college applications

Academic Advising 101: How to Make the Most of a Campus Visit

One of the most effective ways to get a first-hand feel for colleges and narrow prospective college lists is to get on a college campus and take an in-person tour. This is also a way to show a  “demonstrated interest” to a college, which can be considered as a factor in admissions at some schools … Read more

Academic Advising 101: Mission Totally Possible—Creating A College List

Many students (and the adults in their lives!) find drafting an initial college list to be a daunting task. After all, there are 4,000+ colleges across the country.  While different college rankings could certainly offer a place to start when researching schools, we believe it is more useful to think of rankings as a snapshot … Read more

A Closer Look at College Rankings

There are so many college rankings these days it can be hard to keep track (everyone is #1 in something, right?).  Anyone familiar with the college application process is aware of the influence “Best Colleges” rankings can have over parents and students. While these rankings certainly offer a place to start when researching schools, it … Read more

Advising 101: Tips from the UC Counselor Conference

The University of California (UC) continues to expand access, with a 4.3% increase in California first-year admissions for fall 2024. UC is test-blind, meaning that test scores are not used to evaulate applications. We wanted to provide some insight from the UC Counselor Conference and offer a few helpful tips for students who are applying … Read more

Tips for Admission to the California State University (CSU) System

The California State University (CSU) application is straightforward. Still, consider this list of background information and tips while navigating through the CSU application: Similar to the UC system, the CSU application has a single application system for ALL 23 CSU campuses. Students need the following to apply: In the application portal, scroll down to locate … Read more

Advising 101: How To Handle the Waitlist

It’s spring, and admissions decisions are rolling in! For most seniors, this is an exciting and nerve-wracking time to sort through acceptances and rejections, not to mention what happens in one of the most vexing admissions situations: a spot on the waitlist.  If you’re no longer interested in a school that has put you on … Read more