parents embrace their new graduate
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Parents Share College Admissions Tips and Lessons Learned

As the college application cycle for this year’s seniors is in full swing, I decided to survey a few parents of college-bound high school seniors to see if they had any admissions tips or just thoughts on the admissions process that they would like to share. And they sure did! You will see that a…

Thumbs up from four people wearing volunteer tshirts
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High School Community Service – What You Need to Know

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…

male student looking at laptop with headphones
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Is the Common App or Coalition App a Better Option?

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…

high school classroom students working together
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High School Foreign Language – What You Need to Know for College Admission

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…

People shaking hands before college interview
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Prepping for the College Interview

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…

College Admissions sign
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Are Colleges Getting More or Less Selective?

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…