Last week we discussed the four numbers to consider when looking at colleges, and today we are talking about the four numbers to ignore when looking at colleges. The first number is their SAT and ACT score ranges. Colleges show…
Today, we are talking about the four numbers to consider when looking at colleges. The first is acceptance rate. If that number happens to be high it’s not a very selective college, and if that number is very low it’s…
Today, we are discussing the Superscore. About 90% of colleges will Superscore your SAT and, if you took it more than once, got your best-evidence reading and writing on one day and your best math on another day, these colleges…
Today, we are discussing college visits. Fortunately, most colleges are back to giving in-person tours and you definitely want to jump at the chance to go. But keep in mind they’re going to show you the best parts of campus…
Today I am going to tell you how Financial Aid may impact admissions at some colleges. Some schools are what’s called “Need Blind”, which means the Admissions and the Financial Aid offices don’t speak. The Admissions office has no clue…
Today, we are discussing creativity. Some college applications specifically ask if you have an art portfolio or any curating experience you can link or upload. Sadly most students ignore this because they think it has nothing to do with their…
Today we’re talking about Early Decision and Early Action college admission options, which are typically due November 1 or 15, and occasionally a little earlier or later. Applying early gives you a number of advantages in terms of getting accepted…
It’s PSAT Week! Most high schools will have their 10th and 11th graders take the PSAT during school on Wednesday, October 12th. However, some high schools may add a handful of freshmen and some schools will have their test on…
Today we have to talk about email, especially for sophomores. That’s because this is when you take the PSAT, start attending college visits and fairs, and eventually sign up for the SAT and ACT. All of these things require an…
Today, we are discussing Honors Colleges. Most four-year colleges have something called: Honors College. Some colleges call it a Fellows Program, Scholar School, but most call it Honors. In most college applications they ask if you’d like to be considered…
Today, we are discussing registering for the SAT and ACT with testing accommodations. If your student has an IEP, 504 plan, or other disabilities they may be eligible for testing accommodations. This includes extra time, extra breaks or whatever they…
Today we are discussing Work Study, a job you have in college while you’re enrolled. Federal Work Study specifically is federal dollars given to your college to employ you based on what you filled out in your FAFSA and you’ll…
Today, we are discussing Community Service. That’s one of the many qualities colleges like to see in their prospective students because you’re going to be a part of campus life and that greater area. They want to know if you’re…
Today, we are going to discuss the three reasons to make a college admissions résumé. An admissions résumé is different from a job résumé. A job résumé is typically black printed on one white sheet of paper listing your employment…
Now that the college bill is due, it’s time to talk about the difference between Subsidized and Unsubsidized student loans. If you filled out the FAFSA, you’re offered $5,500 in a direct loan that is often called the “Stafford Loan”,…
August 1st means the Common App is open! This is a great time to get to work on specific parts of your school's applications for the colleges on your list. Some schools will be late, but most are right on…
Today we’re talking about applying to colleges “test optional,” which is an option some colleges offer but other colleges don’t—so make sure to read their requirements carefully. On most colleges’ websites, you can find their interquartile range, which is the…
One question I get asked a lot is, “What if I’m not sure about my intended major?” It’s okay if—at 16, 17, or 18 years old—you’re not sure what you want to do for the rest of your life. In…
Today I want to talk to 10th graders about what they can be doing right now to build a great Application Résumé for when college admissions time comes. One of the biggest myths is that colleges are looking for the…
Today we’re talking about student loans. New rates are in for the ‘22-’23 school year, and like everything else these days, they’re going up. On the federal side, the Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized Student Loan, often called the “Stafford Loan,”…
Today I want to give you some do’s and don'ts about writing your college application essays. DO write on a topic you care about: your passions, your intellectual curiosity. DON’T write an essay on the topic you think colleges want…
Today we’re talking about bad college admission essay topics. Last week we did a video on what makes good essay topics, so if you haven’t watched that yet, do watch it next. The worst essay topic that’s gonna wind up…
This week we’re doing a two-parter: this week and next week. This week were talking about what makes good essay topics. We’ve talked before about how grades and scores are what qualify for college, but at the end of the…
Today I want to tell you about two essays not to submit as your Common App essay. The Common App is going to give you seven prompts from which you can choose to write about one. But #7 says you…
Today I want to give you 5 things every rising college freshman should know before they start college. Number 1: Every college has a math lab, a writing lab, all kinds of labs where tutors are literally standing by waiting…
Today I want to tell you how rising 12th, 11th, and 10th graders can make the most of their summer break. Yes, you need to relax. You need a vacation. But you also need to make the most of your…
One question I get asked a lot is, “Where do colleges come up with their cost of attendence?” That’s what they call their “COA.” There are nine categories of expenses in that “COA.” Let’s run through them. One is TUITION,…
Today I want to tell you the biggest difference between the SAT and ACT reading sections. Section 1 on the SAT is called “Reading Comprehension.” That’s worth 400 out of the 800 points in your Evidence-Based Reading and Writing score. …
Today I want to tell you why you don't need to go to an Ivy League college. Eight colleges make up the athletic conference called The Ivy League: Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Columbia, Cornell, Brown, Dartmouth and UPenn. This year, 2022,…
Today I want to talk to juniors about the college admissions timeline ahead. Summer is the best time to work on college applications and essays, which is a much bigger project than most people think, especially because more competitive colleges…
Today I want to give you four reasons to consider taking that student loans even if you can afford not to. One, if you have an investment that’s appreciating in the market, and you can beat the rate on that…
With this week's Ivy Decision Day, that means that every college you’ve applied to has given you an answer. That means we're getting a lot of questions this week about, “What do I do if I'm on a waitlist?” Here…
Today I want to tell you 3 benefits and 3 cautions about taking AP, IB, and dual enrollment classes in high school. AP and IB—Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate—are put out by competing companies that provide college level courses to…
Today I want to talk to you about one section the SAT and ACT have in common that’s a little different from one test to the next. On the SAT, Section 2 is the Writing & Language section; it's worth…
Grades and scores are the two biggest criteria colleges use to determine which students are eligible for their college. A recent study by the CollegeBoard says that in 1998, 39% of high school students graduated with an A-average, but by…
Today I want to talk to parents of seniors about your student financial aid award letters. You’re starting to get some of those letters, and some of them may have a lot less free money than you need to afford…
We have to talk about the big announcement that the SAT is going to change. It's not really a big surprise; they do change about every decade, so much so that I’m currently teaching my third iteration of the test…
Today I want to give you a longer explanation where I’m going to talk to juniors about the year ahead. Tight now it's January, and this is going to be your year for college admissions. One year from now, you’re…
PSAT scores are out now, so if you’re a 9th, 10th, or 11th grader who took the PSAT in October in school, you can get those scores today at collegeboard.org. If you don’t already have an account there, create one now…
Today I want to answer a question I get asked a lot: How many times should I take the SAT or the ACT. About 90% of colleges will "superscore" your SAT, taking your best of each section and putting them…
Today we’re talking scholarships. Here are two places you might be able to find scholarships: One is from the college itself. Based on the strength of your application, like your essays, grades, and scores, maybe your extracurricular activities as well, the…
One question I get asked a lot is, “What if I don’t know what I want to major in?” It is totally okay to not know what you want to do for the rest of your life right now. Don’t…
Today I want to tell you why parents of every incoming college student should fill out the FAFSA, which is the Free Application for Federal Student Aid at FAFSA.gov. In the 2019–2020 school year, the Department of Education estimates that…
Today is October 1st, which means it’s the day that the FAFSA opens at FAFSA.gov. That’s the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, and it’s your first step for things like need-based scholarships and grants, things like loans and work…
Today I want talk to you about college admissions interviews. Some colleges require applicants to do an interview. Some colleges offer interviews to applicants who want one. Some colleges say, "If we want to interview you, we’ll reach out to…
Today I want to talk to seniors working their way through the mountainous process of applying to college. You may be working on things like your essays and your applications, but you want to keep in mind that you're not the…
Today I want to tell you why the December round of the SAT or ACT is your last best first round of testing. Junior year is testing year. Ideally you want to finish all your testing by the end of…
Today I want to tell you about hidden supplemental college application essays. A lot of colleges, when you look at their application on the Common App, it tells you how many essays there are, how many extra writing assignments. But that…
Today I want to tell you why you do not need perfect SAT scores or ACT scores to get into your top-choice college. The fact is that top colleges in America turn away students with perfect scores all the time.…
Today I want to answer a question I get asked a lot: "Should my student take the SAT or should my student take the ACT?" In some states, every high schooler takes the SAT. In some states, every high schooler…
Today I want to tell you about the best calculator to use for the SAT and the ACT. Both tests will tell you right in the instructions that a calculator is permitted, but not required. And for the ACT, that’s…
Today I wanted to talk with you about how many colleges you should apply to. Ideally, you want to apply to somewhere between five and ten colleges, maybe fifteen at the absolute max, but that would be only if you’re…
Today I wanted to talk to juniors about what to do with all the mail you’re getting from colleges. For email, first, you want to set up a separate account just for this. That way, when you’re done with the…
I wanted to talk to you today a little bit about what test optional means. There are a lot of schools that, either prior to the pandemic or because of the pandemic, have gone “test optional,” and a lot of…
Today I want to talk to juniors about college recommendation letters. Most colleges ask for three letters: one is going to come from your guidance counselor, and the other two can come technically from whomever you want, but at least…
Today I want to talk to juniors and seniors about why top colleges pick these students and not those students. A lot of students get great grades and great scores, but then don’t wind up getting into their top-choice college,…
Today, I want to tell you about the testing timeline. Junior year is testing year. The SAT and ACT are designed for juniors, and if you can get both of these tests done by the end of junior year, you…
Today, I want to answer a question I get asked a lot about the science section of the ACT. A lot of folks think you have to be able to do well in biology, or chemistry, or physics to do…
We are nearing the decision day for most colleges, and some students are still struggling with, "What if I haven’t had a chance to visit some of the colleges I’m still weighing?" Let me explain a couple things: Yes, it’s…
One question I get asked a lot is what kinds of math are going to be tested on the SAT and the ACT. Both tests have a lot of arithmetic and a lot of Algebra 1. Yes, both tests have…