I'll say it first: I am so tired of quarantine. I spent all day thinking about what I was going to write about. Another COVID-related post, even if only indirectly related? I couldn't bear it. But I guess that's the reality these days. Everything seems impacted by the current state of the world, even the thing that we hold most dear: college admissions.
At Hermiona, we've always worked remotely -- so we're prepared for the challenge. We're planning our admissions season now, and we're excited to work with our students, all the way from Boston to Novosibirsk. They're preparing for tests as varied as SAT World History to the ever-present TOEFL. (And yes, they are taking the SAT -- and SAT Subject tests! Just because universities say that they are optional does NOT mean that you should not take them, especially if you think that you will score well.)
But how is our team preparing for the season?
We're tutoring our students; we are editing essays. We are constantly on the phone with parents, walking them through the process and explaining all of the cultural nuances that might be lost in translation. We just finished offering our third session of our signature College Essay Writing Intensive, during which we helped a record number of students prepare to write memorable essays for their upcoming college applications.
Does this mean that we're not tired of quarantine? Not at all. Some of us graduated from college remotely, and many of us are beginning jobs, fellowships, and graduate school remotely, too. Sitting in front of a screen even more is exhausting: honestly, though, the contact I get with my students -- and as Senior Educational Consultant, I get to call nearly all of Hermiona's students "my" students" in some way -- makes it tolerable. And as admissions season approaches, I can't wait to see them even more.