Distinctive College Consulting

Early Decision has long been a strategic card to play for students who can afford to attend a school regardless of the financial aid package awarded. With some colleges now costing over $100,000, I can't help but wonder if this lawsuit will level the admissions playing field, induce colleges to offer better financial aid across the board, or convince colleges to come up with another scheme to ensure strong yield and the enrollment of full-pay applicants. What are your thoughts?

Antitrust lawsuit against 32 colleges with early decision can proceed, judge rules However, U.S. District Judge Angel Kelley dismissed the claims against Common App and other noncollege defendants.

With all the recent discussion sparked by *The Atlantic* and *The New York Times* about whether we're becoming a "post-literate" society, one thing has become increasingly clear: many students are reading less deeply than ever before.

As college counselors, we see the impact firsthand.

Every summer, families ask us how students can prepare for the college admissions process. They expect us to recommend another academic program, internship, or leadership opportunity.

Instead, one of our most consistent pieces of advice is surprisingly simple:

📚 Read.

Reading is one of the best ways to become a stronger writer, a more thoughtful thinker, and a more effective communicator. Students who read widely develop richer vocabularies, stronger critical thinking skills, and more authentic voices, all of which show up in their college essays and far beyond.

In her latest blog post, our very own Caroline Matas shares practical, encouraging tips for helping students build a reading habit this summer. Whether your teen loves books, prefers audiobooks, or can't seem to put down their phone, she offers realistic strategies for making reading part of everyday life.

Summer doesn't have to be filled with nonstop résumé-building. Sometimes the most valuable thing a student can do is slow down, pick up a great book, and get lost in it.

What's the best book you've read lately? We'd love to hear your recommendations in the comments!

Become a Better Reader in Just One Easy Step (Pick up a Book) – Distinctive Every student I work with receives the same exhortation as we talk through their summer plans. Between the summer classes, the sports camps, the internships, and the travel, please, I beg them, please, make time to read a book by the pool.

Years ago, while traveling through Eastern Europe, Victoria accidentally boarded the wrong train. At the time, it felt like a disaster. Looking back, it became one of the most memorable and meaningful lessons of her life.

That experience also captures what so many students miss when writing their college essays.

Admissions officers aren't looking for the most impressive story. They're looking for the person behind the story. The events themselves are simply the backdrop. What matters most is how those experiences changed you, challenged you, or helped you grow.

In Victoria's latest blog post, she shares the story of her unexpected train ride to explain why the internal journey is almost always more compelling than the external one, and how understanding that distinction can transform a college essay.

If you have a high school student who will be applying to college this year (or in the future), we hope you'll give it a read!

Taking the Right Train of Thought in Your College Essays – Distinctive To tell a story is hard. Or is it, a story is hard to tell? Or maybe, hard it is to tell a story? These variations on the same theme reveal the difficulties you face when trying to write, let alone trying to develop your college essays. Where do you start, or more importantly, what do you emphasize?...

Even if you didn't attend a "party school," we'd bet that you could have found parties 4 or 5 nights a week if you wanted to.

That's one reason we've always thought the "party school" label is a bit unfair. At almost any college, students gravitate toward the parts of campus life that appeal to them. Some spend their evenings in the library, some in research labs or rehearsal spaces, some on athletic fields, and yes, some at parties.

If there's a college on your child's list that gives you pause because of its reputation for being "too much fun," Cho offers a thoughtful perspective that may change the way you think about these schools.

Should You Worry About Party Schools? – Distinctive The summer is upon us! A time of beach vacations, mountain getaways, Fourth of July barbecues, and the 2026 World Cup – in other words, parties. Some amount of revelry is not just understandable but well-deserved after a long school year. When it comes to college life, however, a school’s partyi...

This article catches out attention, because it reinforces an idea that we increasingly see appear: employers, even at AI companies, are seeking deep thinkers to counter the surface-level output of many who are creating with "AI training." Nothing can replace the tough questions we can and should ask of ourselves and machines, and it looks like the humanities are delivering some of the most relevant skills for the future.

Philosophers Are the Latest Hiring Target for AI Companies A.I. labs are hiring contrarian, chin-stroking, finger-steepling sages. Who’s underemployed now?

As one of only two universities in the UK where it’s possible to work towards a US Bachelor’s Degree, Northeastern University has brought its signature, pre-professional co-op education from Boston to London. Yet, despite this distinction, Victoria recently discovered that you shouldn’t expect an American-style education here.

The UK-style coursework will keep students focused on their one of 13 “courses” (aka majors) spanning the social sciences, humanities, business, and tech just steps away from the iconic Tower of London. These full-time undergraduates mix with Northeastern’s US-based global scholars, creating a truly international feel. Perhaps it’s unsurprising that this campus has grown over 250% in the last 3 years - and it’s still expanding!

If you’re looking for a campus that offers the excitement of innovation, multiculturalism, hands-on learning, and fun (did I mention they regularly give away tickets to students to West End shows?), NU London may just be the school for you!

🎓 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.