nutsANDbolts

Assisting your teen in finding a college that is the right FIT for them is undoubtedly complex, and a major source of stress on parents and student alike because it must take into account dozens of factors that may or may not be readily apparent. Additionally, the foundation for each of those factors can shift at a moment's notice. 

Identifying the Fit is a family affair, and at Elevated Admissions, we break it down by saying that there are three key elephants in this room. The three are Academ…

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We field variations on the following questions ALL OF THE TIME: "What's the best way my teen can spend their time over the summer?" and "What activities will help my student boost their application?"

In this short video, I share one of my favorite go-to services offered by Give3600. Teens are paired with a volunteer opportunity that aligns with their interests, whether they have two weeks or ten months. The Give3600 College Application Spotlight package is reasonably priced at ab…

I recently participated in a Clubhouse chat with 125 of my esteemed admissions coaching colleagues across the country. Going full wonk talking about admissions is what we like to do best.

"What the Heck Just Happened?" was the way one of my colleagues so aptly described this past admissions cycle during the open chat. 

Here are the things I heard repeated by multiple consultant and coaches: 

• This year's decisions were the most unpredictable they had ever seen. 
• The number of applications t…

Can we just take a hot second and talk about time?  As in, timelines and everything that needs to get done when you have a budding college applicant in the house.

Our third, Aaron, is a high school junior. I  just booked his first official college visit that is not virtual!  I was so excited by this accomplishment that I sent a screenshot of the confirmation to the family group chat. (I usually ONLY send pictures of Aspen, Buxy, and Bella because I'm the crazy dog lady in our tribe.)

You may —…

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We've been so busy here readying to launch our new website (woo-hoo!) that I realized that it had been two weeks since we last connected. Today is a quick post about the number one thing to discuss with your teen (regardless of where they are in the process).

There are two lenses through which teens can view admissions.

The first is that an acceptance from FabulousU will:

• validate that I am smart, accomplished, worthy, and this will ensure my highest potential will be reached.
• re…

MOST parents and students I speak with LOATHE standardized testing. Feelings aside, most still have questions about how to navigate this portion of the ad…

What Do the Essential Self and the Right Fit Have in Common? 

The short answer: Everything.

The long answer is, well, longer than that, but we think it’s worth reading about, thinking about, and considering seriously.

Sociologist Martha Beck proposes that each of us has two selves that form the basis of our operations: a “social self” and an “essential self.” In Finding Your Own North Star, Beck lists the behaviors of these selves: The “social self” is avoidance-based, conforming, imitative, …

A recent cluster of articles (see links below) about a pending lawsuit challenging Harvard’s admissions reminds us of the importance of evaluating an application honestly before a student hits SEND. We can sometimes get so bogged down by the IQ of the application (e.g., test scores, GPA) that its EQ -- its intangibles -- falls by the wayside, or is, at best, an afterthought.

Let me begin with a few examples. But first, keep in mind that once most 17-year-olds cough up a rough draft or answer a …

Delia came to me struggling with a low GPA and a desire to get into a BSN program. She knew her grades were not competitive for these programs. She said she was trying.  (Read Delia's full story here.) I leaned toward her and smiled. “You’ve been trying very hard. I can see that. I want you to try one thing. Would you be willing to be paid $40,000 for turning off social media for an hour?” “Sure, I mean, it can’t hurt, right?” she responded, dubiously. “Turn your phone and all social media off w…

• Learn about opportunities
• Show genuine interest in a school
• Gather talking …