The waiting and the wind chill can be intense.

Early Returns for the Class of 2019

The early admissions season was an incredibly busy one for a majority of college-bound seniors. Among the colleges so far saying yes to the Class of 2019 is this partial list:

Allegheny College
Chapman University
Emerson College
Fordham University
Grinnell College
Illinois Institute of Technology
Lawrence University
Northeastern University
Northwestern University
Purdue University
University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
University of Minnesota, School of Engineering
University of North Carolina, Charlotte
University of Pennsylvania
University of Rochester

I would like to note that the students who earned ED acceptances were purposeful in their applications. Not only did they make sure they had academic credentials that complemented those of admitted students to those schools, they also did all their homework to assess and demonstrate mutual fit. They also made sure that they made their ED selections based on personal connection—visiting in person, conducting interviews, and really personalizing the “Why…” essay and other supplements. All of our students are bound to hear good news over the next few months. In the meantime, I applaud the seniors for hanging in there during a wait that can be more challenging than any answer.

Juniors!!!
Navigating College Admissions Mini-Course is now underway!

This past Tuesday, January 29, we had our first meeting of Roycemore’s Navigating College Admissions mini-course. We discussed why the college search often begins with internal exploration… about who you are as a thinker and learner, and in what environments you tend to thrive. We listened to an NPR story about sidestepping the anxiety and hoopla of college admissions in favor of a personal adventure. We then watched “Inside Admissions,” a video from the Tufts Admissions office with advice from its staff to “love your list” from top to bottom, safety to reach. That sense of well being comes from doing your homework from the inside out, and ultimately assembling a great 8 (or 6 or 7) schools where you can thrive.

NOTE: Our next meeting is slated for Tuesday, February 12, in Room 117 during Activity Period. If you would like to request a topic to cover, please fill out the Google survey: Student Choice: Navigating College Admissions 2019!!!

Juniors and Families
Time to make individual appointments!

I am looking forward to meeting soon with all juniors and family members to begin our individual meetings! Look in your email for a message from me with a link to Sign Up Genius. Pick a time that works for you and your family. Bring any and all questions! I will have resources, answers, and resources for answers.

A REMINDER TO ALL ROYCEMORE STUDENTS!!!

You have two unique opportunities to augment your college applications!!!

1. Save paper copies of your best work, including outlines and drafts leading up to your final graded papers! Why? More and more colleges are asking for evidence of your written work—especially with fully researched and cited position papers like you write each year in your Roycemore English classes. They want to see the written feedback you receive and your response to it! Believe it or not, most high school students will not have encountered the intricacies of MLA style formatting before they arrive to college. You are blazing trails. As such, your graded work may just help your college application (and sometimes instead of an ACT or SAT score).
2. You have an unusual opportunity to highlight recent independent and creative work that most high school students don't. For your JST project, you produce a digital artifact that you can easily share with colleges via a web link (easy to generate from your Google drive). Put together something you're proud of, that shows off the project you engaged, what you learned, how you think, etc., and you have something that will stand out.

SAT and ACT UPCOMING DATES

Juniors! This is the semester of standardized tests, preferably two done before school ends in June. If you’d like to see how an ACT compares to the SAT, swing by for free copies of self-paced exams of either kind. NOTE: Fewer than 20 schools require the essay portion! Check out this list to decide if you need to sit for that optional portion of the either exam.

Register for the ACT
Register for the SAT

SAT II: Subject Tests

Some of you  may be wondering about SAT II: Subject Tests. Check out PrepScholar’s list of colleges that still require (only 17 do) or recommend Subject Tests (a couple of dozen do) to help you decide if you need to lock in super high marks on at least two tests. Juniors tend to take them after they’ve finished their AP exams and the content is fresh in their minds. ​