The Insider: College Admissions Advice from the Experts

Meredith Herrera

Recent Posts

College Admissions Checklist: What to Look for in a College Admissions Counselor

Posted by Meredith Herrera on Tue, Mar 26, 2013 @ 11:13 AM

Just because I appreciate a good turn of phrase does not mean I’m poised to write the next great American novel.   Nor do my frequent visits to WebMD make me qualified to dispense health advice.  As I opened my Outlook calendar this morning, I realized it is late March.  Tax time.  I better call my accountant, not my best friend who majored in economics in college. 

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Tags: College Admissions Consulting

Will the College Scorecard Help You Find the Best Value Colleges?

Posted by Meredith Herrera on Wed, Feb 27, 2013 @ 10:45 AM

Last week the US Department of Education unveiled the College Scorecard, an interactive tool designed to help families compare the affordability and value of one college against another.  Some look at the move, first introduced in President Obama’s State of the Union address, as a positive step towards college finance transparency.  Others see this device as well intended, but too limited in scope to actually help families make informed choices about college cost. Here’s what experts on College Coach’s Admission and Finance Teams have to say:

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Tags: Choosing the Right College

Common Application Announces New Essay Prompts: College Admission Experts’ Reaction

Posted by Meredith Herrera on Tue, Feb 12, 2013 @ 02:33 PM

Spokespeople for the Common Application recently announced that the 2013 – 2014 version of the application would include five brand new essay prompts, which are:

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Tags: College Essays

Out of State Colleges: Getting More Competitive for In-State Students?

Posted by Meredith Herrera on Mon, Jan 07, 2013 @ 04:03 PM

At a recent family gathering, a good friend pulled me aside to ask a question about the University of California system.  Having read that UC Berkeley admitted a record number of non-California residents, she wanted to know whether or not the UCs remained a viable option for her own children who would be applying to college in California as in-state students.  Resisting the urge to playfully remind her that her oldest was only five, I started addressing one of the biggest questions college admissions consultants are often asked: 

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Tags: Choosing the Right College