Grade by Grade College Prep Timeline

GRADE 10

●       Prioritize getting good grades in the most challenging classes you can handle.

●       Take the PSAT/PLAN for practice. 

●       Hone in on 2-3 activities that you like best and think about how to pursue them in greater depth throughout high school.  Step up and engage!

●       Make a plan for your community service hours so that are productive and don't look like you are checking off a list.  It’s more fun and rewarding doing it this way too!

●       Plan your summer:  relax and have fun but think about doing something productive as well:

o   Summer camps

o   Volunteer

o   Summer academic programs

o   Take a class

o   Explore an interest

o   Work

o   Practice your sport or special talent

●       If you are an athlete and want to play college sports, you may want to start reaching out to coaches now, depending on your sport.

●       If you want to pursue the visual arts, fashion, or any degree that might require a portfolio, start saving pieces for your portfolio now. 

●       Don’t stress; make it fun and commit to what you love to do. 

GRADE 11

●       Same as grade 10, and …

●       If you think you might be interested in a specific college degree program as a direct admit freshman, such as business, engineering, architecture, computer science, nursing, physical therapy, etc., research what the requirements are and make sure you have taken the highest-level courses in the relevant subjects.  Explore extra-curriculars and electives that offer insight into these areas of study, or shadow a professional. 

●       If you will be applying to selective colleges, or Honors Colleges within a large university, make sure your classes match the requirements, such as foreign language, 4 years of lab science, etc.

●       Attend college fair programs in Seattle.

●       Attend college representative meetings at your school. 

●       Show demonstrated interest to colleges you think might be on your list.

●       Start thinking about what you are seeing and hearing and what is important to you.  What are your values?  What kind of academic and social environment aligns with your values?

●       Start visiting school campuses and explore different kinds of campuses.  You do not need to travel to do this.  For instance, Seattle University is modeled similarly to other Jesuit universities.  Their mission and approach to education is similar throughout.  UW is similar to other state, flagship, research universities.  University of Puget Sound is a great example of a small, liberal arts education.

●       Build relationships with teachers so that they know you when you ask them for recommendations.  Ideal time for asking for recommendations is at end of Junior year.

●       Decide if you want to test and, if so, decide which test, ACT/SAT, is better for you.  Register early to take the tests (they fill up!)

●       If you need accommodations for standardized testing, apply for them months in advance.  It can take 10 weeks to get approval. 

●       Prepare for ACT/SAT (on own or test prep), take first test in Feb/March. 

●       Other exams:  AP, IB. Consider timing so that all testing isn’t happening at the same time.

●       Don’t stress:  you WILL find a best fit college for you!

●       Summer:  make it productive, and begin your applications!  Have drafts of your essays completed by start of Senior Year.  It will alleviate a lot of stress and anxiety.

GRADE 12

●       Continue to take challenging courses and don’t let your grades fall. 

●       Make decisions regarding ED, EA, Regular Decision and Rolling Decision.

●       Finalize your essays, activity lists, brag sheets into counseling office, teacher recommendations, etc.  Your first application deadlines will likely be the beginning of November. 

●       Re-take ACT/SAT if needed/wanted. 

●       Arrange to have standardized test scores and high school transcript sent to colleges by their deadlines. 

●       Financial aid forms (FAFSA and PROFILE) can be submitted as early as October 1.

●       If you have accommodations, make sure your testing and evaluations are current within three years.

●       Do not slack off after submitting or getting acceptance letters.  Colleges can rescind these offers and often will put students on notice if their grades fall off.

●       Plan to visit colleges between April 1 and April 31 if you will be needing to make a choice, or between January and April if you were accepted Early Action. 

Great Remote Summer Opportunities for Juniors

Like most of us, your summer plans were likely cancelled.  This is particularly frustrating when these activities were going to be included in your college applications. Extra-curricular activities and summer experiences provide pleasure, showcase who you are outside of being a student, and offer real life opportunities. Like most challenges, this can also be a time to make lemonade out of lemons. Colleges love students who demonstrate resourcefulness, creativity, and intellectual passion beyond structured activities. I’ve compiled a list of things to consider doing this summer in the absence of sports, camps, jobs, internship and travel.  And, last but not least, my advice to every high school Junior is to get a jump on those pesky college applications and essays (we have a solution for that too!)

Ideas for Remote Volunteering and Community Service:

• BookShare Is designed to help people with reading disabilities. If you are 15 or older, you can volunteer to edit, read a description or scan and proofread documents. 

• Be My Eyes is a free app connecting blind and low-vision people with sighted individuals. As a volunteer, you will have the ability to help people with disabilities manage daily challenges through live video calls.

• Amnesty Decoders is an innovative way for volunteers worldwide to use their computers or smartphones to help researchers sift through critical information. Join a global network of volunteers helping locate and expose human rights violations.

• The Zooniverse provides an opportunity for anyone to help out with important research. Simply select a project in an area that interests you – such as space, nature, or the arts – and get started. You could be part of a new discovery!

• Operation Gratitude is the largest nonprofit in the country for hands-on volunteerism in support of Military, Veterans, and First Responders. Since 2003, the organization has delivered more than 2.6 Million Care Packages and has provided opportunities for countless Americans to forge strong bonds with their Military and First Responder heroes through volunteer service projects, acts of gratitude, and meaningful engagements in communities nationwide.

• United Nations Volunteers. If you’re looking to take your online volunteering worldwide, this is the place to start. UNV connects you with organizations working for peace and development in need of skills like research, writing, art, and design. There are already over 12,000 volunteers from 187 countries lending their talents to organizations around the globe.

• Catchafire. This volunteer search tool is exclusively for online volunteer projects. Each one has a timeline that can range anywhere from an hour to a few weeks. So whether you have an afternoon or several, you can help not-for-profit with tasks like writing thank you letters or editing photos.

• Smithsonian Digital Volunteers. The Smithsonian Institution is the world’s largest museum, education, and research complex, but even they could use a little help sometimes. Help make their collections more accessible by volunteering online to transcribe historical documents or edit Wikipedia articles related to their artifacts and research.

• Translators Without Borders. For those fluent in more than one language, check out this nonprofit that combines language skills with humanitarian aid. Volunteers provide translations (10 million words a year!) to international organizations that focus on crisis relief, health and education.

• Crisis Text Line. Here’s a perfect example of technology being used for good. Become a volunteer to help the Crisis Text Line continue to offer free, 24/7 support for those in crisis. If you’re at least 18 and can commit to volunteering four hours each week, you can apply to be trained for free.

• Project Gutenberg. Founded in 1971, this may just be the virtual volunteering effort that started it all. The goal is to create the largest digital library, and so far they’ve amassed 59,000 free eBooks. Volunteer by donating eligible materials, transcribing books into a digital form, or proofreading others’ work.

• DoSomething.org. DoSomething empowers young people to enact social change both online or off. Volunteer online through one of our campaigns to help solve real-world problems. DoSomething members have used the internet to successfully urge Apple to diversify their emojis, change the dictionary definition of “Black/black”, and create the largest crowdsourced anti-bullying guide.

Are you Politically engaged? Care about an issue?

• You know how everybody says “write a letter to your senator?”  It’s a great time NOW to write a letter to your Senator!

• Even if you won’t be 18 by Election Day, you still have the ability to make a difference in the upcoming election.  Check out Rock the Vote for ways to get involved.

Environmental Interests:

• Clean up trash in your local parks/neighborhoods – do it with other environmentally aware friends but be sure to social distance! (Maybe your school will give you community service hours for this.

• Learn how to compost.

• Start a vegetable garden.

Love to Read?

• Connect with other friends who also love to read and stay connected by starting a Zoom Book Club.

• Start your own book review blog.  Publish it in your school newspaper next year.

Love to Write?

•  Journal about your thoughts, reactions and perspective while sheltering at home.  This may come in handy if you choose to answer the optional COVID question now added on the Common App.

• Start your own blog or publish your articles/stories/poems.  Here is link to 10 journals that publish HS students’ writing. 

Want to learn something new just for the fun of it? Take on on-line class on something you’ve always wanted to learn but haven’t had the time.  Here are some ideas:

• Art

• Coding

• A new language

• Sign Language

• Meditation

• Yoga

• Photography

• Public Speaking Skills and Techniques

And, finally, get a head start on your college applications and essays:  While even in normal times, it’s best to have 80% of your college essays and applications completed prior to the start of Senior Year, this year it’s more important than ever before.  Due to inconsistencies in grading second semester Junior year and the absence of test scores from students who decide to opt in to new test optional policies, admissions committees will be putting more weight on personal statements, supplemental essays and other more subjective areas of the application.  Students must be prepared to write more essays this application cycle.  We are working hard to bring our popular College Application and Essay Summer workshops to our students remotely (If needed) with the same interactive, personal experience that they would receive in-person.  Whether in-person or remotely, your student will:

• Learn how to effectively optimize each component of the application process, including personal essay, activity lists and recommendations.

• Complete a solid essay draft for the Common App and/or Coalition App (UW).

• Understand how to prioritize activity lists and write effective, stand-out activity descriptions within the space constraints of each application format.

• Understand the components of writing an effective “Why Us?” essay.

• Understand best practice usage for optional essay sections.

Sign up for our Summer 2020 College Application Workshops here!

Lastly, each workshop also includes a Parent Night, in which parents join us to learn about the full body of a college application and how they are used.  Parents also get to take part in a small break-out session where they play the part of a college admissions administrator in a mock admissions case study.  This year, we are taking Parent Night virtual and offering it to anyone who wants to join.  Our first two virtual College Admission Parent Nights are scheduled for Tuesday, June 2nd at 6:30 - 8:00 PST and Saturday, June 27th at 10AM - 11:30 PST.

Register for Parent Night here: Parent Night Registration. 

We hope you can join us!

 Stay tuned for updated editions of summer opportunities!  

Free webinar - COVID-19 and the impact on college admissions

Dear class of 2021 and parents,

Many of you have asked for recommendations and advice regarding the Covid-19 crisis and the impact on the college application and selection process. 

Some of the questions we’ve received so far include:

1. With so many test date cancellations, has the weight of the ACT, SAT, AP and IB tests changed at all for the college application process?

2. Given the uncertainty of Junior year grades and testing, are admissions offices evaluating the personal statement, supplemental essay and extra-curricular activities differently?

3. How do I research colleges when visiting is not an option?

With the landscape changing every day, it can feel difficult to plan for the future. Rest assured there are still plenty of ways for you and your student to make positive steps towards a well rounded college application. Please join us for a free online information webinar, where we discuss these topics and open up the conversation to answer some of your questions about college admissions.

• Wednesday, April 22nd at 7:00PM

• Tuesday, April 28th at 7:00PM

To reserve your spot, please find our online registration form here.

We look forward to connecting with you online!

How are trends in SAT/ACT Testing and the College Essay linked?

There are now hundreds of colleges and universities, including more than half of the top liberal arts colleges in the US News and World Reports, that are “test optional” – meaning you can choose whether or not to send in your SAT/ACT scores, and if you don’t, they will evaluate your application on the same level as all others.  This year, one of my students didn’t even sit for the ACT or SAT at all and was accepted to Whitman in the Early Decision round.

47 schools changed their testing policy this year alone, including University of Denver, Marquette, University of San Francisco, Indiana University, University of Chicago, and we are all waiting on the results of the CA law suit that is challenging the discriminatory nature of testing.  If the CA system falls (the biggest client of the SAT), it will certainly be a game-changer for the industry. If you would like to see a current list of test-optional schools, follow this link: https://www.fairtest.org/sites/default/files/Optional-Schools-in-U.S.News-Top-Tiers.pdf

Does this mean you shouldn’t take the SAT or ACT?  The likelihood of a student applying to all schools that are test optional is still low.  Test scores drive most merit and scholarship decisions.  A solid test score can still enhance your application. I’ve seen students with almost exact profiles (including grades, rigor, extra curriculars and strong essays), with the exception of different test scores, get offered very different amounts of merit money.

However, this trend also means that admissions officers are, in general, weighting the value of the application essays more.  The trend away from evaluating test scores as a primary factor in admissions, means applicants will be writing more supplemental essays and the personal statement essay takes on more significance. 

Even colleges and universities that still look at test scores closely, are taking more time to evaluate the essay portion of the application.  UW ranks three things as being “most important” in their decision for acceptance:  grades, academic rigor, and the essays.  Test scores are ranked just below that. That means that they carefully read through the required, multiple essays of 45,000 applications.  University of California/Santa Barbara, as well as most all schools in the UC system, receives more than 80,000 applications a year and ranks the five required “Personal Insight Questions” as “most important”, along with GPA and test scores.

I’ve seen a wrong essay (not poorly written but poor subject matter) sink an application, and I’ve seen great essays make an application stand out.  How do I know?  From hand-written notes on the acceptance letter saying so and examples that admissions reps have shown me that have been the cause of acceptance or a rejected applicant that was otherwise qualified.

Oftentimes, I hear students say that writing is their strength, they “got this” and they will run their essay by their English teacher if they need help.  There is nothing wrong with that, and in many cases, I recommend having your English teacher, especially one who knows you well, be one set of eyes.  But, the school English composition is a very different kind of writing than a personal essay, and teachers do not have time to sit down with admissions representative from all over the country to understand what admissions are looking for in a college essay, what essay content admission representatives see most frequently (and so should be avoided), what makes them tune out and what makes them tune in.  How will your essay stand out from the other 45,000 applications received by UW?

Another trend?  November deadlines for Early Action (non-binding), priority consideration for scholarships, including WUE,  and Honors School applications is the new normal.   This means that you should be at least half way to completing applications and essays by the time school starts in September if you plan on meeting these deadlines. 

Given all this, it’s no surprise that our application and essay workshops were full last year.  For this reason, Andrea and I have increased the number of our week-long application and essay workshops from three to five and are offering a 10% discount if you register by 4/30.  In fact, we feel so strongly about students getting a good start on their applications during the summer, that if our workshops are not convenient for you or don’t work out for any reason, we will refer you someplace else! 

• Registration for our summer application and essay workshops (scroll down to Summer 2020 workshops):  http://www.liddanetutoring.com/summer

Juniors: It’s time to start talking about teacher recommendations for college

It’s time to start talking about teacher recommendations for college. Why am I talking about this so early? Well, I typically advise students to ask teachers for recommendation at the end of Junior year, rather than waiting until Senior year like everybody else. Most teachers only have time to write a limited number of recommendations, and if your student is asking a popular teacher, they may fill up early, so getting your request in ahead of time can be helpful. Most colleges ask for a counselor recommendation and one or two from a teacher. Generally, teachers in your most current coursework are preferred. That means, it’s critical to be building good relationships with your teachers now. Unless otherwise specified, the priorities for asking for teacher recommendations are:

• Ask someone who knows you beyond your grades and attendance and can speak to your character. Almost all teachers will ask you to fill out “brag sheets” so that they can learn more about you and what you do outside of the classroom, but it’s best that they can speak from experiences they have had with you as well.

• As I mentioned above, ask someone who taught you recently, and even better, a college level course, such as Honors or AP level coursework. Sophomore year teachers are not ideal, unless you happen to be taking AP US History, AP English or AP Calc in Sophomore year, which most students aren’t. Senior year teachers will not have had the chance to know you well enough by the time you need the recommendation.

• Teachers from core academic subjects. You should target one from English/History/Social Studies/Foreign Language and one from a STEM class. Elective classes are generally not ideal unless they are fulfilling a core academic requirement or it is relevant to the course of study you are applying to in college.

• Keep in mind that teachers are not required to write letters of recommendations. They are volunteering their personal time to write letters for as many as 20-25 students. They are doing you a favor! Do not take your request lightly, be professional in how you ask, and show appreciation.

If you haven’t already, NOW is the time to think about taking an active role in your education: take on a lead role on a group project, speak to a teacher after class and ask questions or get constructive feedback on a paper, or sit in front of the class and participate. However, teachers know when you aren’t being genuine, so only act with good intentions in the genuine pursuit of knowledge and learning. Don’t just show up - engage!

Juniors: How to interpret PSAT scores and upcoming workshops

Your Junior likely took the PSAT in October. Scores are usually back in the middle of December and you might wonder what they mean. In a nutshell:

The PSAT is an easier and shorter version of the SAT. A perfect score on the PSAT is a 1520, whereas the perfect score on the SAT is a 1600. This means that the College Board is leaving off the 80 most difficult points (40 from EBRW and 40 from Math) and saving those 80 points for the SAT. Therefore, if you are scoring around a 1520, it is possible that your SAT score could be considerably higher, as you may be able to easily answer those final 80 points. If your score is around or below a 1480, you can expect that these PSAT scores will align with your ability on the official SAT examination.

Our advice? Take a full-length practice ACT this November/December or early January and compare your PSAT score with your mock ACT score. The tests are slightly different and oftentimes students will perform better on one than the other, and all colleges accept either. Decide which test is best for you and prepare for that test. The first SAT of 2020 is March 14th, and the first ACT of 2020 is February 8th. We usually suggest 6-8 weeks of consistent prep prior to the test. If you’d like to learn more about how these tests differ or how, where and when to take a mock ACT, please contact either Andrea or me for advice. 

Upcoming Workshops

It’s that time of year where many junior families realize it’s time to focus on college research and figure out how to tackle this process. Many of you have already attended our workshop, “De-Mystifying the College Application and Selection Process”. This is a 2-hour workshop for parents and students, or just parents, that breaks it all down for you, tackles some of the myths and realities you hear about, and gives you some peace of mind. We will be doing this workshop at the offices of Liddane Tutoring the second Thursday of January (1/9), February (2/13) and March (3/10) from 6:30-8:30. The cost is $100 per family (parents and students). If you know of anyone who might benefit from this, or haven’t come to our workshop yet yourself, please come or pass the word along. You can register by calling us at 206-949-1449 or emailing info@liddanetutoring.com.

What you may not know is that we also offer this workshop to community groups as a fundraiser. Do you have a favorite non-profit organization, is your student part of a sports team, choir or band looking to raise money? Are you involved in your High School PTSA or Booster club looking for easy fundraising ideas? We will host the workshop, either at our location or your location of choice, and donate the funds back to your organization. It’s a lot easier than selling raffle tickets and everyone walks away with useful information they can put into action immediately. If you would like to learn more about this opportunity, please reach out to Andrea at info@liddanetutoring.com or LB at lkussick@gmail.com. 

Major College Dates and Deadlines for Seniors

Hello Seniors,

I want you to be aware of all the major dates and deadlines coming up over the next couple of months:

• October 1: FAFSA filing opens

• November 1 and November 15: Most Early Decision and Early Action deadlines fall between these two dates.

• November 15: University of WA application deadline.

• November 30: UW, University of CA and Cal State application deadlines.

• January 1 – February 1: Most regular decision deadlines fall between these two dates.

Keep in mind, policies regarding Early Decision, Early Action, Regular Decision and Rolling Decision change from year to year. Check your prospective schools’ websites to confirm deadlines. Also, occasionally a college decides they want to make things a bit more complicated than they already are and have a deadline that is different than everyone else’s (i.e. - University of San Diego – 12/15 for all applications). So, my advice is – don’t assume and double check. It would be great if you could track all your deadlines in one place – such as the Common App – but because not all schools use the Common App (i.e UW =  Coalition App), you probably want to set up your own spreadsheet with deadlines. 

Also, double check priority consideration deadlines for scholarships, merit aid, WUE, and honors applications.

Taking tests one more time? Remember to sign up early for your preferred location, so you don’t end up having to take a ferry to Bainbridge at 6AM for an 8AM test time.  Here are the fall dates. 

• SAT: October 5th, November 2nd, December 7th

• ACT: October 26th, December 14th

If you have a question about how late you can take the SATs or ACTs and still have them considered in your application, call the college admissions office directly and ask. The test submission deadline is usually later than the application deadline.

Lastly, if you need assistance with essays, supplemental essays, activity lists, or any other section of the application, or if you need last minute test prep, we are here to help!

When Your College Isn't Perfect

Recently, I spent 16 hours in the car with my daughter driving back to Seattle after the end of her sophomore year at a small liberal arts college in Southern California. What I learned took me by surprise.  Car time is always the best time for conversation, and this one didn’t disappoint! I was shocked to hear that she had become acutely aware of all the ways her dream college fell short: problems with the administration, an athletic department that didn’t live up to her expectations, the beloved coach she hoped to play for who left for another school, a social life that she felt was much different than what had been advertised, good friends who were transferring for one reason or the other (in spite of the published 93% retention rate). 

While I knew her first two years had many challenges, I thought they were of the ordinary kind experienced by most young adults. I was under the impression that she was very happy at her school of choice, and I was incredibly disappointed that her dream school had not lived up to her expectations in so many ways.  The complaints continued until I asked, “are you telling me you want to transfer?”  “No,” she laughed, “not at all.” Then she went on to explain how much she loved her classes, how fabulous her professors are, that she feels appropriately challenged and stimulated, how she has enjoyed many of the opportunities she has had, and that she feels good about what she has accomplished and how she has grown. 

While playing her sport didn’t work out quite like we expected, and while she is more of a big-school, Colorado or Northwest type of gal, than a small school California gal, many of the reasons that she chose this school are still valid today. She knew going into it she made compromises. She’s a mountain girl at heart and dislikes the heat; whereas, decent skiing is five hours away from her school and the first month of the academic year often sees temperatures of 100 degrees in the shade. Because she gets energy from being surrounded by many different kinds of people, she would enjoy the social life of a big school, but that kind of environment isn’t best suited to her learning style. Her values are liberal, but she has chosen an environment where students are both liberal and conservative; however, she has appreciated listening and learning to other points of view. She has learned that bureaucracy is bureaucracy no matter where you are.  And, that life always seems greener on the other side, even if she knows it’s not.

I reflect back on the conversations we had when she was a Junior and Senior in HS. Given the contrast in what she wanted socially and what she needed academically, and since she chose the academics and athletics/coaching above the location and social scene, she was well aware of the trade-offs. Two years in, I think she was a bit surprised by the harsh reality of these trade-offs. 

Ultimately, I am relieved that back in High School she did a thorough search, seemed to confidently know her priorities, spent time reflecting on her values and goals, and committed Early Decision to her first choice college, knowing that there was no perfect school for her, but only a best-fit school for what was most important at that time in her life. It helps her reconcile what’s not perfect now.

Like most life journeys, both my kids’ college experiences have not been as expected. They have faced challenges that we could not have anticipated from guidebooks, visits, or from others’ recommendations. Rarely is there a perfect college. A perfect college experience is what the student makes of it. But, it’s a lot easier to make the most of the experience when you know what you are choosing and why you are choosing it.  After that, all you can do is jump in with an open mind and prepare for the unexpected.