Does being a “legacy” increase your admission odds?
Colleges love to throw around high-minded words like meritocracy, access, and egalitarianism when discussing admissions policies. Yet proclamations of a focus on social justice and opportunity ring a bit hollow when you consider that so-called legacy applicants, those who have familial ties to an institution,…
How Many Extracurricular Activities Do Colleges Want?
What is today referred to as Parkinson’s Law began as nothing more than a satirical line penned in the pages of a 1955 issue of The Economist, intended to poke fun at bureaucracies: “Work expands to fill the time available for its application.” In essence,…
10 Best College Guides: Must-Read Books for Parents and Teens
Prior to the advent of the modern internet, data-starved applicants had to head over to Barnes & Noble or another, now defunct retailer (remember Borders and Waldenbooks?) to find insights beyond those contained in the official glossy brochures that arrived in the mail. The internet…
What to Do After Getting Deferred By Your First-Choice College
You shed any Prufrockian paralysis and boldly confess your undying love to the college of your dreams. By applying early decision you’ve offered them 100% commitment and devotion with no guarantees in return. Your heart is all in their hands now. After a nervous, lengthy…
Transfer Applicants: How to Complete the Common Application
A college diploma features the name of just one institution; yet, for many, this hardly tells the true story of their unique college journey, which is often an amalgam of experiences across two or more postsecondary settings. In fact, at some point, 38% of all…
2020 Guide to Summer Programs for High School Students
In the 1990s, while the rest of society was busy squirting each other with Super Soakers, listening to the Gin Blossoms, and carving Nike swooshes into their hair, colleges suddenly realized, for the very first time, that their campuses were completely deserted during the summer….
How to Demonstrate Interest in Your Prospective Colleges
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-old’s minds are often dominated by one critical question—the same exact question that keeps college…
What to do After Applying to College Early Decision or Early Action
The run-up to the November 1st early action (EA) and early decision (ED) deadlines at the majority of colleges 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…
DATAVERSE
Downloadable Resources for your College Transition
