I’ve met many high school seniors who enter the college application process predisposed to write their essay about a particular experience. But when you become attached to the idea that one experience should earn a spot in your essay, you’re losing your objectivity in evaluating the story. Topics discussed in your college essays should always […]
Read More >Join us for a free college admissions seminar
We’re offering a series of free college admissions seminars in and around New York, Long Island, Boston, and the San Francisco Bay Area. We’d love for families in those areas to join us. Just click the link for more information and schedules. New York CityLong IslandBoston (Newton area)Boston (Wellesley area)San Francisco Bay Area I hope […]
Read More >What works—and doesn’t work—in applications
Today, I finished training three new counselors—Meredith, Rhiannon and Monica—who worked in admissions at Cornell, Sweet Briar and Harvard respectively. During lunch, I posed the following questions to them, and I’ll share their responses here. When you read applications, what qualities were always an immediate turn-off? 1. Arrogance When confidence goes too far and a […]
Read More >No need for a moral
A few weeks ago, Paul and I laid down what I thought at the time was an unrealistic challenge to our new counselors in Boston, New York, Long Island and the San Francisco Bay area—we asked each of them to set up a dozen speaking engagements for July and August. It meant that they had […]
Read More >Three ways families can manage college list disagreement
Students often want different things in a college than their parents want—close to home vs. far from home, big vs. small, liberal arts vs. pre-professional. If your family is having some disagreements about just exactly which schools should be on the college list, here are a few things to keep in mind. 1. Understand that […]
Read More >Successful people don’t need extra credit
You could ask for the chance to earn earn extra credit when you need it, like when you fall a few points short of an “A” in a class. Or you could just be the kind of student who puts out the extra effort anyway. Do you put your hand up in class and ask […]
Read More >Confident, not arrogant
Getting into college is a lot like dating. Confidence is generally an appealing trait. Confidence is the genuine belief in your own powers or abilities. Confident students aren’t afraid to challenge themselves. They won’t hesitate to put their hand up and ask—or answer—a question. They’ll try out for the soccer team or write a column […]
Read More >Start the essay, hold off on the app
Seniors, even if you're motivated to start your Common Application, you can't officially do so until August 1 when the new Common App is released. Any data you fill out before then will be deleted when the new application is available. You can–and probably should–start working on drafts of your Common App essay. And for […]
Read More >Five non-answers to “Why this school?”
With each school you add to your college list, you’ll need to have a good answer to the question, “Why are you applying here?” While you’re not going to that school yet, you’re considering spending time and money to apply. And many schools will ask you about your motivation for choosing them as a way […]
Read More >How to stay in-the-know about applications
If you’re applying to college this fall, you’ll want to know when the applications for your chosen schools are released, if an event is taking place in your area, or if there are any other pieces of news from the admissions office. Here are two good ways to make sure you’re among the first to […]
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