Your College Concierge

There are several ways students apply to colleges today. Because it’s electronic now, the process has changed dramatically in the last 10-15 years. There are new conveniences but also new challenges. Peter and Carla cover the college application process, and what to know as your child is entering high school (yes, it starts early).

We've recently completed a very competitive college admissions cycle. Many highly qualified students are sitting on waitlists for their dream schools, hoping to hear that they get in. What does it mean if your high school student is on a college waitlist? Is there anything they can do? How long should they hold out for a response? Peter and Carla answer these questions and more about waitlists in this episode.

In March 2019, the FBI released information about the largest college admissions scandal in US history. 50 people were arrested due to being involved with an estimated $25B deal involving coaches, parents and a college advisor/consultant. This story rocked the news headlines. Many people speculate about what this means about having unfair advantages when it comes to getting into colleges, especially if a student comes from a wealthy family. Peter and Carla get into a discussion about how this impacts families with college-bound students.

Summer is not far off - yay! It's definitely important to take time to switch gears, relax and have some fun. But there are also some things high school students can do to get ahead of the pack when it comes to getting a job or getting into college. Peter and Carla share their favorite tips for the best ways to maximize summer and make NEXT school year less daunting.

Summer is not far off - yay! It's definitely important to take time to switch gears, relax and have some fun. But there are also some things high school students can do to get ahead of the pack when it comes to getting a job or getting into college. Peter and Carla share their favorite tips for the best ways to maximize summer and make NEXT school year less daunting.

Summer is not far off - yay! It's definitely important to take time to switch gears, relax and have some fun. But there are also some things high school students can do to get ahead of the pack when it comes to getting a job or getting into college. Peter and Carla share their favorite tips for the best ways to maximize summer and make NEXT school year less daunting.

How much does race still play into the college admissions process? This is a heated and controversial topic that appears in the news all too often. In what ways is the issue of race still surfacing across our nation's college campuses today? Peter and Carla discuss this topic and its relevancy in today's college scene.

Taking the opportunity to go visit your child’s top college choices is one of the most helpful things you can do in his/her sophomore, junior and early senior year of high school.

Not only does it help your child to get a sense of what the college experience will be like, he or she will have the chance to ask questions, scope out the social scene, check out facilities like the gym, library, dining hall, dorms, etc. Plus, by calling ahead to the Admissions office to schedule a tour, your child demonstrates their interest in the college...which can help the chances of getting accepted!

In this episode, Peter and Carla talk about what to do on a college visit—before, during and after.

What happens if you pick your ideal college, you apply and get in, you attend first semester...and then you decide it's not for you? This can be a challenge for new freshman. First, the transition from high school to being away at college is a leap. But what if it's not what you thought, and you want to quit or go somewhere else?

In this episode, Peter covers this topic that can be embarrassing or surprising for new freshman and what to do about it.

The SAT is something that many students stress about—especially if they take the test and don’t get as high of scores as they were hoping. What are some of the options you can consider if you don’t have a high test score (or typically don’t do so well on standardized tests) to still be able to get into your dream school?

1 - First, try test preparation. For example, ePrep and Revolution Prep. You can go to “cooltestprep.com” to find out more about test prep and sign up for it.

2 - Take the ACT. It’s another test, but you can use this instead if you want to try again.

3 - Go to test optional schools, like FairTest.org.

Reference links for this episode:

http://cooltestprep.com

http://fairtest.org/

http://www.act.org/

https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/sat