If you are concerned about how this might affect you, here are a couple of things you should know.

1) Some counselors work with hundreds of students, and simply do not know their students well enough, or have the time to write hundreds of detailed and thoughtful letters. If your counselor has a caseload of 500 students and elects to not write a letter for you, admissions offices will not penalize you for that. They understand that your counselor has too many students to work with and too little time, and will leave it at that.

2) On the other hand, if you go to a small school, admissions offices will expect a written evaluation from the counselor for every student. In that situation, it might appear strange if your counselor declines to write a letter for you. If you go to a small school, but don’t know your college counselor very well, there is still time to make a good impression! 

3) You can ensure that your counselor will write you a detailed letter, but only if you take the time to build a relationship with him or her. If you are worried that your counselor may not know you very well, it’s not too late. Make an appointment with your counselor; ask if s/he would review your college list with you, or help you edit your essays. Even just spending some time in the counseling office, researching colleges or working on your applications, will provide an opportunity for your counselor to learn who you are, and see your commitment to the college process.   

Of course, you can’t control what your college counselor actually ends up writing about you, but you can do some things to better the chances for a positive evaluation.  

Until now, applicants to Ithaca have had two application options.  They could apply by November 1 as an Early Decision applicant to receive a binding admissions decision by December 15.  Alternately, they could apply by February 1 as a Regular Decision applicant to receive an admissions decision by April 1.  Starting this fall, Ithaca College will offer a third option: to apply by December 1 under a non-binding Early Action deadline to receive an admissions decision by February 1.

The new application option will allow students who are excited about Ithaca College (but perhaps not ready to commit to attending) to still apply early and show their enthusiasm for the college.  Note that because of the audition and interview process, applicants to the Music or Theatre programs cannot apply Early Action.

Applicants will also have the option of not submitting SAT or ACT scores.  Students with a strong academic record in school, but relatively weaker test scores, can feel less anxious about applying to Ithaca.  However, home-schooled students and students who attend schools with descriptive (as opposed to alphanumeric) report cards must submit an SAT or ACT score; all international students whose first language is not English must also submit a TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) score. 

Notably, the MCAT is placing more of an emphasis on the social sciences than it has in the past.  On the 2015 exam, in addition to two sections on the Natural Sciences, there are going to be two new sections: Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior (yes, that is the name of one section) and Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills.  The Writing Sample section will be eliminated.  In all, the updated exam will be about an hour longer.   

With the addition of Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior, and Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills, the AAMC is recognizing that health is influenced not only by purely biological and natural science factors, but also by our psychology, behavior, society, and culture.  The two sections will test students’ accumulated knowledge in the social sciences, and also their reasoning ability in social science disciplines through analysis of various passages. 

Considering the coming changes to the MCAT, it’s important to reflect on how this could change your academic trajectory.  Physicians are expected to be well-versed in more than the sciences, and to have a more holistic worldview.  If you are considering a career in the medical profession, be sure to include a solid base in the humanities and social sciences in your college coursework.  This will help prepare you to take the MCAT, and ensure you have covered the breadth of knowledge and skills that will be expected of you in medical school and beyond.

Test takers who are worried about having an “off day,” will now have the option of retaking the test without needing to share the lower score.  However, applicants will have to submit scores for an entire administration of the exam, meaning they cannot send sections of GRE scores from different dates.

With the addition of score choice for the GRE, it could become a more popular test for business school applicants who would otherwise have taken the GMAT, which requires applicants to submit all scores. 

ETS’ new policy gives the applicant more control in the graduate school application process.  Just remember to check-in with the schools you are applying to before deciding to send just one, or all, of your GRE scores.  Some graduate schools may want to see your entire score history to provide context for your test scores, and others may not have a preference.  Either way, your best plan is to follow the recommendation of the Admissions Office.

This week, the Common Application announced the addition of 37 new member colleges, raising the total number to 490.  The new members include 9 public colleges, 5 overseas universities, and 2 historically black colleges.  You can see the complete list of new members here.

They have also released the updated versions of the 2012-2013 applications for freshman and transfer applicants.  While the official application will not be available until August 1, you can see a preview of the 2012-2013 applications with the updated sections highlighted.  Here are links to the new freshman and transfer applications.

Elmhurst College began to ask applicants about their sexual orientation last year.  Elmhurst is affiliated with the United Church of Christ, which endorsed gay marriage in 2005.  They even have some scholarships available for students who self-identify as gay in order to foster a more diverse campus community.

Asking students to report their sexual orientation on an admissions application or prior to enrollment serves a dual purpose.  It is important for practical reasons so that colleges know what types of resources and support services they will need to provide for the incoming students.  It also demonstrates that colleges recognize the value of a diverse student population, not just in terms of ethnicity and geography, but sexual orientation, as well.

For more details, you can read the full story at The Choice, a New York Times blog about college admissions.

Kelly Walter, Assistant Vice President & Executive Director of Admissions at Boston University, announced this week that they will no longer require freshmen applicants to submit SAT Subject Test scores.  The only exceptions to this will be for students applying to the Accelerated Medical and Accelerated Dental Programs.  All freshmen applicants must still submit either the SAT or the ACT with Writing.