Admissions Academy Blog

Disaggregating Racial and Ethnic Data

•  Posted by Sarah Ziegler on July 22nd, 2008 in Admissions
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In response to advocacy efforts from current students, the UC application for fall of 2009 will now allow students to self-identify their racial and ethnic background in greater detail. The number of Asian-American categories, for example, will expand from 8 to 23. The move is designed primarily to help support underrepresented Asian groups find resources once they get to UC, not to provide an admissions advantage or disadvantage (as public schools, the UC’s do not practice affirmative action or give preferential admission by race). The Common Application in recent years has also expanded students’ ability to identify themselves by allowing multiple ethnicity and county of origin choices (currently, the Common Application provides a choice of nearly 250 countries of origin).

To learn more about the UC’s efforts, click here.

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Gap Year and Deferring College

•  Posted by Sarah Ziegler on July 11th, 2008 in Extracurriculars
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Students are drawn to time off between high school and college for a number of reasons. Some students are graduating early or are young for their grade. Some are unsure they’re emotionally mature enough to make the most out of their college experience. Others may have special projects or goals they’d like to pursue before they return to full-time studies. For example, David Stuart, the youngest recipient of the MacArthur “genius grant,” took time off to devote to studying Mayan culture and language.

The number of students participating in gap year experiences is small but growing in the U.S. While some students strike out on their own, many students participate in programs organized by agencies such as AFS, Brown Ledge, City Year, Dynamy, or Rustic Pathways.

Students considering a gap year should generally proceed with their college applications as if they were not taking time off. Most colleges are happy to support students in deferring admission for a year, as long as students can demonstrate that they have a productive plan and use for that time off. If you’re unsure, check college’s websites for their gap year or deferment policies.

To learn more about different gap year opportunities, check out The Gap Year Book or The Gap-Year Advantage.

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Summer Melt

•  Posted by Lori McCormick on July 11th, 2008 in Admissions
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This year has been coined the most unpredictable admissions cycle in memory. Many students are still waiting for a final answer from their first-choice wait listed school while others are realizing the financial impact of college tuition. The shifting of last minute college decisions is what college Admissions offices call The Summer Melt.

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