Topic: College

Don’t Forget to Read this Summer. Your Brain Depends on It!

Read. Read. Read. It’s advice given ad infinitum to children from preschool all the way through high school. There are well documented reasons that back up this recommendation, some of which I...

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The Changing Role of Early Decision in Admissions

As the inimitable sage Beyonce once so fittingly warned, “if you like it then you better put a ring on it.” And in the smoky private poker lounge of the college admissions...

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Harvard Spared by the Feds – But Look Behind the Crimson Curtain

Harvard Admissions Lawsuit Despite accepting Asian American candidates at a lower rate than other applicants*, Harvard was spared this afternoon as a federal judge ruled the university does not discriminate against Asian...

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Tips for those contemplating a college transfer

In the world of admissions, “to everything – turn, turn, turn; there is a season – turn, turn, turn.” Right now, many colleges are in the midst of the transfer season when...

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We Are Pleased to Offer You A Place On Our Waitlist

After weeks of waiting, March 10 finally arrives and throngs of aspiring independent school candidates learn their fate. Predictably, there is elation for the admitted, and sorrow for the denied. But for...

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The Value in Attending College Fairs

College Fairs happen throughout the course of the year and can be invaluable to the college review process. Benefits include: If there are colleges that you might be interested attending a college...

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London Calling! Top Ten Reasons to Cross the Pond for College

Depending on how helplessly you have succumbed to your Netflix binge of The Crown, somewhere between The Queen’s flirtation with horse expert Porchie and Princess Margaret’s sizzling encounter with photographer Tony you...

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Looking to be Surrounded by High-Achieving and Driven Students Like You?

Public Universities’ Small Honors Colleges Looking for a small college feel in a bigger university setting? Looking for smaller classes with professors who are invested in you and your growth as a...

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Developing the Right Questions to Research Schools and Colleges

Eager to find out more about a potential school or college? Prepping for a campus visit or interview? The road to inquiry begins with asking the right questions. Way back in my...

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Tour D’Admission: Part I Getting Started and Feeling Like a Freshman

This past summer, I experienced my first “Tour D’Admission.” Like the more famous “Tour de France,” it involves cycling but instead of 23 grueling days of professional racing covering over 2,000 miles...

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Tour D’Admission: Part II Two Small States but Large Enough to Have Colleges for Nearly Everyone

My previous blog left off as my fellow tour participants and I were bicycling from Trinity College in Hartford, CT to Wesleyan University in Middletown, CT on the first leg of the...

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The Power of the Passport

With the recent presidential election in the United States, many of our families living abroad have asked how international students will be received at American colleges and universities in the future. Will...

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Toxic Stress is Crushing More Than Just Our Kids: Turning Outrage Into Compassion

In the right doses, stress builds healthy and productive skills that allow us to survive adversity and even thrive in challenging conditions. Yes, above and beyond the survival instincts of flight and...

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Finding Joy (and Yourself!) in the Application Process and in School/College

As I look forward to working with new students and families on their educational plans, I often think back to my own college application essay that focused on the process of education...

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Alex Clark’s Post-Graduate Year Perspective

When I was first accepted into college in 2009, I was thrilled. I had gotten into my first choice school, Elon University in North Carolina, and felt like I had accomplished everything...

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The Role of the Post Graduate (PG) Year in Preparation for College

Not Just For Athletes Anymore I have worked with many PG students who have eventually declared the PG experience as essential to their growth and success. These students are young women and...

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Brilliant Teenagers from BUILD Offered College Counseling

Desiree dreams of becoming a vet; Ramon’s intent on joining the Marines; Rosa fills notebooks in hopes of becoming a poet. All three are high school sophomores in BUILD, a program geared...

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Proper Balance Between Specialization and a Holistic Experience

The beauty is finding the right fit, the natural fit. To be perfect, you have to feel perfect about yourself. This quotation from NY Times best selling author Rick Riordan best describes...

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Colleges that Change Students’ Lives

If the title of this book and website does not hook you, then perhaps the “essential elements” of the colleges included will: “These schools share two essential elements: a familial sense of...

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Filling the Developmental Tool Kit When Your Child Hits the Wall

When your child’s capacity hits its limits: it’s time to withhold judgement & fill the developmental tool kit. “He just isn’t motivated.” “She is so obsessed with the social scene she can’t...

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The Route to the Right Career

So in the long run, who is better off? Those who decide on a clear career path at an early age and then stick to it? Or those who take their time...

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Click Deeper Into College Websites

Don’t all the smiling students and lush campuses splashed across college websites look the same? In truth, you’ve got to click deep into a site to discover distinguishing features. Think of the...

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Thinking About Taking a Gap Year?!

You have been accepted to college, now how about taking a Gap Year?! One day last November, one of my high school seniors walked into my office and practically fell down onto...

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Educational Planning

It’s Like Riding a Bike One of my favorite activities is bike riding. Like many other Americans, I started out as a preschooler trudging around the house on a tricycle. As a...