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HelloCollege

HelloCollege
Your go-to source for stress-free college
admissions guidance, expert tutoring, and essay coaching. sayhellocollege.com

We help students find their best-fit schools while saving time and money—let’s say “hello” to your future together!

10/13/2026

The HelloCollege Class of 2026 admissions results are impressive. But the results we’re proudest of reflect what goes on behind each outcome.

The Class of 2026 survey results show that:

▪️99.7% of students felt more confident applying to college
▪️98% of students said HelloCollege made the process less stressful
▪️99.7% of students stayed organized and met deadlines

Every acceptance came after a counselor stayed with a student through a difficult decision, an essay coach pushed for the honest version instead of the safe one, or a tutor found the explanation that finally made it all click.

The outcomes are real. So is the work that produced them.

10/12/2026

November 1st is 3 weeks away.

Last week was about getting essays drafted. This week is about refining them and making sure nothing else falls through.

Four things to check off this week:

✅ Essays: Get a second set of eyes on every draft. A parent, a counselor, a teacher. Someone who can tell if your writing is clear and actually sounds like you.
✅ Rec letters: Confirm with every teacher that their letter is on track. Don't assume!
✅ Common App: Don't wait until the last minute to input your information into the Common App. Start filling in each section now. You can save as you go.
✅ Financial aid prep: CSS Profile due dates vary by school. Know yours.

Two weeks from now is when the pressure really builds. Doing this work now is what will make it manageable.

Save this. And make sure to check these items off before our next list drops next week.

10/07/2026

Fall of senior year is one of the strangest seasons of parenting.

You are proud of them. You are anxious for them. You are trying to help without hovering. You are Googling things at midnight that you really wish someone had just explained to you earlier.

And underneath all of it, there is this quiet awareness that something is shifting. This chapter is almost over.

That feeling is real. And it does not get talked about nearly enough.

Send it to a parent who is right in the middle of it.

10/06/2026

Kevin Krebs and Allison Dahleen recently attended an NSHSS conference at Columbia University, and they had the chance to catch up with former HelloCollege student Ben, now a sophomore finance major at NYU.

“The best part of working with students is watching them grow up and thrive,” Allison shared.

It’s never just about the outcome. Our team cares about each student, their success, and their growth.

10/05/2026

November 1st is 4 weeks away.

For counselors and parents supporting seniors with Early Decision or Early Action deadlines, this is the week that separates the students who feel confident in their applications from the ones who end up rushing just to finish.

Three things worth checking with your student this week:

✅ Is their Common App personal statement finalized?
✅ Have they identified and started writing their supplemental essays?
✅ Do they plan to submit standardized test scores and have they requested official reports?

Four weeks sounds like a lot. In application season, it goes fast.

Save this to review with your senior. We'll be back next week with 3 weeks until November 1.

10/01/2026

College application season is in full swing. As seniors head into the thick of deadlines and decisions, we’re looking back at our 2026 graduates as a reminder of what all that hard work can accomplish.

Our Class of 2026 survey results show:

• 92% of students were accepted to a reach school
• 76% of students were accepted to one of their top three college choices
• 49% of students were accepted to their #1 choice school

To this year’s seniors: keep going! We can't wait to share your admissions wins next.

09/30/2026

FAFSA opens tomorrow! Do not sit down to fill it out unprepared.

Here is what to have ready before you start:

✅ Your FSA ID - both student and parent need one, and getting it set up takes time. Do this now.
✅ Social Security numbers for student and parents
✅ Most recent federal tax returns (you will use prior-prior year income)
✅ Records of untaxed income, assets, and savings
✅ A list of the colleges your student is applying to

A few things that trip families up every year:
- Waiting too long. Many state and school aid programs are first-come, first-served.
- Forgetting the state deadline. It is often earlier than the federal one.
- Assuming FAFSA is only for low-income families. It is not.

Save this and do yourself a favor by submitting early.

09/24/2026

If your student is a senior, here is where things should stand right now:

✅ College list finalized - reach, target, and safety schools confirmed
✅ Common App account created and personal statement drafted
✅ Recommendation letters requested from two core junior-year teachers
✅ Testing plan locked in - know whether you are submitting scores and to which schools
✅ Supplemental essay research started - know what each school asks for
✅ Resume and activities list updated and ready
✅ Family FSA ID created for FAFSA (opens October 1)

If one or two of these are not done yet, this week is the week to move on them.

The students who finish strong in the fall almost always started September ahead of where they thought they needed to be.

Save this. Share it with your student.

09/23/2026

Parents, a question for the fall:

How are you staying involved in your student's application process without taking it over?

It is one of the hardest balancing acts of this whole season. Too much and they push back. Too little and things fall through the cracks.

What is actually working in your house right now? We would love to hear it.

09/19/2026

After working with thousands of students, here is what we consistently see in the ones who get in:

✅ A clear narrative that ties the whole application together - someone could describe them in one sentence
✅ Activities that show depth and leadership, not just a long list of memberships
✅ Essays that sound like the actual student - specific, honest, and a little unexpected
✅ A school list built around real fit, not just rankings
✅ Recommendations from people who know them well enough to say something specific
✅ A stand-out factor - one thing that makes them memorable to someone reading thousands of applications

At highly selective schools, grades and test scores are the baseline. Everyone who gets in already has them. What separates accepted students from waitlisted ones is almost always on this list.

Save this if you are starting to build your student's application strategy.

Address

1415 W 22nd Street Tower Floor
Oak Brook, IL
60523

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 7pm
Tuesday	9am - 7pm
Wednesday	9am - 7pm
Thursday	9am - 7pm
Friday	9am - 7pm

Website

http://sayhellocollege.com/

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