The Insider: College Admissions Advice from the Experts

Whether your school is public or private, big or small; whether you have an independent counselor or are working with the counselors at school, one truth remains: this is your college process. Independent and school counselors are there to help, but the more you put into the college process, the more you’ll get out of it. So be proactive and seek out opportunities to work with a college consultant. There are plenty of things you can do to help yourself get the most from the college counseling you have available.

When it comes to deciding what to do for your summer activities, it can be hard to make sense of what matters to colleges and what doesn’t. Given the wide range of options, what are the best things to do? How should students prioritize? And when is the right time to get started?

In Part One, which we published on Wednesday, we discussed the early stages of the athletic recruitment process. Today, we will talk about the next steps for aspiring college athletes.

Many high school students are interested in participating in college athletics, but many are unsure what to do and where to start.  Adding athletic recruitment to the college application process not only requires additional work on the part of the athlete, but it actually moves up every part of the college application timeline. In addition, one of the biggest surprises for aspiring college athletes is that recruitment rarely provides the financial impact on college costs that many families are led to expect. There are huge differences in athletic recruitment from sport to sport, and between Divisions I, II, and III, that will affect financial benefit. What is most important is that with talent, tools, and time, students can find an athletic program that will fit their  abilities at a school that can provide them with a wonderful college experience.

Staying Ahead of Your Applications | Part 2

Staying Ahead of Your Applications | Part 1

As we ring in the New Year and juniors begin the spring semester, the college application process kicks into high gear. With so much work in such a short period of time, many students struggle with what to do and how to do it.

Earlier this week, we suggested five ways for students to begin to get involved during their high school careers. Today we pick up where we left off, with the last five tips on our list!

When it comes to the college application, some parts are easy to understand. Take tough courses. Get good grades. Write a strong essay. But when students are also encouraged to “get involved,” it’s hard for them to know exactly where to begin, and understandably so. For freshmen in particular, high school is a new experience with a wide variety of clubs, organizations, teams, and activities to be a part of, and getting involved in just a few of those activities can enrich your child’s four-year experience in high school.