lesscollegestress
- May 30, 2021
The Human Skills AI Can’t Replace
Two weeks ago, I wrote about how the kind of thinking required to create a strong personal statement is a great brain-training exercise that technology cannot teach or replace. We could say that is true of art, generally speaking. This occurred to me after reading NY Times technology columnist Kevin Roose’s Futureproof: 9 Rules for Humans in the Age of Automation sparked my thought as I read about the types of jobs that will survive AI and assure future job growth. From Roose
20 views
lesscollegestress
- May 23, 2021
Testing, based on fresh data
I reported that I was part of a major data collection effort between a group of independent consultants awhile back. The first part of the data is in! Let’s talk about testing. I encourage all my students to test if they are up to the task. But should you test if nearly all the colleges are test-optional? The numbers bear out that testing matters-especially at the most selective level. At Carnegie Mellon (15%-School of Computer Science 7%, School of Drama, 4%), Brown (5%), Ge
18 views

lesscollegestress
- May 16, 2021
Why Essay Writing Matters Beyond the College Process
Many of the majors and careers students are choosing for employment prospects may work against them. In Futureproof: 9 Rules for Humans in the Age of Automation, New York Times technology columnist Kevin Roose lays out a hopeful, pragmatic vision of how humans can thrive in the machine age. He shares the secrets of people and organizations that have survived technological change, and explains how we can protect our own futures. Roose rejects the conventional wisdom that in or
8 views

lesscollegestress
- May 5, 2021
New Rules
Back in late 2019, I shared a NY Times article and wrote a post about an important Department of Justice ruling that impacted standards and ethics set by the National Association of College Admissions Counselors. In April 2020, I posted a Forbes article about the movement of deadline dates. This, too, was influenced by the DOJ ruling. By then, everyone's attention was diverted to the issue of virtual instruction, and the graduating class of 2020 did not seem to experience muc
34 views

lesscollegestress
- May 2, 2021
Final Senior Decisions*
My last senior decided on his college today! The trend was obviously in favor of larger universities. Every one of these decisions has a story: a strategy (ED/EA/RD), a form of demonstrated interest despite the pandemic, and understanding what the categories of likely, possible, and reach mean. The stress of decision making should have passed, though there are a few students who have decided to remain on waitlists. Most important: positive thinking based on logic--a belief in
36 views