There is a misperception amongst some parents that paying tuition and sending students to private schools gives their child an edge in college admissions. Is this true? Does it make a difference whether students attend a public or private high school? 

The answer is Yes and No. Historically, top independent and boarding schools were pipelines into Ivies and highly selective schools. That picture has changed significantly in recent years as colleges are seeking more diversity. But even today, the fact remains that 25-40% of students at top colleges come from private high…

By: Lloyd Nimetz, The Spike Lab

In the same way that Covid has radically transformed so much of our society, it has catalyzed major shifts in the college admissions 2021 process and beyond. The rippling aftereffects will last for years even as high schools, colleges, and society as a whole (hopefully) return to some degree of normalcy later this year. Almost without exception, every grade experienced upheaval, from pre-K to postgraduate, and observers have suggested that the Covid-19 crisis could add up to a “lost generation” of students.

College Admissions 2021…

By Lloyd Nimetz of The Spike Lab

This year, college admissions was a tough game, especially for well-rounded students. The increase in applications to top-tier schools—sparked in part by the lifting of testing requirements—led to a significant decrease in the percentage of admitted students. Harvard admitted a mere 3.4 percent of applicants, Yale a paltry 4.6 percent, and Princeton a measly 3.98 percent. Other elite colleges had similar stats. Even high achieving, well-rounded students with stellar academic records and extracurriculars didn’t get admissions offers at their desired…

The college admissions process is an essential part of a student’s life and requires a significant amount of thought and research. However, in a frenzy to get ahead of the admissions game and do things the right way, students often give in to certain myths regarding the process. What is the essay supposed to be like? What makes a good application? While it is good to turn to others for help and scour the internet for resources, students can often be peppered by misinformation and myths that may do more harm than good. We have compiled a list of the most common myths associated with the…

As the summer break of 2021 rolls around, rising seniors in high schools across the country have an exciting and important deadline fast approaching them in a few months — their college applications for fall 2022 will be due. Rising seniors can use this summer to get a head start on all of their application materials. We have listed below some of the things that students can aim to check off this summer break to make life easier in the fall. 

1. Creating a College List

This is the time for the student to put together a comprehensive list of all of the schools…

By: Alan Gelb

In all my years of essay coaching, working one-on-one with more than a thousand students on the 650-word personal statement that is required on the Common Application, one question has been asked of me more than any other: “What do I write about?” The other question I am routinely asked is: “How can I make my essay one of a kind?”  Those two questions, taken together, suggest that there is a pervasive sense of mystery and confusion surrounding this all-important assignment. Eliminating some of that mystery will get us to the core of this challenging task.

 …

By: Jahnavi Pradeep

What does it mean to be waitlisted? 

College waitlist is a list of college applicants that the institution has neither formally accepted nor rejected. If spots become available over the few months after the initial decision, colleges might offer students admission into their institution. 

See the 2019-2020 Waitlist Statistics here.

Factors determining waitlist admission

Different factors govern whether colleges decide to admit waitlisted students. 

Recommendations are becoming more important than ever - from whom should students request reccs, how should they ask, and how might they guide their recommenders to land the superlative, detailed recommendation that colleges will value.©

By: David A. Browne, En*trance Admissions Advisory

With testing again optional at almost all schools for this next cycle’s applicants, recommendations from their counselor (the brag sheet-driven “school or counselor” recommendation), teachers (“academic” recc.- the focus of this segment), and an additional, typically optional,…

By: Jahnavi Pradeep

End of April is around the corner and most seniors have a daunting decision to make - which college will they attend in the fall? As part of the college application process, students apply to numerous schools, and it comes as no surprise that they receive multiple offer letters to choose from. Especially this admissions cycle, with many uncertainties looming in the background, many students have applied to more schools than they intended to. While exhilarating it is to receive numerous acceptances, it can also be a confusing and stressful time for students to…

By: Valerie Erde

I was recently asked what it takes for a high school student to become a successful college applicant. What's the secret to getting in — especially to highly competitive schools?

I get asked this a lot, but this time I found myself thinking about the question not in the abstract, but in relation to specific kids with whom I’ve worked. I've spent time teaching them, but what could they teach me about getting into college?

To find out, I reached out to some of my smart, talented, kind — and also very successful! — former high school students to learn…