Kevin McMullin

College admissions advice for students, parents, and counselors

A different approach to teen motivation?

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When a prospective Collegewise parent tells one of our counselors that they just need someone to “motivate” their student, we ask a lot of follow-up questions to learn more about exactly what that outcome would look like in the parent’s mind. The truth is that motivation and engagement are often happy byproducts of our work together, but […]

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We built a Master Class for our counselors

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Earlier this summer, I posed this question to a few of my Collegewise colleagues: Could we help our newer Collegewise counselors get even better, faster? Our counselors in their first or second year at Collegewise are not inexperienced rookies. Most arrived here after working as admissions officers or counselors. They’ve already completed more than 50 […]

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No comparisons

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Jeff Schiffman, director of admission at Tulane University, shares some great advice for college freshmen, the overarching theme of which I believe is just as applicable for high school students. “Stop comparing yourself to others on social media. All at once, your friends from home are going to head to colleges around the world. And […]

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What is a 529 plan?

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If you want to save for college, a good place to start is with Mark Kantrowitz’s “What is a 529 plan?” Every college financial aid expert I’ve heard or read recommends the 529 plans as the best college savings tool, but it’s always a good idea to understand what you’re investing in before you actually […]

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Different worlds

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It’s difficult for most high school students to envision a world where grades and test scores aren’t the markers of their achievement–where executing their way to prescribed right answers and completed assignments isn’t the path forward to success. That’s why so many good students struggle when there’s no longer a graded curve they can study […]

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Back to school: greatest hits edition

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Here’s a timely and updated repeat–my collection of past posts and resources to consider as students head back to school. For high school students: How to achieve your goals in school this year. How to be more impressive by doing less. Some advice to help you earn better grades. A past post with back-to-school resolution suggestions. […]

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Learning beyond the test score

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The drum of measuring the right things is one I’ve been banging hard this last week, but the approach is one that would fundamentally improve the experience of preparing for college, for so many kids, parents, and counselors. So here’s one more beat, courtesy of this 1-minute video, “Learning Beyond the Test Score” from Denise […]

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Leadership essence

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I remember sitting in a fraternity meeting in college and listening to one member make the same kind of suggestion he made in almost every meeting, one that started with, “We should…” This particular request had to do with someone waiting at the door at an upcoming party to ensure members who hadn’t paid their […]

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Prep for the real event

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The rub about so many practices that have become common in college prep is that much of it doesn’t really help a student prepare for college at all. All the hand-wringing and grade grubbing at the expense of learning sends students into college classrooms less prepared, not more. All that prepping for the SAT or […]

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