Dear College Freshmen and Parents:
As the application season is in full swing for high school seniors and I am busy helping students wrap up their applications and essays (remember those days?), I am thinking about my seniors from last year and wondering how each of you are faring at college.
Students: How are you doing? Are you happy and adjusting? The first semester can be a tough transition, but hang in there: college life typically improves as the year goes on. I would love to hear about your experience and if the college you chose is what you expected. Would you recommend your school to high school students? I may ask you to connect with my juniors or seniors students so they can get an insider’s view of your school.
Parents: How are you adjusting to having _______away at school? I know from experience that there is no simple answer to this question! Have you been happy with your student’s experience so far? Is your freshman your oldest child? You too may be experiencing a tough transition. If you have older children who went off to college earlier, how is this time different for you? If it's your first taste of being an "empty nester," it may be bittersweet.
Whether you worked with me last year or three years ago, I would love to hear about your journey (parents, too)!
Best,
Pamela
The ACT is undergoing some significant changes, what they call “enhancements.” Here's a breakdown:
:
Online Testing: Starting in April 2025, the new, shorter ACT will be offered in an online format. The current paper version will still be available until September 2025. Switching formts requires an additional fee.
Optional Science Section: The Science section will become optional, similar to the Writing section.
Shorter Math Section: The Math section will be shortened by 10 minutes and 15 questions. However, the last 15 problems will continue to be more challenging.
Shorter English Section: The English section will also be shorter, with 50 questions instead of 75.
More Time for Reading: The Reading section will have the same number of questions but students will be given 5 minutes more.
New Scoring: For tests taken before September 2025, the English, Math, and Reading scores will be averaged to calculate a composite score. A STEM score will also be calculated based on the Math and Science scores (if the Science section is taken).
Key Takeaways for Students:
Consider Your Strengths: If math is not your strength, you may want to consider taking the SAT instead, as the ACT's Math section contains some more advanced questions.
Practice Online: If you plan to take the ACT online, be sure to practice using the online testing format.
Additional Tips:
Use Free Official ACT Prep Materials: The best way to prepare for the ACT is to use official ACT practice tests and study guides. https://www.act.org/content/act/en/products-and-services/the-act/test-preparation/free-act-test-prep.html
The ACT website is a great resource for staying up-to-date on the latest changes. https://www.act.org/content/act/en/k12-educators-and-administrators/administrator-newsletter.html
Accommodations: https://www.act.org/content/act/en/products-and-services/the-act/registration/accommodations.html
Stay in touch with questions!
One of my students applied to 34 colleges last year. A New York city girl told me about a friend with 28 schools on her list. I watched a list grow from 8 to 17 colleges and another from 16 to 24. What’s going on?
Because of test optional admissions policies, many students gamble, figuring “why not try?” I advise them when to send--and not send--scores. I know which "test optional" colleges are really "test preferred," and a longer shot. However, we can also identify other schools where few admitted students have submitted scores.
But college enrollment managers are gambling-averse strategists, focusing on yield. Institutions that easily fill their classes ten times with full pay students respond to the application deluge by issuing more deferrals each year. Applying becomes more stressful as decisions grow more unpredictable. I stopped using the term “target” (based on GPA and test score matching) because students are disappointed about “targets” deferring them. “Possible” is a more precise term.
A smart, balanced list of 5 to 12 (or 16) likely, possible, and reach colleges still makes sense. Gambling ratchets up stress. Too often, those 17th through 25th colleges are added to the list because of “prestige,” and are “unlikelies” for every applicant, including valedictorians, academic competition winners, and published researchers.
A new study by a team of economists finds that although fewer than 1% of college students attend the highly selective, private “Ivy-Plus” colleges—the eight colleges in the Ivy League, the University of Chicago, Duke, MIT, and Stanford.
While I hope that all my students are admitted to every college they'd like to attend, I wish them (and their families) the wisdom to understand that it is strong students who will drive their success–not a bumper sticker.