myUsearch blog

There’s a belief among some students that senior year is a time to take easy classes.  Well, I hate to be the one to break it to you, but if you really want to go to college that’s the last thing you should do.  It seems that every year the same erroneous ideas regarding applying to college manage to make their way into students’ conversations.  They are part of what I refer to as “Hallway Mythology”.

Photo by Kevin Walter 

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Every year, more and more students choose to apply online - a trend I’m happy to see as we become more environmentally responsible.  However, in some students’ minds, online applications seem to trigger a response that says, “It’s just another online form.  How hard can it be?”  The truth is, it’s not “just another online form”.  It’s your chance to make a great first impression - or not. (more…)

As summer is coming to an end, high school seniors will begin to think about applying to college.  Having worked in college admissions for over 10 years, I’ve seen my share of stupid mistakes from students in completing their college applications.  While many professionals will give you advice on how to construct the perfect application,  few will share the unfortunate errors with you.  Today’s blog will cover the top 5 mistakes that I’ve seen. (more…)

I’d like to let you in on a little secret: I am usually assigned topics to cover for this blog and I, naturally, follow my grand-master’s guidelines to the “T”. However, this month, no such luck. I was told to write on anything- ANYTHING that I choose. I’m picturing my high school seniors who come to me saying that they’re choosing to write their college essay using the Common Application’s prompt, “Topic of your choice”. So I guess I will take the advice I often give them and “be specific”. I would like to talk about how important it is for students to become their own advocates in the college application and admission process.

 Photo by theparadigmshifter

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If you’re looking to graduate from college early, add some edge to your applications, or get a little taste of the college experience before fully diving in, then you might consider dual enrollment programs, where a student takes college courses for both college and high school credit. This could mean anything from literally taking a class on the college campus to a professor coming in to the high school or even having honors high school courses signed off for credit.

Although many state systems are expanding dual enrollment programs as a way to decrease drop-out rates, encourage more students to go on to college, and save on higher education funding, other schools won’t even glance at those credits. Here are some things to consider when deciding whether or not to do dual enrollment.

photo by Robert S. Donovan

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With another school year down and a new one just lurking around the corner, it is important for high school seniors to begin their college application process now. No, we’re not doing this to fuel the fire of competitive college admissions. And we’re certainly not doing this to pile on more stress and anxiety to the already-hectic life of a teen. What we’re doing is actually trying to alleviate some of that by planning — creating a timetable of sorts to make your life more orderly. Let’s face it, the junior year was tough because that’s what the junior year is supposed to be. Your senior year is equally as difficult in the classroom. Do you really want to add to that by doing nothing the summer before? So let’s figure out what you can do now that will save you time and worry during your last hoorah in high school.

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We got a lot of great responses from students who entered our recent scholarship contest, Why the SAT/ACT Doesn’t Measure Me. Chelsea Lorimor (who will be a freshman at Mesa State in the fall) won the scholarship but many of the essays had some great advice, suggestions and opinions on the SAT and ACT. Check out what some high school seniors had to say about the test that could affect their futures.

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Last week I attended the RMACAC conference in Colorado Springs and attended a presentation given from college admissions insiders from three different selective colleges across the country. Jared Cash, Associate Dean of Admissions, Bates College; Todd Rinehart, Assistant Vice Chancellor and Director of Admission, University of Denver; and Abby Noel, Assistant Director of Admission, Vanderbilt University shared some inside information about how they determine who is accepted or denied admission to their colleges.  This is what I found out…….. 

Photo of the University of Denver by Velotech 

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Students don’t need to wait until they’ve finished high school to start earning college credit. There are many ways for students to complete college coursework during high school, and this challenge may further motivate them, give them access to a college environment, and can ultimately save thousands of dollars in college tuition. A recent article published by Inside Higher Ed advocates these programs, but I think it might be best for students to wait to take college classes until, well… college. (more…)

On April 4, high school juniors breathed a sigh of relief. They took the ACT, and it is now behind them.  They will have jumped over a major hurdle in the college admission process. Are the admission hurdles now a thing of the past for our college-bound seniors? Not quite yet…

Photo by pigpogm

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Several of the colleges I was considering either required or recommended applicants take a number of SAT Subject Tests. For all the pressure there was to do well on the “regular” SAT and ACT, I knew almost nothing about the Subject Tests. In case you’re in the same boat as I was, read on for some of my lessons from experience.

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While college applications have been submitted and most schools have stopped accepting new applicants (though some still continue to accept applications indefinitely), you are wondering what can be done to alleviate your anxiety, right?

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As the application season begins to pick up for the majority of high school seniors, there’s always a few stories that fall directly into the “they did WHAT?” category of failed applications. So as the cold of January rolls on, let me share a few of the more humorous moments our consultants have heard about from admissions offices. Don’t try these yourself, because it’s a guarantee you won’t get in.

‘Day 79 - f o c u s’ courtesy of ‘margolove’

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As the time draws near and the decisions of whether you will or will not get into x, y, or z school are imminent, I think it’s best to give all high school seniors good reason to settle down, take a breath and start thinking about other, more important things (that’s right, I said MORE important things).

Photo by Jim Linwood

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It’s not too late to add one more New Year’s resolution to your list — to avoid senioritis. Like many other high school seniors, you probably feel like you’ve earned a semester to take it easy, save your homework for the last minute, and spend a little more time in front of the television. Wrong. The fact is, you’re still a student. You should take advantage of your last semester by continuing to challenge yourself and staying active in extracurriculars. You owe it to yourself to finish high school with a bang. And a case of senioritis can have significant consequences. Read on to find out how to avoid senioritis and why it’s important.

Photo by Darkumber

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The time has come. As we reach the final days before application deadlines, you may be looking at your to-do stack unsure why all this is necessary. Why can’t I just throw out these forms and become a wise mountain hermit? you wonder. Those of you who can answer that question and choose to continue pursuing a college education, you may instead be asking, Just how many of these applications should I really be doing? I offer you a few considerations:

photo by telsky

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One of the more anxiety-inducing and stressful parts of the college application process is standardized testing, namely the SAT or the ACT. Getting a good score is a crucial part of a successful application packet, which only adds to a student’s stress. However, with proper preparation and a focused approach to studying, the tests become much less of a roadblock and more of a step upwards to a successful admit. Today I’ll share with you some common tips that our consultants pass on to our college application clients.

Test takers, courtesy of hyperscholar

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Today we have a guest post from social networking guru and higher ed professional Jessica A. Krywosa:

Facebook: It’s an obvious place to connect with friends but it’s no secret that many college admissions offices – and employers! - use it to check out applicants. The flip side is that it’s also a great tool to research colleges by talking with admission counselors, keeping up on deadlines and events, and connecting with other potential or current students.

So, how can you keep your information private and avoid pictures or comments from coming back to haunt you? Below are five tips to keep your information private on facebook.

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Happy Holidays. And Merry finishing-up-college-applications-season. Let me guess — your family unwraps presents with joy, sipping hot cocoa by the fireplace while you nervously sit at your computer, biting your nails and reading over your college essays for the ninety-eighth time. If this sounds like you, congratulations, you have entered the Twelve (final) Days of the College App Frenzy. Many deadlines are approaching with the New Year and it’s time to give those applications a last minute glance and then hit the send button. Read on to see what you should be doing over your winter break to prepare for college.

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It is that time of year, when holiday decorations go up, the temperature drops, snow starts to blanket the outside world in a white wonderland and holiday panic ensues. It is also the time of year for the majority of high school seniors to start burrowing into dens and bedrooms, huddling over laptops as they prepare college applications. Ah! The admissions season is getting underway and news stories abound with dire warnings of the slim chances applicants face in getting into their desired colleges.

104/365: 1985-1986, courtesy of hyperbolic pants explosion

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