Test optional admissions and taking the SAT/ACT, should you?

College Application Season, a/k/a Application Hell, is upon us. Every year, my Colorado kids are pushed to meet the Colorado Free Application Days, which typically are in early October. This early deadline is both a blessing and a curse. Let me explain. The curse is that it’s early, and the pressure to complete applications and essays is intense. The blessing is that it’s early, which requires students to get their act together and finish their applications and essays. This dichotomy mirrors my experience working with teens. It is, you guessed it, both a blessing and a curse. Now, I realize I am being over-generalistic, but bear with me. The blessings are innumerable: they are bright, funny, kind, compassionate, and very, very aware. Of all kinds of stuff. Gen Z is fascinating in that they have the emotional intelligence of, say, a 45-year-old mother of three. They are informed and driven to act to impact injustices, locally and globally. And bonus! They can handle any of your persnickety tech issues without blinking an eye. Gen Z restores my faith in humanity, and for that, I am deeply grateful. And the curse? They cannot write. By the grace of God, each year, I have a handful of students who can write brilliantly, beautifully. But every year, that handful gets smaller, and along with that so does my faith in humanity. I firmly believe and bear witness to the fact that readers make writers. This is true for me. It is true for my children, and it’s just true. The rant? Devices and social media (I know, I am a broken record) are the culprit. Gen Z is growing up in a world of clickbait communication and constant distraction, fueled by addictive algorithms. The result - many have the attention span of a gnat. NO ONE IS READING ANYMORE. I don’t mean a headline. I mean a full article, let alone a book. Remember those? As a mother of three adults, functioning children, and a professional who has worked with hundreds of teens, please take heed. Read to your kids. Invite your kids to read to you. Their future depends on it.

In June, I hosted my annual Senior Essay Writing Workshop. This was the first in-person workshop since 2019. I bet you can guess why. I was elated to meet my students face-to-face after months, even years, of connecting through the screen. Imagine my surprise at their height, super-smiles, and warm laughter. Dang, it was wonderful. So, essentially, all my in-state seniors gather at my house for a three-hour intensive workshop on crafting a killer college essay. As I was preparing for the event, it occurred to me that I might be in competition with their PHONE. Classic directness (this is probably a character flaw) led me to inform my students and their parents, in advance, that this would be a no-phone gathering. My messaging went something like this, Important: Phones are placed in a basket at the door and retrieved at noon. No exceptions. Parents: If you need to reach your student during the workshop, text me directly at **********. Now, I am fully on board with the phone-free movement. I support it, advocate for it, and live it (I brilliantly quit all personal media last November). And I thought: my event, my rules. I was a little concerned about how this announcement would land. Turns out my concern was mainly about the parents. The kids? Not so much. In fact, research indicates that students crave phone-free learning environments. Suffice to say, the workshop was a smashing success. Not a single student pushed back against the policy. One poor soul forgot to retrieve her phone and left it sitting all alone in the basket. Not to worry, though. She didn’t get far before turning back to grab it. Here’s the truth: We don’t have to bow down to every technological whim or societal pressure. As adults, we know the phone is a problem, and it’s our job to foster healthy, happy individuals. So let's keep this momentum going. As Maya Angelou wisely said, “When you know better, do better.”

I work with incredible colleagues; collaborative, smart and supportive. They make me better and I am deeply grateful. Every year, Jennie Kent and Jeff Levy of Big J Educational Consulting share invaluable information regarding college admissions. Their research is impeccable and accurate and provides crucial data to help students and families make informed college decisions. Read on, share broadly and give a shout out to these generous professionals! Early Decision and Regular Decision Acceptance Rates Class of 2028 Domestic Undergraduate Need-Based and Merit Aid Class of 2028 In-State and Out-of-State Acceptance Rates Class of 2028 Financial Aid for International Noncitizens Class of 2028 International Noncitizens Acceptance Rate and Yield Class of 2028 Percentage of Students Submitting SAT and ACT Scores Class of 2028 Athletic Divisions and Conferences (partial list) Class of 2028 - NEW! These charts are visual, interactive, and easy to use. They make it possible to instantly sort using any column's metrics and to easily compare subsets of colleges. They are free and can be accessed at www.bigjeducationalconsulting.com/resources . From Jennie and Jeff: We hope you find these resources helpful in your work guiding students. Please feel free to share them broadly as long as they remain in their original unedited form. Permission is not granted to those charging a fee for their distribution. If you find an error after cross-referencing with an institution's Common Data Set, please contact us at info@bigjconsult.com . Thank you!

The Power of Paying Attention

Parents: Before Your Student Launches,  Get These Legal Docs in Place

Is Your Student Ready For College?

Wait for it……they should be having fun.

"The Common Application, often referred to as The Common App is an online platform that facilitates the college application process for students."

"The AXS Companion provides step-by-step guidance, tips, and expert advice to help you tackle every section of the Common App with confidence."