Our students have had some pretty spectacular internships. We’ve had students work in labs conducting scientific research, join the engineering team at ground-breaking start-ups, and serve at nonprofits. They’ve spent their summers contributing to published papers and working alongside well-known artists. These activities and opportunities grew their interests and augmented their applications. As usual, we helped our clients line up some pretty awesome internships for the summer of 2020.
Cornell University is Test-Optional because of Coronavirus/COVID-19
While many schools--including many highly competitive institutions like , , and --have announced that they will be test-optional for the 2020-2021 application season, the Ivies were staying silent on the matter. Until Wednesday, when that they were following suit. This is big news. But what does it all mean?! How do we contextualize this? Here are our thoughts:
Creating Hobbies in Quarantine When You’re a Junior in High School
Junior year is stressful enough, so to add a global pandemic to your junior spring seems like a real rotten cherry to throw on top of a truly melted ice cream sundae covered in rancid nuts. Weird imagery, but we’re kind of right? We really feel for all of the juniors who had epic spring break college tours planned and who now are stuck at home wondering how to fill their time when they aren’t teaching themselves AP Calculus. We want to convey something to you and we really hope you hear us when we say: IT IS GOING TO BE OKAY. It really is. Take a breath. Repeat it with us: it’s going to be okay. And here’s why:
Creating Hobbies in Quarantine When You’re a Freshman in High School
Welcome to 2020. It’s an odd time. You’re stuck at home, learning and getting graded via Zoom or something similar, probably doing the dishes and way more chores than you’d anticipated, and you’re a freshman in high school. What a weird way to start off your high school experience, huh?! We’re right there with you.
Tips for a Virtual Tour of Colleges During Coronavirus/COVID-19
As we continue to navigate the process of applying to college during the age of Covid-19, many colleges have started offering virtual tours. While it’s true that nothing will replace the experience of seeing a college in person, attending a virtual tour can still be a beneficial experience. This past week, we attended a few tours and have put together our five top tips for virtual touring below.
Should I Defer Freshman Year of College Because of the Coronavirus/COVID-19 Pandemic?
College decisions are out, and now it is seniors turn to decide where they will enroll for the fall. Colleges across the country have pushed their decision deadline (or deposit deadline) back to June, giving many students a bit more time to decide than usual. It’s good that students have more time, too, because there is more to consider than ever before. We believe that it is entirely possible that many colleges will not start the fall semester with students on campus.
SAT and ACT Requirements During the Coronavirus/COVID-19
Last week, the UC school system put out a statement that said that all UC schools will be drastically relaxing the admissions standards for the upcoming round of applicants. You can read the full statement , but the main takeaways are that they suspended the letter grade requirements for A-G courses, and have done away with the standardized test requirement for current high school juniors.
Will Colleges become Test-Optional in Response to the Coronavirus?
As on what to do while schools are out, high school juniors are struggling to navigate a college admissions process gone haywire. Typically, this time of year, we are encouraging our clients to finish their college visits, to prep for their first or even second shot at the SAT or ACT, and to drive their grades up as high as they can before the end of the school year. But this year isn’t typical. College visits have gone virtual, classes have gone online too, and the entire standardized testing system is in question.
A Guide for College Essay Supplements about Coronavirus/COVID-19
For the past few years, Stanford has asked applicants to answer the question, “What is the most significant challenge that society faces today?” in 50 words or less. Other schools ask similar questions that prompt applicants to place a stake in the ground by identifying something they care about and making a concise case for why it matters globally. The University of Richmond, for example, asks, “What is an urgent global challenge or social justice topic about which you are passionate? What solutions or outcomes do you hope to see?” These types of questions seem perfectly set up for a Coronavirus/COVID-19-themed answer.
How Coronavirus/COVID-19 Affects High School Transcripts for College
How to Avoid The Trap of The Bad Coronavirus College Essay with Examples
A lot of students are betting on the Coronavirus to hand them a stellar college essay. If that sounds absurd, consider the situation. Schools are out, so sports are canceled. Writing about sports is a pet peeve of ours, but it is one of the most popular starting points for college essays. Clubs are also canceled. So, writing about clubs is out unless you want to write about something you did sophomore year, which is also not a great idea. Writing about your favorite class is probably a no-go because you won’t be there for a while. Writing about your summer program or internship may be out as well because the chances are good that those won’t be happening either. Writing about volunteering in your community isn’t an option either — staying inside means no more ladle-duty at the soup kitchen.
What If My Summer Program is Canceled because of Coronavirus/COVID19?
Now that we are in the second (or third, depending on where you live) week of self-quarantine and social distancing, people are starting to settle into the idea that things aren’t just going to go back to normal tomorrow. We’re looking at weeks, if not months, of things not being normal. In much of America, it is unlikely that students will go back to school until it starts back up again in the fall. A foreseeable side effect of these massive shifts to our usually predictable calendar is a similar re-scheduling frenzy around summer programs. The summer programs that are most likely to be canceled are those on high school and college campuses.
SAT and ACT 2020 Date Changes and Cancellations: Coronavirus/COVID19
A few days ago, we wrote about how the AP tests were up in the air. College Board hadn’t announced what the plan was yet for 2020 tests, so all that we could do was lay out the possibilities and the probabilities. On Friday, what we were expecting is, in fact, happening. In-school tests are all canceled, but students will be able to take a shortened 45-minute version of the AP test on a concentrated amount of content at home online.
Coronavirus/COVID-19: Should I Study for the June 2020 SAT?
As the Coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic progresses, College Board is scrambling to as far as their standardized test dates. The ACT . Both testing bodies have also canceled upcoming tests. College Board has canceled the May SAT date as well as the make-up test dates in March, and the ACT has rescheduled it’s April 4 test day to June 13. ACT’s decision to reschedule their April test date to June 13 should serve as a signal to the many students who are currently wondering if continuing to study for the SAT is even worth it. “If they canceled May,” we are being asked, “why should I put my effort into June?”
Coronavirus/COVID-19 College Essay Examples
Part of our job at The Koppelman Group is to keep up with the conversations that are happening within and between admissions teams around the country. Right now, a lot of the conversations are centered on what is happening with the Coronavirus and how to keep all the cogs moving and balls rolling in the right direction. Looking forward is hard to do when you aren’t quite sure when we will take our foot off the social distancing-pedal. However, one forward-thinking conversation that is making its way through the hub-bub is how college supplements are going to be reshaped to reflect the unique qualities of this school year. Namely, colleges will be more curious than ever about how you spent your time.
How Will the Coronavirus/COVID-19 Pandemic Impact Advanced Placement (AP) Courses and Tests?
It’s Monday, many schools across the country are out for the next three or more weeks across the country, and this is just the beginning. Over the next few weeks, teachers will be working on designing and implementing remote learning. Still, there is sure to be a steep learning curve that isn’t helped along by the fact that . With so much up in the air, it’s hard to guess what will come next, but it is entirely possible that schools will not invite their students back onto campus until fall. Yes, fall.
15 Application-Boosting Activities for High School Students During Coronavirus/Covid-19
We saw it coming, and it’s happening. Colleges and universities acted first, but now high schools are also taking swift action to keep students safe. For millions of students around the world, this means staying home and social distancing — or avoiding contact with all non-essential people. Most students will not have had this much free time since before they started structured schooling at four or five years old, including during summers. Without camps, sports, and other structured activities, and with it inadvisable to hang out with friends, there is a lot of free time to tackle.
Coronavirus/COVID-19 Response: What If I Am Accepted Regular Decision, But Can’t Tour Before the May Deposit Deadline?
Shortly after publishing our first blog post on the Coronavirus/COVID-19, we were asked an excellent question in the comments section. Lisa asked, “What happens if you get the regular decision acceptance letter and you want to tour the college before the May 1 deadline?”
High School Sophomores and Juniors During The Coronavirus/COVID-19: 6 Things To Do
The coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic is real, it’s happening, and it’s here to stay for a while. Schools across America are extending spring break and moving to online learning. SATs and ACTs test dates are being postponed indefinitely across the globe. Companies are even canceling summer internships preemptively. Stuff’s happening — to put it lightly — and Netflix is beckoning you towards procrastination. Even if you’re not in quarantine and cases of COVID-19/Coronavirus haven’t hit your area yet, it’s understandable to feel isolated, confused, frustrated, and alone.
How to Tour Colleges During Coronavirus/COVID-19
The Coronavirus, or COVID-19, is now present in almost every state in the United States, and colleges and universities are having to make tough decisions to protect their students, faculty, and other employees. For many schools, this means sending students home and all but shutting down. Professors are transitioning their courses to online learning, and dorms are emptying out. With all that is going on, hosting students for tours, information sessions, and interviews are out of the question for the foreseeable future.