How Many Colleges Should Seniors Apply To?
People tend to like answers with hard-and-fast numbers, but there really isn’t one to answer this application question. To satisfy that craving, though, I’ll say that it’s generally advised that seniors have 5-8 applications to submit to colleges. BUT… Remember that the number of colleges your teen applies to isn’t the important thing – it’s making sure that the colleges are a good fit that really matters, and that the
3 Science-Based Study Tips You’ve Never Heard Of
The funny thing about school is that students are expected to study but, amazingly, there’s no class that actually teaches them how to do it. Go figure. Everyone knows the common study habits that have been encouraged over time: highlighting text, summarizing reading passages, reading and re-reading material. It turns out that these routines can be very inefficient, and in some cases counterproductive. There are scientifically proven ways of retaining
What Colleges Actually Mean By “Holistic Review”
Let’s talk about holistic review. My guess is that you’ve already seen these words on a few college applications or websites. And while you might get the gist of what it means, you’re not alone if you’ve been wondering what “holistic review” is and how it relates to your student.Basically, holistic review is when a school makes a decision about a student based on their application as a whole, rather
What You Need to Know about the FAFSA
I remember being shocked at the price of diapers when my kids were little. But when it came time to figure out college tuition… Criminy. Kids are crazy-expensive! Fortunately, there are ways to mitigate the sticker price on a college education. Federal financial aid is one of the methods we have to help afford the mind-boggling costs we’re up against, and the infamous FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid)
What Is Summer Melt?
It’s summer!! It’s finally heating up in most places and you might feel like you’re figuratively melting. But did you know that ”summer melt” means something very different for colleges?Each year, colleges require students to submit an enrollment deposit to enroll as freshmen in the fall (usually by May 1, but this year June 1 for some colleges). After that deposit deadline passes, colleges count up the number of deposits
How to Get the Most out of College Visits
May is a popular month to plan college visits for juniors, and even for sophomores. Every college visit I went on with my kids was really eye-opening and motivating for them. Seeing what colleges are like first-hand can help to spark excitement in your teen and a healthy anticipation for what’s to come. But even more importantly, experiencing colleges in person is the very best way I know to determine