Encore College Guru Certification Webinar

December is National Early Decision Month, when high school seniors learn whether they got into their top choice, "ED" colleges.

The official party line about how Early Decision works goes a little somethin' like this:

• Aspiring college student falls in love with THE college that he/she is dying to get into (obviously, the college must be impossible to get into, otherwise, who would be dying to go there?)
• Aspiring college student submits his application, indicating that he's "going ED"
• If college admits him, he MUST go

There's only one problem with the above:  

It's false.  Fake news. 

Here's the way things really work with Early Decision, just in case you never hear this from your guidance counselor (more on that below).

First, nothing and nobody can compel you to attend a college, no matter what box you checked on your college application.

Second, the Early Decision agreement is not binding, legally speaking.  In...

I don't think it's me (I never do) but this year has been CRAZIER than ever.

I'm not only referring to the kids we coach through the college application process: parents have gone bonkers too!

On the kid-side, we had in inordinate number of seniors making last minute, final revisions to their essays yesterday for November 1 deadlines...

Re:  parents, I cannot begin to tell you how many "helped" their children by stepping in, pushing them aside and completely taking over the essay-writing process.  I see it every year, but I've never seen it this bad.

I'm not just griping.  There's an important point here, that's all-too-easy to get lost in the shuffle:  If you, parent, take over the college applications for your child, you are sending them an unsubtle message...

Not exactly a confidence builder, right?

Trust me, I know how busy our children are, and I understand the impulse to help. ...