The year I turned 18 and went off to college for freshman year was simultaneously one of the best and worst years of my life. The world was wide open in ways it had never been: I could drink, I...

On the first day of A.P. Language and Composition (popularly known as “A.P. Lang”), I’ve taken to asking my classes a few simple questions: 1) Why did you enroll in this class? 2) What is A.P. Lang all about? and...

By Nina Berler of unCommon Apps In advisory sessions, parents and students nearly always ask about standardized tests, deemed optional for the foreseeable future by nearly all colleges. My response: As colleges move away from tests and more into holistic...

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Selecting colleges is a critical piece of the college planning process. How not to select colleges: I’ve seen students who have built their college lists in a poor or even random fashion. Often they were unhappy with their subsequent college...

As we approach the fall and another college admission season kicks into full gear, we thought that we would share our eight favorite resources for those applying the colleges in the fall, in no particular order…. NACAC’s College Admission Status...

That face is still burnt into my memory, a photograph that will never fade: Professor Judy Smith, her granite features nestled into the corner of memory cluttered with lessons learned. I had signed up for her Native American Literature class...

Transitioning from high school to college is not easy for many young adults. Freshman year is full of many “firsts”. Not only are students navigating a new, more challenging academic environment, but they are also learning how to live with...

Matt was a clean cut kid from an affluent suburb of New Haven I met during his junior year of highschool who had been playing lacrosse basically since he was in diapers. His father was very, very committed and even...

The summer between when I graduated high school and the beginning of college I remember very well. I was working at Shady Glenn restaurant in Bolton, CT, and wearing one of those pointy white hats while scooping ice cream and...