I’ve said before that not everyone needs to hire a college admissions consultant. I stand by that. The information you need to know is all out there (even on this website) for those families that want to save some money and are willing to do the work themselves. But sometimes, the challenge is actually that…
It is true that college size matters. A small college feels very different than a college in the large category. And sometimes, students hope that they can have the best of both worlds at a medium-sized school. Before going into more detail, it’s important to break down the numbers for each size, for comparison. Small…
Each year, thousands of high school students are flattered when they receive an invitation in the mail to apply to various competitive pre-college summer programs. Or maybe they’ve even gotten an email from the college itself, suggesting that they should apply to their summer program. And each year, I am left to explain to families…
My answer to the question in the title may surprise you. Of course I think a college admissions consultant brings value. But my answer to the question about whether it’s worth hiring one is — it depends! Whether or not college admissions consulting services are right for your family depends on things ranging from your…
Most families have never been asked to waive their FERPA rights for any reason throughout their children’s years of school. And then suddenly, college applications contain a FERPA waiver that asks students to specifically give up their right to see a piece of their college application – their teacher recommendations. It may seem alarming. The…
Does the major listed on college applications play a role in whether or not a student is accepted? If you answered, “yes,” you are correct! And too often, students don’t know that. Many teens are not sure what to list as a major. In fact, sometimes, they’re overwhelmed by the possibilities when they check out…
It’s fall of your teen’s senior year of high school. They are busy. They are stressed. They are up late at night doing homework and working on their college essays. As a parent, you want to help, but feel like there is not much you can do. So, to relieve some of the burden, maybe…
(And Other Super Selective Schools) Know that the information I’ll talk about in this article does not only apply to Ivy league colleges. It will be true for any college that accepts only a small percentage of applicants, Ivy or not. But, since the question in the title is, “What does it take to get…
Is There Reason to Worry? There are so many rumors floating around about how the class of 2021 will be impacted for college admission. I’ve gotten nervous phone calls from parents and lots of questions from students. So, I thought it might be time to weigh in with my perspective. What Has Changed for the…
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…