Artist’s Rendition of Providence’s New School of Nursing Scheduled for Completion 2025 Providence College (PC) is a private four-year Catholic college located on an urban campus two miles west of downtown Providence, RI. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 4,298 and admissions are selective, with a 2022-23 acceptance rate of 47%. The college offers 72 bachelor’s degrees, has an average graduation rate of 85%, and a student-faculty ratio of 11:1. All classes are taught by full-time professors and half of all classes have fewer than 20 students. PC is ranked #1 by U.S. News & Worl ..read more

View this email in your browser February 2023 2023-2024 Common App essay promptsIn case you missed it, Common App announced that the 2023-2024 essay prompts will remain the same. Past research shows that overall satisfaction with the prompts remains high among students, counselors, and member colleges. Moving forward, we want to learn more about who is choosing certain prompts to see if there are any noteworthy differences among student populations. We hope that by sharing the prompts now, students will have the time they need to reflect on their own personal stories and begin ..read more

In the last three years, long-established patterns of college admissions have been completely disrupted. This is often attributed to the impact of COVID-19, but the pandemic only accelerated trends that had been building for a decade. Perhaps the most significant change is the fact that, while most colleges struggle with declining enrollment, top-tier colleges have seen a sharp rise in demand. Two distinct models of admissions have evolved — one for top-tier colleges and another for all the rest.   There is one aspect of the new admissions environment that is of special interest to studen ..read more

The PSAT and SAT soon will be taken by college-bound students only by computer. The  transition from paper-based to digital testing affirms the continuing relevance and usefulness of standardized tests in the test optional, post-pandemic era.  There is likely to be a significant increase in the number of SAT-takers when conversion to the digital model is complete. According to a survey taken by the College Board as part of its pilot program, 80% of test-takers indicated that they preferred digital tests because they found them to be less stressful. Although less than perfect, standa ..read more

People tend to associate the term “B-School” with MBA programs, especially those at prestigious universities. But it’s the qualitative distinctions among undergraduate B-Schools that are of more interest to high school students planning to pursue business as a major and career. A Controversy in Business Education B-Schools are not vocational schools. Some believe it is a mistake to fetishize job preparation for specific business fields. This orientation might demand more hours from students, but it doesn’t provide well-rounded educations, says Henry Mintzberg, a professor at McGill University ..read more

https://blog.collegeboard.org/January-2021-sat-subject-test-and-essay-faq COLLEGE BOARD January 19, 2021 As students and colleges adapt to new realities and changes to the college admissions process, College Board is making sure our programs adapt with them. We’re making some changes to reduce demands on students. We are no longer offering SAT Subject Tests in the U.S. Because SAT Subject Tests are used internationally for a wider variety of purposes, we’ll provide two more administrations, in May and June of 2021, for international students.   Students currently registered for an u ..read more

Students with disabilities in public K-12 schools are entitled to special services that will engender a successful educational experience. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) specified these rights in 1973 and continues to protect them. The IDEA mandates that public K-12 schools identify student’s disabilities and accommodate their needs. It calls for Individualized Education Programs (IEP’s) for disabled K-12 students. Unfortunately, the IDEA doesn’t apply to college students. However, the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 also protects the rights of disabled students. This i ..read more

excerpts from article by Mark H. Sklarow, CEO, IECA By now, most independent educational consultants (IECs) who work with college bound students have heard that NACAC has reached an agreement with the Department of Justice that eliminates several provisions of the NACAC SPGP. The DOJ argued that some of these rules—those requiring colleges to restrict recruitment efforts—constituted collusion or restrained trade. Many IECA members have asked for guidance on what they might expect or “what to tell client families” so they are not blind-sided as the rules that colleges have followed for yea ..read more

Amid the stress of application season, one task gives seniors more anxiety than any other — their essays.  Unfortunately, some level of anxiety is justified. After an applicant’s academic record, essays are one of the most important factors in admissions, often serving as a tiebreaker among applicants with similar records. But the anxiety is manageable if applicants treat the essay as an ally in their campaign for admission. For this to happen, they need to understand its true role. Self-Focus is Essential In writing an essay, applicants should be self-focused and be in tune with what is ..read more

In only two years, the long-established patterns of college admissions have been completely disrupted. This is widely considered to be a result of the pandemic, but the pandemic only accelerated trends that had been building for a decade.   A notable effect of the last two admission cycles is that, while the majority of colleges struggled to reverse declining enrollment, top-tier institutions enjoyed a sharp rise in demand. Two distinct models of admissions have evolved — one for top-tier colleges and another for all the rest.  As admission season approaches again, we at The College ..read more