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Is It Worth Hiring a College Admissions Consultant?

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…

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An Overview of the Grad School Application Process

I’ve recently begun getting lots of questions about the grad school application process.  Repeatedly, students are surprised when I explain what they need to consider and what actions they need to take to apply.  While there are some similarities to the undergraduate application process, applying to graduate school has some important differences.  Generally, it’s a…

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What You Need to Know About a College Financial Aid Appeal Letter

Did your teen receive a disappointing financial aid award from their “dream school,” after you were celebrating their acceptance just days before? Not receiving the anticipated financial aid award feels like a blow – this could put that college out of reach financially, and no parent wants to disappoint their child, especially now. If this…

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Should Students Agree to the FERPA Waiver for College Recommendations?

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…

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Does Listing a Major on College Applications Help or Hurt?

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…

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6 Important Life Skills Teens Learn Through Applying to Colleges

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…

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The College Application Tips You Need: College Admission Counselors Answer Your Questions

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…