2024-25 Merit Scholarship Deadlines

2024-25 Merit Scholarship Deadlines

By Brittany MaschalSep 12, 2024

College Kickstart compiles a sampling of schools with explicit deadlines, along with some stats to help you gauge the size and breadth of the institution’s merit offerings. In some cases, like Boston University and USC, there is a hard deadline. At other schools, like Indiana University and many other public institutions, it’s a “priority” deadline.

Important Note: There are many schools where an RD app must be received EARLY to be considered for merit. This is why it is so important to keep making progress on your application essays after your first set of deadlines in October or November. Read the application institutions for every school on your list to see if there is a merit deadline that is earlier than the application deadline.

Read more on the College Kickstart blog –> https://www.collegekickstart.com/blog/item/keeping-vigil-on-2024-25-merit-scholarship-deadlines?idU=1

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Colleges That Are No Longer Test Optional – Updated

Colleges That Are No Longer Test Optional – Updated

By Brittany MaschalAug 20, 2024

Colleges have continued to roll back test-optional policies. We will update this post as more policy changes are made.

You’ll need competitive test scores to apply to the following schools:

Auburn (testing STRONGLY preferred; required with under a certain GPA)
Brown
Cal Tech
Cornell (2026 start, require, 2025 recommended for certain colleges)
Dartmouth
Georgetown
Georgia Tech
Harvard
JHU (2026 start)
MIT
Purdue
Stanford
University of Georgia
University of Florida (state-wide)
University of Tennessee (state-wide)
UT Austin
Yale

We have also found it beneficial to send high scores to most other test-optional schools in the top tier, especially if you are applying to a selective major (engineering, comp sci, data science, business, hard sciences) or attend a high school where the majority of students test and test well:

Vanderbilt
Northwestern
Duke
Rice
WashU
Notre Dame
Carnegie Mellon
Tufts
Emory
USC
Boston College
Boston University (exception: General Studies)
NYU
Clemson
Case Western
Villanova
University of Chicago
University of Michigan
University of Wisconsin
University of Virginia
University of North Carolina
University of Illinois
University of Maryland

Reach out to us if you’d like help with your application strategy and deciding if you are a good candidate to apply test-optional.

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The New Ivy League

The New Ivy League

By Brittany MaschalMay 20, 2024

Forbes recently conducted a survey of hiring managers to see which colleges beyond Ivy League and Ivy-Plus (Stanford, Duke, MIT,  and U. Chicago) attract the most accomplished students* and “turn out hard-working, highly-regarded employees.” Top 10’s below!

“New Public Ivies” Top 10: 

  1. Binghamton
  2. Georgia Tech
  3. U. of Florida
  4. U. of Illinois – Urbana Champaign
  5. UMD College Park
  6. Michigan
  7. UNC Chapel Hill
  8. UT Austin
  9. UVA
  10. Wisconsin

“New Private Ivies” Top 10: 

  1. Boston College
  2. CMU
  3. Emory
  4. Georgetown
  5. JHU
  6. Northwestern
  7. Rice
  8. Notre Dame
  9. Southern California
  10. Vanderbilt

Read on here! 

*not sure ‘hiring managers’ can actually weigh in on this… being accomplished is just one tiny factor in how these schools make admissions decisions

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High School Class of 2024 – Matriculation List – Congrats!

High School Class of 2024 – Matriculation List – Congrats!

By BMC BloggerMay 10, 2024

Congrats to the class of 2024!

American University
Boston University*
Boston College
Bowdoin
College of Charleston
Clemson*
Colgate
Cornell*
Dartmouth
Duke
Emory
Georgetown*
Georgia Tech
Harvard
Holy Cross
Johns Hopkins
Kenyon*
Lehigh
Northeastern*
Northwestern*
New York University*
Ohio State
Ole Miss
Penn State
Pepperdine
Purdue
SMU
Stanford
Syracuse
Tulane*
Vanderbilt*
Wake Forest
University of Delaware
University of Illinois 
University of Maryland
University of Miami*
University of Michigan*
University of Richmond*
University of South Carolina
University of Southern California*
University of Texas, Austin*
University of Utah
University of Virginia* 
University of Wisconsin*
WashU
Yale

*2-4+ students attending 

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Class of 2024 Admission Results

Class of 2024 Admission Results

By Brittany MaschalApr 02, 2024

Congrats to all of our seniors! This post includes most of our student’s results released through April 1. 

Alabama*
American
Arizona State*
Bard*
Baylor*
Boise State
Boston College*
Boston U*
Bowdoin
Brandeis
Brooklyn College
Cal Poly Pomona
Cal Poly SLO*
Claremont McKenna
Clemson + Business*
Colby*
Colgate*
College of Charleston*
Colorado College*
Cornell*
Dartmouth
Davidson
Drexel*
Duke
Elon*
Emory
Fairfield*
Fordham*
Georgetown*
George Mason
Georgia Tech*
Iowa
Indiana University + Kelley School of Business*
James Madison*
Johns Hopkins
Kenyon*
Lafayette*
Lehigh*
Loyola MD*
LSU
Lynn
McGill*
Miami Ohio
Michigan State*
Montclair*
Northeastern*
Northwestern*
NYU*
Occidental
Ohio State*
Ole Miss*
Penn State + Business and Engineering*
Pitzer
Providence College*
Purdue + Engineering*
Roger Williams
Rowan*
Santa Clara*
Seton Hall*
SMU*
St. Andrews
St. John’s
Stanford
Stony Brook*
Stevens Institute of Technology*
SUNY Binghamton*
SUNY New Paltz
SUNY Poly
Tampa*
TCU
Tulane*
University of California, Berkeley*
University of California, Davis*
University of California, Los Angeles* + Engineering
University of California, Riverside*
University of California, San Diego* + Engineering*
University of Central Florida*
University of Colorado, Boulder + Engineering* & Business*
University of Delaware*
University of Denver
University of Georgia*
University of Illinois Urbana Champaign + Engineering*
University of Maryland + Business*
University of Massachusetts, Amherst*
University of Miami + Business*
University of Michigan*
University of Nebraska
University of Nevada
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill*
University of North Carolina, Wilmington
University of Oklahoma
University of Oregon*
University of Pittsburgh*
University of Rhode Island*
University of Richmond*
University of Rochester
University of South Carolina*
University of Southern California + Engineering*
University of Tennessee*
University of Texas, Austin + Engineering & Business*
University of Virginia*
University of Washington* + Engineering
University of Wisconsin + Engineering & Business*
Vanderbilt*
Virginia Tech*
Wake Forest*
Washington & Lee
WashU
Wesleyan*
WVU
Yale

*multiple students admitted

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Hillel’s Virtual College Prep Series

Hillel’s Virtual College Prep Series

By BMC BloggerMar 04, 2024

We’d like to share a series of three virtual events from Hillel International, the world’s largest Jewish campus organization.

Session 1 (Recorded):

College Selection: Choosing the Best Fit for You. February 29, 2024 | 12 p.m. ET | 9 a.m. PT – Choosing the right school can be a little (or a lot) overwhelming — especially with so many factors to consider. And while there’s not yet a magic wand or AI to generate the perfect college match, Hillel’s tools and resources can get you pretty close. The first session of Hillel’s Virtual College Prep Series will focus on the college selection process, and provide you with the tools you need to find the best fit, featuring top college counselors, current Jewish college student leaders, and experts from Hillel as well as partners in youth and teen programming.

Session 2:

Careful Considerations: Antisemitism on Campus. April 2, 2024 | 12 p.m. ET | 9 a.m. PT – Since the attack on Israel on October 7, antisemitism has risen to historically high levels in the U.S. and around the world — and college campuses have not been immune from this surge in hate. With antisemitism on the minds of so many in the Jewish community, we want to ensure that Jewish parents and families have the information they need about what antisemitism and Jewish life on campus are truly like right now.

Session 3:

Looking Forward: Hillel’s Exciting Opportunities for Students. May 23, 2024 |  12 p.m. ET | 9 a.m. PT – This session will explore all of the exciting opportunities Hillel has for incoming first-year Jewish college students, including scholarships, graduation gifts, early move-in, travel opportunities, and leadership experiences — for all kinds of Jewish students!

You can register in advance for the webinars here. If you can’t make a session, they are recorded, and you can watch at your convenience.

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Best Summer Programs for High School Students: Law, Government, Politics, International Relations

Best Summer Programs for High School Students: Law, Government, Politics, International Relations

By BMC BloggerJan 25, 2024

The following programs are some of our favorites for students interested in government, politics, law and IR.

Boys State/Girls State participants learn the rights, privileges and responsibilities of franchised citizens. The training is objective and centers on the structure of city, county and state governments. Operated by students elected to various offices, Boys State activities include legislative sessions, court proceedings, law-enforcement presentations, assemblies, bands, choruses and recreational programs. Legion posts select high school juniors to attend the program. In most cases, individual expenses are paid by a sponsoring post, a local business or another community-based organization.

The Benjamin Franklin Transatlantic Fellowship fosters relationships among the younger generation of Europeans and Americans to build strong linkages and an awareness of shared values. The Fellowship engages 45 teenagers from Europe and ten American teenagers (ages 16 – 18) in a four-week U.S.-based exchange program that aims to reinforce the transatlantic relationship. During the Fellowship, participants will explore transatlantic relations, leadership development, critical thinking, diplomacy, community activism, and the media in order to unite young adults around common goals, using the legacy of Benjamin Franklin as a framework. American youth are eligible to participate in the fellowship, but do not travel abroad. This fellowship is funded.

The United Nations Association of Greater Boston’s Summer Institute in Global Leadership offers week-long Model UN programs for students from all over the world to work together and address global issues. Learn about global issues, build skills for life and leadership, and collaborate with students from across the world during our week-long Model UN programs! In-person and virtual options.

The U.S. Department of State’s National Security Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI-Y) program provides critical language study overseas for U.S. high school students through full scholarships to participate in intensive summer and academic year programs. Participants study one of the eight NSLI-Y languages while immersed in the culture and day-to-day life of the host country. NSLI-Y is part of the National Security Language Initiative, a multi-agency U.S. government initiative launched in 2006 to improve Americans’ ability to engage with people from around the world. NSLI-Y plays an important role in preparing U.S. students for the 21st century’s globalized workforce and contributes to national security. NSLI-Y participants serve as citizen ambassadors, representing the diversity of the United States abroad and building lasting relationships with people in their host countries. If you have a passion for learning languages and want to immerse yourself in a foreign culture, this program may be for you! No previous language skills are required. NSLI-Y languages: Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin), Hindi, Indonesian, Korean, Persian (Tajiki), Russian, Turkish.

Onero Institute Virtual Teams. ​The Onero Institute produces high-level content on international affairs topics in new and creative ways. They develop projects specially designed for social media platforms to better engage young people on global issues and to bring credible content to an increasingly important space. Join the Virtual Engagement Team to take part in this unique area of today’s international discourse. If you would like to join but need more experience developing such projects, participate in the Virtual Engagement Program (VEP) to build up your skills in graphic design, concise writing, teamwork, and research.

The Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate is dedicated to educating the public about the important role of the Senate in our government, encouraging participatory democracy, invigorating civil discourse, and inspiring the next generation of citizens and leaders to engage in the civic life of their communities. They now offer virtual programming.

Temple of Understanding Internship Program provides individuals with a hands-on learning experience of the work of the United Nations for four and a half intensive weeks. Students often discover their passion for a career in foreign affairs and related fields. Applicants are from different parts of the United States, as well as many other countries. Students accepted into this program have the opportunity to meet with different Missions and NGOs for discussions based on their specific questions and interests. Applicants are from different parts of the United States, as well as many other countries, and must be 17 years old by June 20 of the given Internship year.


Senate Page Program

Contact your senator’s office for more information on applying to be a Senate Page.

For Rising 9th Graders

The Summer Law Institute (SLI) is a five-week, summer law program for students who have just completed their eighth grade school year. The Summer Law Institute pushes rising ninth graders to see themselves as young professionals-in-training. The program exposes them to positive and successful role models, involves them in professional activities, and places them on a path that can lead to the fulfillment of their dreams. Students who complete the SLI are eligible to apply to our 4-year College Bound program.

Volunteer/Internship Opportunities:

Rock the Vote

US Department of Education

For the Many

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Best Summer Programs for High School Students: Engineering

Best Summer Programs for High School Students: Engineering

By BMC BloggerJan 12, 2024

The following are some of our favorites for students interested in exploring engineering.

Lincoln Laboratory Radar Introduction for Student Engineers (LLRISE)

The LLRISE program is a two-week summer institute for rising seniors that teaches students how to build small radar systems. The project-based enrichment program challenges students to build a Doppler and range radar.

COSMOS UCSD, US Irvine, UC Santa Cruz, UC Davis

The COSMOS program is a four-week residential program designed by the UC schools. Each campus focuses on different subject areas, all admitting their own “cluster” of students. The courses are taught by UC faculty and researchers. Students choose from nine different clusters, which include engineering design, biodiesel from renewable sources, tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, and more.

MIT Beaver Works Summer Institute

The MIT Beaver Works Summer Institute (BWSI) is a rigorous, world-class STEM program for talented students who will be entering their senior year in high school. The four-week program teaches STEM skills through project-based, workshop-style courses. BWSI began in 2016 with a single course offered to 46 students, a mix of local daytime students and out-of-state residential students. It is typically a 4-week residential program for rising high school seniors and the program is free. They also offer online courses.

National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Summer High School Intern Program Research

NIST research is subdivided into six organizational NIST laboratories that conduct research in a wide variety of physical and engineering sciences. The labs respond to industry needs for measurement methods, tools, data, and technology. Six laboratories participate in the SHIP program.

Due to the multi-disciplinary nature of NIST’s research, students should look through the different websites above to discover a best-fit project area. The following information describes the types of research performed by each laboratory. See research projects done in previous years.

MIT Women’s Technology Program (WTP)

The MIT Women’s Technology Program (WTP) is a rigorous four-week summer academic experience to introduce high school students to engineering through hands-on classes, labs, and team-based projects in the summer after 11th grade. WTP is a women-focused, collaborative community aimed at empowering students from groups historically underrepresented and underserved in engineering. They especially encourage students to apply who will be the first family member to attend college, who come from high schools with limited access to STEM classes and activities, or who are African American, Hispanic, or Native American.

Minority Introduction to Engineering and Science (MITES)

The MITES program is a six-week-long residential program geared toward rising seniors from underrepresented or underserved communities. The program aims to provide the skills and knowledge necessary for pursuing a career in the STEM fields. Students take one math course, one life sciences course, one physics course, one humanities course and an elective course. Placement is determined by diagnostic tests that are administered to all students during the orientation period of the program.

AI Scholars

AI Scholars Live Online is a 10 session (25-hour) artificial intelligence bootcamp that exposes high school students to fundamental AI concepts and guides them to build a socially impactful project. Taught by a team of graduate students from Stanford, MIT, and more, students receive a personalized learning experience in small groups with a student-teacher ratio of 5:1.

HK Maker Lab, Columbia

The Hk Maker Lab is a summer engineering design program at Columbia Engineering that places high school juniors and seniors in pre-college, project-based courses with Columbia University faculty. This program is designed for students from backgrounds that are underrepresented in STEM and who have financial needs.

CATALYST Academy

CATALYST Academy is a one-week residential program for rising high school juniors and seniors from underrepresented backgrounds who desire to learn about engineering and careers within an interactive milieu.

Cooper Union Summer STEM

Summer STEM is an opportunity to try engineering for the first time or to dive deeper into engineering teamwork. Each 3- or 6-week class covers college-level topics and activities completed by The Cooper Union undergraduates in their first or second year or explores student and faculty research projects. Current high school students in grades 9, 10, 11 and 12 can apply.  This selective program encourages all curious, compassionate, and college-interested students to apply regardless of prior experience.

Manhattan College

The School of Engineering offers several programs throughout the year to introduce high school students to the field of engineering. Free or low cost.

Google Computer Science Institute (Summer Before COLLEGE!)

Google’s Computer Science Summer Institute (CSSI) is a three-week introduction to computer science (CS) for graduating high school seniors with a passion for technology — especially students from historically underrepresented groups in the field. CSSI is not your average summer camp. It’s an intensive, interactive, hands-on, and fun program that seeks to inspire the tech leaders and innovators of tomorrow by supporting the study of computer science, software engineering, and other closely related subjects. It is a 3-week program, and it is free.

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Best Summer Programs (+Other Extracurriculars) for High School Students: Business

Best Summer Programs (+Other Extracurriculars) for High School Students: Business

By BMC BloggerJan 11, 2024

The following programs and other ECs are some of our favorites for students interested in business.

LEAD

Morgan Stanley JumpStart Scholars in Finance is a 5-month virtual, immersive learning experience designed to develop a pipeline of ambitious high-school seniors into the world of finance.

LEADing for Life GSLI REEX  is a residential program that will focus on developing a Pipeline of high-achieving, students (current high school juniors) by providing an immersive learning opportunity and preparation in Commercial Real Estate.

Fordham University, Various Programs

Young Women’s Business Institute (Kelley)

The Young Women’s Institute (free!) introduces young women to the college experience and business career opportunities. Students are selected from around the country to spend a week at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana. While at IU, students:

  • Participate in workshops with top Kelley School of Business faculty
  • Interact with Kelley alumni and current students
  • Prepare a real-world business case project
  • Build leadership and communication skills
  • Connect with like-minded women interested in business

TCU Investor Challenge

Are you a high school student entering your senior year? Apply for the TCU High School Investor Challenge®. [not yet updated for 2024; keep checking back at their site!]
The McCombs Summer High School Programs 
Free, six-day experiences focused on business and leadership that offer rising junior and senior high school students the chance to learn and interact with McCombs students, faculty, and corporate representatives. Outstanding African-American, Latino and Native American students, first-generation students, and students who have overcome social or economic hardship are strongly encouraged to apply. However, all students are welcome to apply.
Business Opportunities Summer Session (BOSS)
BOSS is a two-week in-person program held on Penn State’s University Park campus for high school students interested in pursuing a business education in college. It’s an opportunity for these students to take college prep and business fundamentals courses taught by Penn State faculty.  Sample schedule of what the two weeks would be like.
The University of Pennsylvania, Wharton
The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania hosts tons of paid programs and they are NOT posted here. Many of Penn’s past “selective” programs, like LBW, are now run by Summer Discovery and are not selective. We suggest these lower-cost and free options!

Wharton Global High School Investment CompetitionWharton Connect

Wharton Explore Business Mini-sites

Our Explore Business mini-sites are gateways to conversations, readings and activities that inspire high school students to think more deeply about issues affecting business and society. Dig into these Wharton-powered learning opportunities wherever and whenever you want to explore timely and compelling topics. Our mini-sites include:

Understanding Your Money

Understanding Your Money is a self-paced online course for high school students. This course offers an introduction to fundamental economic concepts, investing, and basic money management to help you make smarter financial decisions. In addition to online video lessons delivered by Wharton faculty, the course includes links to related readings, activities and glossary terms, as well as quizzes to test students on what they have learned.

Non-“Program” Ideas We Love

Get a job!!! Wait tables, scoop ice cream, clean pools, landscape, construction, clean changeovers at hotels, grab a paper route — not glamorous, not always fun, but highly valuable.

Khan Academy Modules

Free Online Classes from Top Colleges & Universities

JUV Consulting

  • Gain experience with prototype testing and feedback, give your opinions and perspectives on trends, be a part of potential focus groups, contribute to school outreach programs, and participate in brand ambassadorship opportunities. Learn more here.

Learn Bloomberg and Financial Modeling via Excel

Internships and Shadows

  • Just about anything goes here, but getting one on your own might be preferred by some schools over shadowing a parent; getting a real job instead can also help balance this out!

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Understanding the Relationship Between Parent and Teen Mental Health

Understanding the Relationship Between Parent and Teen Mental Health

By BMC BloggerJan 03, 2024

The medical community declared a national emergency in child and adolescent mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, new research is helping to shine a light on another important aspect of the story — the mental health of parents and the influence of their health on teens. We see this influence make a difference during the college admissions process. 

Head over to the Harvard GSE website to watch a short video that discusses strategies to better support the mental well-being of parents and caregivers with a view to preventing anxiety and depression in adolescents.

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