By Adam Muri-Rosenthal, Ph.D. Each fall, high school seniors around the US and the world race against early college deadlines, hoping to maximize their chances by applying Early Action (EA), Restrictive Early Action (REA), or Early Decision (ED). In most circumstances, applying by these deadlines provides an advantage—slight in some cases, more substantial in others—and..
By Victoria Tillson Evans, Ph.D. October always brings change. While I’m sure all of us are excited about the earthy purple mums decorating front steps around our neighborhoods, the crackling oak leaves beneath our sneakers, and the return of cool mornings inviting us to pull on cozy sweaters, most of us are not prepared for..
Caroline Matas, Ph.D. Did you recently go on an international trip that changed your life and view of the world? Did you volunteer at a local food pantry that made you realize how lucky you are to never have gone hungry? Did you volunteer to serve a marginalized community that opened your eyes to your..
By Adrian Cho, Ph.D. “Remembrance of things past is not necessarily the remembrance of things as they were.” – Marcel Proust (1871-1922), In Search of Lost Time: Swann’s Way The cursor blinks on an empty page. You rack your brain as you search your unresponsive mind for details on the moment you threw the game-winning..
By Adam Muri-Rosenthal, Ph.D. “I hit the word limit so I stopped writing.” Every year, throughout the essay drafting odyssey, multiple students dismay me with this very phrase. It’s an idea that arises from the misconception that a word limit is a cumbersome goal to be reached and, once reached, an impassable wall beyond which..
By Victoria Tillson Evans, Ph.D. There’s nothing like an imminent deadline to force people to get started. Unfortunately, that mindset doesn’t work for the college admissions process. Planning to start your applications and essays just shy of November 1st, the big Early Action or Decision deadline for most schools, is like trying to run a..
By Victoria Tillson Evans, Ph.D. My mom recently toted several items over to my house in an eager effort to clean out my old closet. Shoved in a plastic Safeway bag was a mixture of relics from my teens and twenties: a few quirky thinking-of-you Hallmark cards from my parents, a ticket to the Vatican’s..
By Caroline Matas, Ph.D. Often, when I start talking with high school students about what kind of college they’d like to go to, they’re not sure where to begin. There are so many different variables to consider: public or private; large, medium, or small; close to home or a plane ride away; in the heart..
By Adam Muri-Rosenthal, Ph.D. I’ve always had a complicated relationship with the concept of “value.” Maybe it’s because I work in a field where people often mistake appearances for substance, or because I’ve seen too many students directly equate cost (or worse, college ranking) with quality. Nowhere is that more visible than in the world..
By Adrian Cho, Ph.D. “Dear applicant, Thank you very much for your interest. We regret to inform you….” No need to even finish reading the email–you already know it’s a rejection. Your heart plummets and the months of anxious anticipation dissolve instantly. Disappointment, sadness, maybe even anger and resentment soon follow. This experience is pretty..