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Standardized Testing Tips: Taking the SAT or ACT in April, May, or June
If you’re taking the SAT or ACT in April, May, or June, we’ve got some tips for you! This is game time: take practice tests as if they’re...
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5 days ago2 min read
College Applications: April To-Do List
It’s April! It creeps up every year, and it’s the month when we start meeting with our college application students in earnest. We’ve had...
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Apr 93 min read
Five Tips for Rescuing Bad Grades
Photo Credit: Matthew Benoit Five Tips For Rescuing Bad Grades Sometimes parents call us with some bad news: their student is failing one...
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Mar 262 min read
Five Summer Program Application Tips
Many high school students apply to summer programs, but when asked why they’re applying, many of them tell us, “it will look good on my...
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Mar 122 min read
Six Tips For Taking Your First SAT Or ACT
If you’re about to take your first real SAT or ACT, congratulations! The prep you’ve done so far will support you as you navigate the...
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Mar 42 min read
February SAT and ACT Prep: Take Full Practice Tests
February SAT and ACT Prep: Take Full Practice Tests With the spring SAT and ACT tests just around the corner, most of our students have...
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Feb 212 min read
Create a College List in 3 Easy Steps
When we first meet with students, they usually feel overwhelmed by the process of creating their first college list. But it’s actually...
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Feb 122 min read
Writing Professional Emails
My students frequently ask me to look over the emails they’re sending to colleges or teachers, and thank God they do because many, MANY...
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Jan 232 min read
Recap of the College Admissions Year (2024-2025)
Only a few days ago my final college application student for the ‘24-’25 admissions cycle turned in his last essays. I’ll probably sleep...
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Jan 223 min read
College Application Mistakes: Too Many Schools
Earlier this week a student came in with a list of 40 schools he wanted to apply to. That’s a good way to start! But the Common App will...
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Sep 6, 20222 min read
College Application Mistakes: Not Proofreading
Oh, man. Talk about an easy one to fix. Bless the students who come to me and say, “my essay is done! I’m ready to turn it in!” I read it...
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Aug 24, 20222 min read
College Application Mistakes: Gambler’s Fallacy
Parents and students make this error all the time. But with a little understanding (and a brief psych lesson!) it can be avoided. — The...
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Aug 17, 20222 min read
What My Teachers Did for Me
Mr. Hogan taught me that reading wasn’t enough: I needed to internalize and take good notes. Mrs. Mac let me cry on her shoulder in the...
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Aug 10, 20222 min read
What Do You Know About Rejection?
When I was a sophomore at Yale, my acting professor Toni Dorfman looked at the class over the top of her Hogwarts-level spectacles and...
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Jun 1, 20223 min read
For Unmotivated Students: Battling Burnout
Even the brightest kids go through periods of boredom and lack of motivation. Burnout is becoming more common, and it’s not the student’s...
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May 17, 20222 min read
The Points-Captured System
One of the most effective ways to measure performance on the ACT or SAT is with the points-captured system. It works like this. Say a...
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May 6, 20221 min read
Tips for Taping
Some high schools and colleges now require or encourage a video submission with your application. Anyone can film a short video about...
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May 4, 20222 min read
The Ivy League Sparkle
I recently helped a high school sophomore with his application to Cornell’s Precollege Studies program . As he wrote and I edited, I...
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Mar 31, 20222 min read
How to Choose Colleges
We recommend students apply to around 15 schools, divided into the following categories and how to choose colleges right for you: Five...
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Mar 31, 20222 min read
A Yale Admissions Story
When I was in the fifth grade, I asked my cousin what colleges were the most difficult to get into. “Harvard, Yale, Princeton, and...
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Mar 31, 20223 min read
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