Blog – College Dollars and Sense – Page 2

Four Tips for Overcoming Writer’s Block as You Start Writing Your Admissions Essays

Distinctive College Consulting
Admissions
411 views

By Caroline Matas, Ph.D. In many ways, July is the peak month of summer break: removed enough from spring semester to have fully broken out of your school year routines and still far enough away that you’re…

The 10 Commandments of Being Online

Distinctive College Consulting
Admissions
628 views

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…

What Really Matters Most to Colleges

Distinctive College Consulting
Admissions
1,061 views

By Victoria Tillson Evans, Ph.D. Several years ago, the mom of one of my students expressed her frustration that no one before me told her that her son’s transcript was going to be the most important…

It’s a Cruel Summer… Or Is It?

Distinctive College Consulting
Activities
574 views

By Adam Muri-Rosenthal, Ph.D. Child of a single working mom, Daniel has just moved from New Jersey to California where he lives in the only ramshackle apartment complex in Reseda that his mother can afford…

How to Make College Affordable… at the Last Minute

Distinctive College Consulting
Admissions
727 views

By Marguerita (Rita) Chang The story is a familiar one. You planned to open a 529 savings account for your child the moment they were born. But the first year of parenthood passed in a blur of late nights…

Essay Lessons from the Multiverse: A Reflection on Everything, Everywhere, All at Once and the College Essay

Distinctive College Consulting
Essays
1,039 views

By Adam Muri-Rosenthal, Ph.D. SPOILER ALERT: This post contains spoilers for Everything, Everywhere, All at Once (2022), so if you haven’t yet seen it, see it (it’s a masterpiece!) and then come back…

Conflict Is Great (for Your Essays)

Distinctive College Consulting
Admissions
1,277 views

By Victoria Tillson Evans, Ph.D. One of my favorite shows of all time, Breaking Bad, opens with one of the most unforgettable scenes in television. The main character, Walter White, is wildly driving an…

Don’t Study Business (as an Undergrad)

Distinctive College Consulting
Admissions
830 views

By Adam Muri-Rosenthal, Ph.D. Many students come to me with the intention of studying business as undergraduates. If that’s your dream, I will bend over backwards to help you make it a reality. But it’s…

The ABCs of the Why This School Essay

Distinctive College Consulting
Admissions
714 views

By Victoria Tillson Evans, Ph.D. Crafting college essays is frequently more an art than a science, and how you approach your writing process should represent your individuality in experience as well as…

What Makes an Elite Essay

Distinctive College Consulting
Admissions
879 views

The essay is one of the most revealing pieces of the college application process. Not only are you expected to bare your soul in 650 words or less, but you’re also offering a window into how you think…