Admissions Blog

All About Early Decision

Posted on January 10, 2016 by Craig Meister

When you apply Early Decision you send you application in by a specific early deadline and receive an admissions decision earlier than regular decision (usually in the middle of December). If admitted Early Decision you must attend that college. You will be required to sign a statement agreeing to this binding policy – and so will your counselor and your parent(s). Once admitted Early Decision, your high school is not allowed to send your transcripts, teacher recommendations, and school profile to any other colleges on your behalf and you must withdraw any pending applications to other colleges while also informing colleges that have already accepted you Rolling or Early Action or Priority that you must decline their offers of admission.

• Going for Early Decision must be well thought out and carefully contemplated. If you applying to a college Early Decision (ED) it should be your first choice college and you should have visited and attended an informational session for that college. Early Decision should be discussed in detail with your counselor and family.
• The only way to nullify an Early Decision commitment is if the financial package is insufficient; however, this is not always possible and even if it is, this may not leave you much time to apply to other colleges.

Priority Admission vs. Regular Decision

Posted on January 7, 2016 by Craig Meister

Comparing Priority Admission and Regular Decision is not that hard to do. What is hard to understand is why anyone would miss applying by a college’s priority deadline and in the process settle for applying Regular Decision.

When you apply Regular Decision you are applying by a college’s Regular deadline, which is typically in early winter (January or February). Students can apply to more than one college Regular Decision. Decisions tend to be received between March and April.

Priority Admission is when a college sets a date by which applications given the most consideration must be received. This date precedes such colleges’ Regular Decision deadlines. Students can also apply to more than one college Priority. Plus, Priority Admission is non-binding, which means you don’t have to attend the college if admitted. If a Priority Admission deadline is offered by a college on your list, you would be crazy not to apply by this date.

Watch the video below for a more contextualized discussion on the topic of Priority vs. Regular.

All About Rolling Admission

Posted on January 5, 2016 by Craig Meister

Rolling Admission colleges review applications as they are received and make decisions on an on-going and space-available basis. Chances of acceptance at a Rolling Admission college improve greatly if the completed application is sent during the late summer (August or September) of a student’s senior year in high school.

No $$ or 529 Plan, No Problem; Keeping Colleges Away from Your Money at All Costs

Posted on January 4, 2016 by Craig Meister

There is one simple, but controversial, step that your parents can take to save major money on college tuition. While this advice is not for most, it could help a few of you, so it’s worth sharing.

The Best Time to Ask a Teacher for a Letter of Recommendation

Posted on January 1, 2016 by Craig Meister

While most students spend a lot of time pondering who to ask to write a letter of recommendation on their behalf, too many students put little to no thought into when to ask such a favor.

When a College Admissions Officer Visits Your High School…

Posted on December 29, 2015 by Craig Meister

…consider yourself lucky! Admissions officers visit relatively few high schools; therefore, if a rep from a college or university that interests you visits your high school, you need to make the most of this opportunity.

Is Getting an SAT Tutor Worth It?

Posted on December 27, 2015 by Craig Meister

Before you invest in an SAT tutor, clarify your expectations, the success rate of the tutor you are considering, and how much the tutor charges clients.

Remember that the College Board publishes The Official SAT Study Guide (2016 Edition), which retails for roughly $17.00. To learn more about the differences between the ACT and new SAT, visit convertyourscore.org.