It’s college commencement speaker season. And while I’ve seen videos and read transcripts of many with quotable tidbits or funny observations, I hadn’t come across one I wanted to share here until earlier this week when Collegewise parent and loyal blog reader, George, shared William McRaven’s commencement address to University of Texas-Austin (UT) grads. McRaven […]
Read More >Just say, “I don’t know”
High school students are often so driven to prove that they’re worthy of admission to their dream colleges that they’re uncomfortable admitting when they don’t know the answer. It turns out kids aren’t the only ones with that reluctance. According to the Freakonomics guys’ new book, the three hardest words to say in the English […]
Read More >For parents: Opt your kids out of the rat race
In 2010, I blogged about Race to Nowhere, a film that explores the pressures today’s students are feeling and the related detrimental effects on their health. The film’s director recently posted this article, entitled “Crossing the Line: How the Academic Rat Race Is Making Our Kids Sick.” The article concludes with this advice for parents: Most immediately, we […]
Read More >Let your child drive the bus
When high school counselor Patrick J. O’Connor asked a college admissions officer for any advice he could share with parents of soon-to-be seniors applying to college, the advice was: “Let your child drive the bus.” Here’s one way O’Connor suggests parents put that advice into action (read the entire column, “Six Words of Advice for […]
Read More >Paying for college: top five tips
Here are my top five tips to help families pay for college: 1. Save as much as possible. This may seem obvious, but with so much focus on financial aid and scholarships, some families forget that saving is always your best college financing strategy. The more cash you have on hand, the less you have […]
Read More >It’s how difficult decisions are made
College admissions decisions, especially from more selective schools, can frustrate students, parents and counselors. To an outsider who didn’t read the file or sit in the room while the committee discussed the application, the decisions can seem arbitrary and almost random. At Collegewise, I get to collaborate every day with our counselors, many of whom […]
Read More >It can happen to you, too
I admit it. I watch those videos that pop up on YouTube showing kids and parents reacting to college acceptances. If you strip away all the pressure of getting into a prestigious school, if you work hard and embrace just how many colleges there are from which to choose, you’ll have options. You’ll enjoy the […]
Read More >What do your questions say about you?
Asking someone you just met, “Do you play any sports?” says that you’re curious. But posing that question to someone you’ve known for two years and are finally taking out on a first date says that you haven’t taken the time to learn much about them. In a job interview, “What products do you sell?” shows […]
Read More >Extra stuff doesn’t replace extra effort
I’ve written before that thicker files usually equal less competitive college applicants. The student who insists on sending a resume, extra letters of recommendation, copies of awards, and other materials the application doesn’t ask for isn’t extending more effort—he’s just sending more stuff. And more stuff doesn’t make your application any stronger. In fact, it […]
Read More >Getting (less) serious about summer planning
Many of the families we meet at Collegewise feel pressure to squeeze the maximum college admissions benefit out of their students’ summers. So students enroll in expensive summer programs, boost their community service hours, work with tutors, take summer courses to jump a math level, etc. all in an attempt to polish perceived weaknesses and […]
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