Back-to-school sales are everywhere. Have you bought a new pair of jeans or a backpack? A few notebooks, pens and pencils? What does the start of a school year mean to you? New teachers, new books, new subjects – sure. But it’s also a new opportunity. It sounds obvious but it’s worth repeating: By the … Continue reading It’s never too early to start

“It made me hate my best friend.” That’s how a high school grad recently described the college admissions process to us. Made her hate her best friend? Not because she spilled a secret or bought the same jeans – but over college? Really? Really. This grad, who had a comparable SAT score to that of … Continue reading Putting it all in perspective

When it’s an adjective, “rank” can mean “strong and offensive in odor or flavor.” That sounds about right. The annual U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges rankings came out this week. It’s the twenty-seventh annual ranking, so it’s not too surprising that there wasn’t much fanfare surrounding its publication, not to mention the magazine … Continue reading What’s in a rank?

Ladies and gentlemen, thus kicks off this year’s admissions season. As Jacques Steinberg of the Times has reported, the Common App went live on August 1 and – sure enough – nearly 1,000 college-bound hopefuls had clicked “submit” within a day. Submitting apps early can certainly have some advantages – but not this early. For … Continue reading Benefits of applying early – but not too early