True vs. False Benefits of College Summer Programs

The vast majority of elite colleges and universities “invite” thousands of high school students – and sometimes even middle school students – to spend a portion of their summer living on campus, attending classes, and experiencing the life of an undergraduate.

Princeton, Harvard, Yale, Columbia, Cornell, Brown, The University of Pennsylvania, Georgetown, Johns Hopkins, Stanford, UCLA, NYU, Duke, Boston College, and scores of other colleges and universities open their campus each summer to teens who later dream of returning for their college experience.

The problem is that the admission process for most summer programs can barely be considered competitive, while the admission process for undergraduate acceptance is truly daunting at many of these same institutions.  Often students, and their parents, are under the false impression that attending a summer program for high school students at an elite school will ultimately help them gain acceptance for college.  A Washington Monthly article, titled “The Pre-College Racket,” reported that, according to professional admissions consultants, attending a pre-college program seldom offers a special benefit or is particularly prestigious on college applications.

Top Tips for Spring Break 2022 College Tours

Believe it or not, spring break will soon be here. And it provides a unique opportunity. It’s one of the few times during the school year when college classes are in session while high school classes are not.  Most colleges schedule their spring break for early March while most high schools hold theirs in April.  This provides the ideal opportunity for high school students to visit campuses while college life is in full swing.

If parents are available during a student’s spring break, it’s the perfect time for a road trip to visit out-of-state colleges.  The vast majority of students attend college within five hours of home, so the destination need not be a distant locale.  If a student dreams of attending a big city school, then a tour of colleges in the Boston or Washington D.C. areas may prove fruitful.  If a student prefers a suburban or rural environment, then a drive through Pennsylvania offers an option of touring close to 100 different colleges and universities.

New SAT Exam Announced That Is Shorter and Digital

High school students dreaming of a college education will have a newly formatted exam to deal with, effective the spring of 2024.  That’s when College Board will launch its redesigned SAT exam in the United States.

College Board recently announced that it is once again revamping the SAT exam, which was first administered in 1926 and has undergone many revisions through the years. The change is big news to the nearly three million students who take the SAT each year at some seven thousand test centers in more than 170 countries.

The newly formatted test will first be introduced at international test sites in 2023, before launching at U.S. test sites in the spring of 2024.  The most significant changes are its format, which will switch from paper to digital, and its length, which will shrink from three hours of testing material to two hours.  The new test will also reduce the length of reading passages and allow for the use of a calculator on all, rather than just some, of the math problems.

Are Advanced Placement Courses Really Necessary?

If last year’s numbers are any indication, some three million students will be taking five million Advanced Placement (AP) exams this spring.  These three-hour exams, offered in May of each year, mark the culmination of college-level courses offered to high school students. Currently, there are 38 AP courses in the Arts, English, History & Social Science, Math & Computer Science, Science, and World Languages & Cultures, although not all are offered at every high school. The curriculum for each of these courses is written by The College Board – the same folks who bring you the SAT exam.  Students who score 3 or higher (on a scale of 1 to 5) are offered college credits by many of the nation’s colleges and universities. 

Parents and students often ask, “Are AP courses really necessary?”  The answer is both yes and no –- depending on the student’s ambitions and college goals. When students apply to college, they are basically in competition with their peers.  Most colleges want a geographically well-rounded student body.  So, college admissions officers will compare all applicants from the same high school and favor those with the most impressive academic record based on SAT scores, GPA, and competitive course load.  While there is no college in the country that outwardly states a requirement for AP courses, students are well aware that these higher-level courses, which indicate an ability to successfully complete college-level work, are viewed most favorably by college admission staff.

COVID Still Impacting College Application Process

By observing students in the high school class of 2022 anxiously submitting their college applications, there are many lessons to be learned by those who will be following in their footsteps.

Don’t procrastinate. Since students are allowed to submit their highest SAT scores on college applications, those who start taking the test early in their high school years enjoy a significant advantage. Even though many colleges, in the midst of COVID, remain “test optional,” they obviously admit – and award scholarship money to -- the most impressive applicants.

Identify a “passion project.” Colleges are not seeking Renaissance people who are mediocre at a multitude of activities. They are attracted to students who demonstrate expertise in a specific activity, in any field. Students should identify their area of passion, and then aim for an impressive accomplishment. Students I’ve recently worked with, who have gained acceptance to elite universities, highlighted passion projects such as creating an award-winning app, interning at a prestigious medical lab, and becoming accomplished on the French horn.

How to Identify Safety Schools for Potential College List

College-bound students, in New Jersey and across the country, are finding that gaining admission to the most desirable colleges has grown increasingly competitive in recent years.  Even students with near-perfect SAT scores, weighted GPA’s exceeding 4.0, and a multitude of Advanced Placement (AP) courses, are finding it extremely challenging to secure a “You’re Accepted” email from the top echelon of schools.  

Recent statistics from U.S. News & World Report show that the acceptance rate at the vast majority of the “Top 100” most selective colleges was at or below 25%. Included were such popular schools as New York University (NYU), Boston University, Northeastern University, Georgetown University, Carnegie Mellon University, and Duke University.  Not surprisingly, the Ivy League schools had single digit acceptance rates, with the exception of Cornell University at 11%.

Many Top Colleges Are Still Accepting Applications

If you’re a high school senior, with hopes of attending a great college in the fall, all is not lost if you have not yet applied to, or gotten accepted to, your dream school.

Although the application deadline has passed for all of the Ivy League schools, and many other elite institutions, there are many colleges popular with New Jersey students whose application deadlines for the 2022-2023 academic year fall in February or even March.

While this is not the ideal time for college-bound students to begin the application process, those who find themselves in this boat – due to procrastination, challenges from COVID, or any other reason – should follow a few guidelines.