Most students go to elementary, middle, and high school because they have to, but apply to college ostensibly because they want to. That shift requires a philosophical change that most students aren’t ready for. But first the news…
COLLEGE NEWS
SWAT’s going on at colleges? At least 16 colleges across the U.S have been the targets of swatting hoaxes over the last two weeks. Any motive beyond sheer chaos is unknown, and there may be more to come: the group allegedly behind the crank calls suggests at least two more months of pointless, potentially dangerous disruption.
So there’s still a chance? Is even the start of a new semester too late to accept students off the waitlist? Not if you are an ultraselective school: elite colleges have been sending out acceptance letters throughout the summer to fill vacant seats. Who’s selective now?
So long, Siena Heights: Siena Heights University in Michigan announced that, due to financial and operational challenges, the 105-year old private Catholic school will close at the conclusion of the 2025-2026 academic year. The university plans to facilitate student transitions to regional partner institutions.
We are all judged on the words we use, especially when we take high-stakes exams that use vocabulary mastery as a leading indicator of reading acumen. The free Roots2Words Word of the Day is just the beginning of learning to unlock the English language word by word and root by root. Encourage the test takers, language learners, and word lovers in your life to subscribe today. Then do the same yourself!
BIG IDEA
Now that Labor Day has passed, summer is unofficially over and school is back in session just about everywhere. As children mourn and adults celebrate the new rhythms of their lives, we should all take a moment to think about how best to handle the business of going to school.
This is to say that most children go to school because they have to. While being taught reading, writing, and 'rithmetic, most students learn hard lessons about showing up, shutting up, and forcing themselves to try to master topics they don't much care about. Some inquisitive minds love to drink at the font of knowledge, while other more orderly types appreciate the predictable structure of an academic environment. Most students, however, attend school because they must, not because they want to.
What happens when these students--dutiful and passive in regards to their educations--attend college?
Most parents imagine a magical switch flips during the college application process, where indifferent students suddenly become passionate scholars ready to actively take charge of their calendars and commitments. Alas, in the way that magical thinking is rarely redeemed by reality, an alarming number of college students struggle with the independence and agency higher education demands--some despondently drop out, others restlessly change majors, and still others passively persist to earn degrees without any idea about where their new learning will take them.
In other words, intrinsic interest in learning is one of the most essential ingredients in college success.
Thus, as a new school year begins, think about the college-bound students in your life. If they aren't self-directed agents of their own educations, help them grow in that direction. Self-directed learners have answers to the following questions:
What interests me?
What do I want to learn more about?
What problems do I want to help solve?
Even more than what they are good at, what students care about informs their attention and inquiry. This year, above and beyond the subjects they are taking, make sure your college-bound students learn what they want to learn and why!
NAME THAT SCHOOL
Do you think you know a lot about colleges? Try to guess this institution of higher education. (Find the answer at the end of the newsletter.)
Founded in 1858 as an Agricultural College and Model Farm
As the first state university to admit both men and women on an equal basis, the school’s inaugural class included 136 men and 37 women.
Distinguished in the fields of science, engineering, agriculture, and veterinary medicine, this school was the site of many notable inventions, including the first binary computer, the round hay baler, and the first trampoline!
Boasts the largest public art collection in the United States
Becoming an official member of the student body is said to require being kissed as a particular bell tower tolls midnight.
APPLICATION ACTION STEPS
🎓 Learn what to read to write a great college essay.
🎓 Understand the implications of the Yerkes–Dodson law.
🎓 Add all the 2025-26 ACT Score Release Dates to your calendar.
🎓 Hear about how to successfully align majors, credits, and careers.
HOTLINE
Do you have any burning questions to ask or want to share an issue, article, or resource our readers should know about? Dial up the College Eagle hotline through this easy form. We appreciate you!
NAME THAT SCHOOL ANSWER
This year’s college football season began in Ireland, where No. 22 Iowa State overpowered No. 17 Kansas State. Go, Cyclones!