Letters of recommendation hold substantial weight in college admissions’ decisions. In addition to transcripts and test scores, colleges want to build a complete sketch of a student’s character and his/her ability to be a successful and contributing member of their institution. Teacher recommendations help to give colleges a portrait of how a student is likely to perform academically in the future and provide contexts for students’ past achievements. A strong teacher recommendation brings the applicant to life for the admissions officers and provides them with a more holistic view of the candidate. Letters of recommendation may even be a determining factor in helping students who have less competitive grades or test scores. A well-written and thoughtful letter can provide invaluable information and make impressions on college admissions officers that cannot be derived from the rest of application alone. [Read More]

Colleges ranking systems and lists have been around since the first colleges were established. The demand for rankings is as pervasive as ever in the US. Each year, private companies publish college rankings. However, much like rankings for the “best jobs,” the “best movies of all time,” or the “greatest songs of all time,” they are highly subjective and they do not often reflect the interests, needs, or preferences for every student or applicant. Simply because a job is listed on Money Magazine’s list of “America’s Best Jobs” does not mean that we should all pursue a career in dentistry. The ranking of colleges are designed in much the same way. [Read More]

The campus visit is a crucial component of the admissions process. Campus tours are one of the best ways for prospective students to learn about a specific college and to get a feel for what daily life would be like on campus. It gives students an opportunity to get a glimpse of the student body, to feel out the overall atmosphere of the school, and to develop a sense of what the community and the surrounding neighborhood is like. If you do not know what questions to ask, or if you ask questions that can be easily answered through the school’s website or through a brochure, then you have not taken full advantage of the information the visit or the tour has to offer you. The purpose of a college visit is to determine if the school and the daily lifestyle on campus is the best match for you. [Read More]

When parents and students talk about college applications, they consider a variety of factors, such as the prestige of the school, its location, even student life in the dormitories and campus food options. Too often, they avoid talking about money and the financial burden that comes with paying for college. This is a big mistake. It is a difficult conversation many parents never have with their college bound children. Yet, financing for college will have both a profound and long lasting impact on the financial futurity for both parents and their children. There is one important question that families need to place in the forefront of college conversations: How exactly are we going to pay for the next four years of your Education? [Read More]

The dual enrollment program offers students the opportunity to take college courses and to earn college credit while still in high school. Over 2,000 U.S. colleges and universities offer students this program on high school campuses. When students from lower-income families enroll in courses where they can earn college credit that works towards a certification or degree, not only will they succeed in high school, but graduate high school, enroll in college, and persist through college graduation. [Read More]