The Insider: College Admissions Advice from the Experts

What We Learned From the 2016 Admissions Cycle

Now that colleges have released the bulk of their admissions decisions, and students are reconciling their application triumphs and defeats, it’s time to take a step back and assess the trends and surprises from this year’s admissions decisions. While not all of these findings are unique to the 2016 admissions cycle, they are noteworthy enough that all college bound students – especially those wrapping up their junior year – should pay careful attention. And if you count yourselves among the thousands of hapless seniors who didn’t earn a spot at your dream college, perhaps the rationales below will help explain why you were the recipient of a “thin envelope,” while your neighbor/best friend/classmate was not.

Turning the Tide: An In-Depth Look At The Harvard Admissions Report 

One thing is clear about the recent Turning the Tide report on the state of college admissions, released recently by the Harvard Graduate School of Education: a single conversation simply isn’t enough to cover all the issues raised by the report. Regular listeners will recall that, in the March 17 episode of Getting In: A College Coach Conversation, host Ian Fisher and guest experts Elyse Krantz and Beth Heaton introduced the report’s basic findings. But in order to provide a more comprehensive analysis, this week they continued their robust conversation, digging more deeply into the effect and impact the results will have on college admissions, and what it means for students. Ian, Elyse, and Beth addressed ways that students can engage with diversity and community, as the report recommends, while still allowing students to ‘find their authentic self’ in the application. They also addressed the concern raised by the report for ‘overcoaching’ in the college admissions process, and the role that strong college advising and counseling can play in the process.

Middle school is an important transition time for students between childhood and the teen years, and yet it fills so many parents with dread. Many questions arise, like: What do I concentrate on now that my kids are older? What do they need to do now to get into a “good” college later? What’s the balance between hovering over them and letting them try and possibly fail?

Demonstrating Interest without Spending a Lot

You’ve identified your dream school(s) and you have a strong list of other colleges to apply to. Your numbers (GPA, standardized test scores) are where they need to be. You’re working on an essay that’s going to show your admission officer (AO) who you are and how you’ll fit into her school.

‘Tis the season for college finance, and last week’s episode of Getting In: A College Coach Conversation, was chock full of great information about paying for college.

In today’s entry, we continue the conversation between Ian Fisher and Elyse Krantz on the Turning the Tide report from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. You can re-read part one on our blog here, and if you’re interested in further conversation, you can explore the archives of our Getting In radio show to hear more from Ian, Elyse, and Elizabeth Heaton, on the impact of the report.

Last week’s episode of Getting In: A College Coach Conversation covered the recently published “Turning the Tide” report, continued our students’ perspectives series, and perhaps most importantly, offered timely advice for appealing financial aid awards!

Your brain is like a muscle that grows and gets stronger when you stretch it. You wouldn’t run a marathon tomorrow without any training, right? If you’re serious about completing the marathon, you’ll start training and increase your distance incrementally.

Last week’s episode of Getting In: A College Coach Conversation continued the student perspective series, offering you advice straight from those who know the college search process best: a first-year college student!

A recent report published by leading colleges and universities is calling for concrete changes to the college admissions process. Here, two of our expert educational consultants discuss their opinions and ideas about the report.