It Always Works Out…..


Unfortunately, the reality of college admissions is that often these visions (this is the “dream school”; this is the “most perfect major”) do not play themselves out in the…

Recommendation Letters and the College Application


As stressful as it is to write college application essays, at least the effort gives students a sense of control, of making a case for themselves by discussing what matters to…

AI and the Essay


It is now rare to open a newspaper or listen to a news program without some mention of AI. These discussions often have a slightly apocalyptic tone - the Terminators’ SkyNet…

A tale of three college visits – which one fits you now?


...soon, spring will arrive, and high school students and their families will start thinking about embarking on some college visits and campus tours. Your interest may have been…

Choosing Your Courses for the Next Year


Soon, many sophomore and junior students must make choices about their courses for next year. We know the admission process at very selective colleges is based, above all, on your…

The 2022 admission season: what juniors might learn from it


With colleges having announced their 2022 admission decisions, I yet again feel like a recording stuck in a loop as I reiterate to my students that admission at the more selective…

A career in software computing? Consider a major other than CS


No wonder many prospective first years are fearful about their chances of admission to a top CS program! But it’s not all bad news. As someone who’s done this myself and knows…

No, it’s not fair!


Every year commentators call on new superlatives to describe the plummeting admit rates at selective colleges. Beset by a growing sense of anxiety about their chances of admission…

Waiting on the Waitlist


With college admission decisions made and released, the attention of students and admission officers turns to the tricky challenge of the waitlist. And rarely has the process…

High School Course Selection


As an admission officer at a very selective college, perhaps the most common question I had to field was this: "Will colleges care more about my grades or about the rigor of my…