Hirko Consulting

06/02/2026

Did you know USC had a campus in DC?! When offered, 120 lucky students spend their fall semester freshman year living in the heart of upscale DC and taking classes toward their degree in a very independent setting!

05/31/2026

An integrated part of DC, The George Washington University boasts urban living, expected majors for its location like Political Communication along with business and engineering -- and changing majors is not a problem! It also offers an impressive mix of domestic and international opportunities in all areas of interest.

05/28/2026

American U is a sanctuary in the city. A public arboretum filled with more than 200 cherry trees, it's commitment to public policy development builds on a spirit of civil and productive conversations from both sides of the aisle.

05/25/2026

University of Maryland stands out in science, engineering, journalism and its commitment to its large student body. KERMIT was born there! Go Terps!

05/03/2026

I'm fairly good at reading forms, but this makes my head spin.

Colleges could standardize financial aid information to make it easier to compare. But they don’t.

04/13/2026

Test Scores: Where They're Required Now!
These colleges have reinstated SAT or ACT testing requirements (or now strongly prefer them), sorted alphabetically:

Allegheny Wesleyan College
Allen College
Auburn University (required below a GPA threshold)
Boston University (exceptions apply)
Brigham Young University - Hawaii
Brigham Young University - Idaho
Brown University
California Institute of Technology (Caltech)
Carnegie Mellon University
Case Western Reserve University
Clemson University
Cornell University
Cumberland University
Dartmouth College
Duke University
Emory University
Georgetown University
Georgia Institute of Technology
Harvard University
Johns Hopkins University
Kettering College
Lee University
Louisiana State University (LSU)
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
Methodist College
Mills College
Missouri Valley College
Northwestern University
Piedmont University
Princeton University
Purdue University
Randall University
Stanford University
United States Service Academies
University of Alabama (System)
University of Chicago
University of Florida (System)
University of Georgia (System)
University of Illinois
University of Maryland
University of Miami
University of Michigan (test preferred)
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (required below GPA threshold)
University of Pennsylvania
University of South Carolina
University of Tennessee (System)
University of Texas at Austin
University of Virginia
University of Wisconsin–Madison (test preferred)
Vanderbilt University (test preferred)
Villanova University
Washington University in St. Louis
Yale
York College of Pennsylvania

03/29/2026

https://bierercollegeconsulting.com/wait-list-fundamentals-2/

Weekly College Column Wait-list Fundamentals March 24, 2026March 24, 2026 by Lee Shulman Bierer The wait-list, commonly referred to as “admissions purgatory,” is that ugly and uncomfortable grey area – they didn’t like you enough to accept you, and they didn’t hate you enough to reject you...

03/12/2026

The FAFSA: Friend or Foe? In almost all cases, Friend. So, friends, fill it out!

02/28/2026

Decisions are on their way! Consider financial fit. Lee Bierer breaks down Financial Aid basics in this article.

Weekly College Column Financial Aid Basics February 24, 2026February 25, 2026 by Lee Shulman Bierer Acceptances may be rolling in, but now is the tough time to figure out the best financial fit for your family. The most prestigious colleges and universities aren’t typically the most affordable. Fa...

02/10/2026

Going on college tours this spring? This is a terrific guide!

This week we welcome Associate Director for Guest Experience, Andrew Cohen, to the blog. Welcome, Andrew! As admission counselors are busy reading applications, campus visit teams are busy preparin…