The Insider: College Admissions Advice from the Experts

We’re bringing back our popular series, Meet an Admissions Counselor, where we introduce students and families to a different member of the College Coach admissions team. Drop in to see what we’re reading, where we went to school, and our strategies for beginning the college essay. As you work with us to find an educational consultant who best fits your needs or the needs of your child, we will help you consider the personality and working styles that will bring out the best in you or your student. Today we introduce Lisa Albro, who works with students both remotely and in our Short Hills, NJ office.

Whenever I meet with new students, the first question I ask is why they want to go to college.  Responses tend to lean heavily toward the importance of earning an education and getting a degree. But what does that really mean? And how should students go about determining the breadth, depth, and quality of the academics at an institution of higher learning?

“Charlie” called me yesterday in a panic.  With college application deadlines rapidly approaching, he was suddenly overwhelmed by the amount of work he still had to do on essays and the applications themselves. When we had met two months earlier to discuss his college list, those deadlines seemed so far away, giving Charlie the sense that he had all the time in the world; after all, how hard could it be to fill out information about himself and write a few essays?

Looking at college marketing materials and websites, you may get the impression that every college campus in the country has an abundance of gleaming state-of-the-art buildings, classrooms full of students engaged in active discussion or incredible lab experiments, and a population of culturally diverse, perpetually happy individuals.  While some or all of these things may be true of many campuses, you can be sure that these images are carefully chosen to entice you.  Some are even staged.  So how can you discern what is real and what is a mirage?  Visit the campus and see for yourself!

When the junior year winds down, it’s hard to focus on anything outside standardized testing, but students should be aware that the last month or two of school is also the perfect time to approach teachers for a letter of recommendation. This soon?  Yes — this soon. Because “this” really isn’t all that “soon.”  Starting the college admissions process early is key to keeping everyone's stress levels down.  After all, college application deadlines start as early as next fall — they’ll be upon you before you know it!

Over the last week I enjoyed four conversations with four different college bound students about their summer plans: