By Victoria Tillson Evans, Ph.D. If you could channel any movie character as you prepare for college, choose Forrest Gump. “Forrest Gump?” you might wonder. “Why Forrest Gump? He certainly wasn’t ‘smart’ in the traditional sense of the word.” Well, apart from the fact that he’s infinitely interesting (who else has run across the U.S...
Are you wondering whether or not you’ll get an admissions advantage applying to an out-of-state public school? Check out this U.S. News and World Report article and Victoria’s contribution to it: http://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/articles/2016-06-13/out-of-state-enrollment-rises-at-state-flagship-universities
By Victoria Tillson Evans, Ph.D. Thanks to the U.S.’s contentious relationship with affirmative action, most Americans equate college admissions diversity with race. These days, however, diversity actually means so much more than you think. Did you know that your nationality, religious beliefs, gender identity, learning difference, geographic location, major choice, or socioeconomic background could gain..
By Victoria Tillson Evans, Ph.D. “The process is now out of my hands. I’m not going to bother checking in.” “My son is so lazy and stubborn. You’re going to have to work around that.” “Why even bother reaching out to colleges? Some of them don’t even track interest.” These are some of the statements..
By Victoria Tillson Evans, Ph.D. “Nobody reads anymore.” This lament is heard round the world, and perhaps most loudly in college admissions. While doing well in school and leading in extracurricular activities will undeniably help you get into an amazing college, reading is the real secret to success. “How can that be?” you might ask...
By Victoria Tillson Evans, Ph.D. When picking out schools to apply to, there are so many criteria to consider: size, location, programs, and research opportunities, only name a few. There are also common reasons, which seem valid, but will almost inevitably lead you to make a bad mistake. Whether you are only just starting to..
By Victoria Tillson Evans, Ph.D. The article first appeared on Fox News on July 1, 2015. At 7:00 am, bleary-eyed and with a granola bar in hand, you race your 17-year-old Lacey to her crew practice. Once you’ve dropped her off, you swing by Whole Foods to grab something to cook for dinner, before speeding..
By Victoria Tillson Evans, Ph.D. This article first appeared on BuzzFeed on June 7, 2015. The sound of the ocean. The warmth of the sun. And… college applications? What? That can’t be what summer vacation is about. Yet, for rising high school seniors, that’s exactly what you need to be focusing on, that is, if..
By Victoria Tillson Evans, Ph.D. There is perhaps no class requirement as feared and loathed as the foreign language one. Maybe it’s the fact that you actually have to speak in class, or that studying grammar requires incredible attention to detail. Maybe your teacher hasn’t figured out how to make the material fun, or there..
By Jon Perkins of www.essaywise.com The question today is how to write a better “activity essay.” The prompt usually looks like this: “Please briefly elaborate on one of your extracurricular activities or work experiences.” Here’s what most first drafts look like: Activity X is really important to me. First I did this. Then I did..