Colleges weigh many factors at admissions time. Learn about the diverse range of factors that they will consider from the rigor of the high school curriculum to community service to demonstrated interest. Discover which application platform is the best for your student to use at application time.
Recently, I had the opportunity to ask questions of a couple of college admission counselors. I wanted to get the scoop about what they are really thinking as they read through applications from high school students. Originally, I was hoping to just pick up a few college application tips I could pass along to my…
The question in the title is not one I can actually answer for any student – without knowing a lot more about that student’s goals. There is not a “one size fits all” answer to, “How many colleges should I apply to?” The perfect number could be as few as one and as many as…
I’ve written dozens of articles about college admission, ranging from beginning the college search to financial aid. I recently realized that for some reason, the one topic I have never written much about is this one – the college admission essay. Without a doubt, it’s the part of the application that students seem to dread…
The Common Application platform for applying to college, has announced that they will be adding an optional question for students about COVID-19. Students are allowed to use 250 words to respond to this question: Community disruptions such as COVID-19 and natural disasters can have deep and long-lasting impacts. If you need it, this space is…
Two weeks ago, which now seems like a year ago, I wrote about the preliminary anticipated impact of Covid-19 on college admissions. Since then, there have been daily developments and the picture has become much clearer. So I thought it was time to check back in here and attempt a round-up of what we now…
As we are currently immersed 24/7 in news about COVID-19 here in the United States, I considered whether anyone could stand to read one more word about it. But, I also know that the families I work with have questions about coronavirus and college admissions impacts. And, as I sit in my home like many…
If you are like most people, your answer to the question in the title is “Not much” or even “Nothing.” But, your teen’s high school profile is a factor in college admissions, even if it isn’t often discussed. High school profiles give context to admissions departments when they are reviewing your child’s college applications. It…
Let’s face it – teenagers make mistakes for all kinds of reasons. Our best hope is that the mistakes they make won’t be life-changing ones. Sometimes, the mistake they make will result in disciplinary action from their high school. And usually, that means that it will wind up on their transcript, which will be sent…
It’s time to talk about something that many families don’t discover or understand until it’s college application time. Sometimes, families don’t even realize it then. But application time is often when you discover that your student’s high school GPA (Grade Point Average) is not necessarily the same GPA that colleges will look at for admission. …
Any time I get asked a college admissions-related question more than once, it occurs to me that it’s probably article-worthy. If one student is asking the question, then that means there are others who are also wondering. And in the last week, I have been asked twice about the Common App “Additional Info” section. It…