April 2024

Before you read on, you MUST read this article! Thanks to the NYT, we have an article that clearly addresses all the issues when applicants are considering the most rejective schools in the USA.

​Moving on now....

When we start working with students, it always seems like there is so much ahead to do to cross the finish line. However, April of senior year inevitably comes so quickly with lots of admission decision considerations.

Reflecting upon decisions this year, they were largely what we expected with only a few surprises.  UC schools are receiving more applications and becoming even harder, especially for California residents. We found they are starting to lean more on institutional priorities, as evidenced by the selective majors at UCSD. Further, computer science remains in very high demand and those programs are only increasing in selectivity. Students/families are going to have to adjust their expectations of what schools are going to be realistic for them knowing that all colleges and universities have strengths and can provide an amazing experience.

In our work, we are trying to balance motivating students to pursue their goals, but also keep their feet grounded in understanding selection is based on much more than grades/courses. We also widened our learning curve by visiting several campuses in the previous few months as an in-person visit offers tangible lessons. Our campus visits in three different states encourages us to dive into the nuances of the academic and cultural fit of the colleges for our students. Our visits--

• Florida: University of Miami, University of Tampa, Eckerd College, Everglades Univ, Florida Gulf Coast University, Lynn University;
• California: Other visits the Claremont colleges and Redlands University
• Arizona: the four campuses of Arizona State University, and the Grand Canyon University in Phoenix. 

​For your reading, we recommend this article: Does an Ivy League Degree Matter.