Applying to College

If I've said it once, I must have said it a million times: Students, check your email! March is the month where admissions decisions are generally released. Even if students have applied to some institutions early, March is the month that it all comes together. Admission decisions, financial aid awards, portal updates, and deadlines seem to be buzzing around at high speed! So how do families keep all of this information organized? Organization is paramount in accepting the best-fitting admissions…

What does it mean that I am Waitlisted? A college has finished reviewing your application and decided to put you on their “waitlist”. You are placed on “hold” in a waiting room of sorts with that college. They may or may not accept you. It is important to do your research and see how many students that specific college lets off the waitlist. Some colleges go through much more of their waitlist than others. Colleges usually begin to accept students…

What is Safety, Target, Reach Anyway? Google “build a college list.” Watch a college search webinar. Read a book about how to apply to college. Guaranteed, they’ll all tell you some version of the same thing: the list of colleges you apply to should include schools that fit into each of three categories: Safety – where you have a 75% or higher chance of getting accepted Target – where you have about a 50/50 shot at getting accepted Reach –…

Some people never think of attending a community college, but just figure they must attend a four-year university if they wish to obtain a degree. That isn’t the case and there are many reasons that attending a community college might be the right choice for many people. WHY THEY WERE DEVELOPED According to College Board, community colleges are in existence for two main reasons: (1) to serve as a bridge from high school to college by providing courses for transfer…

Resist the temptation As a high school counselor, I often ask students to log into their Common Application account or college specific application portal. This is usually because they have a question or need clarification on an item.  It is commonplace for students to tell me that they do not know their login information or that their parents completed the application on their behalf.  In that awkward moment, the student may feel inadequate or ashamed, and their confidence has been…

If your child is planning on attending college after they graduate high school, it’s important to get an early start on academic preparation. It’s pretty hard to boost a 2.5 GPA to a 3.5 when you have only one year left. But academics aren’t the only consideration in college admissions. While there is no specific combination of factors that will guarantee your student a spot at their preferred college, a survey compiled by the National Association for College Admission Counseling reports…

Hitting the submit button on your college applications typically leads to feelings of great accomplishment and relief. However, before you put your feet up and relax, you need to make sure you’ve taken care of a few key items to solidify the process. It's crucial to review each college’s website so that you know exactly what else needs to be submitted to complete your “application file”. Here's an overview of what to do after you submit a college application to…