College admissions 101 for students and families Equal Parts

Each year, millions of students across the U.S. apply to colleges and universities. It’s a stressful and exciting process. But this year, due to the pandemic, the college admissions process looks and feels different than in years past. As high school juniors and seniors start to plan for and apply to schools, there are two big questions on the minds of students and parents: what are college admissions officers looking for in this new reality, and how do we increase the chances of getting into (and paying for) college? Vinay Bhaskara has your family covered. He's the co-founder of CollegeVine, an online platform that offers free and personalized college guidance to high schoolers and their parents. Vinay explains the biggest changes to the college admissions process since the pandemic, and he shares valuable tips, strategies, and resources for students and parents on everything from securing the biggest financial aid package to writing the perfect stand-out essay.

Listen to this episode to learn:
-Whether or not standardized tests like the SAT and ACT matter anymore to college admissions officers
-The right time for students to start looking at colleges, and how to guide them in figuring out what they want and don’t want in a school
-Dos and don’ts for essay writing in light of major events like the pandemic and the Black Lives Matter movement
-How to have transparent conversations with your kids about what your family can and can’t afford when it comes to college
-The “myth” of scholarships and financial aid (yes, you should still apply, but most financial aid comes from universities themselves!)
-Where families can go to find free information and tools to navigate the college selection and admissions process

For more information, visit https://www.collegevine.com/