I spent half of my senior year being nervous about my college applications. Actually, if we’re being honest, I spent half of my adolescence being nervous about my college applications. I couldn’t wait to get my acceptance letter so I could finally kick back and relax until it was time to move to my new…

If you’ve taken a psychology course, you’ve probably heard the term executive functioning. If you’ve never heard it before – or if you have, but you’re blanking – the definition of “executive functioning,” courtesy of Merriam-Webster, is: “the group of complex mental processes and cognitive abilities (such as working memory, impulse inhibition, and reasoning) that control the…

As an anxious person, I’m constantly reading, listening, and learning from mental health gurus. I’m a firm believer in being proactive to overcome anxious feelings, and that’s why the TEDTalkx below hit home. In this talk given by University of Cambridge researcher Olivia Remes at TEDxUHasselt, entitled “How to cope with anxiety,” she empowers listeners…

As academic coaches, we get the honor of guiding our students as they navigate a wonderfully exciting time. We get a front row seat to their successes in the classrooms and beyond. In our role, we’ve also seen firsthand the mounting anxiety that many of these teens experience – an almost inevitability when we consider…

Your application is submitted and now you’ve got your feet up, relaxing until you get your final decision. (I’m kidding – we all know there’s pretty much nothing relaxing about senior year. At least, not until after you’ve been accepted.) Then, you receive a request for an alumni interview, and you’ve got a new challenge.…

Our teachers have drilled it into our heads since middle school: cramming is not an effective method of studying. We’re told repeatedly that waiting until the night before an exam to buckle down and study will not pay off in the long run. And yet, somehow, that’s often what happens. No more! Let’s chat about…

When you’re prepping for a big exam, the best thing you can do is – obviously –study hard and study often. That said, what’s the harm in pulling out a few other tricks to enhance your efforts and give you an even better shot? These eight snacks that help boost your memory can be your…

When the news broke that fifty people – including celebrities like Felicity Huffman and Lori Loughlin – took part in a scheme to get their children into elite colleges through nefarious (and illegal) methods, reactions were varied. Some people were utterly unsurprised, while others were shocked. Across the board, however, we were all appalled. Now,…

During your junior and senior years of high school, it’s inevitable that you’ll be contacting different people from your potential or future college. Typically, your questions are welcomed. Whether you’re consulting a professor about a program they run on campus or an admissions counselor about their application process, it’s important that you put your best…

Today, The New York Times published a fantastic article about the college application process by writer Kelly Corrigan. Specifically, it was a piece about the different ways this process – this crazy, stressful, hectic, emotional, thrilling process – changes students for the better. It’s an excellent read for any parent or child in the midst…