It is amazing to think that something could derail our society - and the world at large - like COVID did. It may be the most significant interruption to most people's lives in the past 40 years. After all, many Americans have not be touched by war in the way they were through Vietnam and WWII, and even 9/11 caused only a limited disruption to daily living (and some permanent changes after). It is hard to imagine that anyone out there has not been impacted in some way by this pandemic.
But what does that mean for education and for people (and society) for the coming 20, 30, or 50 years? We're talking about the the COVID generation goes to college. An article in Forbs magazine gets into the details. So does the New York Times. And if you are more visual/auditory: Education Now: Transition from High School to College for the Pandemic Generation This 30-minute-long presentation from the Harvard Graduate School of Education talks a lot about what we need to expect from and how to support students who were impacted at this crucial time. Time will tell the impact. But we are watching, dealing, and healing.
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I am woefully ignorant.
A week prior, I didn't know anything about ChatGPT. Then, seemingly overnight, this thing was everywhere and the dominos started falling. Educators started catching students cheating. The college counseling world had to take note as well. UCAS is abandoning the Personal Statement in 2024! While this decision is not based solely on the intrusion of AI, it has to - at the very least - be a compelling argument in favor of change. Some say, what's the point of having a writing requirement if the computer can do it for you? I, Robot, Black Mirror, Westworld, and M3gan all terrify me. The life we could have...it's here. But at what cost? Will we go so far as to abandon the teaching of formal writing? Will US colleges begin to ebb from essays and writing prompts in favor of alternative admissions requirements? The positive implications of such a tool are endless, but the negative cost could be just as vast, and infinitely more dangerous. The resources and impact of one little program have yet to be seen but, sure as the sun will rise, this new technology will have significant and lasting effects on the world as we know it. A Teacher Who Loves ChatGPT + Is 'M3GAN' Real? ChatZero - A way to sniff out bot-generated writing Colleges Rethink Writing - NYT A Stanford professor, a 4th grade teacher, a writing instructor, and author Judy Blume all could not accurately decipher every time the difference between a human essay and one by the chatbot. Well, not to toot my own horn here, but I was correct 10/10. I have read a lot of writing and felt there were certain components that felt right, one way or the other. Is this empirically based? Nope, just gut feel. Would I pull 100% all the time? Nope. And AI will only get better. Take the quiz for yourself and see how you do. As I rode a train this week, I re-watched Admission, the 2013 film which starts by highlighting the elite admissions process at Princeton but ends as a romantic comedy. While Hollywood loves the dramatic, this movie does get some things right, including the obsession of parents, the robotic-like approach of applicants, the rejection of highly-qualified applicants, and the behind-closed-doors negotiations. The message is haunting: this is a scary process.
For some more insight into this process, check out this article: What’s Really Wrong With Our Flawed System of Elite College Admissions. I suppose my question is, if more and more people are highlighting these issues, why do we continue to practice the same way? The answer is simple: rich schools are getting richer and they don’t want to change. 3 in 4 think race shouldn’t factor into college admissions decisions, but it does. Did you know that Harvard had extensive ties to slavery? This is not good news for a school that just recently had some significant issues with admitting Asian Americans by discriminating against them as they did Jewish students. Stanford’s founder was a member of the eugenics movement. In the wake of public protests and action to remove relics of historical racism, is it not time for us to apply the same logic and action to our institutions of higher education, which sit at the apex of what is to exemplify a country, and yet these institutions go relatively unpunished (i.e., their admission rates remain the same, their doners do not vacate, their rank remains, their statues still stand, and Harvard spends $100 million on slavery research (from its $53 billion USD endowment). These schools should be better. Packing for college depends largely on where you are going, what is available, and who you are personally. See resources below for ideas. http://www.collegepackinglist.com/
It’s another record year for applications. Boston U got 88,000 apps, SDSU took 99,000 in. UCLA was at 150,000 and UC Berkeley saw 148,000 freshman apps, with news that they will have to limit incoming students by about 5,000. Things continue to get tighter.
For some significant insight into how universities in the US spend their money and recruit students, I highly recommend Malcom Gladwell’s Revisionist History. He has three episodes that show just how incredibly rich these schools are and how sometimes that money is not spent on what is should/could. Revisionist History Season 1, Eps. 4-6 (Carlos Doesn’t Remember; Food Fight; My Little Hundred Million) Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. The face of university admissions has changed significantly in the last decade. China now has the most international students studying in the US, more than almost all other countries combined. The Varsity Blues scandal indicated just how much decisions can be influenced by wealth. At many of the most “highly ranked” schools, first-generation students recruited athletes, and students of alumni make up half or more of a school’s incoming class. The concept of yield is king, and because yield if a factor in admissions, early decision accounts for 50% or more of a class. To think that admissions are in any way similar to a generation ago, or to even think of it as fair, is a dream.
COVID-19 has been the most significant catalyst for change in admissions since perhaps World War II. Much of what we thought we knew about admissions is being challenged. For example, nearly every 4-year institution in the US has gone test-optional/test-blind, either permanently or for a period of several years. To clarify, test-optional means that a student may choose to submit scores as a part of their evaluation and if they don’t, they will not be disadvantaged. Test blind (test free) means that a school will not consider a score for admission, even if it is submitted. What does this mean? It means that students once limited due to test scores are applying to highly selective/rejective schools in record numbers. Apps are up, admit rates are down. Another of the pandemic’s impacts has been on the way universities liaise with students and vice versa. Not so long ago, schools relied on university representatives making ‘the circuit’, a prolonged season of travel where officers would go to schools, set up the table, hand out info, and talk with students and counselors. Obviously, that is over (or at least on permanent hold in China). So, how do colleges drum up interest, and how do students get exposed to options out there, during a pandemic? Thankfully, we have a tool for this that everyone is familiar with: the internet. Universities have, more than any point in history, become more accessible and visible. It would be rare now not to find a school that did not have some sort of tour, information session, or workshop (or all three) advertised online. This allows unis to put out information to a broad audience, and can be done once, rather than relying on limiting group size due to manpower or distance. For example, a rep used to be able to go to one to three schools a day. Now, through one info session, they can share their message to hundreds or even thousands of schools. Similarly, virtual tours take away the time and cost factors that restrict so many in the world from visiting a campus and open it to all who join. Of course, one thing hasn’t changed. The student has to pitch up. Unless the student joins these sessions, the information lives in the voids of the web. Ok, so information is exponentially available. But what about that human touch? Reps used to shake hands and have conversations with students. That has changed. Well, here is what students can do to stand out. First, many schools track demonstrated interest. They record if you sign up for a session or a newsletter. And even more scary, they record how often you go to their website as well as were you look. That email that you received from them? They can tell if you opened it. Knowing this, it is in your best interest to do all of the above. But if having a conversation with a real person is still important to you, there are Q&A sessions with reps and always the opportunity to email or call your regional representative. When a rep reads your application, it helps if they have had some interaction with your or your school. This is why the college counselor is frequently contacting universities and attending conferences and fairs (although lately these, too, are virtual). Having familiarity with the school helps a university have faith in the applications they receive. And as part of my role, I spend time making sure my school is known to these universities. Top Tips for Students Applying in the “New Normal”
The world of admissions is not only changing, but more places are becoming attractive destinations that were previously never considered by most students. We have to change our minds and approaches if we hope to keep up and take advantage of the amazing opportunities that await this generation of graduates. What I have to say cannot be stated forcefully enough: Stay away from the rankings! Read why College Rankings Are Bad For Students. And while this metric and subsequent reporting have been under fire for more than 10 years, it seems like every year more and more people get schools on their list for this reason alone. Don't get me wrong, many "ranked" schools have excellent aspects on offer, but to think a number quantifies the quality of a school or distinguishes its quality across all aspects is just insane. Please take a few minutes to help yourself learn more about this process and I promise you it will pay off in the future.
What is happening in the world? Ok, that's a fair question at any point in 2020-2021, but let's focus our attention on college admissions. Nearly every highly selective school (and many others) saw a record increase in applications. UCLA had 168,000 applications come their way!! Harvard received 57,000 applications for freshman entry, a 42% increase! Tufts was up 35%, Amherst 32%, Duke 20%, Emory 19%, Northeastern 17%, and Georgia Tech 11%. Boston U was up 12% in ED apps alone! And after all that drama about politics and international students in the US, not to mention a complete shutdown of the education system for nearly a year, international student apps are up 11%. What accounts for this tremendous surge in applications? Surely there is no secret about US education. Rankings haven't changed significantly. The product remains largely unchanged over the past decade. What can be the factor attributed to this unprecedented increase? Test Optional Policies The elimination of standardized testing this year is the single most significant contributor to what we are seeing. Last year, 77% of students submitted self-reported scores to Common App. This year it was 46%. Sure, access was an issue as many students could not complete their testing. However, many already had test or could take them and still did not. For some, it makes it seem like the only thing standing between them applying to Harvard was the test score. What students (and parents?) think is that once that nasty test score that has been holding them back is removed, certainly this is their chance to be admitted. And by that rationale, shouldn't most of my students here with their 1500+ be now a lock? Of course, this is not the case, but it just goes to show how little most people understand about how this works. Below, John Katzman makes the case that although it appears that it is harder to get in to highly selective schools (admission rate), it is actually the same since there are now more highly selective schools. To understand where he is coming from, check out the supertutor video below that emphasizes just how far the acceptance rates have dropped over time. It has been hard to get in to highly selective schools. That hasn't changed. But what has is that schools that used to accept 40 or 50% of its applicants are now down to 10-20%.
The letters are pouring in, but you get one that neither confirms nor denies your seat: The Waitlisted Letter. Technically not an acceptance; some ways to look at it is as being in limbo or as a soft denial. It sometimes means: we would like to offer you a spot in the class but we don't have one, yet. It isn't a hard denial as schools could use students from the list who help round out their class, yet many of the list will not be offered a seat. It doesn't seem fair. While other students are accepting their places and being assigned housing, some students wait until June or even July hoping that they will come off the list and into the class. Do you deposit? Should you have your hopes up? Is there anything you can do?
Some Possible Steps to Take if Waitlisted:
A number of schools, such as Scripps, Stanford, Tulane, and Notre Dame, admitted no students from the waitlist in 2014-15. And consider Carnegie Mellon, who extended a waitlist decision to over 5000 applicants. Brown has waitlisted 1000 more students than it admitted, and UPenn waitlisted 3500, about the same as its offers, yet they traditionally take 20-175 off of that list. In 2020-2021, the pandemic caused some incredible surges in applications, record lows in admissions rates, and increased waitlists. Ultimately, four students got a seat from that list. In cases like these, and many others where less than 4% of the waitlist will see a spot open for them, a waitlist letter is as good as a rejection. Which brings into question the practice - Are schools being ethically responsible in extending hundreds or even thousands of waitlist offers to anxious and hopeful students when the data indicate a minute number will ultimate obtain the coveted spot? See some updated statistics from the group of 2019-20. Hamilton's Guide on The Waitlist Georgia Tech's Look at the Waitlist |
AuthorOlder blog posts were for the UCLA Ext course "Using the Internet for College Counseling" Archives
February 2023
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