Summer is at its peak with the latest heat wave! A time to soak up some sunshine, enjoy dinners from the grill, and…plan college visits? Although untraditional, a summer visit to a college can be a beneficial way to see a school in its quieter off-season. If you or your student are too busy to travel during a school’s academic year, visiting a school during the summer or during a break in that school’s calendar is still a great opportunity.

Who is on campus during the summer?

There will be less students on campus, but that can also be an ideal time to get to know the people that are present: students taking summer courses or living on campus while working at an internship. Be aware that you might also find high school students on campus taking academic or sports programs and this can give you an unusual picture of campus life that may make it appear significantly younger than it will look in September. Schools may also offer summer housing opportunities to international students or those who travel a far distance to attend their chosen school (something to keep in mind in your own college decision journey). Visiting during the summer may also give you a chance to chat with professors or department heads.

In our current context, the last thing students might be thinking about is the possibility of studying abroad in college. But after semesters of halted study abroad programs, now is the time to start thinking about it again. From the get-go, students interested in studying abroad should state so in their applications right away, and let the logistics follow suit.

For colleges that offer their own study abroad programs and those that partner with independent study abroad programs, students are given the chance to spend a semester in another country taking classes and immersing themselves in the local culture and language. It might just be what they need right about now to help rebound the morale after the world came to a stop. It’s important for students to gain new perspectives through these experiences, which are becoming newly accessible.

When it comes to financial aid, all situations are different. There is no formula to perfectly predict what you’ll get, because a common misconception is that financial aid is the same from all schools. It isn’t. Factors that play into financial aid distribution are Early Decision, private versus public universities and school ranking.

Early Decision has always been a way for colleges to increase their student yield. When students apply early, they show their commitment to a school and a school can be sure that they will attend if accepted. As noted in our previous blogs, recent test optional policies have also increased the number of applications. However, even though this option seems uniquely beneficial on both sides, colleges with Early Decision programs are not necessarily motivated to communicate that if the aid package doesn’t suit a family, they can disengage from the binding agreement.

Happy Holidays!  

This message comes to you with the hope that this holiday break gives you a chance to explore, spend time with family and friends (safely, of course) and get your batteries re-charged.  After the charging, it can also be a great time for students to ponder their future without the distraction of studying for the next test or assignment and where they can think freely. 

The last two years has given pretty much everyone a wake-up call. The pandemic has made us question, evaluate and re-prioritize what is really important in life. This time can be especially challenging for those who are on the brink of deciding what they want to do with their lives: future college students.

While universities often advertise the diversity of fields available for first-years to explore, having that wide of a choice can be even more intimidating when certain fields may seem no longer relevant in the present context. Being a Classics major or English major might be a lot less justified in our technological, health-focused new world. So how can we help students find a balance between passion and practicality?

First of all, it’s important to remember that even though the emphasis may be more focused on science, technology and healthcare, that’s not to say that other fields are not worth going into. If everyone decided to focus on these three paths, then what would happen to the arts and humanities? Here are a few things to consider when choosing the right major for today’s context.

This is the big question that a lot of high school seniors might be dreading for the upcoming holidays if they haven’t applied Early Decision, heard back from schools, or want to entertain questions about their college plans. All most students want to do is have a good time with family and not think about applications and the future for a minute, but this question will inevitably be asked, probably multiple times on multiple occasions.

Can you blame your family? This is certainly a decisive time for you, but also for them. Most of the time, your family has the best of intentions. They are either genuinely interested or making appropriate small talk. In any case, it’s important to keep in mind that less is more.

If you know the answer, say it loud and proud, but if you don’t, there are a variety of approaches that can dig you out of a sticky situation.