Bamboo grows quickly, but its flowers can take quite some time to bloom, much like many teenagers. Their bodies may grow bigger. Their feet have quickly grown through kid’s shoes and well into the adult sizes. But this does not mean their brains have matured for such adult tasks as being academically, socially, or emotionally …
About
The Real Truth About Ivy League Admit Rates
Fair warning: This post may make you reconsider some of the colleges on your list. The most selective schools in this country are actually even more difficult to get into than you previously thought. Believe it or not, the meager Ivy League admission rates published by the schools can be misleading. “How so?” you may …
Here’s Why You Shouldn’t Fill Out Your Student’s College Applications For Them
You’ll need just a little background before I tell you about a curious phone call I recently received about a student’s college applications…we have lived in this community long enough for me to know a significant number of my child’s peers since they were in pre-school. I know the school hours for my local high …
Better Ways to Show Extracurricular Activities on College Applications
You know well that what you do outside of the classroom is important to colleges, but are all extracurricular activities created equal? Do colleges care what you do? Are some activities better than others? It matters more how you do it. I would argue that more than colleges care WHAT you do, they will care …
#CollegeAnswered Q&A – November 13, 2015
This installment of #CollegeAnswered tackles a number of questions from our community. We have topics related to international students, as well as navigating the FAFSA after a divorce, and a question about the culture of college “fit”. Students and parents submitted all these questions either via CollegeRaptor.com, Facebook, Twitter, or email. If you have a …
7 Must-Ask Questions for Every College Visit
Campus tours are sometimes referred to as “the golden mile” and tour guides have been called a campus’ most important employee. Both the tour guide and the campus tour are tools for the college to reel you in, educate you about the school, and entice you to apply and perhaps enroll. The college visit is, …
The One Thing You MUST Do After Applying Early Decision or Early Action
Congratulations! As November 1 has now come and gone, many of you must have filed your first college application(s), applying either early decision or early action. Others of you will join this club on November 15th. If you’re like most high school seniors, you will hit send on that first college application(s) and breathe a …
Understanding Prior-Prior Year FAFSA Filing and What It Means for Students and Parents
The federal government has come up with a wonderfully confusing new name for something that actually simplifies the financial aid process. Let me try to make it easier to understand. Historically, students and parents have used income information from the last full calendar year on financial aid applications (FAFSA). In other words, you used the …
Should I Hire a College Essay Coach?
There aren’t many rising high school seniors who enjoy the process of writing the college essay, but, let’s face it, it is a necessary evil. Happily, you don’t need to go it alone on the journey to write your college essay. But how much help should you have? How much is too much? Should you …
#CollegeAnswered Q&A – October 21, 2015
In the first installment of our #CollegeAnswered Q&A series, I’ll be answering questions on a range of topics related to financial aid, college costs, and identifying college options. All of these questions were submitted by students and parents either via CollegeRaptor.com, Facebook, Twitter, or email. If you have a question you’d like me to answer, …