Posts by Tess Robinson
Broadcast Message: COVID-19 and Fall 2020
As published on the US government website The US Government has finally published its message on F-1 Visas. The policy sets forth guidelines for international students and gives foreign families a good reason to consider whether attendance at a US college this fall is worth the potential risks. The key tenants of the policy are…
Read MoreNews: Harvard Changes Test Requirements
Harvard announced that applicants for the College Class of 2025 will not be required to submit standardized test scores as part of the admissions application. This is a temporary change.
Read MoreCornell to Drop SAT and ACT for Admissions Next Year Due to Coronavirus
The fact that Cornell University and other elite colleges have dropped their SAT requirements for this fall’s applicants, does not mean that they are relaxing their acceptance standards.
Read MoreUniversity of California System drops SAT, ACT requirement
The implications of The University of California System announcement to drop the SAT, ACT requirement for the 10 UC Universities vary greatly depending on an applicants’ residency status, at least for the next few years. In response to the COVID-19 crises, the UC’s have moved to test optional for all incoming freshman (classes of 2021…
Read MoreAcademic Integrity and You
Throughout the college application process, students and their families will be inundated with acronyms and college vernacular. At times, it may seem that everyone is speaking a new language, and in many ways, they are. While we often miss the intended meaning of new words and phrases, there are some meanings that are too important…
Read MoreWhy Your College Major Doesn’t Matter in the US
It takes a lot of work to get into college these days. Kids are “preparing for college” at ever younger ages. Students, particularly students in and around Asia are groomed for excellence from the time they are in middle school. Parents looking out towards elite college admissions hire tutors to give their children an academic…
Read MoreLooking Beyond Ivy League Schools
Sometimes it feels as if there are far too few colleges out there to meet the demand of the growing pool of industrious students and their parents. Tens of thousands of students and their families put a tremendous amount of energy and hope into getting not just into college, but getting into a ‘good’ college.…
Read MoreMore Than Perfect Grades
Woe to the students of today. Many spend their High School years running themselves ragged (or are run ragged by their parents) with their sole goal of being accepted into a ‘top college’. Now, in no way will I say that gaining acceptance at one of a handful of outstanding colleges is not a worthy…
Read MoreThe Perils Of Helicopter Parenting
All colleges want great students. What parents and students want to know is what really constitutes a great? What is it that colleges are looking for and how do they determine what is ‘great ‘enough? Some of the key factors are widely known and well understood: challenging classes, strong grades and strong SAT scores are…
Read MorePicking A High School: What Matters?
The process of choosing a school for a child can be challenging. There are so many considerations to take into account, and many of these go well beyond academics. Choosing a school for a child within the international community is even more challenging. In addition to everything else, many international parents do not have the…
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