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Identity and Impact: What Today’s Top Applicants Have in Common
May 1st marked the college committment deadline for seniors, so with the exception of potential waitlist offers, the admission cycle for...
Vicki Petersen
May 54 min read


Signed, Sealed, Accepted: How Letters of Recommendation Shape College Admission
While college-bound high school students are busy focusing on earning good grades in rigorous classes and prepping for admissions...
Vicki Petersen
Apr 64 min read


Why Demontrated Interest Matters and How to Show It
Students who are immersing themselves in the college admission process have heard the term "demonstrated interest" but may question what...
Vicki Petersen
Jan 23 min read


Summer Experiences: It's Not Too Soon to Start Planning
Regardless of a teen's plans after they graduate from high school, summer is a good time to explore interests and strengths, and...
Vicki Petersen
Dec 3, 20246 min read


College Retention Rates: A Reflection of Student Success and Satisfaction
When researching colleges, applicants will often come across the school's retention rate statistic, which with all the other data being...
Vicki Petersen
Nov 3, 20243 min read


How Difficult Should I Make My High School Schedule?
As a high school counselor, this was probably the most common question I received. For students applying to selective colleges, rigor of...
Vicki Petersen
Oct 4, 20244 min read


Applying to College Major: Pros and Cons
To expect a 17-year-old to know what they want to do with the rest of their life seems at best ambitious and at worst stress-provoking...
Vicki Petersen
Sep 1, 20243 min read


Three Key Traits for Academic Success in High School
"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then is not an act, but a habit." - Aristotle With the new school year approaching, it's a...
Vicki Petersen
Aug 4, 20242 min read


Earning College Credit: AP or Concurrent (Dual) Credit
School starts this month and within the month that follows, students may be asked to decide if they want to pursue taking the AP exam...
Vicki Petersen
Jul 28, 20244 min read


College Planning Jobs for Parents
As parents, we're used to doing a lot for our kids, but when it comes to the college application process, it will be up to our high...
Vicki Petersen
Jun 27, 20242 min read


Why You Should Get to Know Your High School Counselor
It was my years as a high school counselor that sparked my passion for college admissions advising, and understanding the inner workings...
Vicki Petersen
Jun 4, 20242 min read


Increased Deferrals: The New Normal?
Ever since COVID pushed admissions testing off the list of required admissions criteria for the majority of colleges, they responded by...
Vicki Petersen
Jun 3, 20242 min read


The State of College Admissions and the College Consultant
College admissions is in the news more than ever this year, as was outlined in the March 12th Wall Street Journal article describing the...
Vicki Petersen
Apr 21, 20243 min read


College Admission: Then and Now
When I was applying to college well over 30 years ago, I recall having four schools on my list – my local state school and 3 schools in...
Vicki Petersen
Jan 23, 20244 min read


Academic Success in High School: Motivating the Unmotivated
As a former high school counselor, I can’t count the number of conversations I’ve had with frustrated parents who felt their child was...
Vicki Petersen
Nov 7, 20235 min read


Breaking Down Decision Plan Options
The first big deadline of the application season is 3 weeks away and seniors around the country are busy filling out applications and...
Vicki Petersen
Oct 10, 20234 min read


The Conundrum of College Rankings
Since 1983, US News and World Report has published annual college rankings based on their collection of a variety of data points from...
Vicki Petersen
Sep 25, 20233 min read


Making the Most of Your College Fair Visit
Fall is a popular time for college fairs to take place and they are a great opportunity for high school students to learn more about...
Vicki Petersen
Sep 18, 20233 min read
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