Taking a year off after high school or a “gap year” has become an increasingly popular and accepted decision here in the United States. In Europe, Australia and New Zealand, gap year experiences have long been considered one of many traditional options. I was unsuccessful in...
Families are about to load up their mini-vans and head for the airports and highways this week and next for the annual spring break campus visit blitz. Some last minute tips to help you make the most of your travels: Allow extra time. Some campuses are so...
Many years ago when my husband and I moved from our cozy, downtown Boston apartment into our first home with a garden, I remember my mother-in-law telling me that the bright yellow forsythia surrounding our yard was the “harbinger” of spring.” For families with high...
If this spring break is going to be your first stroll on a college campus since your own graduation day, here are four tips to avoid some rookie-parent campus visit mistakes. Remember, this is about your kids, not you. Your priorities for safety, class size, spacious...
Once you’ve planned your campus visits over spring break (see last week’s column www.collegeadmissionsstrategies.com) juniors and their families need to focus on the “three R’s.” No, not “Reading, (W)Riting and (A)Rithmetic,” but rather: Research, Resume and Recommendations. Research: Spend the time determining if a college represents a good...
My campus visit mantra is: “It is worth more than two hours of your time if you might spend four years of your life there.” I am a strong advocate for visiting colleges early and often. Nothing validates a student’s research more than getting out...
If you’ve been avoiding completing the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid), procrastinate no longer, help is here. On Saturday, Feb. 20 from 9 a.m; to noon, a host of college financial aid officers and specialists will span across the state of North Carolina at...
There’s been a lot of chatter about the recent study entitled “Turning the Tide: Inspiring Concern for Others and the Common Good through College Admissions” released by the Harvard Graduate School of Education. The study proposed sweeping changes to the college admissions process with three...
The October PSAT was the first introduction to the “new” SAT which will debut in March. Students were recently able to retrieve their scores online at College Board and they should receive paper copies of their score reports within the next week. The new PSAT score...
It is not all about the tests, but standardized test results are part of the college admissions decision at most colleges. Many juniors will be taking either the SAT or SAT Subject Tests on June 1 and/or the ACT on June 8. Here are some valuable...
