This year a lot more high school students seem to be seeking early college admission decisions. According to anecdotal numbers gathered by Inside Higher Ed, the number of students applying early decision to elite and selective colleges and universities has risen. Early decision applications at Duke University, for instance, jumped 32% from last year and […]
Archive | Admission practices
College Admissions: Who Gets an Affirmative Action Bump?
I’ve been volunteering at my son Ben’s high school this semester so I’ve been sitting in on some presentations by visiting college admission reps. As they are packing up, I often ask the reps about their admission requirements for minority students since there are a significant number of these kids at Ben’s school. What I’ve […]
College Applications: Should You Apply Early Action?
A friend of mine called me last week to ask whether her daughter should apply early action to Boston College. For a lot of high school seniors, applying to a college early action is a great idea. But early action isn’t for everyone including my friend’s daughter Julia. I’ll explain why momentarily. First of all, […]
College Advice: Why High School Counselors Can't Always Help
By Lynn O'Shaughnessy on October 22, 2009 in Admission practices, College Costs, College readiness, Financial aid, High school counselors
For many families, college will be the second biggest expense they will ever face — right behind buying a house. Choosing colleges and figuring out how to pay for them is complicated, which is why students and parents often seek college advice from high school counselors. It’s typically difficult, however, for families who want meaningful […]
Acceptance Letter Etiquette
We’re in the thick of the college acceptance season. If your child is a high school senior, the mail carrier might have already delivered acceptance packages to your house. Being wanted is fun, but it’s anything but fun when schools start bullying applicants. I read an interesting post today written by a guy in the […]