Written by Padma Namgyal, a graduating high school senior musing about what’s yet to come. Waiting as I am in the trails of my eighteenth year. There is excitement shining like a gem but also a lot of fear… I tell myself to do my part. “You need to help out here!” But, when I…
High school seniors and transfer students are often advised, “Start drafting your college essays early”, especially by students in the class ahead who recently completed their college applications. Yet, few will confess why they themselves did not start writing their essays early, nor the complexities of crafting one’s autobiography, which can include: Lack of experience…
It’s normal for rising seniors and transfer students to be anxious about the college application process. People typically are anxious when facing uncertainty, and when applying to college, students confront many unknowns: from unpredictable admissions results, to doubts about how they’ll transition to living away from family. When parents, with good intentions, try to alleviate…
High school students often develop a seeming “college admissions filter”, assessing any experience (or potential experience) through “How will this help me with being admitted to college?” Many may be frustrated at such consideration, yet in my experience, such a mindset seems pervasive amongst teens. Today’s high school students have heard messages like, “When you…
Educational consultants are valuable guides, offering personalized advice for both parents and students. By understanding each client’s unique educational goals, consultants distill the deluge of internet-available information and wide-ranging “advice” from other parents (both IRL and virtually) into practical recommendations. Then families can make informed choices that contribute to their children’s success. Moreover, life rarely…
Immigrant parents can be challenged to balance their native cultural traditions while assimilating, especially when guiding their American-born children’s education. Parents may need to learn the American perspectives of teachers as well as be aware of filtering their children’s experiences through their own cultural context. If parents are not fluent in English, effective collaboration with…
When calm, one can concentrate. And, when concentrated, one knows instantaneously how to react appropriately in any situation, including during a standardized test like the SAT or ACT. Upon examination, what many students term “test anxiety” is a lack of concentration, which is more complicated to address than a 6-8 week cram course called, “Test…
Most aspiring college applicants (and their families) are aware that they’ll report extracurricular activities in their applications, yet few may understand the significance of their efforts. With their extracurricular commitments, students can showcase their interests, while also contributing to their communities. Since college admissions officers don’t set specific requirements about the number or type of…
Amidst the stress of the college admissions process, parents may be inclined to dive into college applications and essays, while teenagers may display disinterest or hesitation, leading to conflicts. As a parent, it is important to pause and reflect on how your teenager reacts in stressful situations and what forms of support have been effective…
While making a list of colleges is essential in the college application process, without knowing oneself and why one seeks a college experience, then generating a list may not be the most effective first step. Instead, rising seniors and transfer applicants on the cusp of applying to college can: 1. Engage rigorous self-reflection: Preferably in…
Often, when asked, “Why do you want to attend college?” high schoolers reply, “To get a good paying job”, and implied in their statement, “to figure out who I am” (which typically emerges in subsequent interviews) while their parents nod and smile in agreement. So, I reflected on the change in view which also often…
Is an Ivy League education worth the nearly $90,000 per year cost of attendance, which includes tuition, room & board, fees, average estimates for books, personal expenses + transportation? The following is the current estimated cost of attendance at all eight Ivy League institutions: As inflation erodes the average middle class standard of living, while…
While college admissions officers don’t diminish a student’s evaluation for having taken the SAT or ACT multiple times, students would be prudent to pause and reflect before taking either test more than three times each. To make a more informed choice, students can: Also, if students have purchased the score reporting services, like “Requesting a…
Sorting a potential college list into “Reach”, “Target”, and “Safety”, as an indicator of the likeliness of an acceptance, sets a dangerous precedent. The applicant essentially imagines themselves at the whims of the admissions officer, devoid of agency, a poverty-like mindset, begging for the charity of an acceptance letter. Applicants seek seeming validation of their…
In the perceived race for college admissions, savvy students and their families often seek any advantage to be admitted. As a high school sophomore shared recently, “If every kid looks the same, how do you distinguish yourself?” And, as the extracurricular resume is one place where students can demonstrate their uniqueness (since the academic requirements…
