Tag: 11th Grade

IvyWise Resources

11th Grade

Tuesday, November 14, 2023
Developing “Pointy” Students: Taking a Cue From Fictional Icons 

Developing “Pointy” Students: Taking a Cue From Fictional Icons 

As the college admissions landscape has evolved, these are the more common questions I am getting from students and their families. Yes, grades and test scores remain pivotal, but that’s just the first hurdle. What makes the difference between being admitted, deferred, or denied is a student distinguishing themselves uniquely — what we call being "pointy.
Tuesday, October 24, 2023
Building Your Applicant Profile vs. Telling Your Story

Building Your Applicant Profile vs. Telling Your Story

The college application process is stacked with buzzwords, including the often-used “holistic review” and “hook.” Right now, more and more families are trying to decipher terms like “profile building,” “applicant profile,” and “telling your story.” What do these terms mean, and how do they differ?
Friday, January 28, 2022
Planning Summer Activities During Spring Semester

Planning Summer Activities During Spring Semester

By Tiffany, IvyWise College Admissions Counselor The summer season can be an impactful period in the college admissions process, and it is important to start planning for the longer break now. In fact, many universities prompt students to answer some variation of the “How did you spend your last two summers?” question in their supplemental essays.
Friday, January 28, 2022
Centering Racial Justice in History and Foreign Language Education

Centering Racial Justice in History and Foreign Language Education

By Jonathan, IvyWise Tutor Students around the world are confronted daily with the topics of social and racial justice, whether in their own experiences and communities or, at the very least, in the news and on social media. Students who care deeply about these topics or want to learn more about them might be wondering how to integrate them into their own lessons. There are numerous resources, such as the Zinn Education Project, which provide grade-level-specific teaching materials that center racial and social justice across a variety of subject areas, including art and music, world history and global studies, economics, and even math.
Tuesday, August 31, 2021
What Makes A Competitive Biomedical Engineering Applicant

What Makes A Competitive Biomedical Engineering Applicant

While we are not supposed to have favorite applicants in the admissions process, I will fill you in on my little secret; my favorite applicants to read at Johns Hopkins University were often the Biomedical Engineering (BME) applicants. I loved learning about their innovative solutions to the problems overwhelming healthcare. These students are always so creative, passionate, and excited about making their impact in the world through engineering.
Tuesday, August 31, 2021
The Benefits of a Supplemental Creative Portfolio

The Benefits of a Supplemental Creative Portfolio

By Kelly, IvyWise College Admissions Counselor Have you been drawing in a sketchbook since you were five? Did you receive national/international recognition for your fashion design work through competitions/awards? Are you involved with your community in arts-related initiatives such as mural painting projects?
Tuesday, August 31, 2021
Finding Joy in the College Admissions Process

Finding Joy in the College Admissions Process

By Carolyn, IvyWise College Admissions Counselors When I first begin speaking with students and their families about college, the tone of the conversation is often trepidatious. Students know that this process involves a lot of work and high-stakes decisions, and with that comes an understandable amount of stress. While I do not want to invalidate these feelings, too much stress can have detrimental effects on your mental and emotional health and may even cause some unforced errors along the way.
Monday, August 3, 2020
How to Find Your Best-Fit College

How to Find Your Best-Fit College

There are so many factors to consider when choosing a college. Students are thinking about everything from, “does this school offer the major I want to pursue?” to “will there be pick-up games of ultimate Frisbee on the quad?
Thursday, July 30, 2020
Your Back-to-School Plan During COVID-19

Your Back-to-School Plan During COVID-19

I consider myself a “decider.” I gather all the facts, weigh my options, and make an informed decision. But being decisive these days is hard, with more things to consider than ever when it comes to the health and wellness, both physically and mentally, of our families.
Friday, June 26, 2020
The Value of a STEAM Education

The Value of a STEAM Education

“You know, there’s math in music” my piano teacher said as I lowered my hands from the keyboard. With one simple phrase, she sent my 12-year-old mind into a cyclone, questioning the sneaky places that math might also be hiding without warning. As the daughter of two accountants, I considered this statement as an attack on a whimsical, free flowing form of expression — all of the things I did not know math could be.
Friday, June 26, 2020
Staying Organized with Online Learning

Staying Organized with Online Learning

After schools across the globe suddenly transitioned to virtual learning models in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, many students struggled to adapt to their new online learning environment. Now, as schools make plans for the fall semester, we're seeing that online learning is likely to continue for many primary, secondary, and higher education students for the next academic year, in some format. So what can families expect if online learning continues, either partially or full time this fall?
Monday, June 1, 2020
Books to Help With Essay Writing and Story Telling

Books to Help With Essay Writing and Story Telling

As a former high school English teacher, I always tout the importance of reading as a means to improve one's writing, especially when it comes to the college essay. Author Annie Proulx perhaps sums it up best: "Writing comes from reading, and reading is the finest teacher of how to write."  Reading exposes you to different writing styles, diction, and sentence syntax which can influence, improve, and even inspire your own writing style.
Monday, June 1, 2020
Get Started on Your Common App This Summer

Get Started on Your Common App This Summer

While the Common Application does not open until August 1, the summer is the perfect time for rising high school seniors to get started. Students can create accounts, input basic information, and begin their personal statements. At IvyWise, we encourage students to become familiar with the Common App before senior year so that they can feel confident and prepared as they embark on the college application process.
Tuesday, February 2, 2021
Crafting a Spring College Prep Plan

Crafting a Spring College Prep Plan

With all of the changes that have occurred during the 2020-2021 academic year, it’s understandable that many students may feel off track with their college prep going into the Spring semester. Even if you’re normally really good at sticking to a schedule, it can be challenging to stay accountable when there’s so much uncertainty surrounding the admissions process this fall. As a result of the ongoing disruption caused by COVID-19, some students may be delayed in beginning their college preparation.
Monday, May 9, 2016
5 Easy Back to School Tips

5 Easy Back to School Tips

The next year of school is beginning, but don’t fret! With the right mindset and planning, this school year can be your best yet. Whether you’ll be entering high school for the first time, or already planning for college next year, here are some tips to help you start the year strong and maintain the drive through the fall, winter, and spring.
Thursday, January 26, 2017
7 Things Juniors Need to Do to Prep for College Admissions

7 Things Juniors Need to Do to Prep for College Admissions

Just as hard as it is to look outside in the middle of winter and imagine tulips popping up in nearly two months, it may be hard to comprehend that less than one year from today, current high school juniors will have submitted all of their college applications. These last few months of your junior year involve critical steps that can to the most selective colleges and universities, so make sure you’re prepared. I can’t stress enough how important it is to plan ahead when preparing for the college admissions process.
Thursday, August 3, 2023
Preparing for College Admissions When You Change Schools

Preparing for College Admissions When You Change Schools

  You have it down to a science — you know the best way to get up to speed on class schedules and which clubs to join. Or perhaps this is your first time moving and you’re a little nervous about attending a new school. From a personal perspective, you have so much to consider.
Friday, July 28, 2023
Advice for C Students From a Former Admissions Officer

Advice for C Students From a Former Admissions Officer

“I got a B in AP Calculus,” a student recently said to me. “I guess I won’t have a shot at my dream schools, since I know colleges automatically reject students who don’t have straight A’s.” This is a conversation I often have with students this time of year.
Friday, December 28, 2018
College Prep Milestones: Tackling Test Prep Junior Year

College Prep Milestones: Tackling Test Prep Junior Year

Sometimes, the college process feels like climbing a mountain — a little intimidating, with some obstacles you need to navigate along the way. But if you pick your milestones, break it down into smaller pieces, and remember to have some fun along the way, you will make it to the top. For juniors in the middle of college prep, the second part of the year can feel like you’re staring up a mountain — so what do you do next?
Friday, October 30, 2020
Executive Functioning and Skills Coaching for Academic Success

Executive Functioning and Skills Coaching for Academic Success

How can high school students use executive functioning skills and practice stress management during the college application process? In Semester 5 Episode 6 of our podcast, IvyWise College Admissions Counselor Robin (formerly at Georgetown University and Vanderbilt University), Executive Functioning Team Leader Lorenza, and Executive Functioning Coach Nicki share their top tips on how school high school students can further develop their executive functioning skills and practice stress management and self-care during the college application process. Tune in here!
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