College App 101

A National Merit® Scholarship is arguably the most prestigious academic award for a high school student. Seniors win National Merit Scholarships. But the competition occurs during junior year, when juniors take the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (also known as the PSAT/NMSQT®). While the PSAT has largely been unchanged for several years, the October 2023 PSAT will look different. With his typical anecdotes and illustrations, Dr. Riley (from collegeapp101.com) discusses some of the new features of this October's PSAT and provides tips on effective PSAT preparation for all high school students. 

The college bound student’s principal academic goal is winning admission to their desired colleges during senior year. This objective is fulfilled by earning the right grades and participating in the right activities throughout high school. In this episode, Dr. Riley (from collegeapp101.com) explains some practical tips on general high school success drawn from his experience teaching in grammar school.

The admissions essay is a very, very important component a senior's college application and goes a long way in helping an admissions committee get to know an applicant as a person, not just a student. Now is the time for current juniors (members of the high school class of 2024) to devote time to thinking about their admissions essay and the story they want to tell in their essay. In this episode, Dr. Riley (from collegeapp101.com) uses his typical stories and illustrations to address this topic.

A college bound high school student has several guides on the path toward higher education: members of their high school faculty and staff, mentors in the community, parents, older siblings, who are already enrolled in college, etc. Within this constellation of resources, a parent deserves special attention, because a parent has known their student for the student's entire life and, therefore, has a perspective that the student finds nowhere else. In this episode and in honor of Mother's Day, Dr. Riley (from collegeapp101.com) delivers a tribute to mothers, offering tips and ideas on the role that they should play in their student's college admissions process.

As senior year winds down, a college bound senior needs to focus on exiting high school gracefully and entering higher education successfully. To ensure a seamless transition, there are several steps that a senior and their family should plan for and take. These steps include requesting the final high school transcript, meeting with a college academic adviser, and more. In this episode, Dr. Riley (from collegeapp101.com) uses his typical anecdotes and illustrations to discuss these and other steps, while saluting the high school class of 2023. 

When a high school senior applies to college, they often need to submit teacher letters of recommendation or evaluation forms. College admissions offices use teacher letters and evaluations for insight into an applicant, seeking information, perspective, and stories that only come from a teacher. In this episode, Dr. Riley (from collegeapp101.com) uses his typical stories and illustrations to discuss April as an ideal month for students to broach the college letter of recommendation topic with their teachers. His comments are especially relevant to current juniors (members of the class of 2024).

Each year, during the spring, many high school seniors hear admissions decisions and receive financial aid packages from their prospective colleges. Sometimes the news is welcome; other times it is not. Some seniors find themselves at a loss, confused, and frustrated by their colleges' decisions. In this episode, Dr. Riley (from collegeapp101.com) uses the typical anecdotes and illustrations to discuss how college bound students should respond, when the news is undesirable.

A high school guidance counselor is an important resource that college bound students and their families should consult for advice and information on the path to college. Indeed, a guidance counselor's contribution to a student's college applications is multifaceted and vast. In this episode, Dr. Riley (from collegeapp101.com) uses his typical anecdotes and illustrations to discuss the March meeting that students should plan to have with their guidance counselor during junior year. His comments are especially relevant to current juniors (members of the class of 2024).

When a high school student applies to college, their academic profile understandably receives the lion's share of attention. But college admissions recruiters are eager to know more about an applicant than only their grades and standardized test scores. An applicant's character and personal attributes are also important. In this episode, Dr. Riley (from collegeapp101.com) discusses the importance of two admirable personal attributes in college admissions: (1) an applicant's people skills and (2) their ability to leverage personal strengths. 

College students face many financial demands throughout the course of higher education: tuition, room, board, books, and many more. When unprepared for these demands, a student gets frustrated, overwhelmed, and even drops out sometimes, unfortunately. How should high school students and parents prepare financially for the cost of college? In this episode, Dr. Riley (from collegeapp101.com) uses his typical illustrations and anecdotes to discuss the importance of saving freshman year tuition before starting college. His comments are part of a larger series directed at members of the class of 2024, but are relevant to all high school students and parents.