Blog – College Dollars and Sense

Beyond the Rankings: Building a Thoughtful College List

Distinctive College Consulting
Admissions
188 views

By Adrian Cho, Ph.D. Happy New Year, dear readers! As we begin 2026, the time comes to begin seriously considering the list of colleges you will build (if you are a junior). It’s not just about finding…

The Monster, the Myth, the Legend: The Admissions Counselor

Distinctive College Consulting
Admissions
217 views

By Caroline Matas, Ph.D. It doesn’t take a deep dive into college admissions Reddit, TikTok, or discussion boards to encounter tall tales about the mythical creature at the center of it all: the Admissions…

College Fairs for Introverts and Extroverts

Distinctive College Consulting
Admissions
155 views

By Victoria Tillson Evans, Ph.D. As an ambivert, I feel pretty lucky to sit squarely in the middle of the personality scale. On some days, I want a packed room and new conversations with everyone I meet…

Mastering the Mic Drop: How to End an Essay

Distinctive College Consulting
Admissions
735 views

By Caroline Matas, Ph.D. Are schools still assigning The Great Gatsby these days? Candidly, it wasn’t my favorite required reading, but I’ve got to hand it to F. Scott Fitzgerald: the man could write…

How to Revise When You’re Stuck in Your Own Head

Distinctive College Consulting
Essays
637 views

By Adrian Cho, Ph.D. “Rewriting is the essence of writing well: it’s where the game is won or lost.” – William Zinsser (1922-2015), On Writing Well You’ve read your essay multiple times. You…

The Deadline Decision: When Regular Decision Makes Sense

Distinctive College Consulting
Admissions
542 views

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…

Application Season’s “October Angst”

Distinctive College Consulting
Admissions
469 views

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…

Why Writing About Your Privilege Backfires–and What to do Instead

Distinctive College Consulting
Admissions
1,219 views

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…

The Reconstructive Nature of Memories (And Why That’s Good for Your Essays)

Distinctive College Consulting
Admissions
937 views

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…

The Word Limit

Distinctive College Consulting
Admissions
855 views

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…