Twin XL: The Podcast pod617

In this episode, we watch the Netflix documentary Operation Varsity Blues: The College Admissions Scandal so you don’t have to! We’ll discuss what happened in this now-infamous case, what this documentary brings to the conversation, and most importantly, what parents can learn from this whole situation (Lesson one: NO BRIBERY!).
Operation Varsity Blues: The College Admissions Scandal
2019 College Admissions Bribery Scandal on Wikipedia
Rich students get better SAT scores- here’s why
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In this episode, we’re focusing on a specific group of listeners- the parents of high school seniors who are about to make a choice about where to attend college in the fall. How has the pandemic impacted their students’ college search? Is it harder to get in this year? Did a lot of members of the Class of 2024 defer their acceptance or take a gap year, and does that mean there’s less room in the Class of 2025? We are joined by Emily Roper-Doten, Dean of Admission and Financial Aid at Olin College of Engineering, to hear about what’s really going on in admissions this year and how parents can be supportive as their students make this big decision.
Ten Ways to Help Your Teen with the College Decision
Vaccine timing fortunate for admissions
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It’s been ten months since our last episode, and we are excited to bring you season 2! To kick things off, we’re looking back on what we knew about colleges and their plans in May 2020, what has happened since, and what we might expect to see in the Fall of 2021. How can parents help their students manage the ongoing stressors of the pandemic and make decisions about what to do this fall?
Some colleges and universities are planning for a “more normal” fall semester
Could fall bring some return to normalcy? These colleges say yes.
Colleges Requiring COVID-19 Vaccine
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Parents and students want to have assurances from campuses that the fall semester will happen … either in person, online or a combination. Ultimately, families are looking for a guarantee … but, there is no guarantee right now. With all the uncertainty Laura and Beth chat with Michael Horn, who speaks and writes about the future of education and works with a portfolio of education organizations to improve the life of each and every student. He is the author of the book Choosing College, which "strips away the noise around college to help students and parents understand why they are going to school and how to make better choices, as well as aids schools in designing better experiences."
More on Michael Horn: https://michaelbhorn.com/about/
https://www.forbes.com/sites/michaelhorn/2020/04/26/for-this-years-graduates-a-year-of-purpose/#3bee87ee60ba
https://www.forbes.com/sites/michaelhorn/2020/05/07/what-students-can-do-on-a-gap-year-during-the-pandemic/#26ae2b5f760b
https://www.globalcitizenyear.org/
https://www.insidehighered.com/admissions/article/2020/05/19/one-third-high-school-seniors-say-they-will-defer-or-cancel-rather
https://slate.com/technology/2020/05/online-college-fall-2020.html

Laura and Beth examine how colleges and universities are addressing these annual traditions – both transactional (registration, housing, etc.) and celebratory in real time. These resources are a start, but we would recommend parents and families have conversations with their student about keeping communication lines open with one another on these issues, and when communicating with campuses, remember that while people are working remote, most institutions are maintaining standard operating hours, and be respectful of those hours.
https://www.vox.com/the-goods/2020/4/1/21197425/coronavirus-missed-graduation-milestones-students
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/13/us/Coronavirus-college-commencement-ceremonies.html
https://www.cnbc.com/2020/04/02/how-the-class-of-2020-became-the-class-of-covid-19.html
https://www.collegian.psu.edu/news/campus/article_130cc190-7451-11ea-88e8-aba53418dc50.html

Laura and Beth are joined by Dr. Rich DeCapua of OneClass and Dr. Pat Whitely of the University of Miami to discuss higher education’s response to the Coronavirus pandemic and offer thoughts about how parents can manage the early and unexpected return of their students.
CDC Coronavirus Page
Inside Higher Ed Coronavirus Page
Campuses Shutter for Coronavirus, Leaving Some LGBTQ Students with Nowhere to Go
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