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Much is written about the burdens of high school counselors and the advantages private counselors have. School counselors have large caseloads. And they deal with social and emotional issues as well as scheduling tasks.  Although some schools have counselors dedicated...

What is a 501 (c)(3) Non-Profit? Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code allows for the tax deductibility of donations to registered organizations. These organizations themselves do not pay income tax, and some states exempt them from sales and property taxes....

Application avoidance is something I run into constantly. Don't get me wrong. I have some students who are proactive about working with me. When I was a teacher, we called them students who advocate for themselves. They request video conference meetings. They write...

Note: It's the busy season at Curtis Hier & Associates, as it is at every college consultant agency. It's college application season!  So blog posts will be sparse for a few months. Our followers can stay connected with us on social media. Education author Jeff...

Well, the Common App dropped on August 1. A million students and some 900 colleges will be using it again this year. Every August 1 it becomes available. Colleges are welcome to change their requirements. For instance, they may alter their supplemental essay prompts....

I’ve been busy during these past few months helping my students draw up college lists. One of the most important considerations on my part is what a particular school’s supplemental essay requirements are. Our college admissions system is broken. The Common...

What makes for a great college fit? There are many intangibles. One such intangible is tradition. I love tradition. And Middlebury College is steeped in tradition. One such tradition has only been observed since it was re-established in 1995, but it commemorates the...

You’re about to get your admission decisions. You should have had a Plan B going into the application season. But you might need a Plan C or even a Plan D. Maybe you’ve been waitlisted or flat rejected at your reach and target schools. Maybe you didn’t even get into...

Finally, you’ve gotten your college application into all the schools you want to. Congratulations! That was no small feat. So, now what?  Here are some suggestions for passing the time until you receive your responses.  1. Thank your recommenders. An email is better...

There are several SAT preparation options. Kaplan is for rich kids. Princeton Review is for Ivy-bound scholars. Khan Academy is for poor kids (it’s free). But there are other options for SAT prep. Nothing beats live, individual tutoring. Kaplan will charge you $700...