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

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...

How my 25 years of experience distinguish me in an unregulated profession.

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!

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...

The National Association for College Admission Counseling routinely conducts member surveys to determine what factors are most important...

One of the central conversations in college admission in the US for the last year has been the pending Supreme Court decision on the SFFA...

Two years ago, I was invited to speak on issues in the world of college admission post-pandemic, along with Femi Ogundele, Associate Vice...

The friendly folks behind Saratoga Today weekly and the seasonal Simply Saratoga magazine were kind enough to feature me in a profile in...