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Supporting Students Who Haven’t Started Yet

Illustration of a student sitting at a desk with a laptop, checklist, and calendar, symbolizing the process of starting college applications late in the season.

Every counselor has a few seniors who reach late October and still haven’t started. This post offers an empathetic, realistic plan to help those students get moving… with reminders that Regular Decision is still a strong option and that it’s better to submit one thoughtful, complete application than several rushed ones.

The Counselor’s Quick Application Check

Counselor and student reviewing a college application checklist together at a desk

As November deadlines approach, counselors are flooded with “can you take one last look?” requests. This five-minute application checklist helps you spot weak spots quickly — from missing transcripts to last-minute essay issues — so students can submit with confidence.

College Essay Brainstorming… Tips on Guiding Students

Illustration of a student brainstorming ideas for a college essay, sitting at a desk with a thought bubble above his head, representing the early stages of the college application writing process.

College Essay Brainstorming – College Counselor Guidance and Resources This is a bit of a deep-dive on a previous post I wrote about college application materials. However, here I will focus specifically on college essay brainstorming for the “main essay,” “CommonApp” essay, or “personal statement” – although much of this could apply to other essays. […]

Building a College List That Works

Illustration of a categorized college list with sections for aspirational, target, likely, and anchor schools, designed to help students organize and reflect on their college choices.

There’s the occasional moment in a junior meeting where I can see the pressure mounting — students staring at a blank college list, parents eager to suggest the alma mater or the “top” school they read about in U.S. News, and me trying to bring the focus back to fit. Because the truth is: A […]