Even this summer, not all colleges are open to visitors quite yet. And, admittedly, you may not be comfortable getting on planes and sleeping in hotels. I understand completely, but at some point soon, you and your kid will want to put your eyes and feet on an actual college campus to which they’re considering. Plus, the initiative to visit schools shows demonstrated interest (some schools care about this, not all) and in a perfect world, your kid wants to build their college list partially based on where it is and what’s around it. Location is the second most important factor when you’re building a college list. Cost, major and career are the other three. 

Here is a...

Whatever you call the school counselor at your child’s high school -- guidance counselor, college counselor, etc -- please know that they are an integral part of the college application process. A few elements of their job are: 

• to offer college advice to you and your child
• weigh in on the selection of courses for each year
• write a school counselor recommendation on behalf of your child
• send the transcript
• communicate with colleges about your child’s application and interest

Some school counselors do this better than others, and usually it depends on their caseload of students. 

As a parent, you should attend any college preparation presentations that your school offers,...

I'm a big believer in demonstrating interest appropriately. However, I'm not a huge fan of being overly aggressive (assertive, good, aggressive, bad) and annoying. There's a time and a place for everything, and here are a few suggestions to help you and your kid. 

Demonstrated interest is defined as the documented contact or connections a prospective student makes with an institution. Admissions officers then take this record into consideration once a student submits an application for admission. Colleges love to be loved. They crave attention from the RIGHT students at the RIGHT time. Demonstrating interest in one of your top choices can be critical for college acceptances. They, the college,...

Not for you, but for them.

Your job as a parent is to offer perspectives about their potential educational experience based upon your own education and life experiences but NOT to suggest that some colleges are “better” than others. Yes, different colleges have different resources and yes, we associate selectivity with being better, but the most important thing your child can do is have a college list that will best suit their desires for a major and career AND factor the cost and location of the school which affects you.

How can you and your child decide how important a school is?

#1 - Know your child and ask them, and yourself, do you think they will develop there in a way that will be...

With college costs ranging from $25K to $75K annually, a natural question for any parent to ask is “what will be the ROI (Return On Investment) for my kid’s college education?” ROI is the measurement of the difference between total earnings in the 10 years post-graduation, divided by the total cost of college. The higher the ROI, the better a financial bet the school is on average. While parents can ask a college admissions office this question, it really should be directed towards their child who has the responsibility of “paying” for their education by multiplying the cost of college by potential professional earnings. Any parent who asks this question is not expecting...

Parents, if your child's been waitlisted, please consider this: this arduous process just got longer. 

A waitlist decision is not a “yes” and it’s not a “no”. It’s a “wait, and we will see.” The waitlist is used as a pool of students who may be admitted if a university does not meet their expected level of enrollment. Essentially, if their accepted students say “no” then they probably will admit some students who are on the waiting list. The length of these lists varies between institutions but can be from a hundred to thousands of students long. There are many reasons why your child may be waitlisted for a school, including: 

• ...

At this point, we all have pandemic fatigue and want to get out and do more. If you’re thinking about visiting colleges over the next few weeks, I strongly suggest that you visit that school’s admissions page on their website to learn about their visitation protocols and procedures. Yes, some schools are welcoming prospective and accepted families on campus but many are not. Know what you can do and cannot do before you jump in the car.

Will a self-guided tour “count” as demonstrated interest?
Absolutely. There are ways to convey to a college that your child took the initiative to “see” as much as possible despite some of the Covid restrictions. College is a big...

If your child is in the Class of 2022, now is the time for them to start showing colleges that they’re curious. Demonstrating interest is increasingly a more significant factor in the admissions process than in years past. 

Your kid is probably getting emails everyday from colleges they’ve heard or and others they have not. Digital outreach is the only way for colleges to connect with prospective students right now so colleges and universities have made the investment in it expecting it will have a major impact on the applications they receive for the 2021-22 admission cycle. 

Right now, virtual events are big and your child (and sometimes you) need to be attending them....

I used to be a school guidance counselor and I understand what they go through. It’s a lot to work with a caseload of kids and have to advise them on their classes, tests and college lists. I honestly believe that they want the best for your child but sometimes they’re just too overwhelmed to give you the best advice that you need to succeed. 

First of all, what many of us called “guidance counselors” are now supposed to be called “school counselors” or “Deans.” The title may have changed, but the job description remains the same:

• Help all students to apply academic achievement strategies
• Help all students plan for postsecondary school options...

Every day for the past two weeks, another college has announced that they will be test-optional for the high school graduating class of 2022. If you have a junior, you’re probably wondering, “should they take the SAT or ACT?” For many students, the answer is, yes – you should at least consider taking the tests. Whether or not the scores should be or will be submitted depends on a variety of factors. 

Test-optional policies are an opportunity for you, your child and your college counselor to decide if and how a standardized test can best support your child’s application. Scores can be withheld if they will not help. However, by not taking the test at all, students...