People ask me all the time, what's the most important or stressful part of the college application process? And most people would assume if the essay right, this great big personal essay that has to be perfect in order to be admitted to college. Yes, the essay is important. It's an opportunity, students, an opportunity for you to share with colleges who you are, what you think about what's going on in your life so that they get to know you better. But it shouldn't be stressful. It should be an opportunity.

So I would like you to think of it in layers. If you could take five days to write an essay, an introduction, two days to write the body, another day to write a conclusion, say three to five sentence...

Juniors, sophomores, and freshmen, but particularly you juniors, do you know that the common application is available now? Yes, even though it’s only March, you can start your common application right now and I encourage you to do so.  Just go to commonapp.org and create an account, check off “other student” and indicate what class year you are (2020, 2021, 2022). By starting your common application now, you're able to gather the information you'll need from your parents and your school, as well as list the activities you’re involved in.

There's no harm in doing it now even though you're not going to apply until between August and January. Please visit commonapp.org and consider starting your common ap...

Yes, the common application essay questions are available at commonapp.org, and you can brainstorm what they are, bounce off ideas from your friends or family, but you don't need to really write them right now.

It's February, and with so much time left for you to grow and decide on what you want to write, I'm not quite sure that you're ready.

Take your time. Do your academic work, talk to your teachers about who's going to write your recommendation and, obviously, plan out your testing. The essay process will have its time. Trust me.

So right now, do not work on your essay. Just do what you're supposed to be doing. If you want more advice, we're at StrategicAdmissionsAdvice.com and Strategic Admiss...

Increasingly, parents have been asking me the same question: "What should my kid and I consider as they’re thinking about going to college?" I always tell them there are three main things that every kid needs to think about as they're submitting a college application.

#1. Cost. College is not cheap. Whether it's $10,000, $15,000 or $75,000, you need to consider the cost of college before you consider anything else, okay?

#2 Culture. You have to consider the campus’ culture before attending any college. What kind of kids are gonna be at the school with you? Are they kids you’d want to collaborate with? Are there kids that you're gonna wanna know hopefully 10, 15, 20, 40 years down the line? You gotta t...

It's February and many of you are already planning college visits during President's Day weekend or spring break in March or April. Here are the three campus buildings you should be sure to stop into when visiting any college campus.

#1 The library. You're at school to study, so much of your time will be spent at the library. It only makes sense that you make sure you know where the studying facilities are! Whether they’re in a dorm or an academic facility, note all of the spaces available for study time. Your ability to find a comfortable space to focus and get work done could make or break your college experience.

#2 The dining facilities. You’ve gotta eat, so make sure you see how many dining faci...

While some students might be disappointed in coping with the reality that they wish to transfer, it is important to remind the student that many people wind up transferring for a variety of reasons. The transfer admission process is a little different from the regular admission process, and it is important that people understand these factors moving forward.

Here are a few tips to keep in mind...

1. The Transfer Process Isn't Always More Competitive

Many people think that the process is more competitive for transfer students; however, this isn't always the case. In 2016-2017, the overall acceptance rate for transfer students was only 3 percent lower than that of incoming freshman. These numbers ...

With most early admission programs, you can expect three possible decision outcomes: admitted, deferred or denied. In this post, we will focus on what to do if you find yourself in the second group.

First, let’s define what it means to be “deferred.” With an admissions deferral, the college has decided to postpone your admission decision to a later date and will reconsider or review your application with the Regular Decision applicant pool. Because one of the benefits of applying early is knowing whether you have been accepted to your top school or not, it is understandably frustrating when you are neither accepted or denied. However, that is also the bright side - you receive a second chance. Below ar...

If you think it's too early to talk about the college process with your 9th grader, you're wrong. So much of what they will do in the next few years, inside and outside the classroom, will have a direct impact on where they will be admitted. Now is the time to prepare. I am getting more and more inquiry calls from parents of 8th and 9th graders wanting to know how we work with students and when we can start. Why? Because they know that the college admissions process is getting increasingly complex and they want to be ahead of the game. And rightfully so.

Applying to college is not easy. The more information a family has, the better decisions they will make. I recently had a family of a 9th grader visi...

If their children applied Early Decision or Early Action, many senior families are DONE with the college application process. They have survived what many call the most brutal 12-18 months of their children’s lives. Why? Because we are a society predicated on success, and nothing screams success more than elite college acceptance.

No matter how you slice it, where your kid goes to college is important. I am not saying he or she must go to a school that is at the top of the rankings, but I will suggest that your child belongs at the right school with the right academic and social resources available to them. That’s why where they go is important.

And now, junior parents, you are watching your fr...

While high school may be an exciting time for many children, there are many things that they should do in order to prepare for college. This is especially true if you or your children have sights set on selective colleges. Before your children get to their senior year, they need to get serious about school and absorbing all of the knowledge they can. Doing so will make their college admission that much easier. As you prepare your child(ren) for college, make sure you go through this checklist.

• Make them take school seriously. While grades are extremely important, that is not the focus here. Instead, focus on how working hard now can make things easier for them later when it is time to apply themse...