By: Jahnavi Pradeep

End of April is around the corner and most seniors have a daunting decision to make - which college will they attend in the fall? As part of the college application process, students apply to numerous schools, and it comes as no surprise that they receive multiple offer letters to choose from. Especially this admissions cycle, with many uncertainties looming in the background, many students have applied to more schools than they intended to. While exhilarating it is to receive numerous acceptances, it can also be a confusing and stressful time for students to…

For many students that have spent the entire year in front of screens learning virtually, there is nothing worse than the thought of spending the summer in front of more screens at almost all of the pre-college summer programs that have gone virtual for summer 2021. It is understandable for families to opt out of academic programming this summer all together and focus on individual hobbies and projects, athletic pursuits and outdoor recreation. But those that feel strongly about academic enrichment, and more importantly about student’s ability to meet and be inspired by other like minded…

In alphabetical order by State

*Almost all of these programs are running virtually summer 2021

See IN-PERSON Summer Programs on College Campuses for Middle and High School Students for In-Person programs in 2021.

Arizona State University

Tempe, AZ

https://eoss.asu.edu/access/programs/summer

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA

https://summerprograms.usc.edu/

University of California - San Diego

La Jolla, CA

https://extension.ucsd.edu/courses-and-…

Finding the right academic support for a struggling student (and even for a motivated student looking to get ahead) is always a challenge. As we outlined in the Versed Guide to Tutoring Services, it is important to research the different options and find the right fit. From professional tutors with decades of experience to near peer high school tutors, you need to make sure that the tutor has the knowledge of the subject matter, knows how to teach and motivate students, and can connect with your student in ways that make each session productive and enjoyable.

That being said,…

For those students interested in science research, this is an event not to be missed. From March 14th to March 31st, the Regeneron Science Talent Search, the nation's most prestigious pre-college science and mathematics competition, will host a virtual exhibition of the research projects that the finalists conducted. The finalists will be available LIVE to answer any questions on March 14th from 2-4PM EST.

The 40 finalists for the 2021 Regeneron Science Talent Search were selected from 1,760 entries. They will gather online in March to participate in a private judging process with…

The last day to sign up for MIT Spark is TOMORROW March 10th! We introduced Splash, classes at MIT, Yale, Northwestern, Stanford and other top colleges for Middle and High Schools Students to the Versed Community last September. Spark is the MIT program that started it all. This year, over 3 Saturdays from March 13 to March 27, 7th and 8th graders are invited to learn from MIT students on anything and everything!

From painting to cryptology to immunology, Spark classes number over 200 every year and span a wide variety of areas. Want to take a class on rockets? Build electrical…

For those students interested in science research, this is an event not to be missed. From March 14th to March 31st, the Regeneron Science Talent Search, the nation's most prestigious pre-college science and mathematics competition, will host a virtual exhibition of the research projects that the finalists conducted. The finalists will be available LIVE to answer any questions on March 14th from 2-4PM EST.

The 40 finalists for the 2021 Regeneron Science Talent Search were selected from 1,760 entries. They will gather online in March to participate in a private judging process with…

By: Valerie Erde

I was recently asked what it takes for a high school student to become a successful college applicant. What's the secret to getting in — especially to highly competitive schools?

I get asked this a lot, but this time I found myself thinking about the question not in the abstract, but in relation to specific kids with whom I’ve worked. I've spent time teaching them, but what could they teach me about getting into college?

To find out, I reached out to some of my smart, talented, kind — and also very successful! — former high school students to learn…

Colleges are announcing delays in admissions decision due to the significant surge in applications in the 2020-21 admissions cycle. Multiple factors contributed to this increase. Applications were down due to COVID environment in the 2019-20 admissions cycle, hence there may have been students that applied after a gap year. But the changes in application requirements may have had the bigger impact. Most schools have gone test optional given the difficulties of scheduling and taking standardized exams, and some have also reduced the number of supplemental essays required. Also the…

College Board made the decision to no longer offer SAT with Essay and SAT Subject Tests all together. This comes as welcome news to many students that viewed the SAT II optional requirements to mean that they must take them. Now there is no more debate as to whether a student "should" take these exams. What will replace them? Many foresee AP exams becoming more prominent, as the College Board is putting more effort into marketing and supporting them. Read these following articles for additional insights.

College Board Will No Longer Offer SAT Subject Tests or SAT with…