Tag: 12th Grade
IvyWise Live: Class of 2025 College Application Primer With Former Admissions Directors
Events Class of 2025 College Application Primer With Former Admissions Directors DATE AND TIME Wednesday, May 15 7pm ET Free Register ABOUT THIS EVENT After three years of hard work, it is almost time for the Class of 2025 to apply to college! But what comes next? Join IvyWise college admissions counselors for a deep dive into the college application process and how you can set yourself up for success as you look ahead to the 2024-2025 college admissions cycle.
IvyWise On-Demand: College Admissions Q&A for Seniors
Events College Admissions Q&A for Seniors DATE AND TIME On Demand Free Watch Now ABOUT THIS EVENT With many schools offering Early Decision and Early Action rounds, many seniors find themselves with questions about developing the right application strategy for their personal college list. Join IvyWise College Admissions Counselors for an interactive webinar, in which they cover a variety of topics, including deciding whether you should apply to a top-choice school early, how to finalize your list of schools to which to apply, and ensuring that your personal statement and supplemental essays are as strong as can be. At the end of the presentation, IvyWise experts answered attendees' questions about the college admissions process.
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.
FAQs on Contacting Admissions Staff
Are you a high school student eagerly eyeing your dream college? Perhaps you're anxious about your college application and wondering whether it's a good idea to reach out to the admissions office. You're not alone in having these questions, and we're here to provide clarity with some frequently asked questions about high school students contacting college admissions staff.
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?
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.
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.
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.
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?
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.
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?
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.
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.
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?
Getting a Jump Start on College Applications
What's the best college prep that rising seniors can be doing this summer? Preparing their college applications! Checking things off your college application to-do list this summer is a great way to stay busy and will help relieve added pressure and stress in the fall of senior year.
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.
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.
The Ultimate College Admissions Guide for Procrastinators
Are you still struggling to decide where you’ll apply to school? Did finding time to research or attend information sessions manage to escape you? Are you staring at a blank screen, just days away from the deadline to submit an essay to your dream school?
Ten Ways to Demonstrate Interest in Colleges Over the School Year
By Krista, IvyWise College Admissions Counselor and Former and Former Assistant Director of Admissions at Johns Hopkins University Demonstrated interest is an important part of the college application process, and there are a lot of ways for students to show their interest in colleges throughout the school year. Demonstrated interest is the amount of interaction and interest a student has shown in a particular college or university. This includes how they’ve interacted online, in person, and how they show they’ve done their research when applying (or informed interest).
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.
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.