Blog – College Dollars and Sense – Page 5

The Prestige Trap and What the Ivies Can Teach Us About Fit

Distinctive College Consulting
Admissions
1,193 views

By Adam Muri-Rosenthal, Ph.D. In early April 2021, Ivy League colleges announced their Fall admissions decisions. Continuing a now long-standing trend, they shared news of record-breaking application numbers…

5 Books That Will Help You Cultivate Success

Distinctive College Consulting
Admissions
871 views

By Victoria Tillson Evans, Ph.D. Over a lunch of Peruvian chicken, two former clients probed me to find out what makes an accomplished student, you know, the kind that gets into the country’s most selective…

Hope Is Not a Strategy: Three Reasons Why A Realistic College List Matters

Distinctive College Consulting
Admissions
740 views

By Nora Lessersohn, A.M. We often hear from families: “It can’t hurt just to throw our hat in the ring at X school!” This is what you might call using “hope” as a strategy, ignoring data in the…

How to Write The “Why This School” Essay – Part 1

Distinctive College Consulting
Activities
1,774 views

By Nora Lessersohn, A.M. “It was a ____(adjective)____ and stormy night, and I was ____(adjective)____. My ____(noun)____ asked me if I wanted some ____(noun)____.” Remember MadLibs? The game where…

Are Online Campus Visits Worth Your Time?

Distinctive College Consulting
Admissions
975 views

By Victoria Tillson Evans, Ph.D. We’re a year into the pandemic, and it’s safe to say it’s going to be a while before we can properly visit colleges again. Most campuses have completely shut down…

11 Ways the Pandemic Changed College Admissions

Distinctive College Consulting
Admissions
779 views

By Victoria Tillson Evans, Ph.D. I think everyone will agree that the pandemic has disrupted college admissions. From the lack of in-person events to meet reps to the proliferation of random grading policies…

Could You Win a Prestigious Science Competition?

Distinctive College Consulting
Admissions
1,177 views

By Daniel Evans, Ph.D. “Ever since I was a young child, I looked up at the night sky with wonder, and imagined how the stars and planets came to be.” Over my many years as a professional scientist…

10 Tips for “Pandemic Juniors”

Distinctive College Consulting
Activities
838 views

By Nora Lessersohn Junior year is supposed to be the year you really “come into your own” as a high school student. Normally, you could excel in clubs or sports, in the classroom, and at summer programs…

What Does Test Optional Really Mean?

Distinctive College Consulting
Admissions
804 views

By Victoria Tillson Evans, Ph.D. Over a half century ago, while Jimi Hendrix riffed “The Star Spangled Banner” at legendary Woodstock, another group of people were making a countercultural decision…

Don’t Be Scared To Be Creative

Distinctive College Consulting
Activities
1,158 views

By – Nora Lessersohn This admissions cycle, as COVID-19 has forced over 55% of colleges to go “test optional,” “test flexible,” or “test blind,” you will need other parts of your application…