Every year, a new batch of students comes to our offices in Old Saybrook and Madison, Connecticut.  Most are not confident that they will do well on the SATs.  They are with us because their parents “signed them up for an SAT course”.  Every year students attend our SAT-ACT Mastery Seminar and/or get SAT tutoring […]

I am reading The One Thing, a book that posits that we should focus on our energy on the one thing that can change our lives.  Scattered attention on half a dozen things often leads to mediocrity.  I thought of this in relation to many of our college counseling clients throughout Connecticut. When we meet for […]

“THANK YOU!”  the headline read on my e-mail this morning from Annie, the mother of a Guilford High School student.   Those who live in Guilford, CT, as well as most Shoreline, CT towns, rarely qualify for financial aid.  But merit aid is open to all.  Those in Guilford and other affluent Connecticut suburbs routinely earn […]

      Here’s some great news for those in Connecticut’s affluent suburbs: Branford, Guilford, Madison, Old Saybrook, Old Lyme, Valley Regional, East Lyme, and other towns along Shoreline, CT all are extremely strong compared to the rest of the nation. US News & World Report recently released a report on the best states for […]

Many parents of high school juniors in Connecticut are not aware that all Connecticut public school students have to take the SAT as part of graduation requirements. For most, the score needed for graduation should not cause worry.  But also for most, the SAT will be important for many students to (1) gain admission to […]

“Follow the money”.  I remember this saying when I was a federal prosecutor in Washington, DC going after white collar criminals.  It was a line first popularized in All The President’s Men as advice to journalists unraveling Watergate. Follow the money and you will understand how the world works.  This is the case with college merit aid. To distinguish merit […]

Controlling college choice is the best way that students can ensure that they make a positive adult transition.  SAT prep is likely the number one thing that students can do junior year to ensure that they are in control of their college choice. When the PSATs come back, the college buzz starts. The college process […]

Due to my work, I know college admissions officials.  And, due to my relationships with them, I cannot quote any! But I can report the following: those who have sat in on admissions discussions in our Connecticut state system – at a variety of schools in our state system, not just UCONN – that SATs […]

“Dennis did not get admitted to UCONN. How can that be?!”  A mother from Guilford High School asked last year.  [As always, details changed to conceal identies]  “He was involved in everything in high school.  He has five varsity letters; over a hundred hours of community service; and he is class President. He also has […]

When PSAT results arrive this week for Connecticut high school juniors, college kick-off season has begun. Why? Because as a recent parent of a student from Guilford High School said: “it just got real.” As much as you parents discuss college with their children, it becomes far more real as soon as their peers start […]