A mom just asked me what she should be doing to help her son. “He seems so stressed out all the time,” she said. I reassured her that that’s the definition of junior year:

Junior Year: noun — a unique form of stress occurring from September through June of the third year of high school.

From my talks with high school guidance and college counselors as well as teachers and sports coaches, juniors begin the year knowing the pressure is on: to ...

I’d reframe the question of “getting into a good college” as “What are my chances of getting into a college that’s good for me?”

All colleges are good.

The important issue is targeting which schools are best suited to a particular student’s learning style, academic interest, career aspirations, financial means, geographical purview and other aspects of collegiate life like extracurricular needs, student housing and meal plans.

When I sit down with a high school junior and their family to discuss college ...

3 Seemingly Innocuous Words to Avoid This College Application Season: Really, Very, All

Actually, avoid them every college application season and in any written document that you undertake! Think of these words, especially when used as adverbs, as extraneous. They’re the empty-calorie snacks of grammar that don’t restore depleted energy-levels or maintain/increase muscle-mass.

Why? Though they’re little words, students rely on them to garner big impact. The intention with the “little three” is to communicate drama, but instead the effect is ...

It may be shorter, but it’s not easier. The “it” is the Supplemental Essay, also known as the ‘I Love You’ letter or the ‘Why Us?’ essay that many students erroneously regard as easy-peasy. One student just confessed, “I’ve NEVER done anything this difficult in my entire life.” I assured her that I was certain she had, and she best get writing as her ED application deadline looms.

So, what’s the trick to these pesky “additional” essays that some colleges ...

Some people call merit aid free money. And it sort of is. The only investment required to receive this tuition assistance is to apply to a school that awards it.

The hurdle?

Sleuthing out colleges that offer these scholarships based on academic, athletic or artistic performance rather than financial need is not easy. Scholarship deadlines are often earlier than application deadlines though some schools, for example University of Vermont, automatically consider students for merit aid.

Here are a few resources ...

I just got off the phone with a parent of a rising senior whose daughter wasn’t “cracking the code” of her Common Application college essay. Or so said the student’s high school English teacher.

“Is there one way to write these things?” asked the parent.

My answer: No.

There are guidelines set by the Common Application, but as for a strict form?

Let’s just say, I’ve seen many form variations that each reflect a student’s singular point-of-view and unique tone-of-voice. No ...

(The Last of a Three-Part Mini-Series on Standardized Testing for College Admission)

Answer: The one that feels the most comfortable to a student.

The SAT has had some noisy press recently causing some students to lean towards the ACT. While the College Board’s recent announcement of adding an adversity score section has created confusion surrounding the test, it shouldn’t deter students who are comfortable with the SAT’s style.

The adversity score can’t be studied for; it’s assigned ...

(Part Two of a Three-Part Mini-Series on Standardized Testing for College Admission)
 
In light of the recent buzz surrounding the college admissions process, how deeply do standardized test scores affect a college application strategy, especially with the wonderful list of schools that are test score optional? My answer is, it depends on the college, the test and the student.

Here’s the second of three aspects to consider when navigating the standardized testing leg of the college ...

(Part One of a Three-Part Mini-Series on Standardized Testing for College Admission)
 
Over the past couple of years, this question has become one of the first asked by students and families. How deeply do standardized test scores affect an application strategy, especially with so many schools going test score optional? My answer is, it depends on:

1. The College
2. The Test
3. The Student

Here’s the first of three aspects to consider when navigating the standardized testing leg of the college ...