Choose a College Wisely 

Often families mistake college affordability as “lowest price”, yet few consider the potential opportunity costs of an (un)realized genius. Thus, as high school seniors, transfer students, and their families weigh the awesome choice of one college acceptance over another (often while grieving an admissions denial), exercising patience and careful consideration is most prudent.  While every person seeks the highest quality…

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Waitlisted, Not Denied

Few applicants expect to be waitlisted—not admitted, not denied, but may be considered for admissions after May 1. The disappointment is palpable.  Then, the neurosis gets loud, some version of: “Why was so-and-so (usually someone believed to be less qualified) admitted and I wasn’t?”, “Does this [being waitilisted] mean that I won’t be accepted anywhere else?”—followed by the “shoulda’s” and…

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College Acceptances Are Conditional

In Spring, Seniors can experience “Senioritis”, needing more effort to complete everyday homework, while coping with anxiety of waiting for college responses. In some cases, such a lack of motivation can lead to strategic missteps, from which the consequences can be destructive, especially for college admissions. All college acceptances are conditional or provisional. Often, one condition is that students pass…

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Advice when Choosing AP’s, IB’s, Honors and Dual Enrollment Courses

Students often ask, “How many AP’s (Advanced Placement), IB’s (International Baccalaureate), Honors, and Dual Enrollment (taking community college courses while in high school) courses should I take?” with the “…so I can be accepted into a college of my choice” left unstated. In asking, families mistakenly prioritize competitiveness for college admissions over the interests and learning style of the student.…

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Seeking Scholarship Monies Can Be Trickier Than You Think

Many parents believe the greatest hurdle to applying for college scholarships is finding scholarships. Nope. Not by a longshot. For many seniors, the motivation to write one more autobiographical essay for a scholarship application is the largest impediment.  For one, many are depleted of energy after writing a dozen (or more) college essays over the fall and winter. Plus, many…

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The Sentiments of High School Seniors 72 Hours From A College Application Deadline

Thus, possibly for their parents… May students’ fingers be swift, memory banks quick to recall significant life-shaping experiences, and word snipping their quintessential memoirs to just 250 words be effortless. And, may all parents be assured that if servers crash, admissions officers (within hours) extend deadlines, and trust that their children’s efforts (be it last minute or not) are what…

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Advice about the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Cultural Background Written Response

Often when a written response is “optional” on a college application, especially when the admit rates are 3.96%, like at MIT, students accustomed to following every direction, and seeking every advantage in such a low probability admissions process, usually pause to consider, “How optional is ‘optional’?”  Yet, after talking with admissions officers at MIT, optional really is optional. MIT admissions…

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The Seldom Told Story of Early Admissions

In the next few weeks, students who applied early admissions, both Early Action and Early Decision, will be: Admitted, Denied, or Deferred to the Regular Decision pool. Yet, in Teenager the three admissions responses (respectively) translate to: Validated (or Vindicated), Rejected and In-Between rejected but not a rejection. For students (and sometimes parents), the admissions process is inherently personal, the…

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Should I edit my 650 word Common Application Essay?

The short answer is, “Yes, one can always clarify their sentences to more accurately reflect the meaning intended, all in the quest to be understood by the admissions officer.”  Students can use the definition of “to edit” as a guide when considering any changes:  Yet, to “prepare (an autobiographical college essay) for [re]publication”, students must first consider the original story…

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Advice for Answering Optional COVID related College Application Essay Questions

To borrow the immortal words of Thomas Jefferson, “Prudence, indeed, will dictate…” any student’s choice to share their personal COVID-colored experiences. In an informal query of admissions officers around the United States from highly selective to not-so-selective universities, the consensus is be judicious, if choosing to share a COVID-related experience.  Most admissions officers advise students to consider if the COVID-related…

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