Don't just apply to college… Position yourself.

Archive for the College Admissions Category

Decision-Making 101

Decision-Making 101

“Perhaps the truth depends on a walk around the lake.” – Wallace Stevens. It has been a tough spring for high school seniors. After many months of waiting, the ball has finally gone into their court. Time for them to take an action, for which many have

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Move Your Application to the Top of the Pile

Move Your Application to the Top of the Pile

“Be so good they can’t ignore you.” -Steve Martin. While guiding suburban high school students in New Jersey and New York as they apply to college, I have become acquainted with many distinctive, talented adolescents. I have also observed many similarities, such as the colleges to which they

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Teachers’ Recommendations: Mentorship 101

Teachers’ Recommendations: Mentorship 101

“Mentoring is a brain to pick, an ear to listen, and a push in the right direction.” –  John Crosby. It is spring of your high school student’s junior year. He or she is busy preparing for standardized tests and trying to maximize cumulative GPA, while participating

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High School Testing Strategy and Timeline

High School Testing Strategy and Timeline

“My secret is practice.”  -David Beckham. The alarm clock rings, startling me out of sound REM sleep. I grab it furiously, switch it off, and hurl it to the floor. Then I glance at the time, and—YIKES! I’m late! I leap out of bed. It’s Saturday morning

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What Is Important to Colleges? Top Ten Factors

What Is Important to Colleges? Top Ten Factors

“Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.” -William James. SATs as an extracurricular activity? Traveling soccer clubs beginning in kindergarten? Making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for the homeless? President of the tiddly-wink club? Curing cancer with My First Chemistry Kit? What should

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How to Plan a College Visit

How to Plan a College Visit

“The value of experience is not in seeing much, but in seeing wisely.” – William Osler. It’s that time of year again. School holidays are coming up: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents Day, Spring Break, Easter Break. Time for high school juniors to explore college campuses. You

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The Best Public Universities for Out-of-State Applicants

The Best Public Universities for Out-of-State Applicants

“The big question is whether you are going to be able to say a hearty yes to your adventure.” – Joseph Campbell. If a family is shopping for a state university, one would think that the family’s own state would be at the top of the list,

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Weather and College Choice

Weather and College Choice

“I like the cold weather. It means you get work done.” -Noam Chomsky. Weather? You might be surprised how often this topic comes up with my clients when discussing all the dimensions of college choice. Somewhere between the dimensions of institutional prestige, availability of programs of interest,

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Your 11th Grader’s 11 Steps to Success

Your 11th Grader’s 11 Steps to Success

“Action expresses priorities.” ― Mahatma Gandhi. Junior year is here: the year that counts. Maybe your teen made mistakes, didn’t focus enough, experienced a few “blip” grades last year. All part of growing up. But now…it’s time to get serious. What does that mean, exactly? Be perfect? Get

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