Don't just apply to college… Position yourself.

Posts Tagged college

Waiting for the “Fat Envelope”

Waiting for the “Fat Envelope”

“The waiting is the hardest part.” – Tom Petty. Unless your high school student was accepted to his or her first choice college through Early Decision or Early Action, your family is probably still in waiting mode. Your student may receive some Regular Decision notifications by mid-March. But the final

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How to Approach the Common Application Personal Statement Essay Prompts

How to Approach the Common Application Personal Statement Essay Prompts

“There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.” ― Maya Angelou. We have recently learned that the Common Application’s personal statement essay prompts for 2019-20 will be the same as they were last year. As stated on the Common Application website, “Based on extensive counselor feedback,

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Why Juniors Should Visit Colleges on Winter and Spring Break

Why Juniors Should Visit Colleges on Winter and Spring Break

“Nothing ever becomes real till it is experienced.” -John Keats. If your high school junior is your eldest child, you may not yet realize the change that is beginning to percolate in your family life. You may not be psychologically prepared for the idea that school breaks

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How to Build a College List

How to Build a College List

“The first step to getting the things you want out of life is this: Decide what you want.” -Ben Stein. Building one’s list of prospective colleges is the key first step in the college admissions process. If an applicant’s list is appropriate, the college process will be far

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When to Start the College Application Process

When to Start the College Application Process

“Learn to cultivate your own garden.” – Voltaire. Your high school guidance department probably does not officially start the college application process until January of junior year. That timing is partially driven by staffing, since during the fall of your teen’s junior year, the guidance department is focused on seniors

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Preparing for Pre-Professional Programs: Pre-Medicine

“He is the best physician who is most ingenious inspirer of hope.” – Samuel Taylor Coleridge. Your high school student has always wanted to be doctor, physical therapist, or a dentist. What guidance can you offer to help prepare for a pre-health program in college? It is

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Becoming a Recruited College Athlete–or Not?

Becoming a Recruited College Athlete–or Not?

“Things which matter most must never be at the mercy of things which matter least.” –J.W. Von Goethe. At the first YMCA kindergarten soccer game, I remember watching cute little tykes in their brand new shin guards and cleats, chasing the ball around the field in closely clustered,

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First “College List” Question: Private versus Public University

First “College List” Question: Private versus Public University

“A university is what a college becomes when the faculty loses interest in students.” – John Ciardi. It’s no secret that the rise in the cost of an American college education has outpaced inflation for decades. A compelling summary by finaid.org reveals a 1.5 ratio of tuition inflation

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The Coalition versus the Common Application

The Coalition versus the Common Application

“The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance.” –Alan Watts. In 2016, the first phase of a new online college preparation and application platform was launched by the Coalition for Access, Affordability and Success,

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December 15 College News: Early Decision Acceptance

December 15 College News: Early Decision Acceptance

“The worst part of success is trying to find someone who is happy for you.”  -Bette Midler. This post offers suggestions for next steps after receiving notification of acceptance from the Early Decision I college, with valuable advice from the “how to” college admissions process classic, Admissions Matters: What Students and

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