Last month I recommended researching majors and academic programs on colleges' websites as you explore schools that might be a good fit for you. Another important aspect of fit is campus life, which you can also learn about online. Most colleges have a "campus life,"...

Now that you’ve settled into the year, think about which subjects you are enjoying the most. Are these the areas you might be interested in studying in college? Last month I recommended scheduling college tours as well as doing online research to learn about schools...

I hope your junior year is off to a great start! As always, your top priority for the year should be getting the best grades you can, since colleges first and foremost are looking for students with strong academics. Keep in mind that an upward...

I hope you've got a fun summer lined up to give you a break between your busy junior year and the upcoming fall. At the same time, college applications and essays take a lot of time to prepare, so I encourage you to get as...

We’re getting into the homestretch of the year and juniors have been working hard! I hope AP exams went well for everyone who had them, and I know a lot of you are turning your attention to finals and perhaps an upcoming SAT or ACT,...

In last month's post for juniors I recommended that you start getting familiar with the Common Application, but plan to do the bulk of the application and essay work during the summer.  Since then I've posted my summer application and essay workshop series. Each workshop...

Best of luck to those of you who are taking the SAT on March 11, and for DC public and charter school students who took it this week, I hope it went well!  If you're able to get testing completed and off your plate by...

I hope you had a great break in what I know is a busy year. Most students are trying to fit college visits, standardized testing and test prep into schedules already packed with schoolwork and extracurricular activities. Planning ahead and looking at the big picture...

I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving with family time and time for yourself to refresh and recharge for this next stretch until winter break. In addition to holiday decorations and ubiquitous holiday music, December also brings PSAT scores. If you've already taken a practice...

Since it's October of junior year, you probably just took the PSAT. My most important reminder about this exam is that it's primarily a diagnostic test, just an opportunity to see how standardized testing might go later this year and start planning for whatever test...