Insider tips for the week of June 25, 2018

Grades and test scores don’t mean as much as they used to – Jeff Selingo explains that with 50 percent of American teens now graduating with an A average and over 1,000 colleges having dropped standardized tests as an admission requirement, other factors such as demonstrated interest are playing a larger role than before.

Scholarships with July deadlines – JLV College Counseling has a terrific list of over 200 scholarships with fast-approaching deadlines. Share with your student and find a few to apply to!

How a summer job helps with getting into college  – With so many ways for kids to spend their summers, Jenny Anderson makes a strong case for why teens should have a summer job — and the less glamorous, the better.  A great read.

The myth of the Ivy League – Lynn O’Shaughnessy writes about a landmark study that finds college applicants that shared high SAT scores with Ivy League applicants but were rejected from Ivy League schools, saw no difference in earnings with those that were accepted. It is far more important that one goes to college than where, and it is certainly a myth you need to attend an ultra elite college to earn the highest salary.