In a fairly dramatic move, the ACT has just announced that, beginning next September, students will be able to retake a single section of the ACT rather than having to sit through the entire exam in an effort to raise their scores.
Is applying ED to college the right choice for you?
The SATs and ACTs might be less important than you think
Writing Tips from The Princess Bride
McSweeney’s nails it again with their list of Lines from the Princess Bride that Double as Comments on Freshman English Papers. By extension, I urge seniors to use these tips as they craft their college essays, where every one of the allotted 650 words matters. Let’s break down how the advice from a few of the lines from that iconic movie might help with the revision process.
Supplemental essays give college applicants a chance to stand out from the crowd
Because it is Harvard, plus my parents want me to apply
Our current system works to perpetuate this cycle of selectivity and prestige with an unhealthy fixation on this handful of institutions. Change happens from both the outside in and the inside out. Employers, the media, popular culture and college applicants must not rush to judgment or default to perception. Meanwhile, the college admission profession must re-examine the messages we send and the processes we create that perpetuate this unbalanced system. As parents and educators, we must raise children who think critically about brand, marketing, success, happiness, fulfillment and personal choice.
How college admissions has turned into something akin to ‘The Hunger Games’
In an ideal world, college preparatory education would encourage students who crave knowledge, seek community engagement, desire connection and live their values. We say we want our children to feel secure, be inspired and take risks with their curiosity. The reality of “Hunger Games” comes closer to the truth, where students battle to survive in application pools seeming to demand perfection.