Quote: Steve Jobs

A Contrarian View of “Reach”, “Target”, and “Safety” Colleges

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…

Continue Reading

Graph: Recent Admissions Rates of Candidates from the Waiting List for Georgetown Catholic and Jesuit University

More about Georgetown University Waitlists

High school Seniors offered a position on university waitlists, often first wonder, “Why wasn’t I chosen?”, typically followed by, “What are my chances of being admitted from the waitlist?” For Fall 2023, Georgetown University admissions officers actually offered information for students to make a more informed decision about choosing to or not to opt into…

Continue Reading

AP Exam Scores & The College Admissions Process

High school students throughout the US are likely spending the weekend, cramming the most amount of information possible in their memory banks, before Advanced Placement (AP) exams start on May 1, 2023.  In their anxiety, many mistake the highest score as strengthening their applications for college. SPOILER ALERT: College admissions officers don’t consider AP exam…

Continue Reading

The When, Where and Why of the College Admissions Decision Process

Choosing a college is a culmination of a childhood, marking the gateway to adulthood. Thus, Moms, Dads, and teens (and sometimes also stepparents) enter a complex series of negotiations—varying from dialogue to bickering to bargaining to ultimatums—requiring skilled diplomacy, often objective mediation to broker a consensus.  Many families are also contending with potentially competing interests…

Continue Reading

“REJECTED”: Grieving College Admissions Results in Six Parts

Being denied college admissions can feel like one’s identity and experiences are wholly inadequate. However, remembering that college admissions officers’ decisions are not a measure of one’s worth or defining of one’s potential. Here are some possible ways to cope with the inevitable emotion of being denied admissions:  Being frustrated, disappointed, numb, jealous of others…

Continue Reading

SpongeBob motivational quote

The Hope Endures – More about College Admissions Waitlists

One parent of a high school senior likened college admissions waitlists to “the extended torture of hope”, wishing to simply to move beyond decisions and let the grieving begin. And, in some ways, the institution gains more from waitlisting than the applicant, having a reserve should their first choice candidates choose to attend another college. …

Continue Reading

Quote: Zhuangzi, 286 BC

Tutor or No Tutor?

Now, at the mid-school year point, many families worry that a student’s fall term grades were less than expected, many concerned about a dwindling college admissions opportunities. Seeking to bridge the gap between what happened and expectations, families can rush implementation of a solution, typically hiring a tutor, without understanding what is breaking in the…

Continue Reading

Tweet of a dad struggling to sort through colleges

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…

Continue Reading

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…

Continue Reading

Student struggling to balance her options

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…

Continue Reading