COLLEGE ADMISSIONS UPDATE 🇺🇸 JULY 2024 🇺🇸 |
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Monthly Newsletter from VP College Consulting Kansas City-based Admissions Advisor |
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Admissions Stats: Reading Between the Lines |
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On a multitude of college research websites (i.e. US News and World Report, Niche, etc.), admission statistics can be found for each institution. Most compelling to applicants are both the acceptance and tuition rates. For families doing research, it's important to remember: |
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College Planning Jobs for Parents |
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As parents, we're used to doing a lot for our kids, but when it comes to the college application process, it's up to our high schooler to decide on his or her college list and to complete the applications. What can parents do to support their student? |
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Dream School: A Journey to Higher Ed For years, six high school students work hard to earn a seat at America’s top colleges. Will it be enough? This program is the inspiring journey of a diverse group of bright and ambitious high school students working to get admitted into America’s top colleges. |
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Campus residence halls have undergone a metamorphosis in the last generation, largely toward more private accommodations. While many campuses still offer the traditional 2-4 person dorm rooms with a shared restroom on the hall, more common now is the suite-style layout with 2 - 4 students sharing a suite, as well as private rooms. Most students feel living on campus increases their feeling of community and belonging. Toward this end, inviting common spaces have sprouted up to encourage social engagement. Living Learning Communities (LLCs), where students with common interests or majors live and study together are on the rise. These accommodation enhancements are especially beneficial on large campuses where a student could otherwise feel lost. When researching schools, students should look into accommodation options, how challenging it is to secure housing, and at what point most students move off campus. On campuses where most upperclassmen move off campus, what are the housing options and what is the effect on students' feelings of community? What efforts does the school make to provide opportunities for these students to engage? Colleges are excellent at promoting their first year experience to prospective students, but applicants should be sure to look beyond freshman year and inquire about not only housing, but social experiences for upperclassmen as well. |
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Mental Health Resources for College Students |
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Sending a child off to college can be an emotional roller coaster for parents under the best of circumstances. But when their child has experienced significant anxiety or depression it is that much more concerning. With the increase in emotional struggles associated with social media and exacerbated by COVID, according to this March 2023 article from Inside Higher Ed, more college students than ever are reporting mental health challenges. The good news is that more students are seeking help and colleges are reacting by implementing more interventions. Colleges have long offered access to campus counseling services, but the demand has outweighed the supply at many schools, prompting social-emotional training across a wider swath of staff members. Campus well-being plans focus on mental health first aid and suicide prevention, so that all staff are more aware of warning signs, and better prepared to reach out and support students who need it. The University of California system utilizes this Engaging University Faculty and Staff as Mental Health Allies platform to address this need. Another resource colleges are tapping into are peer mentors who are trained to assist their peers with common concerns, exemplified by The University of Albany's Middle Earth Peer Assistance Program. Colleges are becoming more flexible with students who may need to take a break in their studies. More are offering classes or workshops in coping skills, and full programs related to student well-being. University of Oregon's Duck Nest Wellness Center and Bowdoin's Student Wellness Program are just two examples of colleges' efforts to support their students and in doing so, maintain their enrollment by keeping students in school and focused on their academic goals. The National Alliance on Mental Health (NAMI) offers this Mental Health College Guide encouraging students to make a plan for self-care and building a support system, as well as how to find professional help on campus before starting school. As part of their college search, families should look into the mental health or wellness support a college offers that will best meet the needs of their child. |
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Private or Outside scholarships are available primarily to high school seniors and if the scholarship is won, the proceeds go to pay tuition at whatever college a student attends. Deadlines are throughout the senior year. Younger students can search for scholarships and remember them for their senior year, as most are repeated annually. This month we are spotlighting: The Coca-Cola Scholars Program Highly competitive national scholarship awarding $20,000 to 150 high school seniors. Opens August 1st, closes September 30th. https://www.coca-colascholarsfoundation.org/apply/ |
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LIST OF THE MONTH BEST UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAMS FOR PRE-MED |
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Amherst College Boston University Brown University Columbia University Cornell University Duke University Georgetown University Harvard University Johns Hopkins University Northwestern University Rice University
Stanford University University of Chicago University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill University of Pennsylvania Washington University in St. Louis Yale University |
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FUN FACTS The Paris Summer Olympics start on July 26th. Which colleges do you think have produced the most Olympic medalists? The top 10 are USC, Stanford, UCLA, UC-Berkeley, University of Texas, University of Michigan, University of Florida, Ohio State, Yale and Harvard. Which schools are sending athletes this year? |
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VP College Consulting, LLC Overland Park, KS |
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vicki@vpcollegeconsulting.com 913-228-2807 |
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