College tours canceled? Here are some tips to virtually scope out the campuses to finalize your college list from home.

You’re making your college list and you have plans to visit a good number of the campuses you’re considering. But then a pandemic breaks out and all the campuses are closed. How are you going to finalize your college list now? How can you be sure that you’re applying to the places you actually want to go to?

There isn’t an easy answer to this question, but here’s some advice that could help.

Whether it’s for a job, a school, or an internship, interviews are an important process that everybody has to go through at some point. Thanks to COVID-19, the majority of interviews are now being held online. Should you prepare differently? What’s the etiquette like? Where should you sit?

Keep reading to find out seven things you must know to ace your virtual first impressions.

With the June SAT test date recently canceled and June ACT test date looking unlikely to go ahead, you may be wondering whether you should still take either. This is especially the case for juniors who have not already taken the test, or considered taking it again. Now you find yourself faced with the question: to take or not to take? Is it even worth my time and effort if some colleges no longer require it? Can I juggle the work that I need to put in to prepare as well as the added pressure of studying online?

Read the first-hand account from former Empowerly student, Casey M., how she found her home and path to success at the University of California, Los Angeles. 

When I was applying to colleges, I was absolutely paranoid that I wouldn’t get in anywhere. My test scores and grades were fairly good, I had a lot of extracurriculars, and yet, I was still afraid. Applying to college is stressful, but it’s also very exciting. I have found that it is a process of self-discovery more than anything else. My goal in talking to you now is to both provide some advice and to ease some worries.

Coronavirus is certainly creating havoc and it seems no sector is immune to its effects, college admissions included. With the interruptions it has created for standardized testing resulting in the cancellation of SAT and ACT test dates, some colleges have decided to make the upcoming admission cycle test-optional. 

It's a strange time - places of public gathering have emptied as people bunker down at home. There is a constant stream of advice on the social networks on how to stay busy at home that pops up on our screen between the updates of new coronavirus cases and the latest memes circulating. 

It's springtime, admissions decisions are being released, and seniors across the nation are celebrating their future college adventures. Like many of our students around this time, you may be thinking to yourself: how do I get into an Ivy League university? Or more specifically, how do I get into an Ivy League university from the Bay Area?

You're not alone. And there is good reason to wonder. The Bay Area is often regarded as the most competitive region for college admissions in the United States, and there is a plethora of misinformation often circulating among students regarding how to get into an Ivy League university as a Bay Area student. However, there are 3 key strategies to remember when crafting an elite college admissions profile.

As they say, time is money; don't waste either of yours. Want better results for all your hard work? Track your progress.

Record your academic performance and standardized test scores in your Academic Profile section of the Digital Toolkit. By doing so, Empowerly's counselors, editors, and expert researchers can give you more customized feedback and recommendations!

Top universities are canceling admitted students days left and right, including Harvard, Columbia, UCSB, Vanderbilt, U-Mich, CalTech and who knows how many more to follow. This is definitely an unideal situation, courtesy of COVID-19, but with a little ingenuity, we can get through this! Here's our advice for how to not get stuck in a rut of disappointment, accept that this is our reality and still make an informed admissions decision.

With COVID-19 growing in our communities, Empowerly wants to help you with our plethora of online learning tools. We have been in the online learning space for years, our resources are built for digital use. Rest assured that when you work with Empowerly, you work with a team that understands online learning and knows how to personalize guidance for your specific pain points and needs. Here are our online learning tools and services that you should absolutely take advantage of in this ever-changing environment:

The old adage is "You are what you eat," not "You are where you were accepted." We're serving up some perspective to untangle your sense of self-worth from any summer program rejection letters. Check out growth mindset, and put together an amazing and self-driven plan B summer program. 

Are you about to embark on final years of your school journey? They are crucial and will play a major role in determining where and what you might study in college. The courses you take, the friends you make and activities you get involved in at your high school are all influencing factors. When considering which high school to attend, it's important to choose one where you can thrive, encouraging academic and personal growth. 

When it comes to paying for college, scholarships and grants can be a big help. Loans come with the stress of interest rates, and work-study can only cover so much. Because scholarships are so valuable though, there’s also fierce competition for them. That’s why looking beyond the standard college scholarships searches can be so valuable... literally.

Why is an AI education important?

Do you want to avoid falling behind—and falling ill?

At this point, we’re all probably a little sick of hearing about the Coronavirus. Its effects on the education sector are, however, an under-discussed area, and one where online learning can help solve some of the problems.