What are the darkest secrets of elite US universities?
To me, the secret about elite universities — or at least the fact that they prefer not to publicize overtly — is that the admissions game...
What must a student include in his/her personal statement when applying to a university?
There is one — and only one — thing that a student must include in his or her main college admissions essay. You MUST provide a sense of...
Is there concrete evidence that some high schools have connections with top universities and
There is no shortage of evidence that large numbers of students from certain private and public high school end up at elite universities....
How can I develop a "spike" to get into Harvard?
For anyone interested in attending Harvard — or any other elite university — the question of developing a so-called spike is a good one....
What is the importance of personal and supplemental essays on college admissions?
The role of the college admissions essays is to personalize an applicant who might otherwise be defined solely by grades and scores....
How do you get into Dartmouth College?
Dartmouth, like all elite colleges, has qualities which are favored in the admissions process. Of the 2,092 students who were offered...
Learn from the Yale Quadruplets' Essays
It is hard to look at Aaron, Nick, Nigel and Zach Wade -- all four accepted to both Yale and Harvard -- and see anything other than a...
Rethinking The Meaning Of Colleges' Low Acceptance Rates
"Cannon fodder" is the phrase that Amherst-admissions-officer-turned-college-counselor Willard Dix uses to describe the masses of high...
Prompt #1 is the answer to Common App essay confusion.
The Common Application essay fills college-bound students with dread. High stakes mean that students are eager, or even desperate, to get...
David Letterman's "Top Ten Ways To Make Your College Essay Stand Out"
Back in the day, David Letterman took note of Kwasi Enin, a high school student who gained national notoriety when he was accepted at all...