Admissions Revolution

04/01/2025

03/31/2025

A friendly reminder that I'm hosting a Facebook Live Q&A TONIGHT at 9:30pm ET on my page >> https://bit.ly/3E0L9lY

Just post your college admissions questions in the comments section of the live video and I'll answer as many as I can! 🙌

03/28/2025

03/27/2025

Today is Ivy Day. All eight Ivy League institutions will release admissions decisions for the Regular Decision round. I write a new piece every year on this day. This year, I thought about not writing anything. If someone is set on attending an Ivy for college, not much will change their mind. But for those of you who don't get admitted, your mind and heart will change faster than you think.

That is the thing about rejection. You grow in ways you don't expect. Months and years later you realize how important that moment was—rejection leads to unexpected opportunity. I remember this photograph from my senior year of high school. It was taken at the end of the tennis season when I hadn’t reached my goal of playing singles. I was disappointed. And, that is why I decided to write something for today.

I think about all of my rejections, failures, and shortcomings this time of year. Every single disappointment I experienced turned into an extraordinary turn of events. My love for tennis pivoted to a love for the stage—acting in college. My “low” SAT scores allowed me to attend a college that changed my life. Dropping out of law school led to my first admissions job. Leaving my "dream job" as a Dean of Admissions inspired me to write a book. And my first failed business helped me create a successful second business.

Success is right in front of you if you are willing to look.

Ivy Day is a day to pivot away from something you wanted to something you have. Don't overlook the colleges that offered you admission, merit scholarships, or acceptance to an honors program. It doesn't matter what the name of the college is, how highly ranked it is, or what athletic conference it is a part of. We just need one opportunity. One acceptance. One person who believes in us. That person is you.

Make the most of this pivot. It is right in front of you. It is in your hands. No waiting. No judgement. Just pure acceptance.

That is what I would tell my 18 year old self. So, I’m telling you. ❤️

03/26/2025

College counselor Sara Harberson outlines five current things on her mind regarding college admissions.

03/25/2025

Georgetown University will begin accepting the Common Application in the fall 2026 application cycle, multiple sources familiar with the decision confirmed to The Hoya. The shift, which will begin with applicants for admission to the undergraduate Class of 2031, marks a major change away from the un...

03/24/2025

Letters of recommendation can go a long way towards giving your child's application personality and heart. ❤️

To this end, we're hosting a live video webinar tonight at 8pm ET for Application Nation - Class of 2026 members, revealing the who, what, when, and how of asking teachers for letters of recommendation.

Become a member of Application Nation - Class of 2026 today to join tonight's webinar>> https://bit.ly/4209nVD

On the call, we will:
🌟 Explain who to ask for letters of recommendation (and how to ask them!)
🌟 Outline what is important to ask your letter writers to include
🌟 Review some of the most popular colleges and their specific criteria for letters of recommendation
🌟 Reveal how to handle optional letters of recommendation
🌟 Discuss counselor letters
🌟 Share sample letters of recommendation
🌟 And more!

03/21/2025

03/20/2025

College counselor Sara Harberson explains what the term school group means when used by college admissions offices and why it's an important term to know.

03/19/2025

Tonight at 8pm ET, I'll be live on Zoom teaching my Application Nation members all about school year and summer extracurriculars. A student's activities span all four years of high school, so it's essential to have a solid plan early on.

To get access to tonight's live webinar, join Application Nation for the classes of 2027 and 2028 today! https://bit.ly/4bCT85c

We'll be covering ideas for school year and summer activities grade by grade, providing examples of summer activities that will make your application stand out, and walking through the best way for a student to secure their own opportunity. 🙌

03/18/2025

03/17/2025