The College Solutions Blog

December 6, 2011

Over the weekend, teenagers across the country suffered through the final SAT exam of  2011, which gave me an excuse to share some statistics on the SAT.  If you missed the post, here it is: 8 Statistics You Didn’t Know About the SAT Today I’m answering a question from a mom, who was prompted to write after reading my SAT...

December 4, 2011

Last week, a mom asked me on my Facebook page what constitutes good SAT scores. I told her it depends on the caliber of the school. At some colleges a 1600 out of a 2400 score is above average while at other schools, applicants with that kind of score wouldn’t even be seriously considered. At some of the nation’s most...

December 1, 2011

This is the time of year when parents begin agonizing about whether they should apply for financial aid. They wonder if filling out the FAFSA and, if applicable, the CSS/Financial Aid PROFILE, will hurt their chances of getting admitted. If you think you’re going to require financial aid, you should always apply for assistance. For the majority of students, their...

November 30, 2011

We’re in the thick of college application season, which is why I’ve been getting questions lately about the Common Application. Today I’m providing you with answers to some of the most frequent questions. There are 456 colleges that use the Common Application, which is intended to make applying to colleges easier. With the Common App, you fill in information about...

November 29, 2011

I’ve often wondered why colleges and universities are so fixated on admitting students with extremely high SAT or ACT scores. Some of these teenagers only excel at taking tests and earning top grades, which can lead to awfully uninspiring young adults. I’ve heard admission folks privately lament that kids with high test scores can be duds.  If I was an...

November 23, 2011

Since this is the week when we contemplate on what we have to be thankful for, I wanted to express my own thanks. I am grateful to all of you who spend time on my college blog. I appreciate each of my visitors and especially the loyal ones who stop by by regularly. I want to give a special shout...

November 22, 2011

Do you know what a reach school is? Many parents and teenagers don’t understand what the term means. I discovered just how elusive a concept it is during college talks that I occasionally give at high schools and other settings. When I ask, “Who knows what a reach school is?” I usually get only one or two people raising their...

November 21, 2011

Do you assume that most teenagers face lousy odds of getting accepted into a good college? Lots of families believe that the admission process is stacked heavily against applicants, but this isn’t true. I largely blame the media’s obsessive coverage of the most elite universities for that misconception. A new report from the College Board, Trends in College Pricing 2011,...

November 14, 2011

Over the weekend my sister was telling me about a teenager, who is getting recruited by a couple of Ivy League schools to play softball. The parents are excited about the prospects of her daughter getting a sports scholarship to an Ivy League school. Does anybody out there know what’s wrong with this dream? The eight Ivy League schools don’t...

November 11, 2011

Today I’m sharing a post on college recommendation letters that was written by Lee Bierer, a friend of mine, who is a nationally syndicated higher-ed journalist and an independent college counselor in Charlotte, NC. It’s such a timely subject for high school seniors that I wanted to share it with you: Letters of Recommendation Nuts & Bolts The college application...