Last week, Lisa and Stefanie attended the IECA annual conference in Connecticut and ended their time away by visiting six colleges in the area. Here are some important takeaways from the conference before getting into the college recaps.

1.The College Essay is More Important Than Ever. Despite the growing presence of AI/ ChatGPT, many colleges emphasized that an essay can make or break an application--even the largest public universities! The common theme was that they are seeking authentic student voices, nothing too polished (which would be enough for the application to go to the "no" pile), and original/creative stories that let the schools get to know the applicant and how they will impact their future communities.

2.Grade Inflation is Rampant. At one presentation, we learned that at a sample feeder public high school for Georgia Tech, the GPA average for an applicant was 99.25. A sample grade distribution at a private high school revealed that 62.8% of the class received As, 34% Bs, and 3% Cs and Ds. Additionally, ACT and SAT scores fall as GPAs rise. What does this all mean? A lot. But what was ultimately emphasized outside the lack of preparedness many students face, is that there is a loss of predictive power of GPA for the most select schools, which leaves the question: "How Do I Stand Out?" This is why the rest of your application (work, grit, essays, character, curiosity, recommendations, leadership, activities, service, etc.) is becoming even more important.

3.Yield as an Art and a Science. Yield Rate, the percentage of admitted students who ultimately enroll in a college, continues to be a buzzphrase in the college application process. Every school is different, and every cycle presents new challenges and ways colleges understand yield--they must consider trends over time and refine yield modeling. For example, policies made by other schools can impact everyone, which we will see in the upcoming year related to testing. Since some universities now require tests, that will change the type of students applying to those universities and everywhere else. It is also important to demonstrate understanding along with interest. Although an applicant should convey their passion for a particular college, they should also be clear and authentic in communicating how they will fit into and impact their different communities in and out of the classroom.

Connecticut College Recap

Last week, Lisa and Stefanie visited six colleges in Connecticut. Here are their snapshots:

Connecticut College

Connecticut College is a small liberal arts school (a little under 2,000) focused on inquiry and developing critical thinking skills. Students praised the strong relationships they built with professors and how supported they felt in their academic passions and extracurricular pursuits.

Connecticut College puts a strong emphasis on athletics and performance/visual arts. The environment also provides a strong foundation for graduate school and encourages career development and research with a $3,000 stipend that’s available to all students once they complete a career preparation course.

Ultimately, the school is great for students who want a quintessential, New England small-liberal arts experience close to a resort town (Mystic, CT).

Yale

Yale is filled with ambitious, passionate, and resourceful students who feed off of each other’s energy. After surviving the most competitive admissions process and becoming a Yalie, the university provides incredible support, opportunity, and community.

Yale’s campus straddles the beautiful, ivy-covered gothic architecture oozing with rich history, and the college town of New Haven, which is filled with a wide array of diverse and delicious restaurants and unique shops.

Each of the fourteen residential colleges fosters a strong sense of community and belonging, helping students navigate their Yale experience.

Yale is the right match for intellectually driven and resilient students who want to grow and challenge themselves to thrive in and out of the classroom.

University of New Haven

Pre-professional, experiential learning permeates the campus and academic culture at the University of New Haven. Students who learn best by doing will find ample opportunities to explore majors from health sciences to forensic psychology.

Best known for its renowned criminal justice program, professors present students with opportunities to analyze evidence from crime scenes in a simulated lab environment and a dedicated crime house.

Merit scholarships are also plentiful. Students who want to throw away the textbook and value practice over theory should check out the University of New Haven.

Quinnipiac

Quinnipiac is found on picturesque, Mount Carmel in Hamden, Connecticut, about 15 minutes from New Haven. The pre-professional opportunities are especially impressive in health sciences with incredible and competitive PA, PT, and nursing programs. The business and communication schools are also popular and they have 3+3 law program (3 years of undergraduate instead of 4). Students can also receive a strong liberal arts education if they choose.

There is much pride in their hockey team–the Bobcats are coming off a D1 National Championship, and their brand-new recreation center is beautiful (and we wish we had access).

Quinnipiac is a great fit for students who are career-oriented and believe that experiential learning is the cornerstone of education.

Fairfield

Fairfield University continues to grow in size, interest, and resources, resulting in increasingly competitive admissions. It’s a Catholic school valuing service and radical hospitality: welcoming students from all different backgrounds.

The nursing school is the only direct-admit program and the most competitive. biology, communications, and psychology are the most popular majors in arts and sciences, and they also have a revered business school.

Although Fairfield, CT is a robust suburb with tons of restaurants and shopping, one of the real draws for students is the beach community two miles away from campus. Students who enjoy this lifestyle get excited when they become upperclassmen and can live in a beach house.

Students who want a strong campus community walking distance to town, access to the beach, and train rides to major Northeast cities coupled with strong academic opportunities rooted in both professional and liberal arts settings should look into Fairfield.

Sacred Heart

Sacred Heart is also in Fairfield, CT, and like its neighboring college, is a Catholic university. Although there are similarities on the surface, Scared Heart focuses on more pre-professional tracks–especially in business, communications, and health sciences–the latter having an incredible Center for Healthcare Education. It houses both the College of Health Professions and College of Nursing, which has state-of-the-art labs and learning facilities.

The theme on campus was new construction–dorms, performance spaces, and the athletic center to name a few. Students are happy, kind, and supportive and spoke highly of their resources, opportunities, and professors.

Sacred Heart is a great fit for students who want strong hands-on learning experiences in and out of the classroom with excellent facilities.

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