College Consulting Services

A spot on analysis of the limitations of college rankings.

Top 3 Reasons NOT to Trust Rankings This week the US News and World Report rankings of colleges came out. Over the years, I have written extensively about this topic, in order to put them in perspective and point away from the list …

Good takeaway here. "If you find yourself combing through commercial rankings like US News and World Report, searching for what has—often haphazardly—been dubbed the “best”, put down the magazine. You are only setting yourself up for the curse of the maximizer! Instead, go out and look for an opportunity that will be excellent, while meeting as many of YOUR unique needs as possible."

The College Admission Paradox: Opportunity And Choice Whether you are deciding on the college you will attend, or just starting to make sense of all your college options, don’t fall prey to the “tyranny of choice.”

More evidence of the limitations of college rankings.

Op-Ed: The tyranny of college rankings — and why we need to leave them behind Students should ditch the U.S. News and other “best colleges” rankings and instead ask themselves what schools would best serve their personal goals.

College rankings have changed the landscape of the admissions process as enrollment management teams keep tabs on the “student selectivity” factor in the rankings. (Sending out more denial letters means higher selectivity scores.) The implications here are far-reaching and not in the best interest of students.

If your son or daughter is looking into prospective colleges, don’t jump to the top of the rankings list to find the best school for him or her. There are many factors involved in making a good choice that reach beyond those used in the rankings, and the most important factors should actually involve your son or daughter.

'Breaking Ranks' is a new book that attacks 'U.S. News' New book offers a harsh critique of the rankings industry and its impact on undergraduate colleges and law schools.

Boston University sees record-breaking number of freshman applicants.

Class of 2026 Hopefuls: BU’s Largest Applicant Pool Ever Number of underrepresented and first-gen students increases significantly and early decision applicants up 11.5 percent

Rick Clark, Director of Admissions at Georgia Tech, shares valuable insight into the world of college admissions. His recent blog post provides wisdom for parents of college bound students, and it's well worth a read.

Three Messages Parents of High School Students Need to Hear About College Admission I am getting older. I know this because I now bring a mini-massage gun with me when I travel; my pant legs neither tightly hug my calves nor end an inch above my ankle; and when I buy wine at the g…

Rick Clark, Director of Admission at Georgia Tech, offers thoughtful blog posts ([email protected]). His thoughts on what we can learn from this past year are shared in the attached post.

College Admission: Give Your Full 75%! In many ways it appears we are nearing the end of the pandemic. While the most uttered term in 2020 was “pivot,” in 2021 “return to normal” is making a strong campaign. I am urging you not to do th…

As predicted, top colleges received record numbers of applications making it a great year for them, but more competitive for their applicants.

For top colleges, 2021 is a great year in admissions For the most selective colleges, 2021 is pretty perfect in admissions. For everyone else, that remains to be seen.

Waitlists are likely to be larger this year than in previous years. Should you consider a place on the waitlist as an equivalent to a denial?

Many expect waiting lists to be worse than ever this year Some predict the worst year ever, but others say that waiting lists may primarily be a factor at highly competitive colleges.

http://www.bu.edu/articles/2021/university-will-distribute-11-5-million-in-pandemic-aid-to-students-in-need/
BU will distribute half of its pandemic relief aid to students in need.

University Will Distribute $11.5 Million in Pandemic Aid to Needy Students The other half of the federal aid package will be used to pay down pandemic-related costs

Good news...colleges are planning for a more normal fall.

Colleges are planning for a more normal fall - The Boston Globe The hope is that much of the population will be protected against COVID-19 by summer and the many rituals of campus life that were put on hold during the pandemic, from face-to-face club meetings to sports events and dance recitals, can return.

Financial Aid can take many forms. Here's some good information on merit based scholarships.

17 Things to Know About Merit Aid Scholarships Students can receive merit scholarships for good grades and high test scores.