Blogs | Ivy Central

Majors

Should I Study Computer Science?

The field of computer science has seen a surge in applications from students wanting to study the subject for their higher education degree. In the UK, applications to study computer science have seen a year on year increase of 4%, a massive increase over such a short period, while in the United States the numbers of people graduating with a degree in the field has increased from 39,000 in 2010 to well over 88,000 in 2019.

This increase in interest is perhaps no surprise given the prevalence of tech in our everyday lives and the vast amounts of money that some technology companies have made since the start of the new millennium. So if you are thinking that computer science might be for you, or are just interested to know what all the fuss is about, read on.

June 24, 2021

Career Counseling

“Who’s the text from?”

Over the past decade, I have experienced the concept of ‘multitasking’ become fashionably cool. I remember reveling in my multitasking skills as a teenager whenever I listened to EDM in the background while solving math problems.

June 13, 2021

Study Skills

13 Reasons Why You Should Journal Every Day

As a counselor, I recommend students develop journaling skills that can be helpful to them in so many ways and situations. With the stressful situation that pandemic has put us all in, either through online learning or lockdowns that stretch to perpetuity, we are facing the need to share our thoughts but not finding the most effective tool to do that. Journaling is the answer to this dilemma.

June 1, 2021

Admissions

Housing at US Colleges and Universities

Upon accepting your college admission offer, the first thing you want to secure is your accommodation. For that, it is important to do some research into the different options available to you. Understand why you feel one would suit you better than the other based on your personal preferences.

May 23, 2021

A Look Ahead at the 2021 Academic Year for Students | Ivy Central

College Counseling

What Will the 2021 Academic Year Bring for Students?

Twelve months ago, as the pandemic took hold around the world, students were graduating from high school into an uncertain situation. For many, the pandemic changed the world from what they had expected and for those preparing to start their university years, rather than leaving home and starting a new life abroad it has meant a year of online classes and spending hours in bedrooms at home. As a new cohort of students prepare to graduate, what will the new academic year bring?

May 12, 2021

Newest Common Application Prompt | How to Write Prompt Essay?

College Applications

The Newest Common Application Prompt and Ways to Answer It

For the application year 2021-22, the Common Application has announced a new essay prompt –

“Reflect on something that someone has done for you that has made you happy or thankful in a surprising way. How has this gratitude affected or motivated you?”

May 3, 2021

Five tips to help you get what you need to do

College Counseling

Class of 2025: The Bigger Picture

At the start of January this year I wrote a piece for this blog where I looked at what had happened in the early round of college applications for the class of 2025. Since the start of April colleges have been releasing statistical information for the whole application round, including the numbers of applications they have received and the all important admit rate. From this information, we are able to gain a better understanding of what has turned out to be a truly unique year.

April 21, 2021

Writing a ‘Letter of Continued Interest’

Congratulations on making it to some of the best programs in the US! We are sure most of you would have heard back from some of the colleges you have applied to. Given the record-breaking applications to highly competitive colleges in the US, this year has been an unpredictable one for most.

March 29, 2021

Guide to the Role of Effective Reflection in Personal College Essay

Study Skills

What does it mean to reflect effectively? Why does it matter?

At Ivy Central, we help students look inwards to write essays that showcase the most honest version of themselves. We encourage students to brainstorm ideas for numerous iterations until they are satisfied with the version that represents them the best. In our experience, reflection is key to an outstanding and memorable essay. The best essays are also the ones that are personal and honest.

March 14, 2021

Changes at the Common App

The Common Application has announced the essay prompts for the 2021-22 admissions cycle and for the first time in nearly five years there has been a change. Here, I will explain what the change is and its significance for students applying to college later this year.

February 23, 2021

Exploring Types of Colleges and Universities in the US | Ivy Central

College Counseling

A Guide to the Colleges and Universities in the US.

Now is the time of year where those students who will be applying for college later in the year really start to think about building their college list. While every college is unique nearly all can be categorised into a type, often offering great advantages to their students. In this article, I will list some of the most popular types of colleges you should get to know as you narrow down the colleges and universities on your college list.

February 16, 2021

9 Tips on How to Improve Your School Performance? Ivy Central

Study Skills

Improve Your GPA, 9 Tips to Boost Your School Performance.

In the last blog, I discussed Grade Point Average or GPA, how it is calculated and how it makes an important contribution to the profile you present to colleges at application time. If colleges consider your GPA to be important, then you should too. In this blog, I will show you how the key to academic success is not dependent on being smart, rather it is about being disciplined and efficient in your study habits. These 9 strategies will help you raise your GPA without getting stressed and working at all hours.

February 8, 2021

The End of SAT Subject Tests and Essay.

Over the last few days, the College Board has announced that they are scrapping the optional SAT subject tests and essay, describing the move as an effort to ‘reduce and simplify demands on students.’ In this blog article, we will consider what is behind this sudden change and what the implications are for students.

January 26, 2021

Great Summer Programs for High School Students.

In this article, I will talk about how Ivy Central assess the value of different summer programmes so that we can recommend programmes to our students that will enable them to stand out.

January 19, 2021

Admissions

Ultimate Guide to Early Admissions Round for the Class of 2025

The run up to the Christmas and New Year holidays is always interesting as it is when we start to get an indication as to how the college application round is shaping up. This year has been exceptionally interesting as the impacts of COVID 19 has resulted in an early admissions round like no other.

January 3, 2021

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