Category: College Admissions

“What’s better, an A in a normal class or a B in an AP class?” It’s a question as old as advanced courses, and one that families cannot be faulted for asking. Wouldn’t taking a much harder class, but receiving a lower grade, look better than succeeding while playing it safe? In some ways yes, […]

All throughout high school, parents and students fret over their activity schedules and resumes. Extracurricular activities are, after grades and standardized test scores, perhaps the most important element of American college applications. Not only do colleges gauge students on the basis of their activities, but those same activities offer the grist for students’ essays mills […]

The impact of COVID-19 and our efforts to flatten the curve of its spread in the United States continue to send shockwaves through education. The College Board has canceled its June 2020 test (though it promises that tests will be offered every month starting in August 2020), and schools on every level of the college […]

Summer programs are a critical element of every student’s college application process. As more and more schools look for an unnatural level of maturity in their applicants, it is no longer acceptable for students to just take a break over the summer or hold down a single, light, part-time job. Instead, students should be exploring […]

In this day and age of ultra-competitive college admissions, more and more families are looking for independent counselors to help their families navigate this Byzantine process. Whether you’re looking for someone to guide your eighth grader through high school or support your junior as they compile the college application itself, there are a few key […]

The coronavirus crisis of 2020 is now about to stretch into its third month of lockdown, and the global educational landscape is still reeling. From testing to extracurricular activities to even school visits, every element of students’ college application process has been shut down. Perhaps the single most impacted field, however, is that which itself […]

College applications are an inherently stressful time in students’ lives, and perhaps the most daunting task before them is the composition of their personal statement. After years of analytical writing in high school, they are now expected to master expository writing and complete a 650-word statement that sums up the essence of themselves while also […]

Every year, college admissions season brings both joy and sorrow. Caught in the middle, however, is the mixed disappointment, relief, and confusion of being deferred or placed on a school’s waiting list. What are you to do? Do you simply wait, or do you send even more materials to convince the college admissions committee? While […]

As the current public health crisis barrels toward an enormous economic crisis, families are feeling the crunch as parents experience pay cuts and even unemployment. One thing is for sure: in the fall of 2020, families will be entering a college application season like none that has ever come before, not least because financial ability […]

Applying to college in a senior year can be a daunting time. Just as soon as you’re done with your homework in Math and English, it’s almost evening, and you still have your lab report to finish…And after that’s done, you realize you still haven’t gotten started on your common app essay! You may have […]

You’ve probably been eyeing a lot of top picks from Brown to Columbia, and you’ve probably been thinking a lot about how to increase your probability of acceptance. After you’ve maintained top grades, brainstormed the best essay topics, and gotten started on a polished personal statement, what else is there left to do? The next […]

Have an essay topic in mind, but wondering if it’ll do you good? Stuck on what to write and don’t know where to begin? Here’s Cardinal Education’s list of 10 essay topics/styles on which you most likely don’t want to start. #1: The Sports Essay Perhaps you play a sport. Perhaps you play it well. […]