The Common App is OPEN + 7 Big Changes This Year π
EDITOR'S NOTE:
The Common App is officially open, which means college admissions season is officially underway for the class of 2027! We've been diving into everything families need to knowβfrom decoding confusing admissions terms to keeping up with the latest changes in higher education. Whether you're getting ready to apply this year or just starting the journey, we've got you covered.
In this issue:
π Our College Admissions Cheat Sheet (ED, EA, REA & more!)
π° 7 ways the college admissions process is changing this year
π€ Why AI is becoming one of the hottest skills on college campuses
π Vanderbilt reinstates SAT/ACT requirements for the Class of 2029
π± Is TikTok your college counselor now?
π Indiana University students building a real estate business
π¨ Dorm wall art inspo for move-in day
π― Our Target Dorm Challenge is closing in on 100,000 views!
π A sneak peek at The Corner Clubβour new monthly membership to help families stay organized throughout the college journey
β¨ Make sure to follow us on INSTAGRAM for daily tips, trends, and must-know moments along the college journey!
7 WAYS COLLEGE ADMISSIONS SEASON IS CHANGING THIS YEAR
The Common App opened Saturday, launching the college admissions season for high school seniors at a turbulent time for higher education. While many schools are deeply worried about filling their classes, the most elite institutions will admit only a tiny percentage of the tens of thousands of students who apply. Here are some changes to admissions to watch for this school year:
β’ Some schools are dropping supplemental essays β’ More top schools are requiring ACT or SAT scores β’ Early decision is increasingly important in selective admissions β’ Acceptance rates may continue to dip β’ International students are a big unknown this year β’ Continued fallout from The Supreme Court ruling ending race-conscious admissions
READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE (Just enter your email to get full access)
VANDERBILT REINSTATES STANDARDIZED TESTING REQUIREMENTS FOR FALL 2029
Vanderbilt will reinstate its standardized testing policy for students applying for entry in fall 2029 and beyond, per a July 23 announcement. Students will no longer be able to apply without submitting an SAT or ACT score. This policy will also apply to transfer, international and home-school students seeking undergraduate admissions.
AT COLLEGES, THE AI BOOM MEANS EVERYONE WANTS TO DABBLE IN COMPUTER SCIENCE
With no background in coding, Faith Maeba, a psychology major, was reluctant when her mother first suggested she enroll in classes on artificial intelligence. But the senior at Virginia Commonwealth University began to see it differently as she looked into graduate psychology programs that explore human behavior in the workplace, which is quickly being upended by machine learning. Maeba, 21, is now pursuing a minor in AI. "It's giving me an edge and standing out," she said.
FLORIDA TEEN BECOMES WORLD'S YOUNGEST PROFESSOR AT 18
An engineering prodigy who started college at the age of 10 became the youngest college professor of all time at the age of 18. Guinness World Records confirmed Nathan Thomas, who is now 21, was 18 years and 346 days old when he started teaching at Florida's Miami Dade College in August 2023.
IS TikTok YOUR COLLEGE COUNSELOR NOW?
A new breed of education expert is elbowing aside the listmakers and number crunchers, one 90-second TikTok and Instagram Reel at a time.
When she first started making videos for social media a couple of years ago, Holler Becker thought her audience would be students curious about the college admissions process. Becker, a Philadelphiaβbased college admissions coach and freelance journalist, figured the videos would be both a good way to market her business and respond to the deluge of questions she received from high school juniors and seniors. Her own children told her to start on TikTok, where she'd reach the most kids; she soon expanded to Instagram.
CHEAT SHEET ANYONE?
With the Common App live, it's time to get familiar with the lingo: ED, ED2, EA, RD, and more β so we broke it all down for you. Click the pic.
GIVE YOUR WALLS SOME LOVE
Move-in day is around the corner and your walls deserve some love. Shop our exclusive wall art collection designed to pull your entire room together.
Our interns took on a Target dorm challenge and it's almost at 100K views β and the LOOP TOWEL is the star of the show. Click HERE to see what our interns found (and why everyone's obsessed)!
P.S. Help us get to 100K views!
PICTURE OF THE DAY
This high powered real estate fund is run by college students at Indiana University Kelley School of Business. Click HERE to learn more.
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