Wow. Summer is looking a lot different this year. How are your students and children holding up? With the country being in the middle of two crises--coronavirus and inequality--the first half of 2020 has brought many changes and conversations.
Seeing COVID-19 from a Student's Perspective: Part 4
Summer is in full-swing! As kids await news on the fate of their fall semesters, we caught up with Adya, a high school student who is keeping up with academics over the summer. While she misses face-to-face interaction with her friends, she is skeptical about going back to in-person classes in the fall due to rising coronavirus cases.
Reflecting on Freedom in 2020
To say the least, 2020 has been a transformative year. Many entered the new decade hopeful for change, new adventures and prosperity. While all of those hopes remain a possibility, we were also confronted with challenges that could not be ignored: COVID-19 and racism.
Seeing COVID-19 from a Student's Perspective: Part 3
Over the last few weeks, we’ve been honored to hear the high school and college perspectives of COVID-19. This week, we’re looking at the impact of COVID-19 on teens in middle school! Alexis Johnson attends middle school in Virginia and while she’s worried about the pandemic, being at home with her little brother and dogs have made it hard to fully concentrate on distance learning.
Seeing COVID-19 from a Student's Perspective: Part 1
Here at Cirkled In, we’ve kept a pulse on how coronavirus has impacted schools and higher education across the country. To take it a step further, we’re beginning a new series to hear from a different perspective: A student!
This week, we had the pleasure to interview our newest intern, Ria Mohan on how she’s been impacted by COVID-19 and what the future holds for her.
Cirkled In CEO Corner - June 12, 2020
As students prepare to attend virtual proms, Zoom graduations, and even some in-person, socially-distanced ceremonies, we look ahead to what the summer and eventually fall will bring for our students. But the truth is--there is a lot we do not know.
Post COVID-19: Part 4 - What will College Admissions look like?
As a whole, higher education is making major changes during this time of uncertainty. To better grasp the plans that colleges and universities have to meet their community’s needs, we have been conducting interviews with higher-ed professionals to collect key insights. We recently had the opportunity to speak with Paul Seegert, the Director of Admissions at the University of Washington (UW), to hear his valuable feedback about what the future holds for UW. Our CEO, Reetu Gupta, conducted the interview via video call to follow the self-isolation policies.
Della Paloy - April 2020 "No Sweat" Scholarship Winner
Self-driven aptly describes Cirkled In’s April 2020 “No Sweat” Scholarship winner Della Paloy. Her drive propelled her all the way to Kobe Japan where, as the winner of the Washington State Japanese Competition, she spent 10 days touring historical sites and immersing in the culture while living with a local family. She was determined to go to Japan, and she did!
Cirkled In CEO Corner - May 8, 2020
Amid the crisis, the weeks are flying by. Students have little to no clarity about their education, parents are working from their kitchen tables and teachers are still searching for equitable ways to implement distance learning.
Gathering Letters of Recommendation During a Pandemic
COVID or no COVID, juniors should begin thinking about teacher letters of recommendation for college. Not all colleges require them, so the first thing to do is determine if you need letters. If you are planning to apply to Washington State public colleges (the University of Washington, Washington State University, Western Washington University, Eastern Washington University, Central Washington University, and Evergreen State College), you do not need any letters. These colleges will not accept them.
Test Optional: What Does it Mean?
Some colleges have recently announced plans to go test optional for Fall 2021 admissions due to COVID-19; many students and families have questions to what that means. It’s important to remember that none of us can predict the future; we don't know when things will return to "normal". Colleges are doing their best to make plans and be flexible about the admissions process. Know that every high school student is going through the same things. Colleges understand that students have not been in the classroom since March and that ACT and SAT test dates have been canceled.