Posts by Andrew Belasco:

Beyond Walmart: Why Bentonville, Arkansas Is a Surprisingly Strong Place to Apply to Top Colleges

Posted on: 16 Oct 2025

Most people outside of Arkansas know Bentonville as the home of Walmart. In college admissions circles, however, the city’s story is considerably more interesting. Northwest Arkansas has transformed dramatically over the past decade. Today it is home to a world-class art museum, one of the fastest-growing tech ecosystems in the South, a cluster of Fortune […]

What You Should Do After Submitting Early Action or Decision Applications

Posted on: 16 Oct 2025

The run-up to the October and November Early Action (EA) and Early Decision (ED) deadlines is, for many students, one of the most stressful times in their young lives. Yet, for all of the unwanted nerves and sleepless nights, there is also a dopamine rush that comes with striving single-mindedly toward an important life goal. […]

Case Study: How One Barron Collier Student Turned the Gulf of Mexico into a Research Platform

Posted on: 15 Oct 2025

The Naples College Admissions Landscape Naples sits at the center of a competitive but often overlooked corner of Florida college admissions. Collier County Public Schools operates 21 high schools, and families frequently default to name recognition rather than actual outcomes. Barron Collier High School currently holds the district’s top spot among traditional, non-charter public schools, […]

Beyond Ohio State: Building a College Application from Hamilton County’s Companies, Museums, and Labs

Posted on: 14 Oct 2025

Hamilton County sits at an interesting point on the national admissions map. Ohio produces plenty of strong applicants. However, it does not carry the sheer volume of California or New York. As a result, competitive colleges are not drowning in Cincinnati-area files the way they are in coastal metro areas. That said, geography alone does […]

Public vs. Private in Richmond, VA: What Actually Matters for Selective College Admissions

Posted on: 11 Oct 2025

Choosing between public and private schools is never simple in the Richmond area. With nationally recognized magnet programs like Maggie Walker Governor’s School, rigorous suburban publics such as Deep Run, Glen Allen, Midlothian (IB), Cosby, and Clover Hill, and prestigious independents including Collegiate, St. Catherine’s, St. Christopher’s, The Steward School, and Millwood, families have no […]

Case Study: How One Hamilton County Student Earned Admission to Cornell, Michigan, and Wisconsin

Posted on: 09 Oct 2025

The Hamilton County Admissions Landscape Hamilton County sends an unusually deep bench of applicants to selective colleges each year. Walnut Hills High School, an application-only Cincinnati Public Schools campus, sits first in Ohio according to U.S. News & World Report and draws students from across the county through competitive testing. However, several traditional, non-selective districts […]

How Competitive Is College Admissions for Houston-Area Students in 2026?

Posted on: 08 Oct 2025

If you’re raising a high schooler anywhere in the Houston metro—whether in Katy, Fort Bend, Conroe, CFISD, HISD, Pearland, Spring Branch, Clear Creek, or one of the area’s many private schools, you’ve probably sensed it: College admissions here feel different. More intense. More unpredictable. More competitive than they were even five years ago. And you’re […]

College Admissions from Rochester, NY: Advantages, Challenges, and What Students Need to Know

Posted on: 08 Oct 2025

Rochester, New York, is a mid-sized city with a surprisingly strong college admissions profile. It is home to two nationally recognized research universities, a cluster of high-performing suburban school districts, and a rich cultural and academic infrastructure. At the same time, Rochester presents challenges that students and families need to plan around. Understanding both sides […]