Happy July 4th from the Jersey Shore! I am wrapping up work with my seniors and sending them all into the weekend with their Common App drafted and essays drafted. Here are some bits and pieces of news and information from the college admissions world:

~The University of Vermont is adding a round of Early Decision to their application plan this year. My guess is that they are trying to increase their selectivity in the national rankings.

~The Common App has announced that their blackout period will start on July 27th and they will reopen the application for the class of 2023 on August 1st. Make sure you save any work that you have completed so that it rolls over and is ready to go on August 1st.

~Several schools have shifted their application deadlines. The best source of information is the school websites. They tend to move them to an earlier date so take care to determine the dates for the schools on your list so you do not miss any deadlines.

~Test-optional schools have proliferated in the pandemic. Many schools that used to require an SAT or an ACT are allowing students to apply without scores. But there are some schools that require them this year. Applicants to MIT, University of Tennessee and the public schools in Florida and Georgia will need test scores. Double check the requirements of the schools on your list.

~Akil Bello is a leader in the college admissions world and he wrote an interesting piece for Forbes about standardized testing here.

~Many professionals in the admissions world question the UNSWR College Rankings and I advise families to never look at them. This article in the NYTimes about Columbia pulling out of the rankings for the coming cycle is interesting. I hope it is the beginning of the end for the ranking world.

I am signing off for a few days of R&R. I hope you have a relaxing holiday weekend.

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