Surprised You Got Denied? Show Me the Essays.
This past week, a colleague of mine mentioned hearing the various murmurings of parents, students - and Facebook - surprised by this...
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jdhjdhirsch
- Apr 11
- 3 min
The Fear (of Not Getting In)
Beginning in April of each school year, I sit down with my juniors for their first official college meetings. However, before they step...
44 views0 comments
jdhjdhirsch
- Mar 9
- 2 min
Senior Year Course Planning (Why Every Year is Important!)
It’s junior year and you are in the middle of a grueling second semester: a full schedule filled with AP and Honors courses, clubs and...
145 views0 comments
jdhjdhirsch
- Jan 30
- 3 min
I Don’t Care About Harvard or Yale and Neither Should You
Before I start, let me be completely transparent. I am privileged. I am a white male who grew up decidedly middle class. I went to...
139 views0 comments
jdhjdhirsch
- Jan 5, 2022
- 3 min
Demonstrated Interest + the State of College Admissions 2022
As a high school counselor here in Westchester County and owner of a college counseling business, I continue to get a lot of questions...
287 views0 comments
jdhjdhirsch
- Mar 20, 2021
- 3 min
Do Away With the SAT/ACT – For Good
Much has been made about the state of standardized testing and its role in college admissions. For years, the College Board (SAT) and the...
88 views0 comments
jdhjdhirsch
- Jan 18, 2021
- 2 min
The College Landscape: Now and Beyond
As a high school counselor here in Westchester County and owner of a college counseling business, I have been getting a lot of questions...
55 views0 comments
jdhjdhirsch
- Oct 21, 2020
- 4 min
Why I'm Loving Early Decision II
It’s that time of year for many students – less than two weeks away from them sending out their Early Decision application to their...
98 views0 comments
paultaylorfiver
- May 15, 2020
- 3 min
Your Grandmother is Lovely
My first favorite thing about working with our College Starter students is when I open my email in late spring to an excited message...
94 views0 comments
jdhjdhirsch
- Dec 2, 2019
- 2 min
Basic College Timeline: Spring 10th – Spring 12th
Spring Sophomore Year 1. Schedule a time to meet with your counselor. Although counselors are usually very busy working with senior and...
25 views0 comments
jdhjdhirsch
- Oct 22, 2019
- 3 min
Digging Deeper: Key (Less Obvious) Differences Between the SAT and ACT
By Celina Petterson Many of my prospective clients ask me, “Should my son/daughter take the SAT or the ACT?” It’s the $100,000 question...
18 views0 comments
jdhjdhirsch
- Aug 5, 2019
- 4 min
IS YOUR CHILD READY FOR COLLEGE?
So your child is preparing for college this fall... Congratulations!! I know you had a long road to get here. The last two years, in...
11 views0 comments
jdhjdhirsch
- Jun 11, 2019
- 3 min
Does the High School You Attend Matter to Colleges? (And Other Juicy Nuggets That Factor into Colleg
Back in November, the ever-important 2018 State of College Admission report from the National Admissions for College Admissions...
14 views0 comments
jdhjdhirsch
- Apr 28, 2019
- 3 min
The Fear (of Not Getting In)
Beginning in April of each school year, I sit down with my juniors for their first official college meetings. However, before they step...
8 views0 comments
jdhjdhirsch
- Feb 2, 2019
- 2 min
Pay close attention to a college’s Retention Rate.
Why? Think about this: What can we infer about the general satisfaction of its student body if a college’s retention rate is 40%? Hint:...
10 views0 comments
jdhjdhirsch
- Jan 16, 2019
- 2 min
I’ve been deferred, now what?
Getting deferred from one of your top-choice colleges can be deflating, but all is not lost, you are still very much in the game! Take...
5 views0 comments
jdhjdhirsch
- Jul 15, 2018
- 1 min
The Common Application Goes Live August 1!
… But that doesn’t mean that you have to wait to begin filling it out! The Common Application rollover allows students to begin answering...
3 views0 comments
jdhjdhirsch
- Jun 14, 2018
- 2 min
The worst thing that a rising senior can do this summer is nothing at all.
With junior year behind you and no other academic obligations on the calendar, the summer is the optimal time to work on college...
10 views0 comments
jdhjdhirsch
- May 18, 2018
- 5 min
She was accepted to 113 colleges. Here’s why it may not have been such a good thing.
A couple of weeks ago, the NY Times ran an article about a high school senior in North Carolina who was accepted to 113 colleges. The...
13 views0 comments
jdhjdhirsch
- Apr 1, 2018
- 2 min
I’ve Been Waitlisted. Now what?
Find out who your admissions rep is and send them an email Don’t have sour grapes; be polite and positive. It’s a way to remind your...
9 views0 comments
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