James Madison University sits in the peaceful and bucolic Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. While UVA, William & Mary, and Virginia Tech are favored by the top Virginia students, JMU provides an excellent education and boasts 139 bachelors, masters, and doctorate...

It’s that time of year. It’s that time to consider which classes to take junior or senior year. There’s a lot to consider. You may have heard about dual enrollment courses and AP courses. Students often are looking for options that can help with their college...

        Some kids torpedo their own college applications. Why? They may not feel ready for college, on a conscious or subconscious level. Or they might not want to attend the school their parents want them to. I don’t see much that’s been written...

Calvin Coolidge didn’t travel far when he attended Amherst College. I traveled a little farther to visit it, but not much. The school and city are named for Lord Jeffery Amherst, Commander-in-Chief of British forces of North America during the French and Indian War....

The Thompson Memorial Chapel is one of the most distinctive college landmarks that you’ll find anywhere. It has to be the most photographed building at Williams College. And Williams has one of the most beautiful campuses in the country. As a Middlebury Panther in the...

Imagine living in a brownstone apartment around the corner from Fenway Park. That would be Boston University. Did you know that its first campus was in Newbury, Vermont? Or that Martin Luther King, Jr. earned his doctorate from BU? The plaque I’m standing next to...

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...