Great College Advice

Yesterday Scott Jaschik of Inside Higher Ed reported in a lengthy (but characteristically thorough) article that despite the economic downturn, the number of early decision applications to many expensive, private colleges is up this year over last. Mr. Jaschik offers the following possible explanations:

1.  Colleges are better communicating that college fit matters, so students [...]

A parent of a senior asked me the other day about college visits.  When is the best time to visit?
The answer is, “from whose perspective?”
There are two different reasons for visiting college.  The first is the student’s need to get an idea of what life would be like on that campus.  Students often have a [...]

Actress Emma Watson is embarking on a new adventure:  the college search.  Apparently she is considering a liberal arts degree from one of the Ivies.  She was spotted this week visiting Yale University, Harvard University, and Brown University.

While it was difficult for her to maintain a low profile amid the throngs of Harry Potter fans [...]

Generally speaking, investing in yourself is a smart idea. More education usually leads to more opportunity, better jobs, and higher income. However, many students have no idea how to think about the investment in financial terms.
For example, does it make sense to spend $100,000 and take on tens of thousands in loans [...]

Montgomery Guides Students, Parents Through College Admissions Maze
by Rosemary Fetter
The Villager Newspaper
9 October 2008, p. 26

Reprinted with permission.

For many high school students and their parents, selecting the right college can be very confusing and even anxiety producing.  There are so many choices to be made:  Public or private college?  In-state or out of state?  Conservative [...]

My clients who aspire toward a career in fine art know that they need to prepare a portfolio of their work to present to admissions officers.  These portfolios need to show off their best work, and provide a window into their creative thought processes.

Most students interested in admission to a school of art and design [...]

During my recent visit to the University of Wyoming, I met a woman from Suzhou, China, chattering away in Mandarin with a friend.  I had learned that there were significant numbers of international students on the campus.  In fact, my tour guide that day was from Zimbabwe.

But I wanted to learn a bit more about [...]

Often when I visit a college campus, I sit down with students to discuss their experiences. Such discussions initially unnerve the students (”Who are you, and what do you want?”).  But when they realize that I’m genuinely interested in learning about their college, they usually open up and share the good with the bad.

The young [...]

Just a couple of weeks ago, the National Council for College Admissions Counseling issued a report calling on colleges to reduce the importance of standardized scores in the admissions process.

But as long as public rankings of colleges and universities, such as those issue by US News & World Report, it’s unlikely that colleges will dump [...]

I recently visited the University of Wyoming. Situated in Laramie, the university is the only four-year college in the entire state. As such, the entire population is focused on providing Wyoming students with the best in higher education.

I met with Brooke Spicer, an Admissions Representative, and asked her what would make for a [...]