There are a lot of questions out there and we are here to answer them. Stay tune and learn about the ever changing college admissions world.

Wanted to check out colleges in Southern California? Let's find out about some exclusive and unknown colleges like UCLA, Cal Poly Pomona (both public colleges in Southern California), University of Southern California, Loyola Marymount University (LMU - Jesuit campus) and Whittier College. You have your large campuses: USC, UCLA, Cal Poly Pomona Medium size campuses: Loyola Marymount University and a small campus like Whittier.

Let's listen on different experiences from students in the Magis program at Saint Ignatius College Preparatory in San Franciso who took a bus tour, listen to student panels, spoke with college represntatives and their critical point of view, too!

Join us and listen in with the SI College Counseling Team, with over 75 years of college counseling experience, to advise our wonderful parents and guardians regarding the next steps. As your support team expands at St. Ignatius College Counselors, the key thing is to check in with your student on what their needs are versus the wants of others. To utilize the resources available and to ask questions ahead of time as the college admissions countdown begins. Subscribe, learn, and let's move forward TOGETHER! For more information and resources subscribe to our YouTube Channel, as well, @SICollegeCounseling

Here we go again to have the great honor of helping students close one chapter in their high school lives to begin a brand new novel - COLLEGE. This podcast is a recording of a presentation where we cover:

**Role of the Parent/Guardian in the College Process
**What are the Factors in Admissions
**To Test or Not to Test
**College Financial Aid
**Tasks required on Scoir
**The College Application Plan Part II
**Timelines both for Colleges and at Home
**Statements for College
*Demonstrated Engagement & Understanding
**Resources available

and so much more. Listen in and subscribe!

It is time for every senior in the country to look on what they have not done and what they need to get done like:

• Final draft list of colleges
• Their requirements for admissions, interviews, rep visits and financial aid (check this one!)
• Drafts of statements for each application and for each campus (there will be a lot)
• Check with recommenders (two core teachers, counselor and outside recommender if desired)
• Check your emails -- they can see if you read your emails or not
• Get connected with your reps
• All transcripts
• Triple check your list that there are challenge, possible and likely campuses for admissions and paying for college

Good luck!

Seniors it is time to get ready to work on your college applications before applications open up and deadlines approach.

There is a lot you can do like statements, interviews, research and so much more. Let's just listen and let's get GOING!

Lots of changes are moving fast and forward in college admissions due to the decisions made this June by the Supreme Court of the United States aka SCOTUS.

The world of college admissions will be transforming again. Some individuals in society do not know what has happened, many outlets are not talking about it extensively, many discussions are happening behind close doors and individuals are trying to adapt, pivot and understand.

Here is a reflection.

On June 29, 2021, the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) made the decision to stop allowing college admissions across the nation to use Affirmative Action. Since 1978, the Supreme Court has upheld the use of affirmative action as one factor for admissions until today even though colleges throughout time have proven time and time again that the use of holistic admissions has many factors not just one. On this day, it is important that we all understand that research and data have shown time and time again that diversity (race, experience, background, and ideas) benefits not one, but ALL.

We need to continue to move onward and upward TOGETHER despite the decision. As colleges must follow the law like how the UC's and Cal States did when CA voters voted to ban affirmative action in our public system -- it is imperative for all of us to remind students to still honor the stories of students who have illustrated their passions despite it all, demonstrate their strengths despite it all and rise above despite it all.

WE MUST! So everyone can get a fair shot and rise above so we as a nation can rise.

Bob Schaeffer, a long-time warrior and advocate for equity took some time to discuss college admissions, testing, affirmative action, and more. He shared his wisdom with us on the ongoing changes in college admissions in this interview.

Bob has served as Public Education Director of FairTest, since its founding in 1985, and is a member of its Board of Directors. Previously, he was Editorial Writer at the NBC-TV affiliate in Boston, Research Director of the Massachusetts Legislature’s Joint Committee on Human Services and Elderly Affairs, and worked for several years as a research associate at the Education Research Center of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He is author of Standardized Tests and Teacher Competence (School Voices, Fall, 1996) and coauthor of Standing Up to the SAT (ARCO/Simon & Schuster, 1989). He has also coauthored many FairTest publications, includingTesting Our Children: A Report Card on State Assessment Systems, Standardized Tests and Our Children: A Guide to Testing Reform, Implementing Performance Assessments, The SAT Coaching Cover-Up, Test Scores Do Not Equal Merit, and Sex Bias in College Admissions Tests: How Women Lose Out.

It is time to get starting in writing your personal statement. The key thing to is to start writing, but if you need a little bit more help. Here are just tips on how to start. So let's get going.