Hi!

Tonight’s the night. S/V Sonas sets sail for the Azores as soon as the weather clears. If you want to follow along: sdsatracking.com/azores2026

We’ve been sitting in Bermuda for a few days waiting for the right window – and in the meantime, exploring old forts, wandering through museums, doing what sailors do when the wind isn’t ready yet. Lifelong learners, all of us. And by the way, if your kiddo is an explorer too, that is something they can keep a log of to qualify for the Congressional Award.

So, finally, the 6+ months of planning is over. Now we execute – and adjust as the ocean sees fit.

Here comes my college admissions analogy, especially if you have younger kids at home. There’s a lot you can put in motion early – identity work, extracurriculars, study habits, figuring out what kind of environment your student actually thrives in. But the landscape, like the weather, will certainly shift, and test score requirements are the perfect example right now. However, like the weather, if you monitor it proactively, you shouldn't be caught too off guard.

Schools like Harvard, Yale, Brown, Stanford, and Penn have all brought standardized test score requirements back. Others – Columbia, Duke, Vanderbilt, UChicago – are still optional, at least for now. Last week, 600+ UC math faculty signed an open letter calling for SAT and ACT scores to return for STEM applicants. Policies that looked settled a year ago are now back up for debate. As a counselor immersed in this world daily, I've felt signs of these winds shifting for a while. But, I still can't fully predict what will happen a few years from now.

Whatever happens with testing, though – essays have never stopped mattering. Some schools are adjusting their essay strategies - Tulane recently dispelled with their "Why Us" supplement, for example (and instead - so us counselors believe - are choosing to focus more on ED as the primary vehicle for demonstrated interest). However, it still remains the best way for a school to get to know a student on a personal level. If your student is finishing their junior year, now is when to start working on them. My free 20-page brainstorming guide is a good first move. Grab it here.​

One more thing I’m excited to announce. To expand my abilities to provide expertise and support to all families, a new consultant, Henry Mulzac, has joined SCS as our Director of High School Counseling. Henry brings 18 years in education, a decade guiding families through competitive admissions at The Potomac School (where he also served as Associate Director of Admissions), and a master’s from Georgetown to the table. He’s an active member of IECA, NACAC, and SBSA. Together we now serve families from elementary school through college – and that coverage matters especially for sailing families, since some of the top high school sailing programs in the country are at private and boarding schools. Henry knows how to get students there and both of us are thrilled to join forces to guide students toward lifelong success.

If you have younger kids and want to talk through what to start building now, book an intro call here.​

Until next time…

Nikki