Harry Bauld has been helping students write the college application essay for more than thirty years. For years, when I was Co-Director of College Counseling at Colorado Academy, we brought Harry in to lead an essay workshop for our seniors, and I watched him distill a lifetime of writing lessons into a couple of hours. Ironically enough, Harry Bauld is in fact bald. (And he wouldn't mind my joking about that!) His 1987 book, On Writing the College Application Essay, is still

It’s not just fewer eighteen-year-olds. It’s a culture that has slowly, decisively decided that education is a product with a return, not a process with a becoming. It’s a generation of parents who have been taught — by rankings, by social media, by the sheer economic terror of the middle class — that the only safe education is the legible one. The one with a major, a GPA, a clear line from enrollment to employment. It seems that the news about Hampshire College, a relatively

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.

You did the research, you did the work, and now.... you're the decider! For some, this is the most challenging step of the process, and that's understandable. Ever heard of the Paradox of Choice? It's the part of the process nobody really talks about. Over years of college counseling, I've identified a set of factors to help make the decision. Read through these decision factors and consider them honestly —that's a challenge, too. If you find yourself twisting your brain in k

8 independent college counselors offer perspective on why you might or might not choose to work with someone like us!

2025 has been a fascinating admission year, and one fraught with anxiety and pressure for college admission deans, as well as students...

Do prestige and selectivity equal great undergraduate teaching?

"It’s called pre-professional pressure..."

It might actually be *easier* to get into college than it was 10 years ago, despite the online panic.

College Kickstart has compiled and published the University of California system admit rates for 2024. At the link, you can break down...

Human nature and probability.

There's a lot of talk about using ChatGPT, as it gets more sophisticated, as a constructive tool. I had a wild thought and asked ChatGPT to summarize the best college application essay advice. As I tweaked the prompt, I decided to specifically ask it to pull from the guidance of 3 people I know: Janine Robinson, whose now-dormant Essay Hell blog crystallizes some of my favorite tips, Rick Clark from Georgia Tech, who you should follow wherever you can, and Harry Bauld, an Eng

Reflection, personal growth and confidence through 650-word mini memoirs.

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

Prestige and pre-professional degrees are not necessarily guarantees of a future job

There are better ways to spend time in high school than paid research opportunities and "branding" efforts.

College Kickstart is compiling 2024 application cycle admission rates and links to full reports as colleges make them available. Follow...

This new report from the National Center for Fair and Open Testing looks at the numbers behind test-optional college admission policies....

Whitney Soule, the wise Dean of Admission at the University of Pennsylvania, offers some valuable thoughts on keeping the pressure off...

As I've mentioned elsewhere this fall, the FAFSA application for federal student aid is being updated this year, and was delayed from the...