Senior Year Warnings

“When reward is at its pinnacle, risk is near at hand.”   – John Bogle, legendary investor and founder of the Vanguard Group  Although written for investors, John Bogle’s sage advice is apropos for the next stage of The College Admissions Process during the senior year. Being exhausted from drafting college essays in order to submit college applications, a desire…

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The Parent Trap

A parent’s job is often unenviable. Thankless. Tiring. Trying. Tireless. Especially when the child is a teenager. Parents’ reasons for making decisions can vary from encouraging their children to “live their own lives, do what makes you happy” and worries that what makes their children happy won’t pay their bills, let alone save for retirement, nor eventually be able to…

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Tricks of the Academic Trade

Online tools are useful homework management techniques for students.  Yet, with the plethora of online tools available, knowing which tools are actually worthy can be tricky.  So, here’s a couple tools that are student-tested and recommended: Wolfram|Alpha: a searchable database for all academic subjects, including solutions to exact math problems.  For an additional fee, students can purchase greater access to the database…

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College Admissions Decisions: The Troll Underneath the Bridge or The Gateway to Oz

As college admissions decisions are delivered to email and postal mail boxes all over the world, the decisions can seem to either validate or condemn a lifetime’s efforts. However, just as in Justice: What’s the Right Thing to Do, where Harvard Professor Michael Sandel hypothesizes a straightforward college acceptance letter, the truth can be more layered: In the arms race of college…

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A River Runs Through It

The late winter run-off from 12 years of school melting during the latter half of a high school senior year can create an emotional flood. A confluence of Senioritis and waiting for college admissions responses quickly overruns the levees built during a senior’s youth-limited life experience. Seniors decry, “When will I hear from colleges?” or “Many of my friends received…

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