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This week’s column:

Name: We have already recommended you to several
Rating: 5
Author: 2018

12 Aug The 3 types of essays: The Good, the Bad and the Risky

Posted at 11:24h in Essay Writing

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...

05 Aug Application mistakes to avoid

Posted at 19:35h in Application Strategy

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...

29 Jul Helping Teens Deal with Covid-Related Anxiety

Posted at 15:34h in Parenting

By Lee Shulman Bierer, College Admissions Strategies When our world changes quickly and suddenly, because of things like COVID-19, it is common to experience changes in our thoughts, feelings and behaviors. Feelings of anxiety, fear or worry are typical in stressful situations.Everybody is anxious. The Covid...

23 Jul Freshmen Essentials

Posted at 12:37h in Issues for Seniors

By Lee Shulman Bierer In the old days, a roll of quarters for the washer and dryer was considered essential. Today, with enhanced technology, most laundry rooms take credit or debit cards and many even texts students when it’s time to transfer the wash to the...

17 Jul How will colleges evaluate applicants in the Covid era?

Posted at 10:32h in Application Strategy

By Lee Shulman Bierer, College Admissions Strategies The playing field has essentially been leveled. Students aren't attending elite summer university programs, conducting research, participating in community service projects or mission trips, traveling to distant lands or growing in life-changing outdoor programs. Let's be real, they also...

09 Jul Essay Brainstorming — no easy task

Posted at 09:50h in Essay Writing

By Lee Shulman Bierer, College Admissions Strategies Summer is a great time to ponder deep thoughts and right about now rising seniors should be pondering their college essays. The essay is a student’s best opportunity to set themselves apart in the college application. Their grades through junior...

01 Jul One piece of advice – be different

Posted at 20:15h in Application Strategy

By Lee Shulman Bierer If I could only give every family one piece of advice about college admissions and the college application process it would be this: Dare to be different. Be different from the beginning – don’t wait like so many other people until...

24 Jun 2 recent grads give advice on the admissions process

Posted at 19:17h in Frequently Asked Questions

By Lee Shulman Bierer With experience comes wisdom. With that in mind, I consulted with two high school graduates who have just ridden the highs and lows of the college admissions process. Jessica graduated from Providence High and will attend Appalachian State University in the fall. Daniel...

17 Jun Thinking about a gap year?

Posted at 13:11h in Miscellaneous

By Lee Shulman Bierer Every year more and more students and parents talk to me about the pros and cons of a gap year experience. This year, given the current situation with Covid-19, more families are seriously considering other options besides heading off to a college...

10 Jun What’s next for seniors, whoops college freshmen?

Posted at 17:36h in Uncategorized

By Lee Shulman Bierer With this weird school year finally behind us, the responsibilities of rising college freshmen are just beginning. Here are a variety of items you should be on top of. Some of them will be taken care of by your high school registrar...

Guest Appearances

NEW! What The College Admissions Scam Doesn't Show
Mar. 19, 2019

Last week, the Department of Justice charged 50 people in schemes to pay for positions for their children at top universities across the country. It was called the, “largest college admissions scam ever prosecuted,” but it doesn’t paint the whole picture.
LISTEN NOW

College Admissions Season
Sept. 20, 2018

The college admissions process has become ever-more tricky and as high schoolers and parents try to navigate this important process, we’ve enlisted some help. On the next Charlotte Talks, two college admissions experts alert us to the pitfalls and give us a look at best practices for applying to college.
LISTEN NOW

Applying To College And Picking The Right
Sept. 1, 2016

LISTEN NOW

Student Debt
May 12, 2016: LISTEN NOW

College Decisions, College Admissions
Feb 26, 2014: LISTEN NOW

Lee Bierer – College Admissions Strategies

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College Admissions Strategies is written by Lee Bierer, an Independent College Admissions Counselor and the author of the weekly Countdown to College column in the Charlotte Observer that is syndicated across the country.
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Testimonials

2018 April 1, 2019

We have already recommended you to several families because of our positive experience working with you. You were always very helpful and supportive.

dad of a 2012 graduate June 29, 2015

“I would recommend your services because your knowledge and ability to get students to focus and build a good resume is invaluable. It was worth the money.”

mom of a 2012 graduate June 29, 2015

“The best part of working with you was the essay editing. You made each draft stronger and steered me when I was at a loss. You really helped me with my essay topics and helped to focus on what story to share for each prompt. It gave me direction. I was extremely happy with my essays by the time we had received your edits/approval. Once you gave me your approval, I felt confident about submitting them to the colleges!”

2011 graduate June 29, 2015

“I would say to someone else that, they would more likely than not do more work than they would if they just took advice from someone in the college guidance office at their school, but if they worked with you they would have a much better sense of what they really wanted from college, and would make a more informed decision. In addition I would tell them that they would get help on a very personal level with their essays.”

mom of a 2012 graduate June 29, 2015

“The best part for us was the essay editing. The quality of our end products would have never been the same had we not gone through the editing process with you.” The end product is well worth the time and money. It kept us on top of deadlines and your writing is obviously outstanding and creative.”

mom of a 2012 graduate June 29, 2015

“Brainstorming ideas about colleges to consider and helping clarify the student’s thinking. The best of all was steering her to summer programs that actually ended up changing her life. The whole process is daunting for parents and students who have not gone through this before. In the complicated world of deadlines, you are the lifeline. That you are professional, very well versed in the topic and make students feel empowered to do these things. You are also so good with helping them write the essays. One of the main things is that you are a caring adult who is focusing on helping them problem solve…not a parent or grandparent who always seems to be “on them” about something. I think that you do a good job of making the time meaningful yet not stressful for the student.”

2017 April 1, 2019

What was your least favorite part of working with me?
None – we really enjoyed it. I particularly liked how we made the transition from you, me and ____________beginning the process to you and _________taking over and making this happen. Not only did it produce excellent work but it was a great learning experience for ___________

2012 graduate June 29, 2015

“I enjoyed the essay editing you provided. You gave me valuable insight and it was fun to brainstorm with you. You are a valuable asset in the process and I couldn’t have gotten into college without you!”

Dad of a 2008 graduate June 29, 2015

“I particularly liked your grasp of “facts” about the sometimes intimidating application process. Also, I believe that your fees are reasonable. I don’t really have any negatives. You have been helpful and flexible. And, also very importantly, you spent the time necessary with our son to achieve objectives.”

Parent of a 2008 graduate June 29, 2015

“Given the apathy and incompetence which pervades high school guidance counseling departments, students will almost certainly miss opportunities if they fail to be proactive early in the college application process. Lee was instrumental in evaluating colleges well-suited to my son, and in positioning his applications for maximum appeal. My sole regret is not contacting her earlier. It is a mistake I will not repeat with my younger son.”

2012 graduate June 29, 2015

“The main thing that I found useful was your help with the actual application process, which would have been a very confusing and overwhelming process if I had gone at it alone, and helping to keep me on schedule with deadlines. I would absolutely recommend you! I think that college applications can be a stressful time and working with you added a sense of security knowing that there was someone watching over my shoulder that knew what they were doing.”

2018 April 1, 2019

Thanks for everything. _______ got into every school he applied to except Vanderbilt. He got into Honors programs at University of Southern California (USC), Tulane, and Chapel Hill (maybe Villanova, too, I can’t remember). And he received two offers of merit scholarships—at Tulane and USC. We couldn’t be prouder of our boy and we are SO grateful to you for your wise guidance.

2017 April 1, 2019

Dear Lee,
I realized that I never actually thanked you for everything you’ve done to help me succeed. The college application process is very overwhelming and I would have never been able to complete it all on time without your organization and dedication. You gave me the opportunity to explore colleges and opportunities that I would have never found on my own. Not only that, but you also taught me the importance of meeting deadlines, completing quality work, and caring about my overall education. These habits will without a doubt follow me throughout college and hopefully throughout my life. Thank you for showing me what it takes to unlock my potential and reach whatever goal I set for myself. Before I began working with you, I only completed the minimum work required to get by. I didn’t not care about my education at all, and had no desire to pursue knowledge. After completing this process, I’ve realized the importance of these things, along with hard work, and the effects have been very visible. My grades and attitude have changed tremendously. I am very grateful that you showed me what it takes to be an all-around better student. Thank you very much for your help, strict requirements and deadlines, and leniency with me as we ventured through the college admissions process.

Parent of a 2008 graduate June 29, 2015

“Lee has been our trusty GPS in the college admissions process. She has guided our family with her “approachable wisdom”, up-to-date knowledge of what colleges are looking for, her genuine caring and a real sense of what high school students are dealing with on an everyday basis. We were thrilled with many of her creative ideas as well as her organization and consistent follow-through. Don’t leave high school without her!”

2016 April 1, 2019

As this was my first child going to college, I needed help organizing the approach. Your materials helped us figure out which types of colleges were a good fit, how to evaluation them and how to approach them. You gave us a time frame within which to work and helped set goals. In addition, you helped my son appreciate that the application process was something he needed to take seriously. Because you provided external structure, it helped him to finish the multiple essays and other pieces of paperwork in a timely fashion.

This week’s column:

12 Aug The 3 types of essays: The Good, the Bad and the Risky

05 Aug Application mistakes to avoid

29 Jul Helping Teens Deal with Covid-Related Anxiety

23 Jul Freshmen Essentials

17 Jul How will colleges evaluate applicants in the Covid era?

09 Jul Essay Brainstorming — no easy task

01 Jul One piece of advice – be different

24 Jun 2 recent grads give advice on the admissions process

17 Jun Thinking about a gap year?

10 Jun What’s next for seniors, whoops college freshmen?

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Lee’s Interview with The New York Times

Buy Lee’s Book

This week’s column:

12 Aug The 3 types of essays: The Good, the Bad and the Risky

05 Aug Application mistakes to avoid

29 Jul Helping Teens Deal with Covid-Related Anxiety

23 Jul Freshmen Essentials

17 Jul How will colleges evaluate applicants in the Covid era?

09 Jul Essay Brainstorming — no easy task

01 Jul One piece of advice – be different

24 Jun 2 recent grads give advice on the admissions process

17 Jun Thinking about a gap year?

10 Jun What’s next for seniors, whoops college freshmen?

Student | Parent Login

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Lee’s Interview with The New York Times

Buy Lee’s Book