Are Online Classes Right for You?

One out of every three college students will take at least one online class in completing their education. Surprised? So were we!

There are many reasons for this growing trend: colleges looking to slash costs, students preferring the online format, and an increased push for accessibility and inclusion. At some colleges they are required and at others they are optional. 

According to a recent article in the Chronicle of Higher Education, "Online classes, she said, can bring together students from more diverse backgrounds — and allow them more chances to connect with each other — than many traditional classrooms do."

So while online classes may not be all bad, it is up to each student to discern if they are the correct format for their learning style. And if your preference is to avoid them, make sure you add a question about online requirements to your list! 

An Unexpected Reason to Take Standardized Tests Multiple Times

Another reason to take standardized tests multiple times...

When student scores were released for the June SAT, the internet lit up with reactions of frustration and confusion.  Students who expected the June test to be their final try but who saw their score fall were dismayed. Something very unexpected had happened:  the test itself was an anomaly.  It turns out, the June test was much easier than most SATs and therefore had a far steeper grading curve.  Because of this, students could miss fewer problems to receive the same score as previous tests.  Experts warn that variability on standardized tests such as the SAT and ACT is not uncommon and that the variance on the June SAT is not as unusual as it may seem.  Test creation is a complicated endeavor as the writers have to estimate the difficulty of content for the cohort of students taking the exam.  If they miscalculate, it affects the curve proportionally.  The takeaway:  plan to take standardized tests 2 or 3 times, if possible.  That way, if you happen to get caught up in a test like the June SAT, you will still have a fallback option or two. 

Is A College Honors Program Right for You?

Honors Programs and Honors Colleges Can Be A Great Option for Some Students 

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Students striving to get more out their undergraduate education might consider applying to schools with Honors Programs or Honors Colleges.  Although admission requirements vary, be aware that acceptance into any Honors Program usually requires test scores that are at the very top end of the college’s accepted students’ academic profile with similar overall strengths in high school course rigor and GPA.  You will find Honors Programs or Honors Colleges at both public and private institutions.  There are many variations among Honors Programs.  Most have honors level classes and often thesis and research requirements. Enrollment may come with perks such as dedicated Honors dorms (or sections of dorms allotted to Honors students), study abroad stipends, and mentors and/or special advising.  Often Honors students have priority registration for courses and Honors scholarships may be offered, some more generous than others.  Some of the larger public universities with Honors programs describe them as “a liberal arts college within a larger research institution with the advantages of both” or similar descriptor.  It pays to do some research to determine the institutional priority given and resources dedicated to support any particular Honors program and to fully understand if the school delivers on that promise.  In some cases, it can be a great way to get value-added academic and extracurricular experience with a more reasonable price tag.

ACT Announces Free Test Prep Resources

The testing company ACT recently launched "ACT Academy," a free online test prep and learning tool for students who want to improve their ACT scores.  The service is similar to College Board's partnership with Kahn Academy for SAT test prep and aims to close the gap regarding equity, opportunity, and achievement for all students interested in test prep, including those who may not have the means or desire to pay for test preparation services.  The content is personalized for each student and uses instructional videos, practice questions, full-length practice tests, and games for learning.  The personalized approach is shaped by the student's previous ACT or preACT scores, which are entered by the student manually, as well as platform diagnostics.  ACT reports that the ACT Academy tool was developed in partnership with Khan Academy, NASA, PBS, and other organizations.  Making it even more user-friendly, ACT Academy is compatible with all devices and is available anywhere that a student has internet access.

The Class of 2018 is Going Places!

Congratulations to our College Matters's Seniors!! Listed by their conference in honor of March Madness. Acceptances include:

AAC: UCONN, Temple, Tulane

ACC: BC, Clemson, Florida State, Miami, NC State, Pitt, Syracuse, Virginia Tech

America East: Binghamton, New Hampshire, Stony Brook, Vermont

Atlantic 10: Davidson, Duquesne, Fordham, George Washington, UMASS, Rhode Island, St. Joseph's, Virginia Commonwealth

Big East: DePaul, Providence, St. John's, Villanova, Xavier

Big Ten: Indiana, Maryland, Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue, Wisconsin

Centennial: Dickinson, Gettysburg, F&M, McDaniel, Muhlenberg, Ursinus

Colonial: Delaware, Drexel, Elon, Hofstra, James Madison, Northeastern

CCC: Endicott, Roger Williams, Wentworth, WNEC

Ivy: Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, UPenn, Yale

Landmark: Catholic, Elizabethtown, Drew, Scranton, Susquehanna

Liberty: Clarkson, Hobart William Smith, Ithaca, RIT, Skidmore, Union

MAAC: Fairfield, Manhattan, Marist, Quinnipaic, Siena

NESCAC: Amherst, Colby, Connecticut College, Trinity, Tufts, Wesleyan

NEWMAC: Clark, MIT, Springfield, Wheaton, WPI

NCAC: DePauw, Kenyon, Oberlin

Northeast: Bryant, Central CT, Sacred Heart

Northeast 10: Bentley, Merrimack, New Haven, Southern CT, Stonehill

PAC-12: Arizona, Arizona State, Cal, Colorado, Stanford, Washington

Patriot: American, BU, Colgate, Holy Cross, Lafayette, Lehigh, Loyola Maryland

SCIAC: Claremont McKenna, Harvey Mudd, Whittier

UAA: Brandeis, Carnegie Mellon, NYU, Rochester, Wash U

College Board Announces New AP Prep Program

College Board will be launching a Pre-AP program starting this fall.  According to  College Board, "The Pre-AP program will offer consistent, high standards in focused courses that help build, strengthen, and reinforce students’ content knowledge and skills. Pre-AP courses will get students ready for AP and other college-level coursework."  Similar to AP, each individual high school will determine whether they want to include Pre-AP as part of their academic offerings to students.  Currently, Pre-AP is available in Algebra I, Biology, English I, World History and Geography, and Visual and Performing Arts.

How Saturday PSAT Tests are Different

The College Board just announced that students who take the Saturday PSAT this next fall will not receive their test booklet with their scores. High schools will be required to mail the test booklets back with the score sheets.

Why this change in policy? We've got a few theories!

It is estimated that only 5% of students take the Saturday test. Most take the Wednesday PSAT. So, not releasing the questions means that the College Board can reuse some of the questions in future tests. Developing new test questions is expensive, and we guess that they figure the 5% won't squawk too much! But squawk you should. The purpose of the PSAT is to get students ready for the SAT. If they cannot see what they got wrong and why, what is the point of taking it? Well, other than possibly qualifying as a National Merit Scholar. 

So if your school traditionally chooses to offer the Saturday PSAT, make some noise. Your classmates will thank you for it.  

Low-Income Families Can Now Send Test Scores for Free

Both College Board and ACT changed their policies to enable low-income families to send their standardized test scores free of charge.  ACT was the first to announce that students qualifying for a fee-waiver would be allowed to send their scores to as many as 24 colleges without incurring a fee.  In response, the College Board followed suit, allowing low-income students to send their SAT scores to as many colleges as they want free of charge. 

Smith College Takes a Different Approach During Protests

In the wake of the most recent school shooting in Parkland Florida, high school students across the country are speaking up. Protests, school walk-outs, and demonstrations are being organized. 

Deb Shaver, Dean of Admission at Smith College, wanted applicants to know that students who participate in protests and receive disciplinary violations at their high schools will not be penalized in the admission process in any way. Other colleges and universities have followed suit. The growing list of colleges that have altered their disciplinary policies with regards to student activism can be found here: 

https://www.nacacnet.org/news--publications/college-and-university-update-on-disciplinary-actions/

The Benefits of Changing Your Major

With the cost of a college education continuing to climb, many parents are counting on their children graduating in four years.  It would seem logical that students declaring their academic major as freshmen would have the highest likelihood of graduating on time.  However, the data indicates otherwise. A study done by the Education Advisory Board found that college students declaring their major early and sticking with it are 4% less likely to graduate on-time relative to their counterparts that changed majors in the second semester or later. A possible explanation is that students that switch majors are likely to be more academically engaged in their major of choice versus the students who are simply sticking it out.  With as many as 80% of undergraduate students switching their majors at some point in their college experience it doesn’t necessarily mean an extra semester or year of tuition for parents.