Call or Text Nicole Kennedy (732) 687-1986
College Counselor, Holmdel, NJ
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INVITED BY NORTHEAST FINANCIAL NETWORK TO SPEAK AT COLLEGE SEMINAR
I'm proud to announce that I have been invited to speak at a college planning seminar for Northeast Financial Network. I'll be providing an hour-long overview of the college process to help parents and students understand the road ahead as they navigate the journey from high school to the next phase of their education. All ages are welcome!
Wednesday, March 6, 10:30-12:00
Monday, April 8, 6:30-8:00
Sign up below:
https://forms.gle/FZxs6zmoLZ5oyaui9
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Class of 2024--And it's only February!!
I know it's early, but I'm just so excited for them! Here's a preliminary list of acceptances for this group of incredibly hard workers.
Arizona State University
Auburn
Catholic University
Clemson
College of Charleston
Drexel
Fairfield
FAU
FIU
FSU
Fordham
Georgetown
Georgia Tech
Hofstra
Indiana
Iowa State
James Madison University
Lehigh
Northeastern
Northwestern
Ohio State
Penn State
Pitt
Providence
Purdue University
Rose Hulman
Rowan
Rutgers
Seton Hall
Stony Brook
TCNJ
Temple- Japan
Tennessee
Towson
University of Alabama
University of Delaware
University of Indiana
University of Maryland
University of Miami
University of New Hampshire
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
University of Pennsylvania
University of Rhode Island
University of Tampa
University of Tennessee
University of Texas at Austin
University of Wisconsin
Virginia Tech
Wake Forest
West Chester
West Virginia University
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Business Schools, 2024
Business School Interest?
If your student is planning to major in business, definitely take a look at the new rankings from Poets & Quants. You will be surprised at some of the changes. I was!
The top ten are your usual suspects, but there's sooo much substance just beneath them. Options abound!
The first page has the methodology, and the last has the full rankings.
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Ripple effects
It's an interesting read on the ripple effects of the Supreme Court's affirmative action decision in June.
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Oh, that SEC football...
This article is indicative of the admission trends at many of the large, Southern schools.
(Think SEC football!)
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Breaking news, June 29, 2023
Supreme Court Rejects Affirmative Action, Updending Decades of Precedent
-Apple News
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“On the banks of the old Raritan”
RUTGERS is FINALLY on Common App!!!!
1. You no longer need to fill out a separate RU or Coalition application.
2. If you haven’t been through the application process, this is bigger news than it seems. I’m all for anything that streamlines the process!
3. Just thinking…will RU see the influx of applicants that other state schools have seen in recent years? 
4. Will RU’s acceptance rate drop?
5 How might that affect NJ students in particular?
6. RU a future Scarlet Knight?
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Rankings-Shmankings
With the May 1st deadline approaching for seniors to make their final college decisions, I know the angst that comes with having to select one school over another. There are endless metrics you can use to make that final choice. If you’ve followed the exodus of colleges removing themselves from the U.S. News and World Reports rankings, then you know that so much of the data is self-reported by colleges–with no real oversight.
Colleges self-reporting data-->move up in the rankings. Great new rankings to report-->more magazines sell. More magazines sell-->no oversight into the data being reported.
An oversimplification? Sure. But you get the point.
The rankings system also feeds the frenzy of applications. "I need to be on one of the top 20 engineering programs." Actually, you don’t. Some of the most successful people I know notably did not come from our elite schools. Is there success at the top of the college pyramid? Of course. But is there success further down in those increasingly tainted rankings? You bet.
So how should you decide which school is “better” than another one that you really like? Simple. Go wherever you think you’ll fit in best—not just academically—but socially, emotionally, and financially as well. I’ll even throw geographically in there, too! Ask yourself which school offers the most for you. The happier you are, the more you’ll achieve. And that is your own true definition of success. No ranking, no matter how nuanced or objective, can ever quantify that.
Good luck, Seniors, with your decisions!
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Let’s Talk AI
My own family has been teasing me that ChatGBT is going to put me out of business. (They can be great that way.) Having read hundreds and hundreds of essays, I was skeptical, so I decided to put it to the test. Here’s what I typed verbatim:
Write a 650 word essay about overcoming the challenges of a torn meniscus during field hockey season.
(Not a topic I would ever, ever approve, by the way!) Yet it certainly suffices for the purpose of me understanding my artificial competitor, given that it directly answers Common App essay prompt #2. The results were impressive! I won't deny “it” that.
–Perfectly structured
–Near perfect spelling
–A decent understanding of the consequences of a sports injury
–A really good medical understanding of a torn meniscus and its recovery timeline
Here’s the downside, and I’ll get to the ethics in a minute.
The writing is flat. Really, really flat. As in–it took me one quick scan to know intuitively that this essay would warrant a “DENY” from an AO. College essays are a student’s one chance to breathe life into an otherwise black and white set of data points. This essay is supposed to be what I call The Story of You, and there is simply no AI that can write the The Story of You with all of your humor, vulnerabilities, and humanity while capturing the overall tone of, well, you. This essay could be anyone's, and generic will get you nowhere in college admissions. Trust me on that.
Now back to those ethics. Those of you who know me personally know where I come down on that. Think about academic integrity. Think about your conscience. Then think about your acceptance being rescinded for not writing it yourself.
My final review? It’s impressive, no question there! But—of course there’s a BUT. While you don’t have to use me, don’t make the mistake of thinking that an artificial intelligence can think for you.
Now, I’m about to go share this post with my family.
I’m attaching the essay below for you to read. (The last line is where the system stopped itself.)
Playing field hockey requires agility, speed, and quick reflexes, which can put an immense amount of stress on the knee joint. As a field hockey player, I faced a major challenge when I tore my meniscus during the season. The road to recovery was long and challenging, but it taught me valuable lessons about resilience, patience, and determination.
A torn meniscus is a common injury in athletes, particularly in those who play sports that involve sudden changes of direction or pivoting movements. The meniscus is a piece of cartilage that acts as a shock absorber between the thighbone and the shinbone. When it tears, it can cause pain, swelling, stiffness, and instability in the knee joint. In my case, I felt a sudden sharp pain in my knee while playing a match, which made it difficult for me to move.
Initially, I ignored the pain and continued playing, hoping that it would subside on its own. However, the pain persisted, and I realized that it was more than just a minor injury. I consulted a doctor, who recommended an MRI scan to confirm the diagnosis. The scan revealed that I had a torn meniscus and would require surgery to repair it.
The news was devastating, as it meant that I would have to miss the rest of the season. As a competitive athlete, I was not used to sitting on the sidelines and watching my team play without me. Moreover, I was worried that the injury would have long-term consequences on my career and my ability to play at the same level again.
However, I soon realized that dwelling on the negative aspects of the injury would not help me in any way. Instead, I decided to focus on my recovery and do everything in my power to get back to playing as soon as possible. This meant following a strict rehabilitation program that included physical therapy, strength training, and rest. At first, the recovery process was slow and painful. I had to use crutches to move around, and even simple tasks like climbing stairs or getting dressed were challenging. The physical therapy sessions were also painful, as I had to stretch and strengthen my knee muscles, which had become weak due to inactivity. However, I reminded myself that every step I took was one step closer to recovery, and that gave me the motivation to keep going.
As the weeks went by, I noticed gradual improvements in my knee's mobility and strength. I could walk without crutches, and the pain and swelling had subsided significantly. However, I was not yet ready to play field hockey again, as my knee was still not strong enough to withstand the stress of the game. To speed up my recovery, I consulted a sports physiotherapist who specialized in treating knee injuries. She helped me design a customized training program that focused on strengthening my knee muscles and improving my balance and agility. The exercises were challenging, but they were also fun, and I enjoyed pushing myself to do better each day.
After several months of hard work and dedication, I finally got the green light from my doctor to start playing field hockey again. I was ecstatic, but I knew that I still had a long way to go before I could play at the same level as before. I started with light training sessions, gradually increasing the intensity and duration as my knee got stronger. I also worked on improving my technique and learning new skills that would help me compensate for the weakness in my knee. Eventually, I was able to rejoin my team and play in matches again. Although I was a bit nervous at first, I soon realized that my knee was holding up well, and I could play without pain or discomfort. I was grateful for the experience, as it had taught me the importance of resilience and perseverance in the face of adversity. I also learned to listen
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Sign of the times…
Florida State University releases decisions tomorrow. Sounds typical enough.
But if you are the PARENT of a student who applied to Florida State University, then YOU received an email yesterday from the school with resources for helping your child through the stress of the admissions process. They also provided links for mental health (great!) and ways to mitigate disappointment.
Their resources are fantastic and thoughtful. Truly. Good for FSU.
I guess I’m just sad, though, that we’ve gotten to a place where the pressure in admissions is so intense that a college needs to email parents ahead of time offering advice about how to brace your child for the coming decision...
All the more reason to make sure your child has multiple colleges that he or she loves, not just one!
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Well, this explains a lot!
Well, this explains a lot!
To anyone feeling a bit discouraged about those OOS acceptance rates, read this. Take a look at their in-state goal of 80%. That's a high bar for the rest of you given that UGA received 43,600 applications, and it's frustrating for qualified applicants.
But don't let the (yet again) record breaking number of applications feed the stress you're feeling. Instead, hold your head up high and know that there are literally dozens and dozens of schools that can be a perfect fit for you.
I applaud UGA for being so forthcoming about their admissions data and wish more schools would provide this type of helpful data.
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Great Article. It's all about the right Fit.
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Clemson Applicants
Clemson Applicants
I know so many NJ student were disappointed last night, and I feel for you. You are qualified students, so what happended?
With such an extraordinary number being DEFERRED, I called and spoke to their admissions office directly.
Clemson deferred 63% of out-of-state applicants because this is their first year of doing Early Action. They have no historical data about how many admitted students will now accept a seat, so once they have a better understanding of that number, they can be accurate about how many more to accept in the next round. A long winter’s wait…
This trend is happening across the board, especially in the South. For example, as many of you know, UGA deferred 11,500 students out of 26K, many of whom are OSS applicants. A trend, for sure!
So as I always say, MAKE SURE YOU HAVE ENOUGH SAFETY SCHOOLS!!
And to those who got in, a huge congratulations is in order. Wow! Hats off to you!!
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ED/EA/RD, Class of 2023
What a busy application season it's been so far!
Nice work and good luck to all who made yesterday's EA/ED/RA deadlines! Now begins the long wait for so many… Remember, though, that there are still many more rounds to come, so keep working on those supplemental essays.
There are some very early acceptances coming in, which is why it’s great to add a rolling admission school to your list, if possible.
- American University
- Appalachian State
- Alabama
- ASU
- Auburn University
- Boston College
- Boston University
- Bucknell University
- Clemson University
- Coastal Carolina
- College of Charleston
- College of the Holy Cross
- Drexel
- Fairfield
- FAU
- FSU
- JMU
- Lehigh University
- Michigan State
- Missouri State University
- Northeastern
- Ohio State
- Oklahoma State
- Ole Miss
- Penn State
- Pitt
- Providence
- Purdue
- Quinnipiac
- Rutgers
- Seton Hall University
- Syracuse University
- UC, Denver
- University of Florida
- University of Miami
- University of Michigan
- University of Richmond
- University of South Carolina
- University of Tampa
- Virginia Tech
- Wake Forest University
- West Virginia University
Keep in mind that the South is extremely popular right now in the admissions process with so many students jockeying for the same ten or fifteen schools. If you’re applying to that region, make sure you also have the right number of target and safety schools on your list. Avoid a top-heavy list, and be sure to balance a competitive and realistic one instead.
Good luck, Seniors!!
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My Oh-So-Delicate and loving Letter to Parents
I’m the parent of a junior. I’m in the same boat as you. From the day my son was born, like everyone else, I vowed to do whatever I could to help him be successful in life. Yet, I’ve also been dimly aware that I’m raising a man, not a dependent, rather someone who needs to come into his own. Little by little I’ve watched him start to gain his independence. It all sounds philosophically great…
Except—he has to write his college essays. By virtue of what I do for students, it will be nearly impossible for me to keep my hands off his keyboard. But I’ll do it. I am doing it.
Confession: maybe that speaks less about my self-control than it does about my knowledge that I can actually hurt him by trying to help him.
Teenagers are their own breed. If you have one, you know it. You live it. Even the easiest ones are still, well, teens. They’re both impulsive and deliberate, naive and savvy, whimsical and thoughtful; they act like they’re 22 one minute and 6 the next. The future is wide open to them.
Conversely, when we had our children, our lives changed forever. We know what it’s like to worry all night about a sick child and also feel genuine joy for life through their eyes. We’ve lived through 9/11, lost parents, and paid mortgages. All of these experiences shape our worldview. For better, for worse, they define who we are: mostly middle-aged parents. (speak for yourself!)
Experiences solidify our personalities, and that resonates in everything we do. That includes your writing. You’ve likely taken courses after high school, maybe been to college, or earned an impressive graduate/post-grad degree.
Sooooo,
Shouldn’t that make you a better writer than your junior in high school?
Shouldn’t that make your perspective about life different from that of a teenager?
Shouldn’t your vocabulary be better?
Your sentence structure?
Let me be clear: Yes, it should.
When you attempt to “help” with their college essays, I can guarantee you are doing a disservice to their application. Help quickly becomes tampering.
As a former English teacher, it’s fair to say that I’ve read thousands of essays in my life. And that pales in comparison to what admission officers read per year. That means I can sniff out a fake by the end of the first paragraph. And admissions officers? They got you at hello.
Language is fluid, punctuation is malleable, and even spacing morphs. Your grammar and punctuation probably do not align with formal, current SAT/ACT teachings. MLA? Remember that? Your advanced writing ability does not (and should not by this age) align with your student’s track in junior year of English, nor does your perspective, voice, or tone.
You are doctors, lawyers, technical writers, bankers, teachers, CEOs, CFOs, etc.
Of course you can make their writing better!
But don’t. Know their ceiling. Know the limits of a 17 year old.
I say this lovingly and empathetically. Let your teens write their own essays. Keep your hands off their keyboard. Instead, ask them to read it to you and give verbal feedback. No one knows them better than you, so your feedback IS extremely important. However it needs to come in the form of commentary, not revision. I like that paragraph where you… You forgot about the time when you…. Maybe you can rephrase that part where….
But whatever you do, keep your hands off the keyboard. And please, someone just tie mine behind my back now.
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SAT vs. ACT
I’m not a good test taker.
I’m a slow reader.
Math is so hard for me.
I hate science.
If one of these lines sounds familiar to you, you’re in good company. It’s a very rare person who can say, “I’m excellent in every subject.”
Just as we all have our own style preferences in life, so too we all have our own style preferences in learning—and testing. One of the best advantages you can give yourself on the objective portion of your application is to know your own testing preference.
Here in the Northeast, the SAT often overshadows the ACT. Schools offer mock SATs but not mock ACTs, so naturally the SAT becomes the default test for most students. It’s unfortunate because they are very different types of test.
Your reading rate, processing speed, and understanding of science all play a role in how well you perform on one versus the other. A third party—like a school, a friend, or me—should never dictate which test you prepare for and eventually take. The amount of time, effort, money, and stress that goes into test prep is significant, so make sure you spend all of it wisely.
(FYI- if you’re not into throwing hundreds or thousands of dollars at a test, Khan Academy is partnered with The College Board and is a great free resource for the SAT, and there are countless free videos and mock ACTs available through a quick Google search.)
All in, each test takes approximately three hours. While it definitely won’t be the most fun three hours of your life, take the time to sit for the one you weren’t offered in school: take a mock of each. Compare your results on a concordance table, a chart that allows you to match your SAT score to your ACT score and can be found easily online. You’ll likely be surprised to find that you, too, have a testing preference. Then, study for the test with your higher score.
Two commonly asked questions:
- Do colleges prefer one test over the other? Resounding no.
- Is everything still test optional this year? Mostly. Some schools and states, however, are starting to add test scores back into the required portion of the application, so be sure to check each college individually.
Part of heading into adulthood is learning to understand yourself better. It will be true for the rest of your life in everything you do, so start now and take the time to find out how you test better. No need to be part of the crowd and take whatever your friends are taking or your school is offering. In fact, no need to be part of the crowd at all. I think you’ll find that your success and happiness always come best by truly understanding yourself.
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Eyes Wide Open
Last week I came across some daunting statistics:
- University of Maryland received over 50,000 applications this year, accepted 24,000 and only enrolled 6,035 freshman
- University of Tampa’s acceptance rate dropped from 48.8% to 27%
- University of Georgia’s average SAT range has moved from 1350 to 1420 in just the last four years
- And school after school is touting its “lowest acceptance rate yet”
It sounded stressful, but once I digested them, I reminded myself that you, the student, are in control of the application process more than you may realize. Ultimately, you are the one who decides which schools are worth the commitment, the essays, the application fee—and the next four years of your life.
Cautionary tale: The application process is not an arms race to binge-apply anywhere you can. You don’t need to apply to 15+ schools! I had a student this year who applied to 23 colleges (against my very strong and vocal advice!) figuring that he would throw everything against the wall to see what sticks. With test optional policies, why not?
Only two stuck.
2/23 is a harsh reality check that could have been avoided. This student did not fit the parameters for these schools. He chose prestige over reality. Those rejection letters slowly chip away at a student’s confidence. They erode college enthusiasm. They destroy hope. It’s devastating to watch, but there’s no reason to put yourself through that.
So how should you handle the overwhelming influx in applications? Start by being realistic about your admission chances. Take a minute to honestly evaluate your transcript, test scores, resume, etc., and self-select in or out of a school. Don’t be lured by schools simply because they are the names you hear your friends discussing. Do your due diligence with a school’s standards, and then go into the application process with your eyes wide open. Understand your strengths and acknowledge your weaknesses. How do you compare to last year’s admitted freshman class? A simple reality check will save you time, money, and lots of heartache.
Most importantly, though, go into this admissions cycle knowing that you will go to college, if you choose to do so. If you keep your eyes wide open, you’ll see that there’s a college for everyone. I promise!
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The Importance of The Safety
Just ask the class of 2022. College admissions were tighter than ever before, with the acceptance rates of many schools dropping into the single digits. Waitlists were plentiful, making final decisions more complicated by prolonged hope. Call them what you will: victims of circumstance, academic casualties of test-optional policies. I call them rockstars for enduring uncertainty with grace- and ultimately achieving success.
But what lesson should the class of 2023 take away from this year?
Students never find a shortage of reach schools. These are the big names, the dominant sports programs, the elite acceptance rates, the ones sought by the entire country. There's no disputing that those top 50-75 schools are amazing, and kudos to all who got accepted this year.
However, to the '23ers, be very careful not to create a college list that is top-heavy with those famous reach schools. By all means, add a few (using realistic parameters, of course!) Wish, hope, and dream away!
But balance is everything, both in life, and on a college list. It starts with being honest about yourself, including your academics.
So find a safety. Find two. And then find three. Make sure you love them. Make sure you can see yourself there.
Make sure that balance leaves you with choices this time next year.
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Big SAT changes for current freshman! Digital, Adaptive, Shorter— and Friendlier??
Current Freshman:
First, if you’re uncomfortable with the new SAT changes and don’t want to be a College Board guinea pig, remember that the ACT remains a consistent testing option with years of reliable test prep materials behind it. Consider it!
Next, current freshman will be given the NEW SAT format on the PSAT during the fall of junior year. This means you’ll have some exposure to it before it officially counts! Seeing it even once will help you, but hopefully the College Board will release a solid test prep book at some point!
And yes, the class of 2025 can take BOTH the old SAT format in the fall AND the new SAT format in the spring. So again, if you’re someone who only wants to study using tried and true prep materials, another option is to test only in the fall of your junior year. (This might be a better choice for prospective National Merit students or high test scorers.) Lastly, change can be good! If you decide to take the new SAT in the spring of your junior year, as many typically do, you’ll be in the same boat as the rest of the country. You’ll all be trying something new together.
Oh—-and what does “adaptive test” mean anyway? It means the computer will select the level of your test questions based upon how you’re doing as you move through the test. If you’re getting easy sections correct, you’ll move on to harder sections.