Thanksgiving is over. Holiday decor is up. And Early Decisions? Many are about to be released. (Some are already out.) What are the trends at colleges? How are they managing curricular changes? For more about issues this December, look below!
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Early Decisions are Coming! Brace Yourself for the Cold?
Last week, Villanova announced ED I results, some two weeks earlier than last year. Penn State has already grabbed the attention of some very strong applicants by accepting them early. The University of Georgia has notified their in-state candidates and will tell out-of-state applicants this Friday.
Then there are the elite colleges that always make headlines; my guess is that they'll announce decisions on or about Thursday, December 12. Some applicants will receive quite the holiday gift. Others will be deferred to the Regular Decision pool or denied admission:
If your student is deferred and still intent on attending that college, they should communicate their intent with admissions. Let me know if I can help.
For students who are denied, there might be an Early Decision II option that they can activate.
Remember: it really does work out! Your student is very resilient.
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College Board Goes Career-Friendly.
Don't think that the (nonprofit) companies engaging with your students aren't seeking ways to increase revenue. Take College Board, which continues to move into the career space.
CB has already offered some courses under the branding Career Kickstart, which is "designed for schools’ career and technical education programs and can be taken by all students who are interested in exploring careers or learning more about Career Kickstart course subjects." Now, they're extending the AP brand to more career-focused offerings. As discussed in K-12 Dive, "AP Networking Fundamentals and AP Cybersecurity Fundamentals are year-long courses that align with CTE (meaning career and technical education) standards and offer applied, hands-on learning that builds problem-solving skills.” College Board is introducing those courses in San Antonio this school year.
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Keeping Curriculum Evergreen in the AI Era
Followers of this blog know that we're keeping an eye on AI, including how colleges integrate the skill in curricular offerings. But what will students need upon graduation, especially if there is considerable shrinkage in the job market? As indicated in a recent Journal article, "that uncertainty [brought about by the affect of AI on jobs] leaves today’s college students struggling to prepare for a workplace that is changing faster than ever."
Those interviewed believe that college students need to enhance their communications and problem-solving skills, which should sound familiar to unCommon families. In the WSJ article, we learn about Vanderbilt's immersion programs, capstones that require application of a wide range of skills. At Carnegie Mellon, students are benefitting from Acting for Non-Majors. (CMU has a highly selective School of Drama.) Stanford, according to its provost for digital education, "urges students to develop their own voices and identities." We're liking this unCommon thinking!
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Taking (Cheap) Shots at the Ivies
Does an elite college education guarantee a good job? If we're to believe a WSJ article, it's not necessarily the case. Readers learn about bosses who won't touch Ivy grads and organizations like McKinsey that are out to "identify talented people that might have been overlooked in the past," including graduates of the excellent Grinnell and Santa Clara U (Silicon Valley, CA).
So, does "a degree from a prestigious university . . . prompt questions about its value or even work against job seekers"? That's a family investment and a student's choice.
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Roar, Lion, Roar! Who's Getting Football Right?
When it comes to Ivy football, it really is all fun - and some games. But no team could be more happy than the Columbia Lions, who snapped an over 60-year drought by grabbing an Ivy title, which it shared with Harvard and Dartmouth. Not a bad comeback from a 1-6 league result a year ago.Columbia admitted a whopping 3.8 percent to its Class of 2028.
Meanwhile, on the big stage, two Georgia rivals played out a game for their respective record books. It took eight overtime periods before the Georgia Dawgs handed Georgia Tech a 44-42 loss.While Georgia Tech lost the battle, it excels at understanding the admissions process. Rick Clark, Executive Director of Strategic Student Access, is a highly coveted guest on college counseling webinars. Their admissions blog is full of info:
“We compare your rigor and grades within the context of your high school . . . we also want to see that you’ve challenged yourself with the most challenging classes available to you in the context of your high school. Success in those challenging courses gives us more confidence in your preparation for college and your likelihood of success once you are a student on our campus.” - Georgia Tech
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Parents Losing it on Campus
In many previous posts, I've addressed the interest in students moving South for a more relaxing college experience. And their parents? In this WSJ feature, we learn that wild times have no geographic constraints. Some ASU, USC, Michigan, Wisconsin and U Miami parents are called out for early drinking before football games and dancing with their students. Unbelievable!
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As December unfolds, temps are dropping. Warm up your holiday time, and if you have questions, go unCommon to find out what's really going on!
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