The Insider: College Admissions Advice from the Experts

As colleges send out their early action and early decisions notifications, many students are receiving letters and emails indicating that their applications have been deferred. In an article for USA Today, College Coach’s Elizabeth Heaton draws on her experience as an admissions officer at Penn to help students understand how this decision came to be, what it means, and what their options are for ultimately turning that deferral into an offer of admission.

Back in March 2013, College Coach admissions consultant Zaragoza Guerra sat down with Revolution Prep Global Elite Instructor Megan Stubbendeck to discuss the College Board’s plans to revise the SAT and published the interview in a two part blog (read part 1 and part 2). At the time, the anticipated changes were due to arrive in 2015. However, Inside Higher Ed published an article yesterday announcing that the changes had been pushed back to 2016. Read more about this development here: http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2013/12/03/college-board-pushes-back-revised-sat-one-year.

Do you have recommendations on how many AP courses a student should have at time of applying for colleges?

Rather than focusing on number of Advanced Placement (AP) courses, I would instead concentrate on curriculum choices that make sense for your child. The expectations at the most selective colleges in the country are that the student will go to the highest level available in all five major subject areas (math, science, history/social science, English and foreign language). This can and often does mean taking AP courses in all five subjects by the time the student is a senior, though not all high schools will offer AP classes in all subject areas. If they are not offered, the student will not be penalized for not taking them (you can’t take what isn’t available!). Those colleges also expect to see excellent performance in those, and all, courses. As colleges get less selective, the expectations in terms of curriculum rigor get slightly lower, and many of the schools in this country don’t expect to see any AP classes at all.

Call it the “Scarlet H.”

The National Candidate Reply Date has come and gone, and you’ve placed your deposit at your chosen school. You’re excitedly preparing for college life at the university you selected. Then you get the call – your dream school, the one at which you were waitlisted, wants to know if you’re still interested. Now what do you do? College Coach admissions expert Elizabeth Heaton tackles this question in her latest blog post for USA Today College.

For some students, the process of gathering letters of recommendations for college can be more stressful than writing all those essays. Having trouble deciding who to choose as your recommendation writers for your college applications? College Coach expert Elizabeth Heaton weighs in on the do’s and don’ts of making the best selection in her most recent blog for USA TODAY College.

Are you looking for advice about curriculum choices and extracurricular activities?  Do you need assistance with a college list?  Are you hoping your child can complete as many of his application essays as possible before the end of summer?  Do you need an independent college counselor but aren’t sure how best to evaluate your options?