By Victoria Tillson Evans, Ph.D. Sometimes, what’s left unsaid means more than what’s spelled out. Think about how your mom or dad might prepare your favorite meal after a stressful day and let you enjoy it in peaceful silence. That quiet gesture can often show as much love and care, if not more, than asking..
By Victoria Tillson Evans, Ph.D. I have seen it all – alcohol, curse words, even boobs. This is just a sampling of what has turned up on spur-of-the-moment requests to see my students’ social media accounts. Granted, many of you now have finsta accounts rather than just one Instagram profile, and you’re certainly more savvy..
By Victoria Tillson Evans, Ph.D. For many students, landing on a college waitlist hurts. Some even (wrongly) perceive it as a failure (trust me, it’s not). They might even question what they didn’t do right or what they could have done better, and they may even blame the system that is drenched in secrecy, and..
By Adam Muri-Rosenthal, Ph.D. Social media is no less ubiquitous in the college application process than everywhere else in our daily lives. Just as a potential employer may search for your name on Google, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, and Instagram (to name a few), the practice is gaining increasing acceptance in the world of college admissions,..
By Victoria Tillson Evans, Ph.D. In June of every year, commencement speakers appear onstage to impart words of wisdom to excited and anxious graduates. Their messages are meant to fortify young people as they transition from childhood into adulthood. While tradition holds that most students sit and listen, I thought it was important to allow..
By Victoria Tillson Evans, Ph.D. The arrival of Covid-19 has disrupted education in a way that we have never experienced before. While the impact of the pandemic on your high school education, admissions prospects, and financial aid packages is nowhere close to being known, we are providing you with information that we do have as..
By Victoria Tillson Evans, Ph.D. “Let us, then, be up and doing, with a heart for any fate; still achieving, still pursuing, learn to labor and to wait.” – Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Getting deferred can be demoralizing. You’ve waited months hoping and wishing for an acceptance, only to find out that you have to wait..
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. Ever since humankind created its first writing implement, it has sought to record its history in ever-evolving modes of storytelling. From cave wall pictograms to Facebook Live, three principal components have endured for millennia: spoken, written, and visual expression. Whereas in the past, schools relied almost uniquely on students’ writing..
By Victoria Tillson Evans, Ph.D. Just before November 1st is that time of year when anxiety runs high and you start imagining all of the things that could go wrong. Let me reassure you that almost all of your worries are unfounded. Here are the 5 most common things that seniors and their parents worry..