By now, teens and their parents have all gotten the message that colleges like to see community service on students’ college applications. In fact, in some cases, not having any high school community service on their resumé can hurt students’ chances of being admitted. So, knowing that community service in high school can make a…
Both the Common Application and the Coalition Application are online college application platforms. The Coalition App is a relative newcomer, opening up for applications in Fall of 2016. In contrast, the Common App has been around since 1975 and has gone through numerous revisions since then. Let’s first talk about the similarities and differences in…
When it’s time to choose high school schedules, I get LOTS of questions about foreign language requirements for college admissions. If your student does not appreciate the importance of taking a high school foreign language when it comes time to apply to college, it’s time to make sure they understand it now! Here are my…
Okay, let me begin by saying that as I write this, I’m coming off of a tough weekend with my very own high school senior. And I recognize that “tough” is relative. It wasn’t tough because we were arguing about curfews or who he is hanging out with. It was tough because senioritis has sort…
Hopefully, no matter how reluctant you feel about this upcoming milestone, you have begun taking a few steps. I’m an advocate of starting the process early to help alleviate as much of the stress as possible. Everyone hears the horror stories about the junior year of high school and certainly it is likely to…
Update: As of 1/19/21, the College Board has announced that they will be discontinuing SAT Subject tests “Should I take SAT subject tests?” is a common question – among students that have actually heard of the SAT subject tests. As with so many college admission topics, the answer to this question is, “It depends.” At…
While college admissions interviews are not the norm, they are not uncommon either. Even if a college interview is offered, it’s sometimes not mandatory. But, if any of the colleges on your student’s list offer the option, your student should seize the opportunity. Interviews are a great chance to impress admissions officers and they can…
We are inundated with college ranking lists these days, from US News and World Report, which is probably the most popular, to Niche. And no two lists are quite the same. Is one better than another? What should you consider as you look at the rankings? A better question might actually be, “Does college ranking…
A prominent university in my state recently announced their admissions decisions. I was only peripherally aware of it. I had noted somewhere in the back of my mind though, that my social media feed didn’t show any parents excitedly announcing their child’s acceptance. It seemed odd because I had seen lots of posts about another…