Before answering the question, “should I apply Early Decision,” we need to get our terminology clear: Early Decision is a BINDING contract between the student and the school. If you are admitted, you are going, no ifs, ands or buts (the one exception to this is if you are not offered a financial aid package … Read more
One of our clients’ parents recently forwarded an email from his alumni association – he attended an Ivy League university. The message was sent to alumni who are involved in interviewing students for this particular university, and it noted that of the about 35,000 applications this university received last fall from the Class of 2018, … Read more
We run our kids to band practice, soccer practice, tennis lessons and dance class. We spend our weekends pacing along the sidelines of a game, or a match, or watching a dress rehearsal. Why do we do all this? Why do colleges care so much about students’ extra-curricular activities? I went to a friend’s son’s … Read more
Contribute to a Club This comment typically results in a giant eye roll from high schoolers, but hear us out! It is a small investment on time that could potentially reap great rewards. If you haven’t participated in a club thus far, now’s the time to do some investigating and commit to participating in something … Read more
When we tell people what we do as independent college counselors, they usually have one of three reactions: Wow, I wish someone had done that for me when I was in high school. Wow, I wish I met you two years ago when my son was going through that. Wow, you must have the most … Read more
Students and parents frequently ask us how they can highlight their community service in college applications. While community service is not required for admission to highly selective colleges, it is definitely one way to show colleges your involvement in your community, your values and the way you choose to spend your time. Here are five … Read more
As your high school senior (eek! we’re a senior now!) moves through college applications, you may find yourself with a question that hadn’t occurred to you before: Which test scores should I send to colleges? The answer (frustrating, we know – this is the answer to most every question parents ask us!) is “it depends.” … Read more
This article was published in the Orange County Register last weekend. It’s an amazing story of how a not-straight-A student with not-top test scores ended up getting college scholarships – over a million dollars worth. This student and his family are similar to many of the students with whom we work: the student has good … Read more
HEY CLASS OF 2017 – LET’S GET THIS DONE!! Magellan College Counseling will host our final application workshop on Sunday, October 16th from 10 am to 2 pm in Century City. FOUR HOURS – we can get your UC and your Cal State apps DONE! And probably finish off those November 1 Early Action applications! … Read more
Colleges receive different pieces of information about applicants from different sources. This post will give you details on important pieces that you must do to finalize your applications. REQUESTING TRANSCRIPTS You need to follow your school’s policy about requesting transcripts. They may ask you to request them on paper; they may charge you a fee. … Read more