Articles, posts and topics of interest from The College Spy, an independent college consultant and college coach, and its founder Michelle McAnaney. The College Spy offers Expert, personalized college and university search, selection, admissions, and financial aid advice for parents and college-bound students. The College Spy provides its services online and via phone. The College Spy works with both US and international students.
Is applying Early Decision the best option for every student? No. Could it be the right fit for you? Maybe. If you listen to the way college admission is discussed in the media, you’re probably under the impression that hardly anyone gets in anywhere these days and all successful applicants are applying Early Decision (ED). Neither of these is accurate.
Read MoreAs college decisions start to roll out, some students will receive good news, and others will receive bad news. While the majority of colleges in the US admit more than half of their applicants, there are approximately 200 institutions that are more selective than that—and a couple dozen even admit less than 10% of applicants! It is natural for students who have not been admitted to a college they were excited to attend to anxiously ask: Why wasn’t I admitted? What did I do wrong? What could I have done differently?
Read MoreAs you’re deciding what to write about, you might worry that your topic needs to be catchy, or that you’ll choose something that you should have avoided. Are there topics everyone should skip?
Spoiler—I don’t actually think any essay topic is totally off-limits, but there are topics that admissions officers see frequently. If you are considering writing about one of these topics, you have two choices. You could decide to write about something else, or you could find a unique angle and absolutely crush it.
Read MoreInstitutional priorities is a buzzword in college admission, but may be something students and families haven’t heard before. Institutional priorities refers to the qualities each college seeks in their applicants as they build the next incoming class. They often change from one year to the next—and sometimes even during the course of the same admissions cycle—triggered by the applications the school has actually received. They can be incredibly nuanced goals prioritizing several demographic factors at once, and they can be both broad (like aiming to enroll more in-state students) or very specific (such as when the football team needs to recruit a new quarterback).
Read MoreVisiting a college in person is our favorite way to get to know a campus. There’s truly no replacement for walking around the quad, talking to real college students and testing out the “vibe” of each community.
Before each college tour, do some research on the school, familiarizing yourself with the basics. This will help you brainstorm some questions to investigate during your tour — our [question guide][1] of over 110 questions can help you maximize your experience on campus. Once you arrive, ask questions that focus on personal perspectives or lesser known stats to help your student explore what a good fit means to them. Below are 15 suggested questions.
Read MoreCollege admissions counselors are impressed by students who spend their summers working. There are four places on the Common Application where students can highlight their employment experience. Your choice of where to feature a summer job will depend upon how significant the job is in showcasing your skills, interests and personal attributes compared with your other activities.
Read MoreIs your child entering (considering) engineering school? Are you, as a NON-ENGINEER worried about how you’re going to be able to properly help and support them? Here are three tips for non-engineering parents of engineering students to help support their child's journey into this unknown world.
Read MoreThe College Spy's Holiday Gift Guide for Parents of Teens will help you choose holiday gifts that your college bound teen needs and wants. Our gift suggestions come from conversations with many students. We hope you find it helpful. Happy Holidays!
Read MoreSenior year of high school is a busy one for college bound students. This infographic breaks down the key events and deadlines so you can stay on top of the everything that must get done on the journey from high school senior to college freshman.
Read MoreHigh school students who not only understand why it’s important to be self-sufficient in college but also know how to become independent decision-makers set themselves up to thrive in their first year of college. In this guest blog, Andrea Malkin Brenner, PhD discusses three areas where high school students can begin to build the adulting competencies that collegiate life requires, and suggestions for parents who want to help with skill-building.
Read MoreCollege admissions officers are impressed not just by good grades, but by good grades in challenging courses. The key to choosing the right courses for college admissions purposes is to make sure you are challenging yourself in the classroom without an unmanageable amount of stress.
Read MoreIn addition to planning for junior prom and learning to parallel park, high school juniors should be doing these 7 things right now.
Read MoreCollege students who apply for financial aid are likely to receive an aid package that includes at least some federal student loans. There are three types of federal loans that could be listed on the financial aid award: Direct Subsidized Loans, Direct Unsubsidized Loans and Direct PLUS loans. It is important to understand the differences between these three types of loans in order to decide if you want to accept them.
Read MoreIt is possible to accept admission to a college and then request postponement of the start date for a semester or a year. Consider these factors when deciding whether deferral of admission is right for you.
Read MoreWith more colleges allowing applicants to apply without test scores, it is difficult to decipher how test scores (or the lack thereof) will impact an applicant’s admissions chances. This is The College Spy’s guide to test optional admissions policies.
Read MoreThe best way to decide if a college is right for your student is to visit the campus, listen to the information session, take the tour and ask questions. Unfortunately, visiting colleges is not always an option. This infographic explains other ways to research colleges.
Read MoreCollege is likely the first experience in which students have the opportunity to choose their learning and living environment. Taking time for reflection in order to understand their preferences will lead to better choices and happier college students.
Read MoreAs a college admissions consultant, I share my enthusiasm and genuine excitement about the college process with my students. Sometimes, I am greeted with an equal level of engagement and interest. Other times, I am met with disengaged students who are feeling stressed, frustrated or even angry. Why is this the case?
Read MoreThe Common Application is a single application that students can use to apply to over 900 colleges and universities. This is The College Spy’s description of the sections of the Common Application and tips on how to effectively response to each one.
Read MoreYou’ve taken countless SAT practice tests, and in the last few you’ve managed to hit - or even exceed - your goal score. Then on test day something goes wrong and your score doesn’t come close to matching how well you’ve done on your practice tests. This situation isn’t uncommon, but there are ways to ensure that it doesn’t happen again.
Read MoreThe College Spy is a college coach and educational consultant. The College Spy offers expert one-on-one college and university planning, selection, essay, admissions and financial aid advice for college-bound high school students and their families. The College Spy provides its services online and via phone. The College Spy works with both US and international students.
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