How will ChatGPT affect college applications?
Topics: College Essays, College Applications, college preparation, college admissions, college counseling, high school senior, high school junior, chatgpt, Artificial Intelligence, personal statement
To refresh your memory, in 2019, a scandal arose over a criminal conspiracy to influence undergraduate admissions decisions at several top American universities.Rick Singer, the shamed college counselor, synonymous with what is known as Operation Varsity Blues, is going to jail for 3 and a half years—proving that “crime doesn’t pay”. This video recaptures the news the day the scandal broke. But what has happened since the scandal was birthed?
These seven stages initiated from the epicenter of Varsity Blues:
While few could have predicted the impact that this scandal, followed swiftly by the COVID-19 pandemic, could have on college admissions, here are six steps to take that address the current admissions situation:
Topics: College Applications, college preparation, college admissions, early decision, early action, college selection, operation varsity blues, college counseling, high school senior, high school junior, college search, college admit rates, Rick Singer, independent educational consultants
With thoughts of a winter break in sight, December is a month filled with academic notifications for a great number of students of all ages. The three most powerful outside measurements of a student’s abilities that impact December are:
Topics: college preparation, college admissions, early decision, early action, early decision 2, college selection, PSAT, college counseling, high school senior, high school junior, college search
What to do after early college applications are submitted
Congratulations for those students who pushed the send button in their Common App screen and saw the online confetti fly. What’s next? The natural tendency is to think that everything is complete, and complacency can set in after what has been an exhaustive admission process. It is not uncommon for students to want to be "done" with the application effort regardless of the consequences of not staying fully engaged with the process.
This is probably the most competitive process that they have ever faced and one in which they have little control over. So, understanding what can be done and doing so with a cool, level head can reap some great rewards. Students and parents should remain engaged until the day they enroll with a deposit and consider the following:
Topics: College Applications, college preparation, college admissions, early decision, senioritis, early action, early decision 2, college selection, Financial Aid, college counseling, high school senior, high school junior, college search
Union College is in upstate New York in a city with a very distinctive name – Schenectady. Union was founded in 1795 and in addition to holding to its liberal arts roots, it has been quietly evolving and adapting to today’s student needs. Union is regarded as one of the few small liberal arts colleges that has a solid balance of liberal arts and engineering. Union now offers an Environmental Engineering Major and is bringing back Civil Engineering. With only 3 classes per trimester, students really get a chance to know their professors. For intro classes, the average class size is 21 students; for upper-level classes the average is 14 students. 80% of Union Students complete faculty-mentored research or creative work and 60% of students study abroad. 85% of students complete at least one internship. 97% of Union graduates are employed, in grad school or pursuing a post-grad fellowship within 6 months of graduation.
Topics: college preparation, college admissions, early decision, college selection, college counseling, high school senior, high school junior, college search, Union College, Civil Engineering, Environmental Engineering