Soon to be High School Seniors, Here’s Your Blueprint for Admission Success and a Stress-Free Summer
May 26, 2010 by Hayden Shumsky
Filed under Admission Tips
- Created a research list of 20 prospective colleges that fulfill my academic, social, and vocational needs
- Reduced the list to the 10 colleges I will apply to
- Have accurately categorized the 10 schools into Stretches, Targets and Safeties
- Visited 2 of my safeties and know I can be happy attending either if I receive no other acceptances
- Had tours at some target and reach schools
- Had impactful interviews at my top... Read More »
How to Gain Admission to the College of Your Dreams
Each year some highly qualified students are rejected by colleges they should have been accepted to. Yet mysteriously, some less-qualified students are accepted by schools that were seemingly beyond their reach. Do you want to know why? THEME, NOT NUMBERS IS THE KEY TO ADMISSIONS SUCCESS. Grades and standardized test scores are only the first standard by which admissions will decide to take a candidate seriously. Admissions’ interest in a particular student is only maintained if the application has a coherent theme.May 25, 2010 by Hayden Shumsky
Filed under Admission Tips, Uncategorized"All roads lead to and from the theme." -Karen Spencer, Georgetown Admissions Officer
The families that have not understood this critical point (THEME, THEME, and THEME), will be surprised and disappointed by letters of rejection. If you rely on the data from... Read More »The Inside Story of How Colleges Evaluate Extra-Curriculars
As college admissions have become drastically more competitive, the focus on extra-curricular activities has increased as well. Students today are getting involved in their high schools, communities, and on the playing field and in performance much more than ever before. Parents are programming their children from very early on to "get involved." High School counselors preach everyday, "more clubs, more activities, more service." Some of my clients have given me resumes that are 5 pages in length! And they haven't even graduated high school yet! At the same time, many students get overwhelmed by the wide variety of extra-curricular options and fail to get involved with anything in depth. Other students will ignore extra-curriculars entirely until... Read More »May 21, 2010 by Hayden Shumsky
Filed under Admission TipsHow to Think About the College Investment
For middle class families, one can expect to pay $50-200 thousand dollars for 4 plus years of college education. For many families, this investment will be second only to the cost of their home. Beyond monetary investment, your child's future is on the line. Making incorrect choices can amount to years of wasted time for a student, a misuse of family money, the loss of self-esteem and damage to career prospects. With such high high stakes, prudent deliberation is a must. College has always been a special time in the lives of young adults. In the early years of post secondary institutions of learning, college was a time for separation, intensive study, and great camaraderie. ... Read More »March 9, 2010 by Hayden Shumsky
Filed under Admission Tips, Featured ArticlesHow to Use High School Wisely
For most teenagers, high school is a time for survival. Very few teens and families take the time to properly plan and evaluate this important time. Academically, high school should be a time of exploration. At best, students find areas of interest that will be pursued in college and beyond. More often, though, high school students are not presented stimulating material. With this circumstance, a high school academic career is mostly a trudge to completion of endless assignments and evaluations. In pursuits outside the classroom, families and students often fail to approach possibilities with the important question: “What do I enjoy?” Frequently, students listen to the rumor mill and choose the pursuits that everyone else pursues. Not only is this a... Read More »March 9, 2010 by Hayden Shumsky
Filed under Admission Tips, Featured Articles
College Newswire
If You Think a College Degree Is an Automatic Ticket to Jobs, You Are Mistaken.
Study says 85% of college graduates are moving back in with mom and dad. Recent Department of Labor employment numbers show... Read More »
Summer Preparation Workshops for Soon to be College Freshmen
The first year of college is filled with land mines that can dramatically undermine a student's chances for graduate school or career success. Today's... Read More »
Undergrad Business Students Work Least, Learn Least?
The NY Times lambasted undergraduate business majors in a major expose on what college students are actually learning.
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So the Winter Break is over and we're back to work here at College Admissions Clinic. For 2011, we have many exciting things planned.... Read More »
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