Question: My son was thinking about applying ED to Tufts. His guidance counselor told him that no one from his high school has ever gotten in with his GPA and his ACT score. He told him not to waste his early decision. What should he do? Last week “The Dean’ started a thread on the ...
Counseling
Should We Hire a Private College Counselor?
Question: Our friends have hired an independent college counselor to help their son maximize his Ivy League admission chances. My own son (a junior with a B/B- average) has a college list that is far more modest, but the guidance counselor at his high school is new and doesn’t seem very well informed. We are ...
Campus Support Services for Student With Terminally Ill Parent
Question: Hello, and thank you for this wonderful resource! I would like to know if you could speak about ways to assess (i.e., questions to ask) a college’s behavioral health resources for students. My husband is terminally ill. We know he may get worse while our daughter is in college. I want to ask questions ...
Feedback from NACAC
NACAC (pronounced “NAH-kak” or, by some, “NAY-kak”) stands for the National Association for College Admissions Counseling. NACAC’s mission: The National Association for College Admission Counseling will support and advance the work of counseling and enrollment professionals as they help all students realize their full educational potential, with particular emphasis on the transition to postsecondary education. ...
Counselors as Lobbyists
If you’re considering hiring an independent college admissions counselor for your son or daughter this year, you may be interested to know that there are some new ethical guidelines in place to guide that industry. The ever-increasing competition for seats at America’s top colleges and universities has given rise to a burgeoning industry of men ...
Are Parent “Brag Sheet” Questionnaires Appropriate?
Question: My daughter’s guidance department requires parents to fill out a long and detailed questionnaire about our child to “help” them write their college recommendation letters. It looks to me like they are saying they do not know our kids well enough to write a letter and want the parents to do their work for ...
College Admission Resources on the Web
Granted, I’m prejudiced. I believe that College Confidential and College View are two of the very best college admission-related Web sites available. However, there are some other excellent resources for those of you high schoolers and parents who are looking for the widest possible pool of information regarding the whole, sometimes confusing, college process. For ...
More College Knowledge Q&As
Question: I’m in 10th grade. My high school counselor is so busy that I hardly ever get to see her. What kinds of things should she be doing for me and how can I look out for my own college-related needs? Answer: The problem of overwhelmed counselors is quite common. That’s unfortunate. You’re going to ...
Can We Believe College Guidebook Admissions Stats?
Question: Are the admission statistics noted in the college guidebooks really accurate, or do they sometimes elevate the numbers so that schools appear more selective than they really are? The statistics will get you in the ballpark, but there are a couple considerations that may make colleges appear at least a tad more selective than ...
Should I Hire a Private College Counselor?
Question: If I plan to apply to prestigious schools, is hiring a counselor a good idea? All my friends have these special counselors but my dad doesn’t want to pay for it. (It’s in the thousands) He thinks I can get in without one. Can private counselors significantly increase my chance of acceptance? Or would ...
