College Essay Assurance

03/26/2026

Hopefully a few of those “yeses” have started rolling in. I recommend doing everything you can to get to these Admitted Student Days! Here’s how to make them count.
https://www.instagram.com/p/DVv6nZ0msKs/?igsh=MWs5eWh5M2phbTlnMg==

01/14/2025

Some good tips in this article as we all sit and wait...🫨

Excerpted from "You’ve Submitted Your College Application: Now What?"
By Shannon Kennedy ~Top Tier Admissions~ January 9, 2025
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Document the accomplishment.
Completing a college application is an accomplishment to be celebrated even before you learn the outcome. You did a lot of work to put all the pieces together to tell your story. To commemorate all of that hard work, save a PDF of each one of your applications by downloading them from the Common App dashboard. It can be fun to look back at in the future and reflect on what you have learned since that fateful moment in time.

Check your email.
After you hit submit, you can expect a series of emails with a few business days. Colleges will be letting you know if you application is received and complete or if you are missing any materials. Additionally, you might be offered opportunities to participate in an interview or to compete for additional scholarships. These opportunities might have short windows to reply or submit so make checking your email a daily habit if it isn’t already.

Log in to your portals.
One of those emails you receive from each college will most likely include instructions and credentials for establishing a portal to communicate with you. As your admission decision may be one of the things you obtain through your portal, you should set up your portal access right away, so you don’t run into any technical difficulty trying to set it up later when your admission decision is ready. Thoroughly explore each portal as it could contain additional options to add updates, portfolios, recommendation letters, updated grades and other credentials. Create a system for organizing the login information for your application portals and check them regularly (at least weekly) for updates.

Re-assess your list.
It’s not over until it’s over. Now is a good time to take stock of how you feel about where you have applied. Has anything changed about your preferences or priorities? Are there any early trends in admission decisions that are making you rethink your list? There are colleges with later deadlines or rolling admission plans that might still be open for application. If one more safe application will help you feel more secure while you wait, check into the possibilities.

Apply for scholarships.
Colleges may email you about additional scholarship opportunities or notify you on your portal (Remember to check your email and portals!!) Beyond what colleges offer there are many outside scholarships to pursue. Your high school may communicate local opportunities so make sure you know how that information is disseminated or ask your school counselor to let you know of any local scholarships that you would be a good fit for you. Online search engines also offer a multitude of scholarships to consider.

Confirm mid-year grades will be sent.
Mid-year grades are a standard request from colleges in regular decision or when you have been deferred from early action. Even if you were admitted in early decision, colleges may still want to see how you are doing in senior year. Your high school counselor should automatically send your mid-year grades but check in to make sure there is nothing that you need to do to activate that process.

Update admissions officers on any important developments.
Until you receive a final admission decision, you should send any important new information to colleges where you applied. This might include things like awards, leadership roles, test scores, or scholarships that enhance your credentials. Generally, an email to the main admissions address or portal upload will do the trick, but you can copy your regional admissions officer if you have that specific info. Remember to thank them for their time and try to keep your updates to a minimum.

Continue your college research.
If you are deferred or waitlisted, you will most likely need to write a letter of continued interest. ... Being able to expand on your original reasons for wanting to attend can improve your chances of admission. ... Continuing to follow the college social media ... to stay up to date on recent developments can help you be prepared in these situations.

Withdraw or decline any offers you won’t consider.
As you receive admissions offers and your options crystalize you might be able to narrow your choices to a few contenders. It is courteous to let the colleges that you definitely will not attend know by declining their offer in writing from the email address on your application. .....
Finish strong.
And, while you are enjoying the high school countdown…don’t have too much fun! Senioritis must be avoided at all costs. Any significant drop in grades can jeopardize your admissions as you will submit a final transcript to the college of your choice. ..
Practice gratitude.
The college admissions process requires support, and you have a few people to thank. Don’t forget about the recommenders and school counselors who helped you along the way. A note or email of gratitude shows that you appreciate your team. It is also a time to be thankful for all of the experiences you will have in the remainder of your senior year, savor your final games, dances and classes as you prepare for your next adventure. ....

Send a message to learn more

01/07/2025

The college process is a family affair! Here’s a helpful free webinar for parents -register with link.

Can't make it live? Recording of this session will be emailed to all registrants within 1-2 business days after the event. We'll also upload them to our Webinar & Live Events page.

12/10/2024

It's been a busy fall working with wonderful students. For some, big news is imminent. Ivy Day will be Thursday, 12/12❗️
⬇️Other schools’ December notifications⬇️

Most Ivy Leagues announce together on Ivy Day. As often happens, several other competitive schools have announced their alignment for ED/EA notifications--NYU, Clemson, Washington Univ-St. Louis and CalTech among them. Good luck to all!

Other announced dates:
12/11 - Emory, Colorado College
12/13 - Brown (3pm), Tufts, UVA, Johns Hopkins, Pomona, WPI, Smith, Swarthmore, Williams, Amherst, Colgate, Ohio State
12/14 - RPI, Skidmore, Wesleyan
12/17 - Notre Dame, Northwestern

Some colleges have already announced ED:
Boston College, Providence, Middlebury, Miami of Ohio, Case Western, Loyola Marymount, Fairfield, Tulane, Villanova, UVermont, Wellesley.
Early Action: Georgia Tech & UGeorgia

Send a message to learn more

04/30/2024

If you are in the Boston area, here's a 2-day great opportunity to meet reps from many colleges in one fell swoop. May 2-3 at The Boston Convention Center in the Seaport.

This year’s Boston Fair will feature a STEM/PVA component. Located on the exhibit floor, there will be special sections designated specifically for:

03/28/2024

Do your breathing exercises -- It's Ivy Day!!

The 8 Ivy League universities all announce at the same time each year, typically between 5-7pm. It marks one of the last notification dates for admissions of the season, and several other prestigious universities fall in line. The last day to hear from any school is April 1st.
Repeat after me -- It All Works Out!!

01/31/2024

"January 31, 2024
Another ‘Devastating’ FAFSA Delay

Colleges will not receive applicants’ federal aid information until March. They may be forced to push back commitment deadlines, and the delay could discourage low-income students from enrolling."

Colleges will not receive applicants’ federal aid information until March. They may be forced to push back commitment deadlines, and the delay could discourage low-income students from enrolling.

01/25/2024

Did you know that almost all colleges notify applicants on a Friday?

(Limits the complaint calls to the admissions office!) Here are some of the anticipated notifications to come this Friday, Jan. 26th:
University of Michigan, University of Miami, Georgia Tech, Smith College ED2, University of Maryland, University of Richmond, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champagne.

Two more for the weekend (January 27-28):
- Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI)
- Macalester ED2

🤞GOOD LUCK ALL!

If you know of any others, drop a comment below.

01/19/2024

There's a wealth of free information out there if you know where to look!
Upcoming FAFSA WORKSHOP, for anyone befuddled by the delayed new version just rolled out or to simply learn what's ahead.
The Coalition is an alternate application to the Common App.

Explore Coalition for College events like college fairs and panel discussions with admissions professionals on topics that help students prepare to apply to college.

01/06/2024

It's not too late! Here's a list of colleges with later application deadlines.
Reach out for help to make it count!
(List compiled by Top Tier Admissions)

Adelphi (NY) Rolling
Antioch College (OH) Rolling
Barry University (FL) Rolling
Baylor University (TX) Feb 1
Bennington College (VT) Jan 15
Bryant University (RI) Feb 1
Butler University (IN) Feb 1
Chapman University (CA) Jan 15
Coastal Carolina University (SC) Feb 1
Creighton University (NE) Jan 10
Fairleigh Dickinson University (NJ) Rolling
Franklin Pierce University (NH) Rolling
Goucher College (MD) Jan 15
Hobart & William Smith College (NY) Feb 1
Ithaca College (NY) Feb 1
Loyola University New Orleans (LA) April 15
Manhattanville College (NY) Rolling
Muhlenberg College (PA) Feb 1
Pace University (NY) Feb 15
Penn State University (PA) Rolling
Providence College (RI) Jan 15
Quinnipiac University (CT) Feb 1
Regis University (CO) April 22
Roger Williams University (RI) Feb 1
St. John’s College MD and NM) Jan 15 (Rolling after Feb 15)
Siena College (NY) Feb 15
Simmons College (MA) Feb 1
Spelman College (GA) Feb 1
St. Lawrence University (NY) Feb 1
Stetson University (FL) Rolling
Suffolk University (MA) Feb 15
Temple University (PA) Feb 1
Texas Christian University (TX) Feb 1
The American University of Paris (France) Mar 15 (International after Apr 1)
The New School (NY) Jan 15
Trinity College Dublin (Ireland) after May 1st until June 30th
University of Alabama (AL) Rolling
University of Edinburgh (Scotland) Jan 31
University of Denver (CO) Jan 15
University of Kentucky (KY) Feb 15
UMASS – Lowell (MA) Feb 5 (Rolling until Aug 1 -select majors)
University of Michigan (MI) Feb 1
University of Oregon (OR) Jan 15
Ursinus College (PA) Feb 1
Willamette University (OR) Feb 1
Worcester Polytechnic Institute (MA) Feb 15

09/18/2023

DEBATING THE ETHICS OF SUPPLEMENTAL ESSAY QUESTIONS -- A WHOLE NEW HOT TOPIC
In the face of the Supreme Court's ruling earlier this year that colleges may not consider race a factor in admission decisions, many colleges on the 2023 Common App showed up with new supplemental essay prompts.
Harvard was just one of them, and now the students themselves are weighing in on the changes in a fascinating debate sure to set off the next wave of just what in known society can be considered privileged, racist, sexist or biased.

In the college's newspaper, the Harvard Crimson Editorial Board took a stance, declaring the new application discriminates against marginalized backgrounds and those without access to "advanced education."
"[S]hortening the essays has a disparate impact that falls heaviest on those from marginalized backgrounds. Learning to package yourself within a shorter amount of space is a product of advanced education; longer essays more equitably allow applicants to discuss their experiences in full, particularly if they are from non-traditional backgrounds and require more space to elaborate on nuanced qualifications.
"Another issue is the prompts themselves. Formerly, students picked one topic from a list of prompts, giving them maximum agency over the best way to share their own narratives; now, the new mandatory prompts force students to answer questions that may not even be relevant to their background at all." This is the argument defended in the Sept 12. piece.
As any educational institution worth its salt would defend, there are always multiple ways to view a controversial topic. And the Harvard Crimson offered up an opposing OpEd with two students arguing the new prompts are actually MORE equitable. "These prompts give clear guidance on what Harvard wants to know about its applicants. For a student with limited experience in writing an application, the prompts assuage the burden of trying to determine the aspects of their life that interest Harvard," asserts the dissenting OpEd piece.
Something tells me that the changes to all colleges' application procedures and the Common App have just begun!

You can view the whole original article here: https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2023/9/12/editorial-new-harvard-essay-prompts/
and the dissenting opinion piece here: https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2023/9/12/dissent-new-harvard-essay-prompts/

While Harvard’s new prompts signify a notable effort to meet the moment, we have misgivings about the ability of these new questions to thoroughly capture the diverse array of student experiences. How can students reasonably condense discussions about formative life experiences and their identitie...

08/26/2023

Inside Higher Ed reports that many colleges are facing the new dilemmas and possibilities that AI and ChapGPT bring head-on with their new class.

*Denison University in Ohio just held a debate for freshmen to hash out their ChatGPT arguments, run by a nonprofit focused on political depolarization.
*The University of San Francisco crafted an orientation session "on the chat bot that explored the pros, cons and potential ethical issues of using it for schoolwork."
*Starting this year, Virginia public colleges are required to incorporate free speech training into orientation.
*Last year, some Michigan State professors required students to handwrite all papers to avoid easy ChatGPT assistance.