Distinctive College Consulting

🎓 Thinking about studying at Oxford?

As the UK’s oldest university, University of Oxford is steeped in history and tradition. Its distinctive tutorial system, network of 36 residential colleges, and more than 70 Nobel Prize affiliates—including Malala Yousafzai—have helped make it one of the world's most renowned academic institutions.

Oxford is also known for some wonderfully quirky traditions, from wearing academic dress for final exams (as shown in the photos) to the centuries-old Hunting of the Mallard ceremony.

If you're looking for a place where intellectual curiosity is celebrated, academic discussions are a way of life, and the streets seem to contain more bicycles than cars, Oxford just might be the perfect fit. 🚲📚✨

⏳ Waiting for colleges to release their essay prompts?

Don't waste the summer waiting.

Many colleges now use video interviews as part of the application process, and despite growing up online, many students find them surprisingly challenging.

How do you come across as confident, authentic, and memorable on camera?

Cho combines his experience in college admissions and music performance to share practical tips that can help students shine in front of the lens.

🎬 Check out his advice and get ahead of the competition before application season begins.

Performing Yourself: A Musician’s Guide to the Video Essay – Distinctive In J. S. Bach’s St. Matthew Passion, Pontius Pilate asks the gathered crowd of Jews whether they would rather free Barabbas or Jesus, and for that moment, I am Pontius Pilate. Of course, I’m not actually a Roman governor standing before a mob in first-century Jerusalem; I’m a baritone in a con...

Do you agree or disagree? "Yes, college education should help prepare students for the work force. But as many have pointed out, it must also prepare them for the task that can never be outsourced to technology: living. Which is a project we all undertake, in conditions of inherent uncertainty, within mortal bodies and within a shared social world."

Perhaps we should all spend some time working, living, and learning on a ranch.

Opinion | A Cattle Ranch Is Doing What Ivy League Colleges Can’t (Gift Article) College education does almost nothing to develop the sense that what we do in our day-to-day lives resonates with people beyond ourselves.

Artists typically need environments that nurture their creativity, freeing them from rigid academic expectations that don’t align with their talents and original idea expressions. At New York City’s Parsons, Victoria saw that students find such a place. It blends artistic theory and practice in courses, like “Space and Materiality” and “Time,” as well as designated making spaces for every major and annual student art shows that allow students to generate the newest, modern aesthetic and become tomorrow’s makers of taste.

As recent as even 3 years ago, the degree of the future was computer science. Today, it’s the old-fashioned liberal arts degree. It seems that we have come full circle as more business leaders are recognizing that developing the skills to ask the right questions of ourselves and machines is what is going to lead to success. Not only that, thinking across disciplines as well as critically helps us develop a better sense of our value as human beings, and in the era of AI, that’s more important than ever.

Netflix Co-Founder Reed Hastings Is the Latest Billionaire to Predict Liberal Arts Will Make a Comeback How should young people prepare for our AI-filled future? Get a liberal arts degree, says Reed Hastings and a bunch of other billionaires.

American University is best known for its deep roots in the fields of political science and international relations, and a visit to campus reminded me of all the school has to offer future world-shapers. AU offers a kind of everyday proximity to the halls of power that few schools can match, with students regularly learning from (and interning with) professionals working in government offices, think tanks, and embassies.

Caroline's info session and talks with current students, however, revealed that the academic landscape at American is shifting in interesting ways. Business and STEM programs are on the rise, drawing students who want to pair analytical skills with the policy-minded energy that defines campus. What students said most drew them to American, though, is how the university manages to balance the benefits of a big city with a more intimate academic feel. It’s the appealing middle ground that many students are looking for: a medium-sized university that still delivers the discussion-driven classes and close faculty relationships you might expect from a liberal arts college.

American University, Washington, D.C. American University is a leader among Washington DC universities in global education. American University enrolls a diverse student body from throughout the United States and nearly 140 countries.

In some families, it's unnerving to let a high schooler go without a programmed week over the summer; yet, in our experience, giving teens the time to explore and deepen their more unusual interests reaps dividends both personally and in the college admissions process. So, if you see that your child has free time this summer, Caroline has some advice on how you can encourage them to use it their way!

Making the Most of Your Summer–Your Way – Distinctive Have you ever heard Frank Sinatra’s song “My Way?” It’s kind of a dirge, and honestly I don’t really recommend it. I only listened to it for the first time when I learned about the phenomenon of “My Way” karaoke murders (absolutely worth a Google). But there’s a reason it’s so popu...

This week, Cho headed off to Emerson College, a school where the right student just knows they belong there. Situated right next to Boston Common, it's a focused creative community built around communications, journalism, the arts, performance, and film and media. Through the Professional Arts Consortium, students can also cross-register at other Boston-area arts institutions, adding breadth to an already specialized education. Global opportunities are impressive (a semester at a castle in the Netherlands, an LA campus on Sunset Blvd), and the alumni network, affectionately called the "Emerson Mafia," is tight-knit and helps students find internships and post-graduate opportunities. Graduates end up everywhere from Saturday Night Live and Studio Ghibli to Penguin Random House. If your student has a creative passion they can't stop talking about, Emerson is worth a serious look!

Many juniors have no idea how to approach the brag sheets they receive in the spring from their counselor and teacher letter writers. If your teenager is feeling a little confused about what to say in theirs, Victoria has put together some advice on how to avoid the most common pitfalls in her latest blog post:

The 3 Biggest Brag Sheet Blunders – Distinctive Besides the bursts of pink cherry blossoms, the sugary gooeyness of Cadbury Crème Eggs, and the mulchy petrichor following drizzly afternoons, nothing says spring quite like high school juniors’ brag sheets. These often lengthy questionnaires, sometimes referred to as Counselor Forms, Junior Pack...

As Cho recently discovered on his visit, Brandeis is a wonderful choice for those looking for a liberal arts-focused education in a research university setting. As a R1 research university with a relatively small undergraduate population, students get real research access and faculty mentorship without getting lost in the crowd. 57% of students engage in research, and nearly 80% complete at least one internship (frequently two or three) before graduation, often connected through professor relationships. The campus culture is warm and collaborative (no grade curving, no cutthroat competition), and strong pre-professional support translates into excellent placement rates for jobs, graduate school, and fellowships, including recognition as a top Fulbright-producing university.