Blog
Grateful In the Middle
I've been at this college planning gig for more than 10 years, and I continue to see the same themes over and over again. I find this reassuring because it means that sometimes, what feels uncomfortable and worrisome, and maybe even hopeless, is actually normal. I...
Three Biggest Fears About Finding The Right College
After more than a decade working with college-bound students and families, we’ve heard time and time again some of the most common fears about finding the right college. Here, we’ll spell out these fears and talk about how best to overcome them. You’re not alone in...
Ask These 3 Questions On College Campus Visits
College campus visits are an essential part of your college planning journey. If you follow our Facebook page (and you should! Stop right now and head on over and hit LIKE so you don’t miss out!) or you follow us on Instagram (and you should! Get that done now.)...
College Planning Steps for Sophomores
Sophomore Goals: Begin your College Search and begin to define the University of You™. As a high school sophomore, you’re probably already starting to get pokes and prods from well-meaning relatives and friends who are curious about your college plans. However, you...
College Planning Priorities for Freshmen
Soon-to-be freshmen, we mean you! Tackle your first-year college planning priorities. I can hear you now, "Hang on, I don't even know how to find my locker yet!" Believe it or not, there are SIMPLE college planning priorities that a freshman student can achieve to...
Zip it! Three Things I Don’t Want To Hear When I Screw Up
I’m pretty sure that the same things I don’t want to hear when I screw up are the very things you hate hearing, too. Like me, you’re human. Humans screw up. That’s what we do sometimes. Yes, that means you. You mess up. So do your kids. I’m talking mainly about those...
Surprising Sophomore Lessons on the Power of College Campus Visits
Visit college campuses often. And visit early. If we’ve said it once, we’ve said it 1000 times. Freshmen and sophomores? Do you think it’s too early to visit college campuses? Surprise! It’s not! But don’t take our word for it. Minnesota sophomore Claire Ficek can...
College Campus Visits Student Perspective
For spring break, our high-school junior son, Joe, and I visited five campuses in three cities. It was planes, trains & automobiles, with a dash of Uber. Here’s Joe’s firsthand take on our college campus visits! For photos and video, check out...
The Rocky Road Still Gets You There
During my son Jack’s junior year of high school, the two of us took a trip to visit colleges. While we were in Boston, we walked the Freedom Trail, which is really great. I highly recommend it. What I don’t recommend is coming to the end of the trail at night, in the...