When COVID hit in March 2020, it disrupted life for everyone across the globe, including college admissions. Standardized test dates were cancelled, rescheduled, and cancelled again, and ultimately more than 1200 colleges and universities made them an optional part of their admissions process. We’ll update you on test optional policies for the 2021-2022 admissions cycle and share our thoughts on whether or not juniors should still plan to take them. In Office Hours, we’re answering your college admissions and finance questions.

by Emily Toffelmire, former admissions officer at University of Southern California

This is part two in our award series. Check out our previous post and stay tuned for part three.

The 2020-2021 admission cycle has been a beast. It’s caused even more anxiety and stress than would normally be expected, and it’s laid bare inequity of our education system as well as the fragile state of so many of our institutions of higher learning. It’s been hard to identify any slices of good news out there but I do consider the move to test optional and test free admission policies to be a win—a silver lining of a mean and ugly cloud. And there are other silver linings. Despite the enormous pressure and unpredictability of the last year, many admission offices saw 2020 as an opportunity to improve the work they do: to become more accessible to more types of students; to upend years of the same old, same old in their app review process; and to increase transparency when it comes to that process.

There are over 4,000 colleges and universities in the U.S. And while the media tends to focus on just a handful of schools, we at College Coach encourage students to think outside the box during their college selection process and explore a wide range of colleges. As such, we are highlighting a new college each week in our School Spotlight series. Check out the college below, along with the other posts in our series, and you may just stumble upon your dream school!

School Spotlight: Clarkson University
Potsdam, NY

There is a scholarship (or many scholarships) out there for everyone. Every student has some skill, interest, experience, or characteristic that may make them an attractive candidate for one scholarship or another. And while we often refer to scholarships as “free money,” scholarships don’t actually come for free. It takes work to thoughtfully consider your strengths and research the scholarships that might be most appropriate for you. While the effort that goes into finding and winning scholarships may be akin to a part-time job, we at College Coach want to make your job a little easier. This on-going scholarship series highlights a new scholarship each week. Check out the below, along with the other posts in the series, and you may discover a funding resource that will make covering that college bill a little (or a lot!) easier.

The Davidson Fellows Scholarship is a real win for college students who have a proven track record both inside and outside of the classroom. Successful applicants must demonstrate “significant work” in their chosen field. This work must be such that experts in the field recognize it as meaningful and beneficial to humanity. Forbes has called it “one of the nation’s most prestigious undergraduate scholarships,” so the competition is high—as is the award amount.

Scholarship: Davidson Fellows Scholarship

by Emily Toffelmire, former admissions officer at University of Southern California

The Common Application announced on Feb. 16 that it is retiring one essay prompt while introducing a new one. (For those who need a refresher, watch our video “What Is the Common Application?”). The change will take effect for the 2021-22 admissions cycle, and the overall number of essay questions remains the same: students will choose from one of seven options.

by Shannon Vasconcelos, former financial aid officer at Tufts University

February’s here, and in Hollywood, that means awards season—the Golden Globes, Screen Actors Guild, and the Oscars—and a chance to celebrate the best films of the year. Now, maybe this year spent in quarantine has affected our brain chemistry, but, here at Bright Horizons College Coach, we’re beginning to think we could give Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie a run for their money on the red carpet. Therefore, we’ve decided to break out the virtual glitz and glamour, and launch our own contribution to awards season. Over the next week, we will celebrate the best and brightest in the world of college admissions and finance. 

There have been a few recent court cases related to the use of affirmative action in college admissions. But what is affirmative action in this case, and how is it really used in admissions? Jamiere Abney, Coordinator of Outreach for Opportunity & Inclusion at Colgate University joins us to share more. If you’re worried that it’s too late to apply to college this year, you’re in luck—it’s definitely not! We have advice and information on your options. Finally, in part one of a two-part series, we’re talking all things financial aid award letters, including and especially, how to decipher the information.

by Elizabeth Heaton, former admissions officer at University of Pennsylvania

The news on college applications can feel a little scary this year—applications are up in huge year-over-year numbers at Brown (26%), Oregon State (40%), UC Berkeley (28%), University of Pennsylvania (34%) and Colgate (100%!). How to account for these increases?

There is a scholarship (or many scholarships) out there for everyone. Every student has some skill, interest, experience, or characteristic that may make them an attractive candidate for one scholarship or another. And while we often refer to scholarships as “free money,” scholarships don’t actually come for free. It takes work to thoughtfully consider your strengths and research the scholarships that might be most appropriate for you. While the effort that goes into finding and winning scholarships may be akin to a part-time job, we at College Coach want to make your job a little easier. This on-going scholarship series highlights a new scholarship each week. Check out the below, along with the other posts in the series, and you may discover a funding resource that will make covering that college bill a little (or a lot!) easier.

Kappa Alpha Theta, also known as Theta, was the first Greek Letter fraternity for women. Their motto is Leading Women and that is exactly what they do, as demonstrated by this scholarship for future female leaders.

Scholarship: Kappa Alpha Theta Scholarship

by Abigail Anderson, former admissions officer at Reed College

There is a commonly shared belief in the United States that going to college will improve a student’s quality of life upon graduation—that the graduate will certainly earn more money, have an increased quality of life, and perhaps even live ‘better’ than their parents or grandparents before them. And this belief honestly makes sense, given so much of the history and mission of higher education in this country! However, while for many college attendance is a stop on the path to achieving the American Dream, certain colleges and universities do a much better job than others at improving life (or social mobility, as academics would call it) for their students.