By Lee Shulman Bierer, College Admissions Strategies Right now, the angst among high school seniors and their parents is palpable. It is especially true this week with looming October 15 deadlines at UNC Chapel Hill, U Georgia, U South Carolina, among others. Almost every parent I...
By Lee Shulman Bierer, College Admissions Strategies Soaring student debt, it’s a hot topic. Presidential candidates are talking about it and that’s because the average debt of a senior graduating from college is nearly $38,000. Student loan debt in 2020 is now $1.56 trillion in the United...
By Lee Shulman Bierer, College Admissions Strategies When students are writing their "Why this college?" essay, they need to convince the admissions office that the college is a great fit for them. How students do that is up for interpretation Robert Cronk, one of my faithful readers...
By Lee Shulman Bierer WHY US????????? Why is the “Why this college?” so important? Colleges care why students put their college on their list and many colleges incorporate the “why?” question into their applications. While most students find themselves having to write a variety of essays for different...
By Lee Shulman Bierer, College Admissions Strategies What do colleges want to know about you? That’s a good place to start when you’re brainstorming your college essay. You know colleges don’t want you to tell your life story in 500 words. But, you keep pestering yourself...
By Lee Shulman Bierer, College Admissions Strategies Don't be one of those college students that ends up on the evening news because they didn't take the pandemic seriously. Listen to the doctors and school administrators about dealing with Covid. But, read further in today's column about dealing...
By Lee Shulman Bierer, College Admissions Strategies Before you hit submit for that November 1 Early Decision (ED) deadline, consider this: Early Decision is binding. That means that if you are accepted, you must go. That’s a great option if the college you’re applying to is your...
By Lee Shulman Bierer, College Admissions Strategies Pride and angst, very likely more angst than pride this year as families drop off their budding freshmen for a definitively non-traditional college experience. How many FaceBook posts have you seen this last week where families are sharing their mixed...
By Lee Shulman Bierer, College Admissions Strategies If they made a movie about nailing the perfect admissions essay, the title might be: "The Good, The Bad and The Risky." The Risky Let's start with "The Risky." One of the favorite stories from admissions officers is a response to...
By Lee Shulman Bierer, College Admissions Strategies College applications are out; let the careless errors begin. A sloppy college application; while one of the easiest missteps to avoid is probably among the most common mistake applicants make. Here are pitfalls you can prevent: A silly email address: If...
