A recent survey (Lipman Hearne & the National Research Center for College and University Admissions) found that more than a quarter of “high achieving” high school seniors use services of Independent Educational Consultants (IEC’s) to optimize college search. When 1,300 high school seniors with SAT scores of 1150 or higher (out of 1600) and/or ACT scores of 25 or higher were asked, 26% percent said they had worked with an IEC.  Read More

Here are the next three Common Application Questions for this application year:  Read More

The change is significant, considering that more college-bound students took the ACT (around 1.7 million) than the SAT in 2012. The creators of the ACT appear to be moving towards computer-based testing cautiously, a wise choice according to Robert Schaeffer of FairTest, an organization critical of standardized testing. Schaeffer cited several recent problematic examples of state efforts to adopt computerized testing systems for the Common Core State Standards exams.  Read More

Between the years 2000 and 2010, enrollment in degree-granting institutions increased 37 percent to 21 million students, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. What does this tell you? You're not alone planning ahead to get your child ready for college. There are numerous resources at your fingertips and here are some practical and specific suggestions for parents to get you started. Read More

College-bound students are bound in another way – their connection to social media. Among the media, Twitter has gained tremendous favor in providing an array of up-to-date information to assist a student and family with college planning. Here are just a few of our favorites for students: Read More

Like many service organizations seeking to speed communications while reducing expenses, the College Board is streamlining their communication to students. The upcoming May 2013 AP exam scores will be reported online in July, and will not be sent in the mail.  Read More

In a number of public universities where applications total well over 35,000 (gulp) each fall, there’s no time to read letters of recommendation. After all, who would write a lousy reference? What purpose would a letter serve beyond the transcript, personal essays and the application data? University of Florida and Florida State, for instance, don’t want your recommendation letters. Nor do many other schools.  Read More

In a few short years your baby is going to graduate high school. Although college is the last thing from their minds right now, help them get a jump start at researching, applying and narrowing down their career interests so they have the best chance of getting accepted into their top pick school. Encourage your child to take AP courses, SAT tests and fine-tune their application essay skills. Read More

Think back to the last time you took a grueling test. The restless preparation, anxious pre-exam jitters and frustrating periods of waiting for grades are enough to make anyone go mad. Add in hormones and a stressful social environment, and it's incredible that teenagers are able to make it put themselves through finals and standardized tests time and time again. For better or worse, tests will impact your student's academic future. From passing classes to earning scholarships, opportunities abound for seasoned test taker. Read More