Educational Counseling and College Planning Services

One of the hardest parts of the college search isn’t building a list. It’s letting go of the idea  of a list you thought you wanted. Many students start the process focused on a handful of easy-to-compare markers: name recognition, rankings, acceptance rates, or where friends are applying. It makes sense; those numbers feel concrete, reassuring, and objective. They offer shortcuts through a process that can feel overwhelming. But shortcuts rarely lead to the best outcomes. Ed

By now, many students who applied Early Decision or Early Action have received their results. If yours landed in the frustrating middle category: deferred , you’re probably feeling confused, disappointed, and unsure what (if anything) you should do next. First, take a breath. A deferral is not a rejection! It means the admissions committee found your application strong enough to keep in the pool, but not strong enough yet  to admit outright. That’s not nothing, especially in

You’ve probably heard someone say that certain colleges “track interest.” And you’ve probably wondered what that actually means…and whether you’re supposed to start acting like a college stalker to get in. Good news: demonstrated interest is way less dramatic than it sounds. Here’s the quick version of what matters, what doesn’t, and how to approach it with the colleges on your radar. So what actually is “demonstrated interest”? Some colleges want to know whether you’re act

Unfortunately, so much of the college admissions landscape is driven by prestige and name-brand schools: students who want to get into a “good” school, or the “best” school. Oftentimes, though, I find that students and parents don’t really even know how to define “good” schools outside of the national rankings which are shoved down their throats every year and are deeply problematic and not  a measure of quality of education. Here is a stark truth, though: attending a highly-

Parents and students are often resistant to gap years at first blush because they perceive they will somehow “be behind”. I would love to...

Many students interested in applying to musical theatre programs for college often have no idea of just how much more involved that...

When you apply to a particular major in college (especially a competitive major like Engineering, Business, or Computer Science), your...

Many students are a bit unsure of how to approach the Common App’s “Additional Information” essay, or whether it is something they...

Rising seniors, by around this time, you should have a fairly decent sense of your college list (especially if you are targeting those...

Happy August 1st – AKA Common App Day! The much anticipated 2025-26 Common App rolls out today after having had a big makeover from years...

Let’s start by dispensing with the myth that you need to have your whole life planned out at 17; you really don’t! And if you feel...

While most students think of senior fall as “college application season”, it is highly beneficial to get a head start on some of that...

The activities section can be daunting for a lot of students, especially if you feel you don’t have many activities (or, have too many!)...

If you’re a student who is interested in pursuing the arts on the collegiate level (as many of my students are), you have a couple...

Many students (and often parents) are unaware of just how much of an impact the courses a student chooses to take can have on how...

Maybe you are a senior right now who has found yourself in the very fortunate/unfortunate position of having TOO many college acceptances...

Now is a great time for juniors to start thinking about who might be the best teachers to ask for letters of recommendation! As popular...

When it comes to learning about colleges, there is no better way than visiting the campus, seeing the facilities, meeting students, etc....

February (and spring) break is a great time for juniors to start getting out on college campuses! If you’re going to get on a plane (or...

While it may feel outrageous to be thinking about summer while there is still snow on the ground, now is the best time to start making...