Blog
Essays, guides, and notes from the path.
A working journal on college admissions, applications, fit, and the years that follow. Written for students and the families walking with them.
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What a College Counselor Costs, and What to Ask First
A plain look at what private college counselors charge, from hourly rates to six-figure packages, and why the range is so wide. Then the seven questions worth asking on any introductory call before a family signs anything.
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The Geography of the College List
Plan by region rather than school by school: start close to home, pair the contrasts, and visit while class is in session.
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About That Enrollment Cliff
It is real, and it is not going to save anyone’s application
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The Fraud Squad, and the Lesson It Teaches
Why honesty is always the best policy
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Every Student Has a Story to Tell
The most common question I hear is "what's the best college?" The better question
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The Three Californias: A Field Guide to College Admissions in the Golden State
UC, Cal State, and the privates each play by their own rules. Here is how each one thinks, and where different kinds of students tend to thrive.
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New College Is a New College: What the Overhaul Means for Your List
For decades, New College of Florida filled a role no other public school in the state did.
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August of Senior Year
Picture a rising senior in the first week of August. The personal statement is drafted. The college list is finalized. The Early Decision and Early Action questions are settled.
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Why the SAT Still Matters: My Take on the UC Faculty Revolt
A quiet rebellion inside one of the country's most prestigious university systems is teaching families exactly what I've been saying for years.
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How to Build a College List That Actually Works
Most families approach the college list the same way they approach a wish list. They write down schools they have heard of, schools their friends' children attended, schools with…
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Acceptance Rates Have Collapsed. Most Families Haven't Noticed.
There is a number most families do not know, and it is one of the most important numbers in the college process right now.
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The Numbers Don't Lie: Applying Early Changes the Odds
Every year I have the same conversation with families. They have a school they love. They are reasonably well-matched to it.
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Ten East Coast Colleges Worth a Much Closer Look
Most families build their college lists around names they already know. That is understandable.
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A.I. and Choosing a Major
For a long time, the standard advice was simple. Find what you love. Study that. The rest will follow.
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Living on Campus
There is a version of the college experience that happens inside classrooms. Lectures, seminars, papers, exams. That part gets planned carefully.
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The College Application Calendar Has a Secret
Most families assume the college application process works like this: spend fall of senior year getting everything together, submit applications in January, and wait.
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Getting In and Thriving Are Not the Same Thing
Every spring, families celebrate college acceptances. The portal opens, a name appears, and the relief is enormous.
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Recommendation Letter
Why balance matters more than matching your major The strongest approach for most students is simple: one letter from a STEM teacher (science or math) and one from a humanities…
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Two Southern Colleges Worth a Much Closer Look
When families think about Southern colleges, they tend to land on the same handful of names. The schools below deserve a place on more lists.
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Why "I Don't Know What I Want to Study" Might Be Your Student's Biggest Advantage
The case for intellectual curiosity over premature focus One of the most common things I hear from families at the start of the college process is a version of the same anxiety:…
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If Your Senior Is Traveling to Israel This Fall, the Time to Act Is Now
Why the college application calendar does not wait for the Israel trip Every year, I work with Jewish day school families managing the same quiet collision: a senior who is…
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How Jewish Students Should Think About Campus Climate When Building a College List
Campus climate, Jewish life, and how to make a college decision you can feel good about Over the past two years, I have had more conversations with Jewish families about campus…
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What the Financial Aid Letter Is Telling You
Every spring, acceptance letters arrive and families feel a wave of joy. Then, a few weeks later, the financial aid packages follow.
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What You Are Actually Looking For on a College Visit
Most families approach the campus visit the same way they approach the college search itself, with a checklist. Dorms. Dining. Rec center. Safety rating.
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The Gap Year Question: What Colleges Think
For many students, the gap between May's graduation ceremony and the following August's move-in day feels like the finish line.
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What the College Essay Is Really For
What the College Essay Is Really For Most students approach the college essay as an obstacle. Something to get through, get right, and get submitted.
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Starting Early
Starting Early Is Not About Pressure. It Is About Perspective. One of the questions I hear most often from parents of ninth and tenth graders is some version of: "Is it too early…
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The Safety School is Often the Right School
A safety school, in the common usage, is the backup. The consolation prize. The school a student places at the bottom of their college list because the odds of admission are high,…
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5 Must-Read Articles for Making the Right College Choice in 2025
At Clearing, the focus is on finding colleges where students can thrive academically, emotionally, and socially. That is not always the school with the most recognizable name.
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Internships and Planning Ahead
The thought of summer conjures up images of lazy days at the beach, sleeping in, and warm nights spent contemplating whether a run to get ice cream is worth the effort.
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Legacy and College Admissions
Family and friends will often speak of legacy as a golden ticket, implying that because one's mother or father attended a particular university, admission for the son/daughter is…
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Choosing the Best School for You
Far too often students and parents are lead to believe that the best school is the highest ranking/most selective school.
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Parents and Admission Anxiety
Students are not alone when experiencing anxiety throughout the admission process.
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Early Decision
Choosing whether to apply early action, early decision, or to apply following the standard timeline afforded by each college can be one of the more difficult aspects of the…
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Social Media and College Admission
Social media presence is increasingly at the center of most student's lives. Thus, it is not surprising that colleges are paying increased attention to the accounts of their…
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