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Insight from the Founder

No level playing field for college applicants?

Launch the Personal Essay and get a summer job! Dear [Name of Student]: It's almost the end of the academic year - which means it's time...

National Reply Date Has Passed. So What's in Store for 2023-24?

A parent emails that his son is excited to wear his college's sweatshirt to school. I'm thrilled that the student's very hard work has...

Concerned about Applying in 2023-24?

Join us on Tuesday, April 25, at 7:30 pm!

My Smart Kids are Not Being Recognized: How Institutional Priorities Affect Applicants

It's April, complete with showers, flowers and possibly some sunshine. Still inside, I look at what's open on my laptop. The start of a...

EA and ED Deferrals Heighten Student and Parent Anxiety

In my email over the past week: I’m going to spend some time this week researching gap years. This is very depressing. I don’t know how...

Essay Writing Bot-ched Up? What's a Counselor to Do?

Sitting at my laptop at the start the New Year, I scroll over to my Common App dashboard. Some students have their green checks: in and...

What College Applicants Aren't Learning in High School

Will a core curriculum be the solution? Hey Nina, I just want to double check, I have until 11:59 pm tomorrow to submit my [name of...

A Penny Saved?

What to know before your student hits Submit this fall Apples, pumpkins and . . . applications? In under two weeks, many students will...

Labor Day Work for Your College Applicant

Carry over as little as possible into the academic year! On Labor Day, families typically get together and enjoy the feeling of summer...

It's August 1. Has Your Student Launched the Common App?

Today, we welcome August, signaling another month or so of summer. But for college applicants - and their counselors - August 1st is also...

Do We Want You in Our College Community?

College admissions readers have that question. What question do you have of colleges? Summer's in full swing. Whether they're lifeguards,...

The college process is full of life skills - and lessons.

As Taylor said, we learn the most when we don’t make the cut. Two weeks ago, I traveled to Philadelphia to attend the Independent...

Colleges select undergrads, peers and graduation speakers. In this tough year, how did they choose?

It wasn't my everyday Zoom meeting. A student who was denied by his top choices, yet admitted to some incredible colleges, was feeling...

What a relief! The 2021-22 application season is winding down.

We thought things were bad in 2019-2020, but the pandemic actually opened many opportunities to domestic students who wouldn't mind being...

Meat Consumption is Down at Highly Selective Colleges. So are Admit Rates.

When are Michigan's decisions coming out? Does appealing your application work? Does RD come out mid-March or actually April 1st? The...

What? My Daughter Didn't Get Into [EA College]?

Last Friday wasn't the most relaxing day for many applicants in the area. Students waited anxiously to hear from their Early Action...

Trick Question: What activities look good for college?

Getting to the core of the matter – and the curriculum Welcome 2022! In this new year, we counselors have our own improvement-driven...

Season’s Greetings, College Applicants.

Now that we didn’t take you, should you apply somewhere else ED II? During these very short days leading up to the new year, we have long...

Who’s Bucking the Trends in Testing and Liberal Arts Education?

“Prepare for the Largest Data Load of the Year. Recruit the thousands of the juniors and sophomores who are joining Search this...

The Early Decision App is In. Now What?

Yesterday, I heard from a wonderful applicant. She had checked her Penn State portal, and there it was: her first acceptance! The student...

College Applicants Gain Momentum for Early Deadlines, But Can They Use Contractions?

“My neighbor tells me that you can’t use contractions in the Personal Essay.” That’s what I heard the other day while Zooming with a...

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