There’s a lot of uncertainty in the college admissions experience, and a lot of factors you can’t control. Resist the temptations of clickbait posts and anecdotal advice in parent forums. Someone’s story of “how I got in” is not a blueprint for anyone else. Help your student stay focused on their own purpose for going to college, your priorities and limitations, and their evolving, evidence-based understanding of fit.

Using AI prompt engineering, students can enhance their college search through interactive, guided conversations. The alternating...

Here are a few resources for finding summer programs. I'll update as more come my way!

College Kickstart is a web-based platform that can help students, families and counselors in the stages of shaping and finalizing a...

One college already costs $100,000 per year; exploring affordability and value.

I cite Jon Boeckenstedt (pronounced, as he says, as if you're telling someone you aren't a fan of Mozart, you like Bach instead) often...

Post 3 of 3 (Read Pt 1 & Pt 2) Writing an Effective College Admissions Essay: Honesty is the Best Policy Anne Elrod Whitney, Ph.D. My advice to be bravely honest isn’t just about style; it’s also about the content. Portray yourself clearly, showing readers who you are claiming to be rather than just making the claim. Let them know what it would be like to work together on something or to walk together on a journey. Let them see you. Tell a story to show your commitment to a v

Post 2 of 3 (Read Part 1) Writing College Admissions Essays: Who Cares? You Do Anne Elrod Whitney, Ph.D. When you let your emotions tell you what makes the writing challenging, you can use your creative mind to alter the writing situation responsively to those emotions. You still won’t come away saying college admissions essays are easy to write. Almost no important writing is easy. Yet you just may find it more rewarding. Even the most experienced and successful writers won

Anne Elrod Whitney is a brilliant teacher of teachers of writing at Penn State. Anne and I were elementary school classmates from grades K-4 in Northwest Houston. Years later, we connected on social media, which at its best, can offer a platform for re-establishing and reinforcing connections that would probably otherwise be lost. Anne has written some great books on writing, and advised countless writers, and people who want to teach writers, on writing. We've discovered tha

My friend and former colleague Sara Purviance is a smart and compassionate counselor, with a background in admission at Colorado College...

An updated collection of links to my newsletter history. Find articles I've shared and college counseling timelines and calendars. Late...

I'm a big fan of Compass Prep. They collect and share some of the most in-depth and reliable insights into the standardized testing...

My friend and former colleague Sara is a terrific, compassionate college counselor, and a real-life mom who also takes awesome portraits...