applications.

The Covid-19 pandemic accelerated the trend as testing sessions were canceled or inaccessible. However, the SAT and ACT are still deeply ingrained in the American high school experience. More than a dozen states require one of the exams to graduate, and prior to the pandemic 10 states plus Washington, D.C., had contracts with the College Board to offer the test during the school day for free to their students.

Nearly 80% of bachelor’s degree-granting institutions are not requiring test scores from students applying for fall 2022, according to a December tally by the National Center for Fair & Open Testing, a watchdog group that opposes standardized testing. The group, known as FairTest, said at least 1,400 of them have extended the policy through at least the fall 2023 admissions cycle.

New & Noteworthy: Personal Connections Are Key to Student Success In College

1/14/2022

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Jeff Selingo, author of Who Gets in and Why, a Year Inside College Admissions, posted recently about how important relationships are to the higher education experience for college students. Many colleges historically have set up structures for students to get those relationships, such as living-and-learning communities, first year experiences, and assignment of mentors.
However, during the pandemic it has been difficult for students to access these connections due to online or hybrid learning as well as social distancing with cafeteria restrictions and campus activities being severely curtailed. The sense of isolation for many students has led to frustration, anxiety and depression.
Going forward it is ever more important to evaluate opportunities for students to be connected to their peers and faculty when researching colleges. Some colleges are modeling cohort groups based on athletic teams, where student groups with shared interests work together toward a goal in a structured setting under the guidance of a coach. Other colleges are trying various creative means to enhance a students’ engagement.
An independent educational consultant can often help families find colleges that are working on increasing connectivity and support for their students in these difficult times.

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New & Noteworthy: Changes In the FAFSA

11/10/2021

Families should be aware of upcoming changes on the FAFSA (Free Application for Student Aid) for this year and next. Males no longer have to register with the Selective Service System to be eligible for federal financial aid. In addition, having a drug conviction will no longer affect a student’s ability to seek financial aid.

Also, the pandemic or weather-related disasters might have negatively impacted many families in the last two years. Since this year’s FAFSA utilizes parents’ tax returns from 2020 it is important that families make note of any changed circumstances to qualify for the best financial aid package. If they feel there is more information than what they can report on the FAFSA itself, they can contact the financial aid departments of the colleges their student is applying to.

New & NOteworthy: It’s Time to File Financial Aid Forms for College

9/23/2021

Each year the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) opens on October 1st for the following year’s college entrance. It is usually advisable to complete the FAFSA, even if you do not feel your family will qualify for need-based aid. Many colleges require the FAFSA to be completed before they will offer students their own institutional scholarships.

For the 2022-23 school year the opening date for both the FAFSA as well as the CSS Profile (College Scholarship Service) is this week! Not all colleges require the CSS Profile. Check the Common App, each college’s website, or speak with your college educational consultant to see which schools require it.

New & Noteworthy- College Vaccination Update

8/25/2021

There are now nearly 800 colleges requiring covid-19 vaccinations for at least some students or employees before they can return to campus in the fall. For the most up-to-date list check here at The Chronicle of Higher Education.

Colleges Requiring Covid-19 Vaccine for Fall 2021

4/17/2021

A number of colleges have started requiring students to be vaccinated against covid-19 in order to enroll in the fall. Currently these include:

American University, in Washington, D.C.
Assumption University, in Massachusetts
Boston University, in Massachusetts
Bowdoin College, in Maine
Brown University, in Rhode Island
Cornell University, in New York
Dartmouth College, in New Hampshire
Duke University, in North Carolina
Fairleigh Dickinson University, in New Jersey
Fordham University, in New York
Fort Lewis College, in Colorado
Georgetown University, in Washington, D.C.
Grinnell College, in Iowa
Harvey Mudd College, California
Ithaca College, in New York
Johns Hopkins University, in Maryland
Lasell University, in Massachusetts
Manhattanville College, in New York
Northeastern University, in Massachusetts
Nova Southeastern University, in Florida
Oakland University, in Michigan
Paul Quinn College, in Texas
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, in New York
Roger Williams University, in Rhode Island
Rutgers University, in New Jersey
St. Edwards University, in Texas
Saint Mary’s College, in Indiana
Seattle University, in Washington
Syracuse University, in New York
University of Notre Dame, in Indiana
Vassar College, in New York
Wesleyan University, in Connecticut

This list will very likely continue to change, so check often to see the latest colleges. The Chronicle of Higher Education is a good site to check for the most up-to-date information.

Evaluating the financial health of colleges

2/19/2021

In today’s economic climate, and especially in light of the COVID-19 pandemic and its effect on the economy as a whole and education in particular, parents are understandably concerned about the value of a college degree and the viability of certain institutions. When creating a college list most people understand the value of assessing the likelihood of being accepted, the depth and breadth and the course offerings, the culture of the campus, and the cost (or return on investment). However, now more than ever, it is also imperative to evaluate the financial health of the institution. No one wants to get into a school only to have that school close its doors, merge with another institution (losing its unique identity), or eliminate your major.

Of course, there are no 100% guarantees, but there are ways to research the relative financial health of various colleges and universities and to evaluate their risk of failing. Some risk factors to be aware of are a decrease in freshmen enrollment and retention over time, a higher percentage of non-need based (aka merit aid) vs. need-based aid offered with an increase in the rate of merit scholarships awarded, a high percentage of international students, and a relatively small endowment. Another red flag is a downward trend of net tuition, especially if tuition revenue makes up the largest portion of the institution’s revenue stream. And, if the institution is borrowing from their endowment, this may be an indication of the school’s financial stress. In general schools with higher endowments, lower admit rates (and therefore larger waitlists), and less reliance on international students (who almost always pay full tuition) are considered less vulnerable to economic disruptions.

A good independent educational consultant will be able to help research and explain not only the risks and benefits of the academic and social environment of an institution but also those risks and benefits of its financial well-being.

College Board Eliminates SAT Subject Tests & SAT Essay

1/22/2021

The College Board announced this week that it is ending the subject-area exams and the optional essay section of the SAT for college bound US students. Increasing numbers of students have been using the AP tests to demonstrate knowledge in areas such as biology, physics and world history, rather than the SAT subject tests.
See the full article here.

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New & Noteworthy - Student Loan Forgiveness

Pre-College Programs for Summer 2022

New and Noteworthy - SAT Going Digital Starting with the Connecticut School Day SAT this March 2022

New & Noteworthy: Personal Connections Are Key to Student Success In College

New & Noteworthy: Changes In the FAFSA

New & NOteworthy: It’s Time to File Financial Aid Forms for College

New & Noteworthy- College Vaccination Update

Colleges Requiring Covid-19 Vaccine for Fall 2021

Evaluating the financial health of colleges

College Board Eliminates SAT Subject Tests & SAT Essay

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