In the news:

For those who haven't yet heard the latest from Virginia,

a judge has ruled

that Sweet Briar College will remain open for the 2015-2016 academic year.  The decision brings about a

host of challenges and uncertainties

, however, and there are still more questions than answers at present.

Campus Visits:

Campus visits for Michigan, Minnesota, and Kentucky schools are in the planning stages.  As always, visit recaps will be in the blog.

Don't study for the SAT or ACT this summer.Here's why.

New arguments are being made in favor of encouraging students not to rush to get to college, but instead to pursue the

opportunities offered by a gap year

.

There's a new Common Application essay prompt in town:

Check it out.

The life of a professional rider or horse trainer often sounds ideal -

but as one blogger discovered

, sometimes there is more joy to be found in being an amateur.

From the Poughkeepsie Journal:

"In truth, despite all of the intelligence, talent and hard work that so many first-rate students bring to the table, getting into the nation’s most selective schools (i.e., those with admission rates in the teens and single digits) is a crapshoot." 

Read More

From the blog:

Make fun of the summer reading list all you want, students, but it’s a real thing, it serves a real purpose, and it isn’t going away anytime soon.  (And while I know you didn’t ask, I’m personally spending the summer re-reading my old favorites, A.S. Byatt’s masterful Possession and Barbara Kingsolver’s The Poisonwood Bible.  Neither makes for light “beach reading,” but they thrill my English major heart every time I turn their pages.)

As you while away your days with a part-time job, your equestrian activities, and time with friends and family, it’s important to maintain a steady stream of reading in your own summer schedule. Read More