Thanks for reading! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. There’s a lot of dialogue among counselors, educators, parents, and social media about how financial aid works. But surprisingly few people start with the most important upstream question: Is the college you’re applying to need-blind or
For decades, accreditation has operated quietly in the background of American higher education. Few students understand it. Most faculty tolerate it. Administrators dread it. Now, it’s at the center of a political battle. Nicholas Kent, the under secretary of education charged with carrying out the Trump administration’s higher-ed agenda, has
If you’ve walked through a high school lately, you’ve probably seen some… creative club names. Every year, new clubs appear. Some are meaningful. Some are clearly built around passion. Thanks for reading! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. And some exist because four friends needed
There’s a dark cloud hanging over college admissions in California. Its name? Capped. Impacted. High Demand. Thanks for reading! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. If you’re a high school student or the parent of one you’ve likely encountered one of these terms while researching
In a recent article, I wrote about the checklist admissions officers use to evaluate applicants and emphasized how holistic the review process truly is. But a checklist is only useful if we slow down and understand what each item actually means. Thanks for reading! Subscribe for free to receive new
You took the SAT or ACT. You opened the score report. And your reaction was… meh. Not bad. Not great. Just… okay. Thanks for reading! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. You’re exhausted, the thought of test prep again makes your stomach drop, and now
Juniors walk into school after winter break carrying a familiar weight: midterms AP pressure club responsibilities the constant hum of “college is coming” And most of them don’t say it out loud, but you can feel it: Thanks for reading! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my
Every year, I meet families at the same exact moment. It’s December of junior year. Thanks for reading! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. The student is doing well academically. They’ve taken honors or AP classes. They’ve joined a few clubs, volunteered locally, maybe even
What I’ve Learned After Hundreds of Conversations With Admissions Officers Introduction: Common Misunderstandings About Admissions Families often assume college admissions decisions come down to grades, rankings, or luck. After hundreds of interviews with admissions officers nationwide, one thing is clear: that’s not how decisions are actually made. This checklist distills
