Strength of Curriculum: What College Admissions Look For

When the National Association of College Admissions Counselors surveys college admissions officers across the country, they always ask about the most important factors in admissions decisions. In Part 1, we talked about the top factor, student…
college admissions counselor

Student Grades: What College Admissions Look For

College admissions: confusing, complicated, not fun… These are just a few ways to describe the college admissions process. To help you out, we’ve created a three part series that will give insight into what colleges actually look for…

Applying to College: When Should I Start?

When should you apply to college? It seems like such a simple question. I mean, obviously you’ll apply by the application deadline, right? But which deadline? Many colleges offer more than one application period: An early application…

What is the National Merit Scholarship?

The National Merit Scholarship program began in 1955. Since then, it has become known as one of the most prestigious academic awards a student can earn – and with good reason: Just a small percentage of test takers will become finalists in…
SAT FAQ

What SAT and ACT Scores Do I Need?

According to surveys by the National Association of College Admission Counselors, admissions officers routinely cite SAT and ACT scores as one of the most important factors in admission decisions, so it’s no wonder that students stress about…

Applying to College: What You Need to Know

Road signs and mailboxes may be literally melting in the summer heat in some parts of the country, but for rising seniors, summer break is over. It’s time to start working on those college applications. We’re here to help! Keep reading…

10 Tips For A Great College Application Essay

Sometimes the blinking cursor on the screen can seem like a curse (pun intended). It just keeps flashing, on and off, on and off, mocking you. Never is this truer than when you’re trying to start your college admission essay, a high-stakes…

Social Media and College Admissions

This week, Harvard College rescinded admissions offers to ten prospective students after discovering some truly terrible social media behavior. This should serve as a reminder to all students that what you do online is never private and it…
fafsa application for student aid

Filing FAFSA Without IRS Data Retrieval Tool

No one likes filling out the FAFSA – it’s right up there with filing taxes and getting teeth pulled in terms of enjoyable activities. But in the last couple of years, the FAFSA got a whole lot easier with the introduction of the IRS Data…