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What Do US News College Rankings Really Mean?
Since 1983 College Presidents, Deans, and Admission VPs have anticipated with intense anxiety the annual late summer release of the US News and World Report College and University rankings. Presidents put pressure on the academic side to keep class sizes low and quality high. The academics put pressure on the admissions team to keep GPAs…
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The New Merit: Character, Context, and Contribution in Contemporary Admissions
I recently teamed up with my nephew to form an independent college counseling concern. He’s a former journalist, English tutor, and fiction writer. I spent forty plus years in college admissions. He’s convinced of the application as narrative. I’m the conservative influence focused on academic credentials. So I’ve been thinking a lot lately about scholastic…
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Does a B ruin my shot?
“My son got a ‘B.’ Is that the end of the road for a selective college?” We hear this often. Grades appear to be the objective measure for admission, so a single slip can feel catastrophic. But a lone “B” does not break an application. That’s because admission officers aren’t just reading for grades. Any…
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Don’t commit too soon: Staying sane in the selection process
“My daughter visited once and the school feels perfect. How does she get in?” Every applicant wants to be chosen. Students work hard for years to build a record of academic achievement and community involvement, hoping to be admitted to their first-choice school. But underneath the excitement is the fear that the outcome may not…
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Early Decision: Risk, Reward, and the Price of Certainty
“Should I apply Early Decision?” The logic seems simple: the admit rate is usually higher, decisions are returned sooner, and the anxiety ends. But Early Decision (ED) is not a magic bullet, because higher odds aren’t the same as guaranteed fit. ED truncates strategy, timing, and financial flexibility. In return, you might be rewarded with…
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The FAFSA & the CSS Profile: What Colleges Really Mean by “Need”
“We filled out the FAFSA, but the college says we need to pay more than what we actually can.” That’s because what the federal government means by ‘need’ isn’t necessarily what you or the college mean. Financial aid is one of the least transparent aspects of higher education. Sticker prices can be highly inflated, forms…
