Did you know that 26 percent of “high achieving” seniors are using independent educational or college consultants to support their college search? It’s true - according to a study by Lipman Hearne, conducted in cooperation with the National Research Center for College...

It’s the home stretch for many high school students; just a few weeks remain in the school year. Although it’s tempting to lose focus as the warm weather and summer approach, this is a critical time for 9th, 10th and 11th graders. What students do now can have a big...

In terms of long-term success, getting into a prestigious college doesn't matter much. A study released in 2011 by Alan Krueger of Princeton University and Stacy Dale of Mathematica Policy Research showed that students who are rejected by highly selective schools go...

Everyone know that admissions officers care about academics; they look at the rigor of the courses you take, your grades in those courses, and test scores. After that, they are interested in a student's extracurricular activities - in other words, how you spend your...

According to First Year Experience programs and work with over 6,000 schools and organizations worldwide, the list of the highest predictors of student success (meaning engagement, excellent performance and satisfaction) can be called the “Big Five.” The “Big Five”...

“Money won't guarantee you a spot unless you've donated tens of millions of dollars. You pretty much need to have your name on a building.” For the past three years, I've been an admissions officer at a large university. I get to decide who gets in and who doesn't....

The National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) annually surveys member colleges and universities to see what admissions factors figure most prominently into their decisions. This year marked the 10th annual survey, and NACAC celebrated by providing...

With school vacations around the corner, families are packing up the car for road trips and campus tours. If you have a sophomore or junior in high school, now is the time to visit! Most families will sit obediently in information sessions soaking up what is said, but...

Half of all millennials say their stress keeps them awake at night, according to a recent "Stress in America" survey from the American Psychological Association. On a 10-point scale, Americans ages 18-33 reported an average stress level of 5.4 compared to the national...

The (Needless?) Frenzy From Inside Higher Ed by, Scott Jaschik More applications. More stress. Less certainty. For colleges and for college applicants, the admissions process has become more complicated, and that's reflected in much of the data in the "2012 State of...