Today is the day, folks. I am thrilled. Thanksgiving was great, the food was amazing, and now it is officially Black Friday. But even better than the leftovers is this. We are launching the Black Friday College List Builder bonus.

For one day only, families who purchase College List Builder get something we have never added before. A full, personal thirty minute session with me.

I do not take these meetings lightly. I want to help as many students and families as possible start their college process with clarity and confidence. And the best way to do that is to begin with a smart, strategic, customized college list. Not a guess. Not a dream board. A real list for real families based on real data.

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Every fall, many parents reconnect with their college experience through homecoming season. It is a time filled with pride, nostalgia, and memories of campus life. But as the college admissions landscape evolves, the concept of legacy admissions is changing too.

Legacy admissions when colleges give preference to the children of alumni have long been a source of both opportunity and controversy. Several selective universities, including my alma mater Wesleyan University, have made the decision to eliminate legacy preference altogether.

This shift raises an important question for parents: What does legacy status mean for my child’s college chances?

What Is a Legacy Policy?

A legacy policy means that a...

We are in the thick of application season. November 1 has passed, and many families are catching their breath after those early deadlines. But before you relax, there is something incredibly important that needs your attention right now the college application portal.

If your teen has already applied to college, they should have received a message from each school with instructions to create a username and password to access their application portal. This step is not optional. It is essential.

Today, I want to explain why the application portal matters and how parents can help their children stay on track.

1. The Portal Tracks Progress

Once your teen applies, the portal becomes the main place to t...

If you’ve been paying attention to college trends lately, you might have noticed a surge of interest in Southern schools, especially large public universities in the Southeast. Think University of Texas, University of Georgia, University of Florida, Clemson, and University of South Carolina.

You’ve probably heard it in passing, maybe in the Wall Street Journal, about kids saying “move over Harvard, the South is the new thing.” And honestly, I get it. The weather, the vibe, the energy. It is magnetic. But here’s the thing: popularity alone shouldn’t be the reason your teen applies to a school.

I want to unpack why these schools are so appealing, what parents need to know, and how you can help your chil...

When it comes to college applications, grades and test scores get a lot of attention. But there’s one element that can truly set your teen apart: recommendation letters. These letters help admissions officers see your child as more than numbers on a transcript. They add depth and context to an application.

In this post, we break down counselor, teacher, additional, and peer recommendations, and provide actionable advice for parents.

Here's Why Recommendations Matter

Colleges receive thousands of applications each year. Many students have strong grades, test scores, and extracurriculars. Recommendations show who your teen is beyond the numbers.

🎓 They demonstrate your teen’s character and contributio...

Hi parents ~ 

If you’ve been following me for a while, you know this time of year is what I call “game time.” September, October, November. Three months that will make a massive difference in your teen’s college journey, whether they are a freshman, sophomore, junior, or senior.

This is not about adding pressure. It is about adding clarity. The reality is, the next 90 days set the tone for the rest of the year. Let’s talk about what each grade should focus on right now, and how you, as parents, can play a supportive (but not overbearing) role.

Seniors: This Is Your Super Bowl Season

🎯 Finalize and balance your college list
Make sure your teen has a realistic mix of reach, target, and safety school...

The college application season can feel like riding an emotional roller coaster  exciting, stressful, confusing, and overwhelming all at once. As a parent, you want to support your teen without losing your cool or getting caught in the chaos. If you’re wondering how to keep calm, stay organized, and actually enjoy the ride, this post is for you.

In the next 90 days, your family will face senior photos, pranks, scheduling changes, standardized tests, and the real challenge  the college application deadlines. The good news? You don’t have to do this alone. By the end of this post, you’ll have a game plan to handle the season with less stress and more success.

The Emotional Roller Coaster Is Real

I...

Welcome, parents.

It’s officially August, and if you're anything like most families of rising seniors, you're feeling a mix of excitement, panic, and deep confusion. I get it. The Common Application is now live, and your teen is technically supposed to start applying to college. But there’s a new twist in 2025: Artificial Intelligence. Yes, we need to talk about it.

As a college admissions professional with over 20 years of experience (and someone who now leads a company helping families just like yours), I want to help you cut through the noise and give you real, actionable advice.

This is about how your teen can ethically and effectively use tools like ChatGPT, Grammarly, and other AI programs wit...

If you're a parent of a high school student, especially a rising senior, it’s go-time. August 1 marks the day when the Common Application goes live—and with it, the official start of college application season.

Even if your teen hasn't picked their dream school yet or hasn’t thought about essay drafts, now is the moment to act. And yes, I know it's still technically summer, but in the college admissions world, it’s game time.

Let’s break down what you need to know, what your teen should be doing, and how you can help them without causing World War III in your household.

📅 Why August 1 Is So Important

August isn’t just about back-to-school sales or squeezing in that last beach trip. It’s when the Com...

I work with families across the country to create personalized, thoughtful college application strategies. And today, I want to talk to you, not your teen, for just a moment about something that matters more than it may seem at first:

👉🏽 Your teen’s intended college major.

Before you eye-roll and say, “We’ll figure that out later,” hear me out.

🎥 Here's Why I’m Talking About Majors Right Now

When students start listing schools, their “intended major” is often an afterthought—or worse, a reaction to social media trends. But majors matter. In fact, they’re one of the core four elements we use at Strategic Admissions Advice to build strong college lists:
📍 Cost
📍 Location
📍 Major
📍 Career goals

🚫 Th...