As you all know very well, “post-pandemic” refers to the world in the wake of COVID-19 (not a world rid of it). Yes, we’re better equipped to prevent infection, mitigate spread, and treat corona, but the virus is still circulating. Beyond that, the pandemic stopped our old status quo in its tracks and interrupted schools globally, changing — if not entirely suspending — academic development in tandem with extreme social and emotional upheaval.
Virtual College Tours for High School Students
The pandemic is still raging, flights and gas are expensive, traveling takes time. There are a lot of reasons to do a virtual college tour. They save time and money and are an alternative for many schools that have not welcomed prospective students back to campus. However, these tours are new…. Like really new. Like 2020 new. Your parents/older sister/cousin probably haven’t done them before. We get questions from students all the time about how to approach virtual college tours so we wanted to answer the most pressing questions you may have before you sign up.
Covid Essay Section of the Common App
Getting Rejected by the Ivy League during Covid
College decisions are out, and while our TKG clients got into their top choice schools, we know that there are many people out there wondering: what happened? People want to know: “how come I didn’t get into my dream school?” This might sound cheesy but it’s worth noting: getting into a certain college has literally nothing to do with your value as a person. Rejection is hard, and while we can’t make you feel better, we do think it might be helpful to read the below. We don’t know your life, we don’t know where you applied, but we are familiar with how this process works. Here are a few reasons why might have gotten rejected:
The New Common App Essay Prompt
Let us rejoice, there is a new common app essay prompt and it’s actually not half bad! Before we dive in, it’s only fair to mention that at TKG, we always choose prompt #7. Always. Prompt #7 is, in our opinion, far superior to the rest because you can take it in any direction you so choose. We’ve copied the prompt below for reference:
College Essays about Covid--NYTimes Reaction
Last week, the New York Times published an article about their findings and thoughts on more than 900 college admissions essays that were submitted by high school students this year.
Colgate University 2020-2021 Analysis
It’s quite common to hear from colleges across the country that they received “a record number of applications this year.” Because it drives down their acceptance rates and makes schools seem more appealing, there are few things that colleges love more than an increase in applications. We usually take these kinds of statements with a grain of salt because we know to expect them, but in January, Colgate put out a statement that was truly astounding.
Touring Colleges in Summer 2021
In the past, we’ve written blog posts about both the positives and negatives of touring colleges during the summer. If you’re too lazy to click the links, here’s a short version: Benefits include a more laid-back time table and opportunities to do non-college activities during the trip, and the deficits are related to the fact that a lot of students won’t be on campus when you’re there.
Virtual vs. In Person College Tours
The pandemic has upended nearly every aspect of normal life. The college admissions process is one of them. Finding the college that’s right for you is a very personal experience. One size most definitely does not fit all and figuring out what exactly you’re looking for in a college requires more than just research—it often requires just feeling things out and seeing what your gut says. Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately), college tours look a little different these days. In this post, we talk about the differences between seeing a campus in person and taking a virtual tour in the time of Covid.
How to Show Demonstrated Interest During Covid
There are a lot of things that are important in the college application. We regularly emphasize the fact that grades are of the utmost importance. In a normal year, tests matter a lot, too. If you want to beat out the competition to a highly competitive school, your essays are going to be key. Then, there are all the ancillary things that add up to help put you over the edge in a very competitive college admissions environment. Demonstrated interest is certainly an ancillary component—in fact, it doesn’t matter all that much but it’s something that parents and students care a lot about. It’s also one component over which you can exert a lot of control.
Best Virtual Internships for High School Students Interested in Politics
If you’re planning on majoring in Political Science, or want to see if you’re genuinely interested in the field, trying to find a remote internship or opportunity for this upcoming summer is a good place to start. There are a lot of offerings on the internet, which is why it’s important to be thorough in your research. Everyone is still working through the transition to virtual opportunities and work, so it’s unlikely that you’ll secure a job that has you knocking on doors and shaking hands with the big wigs. Even still, internships are great ways to get your foot in the door and test out a potential career path.
Best Virtual Internships for High School Students Interested in Economics
Best Virtual Internships for High School Students Interested in Computer Science
Computer Science is a field that lends itself nicely to virtual work. This isn’t to say that finding an opportunity will be completely seamless, but it’s definitely a plus that coding and developing has always been done almost exclusively on a desktop or laptop. In an effort to start your research process, we poked around the internet and found a few links that are worth considering. We haven’t vetted every single opportunity, but click here, here, here, and here to get a feel for what’s out there. You can also look into programs by clicking on this link.
Transferring Colleges During Covid-19
Earlier this summer, we wrote this blog post as part of our Coronavirus Question series. And because we’ve been getting emails and questions about transferring during Covid-19, we wanted to update our readers and provide more context.
Should I Tour Colleges During COVID?
College tours are one of our favorite parts of the college admissions process. When we first take on students, we begin by having them learn their likes and dislikes about colleges, from university size to location, and that is usually rooted in a visit to campus. But like just about everything else in our routine lives, the pandemic has upended university campuses. In this post, we talk about how you should get to know different schools in the time of social distancing.
A Guide to Planning Summer 2021 for Rising Seniors
2020 has been no normal year. And while we’re all ready to be done with it, it’s proving challenging to plan a different future. A lot of kids might be wondering what their options are for summer 2021. We always encourage students to plan well in advance, to get a leg up on competitive summer programs, and secure good jobs and internships. Our advice for summer 2021 is as unusual as the year itself: while we do recommend getting a head start (more on that below) you’ve got to be a little flexible, too.
Standardized Test Strategies for Class of 2025
Signing up for the SAT and/or the ACT was no easy feat this year. We saw hundreds, if not thousands, of tests cancelled month after month in light of the Coronavirus. Some people gave up entirely, especially after the huge influx of colleges opting to go test-optional for the class of 2025.
6 Ways Coronavirus Changed College Admissions
The Covid-19 global pandemic has affected most aspects of our day to day lives. We know by now that these changes will be felt for years to come, and the college admissions process is certainly not immune to the impact of the Coronavirus. In hopes of updating our blog readers as to how the college admissions process might change, here are six things to keep in mind as you consider the application process:
Should I apply ED during Coronavirus/COVID-19?
We love lists. We’ve written a lot of itemized lists over the years that help guide you through various overwhelming steps of this big process we call the college admissions cycle. It’s July, which means it’s time to begin finalizing your college lists and deciding on which school(s) you’re going to be applying to during early decision or early action deadlines. Commitment seems super scary, now more than ever. So we understand that the prospect of early decision might seem nearly impossible to consider. Right now there are more questions than answers, and more information gets released every single day that seems to impact students and their admissions chances and college experiences.
Should I Submit My SAT or ACT Scores 2020
The pandemic has impacted nearly every industry around the globe. Universities are no different. For the first time in modern history, schools have largely been forced to become test-optional. While many schools were headed in this direction already, we thought it would be years before we saw a real domino-effect in schools ditching test scores as a prerequisite. Since access to exams themselves is uncertain at best at the moment, a trend that was perhaps a ways into the future has arrived, at least for now.