By Robert Yates I recently spoke with a student who was unsure of how to ask a teacher for a letter of recommendation. This anxiety is common, but it can be alleviated by understanding that the strongest letters of recommendation reflect a strong teacher-student relationship over time.When I said this, the student looked confused...
By Victoria Tillson Evans, Ph.D. Each year, more and more students are asking about how to get a summer internship. While these opportunities are frequently competitive, they’re worth shooting for if you’re genuinely serious about your academic and/or professional ambitions, and are aiming for a highly selective college. To help you figure out your options..
By Victoria Tillson Evans, Ph.D. There’s a new arms race, and you’re caught in the middle. It’s obviously no longer the Cold War. Instead, it’s the college admissions war. Nearly all colleges are vying for a top spot in the rankings, and part of rising up involves getting as many students to apply as possible...
By Victoria Tillson Evans, Ph.D. A student recently asked me, “When are we getting to my essays?” She was clearly tired of discussing her activities. This wasn’t the first time I’ve heard this question, so I reassured her, “Soon.” She then raised a quizzical eyebrow. I realized I needed to explain further and continued, “Your..
By Victoria Tillson Evans, Ph.D. Movies, like Mrs. Doubtfire, The Internship, Stepbrothers, and Good Will Hunting, play on our innate schadenfreude to turn stressful circumstances, like a bad interview, into comedic gold. An interviewer asks an impossible question, or an interviewee says something unbelievably ridiculous, and suddenly you’re shaking your head laughing at the poor..
By Nora Lessersohn, Ph.D. In the first part of our two-part look at tackling the personal statement, we discussed the brainstorming process. If you haven’t read that yet, check it out here. In this post, we will talk about what to do once you’ve found a topic for your essay. Whether you’ve done some freewriting..
By Victoria Tillson Evans, Ph.D. Boston College, down 5 points to 27% BU, down 3 points to 22%. Emory, down 3.5 points to 18.5% Harvard, down .62 points to 4.58% Tulane, down 3.5 points to 17.5% UCLA, down 2.1 points to 14%. Virginia Tech, down 17.4 points to 56% Face it. These numbers don’t make..
By – Nora Lessersohn “The unexamined life is not worth living.” – Socrates While we probably shouldn’t take this statement as literally as Socrates did, it can help us think about how to tackle one of the most important parts of the college application: the personal statement. What is the personal statement? In simplest terms,..
By Victoria Tillson Evans, Ph.D. You’re probably like many students, who come to us agonizing over what are the “right” activities to do. You ask yourself, “Am I doing enough? Are my choices what colleges are looking for? Do I look well-rounded enough?” While you’re correct to assume that extracurricular activities play an important role..
By Victoria Tillson Evans, Ph.D. Everyone wants to know the secret of getting into a dream college. While there are several strategic decisions that everyone can make to enhance their chances, there are also several “magical gifts,” known as “hooks,” that can give some applicants a huge admissions boost. So, what are these magical gifts?..