Posted on: 05 Feb 2024
If you’re the parent of a college-bound teen, you might be panicking over the astronomical cost of tuition, hoping that if you follow the rainbow of FAFSA forms, local scholarships, and the whims of the financial aid officers at the schools to which your child applies, a pot of gold is sure to await you. […]
Posted on: 25 Jan 2024
In the early 1990s, the University of Pennsylvania was struggling to keep up with their fellow Ivy League universities and found themselves frequently relegated to “back-up plan” status among the nation’s top students. Their institution’s location in less-than-idyllic West Philadelphia and the “sounds like a state school” name contributed to their relative woes. In an […]
Posted on: 29 Dec 2023
For almost two years, COVID-19 dramatically altered the everyday lives of American teens as well as young people all over the globe. One particularly salient change was the rise of virtual learning, both in traditional academic settings as well as summer programs. Although most in-person programs have now resumed normal activity, the rise—and acceptability—of virtual […]
Posted on: 27 Dec 2023
Holding multiple college acceptance letters in your hand, you take a moment to marvel at these glorious tokens of survival. You have not only officially made it through the agonizing gauntlet known as the admissions process but you have emerged triumphant. For students with an acceptance letter from their clear-cut number one school, this moment […]
Posted on: 27 Dec 2023
At their core, college admissions officers have a good deal in common with 7th graders. While they may not share the same hygiene issues, burgeoning rebellious spirit, or general awkwardness, thirteen-year-olds’ minds are often dominated by one critical question—the same exact question that keeps college admissions officers up at night—do they “like me” or do […]
Posted on: 27 Dec 2023
Through much of the college application process, you are defined by your hard numbers—GPA, class rank, ACT or SAT score, number of rigorous courses taken, performance on AP exams, and so on. The virtual college admissions interview presents an opportunity to show off your less tangible attributes, that certain je ne sais quoi unique to […]
Posted on: 21 Dec 2023
Yes, this blog is about how to request letters of recommendation for college from a teacher. But first, let’s engage in a mental exercise intended to do something quite strange—help you imagine your teachers as real human beings.  Don’t worry—there’s a purpose to this! Put yourself in your favorite English teacher’s shoes for a moment. […]
Posted on: 17 Dec 2023
For those applying as first-year applicants, Barnard College has a single-digit acceptance rate. The standards for this Columbia-affiliated women’s college have reached full-blown Ivy League levels. More promising for prospective applicants is the fact that Barnard remains an extremely transfer-friendly school. In fact, they ultimately accept an encouraging 150-250 transfers per year. This blog will […]