If I could pick one question not to ask a college admissions rep at any fair, presentation, or tour, here it is: How many hours of community service are enough/look good/should I do, etc.? I understand why kids ask. But this question, which comes up all the time, highlights everything that’s wrong with college admissions. No […]
Read More >For parents: when your delivery is all wrong
Take care in your delivery. Imagine your son or daughter is getting married and you want to look your best on the big day. So you get a haircut, buy a new outfit, and visit a tailor to make sure it’s perfect. You spend a lot of time getting ready until you’re sure to look your […]
Read More >A guide to personal letters of rec
Colleges that require letters of recommendation from applicants usually specify between two desired sources—counselors and/or teachers (I’ve written many blogs covering those topics, which you can find by searching “letters of rec” in the box to the right). Colleges are looking for specific information from those sources, which is exactly why students should follow directions and […]
Read More >Don’t write an essay that’s spread thin
The University of Virginia has been running some blog posts about how to approach their various essay prompts. You can see the advice for applicants applying to the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences here, and for the College of Arts and Sciences here. But whether or not you’re applying to UVa, I think you can […]
Read More >The myth of the Ivy League
The Myth of the Ivy League doesn’t indict the schools themselves (there are plenty of graduates from highly selective colleges who have nothing but fond recollections of—and effusive praise for—their undergraduate experiences). But author Eileen Torrez, herself a graduate of an Ivy League school, is more concerned with the adverse effects that a relentless push […]
Read More >You can’t earn straight A’s in life
The majority of your days as a teenager are spent as a student where you’re constantly measured by grades. If you do the work, get the right answers, and please your teachers, you’ll earn good grades. Do it exceptionally well and you might even get straight A’s. Perfection is an available path you can choose […]
Read More >New college freshmen and parental goodbyes
I wrote a post yesterday for parents about dropping their kids off at college. Today, I’m returning to that topic, but this time, for the students. I don’t recall what I said to my parents when they dropped me off at college, but I remember it being an entirely pleasant exchange. My new roommate, on […]
Read More >For parents with kids departing for college
Chris Alexander is a professor and dean at Davidson College. His recent Washington Post article, As drop-off looms, a professor’s note for new college parents, is one of the best I’ve read on the subject of parenting your college-age kid. If you’re sending your son or daughter to college this fall, please read it. And […]
Read More >College applicants, have you chosen a backup plan?
According to business school professors Katherine Milkman and Jihae Shin (Wharton and University of Wisconsin, respectively), their research has shown that having a backup plan just increases the odds that you’ll need one. You’re more likely to achieve your dreams if you’re laser-focused on your goals rather than contemplating your fallback position. That may be true […]
Read More >The big FAFSA changes this year
Families who’ve been through the admissions and financial aid application processes with older kids probably remember the order of operations. No matter which colleges you applied to or when you submitted your applications, the earliest you could submit your FAFSA (the starting point to apply for all need-based aid for college) was January 1 of […]
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