Empowering students for college
admissions success.
Gifts, Endowments, and Financial Aid
Attending a college that receives major gifts from deep-pocketed benefactors and has a multi-billion dollar endowment has advantages for students. Among these is the possibility that some of that money
Read moreStudents Can Prepare for Digital Testing
The PSAT and SAT soon will be taken by college-bound students only by computer. The transition from paper-based to digital testing affirms the continuing relevance and usefulness of standardized tests
Read moreNeed-Blind vs. Need-Aware Admissions Policies
Students in wealthy families enjoy many advantages if they aspire to attend an elite institution. One advantage is that the family can simply pay full tuition plus all other costs
Read moreAn Open-Minded Approach to College List Building
News flash! Not everybody gets to go to Princeton! In fact, very few people get to go to Princeton. Likewise the other Ivies, MIT, Cal Tech, Duke, Chicago, Georgetown, Johns
Read moreCollege Financial Aid Originates with the FAFSA
Kelly Barnhardt – College Admissions Strategies October 2022 High school seniors preparing to apply to college should complete and submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) — an indispensable
Read moreThe Results of the 2021-2022 Admissions Cycle
By Kelly Barnhardt, College Admissions Strategies, Owner Long-established patterns of college admissions have been disrupted in the last two years. Many consider the changes to be a result of the
Read morePicking a major
By Kelly Barnhardt, College Admissions Strategies, Owner “Follow your passion!” is the conventional wisdom for students choosing a major and a career. However, as a high school student, it’s unlikely that
Read moreSenior Spring Awakening: Yes, they will be leaving for college soon.
By Kelly Barnhardt, College Admissions Strategies, Owner A funny thing starts to happen this time of year for both high school seniors and their parents. It’s a bit of
Read moreThe dreaded waitlist – stay on or move on?
By Kelly Barnhardt, College Admissions Strategies – Owner We said last year for our class of 2021 students that it was the “year of the waitlist”, but it looks like
Read moreMaking the most of your summer
By Lee Shulman Bierer, College Admissions Strategies – Founder Summer is the best opportunity for a student to set themselves apart from their peers. CREATE A CLUB/OR FIND
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