Blog

When I worked in college admissions, I read thousands of activity lists. Some were long. Very long. Clubs. Sports. Volunteer hours. Honor societies. Camps. Competitions. Summer programs. The students were undeniably busy. But busy and strategic are not the same thing. There is a difference between filling time and building direction. I would often see […]

Over nearly two decades working in college admissions, I read thousands of applications and sat through more scholarship discussions than I can count. I watched families celebrate, and I watched families panic. The difference between those two experiences was rarely intelligence or work ethic. Most of the families who felt blindsided were thoughtful, engaged, and […]

Most families misunderstand how merit scholarships are awarded. They assume colleges “look at the whole student,” make a generous decision, and then send a financial package that somehow makes sense. They assume if their student is strong, the money will follow. That is not how it typically works. At many institutions, merit scholarships are built […]

Most families do not think sophomore year matters very much in the college process. There are no applications yet. No essays. No campus tours every weekend. It feels early, manageable, and calm. That is exactly why it matters. The sophomores I am working with right now are finishing the year in a very different position […]

We just wrapped up our Super Junior Program. That means a group of local juniors in Brookfield, Waukesha, and Milwaukee has already done the hard, strategic work that most families do not even realize needs to happen until senior fall. They are now ready to put together their college admissions strategy. In the next few […]

By the end of January, many families feel a mix of relief and pressure. Some deadlines are behind you. Decisions may be starting to arrive. And at the same time, it’s becoming clear that the college process isn’t wrapping up anytime soon. This is a good moment to reset expectations. One of the biggest misconceptions […]

Now that the Mock ACT is behind us, many students and families are asking the right question, not “How did it go?” but “What do we do next?” That question is exactly why Mock ACTs are so valuable. They turn vague anxiety into usable information. One of the biggest mistakes families make with testing is […]

January is when ACT questions start piling up. Should my student test in February? Do they need prep first? Is it too early? Too late? Before answering any of those, there’s one step that almost always comes first: getting a real baseline score. That’s what makes a Mock ACT so valuable, especially this time of […]

One of the most common things parents say to me in January is some version of this: “I don’t even know what college actually costs anymore.” They’re not wrong. Between sticker prices, net price calculators, merit aid, need-based aid, scholarships, and loans, college costs are presented in a way that feels overwhelming and, frankly, misleading. […]