College Primed

09/09/2026

Dear Parents,
Do not let important college emails get lost in your student’s inbox!

Your student will receive LOTS of emails throughout the college search and application process. There are a few ways to make sure those emails actually get read.

Since your student’s high school email account may expire after graduation, consider having them create a Gmail account specifically for all things college-related.

I know what some of you are thinking: “Great. I have just given my student another email account to ignore!” 😂

That is where you come in.

Your student can share the new email address with you, OR you can set up Gmail to automatically forward certain emails to your account so important college-related communications do not get overlooked.

👌🏾You can set email forwarding up from a computer while signed into the student’s Gmail account:

1. Open the student’s Gmail account.

2. Click the gear ⚙️ in the upper-right corner.

3. Select See all settings.

4. Select Forwarding and POP/IMAP.

5. Under Forwarding, click Add a forwarding address.

6. Enter the parent’s Gmail address.

7. Click Next → Proceed → OK.

8. Gmail will send a verification email to the parent’s Gmail account.

9. The parent should open the email and click the verification link.

10. Return to the student’s Gmail settings.

Important: Do NOT turn on blanket forwarding. Instead, you will use Gmail filters to determine which messages should be forwarded to the parent.

For example, you might want your parent account to receive:

• College admissions emails

• FAFSA/financial aid communications

• Scholarship notifications

• Emails directly from colleges

• Messages from the student’s school counselor

• Testing organizations such as College Board or ACT

This gives your student ownership of their college email account while giving you a little extra peace of mind that an important deadline, financial aid request, scholarship award, enrollment deadline, housing notice, or admissions message does not get missed.

One more tip: Have your student use this email address consistently when creating college-related accounts. The goal is to create one dedicated college email address that they can continue using throughout the entire college search and application process and beyond.

08/30/2026

Some well-known colleges are struggling to meet their enrollment goals. The WSJ examines several reasons behind the decline in student enrollment as it takes a closer look at what is happening at Syracuse University.

“ Fewer young people are enrolling in college, as the *country reconsiders the value of a university education. Tuition that has outpaced inflation for decades has saddled students with high debt and yielded uneven returns on careers. The current tough job market, squeezed by the rise of artificial intelligence, has added to the anxiety.

There could be even fewer students in the future—as the birthrate falls, the number of 18- to 24-year-olds in the U.S. is set to decline.”

The enrollment crisis taking down smaller schools is now hitting bigger, brand-name universities.

08/13/2026

BIG news: Tuition at the University of Tulsa, a private university, has dropped to just $25K a year!

UTulsa announced Tuesday that annual undergraduate tuition and fees are moving from $54,000 to $25,000, making it the most affordable private research university in America’s heartland.

08/08/2026

Why are more students choosing colleges outside their home state? Jeff Selingo breaks down the trend and what is driving it.

08/02/2026

How much help is too much when it comes to the personal statement and the application?

This is one of the most common questions I receive from families, especially now that the Common Application is open and AI tools are everywhere. Parents want to know how to support their student without crossing the line from coach to co-author.

Cornell University’s office of admissions recently published an explanation of what types of assistance are ethical and appropriate and what crosses the line. Cornell’s guidance reinforces something I have always believed: the application should ultimately reflect the student’s thinking, their voice, and their work.

We understand that there’s a lot to navigate within the college application process, and there are many resources available to potentially help you complete your application. Help that is ethical and acceptable to utilize in your application process includes:

08/01/2026

The Common App is officially open!

If your student is applying to colleges that use the Common Application, today marks the start of application season.

There is no prize for submitting it on Day 1.

Instead, use this time to:
✅ Create (or log into) your Common App account
✅ Complete the profile and family information sections
✅ Add colleges to your list
✅ Review each college’s requirements
✅ Begin brainstorming and drafting essays

Many sections can be completed now, while others—such as test score, final transcripts, and recommendation letters—will be handled later.

You can complete a section today and another tomorrow. The key is steady progress toward a thoughtful, polished application submitted well before the deadline.

Parents, this is a great time to schedule a few focused work sessions with your student. Small, consistent steps add up.

If you’d like expert guidance to keep your student organized, confident, and on track, College Primed, LLC is here to help. We work one-on-one with students on applications, essays, and deadlines.
Reach out today to schedule a consultation and get personalized support for your family’s college process.

06/22/2026

Dear students, SUMMER is here!

No plans? Consider chilling with a good book. Whether you're finishing one 📚 you started during finals season or cracking open something new, there's nothing like reading under the sun (or in the shade with snacks & a beverage).

Bonus: your future self will thank you when that English class or college essay rolls around. 😎

06/22/2026

06/19/2026

Happy

06/17/2026

✅It’s ESSAY drafting & writing season!

Please take a moment and listen to this perspective