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Washington Post: College rankings are leaving out the most important factor
Do prestige and selectivity equal great undergraduate teaching?
Mark Moody
Oct 11, 20242 min read
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From NYT: "Careerism Is Ruining College"
"It’s called pre-professional pressure..."
Mark Moody
Sep 24, 20243 min read
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"After Decades of Competitive Admissions, Getting into College Has Finally Become Easier"
It might actually be *easier* to get into college than it was 10 years ago, despite the online panic.
Mark Moody
Sep 17, 20242 min read
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UC Admission Stats for 2024
College Kickstart has compiled and published the University of California system admit rates for 2024. At the link, you can break down...
Mark Moody
Sep 12, 20241 min read
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On Selectivity, Magical Thinking, and Sunny Campuses
Human nature and probability.
Mark Moody
Sep 4, 20243 min read
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8 Essay Keys from Experts, Summarized by ChatGPT
There's a lot of talk about using ChatGPT, as it gets more sophisticated, as a constructive tool. I had a wild thought and asked ChatGPT...
Mark Moody
Aug 16, 20245 min read
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The joy (no, really) of the college admission essay
Reflection, personal growth and confidence through 650-word mini memoirs.
Mark Moody
Jul 29, 20244 min read
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Ron Lieber and NYT on College Cost, Value and Affordability
One college already costs $100,000 per year; exploring affordability and value.
Mark Moody
Jul 29, 20242 min read
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Prestige, pre-professional degrees and hiring
Prestige and pre-professional degrees are not necessarily guarantees of a future job
Mark Moody
Jul 29, 20245 min read
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Authenticity, please...
There are better ways to spend time in high school than paid research opportunities and "branding" efforts.
Mark Moody
Jul 29, 20242 min read
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Class of 2028 Admission Statistics
College Kickstart is compiling 2024 application cycle admission rates and links to full reports as colleges make them available. Follow...
Mark Moody
Mar 19, 20241 min read
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Fairtest: "Test Optional is Real!"
This new report from the National Center for Fair and Open Testing looks at the numbers behind test-optional college admission policies....
Mark Moody
Dec 14, 20231 min read
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Admission Dean Advice: What NOT to discuss at the holiday table
Whitney Soule, the wise Dean of Admission at the University of Pennsylvania, offers some valuable thoughts on keeping the pressure off...
Mark Moody
Dec 7, 20231 min read
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FAFSA Delays will impact Financial Aid awards this year
As I've mentioned elsewhere this fall, the FAFSA application for federal student aid is being updated this year, and was delayed from the...
Mark Moody
Nov 28, 20231 min read
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Guest Blog by Sara Purviance: Modeling Gratitude for Our Teens
I'm grateful (see what I did there) to Sara for sharing these timely thoughts about gratitude. Sara was my colleague for several years,...
Mark Moody
Nov 22, 20234 min read
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AI in College Admission News and Opinion Roundup
Since ChatGPT created a massive cultural paradigm shift last year, one of the hottest topics and biggest questions in college admission...
Mark Moody
Nov 20, 20232 min read
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Yes, still more commentary on US News Rankings...
If you scroll through my blog archives, you'll see plenty of articles and commentary I've shared about the deeply flawed US News College...
Mark Moody
Nov 20, 20232 min read
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Students and Parents: Keeping balance and protecting well-being amid college pressure
The conversation about college in the US continues to feel fraught with uncertainty, with changing admission practices post-pandemic,...
Mark Moody
Nov 20, 20232 min read
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Pomona College goes Permanently TO
Here's some good news in the college admission world amid an increasingly confusing standardized testing landscape. Pomona College, one...
Mark Moody
Nov 16, 20231 min read
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"Writing an Effective College Admissions Essay: Honesty is the Best Policy." Guest Blog Part 3
Post 3 of 3 (Read Pt 1 & Pt 2) Writing an Effective College Admissions Essay: Honesty is the Best Policy Anne Elrod Whitney, Ph.D. My...
Mark Moody
Nov 4, 20235 min read
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