College Essay Advice from a Professional Writer

Guest blog post by Jason Oppenheimer, Copywriter I have two completely different thumbs. Without any other context, I probably have your attention by now. And in a world where attention spans are often no longer than the time it takes to read a push-notification, that’s certainly no small feat.  Consequently, [...]

Differential Tuition – Your Major Matters

For most college-bound students and their families, the cost of tuition is an important consideration. It’s also very confusing. The cost of a college education includes tuition, fees, room and board (an outdated term which means housing and meals), travel expenses, and books and supplies. All of these are rolled [...]

By |2021-07-13T00:09:10+00:00July, 7, 2021|College Majors, Paying for College|1 Comment

How to Choose a College Major: Surveys and Assessments

For many high school students, the thought of selecting a college major seems daunting.  How, at the age of 17 or 18, are you supposed to choose a field of study that will lead to a career you may have for years to come? First, it's important to note that [...]

By |2021-09-12T21:41:05+00:00June, 30, 2021|College Majors, College Preparation|0 Comments

Colleges’ COVID-19 Vaccine Mandates

On March 25, Rutgers University, a public university in New Jersey, announced that it would require students to be vaccinated against COVID-19 before coming to its three campuses in the fall.  Rutgers may have been the first college to require the vaccine, but in the following days and weeks, many [...]

By |2021-05-18T17:04:34+00:00May, 11, 2021|College and COVID-19|1 Comment

Congratulations to the Class of 2021!

It's been a difficult year for high school seniors: going to school online, dealing with the cancellation of sports and activities, and not being able to see friends are just some of the challenges they have faced.  But, as the school year winds to a close and seniors prepare to [...]

Test-Optional Is Here to Stay

On March 8, Inside Higher Ed reported that through February 15, only 44% of students who applied to college with the Common Application had submitted ACT or SAT scores.  In contrast, 77% of Common App users submitted test scores last year. As discussed in a previous blog post, the pandemic [...]

What to Do if You’re Waitlisted

It's the time of year when high school seniors who applied to college regular decision are starting to receive admissions decisions.  Of course, the outcome everyone hopes for -- especially when it comes to their first-choice school -- is an acceptance, and the one they dread is a denial.  But [...]

By |2021-03-09T15:53:01+00:00March, 9, 2021|College Admissions, Financial Aid|0 Comments

How to Decide on a College without Visiting

A few days ago, I was telling my parents that some of my seniors likely will have to decide which college they're going to attend without having visited, as the pandemic has upended college visits for the past year.  My dad commented that he didn't visit any colleges before deciding [...]

COVID-19’s Impact on College Admissions: What We Know So Far

Although the 2020-2021 college admissions cycle is far from over, we can learn a great deal about the pandemic's effects on admissions from early action and early decision outcomes.  Consider the following: Applications to highly selective colleges increased significantly: early applications were up 22% at Brown, 38% at Yale, 49% [...]

The “Big Fish-Little Pond” Theory of College

I am currently reading David and Goliath by Malcolm Gladwell.  The premise of the book is that disadvantages might actually be advantages, that people who are considered underdogs may in fact have the greatest chance for success, and that obstacles might really be opportunities. One section of the book focuses [...]

By |2021-03-09T01:38:59+00:00January, 5, 2021|College Fit, College Research|0 Comments
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