Thursday, March 28College Admissions News

College Planning

What Colleges Are Need Aware? How Does It Affect Admissions?
College Planning

What Colleges Are Need Aware? How Does It Affect Admissions?

What is a need-aware college? Does a college being need aware mean they won't accept students who need financial aid? What colleges are need aware?  There are a lot of misconceptions about need-aware colleges and how they handle applicants who need financial aid. Having the wrong information can lead students to skip applying to schools that could still very well accept them and offer generous aid packages. Read this guide to be fully informed on need-aware colleges.   What Is a Need Aware College? Need aware colleges are those that take students' ability to pay college tuition into consideration. This means that, hypothetically, if a school is trying to decide between two students, they may choose the one who requires less or no financial aid because that's cheaper for them. Rising ...
Game Plan for Deferred and Denied Students
College Planning

Game Plan for Deferred and Denied Students

December 14, 2022 Ivy Coach helps reposition the narratives of students after Early Decision / Early Action deferrals or denials (photo credit: Chensiyuan). Did your child receive a deferral or, worse, a denial from their dream Ivy League or other highly selective university in the Early Action / Early Decision round of admissions? If so, grieve the decision for a few minutes — and then get over it because you don’t have time to go through all five stages of grief right now. Regular Decision applications are due in just a couple of weeks. The time is now for your child to take corrective actions to avoid making the same mistakes in the Regular Decision round. So what’s the game plan? Ivy Coach’s PostMor...
3 Questions About Georgetown University’s New Bachelor Completion Degree on Coursera
College Planning

3 Questions About Georgetown University’s New Bachelor Completion Degree on Coursera

We are always eager to hear new ways universities are creating affordable online programs at scale. It is the conversation we never tire of having, and this time, we are talking to colleagues and friends, Georgetown’s Kelly Otter and Coursera’s Betty Vandenbosch. These two leaders from Georgetown University and Coursera recently announced a new online bachelor’s completion program. The program is incredibly competitively priced, at $400 a credit, and scales an on-campus program that serves diverse students. Its most recent cohort was 62 percent students of color and 40 percent military-connected learners. Kelly and Betty agreed to answer our questions about this new program. Q: The in-person bachelor of arts in liberal studies degree completion program has been an institution at Georgetown...
The 10 Best Computer Science Competitions for Teens
College Planning

The 10 Best Computer Science Competitions for Teens

Are you a coder or computer science lover and want to show off your skills? Computer science competitions are a great way to do that! We've gathered information on 10 of the best computer science and coding competitions high school students can participate in. Look over the descriptions that seem most interesting to you, then keep reading to learn everything you need to do to make participating in these competitions stand out on your college applications.   The Best Computer Science Competitions for High Schoolers Below are overviews of 10 of the best computer science and coding competitions for students. For each competition, we  give a brief description, along with who is eligible and what the prizes are. All the competitions below have a focus on computer science. For competit...
The 36 Colleges With the Best Financial Aid
College Planning

The 36 Colleges With the Best Financial Aid

College in the US is expensive—too expensive, in fact, for the average student to be able to afford on their own. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, 87% of first-year students at four-year colleges were receiving financial aid in 2019-2020. Financial aid is good in all its forms, right? If it helps college students afford their education, what could be the problem? Unfortunately, not all financial aid is created equal—and not all schools can afford to give out "good" student aid. Here, I'll briefly talk about the types of financial aid available (the "good" kinds and the "bad" kinds) before introducing the colleges with the best financial aid programs in the country.   Financial Aid Basics: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly Financial aid comes from a variety of sour...
How to Get Into a BS/MD Program: Step-by-Step Guide
College Planning

How to Get Into a BS/MD Program: Step-by-Step Guide

Is your goal to become a doctor? Do you want to put yourself on a fast track to medical school and making your dream a reality? If so, you may want to consider applying for a BS/MD program. In this article, I'll explain what these programs are and go over exactly how to get into a BS/MD program, so that you can be one step closer to your dream of becoming a doctor.   What Is a BS/MD Program? A BS/MD program offers you admission to medical school if you meet certain minimum requirements while you're in college or applying to colleges. You can apply for a BS/MD program as a high school student during the regular college application process. Additionally, there are BS/MD programs you can apply to as an underclassman in college. Most people begin applying to med school the summer between the...
Applying Early Decision: Advantages and Disadvantages
College Planning

Applying Early Decision: Advantages and Disadvantages

From Applying early decision to college is often a highly effective way to increase the odds of getting accepted at many colleges that offer this admission option. At plenty of colleges, applying early action can also boost admission odds. Students and parents, who are interested in applying early decision or early action, need to know the advantages and disadvantages of this strategy. Here are things to consider: Applying Early Decision Definition 1. Early Decision refers to the admission practice of allowing students to send in their applications and receive an admission verdict before teenagers who use the regular admission process. 2. The deadline for early decision applications can be November 15 or even earlier. In contrast, the application deadline for regular admission can be in Ja...
Which Coalition Essay Prompt Should You Choose? 2022-2023
College Planning

Which Coalition Essay Prompt Should You Choose? 2022-2023

If you're submitting a college application through the Coalition Application, you likely already know that you'll have to write a personal essay. The purpose of the Coalition Application essay is for you to showcase a side of yourself that colleges don't get to see through your transcripts and test scores alone. There are six Coalition essay prompts to choose from. So which one should you pick? In this article, we go over what the Coalition Application essay is and take a look at all six Coalition essay prompts. For each prompt, we give you potential topics you can write about and key tips for answering it effectively. Keep reading to learn which Coalition essay prompt might be the best fit for you!   What Is the Coalition Application Essay? The Coalition App is a centralized college...
Full List of 1,000+ Colleges That Don’t Require ACT Scores
College Planning

Full List of 1,000+ Colleges That Don’t Require ACT Scores

Applying to college usually means writing some essays, asking for letters of recommendation, and submitting your transcripts. But what about the ACT and SAT? Is the ACT required for college? The answer is, not necessarily! In this guide, we explain what test-optional colleges are and give you the complete list of 1,000+ colleges that don't require ACT scores from applicants. We also offer a few tips for what to do with these ACT-optional college lists. Note: for a list of schools temporarily not requiring test scores due to COVID-19, read this article instead. Otherwise, read on to see which schools are always test-optional, test-flexible, or test-blind.   Is the ACT Required for College? Not Necessarily First off, is the ACT required for college in the United States? Or not? Though ...
What Is the SAT Waitlist? Should You Get on It?
College Planning

What Is the SAT Waitlist? Should You Get on It?

Did you miss the registration deadline for the SAT test date you wanted? Don't fear—you still might have a chance to take the test if you get on the waitlist. In this article, we give you instructions on how to register for the SAT waitlist, followed by some advice on whether it's the right choice for you. (more…)
Colleges Not Requiring SAT Scores
College Planning

Colleges Not Requiring SAT Scores

Not all admissions processes are created equal. One major point of difference among colleges these days is how admissions officers consider your SAT scores. More and more schools are de-emphasizing SAT scores as part of your application with test-optional and test-flexible policies. Some colleges has even eliminated SAT scores completely! There are now more than 1,000 accredited, bachelor-degree granting institutions that have changed their approaches to standardized test scores. Keep in mind that the majority of colleges, especially the more prestigious schools, do still require (and strongly consider) SAT scores. Let's take a look at the different score policies and the schools that no longer require applicants to submit their SAT scores for admission. Schools Temporarily Going Test O...
14 Summer Engineering Internships for High School Students
College Planning

14 Summer Engineering Internships for High School Students

Want to be an engineering major in college? A great way to set yourself up for success before you even begin your freshman year is to do an engineering internship or camp as a high school student. However, summer engineering internships for high school students can be tough to find. That's where we come in! We've compiled a list of the 14 best engineering opportunities for high schoolers, including some that pay you to participate!   How Can High School Students Learn About Engineering Careers? If you're interested in a career in engineering, there are multiple ways you can get more knowledge and experience in the field before even graduating high school. Below are the three best ways high school students can get engineering experience.   Job Shadowing Job shadowing is where you spend a ...
9 Amazing Legal Programs and Law Internships for High School Students
College Planning

9 Amazing Legal Programs and Law Internships for High School Students

If you’re a high school student who’s interested in becoming a lawyer, you can actually start preparing for your future career now by participating in high school law internships and other law-focused programs.  High school law internships, summer programs, and law volunteer opportunities for high school students all allow you to explore legal careers before you ever even get to college. We’ll explain everything you need to know about these programs, including: The types of law programs available to high school students  Real-life examples of law programs for high school students Tips for including your law experience on college applications  Keep reading to learn more!      What Programs and Law Internships for High School Students Are Out There? When it comes to opportunities to exp...
On Affirmative Action | Ivy Coach
College Planning

On Affirmative Action | Ivy Coach

July 27, 2022 An op-ed writer for The New York Post makes a ridiculous argument against the merits of Affirmative Action. In an op-ed for The New York Post, a conservative-leaning daily newspaper, a writer argues that our nation’s elite colleges essentially have a moral imperative to end Affirmative Action so various under-qualified underrepresented minority students who earn admission don’t have to struggle to succeed academically once they matriculate. It’s an argument we, of course, find absolutely preposterous. But, hey, while we don’t agree with this argument one bit, we believe in sharing diverse perspectives on all topics related to college admissions, including the controversial topic of Affirmativ...
AP Test Dates 2023: Complete Calendar
College Planning

AP Test Dates 2023: Complete Calendar

Looking for the 2023 AP exam dates? We have the complete 2023 AP test dates as well as advice for getting through the busy May exam season. Keep reading to stay on top of your 2022-2023 study schedule and to get tips for dealing with the stress of endless AP tests! (more…)