As we continue to navigate the process of applying to college during the age of Covid-19, many colleges have started offering virtual tours. While it’s true that nothing will replace the experience of seeing a college in person, attending a virtual tour can still be a beneficial experience. This past week, we attended a few tours and have put together our five top tips for virtual touring below.
Should I Defer Freshman Year of College Because of the Coronavirus/COVID-19 Pandemic?
College decisions are out, and now it is seniors turn to decide where they will enroll for the fall. Colleges across the country have pushed their decision deadline (or deposit deadline) back to June, giving many students a bit more time to decide than usual. It’s good that students have more time, too, because there is more to consider than ever before. We believe that it is entirely possible that many colleges will not start the fall semester with students on campus.
Does Being a Camp Counselor Look Good on a College Resume?
Camp is super fun. We get it. We used to be big camp people too. Camp represents nostalgia, fun, independence, and is often a formative time for many. When you’re a camper, all you do is look up to the counselors and wish that you could be them. Tap your heels together and *poof* you’re 14-16 years old and you’re faced with the question: do I become a camp counselor? And of course, because you’re so incredibly conscientious and forward-thinking, your next thought is: but how does it look to colleges who are reviewing my application and resume? Spooky, right? How did we read your internal monologue so accurately?
Well, even if we were a bit off (or you’re a parent), we still want to guide your thinking on this a bit. How does being a counselor look on a college resume--good or bad? The TL;DR answer is: neither. Guess you’re going to have to read on.
Here is a brisk breakdown of the Pros and Cons of Being a Camp Counselor (written through the lens of a college admissions counselor):
Pros
Often, it’s paid work.
Colleges love students who work hard, and hard-earned cash fits the bill, particularly if you’re dedicated. Colleges know that working for money connotes a different set of circumstances and expectations than do internships. Paid work = good. If you’re considering doing volunteer work for camp, we’re going to move this to the “Con” category.
It’s proven responsibility.
If you’re putting it on your resume, we’re assuming that nothing horrible happened while you were a counselor, which means that you can handle and thrive in situations where others are relying on you.
Camp is exhausting.
We think it’s a good thing when students truly and fully commit to a job that is known to be physically and emotionally exhausting. It means they're all in. Let’s put it this way: you don’t have much to scroll through Instagram at camp (lest you risk your camper(s) running off into the woods), whereas there is lots of time for that at a desk job or internship.
Cons
Colleges know that camp is fun.
Unfortunately, the cat is out of the bag on this one. This isn’t quite “out of your comfort zone, pushing your academic and mental boundaries,” type of work. It’s fun. You’re probably hanging out with friends all day, playing sports, and splashing kids in the pool. While it’s not *all* fun, it’s pretty fun.
It doesn’t have to do with your academic interests.
Going off of the above, but a distinct point to make on its own: camp is likely not directly related to your academic interests (unless, maybe, you’re working at a camp for campers with special needs and you’re interested in special education, developmental psychology, or early education) which means that you’re going to have to work harder to show that you spend your free time effectively. Which might be hard because, leading into our next point...
Camp is exhausting.
Good in many ways, as stated above, camp also means that you’ll be so physically exhausted at the end of the day that you will likely not have time to: read, work on an independent project, write your college essays. We don’t love that, for obvious reasons. Ideally, you’re able to do something for work experience that is aligned with your academic interests, and if not, then you’re able to do something in addition to something academic or college application-related. If you want to take an 8-hour nap (aka a sleep) at 5pm upon return from camp each day, this might not be the best choice for your junior summer. It might be more acceptable for freshman or sophomore summer. Or the summer after your senior year before everything starts to matter for jobs (and adult life begins…dun dun dun).
As you can read, we’re pretty neutral on how a position as a camp counselor might play out for your college applications. Ultimately, we think that colleges agree with us that: it’s better than nothing, but not better than some things.
Let us know via phone or email if you need help sorting out your internal monologue about camp.
Summer Jobs That Look Good on College Applications
Ah, summer. Sunny days. No school. Time to see your friends and live the good life. Sure, you can do all of that stuff, but we also strongly recommend you take seriously the opportunity to develop your resume this summer. While you can’t be lazy, you can still have fun. During the year you may have to take classes you don’t want to or study for exams you dread. During the summer, you should explore your passions and maybe even get paid for them.
Summer Ideas for High School Juniors
If you’re a junior and just starting to think about summer, we’re not going to lie: you’re a little bit late to the game. That said, it’s not too late (nor is it ever too early) to begin visualizing this upcoming summer. It’s an important one. Not only is it important what you do professionally and academically (ideally, pursuing either paid work or something related to a specific area of interest), but it’s also important that you allot a significant amount of time to your college applications. We’ll say a few quick words about that right now before we spill our suggestions for what you should do this summer.
Best Colleges Near Mountains
So you like to hike. There are many college campuses that boast not just academic adventures, but outdoor adventures just outside of the classroom. We’ve rounded up the best schools that happen to be very close to mountains, ideal for the student who also identifies as a hiker, skier, mountain biker, or just adventurous walker (isn’t that basically what hiking is?).
SAT and ACT Requirements During the Coronavirus/COVID-19
Last week, the UC school system put out a statement that said that all UC schools will be drastically relaxing the admissions standards for the upcoming round of applicants. You can read the full statement here, but the main takeaways are that they suspended the letter grade requirements for A-G courses, and have done away with the standardized test requirement for current high school juniors.
Best Colleges Near the Beach
So, you want to go to a great college but you also fancy yourself a fish. A beachcomber. A Surfer. A swimmer. However you identify, we’ve rounded up the top colleges and universities that also happen to be near some of the most amazing beaches in the U.S. Yes, you really can have it all (if you work hard). We got you.
How to use the Summer to Boost Your Application
We love summer as much as you do, but maybe for a different reason. Yes, sun is great. Yes, time off from school is sort of awesome. The real reason we love summer, though, is that it is a stellar time to boost your application. Whether you will be a rising freshman, sophomore, junior, or newly-minted senior, there is a lot you can do to make your summers fun and relaxing while still giving yourself a leg up come application seasons. And even though we are now in this dystopia due to the Coronavirus, all of this advice holds true.
Best Schools In New York State
New York is a big place--it’s home to New York City, hundreds of small towns in upstate New York, and once you get north enough you’re basically in Canada. There are a number of great schools in New York, but we want to highlight the top schools, their differences, and their strengths. When one says “I want to go to college in New York,” they often mean Manhattan, but there’s much more to New York than just “the city.” If you have an open mind, you can find lots of different college environments of different sizes and specializations throughout the state. We’ll take you through them
College Essay Sample About Failure
The thing about your college essay is it needs to be relatable to an admissions counselor (read: adult) somewhere in the country you don’t know. Easy, right? There are a few ways to access relatability in this regard and one of them is by talking about a feeling pretty much everyone has in common. Student instinct here is often to edge into the land of drama, existentialism, or sadness. We’d advise against all of that. While you may have had a real tragedy in life that impacted your high school journey, the essay is not the place for it (the additional info. section is!). And while you could talk about a really important life-altering lesson you learned or the reason why you became an atheist, oftentimes a story as big as that will come off as naïve from such a young writer. Failure—particularly the lighthearted kind—is, on the other hand, something just about everyone can relate to. Here are some examples:
Junior Year of High School: What to Expect
Junior year can be a whirlwind. After all, it’s the pinnacle of your college preparation journey and while every year of high school is important, 11th grade can, in some instances, be make-or-break. It’s crucial to get your ducks in a row and keep pushing through until the end. If you get organized from the beginning and stay consistent throughout, you should be able to maintain a reasonable pace. Either way, the light is there at the end of the tunnel, so buckle up and drive on forward.
Advice for Sophomore Year of High School
Some people think of sophomore year as kind of a throw-away. It’s not freshman year where everything is new. It’s not senior year where everything is your last. It’s not junior year where you’re scrambling to make it through the barrage of standardized tests. We like to think of it as an opportunity for a cornerstone year. Consider this: you’re well-adjusted to the flow of high school, but the onslaught of junior year has not yet begun. It’s the perfect time to build a solid foundation for the college application process.
Will Colleges become Test-Optional in Response to the Coronavirus?
As college counselors scramble to advise their students on what to do while schools are out, high school juniors are struggling to navigate a college admissions process gone haywire. Typically, this time of year, we are encouraging our clients to finish their college visits, to prep for their first or even second shot at the SAT or ACT, and to drive their grades up as high as they can before the end of the school year. But this year isn’t typical. College visits have gone virtual, classes have gone online too, and the entire standardized testing system is in question.
A Guide for College Essay Supplements about Coronavirus/COVID-19
For the past few years, Stanford has asked applicants to answer the question, “What is the most significant challenge that society faces today?” in 50 words or less. Other schools ask similar questions that prompt applicants to place a stake in the ground by identifying something they care about and making a concise case for why it matters globally. The University of Richmond, for example, asks, “What is an urgent global challenge or social justice topic about which you are passionate? What solutions or outcomes do you hope to see?” These types of questions seem perfectly set up for a Coronavirus/COVID-19-themed answer.
Demonstrated Interest at The University of Michigan
The final installment of our demonstrated interest mini-series is focused on the ever-popular University of Michigan. If you’re wondering why everyone seems to love the school so much, start here. If you (or your child) have recently set your sights on The Big House you’ve come to the right place! Keep reading for the low down on demonstrated interest on everyone’s favorite campus.
How Coronavirus/COVID-19 Affects High School Transcripts for College
How to Make “Camp Counselor” Sound Good on College Applications
We’ve written about the pros and cons of becoming a camp counselor in the past, but this post is more to focus on how to take something that’s bland (in this case, a job as a camp counselor) and make it stellar. Okay, “bland” might be a bit harsh, but let’s be honest here--colleges love students who pursue their academic interests in full, and being a camp counselor probably wasn’t the most intellectually stimulating time of your life. Are we right? Lots of funny and *deep* moments were had, we’re sure. But it’s not like you had the time or energy to debate the three key bills that need to pass in order to influence lasting criminal justice reform while you were making sure that 18 six-year-olds showed up to nature arts & crafts on time.
How to Avoid The Trap of The Bad Coronavirus College Essay with Examples
A lot of students are betting on the Coronavirus to hand them a stellar college essay. If that sounds absurd, consider the situation. Schools are out, so sports are canceled. Writing about sports is a pet peeve of ours, but it is one of the most popular starting points for college essays. Clubs are also canceled. So, writing about clubs is out unless you want to write about something you did sophomore year, which is also not a great idea. Writing about your favorite class is probably a no-go because you won’t be there for a while. Writing about your summer program or internship may be out as well because the chances are good that those won’t be happening either. Writing about volunteering in your community isn’t an option either — staying inside means no more ladle-duty at the soup kitchen.
How To Show Demonstrated Interest in a College
As we’ve mentioned in our previous blog posts on this topic, we always suggest doing your best to figure out your school’s stance on demonstrated interest before you go to great lengths to prove that you want to go there. As you’ll see in this blog post, there are many schools that no longer consider demonstrated interest as an important factor in their application process. None of this means that you shouldn’t demonstrate interest if it’s in your means to do so, but we think it’s important to shed light on how the admission process works. And because things like going on a school tour or attending a summer program don’t guarantee admission, it’s important that you spend your time wisely.