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…
As the list of colleges planning to re-open grows daily, I have questions. I’m guessing I’m not alone. Some might be so happy that their teen will get to move to campus as planned, that they have not yet stayed awake half the night thinking up all the questions.  But, as an expert level over-thinker,…
While we are spending lots of time talking about the impact Covid-19 is having on high school seniors, we can’t forget about the juniors. There is no question that this situation is heartbreaking for seniors. But, while our seniors are missing their friends and major celebratory moments like their Homecoming dances, and senior banquets, juniors…
(Updated 2/21) The class of 2020 had a difficult and disappointing end to their senior year. And so far, the class of 2021 has not fared any better. The disappointing senior years have left families wondering whether maybe their students should consider a gap year? Last year, the idea was so prevalent that juniors were…
Now that we have mostly gotten answers to our earliest questions about the Covid-19 impact on college admissions, this big one remains – will colleges be open next fall? Cornell University recently released a preprint of a study that showed that nearly every student on campus (98 – 99% depending on the size of the…
Virtual college tours really took off a couple of years ago when it became difficult for potential students to visit colleges. Â And now, I think it’s safe to say that it has almost become a standard part of the college search for many families. Â Doing a campus virtual tour can be a great…
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…
I have been waiting for more than a month for a story about this test to hit outside of college counseling circles, but I still haven’t seen it anywhere. I have spoken to my clients that may be affected, but wanted to share this information more widely for all families. There were significantly lower scores…
