Jack shared his freshman year of college realities. You can read it here. Now it’s my turn. Overall, this post is less a chronology than it is some truths I’m learning to apply as the parent of a now-adult son. That said, we’ll start with Jack’s freshman year in a nutshell for the sake of context. The following “CliffsNotes” summarize the year in a few short paragraphs. Then, I’ll share a few key takeaways which I’m working really hard to practice.…

Freshman Year of College Realities: The Unedited, Gritty Truth Starting college this fall? Here’s a firsthand perspective from our son Jack, who just finished his freshman year at the University of Memphis. This is Part 1 of a two-part blog. Next week, you’ll get Mom’s firsthand perspective on freshman year: the Good, the Bad, the Ugly. As with any life experience, there’s how you THINK it will be and then there’s how it ACTUALLY GOES. We’ve left Jack’s comments unedited,…

Another school year is winding down. Freshmen, sophomores and juniors, here’s what you need to do this summer and next school year to put your best foot forward for college. In this article, we’ll use the term “rising” to indicate the year of school you’ll be going into in the fall of 2018. For instance, “rising sophomores” are those students who will enter their sophomore year of high school in the fall of 2018. Rising Sophomores Focus on Solid Academic…

I won’t keep you in suspense. The answer is no. The truth is, the ACT and SAT aren’t going anywhere. They will continue to be critical metrics for colleges when evaluating prospective students. If all you wanted was the short answer to a yes-no question, there you have it. I just saved you seven minutes of reading. However, read on if you don’t believe me, or to gain a better understanding of why standardized tests will continue to be important…

In many ways the European college experience is miles away from college in America. And frankly, we could stand to learn a few things from how they do things across the pond. Tom recently had the privilege of visiting with Lucas Fatoussi, a former student from when he was a professor at University of Wisconsin-Richland. This is one of our longer blog posts, but I encourage you to take the time to read it for a refreshing, firsthand perspective on…

Listen up, Class of 2019 and parents! It’s time to start thinking about college. Some of the most common questions I get from parents and students I work with start with “When should I…?”. When should I take the ACT? When should I visit campuses? When should I finalize my list of colleges? I’ve designed this College Planning Roadmap for high school students graduating in 2019 and planning to begin college that fall. Here you’ll find all the key dates…