“I don’t want to create stress.” “These kids are stressed enough already.” “We’ll deal with college stuff later.” I get it. I really do. As a father of three, I don’t want to create stress for my children. I do think that some kids are stressed about important things. And, I fully understand the desire to kick […]
Read MoreI came across this article “Does It Matter Where You Go to College?” Years ago, I thought such a question was an answer to a straw man (a made up person who holds a position that no one really does). While the vast majority of sensible people would not make such an argument, I have […]
Read MoreIn a recent SAT class I was teaching in Old Saybrook, Connecticut, I overheard two students discuss their career paths. “I hope to catch on with a dance troupe.” said one. The other responded by discussing her dilemma about choosing between Broadway and touring as a singer. They are 17 years old. Not age 7. […]
Read MoreAmong the reasons our SAT class has been so successful is our ability to shift the motivation of our students. Emotional state is a significant predictor for how much effort the student puts into an activity. Shifting our students to a positive emotional state where they are excited – or at least interested – in […]
Read MoreI lived in Washington, DC, Philadelphia and New Jersey before Connecticut so most of my life long friends come from those parts. My wife is from the Boston suburbs so we similarly have another base of comparison with our Connecticut friends. The college conversation with those live in suburbs of major cities is different than […]
Read MoreWe live in an idyllic community. Having lived in or outside New York, Philadelphia, and Washington, DC, I have some perspective on the greatness of growing up in the Connecticut suburbs. The problems of many kids growing up on the Shoreline in towns like Guilford, Madison, Old Saybrook, Essex, Old Lyme, and East Lyme are […]
Read MoreLooking back at my life and those of my friends, the choice of one’s spouse is easily the most significant life choice (mutual choice, of course!). The choice to have children and the number of children, within that decision, is next. Career choice is likely third. College choice is likely fourth, even ahead of where […]
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 […]
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