News, Resources, & Musings
The Price We Pay for Private Student Loans
I met Mary in an American Lit class at Iowa State University when I was 23. We were the same age, both pursuing second degrees in education after obtaining first degrees from public universities. We became friends quickly and bonded over shared classes and a similar...
Back to Basics: the Importance of Hydration and Sleep
The text came in at 9:42 p.m. “The world feels like it’s literally ending.” Normally I don’t respond to texts so late, but this was clearly a student in crisis, so I shot back a message: “What’s going on?” What followed was a wall of text highlighting weeks of anxiety...
Beyond Media Hype into Common-Sense Application Numbers
Around this time of year, we often begin seeing “feel-good” stories on the news in the U.S. about high school seniors who applied to and were accepted to dozens of colleges. The media will often add information about the collective scholarship awards the student was...
Beyond Prestige into Best Fit: Why it Matters and How Our Students are Walking the Walk
In an era when manufactured prestige and exorbitant college costs drive families into confusion and panic, we work hard to demystify the college process and help students find their best fit colleges. What does best fit really mean? It means knowing yourself and...
On Important Moments of Growth and Reflection
This is the story of why this photo is powerful. (Posted with student’s permission.) Alayna started working with us as a high school junior. A high-achieving student, she was used to her 4.0 GPA. She was used to her leadership positions at school. She was used to her...
Passion Projects: Personalized Growth that Makes a Difference
“Passion project” is a term you’re likely to hear more and more these days– something you do as an extension of what you’re most passionate about that highlights your commitment to an issue, your leadership potential, your ingenuity, etc. Indeed, a passion project can...
Navigating Trauma and Tragedy in the College Process
It can be hard to wrap our minds around how quickly life can change, and how our best laid plans can unravel in front of us because of trauma, sickness, or even a bad decision. A parent dies, and the student’s grades, attitude, and mental health tank. A sibling gets...
So You’ve Been Deferred…Now What?!
Your dream school e-mails and directs you to your student portal. An admission decision awaits. Nervously, you navigate to the decision letter. Deferred. What does that even mean, anyway? And what should you do? First, the good news: being deferred isn’t the same...
Let’s Talk Brain Science!
Let’s talk brain science. Specifically, let’s talk frontal lobe, the brain’s executive function MVP and notorious nemesis for many teenagers. Each side of the brain has four lobes, including the frontal lobe, which is responsible for a ton of what it takes to be a...