FAFSA vs CSS Profile
Although this could be the most boring post you’ll read all month, I’m afraid it’s too important to ignore if you’re looking to qualify for scholarships or other financial aid from colleges in the next year or two. I get questions several times a week about the process of applying for financial aid, whether a…
How to Write a Gripping College Essay Even If You Haven’t Experienced Severe Trauma
Good Grades, “Bad Test Taker”
Live SAT/ACT Q&A Session Tonight If I had a nickel for every time a parent expressed frustration that her high gpa kiddo just couldn’t seem to break out of the Land of Mediocre Standardized Test Scores…I’d still be writing these messages. What are the most common reasons for the High GPA-Low SAT/ACT phenomenon? Here’s a…
Common Application Essay Prompts for Class of 2022
Hot off the presses… The essay prompts for the 2021-22 Common Application (for the Class of 2022) are as follows, as announced on the Common Application blog: Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then…
Frustrating College Negotiation
Although I humbly think of myself as a college negotiation master of the universe, occasionally the opposite conclusion gets shoved in my pie hole, like a warning to not believe my own press. Last year, one of my favorite clients got into Cornell (off the wait list) and Johns Hopkins, which was awesome because she deserved…