The Official Student News Site of Parkway West High

Pathfinder

The Official Student News Site of Parkway West High

Pathfinder

The Official Student News Site of Parkway West High

Pathfinder

The Supreme Court, college officials, educators and students in the United States are reconsidering the 57-year-old practice of affirmative action. Most universities included race as a factor in admission, but the practice fell under attack after the Students for Fair Admissions (SFFA) organization first sued Harvard University in 2014. “Until America is transformed into a place where racial oppression is non-existent, affirmative action must continue to be used by colleges,” alumni and current Harvard student Mira Nalbandian said.

Affirmative Action: The line between equality and equity

Audrey Ghosh, Awards Coordinator October 27, 2022

As the college application season continues, seniors all over the United States frantically perfect admission forms. Throughout this process, many students wonder how one controversial admission factor...

Teachers, counselors and students share their opinions on the ACT test-optional policies.

ACT test-optional 101

Ashlyn Gillespie, Sports and News Section Editor March 9, 2022

Before the pandemic, students around the country participated in the test score rat race, hoping it would enhance their college application enough to get into their dream school. But that was two years...

Navigating college admissions can be intimidating, but if I survived, you can too.

Intro: a complete guide to college admissions

Tyler Kinzy, Managing Editor-in-Chief Emeritus August 14, 2021

I don’t remember when exactly it was, but there was a moment when “oh, I’m a senior about to apply to college!” very quickly became “OH, I’M A SENIOR ABOUT TO APPLY TO COLLEGE!” For me,...

At the expense of sounding arrogant, I won the game without playing the game.

About me: an overview of my application

Tyler Kinzy, Managing Editor-in-Chief Emeritus August 14, 2021

I should preface this section by saying that I don’t intend for this to be a brag fest in which I encourage others to compare themselves to me or anyone else. I’m sure there are “less impressive...

I don’t think I can persuade everyone with this piece. What I can do is provide my thoughts and leave them out in the open for readers to ponder.

Revisiting my “Acceptance into elite colleges is the wrong goal” article

Tyler Kinzy, Managing Editor-in-Chief Emeritus August 14, 2021

Get comfortable. This is going to be a long article. I’ve thought about this piece for more than two years now. At the beginning of my sophomore year, I wrote a post entitled “Acceptance into elite...

What follows is my method of organization, with the obvious disclaimer that you should use whatever system works best for you.

How I stayed organized

Tyler Kinzy, Managing Editor-in-Chief Emeritus August 14, 2021

College admissions is an increasingly complicated process, one with lots of moving parts that you’ll need to stay on top of. What follows is my method of organization, with the obvious disclaimer that...

One trend you’ll notice throughout the rankings formula is that, according to U.S. News, rich students = better school... how we determine prestige is a question that you should engage with.

How are the “best college” rankings made? Not well.

Tyler Kinzy, Managing Editor-in-Chief Emeritus August 14, 2021

Once you spend even a little time in the world of elite college admissions, you’ll inevitably come across the Holy Grail of prestige: the U.S. News & World Report rankings. People will refer to schools...

We can’t have nice things, so we get a confusing hodgepodge of letters and numbers.

Understanding the types of admissions plans

Tyler Kinzy, Managing Editor-in-Chief Emeritus August 14, 2021

College admissions could be simple: send us your application by this deadline and we’ll get back to you. But we can’t have nice things, so instead we get a confusing hodgepodge of letters and numbers....

Every year, there are people who haphazardly throw a few safeties and matches onto their list because someone told them to. When their reaches don’t pan out, they end up stuck somewhere they don’t really want to be. Avoid that fate by doing your homework in advance.

It’s all about fit: creating your college list (and deciding where to commit)

Tyler Kinzy, Managing Editor-in-Chief Emeritus August 14, 2021

This guide contains tens of thousands of words about how to apply to college, but I’ve yet to directly address where to apply — or where to commit after receiving your decisions. This is a section...

College is ridiculously expensive — and it’s only getting worse.

Making college more affordable: financial aid and scholarships 101

Tyler Kinzy, Managing Editor-in-Chief Emeritus August 14, 2021

You don’t need me to tell you that college is ridiculously expensive — and it’s only getting worse. In this section, I’ll run through some key terms and concepts regarding the financial side of...

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The Official Student News Site of Parkway West High
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