Early Application and Early Decision 1 deadlines for students applying to colleges is in November. With November almost around the corner, we have listed below all of our resources on Early Action and Early Decisions applications so that families can take advantage of an important admissions strategy that more and more students are considering. 

When Should Students Consider Applying Early Action/Early Decision?

Our blog on When Should Students Consider Applying Early Action/Early Decision? provides an overview of what EA and ED are, application deadlines, as…

In our last blog post, Top 7 Books on College Admissions for those just getting started… We recommended 7 great books that will give you big-picture perspectives about colleges, the college admissions process overall, the true nature of selective college admissions, and what you can do to help students prepare for the road ahead. For those Juniors and seniors ready to build college lists focusing on academic, personal and financial fit, these following 7 books do a great job of providing data and college specific information invaluable to this process. Furthermore, these books are…

Many of us use the internet for all of our information gathering when it comes to any kind of large ticket purchases. Whether we are looking for a new car, a new home, or vacation options, there is no shortage of information you can find on the internet. The same applies to colleges (a $80-300K investment), but there are so many more variables to consider. We also hear over and over again that the amount  of information on the internet is overwhelming, and with so much biased information from marketers, it is often difficult to parse out what advice is worth heeding, and conversely what…

Summer before senior year is the most important summer for high school students. This is the time when most opportunities are available to them - jobs, internships, summer programs, etc. Beyond academic, extracurricular, and career related pursuits, this is also a great time for students to get started on the college admissions process. Here is a checklist we have compiled for rising seniors, so that they can make the most of the summer, and get ahead on college applications so that they are off to a great senior year when school starts again.

Engage in meaningful summer…

By: Alan Gelb

That’s my best advice. We all know how incredibly packed and tense the first semester of senior year can be, so getting this difficult essay out of the way before you return to school can make all the difference for you. And don’t worry that you’re already late to the game. Summer just started on June 21.

Here are my top tips for how to make the most of these crucial months when you have some extra time on your hands:

1. Clear some headspace. Whether it’s tennis, golf, backpacking, water skiing, or just hanging with your family and friends,…

By: Kate Sonnenberg

As rising seniors spend time this summer writing their personal statements, crafting their application, and refining their college list, parents can sometimes feel a bit sidelined. But parents have an important role to play in empowering their students as they apply to college – and there is no shortage of information about parenting students through the college admissions process, so much that it can sometimes seem overwhelming. I hope this resource list will be a starting point for parents to get valuable information.

Books

Where…

Rejections hurt. As the last of the colleges release their regular decision acceptances this week, there will be a lot of disappointments felt by students and parents alike. There will be many heartbreaks from dream school rejections, but also many surprises, disappointments, and even anger from rejections that come from schools that we thought were “high likelys.” Students that have worked incredibly hard for the last 4 years may feel that this is the end of the world. But it is important to note that this is a setback, one of many setbacks that are thrown their way in life, that they…

By: Mark Salisbury

“Wait, what?!  People negotiate college prices???”

Yep.  All the time.

In fact, most colleges wish that more accepted applicants would ask for a lower price.

Now pick yourself up off the floor and keep reading.  Because knowing this simple college cost hack may well save you thousands of dollars.

You Say Negotiate, They Say Appeal (let ’em have this one)

Before we get started – a quick tip about word choice.  Colleges care a lot about keeping up appearances, especially when…

By: Kate Sonnenberg

As college admissions becomes more competitive, students frequently look for ways to “distinguish” themselves from their peers. One increasingly common choice: research. Research has become so popular in recent years that many companies have sprung up offering to match high school students with graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and junior faculty who will supervise a research project.

But do colleges really value high school research when deciding whom to admit?

The answer, like so much in college admissions, is “it depends.”…

There are special scholarships meant solely for students with learning disabilities that you can explore for your child. Below is a list of some popular scholarships for students with disabilities for 2022. For families of Juniors, Sophomore and Freshman, keep the dates in mind for the student’s graduation year.

1. American Association on Health and Disability Frederick J. Krause Scholarship 

This scholarship is open to students with any documented disability pursuing either an undergraduate/graduate program. The applicant should be a sophomore at college as of…