You are browsing the archive for December 2009.
What You Need to Know About Developing Relationships With College Admissions Offices Did you know that some colleges have computer programs that track how much contact individual students have with them? And did you know that this tracking could later on influence whether or not they get accepted? This is one of those pieces of [...]
Standing Out From The Application Crowd At Selective Colleges Do you know what it takes to have your application stand out from other applicants? It’s no secret that most selective colleges and universities have to deal with more academically qualified applicants than they can possibly admit. By academically qualified, I mean your test scores, the [...]
While most students know that getting letters of recommendation is part of the college application process, many students don’t quite know how to approach their teachers, counselor, and other recommenders (such as the head of a non-profit organization where you volunteer, a coach, or an employer). They know that teachers and counselors are going to [...]
Writing Admissions Essays Doesn’t Have To Be That Hard One of the most daunting challenges seniors face as they go through the college application process is writing application essays. Unfortunately, most student start off thinking that they have to do this completely on their own and as a result often get stuck, sitting in front [...]
Applying Early can have a major impact on your college admissions results. So before you decide to do that, you need to understand what the programs are, as well as the implications for your choosing to participate in one or more of them. Basically, there are four kinds of early application programs: 1. EARLY ACTION [...]
Often I am asked by students and parents about the value of visiting colleges. What I say is that if at all possible, college visits should be a part of every student’s admissions process. You can take a tour of a school, talk with students, sit in on a class or two, and find out [...]
Do you know what it takes to have your application stand out from other applicants? It’s no secret that most selective colleges and universities have to deal with more academically qualified applicants than they can possibly admit. By academically qualified, I mean your test scores, the rigor of courses you take and the grades you [...]
Some colleges offer interviews, many don’t. Private colleges tend to be more open to interviews than large public universities. If a college on your list offers the possibility, it’s in your best interests to take advantage of the opportunity. Admissions interviews almost always help applicants; rarely do they hurt them. Many students get very nervous [...]
Many parents have been asking for good information about financial aid. Just this morning, the National Association for College Admissions Counseling listserv offered a list of books that admissions counselors around the US recommend. Here they are: Chany, K. & Martz, G., Paying for College 2010 Without Going Broke, New York, Princeton Review & Random [...]
As you know, we are constantly on the lookout for information and resources. In the last month, we found a couple of useful tidbits that we wanted to share with you: 1. On-line AP Courses I thought I knew about most of the online high school courses, especially those that are available from Stanford’s Education [...]