College Admissions Mis-Information

Although hearsay, defined as: “information received from other people that one cannot adequately substantiate”, is not admissible in any court of law, every day, every year, families make complex educational choices, consequential for their children’s prosperity, based on the hearsay, passing as truth, circulated along The Parent Network, distorted with each retelling, which may have been a selective…

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Uneven Pavement Ahead

Is Demand for College Education Cooling?

In questioning the affordability of college, more families are asking, “Is the value of a college degree concomitant to the price?” However, despite annually increasing discounts on college tuition, 54.5% in 2021-22, thus improving college affordability for a wider swath of families, college enrollment continues dropping. As previously discussed in our series about the already…

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WARNING: Common Application Rollover Imminent for Fall 2023 College Admissions Cycle

Each year, on August 1, the Common Application updates their database with any changes to college specific questions and supplemental essays, as well as the Common Application itself.  However, since students can create a first year applicant account before August 1 to begin completing the application, beware the following information will not be saved or…

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Applying to the Ivy League (Or Similarly Selective Colleges) Requires a Gut Check

Applying to an Ivy League or other similarly highly selective college, where 95-97% of all applicants are denied admissions can be intimidating. To apply or not apply requires asking, “Just because I can (since I’m qualified), does that mean I should?”  Being the top of one’s class in one’s local high school, even in a…

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California Polytechnic Institute, San Luis Obispo – Cal Poly SLO to those in the know – is an Exception When Calculating GPA

22 of 23 California State Universities (CSU) calculate the college application grade point average (GPA), using academic course grades from the 10th and 11th grade, known as the A-G requirements. Extra grade points awarded for Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), or Honors courses are capped at eight (8) semesters, or four full year long…

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FAQ about Eligibility in the Local Context (ELC) for the University of California (UC)

Each spring, California high school juniors, who are likely within the top 20% academically in their class, are invited to submit their official high school transcripts to the University of California (UC) for their potential Eligibility in the Local Context (ELC) status when applying for admissions.  Lastly, there is no downside for parents to permit…

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Do You

The title should be the guiding principle of every college applicant. The college admissions process is inherently student-centric, driven by the student’s quest to identify the one institution of higher education where each person discovers more about their unique aptitude.  Yet, today, students and parents perceive the admissions process as college-centric, forced to contort into…

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Biden Erases Default or Delinquency Status with Latest Student Loan Payment Pause

In addition to extending the pause of Federal student loan repayments to August 31, 2022, any borrowers who were in default or delinquency prior to March 2020, will have their status reset when repayment is scheduled to start on September 1, 2022.  ….all borrowers with paused loans to receive a ‘fresh start’ on repayment by…

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More and More Ivy league Colleges, plus Stanford, Will No Longer Report Admit Rates

In college admissions, applicants often perceive exclusivity, translated as less than 5% admit rates, as a higher quality education, and (sometimes more importantly) a guarantee of lifetime prosperity, The Golden Ticket, as one is forever branded with elitism. However, in coming years, applicants may be guessing more often than not about the selectivity of a…

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