As parents, we all have a lot on our plates. Now that the school year is starting, we’re juggling more than we were 60 days ago. While routine is good, we cannot allow the schools that we send our kids to dictate their futures. We must step in, be present, ask questions and be clear of what we want as the end goal of the high school experience for our children. Yes, health and happiness trump all, but we also want to make sure our children have college options and in order to do that we must do the three things below.

#1 Review the classes and understand the sequence of courses for upcoming years
Too many parents are frustrated at the beginning of their child’s senior year when they learn...

Hard truth: college essays and “school essays” are very different. High school students are taught to write essays with a thesis, body paragraphs to prove their points and a conclusion which revisits the thesis in summary. This is not what a college essay should look like. 

A college essay is a story. It’s a slice of your kid’s life when they share something important about who they are. It’s not an autobiography of their 17 or 18 years of life but rather a small sample of an event on which they learned something that they believe will travel with them forever. 

Not all English teachers know this. 

Most English teachers have never worked in college...

I’ll keep this one very simple and easy. I’m sure many of you have long “to do” lists for the school year. I know I do. Instead of making your life harder, I want to make it easier and offer only one thing. Here goes. 

Class of 2022 

Make sure your kid is writing their essay(s). This is not an easy task and it’s critically important given that many schools do not need standardized testing this year. I’m offering an essay writing course that can help them to brainstorm and revise AND I will read the essay and offer constructive feedback. Click Here To Learn More

Class of 2023

What’s the plan for testing? ACT or SAT? When and how are they prepping?...

If your kid is self-motivated and reading all the instructions on how to complete their applications and essays, consider yourself blessed. It takes mental strength and stamina to decipher all that needs to be done for the college process and execute it at a high level. For the rest of us, we need help. Tips to figure out how best to help our kids to help themselves.

Here’s three to start. 

Carve out time for them
Discuss exactly when they’re going to work on their applications and essays and make it non-negotiable. I think an hour or two three days a week during the month of August is solid. 

Help them with their Common Application
Actually sit down and review the...

As a parent of a high school student, my son and I both bombarded with email and mail from colleges. Where does this all come from? It comes from colleges and agencies buying our information from college testing agencies such as the SAT and ACT. It can be overwhelming but since I’ve been in this profession for over 20 years, I can at least steer my son (and my wife) to the resources that I think offer good perspective and information.

Here are five of my favorites: 

www.collegescorecard.ed.gov/

www.collegeconfidential.com

www.collegexpress.com

www.collegedata.com

www.youvisit.com

Hopefully these help you to get started. If you want more information, let’s connect for a 60-minute...

Writing a college essay is hard. Very few students go into the writing process “pumped” to sit in front of a computer to tell a story. It's part laborious, oftentimes frustrating and occasionally embarrassing. The most common thing I hear is “I don't know what to write!” and then it becomes my job to help the student to brainstorm and believe in the idea that we have thought of together. 

Know what's far easier? Documenting life. Instead of trying to devise some cleverly creative epiphany that they think will change the landscape of college admissions and help them get into the college of their dreams, students should simply share what has happened in their lives or what...

With so many admissions options, when should a student apply? I’ll start with my favorite: 

Rolling Admissions
Under Rolling Admissions, applications to the schools are reviewed as they are completed and colleges accept eligible candidates until all freshmen spots are filled.  This means, applying early to the school has a great advantage. Applications may even be accepted as early as the summer before the senior year. A number of schools, particularly big state schools, use rolling admissions. Check each school's rolling admissions start date. Students typically receive the decision within two months after the completed application is sent in. Applying rolling admissions is...

The key to a college interview is preparation. There are three types of interviews. There's the on-campus interview, one via video conferencing like Zoom, or one with an alumnus in your local area. It's always important for your child to show their  best self, and to ask questions, and share thoughts or concerns about the school or overall college process. 

#1: On-campus interviews are usually conducted by admissions officers and they talk to your child for 25 to 30 minutes about who they are, and what they know about the college they’re meeting with. To schedule an interview, you can usually select a time on a school's website.

#2: Local alumni interviews are conducted by alumni who...

I love my children dearly. As a father of four, there are only a few things I would not do for them to ensure their happiness. Would I choose their friends? No. Would I choose their political affiliations? No. Would I choose their college? Absolutely not. Now remember, “choose” and “influence” are very different and I hope my model of how I live my life helps them to make wise decisions, but I would never outright choose any of the above for them. 

I would, however, help them with their college application process. As a company, we are gearing up to help the Class of 2022 with their essays and applications throughout the summer. If you and your child need help, we can do...

Even this summer, not all colleges are open to visitors quite yet. And, admittedly, you may not be comfortable getting on planes and sleeping in hotels. I understand completely, but at some point soon, you and your kid will want to put your eyes and feet on an actual college campus to which they’re considering. Plus, the initiative to visit schools shows demonstrated interest (some schools care about this, not all) and in a perfect world, your kid wants to build their college list partially based on where it is and what’s around it. Location is the second most important factor when you’re building a college list. Cost, major and career are the other three. 

Here is a...