Don't just apply to college… Position yourself.

Archive for the 11th Grade Category

Questions Applicants Should Ask in a College Admissions Interview

Questions Applicants Should Ask in a College Admissions Interview

“The world stands aside to let anyone pass who knows where he is going.” -David Starr Jordan. Interviewing does not play as pivotal a role in college admissions as it does in employment, but, depending on your student’s prospective institutions, he or she may be doing some interviews.

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How Important Is the College Essay, Really?

How Important Is the College Essay, Really?

“Say what you need to say.” – John Mayer. For the budding J.K. Rowlings among us, the best part of the college application process is writing the essay. However, for many high school students, it looms like tomorrow’s trip to the oral surgeon to have wisdom teeth

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The Critical Months for College Visits

The Critical Months for College Visits

“Timing is everything.” -Tommy Shaw You read my post, Why Juniors Should Visit Colleges on Winter and Spring Break, knowing the importance of February and March break during junior year for campus tours. But despite parents’ best intentions, life being what it is, the campus visits did not happen.

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College Applications and the Lost Arts of Reading & Writing

College Applications and the Lost Arts of Reading & Writing

“We read to know that we are not alone.” – C.S. Lewis. I love quotations! (Doesn’t everybody?) Today I’m sharing my favorite quotes on the lost arts of reading and writing, the two most essential (but surprisingly overlooked) ingredients for getting into one’s dream college. I invite

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Ten Ways for Teens to Spend the Summer

Ten Ways for Teens to Spend the Summer

Encourage your high school student to do anything in the summer, ANYTHING BUT NOTHING! For ideas, check out collegeblog!

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Not Just Getting into College: Parenting for Purpose

Not Just Getting into College: Parenting for Purpose

“The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.”- Ralph Waldo Emerson. Remember the midlife crisis movie, City Slickers? Billy Crystal plays a burned

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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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