Welcome back to our monthly newsletter about what students should be working on this month, important news in higher education, and other resources we feel are important to share. Enjoy!
Refine your “Fit Formula”: We’ve provided currently enrolled juniors with two worksheets to help them begin to process and define what College Fit means for them. This includes considering finances for college, size of a school, academic culture, majors/minors, location, and campus culture (amongst other, more detailed items students can explore as they start generating their college list). It’s also important for students to have adaptability and flexibility in what they are looking for in schools. Who a student is now is different from who they were four years ago, and who they will be four years from now. Growth and change during the college process are healthy and normal for students as they search for their vision of College Fit.
Continue formulating your College List: The College List is the list of schools to which a student plans to apply. We anticipate students having a fairly finalized college list by June, when we begin the essay writing process, so there is no need to rush. As a reminder, there are over 4,000 colleges in the USA alone, and most students will apply to somewhere between 8 and 12 of them. Students who work with Virtual College Counselors are expected to build a balanced college list, including likely, target, and reach schools. Regardless of which category each school falls into, every school on a student’s list should be one they would be excited to attend. Lastly, much like College Fit, it is normal and healthy for the College List to develop and change over time. Lastly, much like College Fit, it is normal and healthy for the College List to develop and change over time (just like a student). Here’s some advice about how to research colleges to build a balanced list!
Begin developing your Activities List: February/March is a great time to begin crafting your activities list for the Common Application. Other applications may require a similar list, with different questions or character limits (like the University of California application), but the Common App list can serve as a solid foundation to build upon when needed. There are only 10 spaces, and the description of each activity is limited to 150 characters (that’s right, barely over half a Tweet). In general, the activities list is simply a detailed resume highlighting how students have engaged outside of the classroom throughout high school. Our venerated intern (and recent NYU graduate!) offers some sage advice to peers about how to approach activities list development. Students who are working with us have access to a template worksheet to use for their activities list. If you are navigating the process on your own, feel free to reach out to us for access to our worksheets!
Create a college-appropriate email: If you haven’t created a professional-looking email address yet, now is the time to do that. We strongly recommend that students create/use a gmail address for all things college-related, including applications, scholarships, and correspondence with schools. Many students gravitate toward utilizing their high school email addresses because it is the one they check most often, but those addresses cease to exist once you graduate, and we want to be sure that colleges are able to reach you in the critical time between graduation and dorm move-in. We recommend securing an address that includes some semblance of your name (specifically last, if not first and last) and some arrangement of meaningful numbers. Often, your contact information can be the first impression you leave on an admissions representative, so soccercutie98@aol.com isn’t the most appropriate email to use. And it should go without saying, but please start checking this new email address daily (you might even be able to forward emails to your school address) and update any accounts that may be using a less appropriate or school email address.
Register for standardized tests: Even though many schools will remain test-optional, we strongly encourage all students to take the ACT and/or SAT at least once in order to keep all admission and scholarship doors open. This blog can help you understand college testing policies. If you are interested in utilizing our self-paced test-prep software, please reach out to discuss how to enroll in this a la carte service.
Finalize senior year classes: If you haven’t already done so, it’s important to finalize your senior year classes before the end of April. In general, colleges want to see 4 years of math and English, 3+ years of history and science, and 2+ years of a foreign language. If you’re interested in any of the public universities in California, you’ll also need to be sure that you have a full year of a visual or performing arts course to be eligible to apply. Students interested in selective institutions should also be taking as many rigorous courses as they can do well in, and that often means students should be getting through Calculus and Physics in high school.
Start thinking about Letters of Recommendation: You don’t need to start requesting letters until after spring break, but since you’ll be asking your junior-year teachers for recommendations, now is a good time to ensure your teachers know who you are. Ask questions and participate in class, hone your study skills to perform well in your courses, and start considering which teachers may know you best. Some colleges specify which subject areas a teacher letter of recommendation can come from, others will allow you to choose. As you’re building your college list, start taking note of this requirement so your decision can be easy and more informed at the end of the school year. Here’s some advice on how to request letters.
Complete spring semester/Regular Decision applications: If you still have outstanding applications, final Regular Decision/spring deadlines are fast approaching (if they haven’t yet passed).
Write a Letter of Continued Interest: If you were deferred or waitlisted by a college or university, now is the time to craft your Letter of Continued Interest (LOCI). Be sure to follow each school’s specific instructions for drafting and submitting your LOCI! Here is some guidance on how to write an effective LOCI, and please reach out if you need help brainstorming, developing, or would like a professional set of eyes on the LOCI before submitting.
Check your college portals: While many colleges will publish on social media and keep students informed of when decisions will be released, others won’t. It’s important to keep tabs on your prospective student portals to ensure all pieces of your application have been received, and also because some schools will post admission decisions before informing you to check.
Digitize your college admission & financial aid offer letters: Please remember to send us PDFs or screenshots of your college admissions notifications and financial aid offer letters as you receive them. Students are encouraged to upload these digital documents to their Virtual College Counselors Work Folder in Google Drive. When we meet later this semester, we will utilize this information to help you make informed college decisions, and also help to negotiate for more aid when needed.
Keep us updated: It likely goes without saying, but we want to keep hearing from you about all decisions. We are here to celebrate the offers of admission, and to navigate deferrals and waitlists. We are also here to support you if you hear less favorable news from your schools. In any case, we are so proud of the work seniors have put into this process, and we know you all will have many incredible options on the table by the time you’re tasked with making a final decision in April. Here is some advice to understand college decisions and next steps.
Plan to Visit Top Choice Colleges: Lastly, once you’ve narrowed down your top few choices, if you haven’t had a chance to yet, it’s time to plan a visit to the campuses. Getting a chance to explore the campus, try their food, and ask questions in person can help students determine which school may be the best fit for them. Often, these final college visits help make the decision process easier. Here are some tips on how to plan your college visits.
Engage in Meaningful Extracurricular Activities: Freshman and sophomore years are when students can build strong foundations for their application narratives by pursuing extracurriculars of interest. This can include sports, school clubs, learning an instrument, working, volunteering, and any other activity that enables personal development and growth.
Develop Your Study Skills: Study skills are critical to hone in the early years of high school. Consider how you learn best, how you perform on different kinds of exams, and any opportunities for growth you can identify. Now is the time to start creating systems and habits that maximize your academic performance.
Consider Touring Local Colleges: It’s never too early to start touring colleges! Visiting college campuses and attending their information sessions and campus tours can be a great way to get inspired and begin to identify what you may be looking for in a college experience.
Maintain Good Grades (and Ask for Help when Needed): Prioritizing doing well academically in the first couple years of high school will best set students up for academic success later on. GPAs are, by definition, grade point averages, so if your grades begin to slip in the early years of high school, it will become increasingly challenging to improve your GPA over time. If you’re struggling in a class, remember you can always ask for help!
Forget What You Learned is a podcast hosted by Pacific Preparatory’s Cory Greenberg, which seeks to demystify common misconceptions in the world of education. In this episode, Cory and college admissions expert Jess Chermak unpack the high-stress world of high school course selection and the myths surrounding AP overload. They explore why students don’t need to take every advanced class to impress colleges—and how chasing perfection can backfire. From the politics of AP credits to the value of authenticity in applications, Jess shares how students can craft a meaningful academic path that reflects who they are, not just what looks good on paper. It's a conversation about letting go of pressure and leaning into purpose.1
The Question Every College Applicant Should Ask Prospective college students are best served if they are able to look beyond college rankings and amenities in their college search process, and instead focus on the relationships they’ll develop. One of the most impactful questions you can ask a current student is, “Who is your person?” (in other words, who provides you with support on campus). Student success, their sense of belonging, and long-term outcomes are often enhanced, if not readily driven, by meaningful connections on campus. (To read more from our esteemed colleague Brennan Barnard, subscribe to The Application Trail!)
“Fold in the Cheese”: What Moira Rose Can Teach Us About the College Process If you haven’t watched Schitt’s Creek, I strongly encourage you to cancel your weekend plans and start bingeing. Moira—played by the late, great Catherine O’Hara—demonstrates a level of resilience and adaptability in the face of sudden change, qualities that are important for prospective college students to harness and employ during the application process. This post from our incredible colleagues at Academic Access is a must-read.
Stop Meeting Students Where They Are Current trends in education have shifted toward shorter reading excerpts to cater to students who lack the attention span or ability to read entire books. Instead of lowering these expectations, author Walt Hunter challenged his students with more sustained reading assignments, which he found led to deeper and more meaningful engagement. His strategy has been to structure his literature course around whole texts with in-class writing assignments instead of lengthy research papers, which helped students develop their attention, understanding, and writing skills. His advice? Educators should double-down on demanding and supporting serious reading as an intrinsically valuable practice.
The Accidental Winners of the War on Higher Ed In our current political landscape, larger public research institutions struggle under political, financial, and technological pressures. However, smaller liberal arts colleges seem to be thriving more because they focus more on undergraduate teaching (as opposed to doctoral research), are less dependent on federal research funding and thus less vulnerable to government pressure and funding cuts. Small classes foster closer student-faculty relationships, more deliberate and meaningful discussions, and a stronger sense of community throughout campus. The liberal arts educational model may prove to be more resilient and valuable in the current higher education landscape that is mired in crisis and uncertainty.
Let Your Kids Fail Well meaning parents today tend to try to shield their children from experiencing setbacks in order to spare their feelings and protect future prospects. Unfortunately, the unintentional side effect of this approach often leads to students feeling less prepared to cope with real-world disappointments and challenges they will feel throughout their lives. Author Russell Shaw argues that, like early exposure to allergens helping to build physical immunity, experiencing manageable setbacks and failures help children develop better emotional regulation and problem solving skills, in addition to stronger resilience in the face of stress and life challenges. Instead of shielding them from these experiences, parents can set their students up for success by modeling how to handle challenging situations and managing setbacks, and talking openly about their own failures and what they’ve learned from their mistakes. Mistakes are both survivable and instructive, and this approach to parenting can help minimize stress long-term.
Virtual College Counselors believes every student and family should have access to expert advice on the college search and application journey, regardless of any financial or time constraints. By signing up for our newsletter, in addition to monthly college search and application updates, you will also receive a Free College Search Starter Kit containing the following guides:
- The College Application Timeline
- Discovering College Fit
- College Essay Tips
- Common College Essay Pitfalls
- Introduction to Financial Aid 101
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