“This is therapy.” a mother with a Daniel Hand High School junior recently said to me in relation to our kick-off to college counseling session. “I have been driving myself crazy with all the things that I thought my son had to do and I appreciate that you narrowed the list.” “Eat food. Mostly plants. […]
Read MorePerhaps the silliest thing I occasionally hear from parents – who are likely trying to calm themselves and their children down about the college process – is “it doesn’t matter where you go to college.” I realize that some parents are saying this in an effort to defuse the competitive nature of the college process […]
Read More“My guidance counselor suggested that I apply to 6 schools: 2 safety, 2 range, and 2 reach.” Some version of this phrase has been repeated to me over the last decade by dozens of Connecticut high school students. For most students applying to college – particularly those from Connecticut’s Shoreline schools who are applying to […]
Read MoreThrough the years of editing college essays for students throughout Connecticut, I have probably read a few thousand college essays. This puts me in the position of a college admissions reader who similarly has read thousands of college essays and through that process knows what works and what doesn’t. The one big takeaway from this […]
Read MorePart of my work involves calming anxious parents and students about the college process. More than a few parents have noted that our meetings were worth the price of a therapist simply because the family’s collective blood pressure was lowered. In providing a college counseling strategy for our education oriented Connecticut clients, I take […]
Read MoreI’m providing a factual report and not one with an opinion attached. College admissions officials, at least those from competitive colleges, are having great difficulty choosing whom to admit among the vast number of qualified candidates. While getting top grades is always critical for college admissions, school officials have told me that they have […]
Read MoreIn general, the Connecticut suburbs create an idyllic atmosphere. As a transplant to this state – having lived in the Washington, DC, Philadelphia, and New York areas for the first 31 years of life – I might appreciate Connecticut’s people (nicest I’ve met) and suburbs (most peaceful and charming I’ve seen) in a different way […]
Read MoreAs I wind up my meetings with tired teens ending the school year throughout the Connecticut shoreline, I remind parents to plan the summer. The summer provides an unusual gift: free time. Some part of the summer should be for complete relaxation and rejuvenation. Most Connecticut high schools are ending this week. Doing nothing but […]
Read More“THANK YOU!!!’ The volume was actually higher than all caps can convey. Sean’s dad bellowed as he breathlessly explained that Sean, a senior at Guilford High School, had been awarded a $24,000 per year scholarship at the college of his choice. Sean remembered my conversation with him the year before. “You told me that taking […]
Read MoreI am often asked by parents of Connecticut juniors: “when should my child begin prep for the SAT or ACT?” While all circumstances are different, summer before junior year is usually ideal. Here’s why: Junior year for most students in our top Connecticut schools is tough. Really tough. The combination of AP and/or honors classes, […]
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