Posts by Andrew Belasco:

When are SAT Test Dates in 2024?

Posted on: 28 Mar 2024

Knowing when the SAT is offered—and when you should take the exam—are important steps in the preparation process. If there was a one-size-fits-all answer to when you should take the SAT, this blog would be one straightforward sentence in length. Yet, the decision on when to sit for your first SAT exam (as well as […]

How to Win Merit Scholarships

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. […]

Early Action vs. Early Decision (EA vs. ED)

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 […]

Best Online Summer Programs for High School Students – 2024

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 […]

How to Choose a College — After Acceptance

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 […]

What is Demonstrated Interest in College Admissions?

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 […]

College Interview Questions and Tips

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 […]

How to Request Letters of Recommendation for College

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. […]