Information for Seniors from the Brookline High College & Career Center
*We have adapted the Newton North High School document for BHS students.
We miss the opportunity to personally be there to share your achievements and support you in disappointment in college decision messages over the past few weeks. As always, please reach out to your assigned counselor at their email address or BHS College Counselor Lenny Libenzon at [email protected] or phone (617-388-8913) with questions, concerns,and/or support.
Due to COVID-19, colleges have temporarily closed and are developing virtual learning platforms for their current students. If you were planning on visiting colleges that you were accepted to, you will now need to make an informed decision using alternative methods. Below we have listed ways for you to learn more about the colleges to which you have been accepted. Click HERE for a great article to get started.
We are also learning that some colleges have postponed their May 1 deposit deadline. Click HERE for a list of the colleges who have adjusted their deposit date so far.
*We have adapted the Newton North High School document for BHS students.
We miss the opportunity to personally be there to share your achievements and support you in disappointment in college decision messages over the past few weeks. As always, please reach out to your assigned counselor at their email address or BHS College Counselor Lenny Libenzon at [email protected] or phone (617-388-8913) with questions, concerns,and/or support.
Due to COVID-19, colleges have temporarily closed and are developing virtual learning platforms for their current students. If you were planning on visiting colleges that you were accepted to, you will now need to make an informed decision using alternative methods. Below we have listed ways for you to learn more about the colleges to which you have been accepted. Click HERE for a great article to get started.
We are also learning that some colleges have postponed their May 1 deposit deadline. Click HERE for a list of the colleges who have adjusted their deposit date so far.
We are resharing the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) link which provides an online tool for information about changes in college admission events, deposit dates, and more as a result of the coronavirus outbreak. Click HERE to access this tool.
Lastly, please check your colleges’ websites to find out their most accurate deposit date, and email us if you have any questions. We have listed below additional resources to help you during this challenging time. Please know that we are here for you!
WAITLISTED?
TRYING TO MAKE YOUR COLLEGE DECISION?
UPCOMING VIRTUAL COLLEGE ADMISSION EVENTS:
Click HERE to access a google doc listing colleges and institutions who are planning to host virtual events in the coming weeks and months. This page will be updated on an ongoing basis, so please check back on a regular basis and confirm with your college’s website for most accurate information.
ADDITIONAL WAYS TO LEARN MORE COLLEGES:
FINANCIAL APPEAL LETTER
Have your families’ finances changed with COVID-19 pandemic? Click below for a great article from Going Merry about how to write a financial appeal letter with examples: https://www.goingmerry.com/blog/financial-aid-appeal-letter/
FINANCIAL AID WEBINARS
MEFA, the Massachusetts Educational Financing Authority, is also providing free "After the College Acceptance" webinars to provide guidance on understanding financial aid letters, making the college decision, and putting together a plan to pay for college. The webinar is recorded and you can view it at any time at: https://www.mefa.org/collegebound2020/
WERE YOU PLANNING TO TAKE A GAP YEAR?
Were you planning to take a gap year and now have some questions? Email Mr. Libenzon directly or visit teenlife.org and gooverseas.com for interesting gap year opportunities.
AP TESTS
The College Board released the newly revised AP Exam schedule, more specific information about the tests, and their security measures. Their official announcement can be found HERE. Click below for AP tests updates - https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/about-ap/news-changes/coronavirus-update
Lastly, please check your colleges’ websites to find out their most accurate deposit date, and email us if you have any questions. We have listed below additional resources to help you during this challenging time. Please know that we are here for you!
WAITLISTED?
- First and foremost, decide if you would like to stay on the waitlist and let the college know, following their specific guidelines delineated in your waitlist letter.
- Write a letter to the college indicating three things: a) your continued interest in this school, b) your improved grades since the application, c) any achievements you’ve made in your activities. *Since COVID-19 has made this spring unprecedented, certainly feel free to address how you are spending some of your extra time- perhaps mention books you are reading or hobbies/activities you are pursuing.
- There is no need for additional recommendation letters.
- Make sure you commit and deposit to the school that has accepted you straightaway, as
chances of being accepted from the waitlist can be very low at most colleges.
TRYING TO MAKE YOUR COLLEGE DECISION?
UPCOMING VIRTUAL COLLEGE ADMISSION EVENTS:
Click HERE to access a google doc listing colleges and institutions who are planning to host virtual events in the coming weeks and months. This page will be updated on an ongoing basis, so please check back on a regular basis and confirm with your college’s website for most accurate information.
ADDITIONAL WAYS TO LEARN MORE COLLEGES:
- Accepted student Facebook groups and college managed portals - Join these groups to “meet” others who were accepted and keep connected with updates from your colleges.
- Compare how much money it will cost you to attend each of the colleges you’ve been accepted to: How much money- out of pocket- will it cost you to attend a specific college/university? If you applied for financial aid and have received financial aid awards from multiple colleges/universities, this is a really helpful resource for comparing financial aid awards and net price: COLLEGE COST COMPARISON CHART If you need assistance deciphering your financial aid letters, please click HERE to see “How to Understand Your Financial Aid Letter” from the College Essay Guy.
- Contact your colleges! Email admissions representatives and the financial aid office and ask them any questions you may have. Their answers will be important in helping you and your family make an informed decision.
- Read Campus Newspapers - Check out online editions for the latest campus news and events. Some of these news vehicles, like the The Massachusetts Daily Collegian at UMASS Amherst also offer an option to receive campus news by email.
- Take Virtual Tours
- YouVisit - https://www.youvisit.com/collegesearch/ - experience 1,000+ colleges & universities in virtual reality
- CampusTours - https://campustours.com/ - provides interactive campus maps and college tours
- YOUniversity - https://www.youniversitytv.com/ - college video tours provided
- CampusReel - https://www.campusreel.org/ - videos created by students. Not quite as many videos as you can find on YouTube, but they are better organized.
- Watch YouTube: There is an abundance of information both official and unofficial posted on the web. All you have to do is search “Your favorite college + you tube” or “Your favorite college + your favorite topic.” Colleges and students post about everything on YouTube. If you want to know about the food in the dining halls or what the dorms look like, you can find it online. You can get unofficial campus tours, rants about what students like and do not like, info about specific classes, and much more. Many schools also have official YouTube pages with official tours, lectures, and news. Here are some samples from Northwestern University:
- Northwestern’s official page: https://www.youtube.com/user/NorthwesternU
- Watch the rock in real time: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EdQPn86BfCE
- Northwestern’s promo video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOUvOTmLScA
- Here’s an engineering major taking us through a week at Northwestern: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTWAJLBKWp
- View Aerial tour or aerial photos - If the college doesn’t have one on their site, google ‘(name of school) aerial tour’ or ‘(name of school) aerial view’. This will give you a good perspective of how large, or how small, a campus will be. You can also see if the campus and community are bicycle and pedestrian friendly, or if you will need to rely on a car or buses to help you get around.
- Visit Daytripper University - a great “go-to” site to get impressions of the communities at many colleges. Not only have its co-owners taken journeys to colleges from the perspective of parents; the site also features student campus correspondents.
- Check out this amazing New Spreadsheet with all of the above resources and College Board data combined!
FINANCIAL APPEAL LETTER
Have your families’ finances changed with COVID-19 pandemic? Click below for a great article from Going Merry about how to write a financial appeal letter with examples: https://www.goingmerry.com/blog/financial-aid-appeal-letter/
FINANCIAL AID WEBINARS
MEFA, the Massachusetts Educational Financing Authority, is also providing free "After the College Acceptance" webinars to provide guidance on understanding financial aid letters, making the college decision, and putting together a plan to pay for college. The webinar is recorded and you can view it at any time at: https://www.mefa.org/collegebound2020/
WERE YOU PLANNING TO TAKE A GAP YEAR?
Were you planning to take a gap year and now have some questions? Email Mr. Libenzon directly or visit teenlife.org and gooverseas.com for interesting gap year opportunities.
AP TESTS
The College Board released the newly revised AP Exam schedule, more specific information about the tests, and their security measures. Their official announcement can be found HERE. Click below for AP tests updates - https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/about-ap/news-changes/coronavirus-update