After two decades of college counseling, I’ve had countless conversations with students about building balanced college lists. Most understand the importance of applying to a mix of high-, medium-, and low-chance schools. They’re clear-headed about what “reach schools” really means—that admission is more likely than not to result in denial—yet… Read more

In my years as a college admission counselor, I’ve witnessed countless high school students approach my office with the same worried expression. They present meticulously crafted lists of extracurricular activities—often an impressive but exhausting array of clubs, volunteer positions, and leadership roles. And then comes the inevitable question: “Is this… Read more

Many families approach college counseling with the misconception that an advisor’s role is to simply tell the student what to do to gain admission to a “better” college than they could if they were to apply on their own: Which extracurriculars will give them an edge? Which colleges should they… Read more

Many families approach me with a singular focus when their children enter high school: “What does my child need to do to get into a prestigious college?” This mindset views high school exclusively as a stepping stone—a means to an end rather than a meaningful chapter in their child’s development.… Read more

When families sit down in my office to discuss college planning, I often notice subtle but important differences in how they view the purpose of higher education. Many arrive with firmly held beliefs that college is primarily job training, that it’s an investment with a measurable ROI, or that attending… Read more

No matter the goals of the students I am working with, one of the most common qualities they focus on when choosing colleges is a “good” school. They frequently say something like, “I’m pretty open-minded about where I go to college. I know that one college isn’t necessarily better than… Read more

I recently met with a potential student client and their family. The student was serious about their academics and had many compelling ideas about their future. They enjoyed school but were honest about their strengths and weaknesses in different classes.  The student had a list of exciting and enjoyable extracurricular… Read more

Writing the personal statement for a college application can feel like a daunting task. How do you start? What is the right format? How do you find the one topic that will get you admitted to your dream school?  Less Is More In most cases, keeping it simple is probably… Read more

In my previous post, “Are You Standing on Hot Coals?”, I described the phenomenon of high school students and families feeling like they are standing on hot coals when they believe they are late getting started on the college admission process.  Hopefully, students who found themselves in that situation called… Read more

There are two types of people who like gambling in casinos.  The first type thinks that going to a casino is fun; it’s entertainment similar to going to a movie or a great way to spend vacation time. Realistically, they’re not too invested in winning and, in most cases, are… Read more