Welcome to the Essential Guide to College

Welcome to the Essential Guide to College in New York email course.

I’m Maura McDermott, and I cover higher education for Newsday. In this eight-week newsletter course, I will help teach families like yours what they need to know about the college search.

It can all seem a bit daunting. But we've got this! 

You’ll hear from me every week diving into a different part of the process, from how to get ready in the early high school years to applying for admission and financial aid. I’ll be working with Newsday’s team of reporters, editors and data wizards to provide rigorously fact-checked information as well as expert perspectives on preparing for the college years and beyond.

Plus, we at Newsday will provide tools that let you research and compare colleges, find the most affordable schools and figure out which one would be the best fit for your child.

So let’s get started!

THE PROCESS HAS CHANGED ✍️

Spoiler alert for parents: The college search is a lot different than it used to be! Those schools you thought were safeties — well, they might not be anymore, as my colleague Nora Toscano reports. And yes, AI is having an impact on everything, from how students research schools to how colleges cope with students who seem to be using bots to write application essays.

Plus, perhaps you’ve heard about the "demographic cliff" caused by the decline in birth rates starting in 2007? Maybe you thought that would result in fewer college applications and a less competitive process.

Not so fast.

The most sought-after schools are still inundated with applications, especially since the online Common Application makes it easier to apply to multiple colleges. Many schools are also again requiring students to submit standardized test scores, after pausing that mandate during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In an effort to boost their chances — and maybe get the process over with — many students are submitting applications early. Under the most restrictive process, Early Decision, students file as early as Oct. 15, get a decision by December and sign a binding contract to attend if they are admitted.

Some colleges report higher acceptance rates for those who apply early, but Early Decision might not give as much of an advantage as it appears. For instance, some Early Decision applicants might be recruited athletes, or others with unusually high chances of acceptance.

TRY THIS 💻

Let’s get up-to-date on what college applicants are facing these days.

Think of a college or university in New York — it could be an elite institution, or what you see as a safety school. Guess what percentage of applicants earn admission. And then check our college search tool. 

We’ll give just one example: 20 years ago, Columbia University had an acceptance rate of 12%. Pretty selective, right? Well, now it’s 4%.

That’s about the same odds as pulling a red ace out of a deck of cards at random.

SEND US YOUR QUESTIONS 💬

It’s class participation time.

What’s on your mind? What questions do you have for Newsday’s staff and our network of experts? We are taking questions and comments about selecting schools, seeking financial aid, increasing your odds of admissions and many other topics. You can contact us by email collegeguide@newsday.com.

NEXT WEEK ✅

How to get started (early!) on the college search, including what students should be doing starting in ninth grade.