Today is the day, folks. I am thrilled. Thanksgiving was great, the food was amazing, and now it is officially Black Friday. But even better than the leftovers is this. We are launching the Black Friday College List Builder bonus.

For one day only, families who purchase College List Builder get something we have never added before. A full, personal thirty minute session with me.

I do not take these meetings lightly. I want to help as many students and families as possible start their college process with clarity and confidence. And the best way to do that is to begin with a smart, strategic, customized college list. Not a guess. Not a dream board. A real list for real families based on real data.

🎓...

You know that moment when you think, “College is years away, we’ve got time…”? Yeah, don’t. I get it. It feels far off when your kid is a freshman or sophomore. But here’s the thing. The earlier you start, the more options your teen has, and the less stressful the whole process becomes.

Think about it this way. If your child waits until junior year, they’re running a race that already started. Colleges notice patterns. They notice rigor. They notice initiative. You want your kid to stand out.

Here’s what you need to know, broken down into three simple, actionable areas: standing out academically, visiting colleges early, and planning a testing strategy.

🎓 1. Help Your Child Stand Out Academically a...

Every fall, many parents reconnect with their college experience through homecoming season. It is a time filled with pride, nostalgia, and memories of campus life. But as the college admissions landscape evolves, the concept of legacy admissions is changing too.

Legacy admissions when colleges give preference to the children of alumni have long been a source of both opportunity and controversy. Several selective universities, including my alma mater Wesleyan University, have made the decision to eliminate legacy preference altogether.

This shift raises an important question for parents: What does legacy status mean for my child’s college chances?

What Is a Legacy Policy?

A legacy policy means that a...

If you’ve been paying attention to college trends lately, you might have noticed a surge of interest in Southern schools, especially large public universities in the Southeast. Think University of Texas, University of Georgia, University of Florida, Clemson, and University of South Carolina.

You’ve probably heard it in passing, maybe in the Wall Street Journal, about kids saying “move over Harvard, the South is the new thing.” And honestly, I get it. The weather, the vibe, the energy. It is magnetic. But here’s the thing: popularity alone shouldn’t be the reason your teen applies to a school.

I want to unpack why these schools are so appealing, what parents need to know, and how you can help your chil...

Hi parents ~ 

If you’ve been following me for a while, you know this time of year is what I call “game time.” September, October, November. Three months that will make a massive difference in your teen’s college journey, whether they are a freshman, sophomore, junior, or senior.

This is not about adding pressure. It is about adding clarity. The reality is, the next 90 days set the tone for the rest of the year. Let’s talk about what each grade should focus on right now, and how you, as parents, can play a supportive (but not overbearing) role.

Seniors: This Is Your Super Bowl Season

🎯 Finalize and balance your college list
Make sure your teen has a realistic mix of reach, target, and safety school...

It’s finally summer. The alarm clocks are off, the school lunch-making grind is over, and your kid has officially entered full summer mode—which probably involves snacks, screens, and sleeping in.

But if you’re a parent of a high school student, I’m asking you to do one important thing before you check out completely:

📄 Get your teen’s transcript.

I know, I know. You’re thinking: “It’s summer. Can’t this wait?”

Nope. Not if you care about your child’s college future.\

Why the Transcript Is So Important (Even Now)

Colleges don’t guess. They evaluate. And the transcript is the first thing they use to do it.

Whether your child is in 9th, 10th, or 11th grade, that document holds the key to:
🔍 Underst...

The path to college stands as a monumental milestone in the pivotal journey of guiding our teens toward a bright future. It's a time filled with potential, dreams, and, admittedly, a fair share of anxieties. Have you ever stopped to ponder whether your teen is receiving the tailored, strategic guidance necessary to navigate the complex maze of college admissions? 

The Stark Reality
With burgeoning caseloads, the average high school college counselor is stretched thin, managing hundreds of students. The question that begs to be asked is: Can they truly offer the personalized, in-depth strategy that your unique teen needs? While their intentions are undoubtedly pure, the sheer volume of their responsibili...

Most kids have been in school for a month now - if not more - and should all be “settled” into a routine that includes waking up early, staying up later than we want them to and, of course, contemplating the all-important college admissions question:

“What should I be doing now, to get into college later?”

Every month or every year of high school counts towards having more or less college options. Whether it’s grades or activities or visits or essays, high school students who want selective schools are putting in the work now. 

Is your kid putting in the work? 

If you have no clue on what your child should be doing this month as it relates to getting into college, I’ve made it easy for you. See belo...

Whatever you call the school counselor at your child’s high school -- guidance counselor, college counselor, etc -- please know that they are an integral part of the college application process. A few elements of their job are: 

• to offer college advice to you and your child
• weigh in on the selection of courses for each year
• write a school counselor recommendation on behalf of your child
• send the transcript
• communicate with colleges about your child’s application and interest

Some school counselors do this better than others, and usually it depends on their caseload of students. 

As a parent, you should attend any college preparation presentations that your school offers, especially now during...