New Year, New Look for the Newsletter
But same expert insight into college admissions and testing!
Welcome to 2025! The College Road newsletter may look new here on Substack but I’ve actually been sending monthly emails to subscribers (mostly Chariot Learning families) since 2011, first through aWeber (who remembers that?) and then Mailchimp. Even back then, we had a very clear outline:
A reminder of why you received the newsletter
Information about Rochester-based classes, parent presentations, and practice tests—this was well before the rise of remote instruction.
Exam registration deadlines
Most importantly, practice admissions, testing, or learning information for parents and students.
Which is to say that the College Road Newsletter has helped countless families over more than thirteen years navigate the complexities of a college admissions process that has only grown more complicated over time:
two big SAT revisions and gradual ACT changes
the massive uncertainty of college life during COVID
the rise of grade inflation and erosion of trust in academic indicators
the rise of AI and erosion of trust in essay authenticity
the sudden rise and gradual fall of truly test optional admissions
the dizzying rise of the cost of college untethered from other economic indicators
Those are just the most prominent features of a landscape that has become so chaotic and challenging that traveling without a guide can be hazardous to your (mental and emotional) health. It’s no exaggeration to say that the last five year have seen more changes in the admissions environment than probably the twenty-five years before them.
I pride myself on the insights we’ve been able to share month after month with our subscribers but only recently recognized that we could help so many more students and their families if we took advantage of the abundant reach, shareability, and discoverability of Substack. I’ve brought three publications to Substack over the last two years with exceptional results. So here’s one more—a regular infusion of free expert insight, advice, and useful resources for students and families at any point of their journey through the college application and admissions process. If you or someone you care for is in that four-year window leading up to the start of a four-year degree, this newsletter is for you.
By the way, here’s the timeless advice we shared in September 2011:
ADVICE FOR STUDENTS IN THE H.S. CLASS OF 2012 (AND THEIR FAMILIES!)
Dealing with stress can be a balancing act. Kids tend to view stress as a negative, focusing on things like the papers they have to write or the music practice that must be fit into an already overburdened schedule. But stress can be a positive also, focusing the mind for kicking a soccer goal or making connections while working on a social studies project.
Recent research published in the 8/2011 edition of Scientific American Mind found stress can be as much a help as a hindrance. Stress hormones, such as adrenaline and cortisol, can either facilitate or impair memory, depending on when these hormones are released. Connections between nerve cells in the brain may be strengthened or weakened by these types of hormones. Help your child take advantage of the beneficial aspects of stress.
What can you take away: For most high school students, junior year surpasses all the others when it comes to stress. Embrace this stress as a tool your child can use to reach greater heights of achievement. At the same time, make sure to keep stress in its proper place by providing your child valuable perspective.