2020 has been a year of upheaval thus far! There have been many things that are out of your control: remote school, cancelled extracurricular activities, social distancing requirements, cancelled standardized tests, and a significant reduction in in-person summer opportunities. Remember that colleges will understand that these things were out of your control! Admission officers will […]
From the Desk of Andrea van Niekerk, College Admission Counselor….. It used to be that at the end of each application season students got thick envelopes that signaled their acceptances, or thin envelopes that dashed their hopes. With most decisions now online, there is less warning of what to expect on notification day. But whether […]
With the sticker price of many private colleges exceeding $60,000 a year and the cost of public universities steadily rising, more and more families are struggling to fund their children’s college educations. If you think you will qualify for need-based financial aid, take the time to file the required financial aid forms. Even if you […]
My 24-year-old graduate-student son recently had a terrible experience that offers many lessons to college-aged students and their parents. As a nice, smart kid who typically thinks the best of people, he naively put himself into a situation (yes, he does admit he made a stupid choice) where his cell phone, credit cards and keys […]
Sophomores — Fall is time for you to test the waters of standardized testing. Many of you have just taken the PSAT and/or Pre-ACT at school. I hope you treated this as an opportunity and not something to dread. It has given you your first “feel” of the standardized testing that may influence your college […]
Are you a high school student (or the parent of one) who is wondering how best to spend your summer? What do colleges expect high school students to do during their school holidays? While summer is a great time to relax and recharge, it’s also an excellent opportunity for teenagers to show commitment, responsibility, passion, […]
For many families, one of the most stressful aspects of the college application process is filling out financial aid forms. Recent changes to both the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and CSS Profile should make the process somewhat easier starting October 2016, but if your student is a current high school senior, college […]
As you are excitedly exploring college websites and imagining yourselves as incoming freshmen next year on the campuses of your choice, many of you (and your parents!) are probably also concerned about the rising cost of college attendance. There are two options that can help families in facing the cost of college – merit scholarship […]
