2023-08-17 16:56
Picture this: It’s the end of August and you’ve finally received your much anticipated school schedule. You scan the list hoping to see some classes you know your friends are in… Read More
Blog Directory > Education Blogs > Schools & Colleges Blogs > Princeton College Consulting schools-and-colleges Blog >
Princeton College Consulting Blog
blog.princetoncollegeconsulting.net
Princeton College Consulting is a New Jersey based private college counseling practice providing college admissions assistance to students in New Jersey and New York. Our mission is to maximize the probability of students and student athletes earning admission and scholarships to top choice colleges while minimizing stress and anxiety.
2023-07-05 15:15
It’s 9 o’clock on a Saturday; the regular crowd shuffles in…🎵 Read More
2023-06-21 17:16
Selective colleges seek to admit students that are highly interested in attending their college partly because their “ranking” is based on how many admitted students accept their… Read More
2023-06-06 13:03
Remember that classic scene in "The Karate Kid" where Mr. Miyagi teaches Daniel the seemingly pointless tasks of "wax on, wax off," "paint the fence," and "sand the floor"?
This scene… Read More
2023-06-05 11:39
After a grueling junior year filled with AP courses and standardized tests, there is no doubt that soon-to-be high school seniors have earned some rest and relaxation. At the same time, it… Read More
2023-05-12 20:00
Writing is an essential skill that can benefit you in many ways. If you're a student looking to get into college, having great writing skills can increase your chances of success. At its cor… Read More
2023-05-12 16:07
With the common application personal statement and individual colleges’ supplemental essays, students applying to 10 -12 colleges (a reasonable number) may have to write 20 or more ess… Read More
2023-04-21 18:33
How Much is Too Much?
In a recent survey of 2,300 parents by consulting firm EAB, it found that 75% of parents want direct communications from colleges. Additionally, 48% of students nam… Read More
2023-03-30 18:36
"Opportunities don't happen. You create them." - Chris Grosser
You are in the process of exploring different colleges and universities and the thought of reaching out to admissions… Read More
2023-03-28 19:48
Letters of recommendation are essential to your college application, especially since SAT/ACT scores have become optional. Your application is a way to share who you are from your point of v… Read More
2023-03-15 12:13
“What you do today can improve all your tomorrows” - Ralph Marston
With college admissions decisions continuing to roll in and with the May 1st commitment date less than… Read More
2023-03-13 20:15
When building a college list or making decisions of which colleges to visit, and we see this all the time,many students will rely on what their friends tell them and even make decisions rand… Read More
2023-03-10 12:49
As I started thinking about how I wanted to approach writing this post, a famous quote from the movie “The Imitation Game” with Benedict Cumberbatch came to mind:
“Som… Read More
2023-03-07 18:28
Depth over breadth: How to make your extracurricular activities count for college admissions
By now you already know that it’s not just about academics. Having a 4.0 GPA doesn’t… Read More
2023-02-21 18:20
College Placement vs. Honors or Advanced Placement Level
One of the more frequent questions we get from parents and students is: Is it better to stay at the College Placement (CP) or Honors… Read More
2023-02-13 22:04
Navigating the Future: Understanding Your Child’s Capacity and Desire
Learning how to make the most of your time in high school can be a confusing and overwhelming experience. With s… Read More
2023-02-06 20:49
Breaking into University Level Research: A Guide for High School Students
As a high school student, the prospect of conducting research at a university can seem daunting. However, with the… Read More
2023-02-02 21:00
While being deferred or waitlisted can be disappointing and in many respects can feel like a rejection, it is important to understand what being deferred or waitlisted means. A student… Read More
2023-01-26 19:44
How many AP Courses should I take in high school?
While it varies by high school, many high schools start their curriculum planning process for the following year as early as January or F… Read More
2023-01-26 01:14
College Summer Programs: Evaluating the Options
Many summer programs applications open up in January so now is the time to be evaluating whether or not a particular program migh… Read More
2023-01-25 23:27
The personal statement is your chance to shine.
Here's your opportunity to showcase your personality and values to the admissions committee while helping the reader to emotionally connect… Read More
2021-09-06 17:36
The greek poet Archilochus wrote, "the fox knows many things, but the hedgehog knows one big thing." Philosophers have had a field day interpreting this parable, but I hav… Read More
2021-09-06 17:03
After each Write Your Way Into College cohort, I connect with students to get feedback on their experience and what we might be able to do to make the course better. Here's what Lilia had to… Read More
2021-05-23 20:30
This is part 2 of the 5-part ACE Your Personal Statement email series. Parts 2 and 3 are focused on Creating Your Draft. This article is about story structure.
The Epic and The Episodic… Read More
2021-04-30 18:14
April is stress awareness month. During the pandemic we have all had the challenge of maintaining our mental health, but it's been especially difficult for high school students. ……Read More
2021-03-14 14:07
Welcome to the 5-part ACE Your Personal Statement series. We'll start with an article about Accumulating Content. This article is about capturing ideas and preparing to write.
Finding Go… Read More
2021-03-09 00:15
"What gets measured, get managed" - Peter Drucker
Because colleges use GPA's (in context) to sort through applications, many students are painfully aware of their grade average down… Read More
2021-02-26 16:45
Many schools went test-optional for the Class of 2021 and are continuing that policy for the class of 2022 – now more than ever, the essay and other components of the applicat… Read More
2020-04-29 23:42
If you’re like most students, you’re probably feeling frustrated being cooped up inside during the COVID-19 pandemic and if you’re a junior, you could be anxious about t… Read More
2020-04-21 21:48
First things first: We hope you and your family are healthy and safe!
Second, don’t panic. We’re dealing with highly uncertain times. Nobody knows how this pandemic will evol… Read More
2020-04-07 13:00
When completing your college-specific supplements to the Common Application, one prompt you’ll frequently encounter is “Why do you want to study your chosen major?”
Known… Read More
2020-03-09 15:50
While some parts of your college application are fairly cut-and-dry, the Common App activities section —while it initially appears to be simple— is not one of them. In fact, it i… Read More
2020-02-21 14:40
You’re applying to many colleges. So, when you encounter a college essay prompt asking you why you want to attend X college specifically, it can be difficult to pinpoint just what sets… Read More
2019-10-22 19:54
Stanford University is one of the most prestigious institutions in the country, if not the world. With an acceptance rate of under 5 percent, the competition for admission is fierce. You&rsq&hell…Read More
2019-09-26 13:51
How do you tackle the Stanford University short answers and essays? These are an important part of your application — one in which you can convey not only your writing style but also y… Read More
2019-09-16 12:40
Want to be a doctor? It’s a popular, highly competitive profession that only accepts the cream of the crop, and it all starts prior to your undergraduate education. In order to be acce… Read More
2019-08-13 12:44
“I’m going to college.”
This is how you’ll hear most American students describe their postsecondary plans. But really, it’s a bit more nuanced than that. In th… Read More
2019-08-06 14:11
It’s sophomore year, and you know what that means: you need to start thinking about college. But where do you even start?
The college admissions process is a daunting one, but fortun… Read More
2019-07-16 15:12
Advanced Placement courses, or AP courses, are rigorous college-level courses where you can both prove your academic ability and potentially earn college credit. It’s true, takin… Read More
2019-06-24 13:18
When you're applying to college, recommendation letters are one of the most important pieces of your application.
The only trouble is, finding the right person to give you a recommend… Read More
2019-06-03 11:58
No matter how organized you are, applying for college can be time-consuming and stressful. Depending on the institution there can be reams of paperwork to fill out, the prospect of daunting… Read More
2019-06-03 11:58
No matter how organized you are, applying for college can be time-consuming and stressful. Depending on the institution there can be reams of paperwork to fill out, the prospect of daunting… Read More
2019-05-28 11:59
College admissions readers are receiving thousands of applications, and the majority of them are accompanied by multiple letters of recommendation. These letters are crucial to conveying you… Read More
2019-05-13 13:08
Letters of recommendation are an essential part of your college application process. They contextualize your application from an outside perspective and show the degree to which you have ear… Read More
2019-04-15 11:58
While the college application process is a ways off, savvy 9th and 10th graders set goals and develop a plan for success. The key to the goals, however counterintuitively, is that they not f… Read More
2019-04-08 13:01
While you may be able to dash off a literary analysis on the themes in Macbeth the night before, because colleges are looking to your application essays to learn about the development of YOU… Read More
2019-04-04 12:58
The Common Application is accepted by over 750 colleges, making it a ubiquitous part of today’s college application process. With Common App essay prompts remaining unchanged fro… Read More
2019-02-25 15:59
"Where should I apply to college?" This seemingly existential question plagues the minds of many students who are uncertain about what they want to do with their lives. We are here to tell y… Read More
2019-01-29 14:00
Every year on December 16th our phone rings non-stop with new families who cannot believe their child was denied admission to their top choice college. The story is almost always the same. … Read More
2018-12-11 14:01
We’re all familiar with writer’s block. It shows up when we’re doing creative work and, in particular, when we’re working on something new. Brainstorming can counte… Read More
2018-12-07 14:48
Like most other Ivy League colleges and universities, Yale requires a written supplement in the form of short answers and essays. As a resource for College Admissions Assistance, we have d… Read More
2018-11-16 18:37
Brown University is the seventh-oldest college in the US, with an acceptance rate last year of 7.2%. In order to gain an edge in this highly competitive arena, you must write stand-out app… Read More
2018-10-09 19:46
Last year, Harvard received 42,749 applications, and accepted fewer than two thousand, for an acceptance rate of under 5% (find out your chance of getting in.) For your application t… Read More
2018-10-01 13:05
You’ve probably already heard – it’s not just about the grades. The college admissions process has become more holistic over the years, where a 4.0 GPA doesn’t guaran… Read More
2018-09-28 14:00
As of today, 805 colleges accept applications through the Common Application (Common App). The Common App is a single online college application that allows you to enter your general informa… Read More
2018-09-27 22:32
As if gaining admissions into selective colleges weren’t tough enough, as an Asian-American student, you face your own additional set of challenges. Recent headlines surrounding the la… Read More
2018-08-27 14:29
Here's a college admission tidbit for you - college visits do more than you think. Sure, they help you get to know the college in person and guide decisions on which colleges to apply… Read More
2018-08-27 14:29
Here's a college admission tidbit for you - college visits do more than you think. Sure, they help you get to know the college in person and guide decisions on which colleges to a… Read More
2018-08-08 15:56
You don’t need to dive into college stats and research to know how competitive admissions have become. The college admissions landscape only grows more complex each year – and wi… Read More
2018-07-25 15:03
While your college admissions interview may not be the deciding factor, that’s no reason to not take it seriously. This interview is your opportunity to showcase the side of you that… Read More
2018-07-19 15:26
If it feels as though everyone around you is looking to be a STEM student, your feelings may not be entirely inaccurate. The demand for STEM degrees has risen, and students have responded… Read More
2018-05-22 16:16
So, you’re the president of three clubs, captain of the swim team, did a semester abroad, intern at a tech startup and volunteer every other weekend.
Sorry to break it to you, but t… Read More
2018-04-19 15:17
Where foreign language requirements are concerned, students often ask how many years they need to take for college admissions. There isn’t really a clear-cut answer or an overall min… Read More
2018-04-19 15:17
Where foreign language requirements are concerned, students often ask how many years they need to take for college admissions. There isn’t really a clear-cut answer or an overall min… Read More
2018-04-06 14:38
You craved to hear the resounding “Yes!” from your dream school but instead got an uncertain “maybe…”. You’ve been waitlisted. It’s not a great f… Read More
2018-03-08 14:53
While many students believe their favorite teachers will write them an amazing letter of recommendation, the truth is great letters of recommendation don’t just happen. Achievement i… Read More
2018-02-09 21:30
Colleges often ask for two or three recommendation letters from people who know you well. These letters should be written by someone who can describe your skills, accomplishments, and pers… Read More
2017-12-22 14:00
The written word is a part of our daily life and especially for admission consultants in New York and students. At the most basic form, writing is a way of interacting with the world. This i… Read More
2017-12-08 14:00
While walking between class periods, you may overhear cautious seniors warning each other to change their names on social media to avoid being found by college committees. Although it is w… Read More
2017-11-27 21:01
Students searching for exemplary examples of college admissions essays may already be familiar with what has come to be known as The Costco Essay, but it is worth digging a little deeper t… Read More
2017-11-27 21:01
Article updated on November 15, 2019
Students searching for exemplary examples of college admissions essays may already be familiar with what has come to be known as The Costco Essay… Read More
2017-10-03 12:44
Applying to college is an extremely stressful time in students’ lives and typically nothing causes more anxiety than writing the required college essays. After working so hard to do we… Read More
2017-09-22 13:53
Understanding your chances of getting into college can be maddeningly difficult. We can all read the statistics and understand it is very competitive, but you are an actual person and not… Read More
2017-09-11 16:48
Building the right college list requires knowing your precise chances of admission to colleges of varying levels of selectivity. Every year we are amazed at how many students base their ch… Read More
2017-08-30 15:15
If you do not know your chances of getting into your top choice colleges, you absolutely should! Shrouded in mystery, the college admission process can produce so much stress and anxiety b… Read More
2015-08-29 14:45
Eureka, Rosebud, Cheesecake? A great idea for a college admission essay.I saw her eyes light up as she said it and there was no turning back. Rima (not her real name) was brilliant, no doubt… Read More
2015-08-29 14:45
Eureka, Rosebud, Cheesecake? A great idea for a college admission essay.
I saw her eyes light up as she said it and there was no turning back. Rima (not her real name) was brilliant, no doub… Read More
2015-08-07 15:47
When it comes to college tennis recruiting, many of the best colleges recruit players with modest skill levels. Don’t sell yourself short! Of course, Tennis Coaches are interested in y… Read More
2015-07-20 09:25
With the common application personal statement and individual colleges’ supplemental essays, students applying to 10 -12 colleges (a reasonable number) may have to write 20 essays to… Read More
2015-07-08 00:46
College visits are a huge opportunity. They can be daunting to plan and expensive to go on, but whenever possible, savvy applicants will take advantage of them. There is so much more than th… Read More
2015-06-17 23:16
After a grueling junior year filled with AP courses and standardized tests, there is no doubt that soon-to-be high school seniors have earned some rest and relaxation. At the same time, it… Read More
2015-06-05 04:00
The cost of college and the amount of debt students are being burdened with is a major problem in this country. While some (like Forest Gump), are lucky enough to have invested in “som… Read More
2015-05-25 04:00
As college admission consultants we advise students on how to get in to Ivy League and other selective universities. We mentor and coach students through all aspects of their application p… Read More
2015-05-16 04:00
Going to college is expensive. It is so expensive that many are beginning to question its worth through a cost/benefit analysis and are constantly on the search for the best deal in educatio… Read More
2015-05-11 18:14
The choice between the SAT or ACT is a difficult one. I am not a huge fan of standardized testing, but the SAT and ACT are not going away any time soon. While there are an increasing numbe… Read More
2015-05-04 21:34
For admission to Ivy league or other selective colleges and universities like Stanford, MIT, Northwestern or Duke students must show both high achievement and intellectual passion. So what… Read More
Subscribe to Princeton College Consulting
Get updates delivered right to your inbox!