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This week’s column:

03 Jun Common Application – Part II & the new Covid-19 Question

Posted at 09:21h in Essay Writing

By Lee Shulman Bierer Last week I shared the first three of the seven Common Application prompts and some small tips on how to approach each essay. Today, I'll wrap up with the remaining four prompts and introduce the brand new optional Covid-Essay. Here you go: PROMPTS 4...

27 May What’s up with The Common Application in 2020?

Posted at 19:21h in Issues for Seniors

By Lee Shulman Bierer It's almost time to fill out college applications. . . wait, but even before that, students need to write their supplemental essays and the angst-producing Great American stresser - the Common Application essay. Starting to brainstorm essay topics and create first drafts...

20 May What about the 2021 grads?

Posted at 11:26h in Issues for Seniors

By Lee Shulman Bierer It seems all the focus has been on the seniors -- no prom, no graduation and unsettling news for the fall at college. These are all very real concerns and shouldn't be minimized, however, high school juniors -- soon to be rising...

13 May Great graduation gift ideas – creative ways to say congrats to your grad

Posted at 18:18h in Uncategorized

By Lee Shulman Bierer So cash may be still be king when it comes to what high school grads want to see when they open their graduation cards, but if you’re interested in a spark of creativity or trying to personalize your gifts here are some...

05 May Two Biggest Mistakes Families Make in the College Admissions Process

Posted at 13:44h in Beginning the Process

By Lee Shulman Bierer For lots of families of high school juniors and sophomores, this whole college admissions process has just kicked into gear. So, it seems like a good time to talk about the typical mistakes students and parents make as they get started. 1. ASSUMPTIONS -...

29 Apr Letters of Recommendation – Part 2

Posted at 11:04h in Issues for Seniors

By Lee Shulman Bierer Last week's column covered the basics of Letters of Recommendation: Who do you ask? What should they say that will really make a difference? Where do these letter go? What are the logistics involved in getting them to each of the colleges and universities where...

22 Apr Now is the time to think about who you’re going to ask for letters of recommendation

Posted at 08:59h in Application Strategy

By Lee Shulman Bierer I used to insist that students make an appointment with their teachers after school to request, in person, a letter of recommendation. I used to tell them to read the teacher's body language to make sure they would look at this as...

14 Apr Is it possible to get off the wait-list and get in?

Posted at 19:49h in Issues for Seniors

By Lee Shulman Bierer WHAT TO DO IF YOU'RE WAIT-LISTED Commandment # 1 - DON'T WAIT Waiting, i.e., doing nothing is the one thing you shouldn't do, if you have any interest in possibly attending any schools where you've been wait-listed. If you haven't yet responded to your...

08 Apr Worried about the wait-list?

Posted at 15:19h in Issues for Seniors

By Lee Shulman Bierer Decisions have been released and high school seniors are trying to decide where to hopefully unpack next fall. Some were waiting to visit colleges once they were accepted and now find themselves having to make a decision about where to spend the...

31 Mar What to do? …. A Treasure Trove of Ideas for high school students

Posted at 14:35h in Miscellaneous

By Lee Shulman Bierer The playing field has been leveled and indeed all freshmen, sophomores and juniors are in the same boat. What can you do to help when you need to abide by social distancing? How can you make a contribution in this time of...

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

mom of a 2012 graduate June 29, 2015

“The best outcome was that someone other than my daughters’ parents was keeping her focused and enforcing deadlines. We knew there would be much more strife if we tried to handle it ourselves.”

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.

Parents of 2008 graduate June 29, 2015

“We felt it was a very valuable use of our money. You were very responsive to our son. Your follow-through was great. Your detailed Meeting Reports were a fabulous part of the service because it allowed us as parents to stay informed but not have to manage the process and the best part was that it kept him on task.”

2012 graduate June 29, 2015

“I can say that this past year was a lot easier because you took over the college search/application process. Also, your help with identifying essay topics and editing were INVALUABLE. You helped me get my things organized and in on time and that was so overwhelming at first. I recommend your services to other students because our college guidance is rubbish and you actually care about my essays.”

2017 April 1, 2019

We came into this process so uninformed about how this process worked and from top to bottom you showed us how to handle this complex situation and not only was the final product much better our stress level was reduced significantly knowing that we were completing a well thought out plan.

mom of a 2011 graduate June 29, 2015

“Thank you very much! _____ has said “Lee’s worth every penny”, and you know _______ is a smart girl:).”

2018 April 1, 2019

You have a system in place already, and it works extremely well, so it took a lot of stress out of the process for us to follow your procedures. Because you had this system in place, our son (and our family) could more easily focus on the most important things, like writing the essay or picking colleges, and less on how to get everything accomplished. That said, the system was very flexible in accommodating the students’ schedule or needs at particular times. Deadlines were important, but they could be changed.

I also really appreciated the fact that you listened to both my boys. You let them know your thoughts on certain subjects and you listened to theirs as well. Even when they maybe weren’t making the best choices, you listened to them and spoke to them as (almost) adults. I think that attitude toward them helped them feel respected and like they were an important part of the process.

2011 graduate June 29, 2015

“To be honest, there are a ton of qualified students vying for the same spot. How you present yourself really does matter. That is where your strength is, making each student come across as the best candidate they can. You know many intangibles, such as how to phrase this sentence to get the point across as best as possible, or the importance of visiting and other ways to make a personal connection with the school of your choice.”

mom of a 2012 graduate June 29, 2015

“You took over and did a job that was beginning to create stress and conflict between my daughter and me. Your expertise on unfamiliar ground and excellent organizational skills were invaluable. Your matter-of-fact personality and “no beating around the bush” directness are just what she needed to keep her on her toes. Once we got the process rolling, I rarely felt the need to check up on her to see that she was keeping up with deadlines. I would recommend you to a family that is unfamiliar with the college search and application process because I think that you are very knowledgeable in both. You ask the right questions to pinpoint what the client is looking for (in schools and service needed). You have the right amount of authority to get things done without being intimidating. You are professional and organized and you obviously know your stuff. I would tell them to be prepared to let go of a certain amount of involvement with their child’s application process and let you (and the student) get the work done. This, to me, was the most valuable part of our collaboration. You saved us a lot of time and definitely kept the ball rolling. Your style was a perfect match for our needs and we look forward to working with you again with daughter #2.”

2016 April 1, 2019

Would you recommend my services? Why?/Why Not?
Absolutley!! Yes! Essays, Course Selection! I think you are excellent at what you do! I truly appreciate how you helped us! I would definitely recommend you. The essays would have been terrible without your help. I thought you were very helpful and knowledgeable. You made a daunting process easy to manage and navigate. And please feel free to use us as a reference.

mom of a 2012 graduate June 29, 2015

“Thank you Lee! I don’t know what I can say to you……you make every essay so much better and we are so grateful to you! “Thanks so much. We will keep you posted. Couldn’t have made it this far without your help!”

2018 April 1, 2019

I think that when it came to filling out information in CA you were very helpful because I always would know exactly what the college was looking for. Any doubt, uncertainty, or ambiguity was always answered when calling you—which was a nice resource to have. I also like your systematic way of analyzing colleges and looking at it empirically.

dad of a 2011 graduate June 29, 2015

“You were able to inform and educate us about the entire process from early on. We’d absolutely recommend your services because you can help pinpoint the weakness of each student. I would tell others that you are meticulous and are very knowledgeable about college, extracurricular activities, volunteer opportunities, etc. You know how to highlight the individual student. It is a very stressful process and you made it as tolerable as possible.”

2008 graduate June 29, 2015

“The services you provided met my expectations 100%. Applying to college was something I had been dreading and meeting with you assured me that it is really not that hard. By doing the match meter and college evaluations I was able to get a better feel for the school I wanted. Our meetings kept me on track for deciding where I was going to apply. After every meeting you would send me a meeting report which was extremely helpful because it kept me organized with deadlines to keep me moving along. Getting help with essays was another great thing about meeting with you because you took the time to listen and really try your best to make sure my essay was the best possible. I have a lot of younger friends who are just as scared as I was about applying to college. I think my friends would benefit by your guidance on the entire college process.”

mom of a 2012 graduate June 29, 2015

“Your help with the essays and reviewing interview skills was most helpful. The detailed comments and your specific examples were the best. I would recommend your services. You were painfully honest and it helped her get a better understanding of what was expected of her. Originally, she blew through her essays and thought they were good enough and you helped her see how superficially they were written. I would tell them not to expect empty promises from you. You definitely tell them the truth, no matter how brutal.”

This week’s column:

03 Jun Common Application – Part II & the new Covid-19 Question

27 May What’s up with The Common Application in 2020?

20 May What about the 2021 grads?

13 May Great graduation gift ideas – creative ways to say congrats to your grad

05 May Two Biggest Mistakes Families Make in the College Admissions Process

29 Apr Letters of Recommendation – Part 2

22 Apr Now is the time to think about who you’re going to ask for letters of recommendation

14 Apr Is it possible to get off the wait-list and get in?

08 Apr Worried about the wait-list?

31 Mar What to do? …. A Treasure Trove of Ideas for high school students

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Lee’s Interview with The New York Times

Buy Lee’s Book

This week’s column:

03 Jun Common Application – Part II & the new Covid-19 Question

27 May What’s up with The Common Application in 2020?

20 May What about the 2021 grads?

13 May Great graduation gift ideas – creative ways to say congrats to your grad

05 May Two Biggest Mistakes Families Make in the College Admissions Process

29 Apr Letters of Recommendation – Part 2

22 Apr Now is the time to think about who you’re going to ask for letters of recommendation

14 Apr Is it possible to get off the wait-list and get in?

08 Apr Worried about the wait-list?

31 Mar What to do? …. A Treasure Trove of Ideas for high school students

Student | Parent Login

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Follow us on Facebook

Lee’s Interview with The New York Times

Buy Lee’s Book