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One of the biggest mistakes many families make is assuming they won’t receive any aid from colleges and universities. Parents frequently put a stranglehold on their child’s college list and tell them that they can only attend an in-state institution because that’s all they believe they can afford. T...
There’s a pattern to the way the media, as a whole, covers college admissions. A typical year of coverage for most—that’s most—media outlets goes something like this:
Mid-September—The US News rankings come out, and everyone clamors over the top-ranked college. It’s typically the same top-ran...
Most students heave a sigh of relief after they click on the college application submit button.
Some of these same students find themselves in a panic when they learn that components of their application package may not have arrived at the admissions office.
As a college consultant, I advise all my ...
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid, better known as the FAFSA, is your passport to valuable sources of federal, state and college-based financial aid. But if you don’t fill it out, you could lose out on potential grants, scholarships and low-interest federal student loans. Even more t...
Like many new beginnings, your freshman year of college may feel both exciting and confusing. From getting accustomed to living on your own to keeping up with advanced-level courses, there’s no doubt that a student’s first few months on campus are a major transition.
Rather than stressing ...
Most schools have completed their updates for the 2021-22 admission cycle (Class of 2026), and several of the changes we've observed are worth noting.
Roughly 25 schools have modified early admission options available to applicants this fall. Notable changes include the resumption of Rest...
Questions About Admissions
For lots of families of high school juniors and sophomores, this whole college admissions process has just kicked into gear. So, it seems like a good time to talk about the typical mistakes students and parents make as they get started.
In my experience, students often tend to underestimate their ch...
With the May 1 enrollment deadline GONE, current high school seniors have some big decisions to make. In addition to choosing an institution that aligns with your academic and social interests, it’s important to select a college that is financially feasible for you and your family...
The coronavirus pandemic disrupted countless facets of daily life, economic activity, and educational pursuits for most of 2020 and into 2021. Add the already complicated college admission process – including whether students are ultimately accepted, rejected, or placed on a college wait-l...
If you’re passionate about your sport of choice, you may be interested in what it takes to get recruited as a college athlete. So it’s essential to learn all of the facts to determine your path forward.
From deciding between Division l, II, and III to realistically assessing...
The Common App essay prompts will remain the same for 2021-2022 with one exception. We will retire the seldom used option about solving a problem and replace it with the following:
Reflect on something that someone has done for you that has made you happy or thankful in a surprising way. How has thi...
The coronavirus pandemic has fundamentally changed the ways many teachers deliver instruction and many students learn. Since widespread disruptions began in March of 2020, the AP and higher education communities have guided the creation of options for supporting teachers and students.
We’ve made deci...
IN A NATION WHERE BLACK students integrating schools were met with riots in the 1960s, historically black colleges and universities have been instrumental in the education of African Americans. These schools, known as HBCUs, served a student population that other institutions overwhel...
