What Really Matters in a College Application?
One of the most common questions I get from students (and sometimes parents) is: “What do colleges actually care about?” or “What do I need to do to get into a ‘good’ college?” In a previous post, I discussed the problem with talking about “good” colleges as if it were a universal measurement. The truth […]
Helping Students Define Their Own College Fit
In my last post, I talked about how prestige is often just an illusion—especially when it comes to college choice. We know the highest-ranked school on a list isn’t necessarily the best fit for every student. But if students are going to take ownership of their college process, they need tools and frameworks to actually […]
“Prestige” is an Illusion… Literally: Helping Students Understand College Fit
Fun fact: The word prestige actually comes from the Latin praestigium, meaning illusion. So when students say they’re only interested in “prestigious” schools, it’s worth remembering that what they’re often chasing is the appearance of excellence—not necessarily what’s best for them or where they’ll be successful and happy. Over the past few years in college […]
Welcome!
Welcome to the Blog: Practical College Support for High School Counselors Why This Blog? I’ll be honest—starting a blog wasn’t on my to-do list. Like many of you, I’m a full-time high school counselor helping students with college admissions and constantly learning as the field evolves. I definitely don’t have all the answers, but I’ve […]