Class of 2024 Early Admission Stats: What We Know So Far
It’s that time of year! Schools around the country are releasing the results of their Early Decision and Early Action admission rounds. And while we can’t glean everything from the results that have been released so far, it’s always an interesting and enlightening practice to look over the trends, accepted student demographics, and acceptance rates […]
6 Tricks for Avoiding the Second Semester Slump
When the school year kicks off in the fall, our hopes are as high as the temperature outdoors. We’ve gotten a good long break from academics, and we come back refreshed and ready to go. Many of us can’t say the same thing about second semester. It’s common to feel, well, over it, procrastinating on […]
After School Questions to Ask Your Teen For Meaningful Responses (Because We Already Know Their Day Was “Fine”)
It’s a conversation that takes place in pretty much every American household, every evening. “How was school?” “Fine.” “Do you have any homework?” “Nope.” It’s an exchange parents feel obligated (or programmed!) to ask, and one that teenagers typically want to end as soon as possible. You probably won’t get any good, meaningful information from […]
Our #1 Rule for Picking High School Courses
Since your very first day of freshman year, you’ve worked your tail off. Now, as you start to map out your schedule for senior year, you’re ecstatic to discover you’ve checked off many of the minimum subject requirements for your top choice colleges. Before you celebrate a Spanish class-free year or sign up for a […]
Putting Your Best Facebook Forward: 5 Ways to Impress Colleges with Your Profile
When I was in high school, I heard the same Facebook advice (or warnings) over and over: Don’t post inappropriate pictures. Don’t post private details. Don’t curse. And, most importantly, take advantage of those privacy settings. In other words, keep your online image squeaky clean, but then lock it down so tightly that no one […]
Six Things to Do If You’ve Got Pre-College Anxiety
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 […]
Executive Functioning: Why It’s So Important & How We Can Help
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 […]
3 Skills to Help You Cope with Anxiety: A TedTalk by Olivia Remes
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 […]
5 Tips for Communicating Effectively With Your Anxious Teen
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 […]
Everything You Need to Know About Alumni Interviews
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. […]