Show Don't Tell: How to Write Your College Essay
Something to keep in mind as students write personal statements for the Common App, Coalition App, or a school’s own application: don’t...
The Wide World of College Sports
Making the decision to play sports in college is a complicated one. Playing on varsity teams at Division I, II and III requires adherence...
5 Ways to Ease Your Child's Transition to College
Beyond the academic challenge, moving away to college requires students to acquire the everyday life skills needed to function in a happy...
The College List Balancing Act
Many students have been thinking about where they want to apply to college their whole lives. By the end of junior year, however, it’s...
What's it Take to Get a California Kid Into a California College?
For years now, UCLA and UC Berkeley have been “reach” schools for everyone. With 2018 acceptance rates in the low double-digits, it was...
"I Have Nothing to Write About!!!": The Tyranny of the Personal Statement
First of all, yes you do. Before you disagree, let’s talk about the college essay or “personal statement” in realistic terms. The point...
The Accommodations Curse
When we first meet with students and families, we go over academic progress, look at transcripts, and talk subjectively about how the...
So What's It Gonna Cost?
College acceptances are winging their way towards anxious students as you read this. These acceptances will come with a financial aid packag
How To Know What You Need To Know
They know that they're supposed to do research, but many students are unsure about exactly what to look for as they explore a college....
Summer Plans for Rising Seniors
Rising seniors take note: this is your last summer before applying to college, and you would be wise to use it as an opportunity to make...
The ABCs of A-G
Students know that they are supposed to take rigorous courses to prepare them for college, but they don't always know which ones to...
Tragedy as Essay Fodder
Many students believe that revealing the deepest tragedies of their lives in their college essays will gain them admission. But the most...
Should You Answer the Additional Info Question?
At the end of the Common App, the UC application, and others, there’s an opportunity to add some additional information about yourself. ...
Suddenly, Next Summer
We've only just packed away our bikinis and yet it’s time to start thinking about summer 2019. While summer is a great time for all...
Why Them?
The most common supplemental essay topic is some version of “why us?” The “why us?” question may be worded slightly differently by...
What Fine/Performing Artists Need to Know About Applying to College
While fine arts students need to be equipped to handle the academics of any college that accepts them, getting into many fine arts...
Are All College Application Essays Really the Same? (Spoiler Alert: No!)
Among the most important aspects of a college application are the essays. Most applications require them and they are often a student's...
Getting the Best Letters of Rec
Many colleges ask students to include letters of recommendations in their application packages. Often, though not always, they request...
What are Extracurriculars and Why do They Matter?
There's a lot of confusion about what colleges are "looking for" in terms of a prospective student's outside-of-class activities. In...
Guess Who Went to Cal State?
State schools can get a bad rap. In California, the larger of our two state university systems (in fact, the largest public university...
