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

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

In this piece, James Murphy summarizes the state of Early Decision — both more prevalent than ever and precarious due to concerns about its use and abuse by colleges and by families who violate the binding agreement to attend. My thoughts? There are too many for one blog post, but ED is still an option that we have to discuss when highly selective colleges are on the table. However, the guiding questions are still: Am I in range of being admitted to this college? ED is not a

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...

I am seeing ads lately for subscription services or downloads of step-by-step Common App guides to get you subscribed to be sold more...

My May 1 Newsletter is out to subscribers! Click through the image below to read my seasonal message and find a whole lot of great...

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

I had so much fun guiding my class of 2025 and helping them tell their stories! Here's the official matriculation list for these...

I have had a lot of fun working with my current class of seniors. It is my first fully enrolled cohort of students since I launched my...

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

From my insta... next steps after you send off those applications!

Last-minute tips to send those applications off with confidence!

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