I did a financial aid seminar for our Collegewise families last weekend and talked a little about "outside scholarships," which are little-known awards or scholarships from private companies and foundations. Families are often given the impression that there is a lot of money available from these sources if you're able to find it. But according […]
Read More >How parents can help kids with college essays
I did a seminar about college essays at an admissions event today. And I gave parents the advice I've given for my entire career as a college counselor about how parents can best help their kids with college essays. Don't get involved. Stay away. In fact, run the other direction. Parents are the worst judges […]
Read More >Do you have a favorite book?
I don't necessarily think that every student has to love to read. But I do think every kid—every adult, too, really—should have a favorite book. If you love to read, that's wonderful. Read like your hair is on fire. There are few interests that will make you think more analytically, argue more persuasively, and write […]
Read More >Ten not-so-easy college search questions for juniors
Last weekend, I gave our "How to Find the Right Colleges for You" seminar for our Collegewise junior families. Here are ten questions I recommended our juniors consider while searching for colleges. 1. Why do you want to go to college? 2. Do you think you’re ready to go to college? 3. How do you […]
Read More >Savoring moments of laughter in the college search
From yesterday's "The Choice" blog: "As a parent, it’s so easy to get sucked into what has been described as a gut-wrenching, grueling, ridiculous, harrowing (I could go on and on) process. When I bumped into a friend at the bagel store last week whose son had just decided where he’ll be going to college […]
Read More >Here’s how to be excited for your senior
Our counselor, Allison, received this email today from one of her students who visited–and decided on–her future college over the weekend. "Yeah, my family’s really happy. They all got sweatshirts, and my mom got a tacky sticker for her car." The school? Whittier College. That's what makes this so great.
Read More >Five ways judging Junior Miss is like being an admissions officer
I spent most of Monday doing my duties as an academic judge for a local Junior Miss pageant. Deciding who'd earned the highest academic achievement scores (which is based on qualities like strength of schedule, GPA and test scores) was a lot like being a college admissions officer. For example… 1. I'm impressed by the […]
Read More >“I’ll do it”
"I'll do it" is a powerful phrase. It's the opposite of "I'm too busy," or "That's not my job." Unless you're responding to someone asking, "Who wants to light things on FIRE?!," then pretty much everybody, from clubs to teams to teachers to colleges, likes the person who quickly says, "I'll do it." Last Friday, […]
Read More >Why we’re not in your reader right now
OK, it looks like we're back; our new posts are now appearing in peoples' readers. If you're a subscriber, you probably missed a few feeds in the last week, but we've got the posts here for your reading pleasure. Thanks for your patience. And thanks to Brian for fixing this for us. I've heard from […]
Read More >What to do if you were rejected by all your colleges
If you're a senior who was rejected by all your colleges, you can probably still go to college in the fall. But if you want to do it, you'll have to jump on the project right now. Here are a few steps to take to give yourself some options. 1. Meet with your counselor. This […]
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