by Lauren DiProspero, former admissions officer at Columbia University

As I spend time speaking with families, I notice that many are missing the cultural experiences they had before stay-at-home policies were established. Some love museums, no matter how small and quirky. Some miss the popcorn at their local movie theater. Some are yearning to learn new things at lectures. And, honestly, many didn’t have regular access to these experiences within their community before this.

This episode is all for the underclassmen, from mapping out a plan for your high school coursework to understanding the what and why of participating in extracurricular activities throughout your secondary school years. Finally, we have some financial advice for parents of ninth and tenth graders to follow as they prepare to pay for college in a few years.

In a time of increasing concerns about environmental sustainability, many students are passionate about protecting natural resources and actively engaging in environmental sustainability efforts. For most students this is a strong conviction that shapes their lifestyle and extracurricular activities and, for some, it will develop into an academic and career calling. Many parents I speak to are concerned and unsure of how a student can turn a passion for sustainability into a career, but do not fret—there are lots of options!

May marks the beginning of the summer for many but, for medical school hopefuls, it also marks the start of the admissions process.

If you are applying to medical school this year, there are a few things that have changed and many that have stayed the same. Even though several MCAT exam sittings have been cancelled, most medical schools are still encouraging applicants to submit their applications as early as possible—they will accept those applications pending MCAT scores. The first day to submit the AMCAS application remains May 28 but AMCAS has pushed back the first date of data transmissions to medical schools to July 10 to give applicants more time to finish their applications.

With the opening of the AMCAS application come four steps every applicant needs to take:

Have a science enthusiast teen at home? Fear not! There are many exciting summer opportunities that can be done from home this summer.

While many seniors are still trying to figure out their final college choice for the coming fall, many in this year’s graduating class have committed to their institution. In our first segment, we’ll look what you need to do now. In Office Hours, we’re answering your burning questions about college admissions and finance.

“The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its members.”  – Coretta Scott King

As we settle into another week of trying to slow the spread of this virus nationwide, I’m having more conversations with students who have started to adopt a routine with schoolwork and accept a “new normal” for learning. But this will continue to be an emotionally taxing time for everyone, so it’s important to look for ways to relieve anxiety—and giving back can be a great way to do that. Way before COVID-19, research showed that stepping outside of ourselves to help someone else is a great way to stave off loneliness, boredom, and stress. As an educator for the past 25 years, I can truly say that I have never met a student who didn’t feel better after volunteering.

Already know that you’d like to defer your enrollment for next year, whether for a specific reason or just to take a break? We have guidance on the who, what, where, and when of requesting a deferral. We’ll continue our Top 5 series with our top five things to keep in mind when putting together a college list and top five college cost savings strategies.

How many AP classes should you take? The answer, like many in the college admissions world is, “It depends.” In this installment of the College Coach video series, Ask the College Admissions Expert, former Reed College admissions officer, Ian Fisher, guides students and parents through how to answer this question for themselves.

Interested in participating in Reserve Officer Training Corps—ROTC for short—in college? We’re welcoming Rob Kirkland, author of The Insider’s Guide to the Army ROTC Scholarship for High School Students and Their Parents, to share his thoughts on applying to these programs. In another in our Biggest Myths series, we’ll look at some myths in both admissions and college finance.