July 2021

July brought a great update with a new software feature to manage essays better. It has been a wonderful addition to help brainstorm content, manage activity lists, and assist with the essay revision process. The deadline feature has been so helpful to keep students on track, too. We're happy to now offer this feature!

This month, we also saw several colleges restoring their outdoor campus tours, and despite the travel challenges, we combined our virtual visits with a few in-person visits. Anu visited Reed College, University of New Mexico, and St. John's College. These experiences  connect us with campuses and their physical uniqueness; it expands our learning about their 'niche', and most importantly, reflect on the fit factor for our students. The campuses differed significantly from one another - from small, quiet meditative environment to the hustle and pace of large public flagship school of the state. A conversation with the admissions office is another highlight of such visits, where we learn about their distinguishing features, impact creation, and how it translates to the vision of a prospective student. We follow up these visits with notes that articulate what's important to the school, how they differentiate themselves and the types of students who will resonate well with the campus culture.

Seniors are heavy into essay writing and solidifying their college lists so they have a solid idea of the essays they have to write. Hats of to those who have really buckled down on the essays and knocked out many! All students are busy with amazing summers that include classes, camps, projects, travel, family time, community service, volunteer work, and internships.