Colleges and Universities that are test-optional in 2021-2022

 The number of colleges and universities that are test-optional for 2021-2022 is vast! Here's a list of many of those schools from an organization called Spark Admissions. There are some notable omissions for Washington state students, like Western Washington University, Central Washington University, and Eastern Washington University which are all test-optional. This list also erroneously lists the Evergreen State College as "test-flexible". It is actually test-optional.

This list also contains schools that are 'test-flexible' meaning that above some GPA threshold they are test-optional. Not a great situation for Gibson Ek students, but as always if you find yourself in that position reach out and we'll work through it.

What Colleges and Universities Will Be Test-Optional in 2021-2022?

Washington State University makes Test Optional Permanent

 Following the University of Washington, the WSU Board of Regents has voted to make permanent the test optional policy instituted during the pandemic emergency. From the email I received this morning:

"On Friday, March 12 the Washington State University Board of Regents voted to eliminate the SAT and ACT tests in the admissions process. The vote also recommends that SAT or ACT scores no longer be considered for scholarship and tuition waivers.

In response to COVID-19, the Washington Student Achievement Council allowed public universities in the state to waive or make optional the SAT and ACT for students applying in the 2020 and 2021 admission cycles. WSU opted to waive the test score requirement.

The Board of Regents decision makes that permanent for the WSU system.

Beginning with the 2022 admission cycle, students are no longer required to submit an SAT or ACT score per university policy. Instead of using these scores, admissions officers will rely on metrics, including grade point average, that better reflect a potential student’s ability to succeed. This change eliminates the ambiguity that can persist when universities make tests optional. It also alleviates the financial and structural barrier to taking the tests. The admission application for fall 2022 will open in August 2021."

Class of 2022: Young Women's Leadership Summit 2021

 

PLU announces Nurse and Educator Dependent Commitment

 Pacific Lutheran University has made an extraordinary commitment to the dependents of nurses and educators who chose to attend PLU by committing to covering at least 50% of the cost of tuition through PLU scholarships and grants. Here it is, direct from PLU:

"Greetings from PLU! I have exciting news to share about our new Nurse & Educator Dependent Commitment, which guarantees that at minimum half of the tuition of dependents of nurses and K-12 educators will be covered by PLU-funded scholarships and grants. 

The fields of nursing and education have been fundamental to PLU throughout our history, and preparing our students to serve their communities as thoughtful, highly-trained, and effective nurses and educators reflects our mission of service, leadership and care. This commitment to incoming first-year students who have a parent or legal guardian working as a nurse or K-12 educator is just one of the ways that we are continuously striving to honor our community and ensure that a PLU education is affordable and accessible. In fact, LendEDU recently ranked PLU the #1 college in Washington for financial aid, and #9 nationally. 

There is no separate application needed for students to be considered for the Nurse & Educator Dependent Commitment, as our free application for admission includes questions about the occupations of parents/guardians. Students do NOT need to major themselves in Education or Nursing to be eligible for this commitment. 

You'll find details about the Nurse & Educator Dependent Commitment here. I encourage you to share this email with your colleagues and the communities in which you work - we're excited to spread the news about this new resource for students."

Conducting a College Search in the Time of COVID-19

Tuesday, October 13, 2020 6:30PM – 7:30PM

 Join KCLS online to gain perspective on the current state of college admissions, including: conducting a college search, researching colleges, preparing to apply. Please register by 5pm on October 12 to get a Zoom link. If you haven't received the Zoom link by 5pm on October 13, please contact Carrie, clbowman@kcls.org.

World Language & Leadership with OneWorld Now

Registration for OneWorld Now's 2020-2021 Afterschool Program is NOW OPEN! This year, OWN has 3 tracks to choose from: the World Language Track - where you can study Arabic, Mandarin Chinese, Korean, or Russian two days a week and earn high school credit; the Leadership Track - where you can develop your personal, societal, cultural, and global awareness and build skills to enact positive social change (credit option pending); or BOTH, which is called the Global Citizen Track. The deadline to register is September 27th, but all classes will be capped at 17 students and are first-come, first-served. 

Detailed info about the 2020-2021 After-school Program

Video (1:39 min) that outlines the program

Interest Form, for students who are interested

Registration Form - Deadline September 27th

Contact Caitlyn Lamdin: caitlyn@oneworldnow.org

Flipping the question of Why Now? in college admission...

 There's an insightful article in Forbes that provides some ideas about how seniors can re-contextualize those plans, internships, and participations that have been upended by the changes wrought by the COVID19 pandemic. It's worth a read!

Why Now in College Admission?