Fights, confusion, stress—that's just what junior year is like, right? Nope! There's a better way. I promise. Let me show you what it can be like.
Guide to the "Why this School?" Application Essay
You've completed your activity list, answered every question, and tweaked your essays to fit each application. But there's one you can't fudge: the "why this school?" essay! It's a lot of pressure, right when you need to really shine. I'll walk you through it.
How to Write Your Personal Statement
An excellent college personal statement needs an organizing principle—a guiding light that tells colleges who you are and displays your self-awareness and maturity. So what exactly IS an organizing principle? Let me explain.
Do Elite Colleges Require a Perfect SAT/ACT Score?
If you want to get into an elite college, you need a perfect SAT or ACT score…..right? Actually, this week’s post explains why a perfect score is NOT always required for admission to Harvard, Stanford, or Yale….and how you should be using your college prep time instead of cramming for that 1600 or 36.
National Merit Scholar Finalist? You Can Still Take Either the SAT or ACT.
If you’re a finalist for the National Merit Scholarship Program, you used to have the SAT forced on you. But these days, you can now validate your qualifying PSAT score with an ACT score! Let me explain how that impacts the testing decisions of high-achieving students.
Overwhelmed by Junior Year? Here's What to Do.
Don't throw in the towel! Instead, muster your grit and learn to make time for schoolwork AND test prep.
What SAT/ACT Score Do I Need to get into College?
You should just be aiming to do as well as you possibly can on the ACT or SAT, right? WRONG. You need to be aiming for a specific target score. Let me tell you why and how to find yours!
Common App Resource Roundup
Those deadlines are looming and your stress level is rising. Don’t panic! This Common App resources roundup has got links that will help you answer any question, and overcome any hurdle, standing in the way of clicking “submit.”
College Application Submission Checklist
There’s more to calling your Common Application complete than dotting every I, crossing every T, and catching every typo. My six-step checklist will have you hitting submit with confidence!
Beat Test Day Cold Feet
Your first Digital SAT, SAT, or ACT sitting is coming and you're starting to freak out. I promise you: I've seen it before. Let me talk you through your test day cold feet.
How to Write Your Common App Activities List
Everyone knows that the Activities List is a super important section of the Common App…so why do so many people waste the opportunity to maximize its impact? Let me show you how to avoid that pitfall with these six steps to a winning Activities List.
Top Tips for Campus Visits!
If you approach your college visits proactively, you can come home from them WAY further along in your application process than you left. Here's how.
Affirmative Action Supreme Court Decision: Does the Class of 2025 Have to Take the SAT or ACT?
You’ve surely heard the huge college admissions news by now: no more race-conscious affirmative action. Considering this change, should the Class of 2025 and younger plan on taking the SAT and ACT?
5 Pieces of Info You Need to Create Your SAT/ACT Study Strategy
This post will take you from the basics to some advanced test-prep moves! I’m walking you through the five pieces of information you need for a winning test-prep strategy—and how to put them together into a plan that will open doors at your dream schools.
Should I Use the Coalition App or the Common App?
If you’re a high school Senior (or younger), the Common App and Coalition App can save you a TON of time on your college applications. But what are the differences between these two options, exactly—and which is the better fit for YOU? This blog post brings you the answers.
How to Know if You Should Cancel Your SAT or ACT Score
There are new and helpful options for how to cancel your SAT or ACT score. But don’t get carried away, because there’s a really important question you should ask yourself before you take advantage of them: SHOULD you cancel your score? Let me walk you through the decision the way I’ve helped my students tackle it.
Complete Guide to Superscoring on the SAT and ACT
What’s a “super score”? If you’re applying to colleges—or especially if you’re a parent of someone who is—you need to know how this scoring system works and how it affects your college applications. I’m breaking down the details of super scoring on the SAT and ACT in this week’s post!
How to Choose the Right AP Classes for YOU
AP classes are exactly what your dream school wants to see on your transcript. Learn which ones will show off your skills best today:
New Year's Reflections to Help You Get into College in 2023
Winter break is a time high school students pause to rest and reflect…but the college process waits for no one. These are some questions to reflect on to keep your eye on the prize in the year ahead in YOUR college process—no matter where you are in high school! (There’s also a special message in here for juniors, who are really in the thick of it right now.)
10 Mistakes to Avoid in Marketing Yourself to Colleges
Some of these ideas are crazy...but they're all real! Here's what NOT to do when you're trying to impress colleges.
