Blog

Time Portal: Reality, Not Science Fiction   As universities move more and more toward convenient online interaction with students, they also have extended that so-called convenience to prospective students. They have served up a cafeteria of self-service options and asked students to navigate their way through the complex and time-consuming application process without the guidance… Continue Reading

“Students” Not “Clients”: A Call to Change Our Terminology There is a conversation of great importance that is not taking place in the higher educational community today. The missing dialogue concerns the label “clients,” a term we have borrowed from the corporate world and have affixed to college applicants, their families and those currently enrolled… Continue Reading

How to Prepare For Interviews Some colleges offer prospective students interviews during application season. Often, these experiences can be invaluable, but not in the way that you might think. Because not all schools offer interviews (and not all applicants are offered one; often it depends on the number of interviewers in your area) they are… Continue Reading

Should I Join the Debate Team? How about Band? High school is a time for exploration—academic, social, and extracurricular. It is a time to discover talents, passions, and new ways to engage with the world. Extracurricular involvement is also incredibly important in the college admissions process. Because applications are judged holistically, showing passion and curiosity… Continue Reading

After The SAT. There’s More?!   You’ve taken the ACT once and the SAT three times. You’ve studied for countless hours, and, at this point, can answer reading comprehension questions in your sleep. You thought you were done. Now, to your chagrin, it’s time to take the SAT Subject Tests. Formerly known as the SAT… Continue Reading

How Can I Use the Summer Months to Prepare? The summer is the best (and often underutilized) time to prepare for the challenges of college applications. Starting as early as the summer after freshman year, the summer is a valuable time to reflect, study for standardized exams, work, volunteer, or spend time doing things you’re… Continue Reading

Show Me The Money: Filling Out the FAFSA and the CSS Profile College is expensive. But there are also many ways to defray the cost. From financial aid, to outside scholarships, opportunities are out there to lower the cost to families. Two of the most important resources in accessing financial aid are the Free Application… Continue Reading

How Do Universities See Me As “Holistic?” 2015 was the largest application season to date. With tens of thousands of students applying for a fraction of spots, how do you present yourself, holistically, to admission committees? What do admissions committees look for and in what order? The simple fact is, given the increasing number of… Continue Reading

Tips for Filling Out Your College Applications Filling out college applications can be one of the most challenging elements of the application process. One has to be very detail-oriented and organized in answering the glut of questions required. Here are some tips to be sure that this process goes as smoothly as possible:  Start early—open up… Continue Reading

Helicopter Parents: Time To Trade In The License To Fly We’ve all seen the headlines: “Warning, Helicopter Parents at 1000 Feet!”; “Helicopter Parents Land on College Campuses”; “Helicopter Parents, Bring Them Down to Earth.” Applying to college is one of the most challenging times for both parents and students. It is the crystallization of what… Continue Reading