The College Whisperer™ | Navigating The Road To College

Oprah may have taken the "Aha Moment" into the mainstream, but college-bound students, and their parents, are giving new meaning to the term every day, as they make that long and sometimes mind-boggling journey to college admissions.

Here are just a few of our favorite "Aha Moments" of the college application process. Please feel free to tell us yours.

·         -  GPA and test scores aren’t everything. Yes, they count. Do not, however, discount the importance of your extracurricular activities, both in and out of school, community service and volunteerism, the significance of your college essay, and those many and varied life experiences that give the college admissions officer a clear picture of who you are. Remember, colleges are looking for well-rounded students. Make sure the whole is greater than the sum of its parts!

- The college essay is not being considered for a Pulitzer prize. No question, your college essay will be most telling. For conveying who you are, who you hope to become over the next four years, and what you would bring to the college campus and the community beyond (this is the essence of every essay prompt), there is no better vehicle. In fact, this is one of the only opportunities you have to rise above the matrix of scores and grades, setting yourself apart from other applicants. Keep it simple. Keep it catchy. Keep it real. Write about what you know and who you are. And don't turn writing your college essay into what seems like a lifetime vocation!

- The "Best" college for you may not appear on Forbes' list. What college will make the "best" fit -- academically, socially, financially, and otherwise -- most often has little, if any, relationship to the college rankings we read about in places like U.S. News & World Report and Princeton Review. Sure, the rankings are fun to read, and they sell books and magazines. Just don't take them too seriously.

- Getting your college application in by the end of August won't give you an edge. Early action is one thing. Submitting your college application before the senior year of high school even begins is quite another. Colleges will not even look at your applications until they are complete. That is, aside from the application and standardized test scores, they have to get their hands on your high school transcript, Guidance Report, Letters of Recommendation, and sundry other material before your application will be considered. This aside, what's the rush? You want your application to be complete, accurate, and reflective of a certain level of thoughtfulness and finesse. Don't just get it done. Get it done correctly! 

- Your classmates have not already been accepted to the colleges of their choice. Aside from the select few who have been recruited by colleges (i.e., athletes), no one has an admission decision in hand. Even the early bird won't hear from colleges before mid-December. Tune out the chatter, from fellow students (and fellow parents) to the effect that they've finished and submitted their applications, they've received letters of acceptance, and they've already put down a housing deposit. It just ain't so!

- Performance on the SAT (or ACT, for that matter) demonstrates neither achievement nor aptitude. Parents know it. Students know it. College admissions officers know it. Why, even the folks at College Board know it (but there's simply way too much money at stake for them to admit it). Nuf said!

- You WILL get in to college! One of the biggest fears, among both students and their parents, is that, given the competitive nature of the process, and the selectivity of colleges and universities, they won't get in anywhere. Nonsense! There are over 3000 accredited colleges and universities in the United States (not including the so-called for-profits, who will suck your bank account dry long before awarding you a degree). Not only will you get in somewhere, you will get into a college that is right for you.

- The Common App sucks! Yes, it does. Between the academics, who sit on the board and dole out policy with little sense of the real world, and the techies, who are, well, techies, the latest version of the collegial borg continues to miss the mark. Still, it does manage to put more than 500 college applications under one roof, leaky as it may be. It is also, for many colleges that pay enormous fees to be card-carrying members of The Common Application, the only game in town. Go with the flow.

- You can get money for college even if you don't qualify on the basis of need or merit. While institutional aid (money from the colleges themselves) may or may not meet the cost of attendance, there are other ways to fill the money gap -- and, in some cases, close it entirely. Saving for college, of course (in most instances, right out of the womb), through tax-advantaged 529 plans, is the first step. Outside scholarships, of which there are thousands, boast billions of dollars in free money. [Remember, you actually have to apply for these!]  And never discount the value of a little hard work, part-time and summer, to help pay those bills. 

- Applying to college doesn't have to be a stressful experience. Going to college is one of life's most enjoyable and rewarding experiences (or so the brochures say). To some, the college years are the most memorable. Shouldn't the journey, then, the "getting there," be at least half the fun? It should. Relax. Keep calm (it's only college). Enjoy the ride!

- You don't have to go it alone! Remember, kids, your parents are your partners (and, in many instances, your financial backers) in this process. Talk with them. Exchange ideas. Seek the wisdom of their years (you may continue to ignore their sage advice once you get into college :-). Meet with your Guidance Counselor. [At least know where the Guidance office is! :-)] Avail yourself of the resources that Guidance affords you. And, yes, seek out the services of your Sherpa guide through what can be a confusing and often overwhelming journey -- your independent college planning counselor.

- When the going gets tough... Finding yourself on edge, angst-ridden, head bursting at the seams over this crazy college application and admissions process? Take a break. Engage in your favorite diversion. Eat a pint of Forbidden Chocolate ice cream (it works for The College Whisperer™! :-). There will be plenty of time to work on your college applications tomorrow! 

- Whatever college you decide to attend will quickly become your first choice. The lament of the rejection letter or the dreaded limbo of the waitlist. Fret not. You will be accepted by one or more of the colleges you apply to, any one of which would be a great fit. Guaranteed, before the first week of college is out, the school you choose to go to will have become your number one choice. Aha!     

The views and opinions expressed in this blog are solely those of The College Whisperer™.  
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Plan. Prepare. Prevail!  

When college applications get to you, you need to get to us! 

As if the portended changes to the SAT were not enough for us to ponder, let alone digest, word from the once great test-master that the SAT Question of the Day will soon fall by the wayside. 

Much like the VCR and the landline, College Board, the arch nemesis of students and parents alike, will cease to send out SAT Question of the Day emails come month's end. Instead, they will rely upon Twitter (@SATQuestion) and a free mobile app.

Ahh, progress. . .

And so, as we tearfully say hasta la vista to the email version of SAT Question of the Day, and usher in a new era of social media madness, we leave you with a reprise of The College Whisperer's version of the SAT Question of the Day. Enjoy!
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L.S. of Bellmore, NY writes:

I can't take the studying for the (expletive) SATs. Is all of this really necessary?

The College Whisperer™ responds:

For years, the SAT (Scholastic Achievement Test cum Scholastic Aptitude Test) has had its detractors -- The College Whisperer among them -- and, of more recent vintage, has come under fire, from college administrators and students alike, as being unfair, biased, and fundamentally flawed, demonstrating neither achievement nor aptitude.

DUH!

Indeed, as any 10th grader, having suffered through the PSAT, could tell you, the SAT and its ilk aren't worth the ovals the number 2 pencils are forced to write within.

Many colleges are forgoing the requirement of SAT submission, and many more, if not all, gladly accept ACT scores (viewed as a somewhat more reliable indicator of proficiency) in lieu of the SAT.

Does that mean we will see the demise of the likes of the SAT and SATII, with the dreaded and despised College Board forever closing its doors? Doubtful, at least in The College Whisperer's™ lifetime. [Way too much money on the line in this cottage industry turned industrial-strength monster.] Then again, we can always hold out hope.

Is the SAT necessary, as an evil rite of passage, if not otherwise? Perhaps not, but it's still out there, with colleges, for better or worse, continuing to rely on it.

My advice would be to take BOTH the SAT and the ACT, submitting the better of the scores to your colleges of choice. This way, you at least keep your options open.

As for test prep, forge on through the tedium and nonsensical symmetry, in both form and substance, of the SAT. Take advantage of FREE courses offered in your high school, community center or local library. Nearby colleges (particularly the community colleges) often offer low-cost SAT/ACT prep courses.

If you believe a personal tutor may help build your test-taking acumen and confidence (not to mention your vocabulary and math skills), College Connection will gladly refer you to one of our preferred tutors. Yes, the personal attention, together with a dedicated and focused study regimen, does help!

Meanwhile, as we commiserate over the trials and tribulations of those darned standardized tests, here's a sample SAT question of The College Whisperer's own devise. [That's "devise," not "demise." ;-)]:

QUESTION: John, a typical high school Junior, has 8 shirts, 5 pairs of pants, 3 blazers, and a cardigan. Assuming all possible permutations and combinations, how many unique outfits does John have to wear?

ANSWER: One.

This is a subtle, yet still tricky question, designed to lull you into believing that some higher order of math, necessitating the retention of an actuary, is in order.

John, we are told, is "a typical high school Junior." Hence, he wears the same clothes (save the occasional change of underwear) day after day after day.

Double DUH!

The SAT, and, for that matter, the ACT, Regents exams, and standardized tests, in general, have little to do with logic or reason, and even less to do with reality. The best we can do is to accept that premise and move on.

Okay. Back to the books.

Remember to come up for air -- and a double fudge sundae -- once in a while, and to keep on smiling. You, too, will survive the SAT, ACT, and all the other slings and arrows academia may hurl your way. In fact, one day (perhaps when your own kids are cursing the College Board), you may even laugh about it!

The views and opinions expressed in this blog are solely those of The College Whisperer™. 
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Plan. Prepare. Prevail!  

When college applications get to you, you need to get to us!

Contact us at COLLEGE CONNECTION, home of The College Whisperer™ and Official Sponsor of College Admission Success™, for all of your college planning needs. Nobody knows college admissions like COLLEGE CONNECTION. Nobody! 516-345-8766 

For up-to-the-minute news, apps, info and insights on college applications, admissions, scholarships and just about everything college, follow The College Whisperer™ on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/GetCollege  

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All right. We've gotten used to the racial profiling cum Affirmative Action in college admissions. "Are you Hispanic or Latino?" "Indicate how you identify yourself -- American Indian or Alaska Native (does this give Sarah Palin a preference?). Asian? Black or African American? Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander? White?"

Heaven forbid you should identify yourself as neither one nor the other -- or perhaps some hybrid mix, as in, "out of many, one." [Where have I heard that phrase before? Ah yes. E Pluribus Unum.]

These are the so-called "demographic" questions asked by the new Common App. [We call it race baiting.] 

Okay. Forget the fact that "American Indians" prefer the term "Native American," and if you are going the route of "African American," then, surely, "Asian" should be "Asian American" (lest they're playing to the great influx of International students). "Pacific Islander?" Would New York Islander suffice?

But what's with this "White?" Whatever happened to Caucasian?" And if someone who has never been to Africa can be denominated as African American, and one who has never so much as traveled to Asia be known as Asian American, why can't this nice Jewish kid from Long Island proudly bear the moniker of "Eastern European American?"

Nope. He is, in the eyes of the Common App, and, presumably, college admissions officers everywhere, simply lumped together with those vast, pale legions hereinafter to be designated as "White."

Adding insult to injury, Common App inquires, "Which best describes your White background?"

Hmmm. Let me think. Is this like going into your local paint store, and having to choose between a thousand shades of white? Are you off-white? Linen white? Ivory? Better hold that paint chip up to your colorless face and pick a shade. Okay. I'll go with White.

On second thought, how about that old Crayola crayon color, "Flesh?" Talk about politically incorrect. No, not today's multicultural crayons. The original, monochrome "flesh," that was neither white, nor pink, nor any shade nearly resembling Caucasian skin (whatever color that may be). [Bowing to political pressure, Crayola dropped its "Flesh" color back in 1962, Indian Red soon to follow.] Yes. the "flesh" colored crayon was now called "Peach!"

Of course, Common App doesn't give students the choice of "Peach," "Indian Red," or even "Flesh." We are left to ponder, "Which best describes your White background," and given but three choices -- "Europe," "Middle East," "Other."

"Other?" Yeah, "Other." I kinda like "Other." Mostly because not one of us (well, very few, I'd presume) is such a pure bred the likes of which only an Aryan racist or a member of the KKK could love. What if we all considered our "demographic" as "Asian-American Indian whose maternal grandparents hailed from the Pacific Islands by way of Hawaii, and whose paternal grandparents were Black Hispanics (from Puerto Rico), who traveled to America by way of the Middle East with brief sojourns to France and Liberia?"

Better yet, what if we all were "Other?" Just how would admission to college be decided then?
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Plan. Prepare. Prevail!  

When The Common App gets to you, you need to get to us!

Contact us at COLLEGE CONNECTION, home of The College Whisperer™ and Official Sponsor of College Admission Success™, for all of your college planning needs. Nobody knows college admissions like COLLEGE CONNECTION. Nobody! 516-345-8766 

For up-to-the-minute news, apps, info and insights on college applications, admissions, scholarships and just about everything college, follow The College Whisperer™ on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/GetCollege 

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Well, not quite...

The new and improved version of The Common Application, $8 million dollars and more than a year in the making, launched at Midnight on August 1, giving entree to some 500 of your favorite college applications, and serving as starting gate to the great college admissions game.

And so, at 1:10 AM, your intrepid blogger excitedly clicked on CommonApp.org, in the hope of creating a login, perusing the application, and reporting back to the masses on the highlights, insights and foresights of this colossus they've been calling CA4.

And create I did. Email address. Re-enter email address. [Kinda like Lather. Rinse. Repeat.] So far, so good. Create a Password. [Now comes the fun part. You cannot use the same Password you've had since birth, or even the one you created for Naviance. Common App insists on a combo (minimum of 8 digits) of letters (at least one of which must be capitalized), numbers, and "special characters" -- %^$&$#*! You are now reduced to a glyph. The artist formerly (and once again) known as Prince would be proud!]

Okay. At 1:20 AM I'm on a roll. Email address and glyphified Password having been accepted, I am asked to enter my name and address (so I can become a glyph and a Common App ID). Done!

Voila! I receive a perfunctory email from Common App, congratulating me on my registration prowess.

1:30 AM. Eyelids heavy. Brain numb. I lay both laptop and Common App aside, figuring I'd return later in the day to check out the sundry changes certain to drive every student bananas. Of course, like the fella who just has to check to see that the light went off in the fridge after he had closed the door... Let me try to log in again, just to see.

But noooooooooooo. For reasons known only to the techies at Common App (or maybe not), the system didn't recognize my email address and/or Password (glyph notwithstanding). Try as I might to log in, I am stymied at every turn. Forgot your Password? No. You forgot it. I got it right!

Finally, a reset (to my original Password, glyph included). I was in. So, while I'm here, might as well have a look around, right? No sooner did I attempt to navigate to the application itself, I was summarily kicked off Common App (not so much as a Goodbye or Farewell) and greeted by a message reminiscent of the dreaded blue screen -- System temporarily down for maintenance. 

Maintenance? For goodness sake. You've only been up for two hours? Was there a spill in the Writing Section? Did the server overload from the handful of crazies like myself who just had to have a look see at Common App immediately after launch? Sure, we expect a few glitches, as with anything new, but didn't you guys kick the tires and take this thing for a test drive before rolling out the much ballyhooed CA4? Gee. The Titanic was launched with less fanfare.

Okay. Okay. Off to bed. This can wait. After all, no one of reasonable mind will be submitting his or her application today. Why, even many of the Common App Supplements themselves are not ready, colleges having flubbed the deadline. [They can. You can't!]

So, here it is, later that same day... Wide awake. Eager to get started. Ready to take a fresh look at the bold, the brash, the much anticipated CA4. I plug in CommonApp.org into my trusted laptop browser and... and... and... and... A blank screen with the following message: 

We're sorry. It seems you've encountered a part of our system that is under maintenance. We're busy adding system enhancements, and ask that you please try this action again later. We appreciate your patience. The Common App Team  

Enhancements? You just spent a year enhancing. Patience? Mother Teresa wouldn’t have had this much patience. If this is the Common App version of "live," someone please call for a crash cart!

You expected miracles? Yeah, they've been talking up the new fangled Common App like it was the greatest thing since sliced bread. [New meaning to the use of drones.] A new world order. Where's Rube Goldberg when we need him?

Looks like The Common Application is not quite ready for prime time. Guess $8 million doesn't buy what it used to. As they would say in the early days of television, when the signal was temporarily lost and you were left staring at a test pattern: "We are experiencing technical difficulties. Please stand by..."

Please stand by, indeed!
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Plan. Prepare. Prevail!  

Contact us at COLLEGE CONNECTION, home of The College Whisperer™ and Official Sponsor of College Admission Success™, for all of your college planning needs. Nobody knows college admissions like COLLEGE CONNECTION. Nobody! 516-345-8766 

For up-to-the-minute news, apps, info and insights on college applications, admissions, scholarships and just about everything college, follow The College Whisperer™ on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/GetCollege 

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As if the college application and admissions process wasn't confusing and stressful enough! 

This year, the folks at Common App, home of the applications to nearly 500 colleges and universities, is changing things up, with the advent of Common App 4.0. 

Those of you who have been following The College Whisperer™ already know that there are new essay prompts, and gone is that mainstay of the personal statement, "A topic of your choice." 

There is also a 650 word limit on that essay, to be strictly enforced. 

So now, within the confines of the allotted word count, you will have to show those college admissions officers who you are, who you hope to become over the next four years, and what you will bring to the college campus. 

Okay. So the essay has changed, big time. But did you know that the new Common App portends other significant changes as well? 

Yes, aside from the revamp of the writing section, the application itself is changing, tweaked in so many ways. Themember supplements will take on a new look and flow. School forms will be different, for students as well as counselors. Why, even the manner --and order -- in which payment will be made changes. 

Yup, applying to college is getting a face-lift, and, very shortly, you will be among the first to see, and experience, the changes. From the obvious to the subtle. The ridiculous to the sublime. Common App boldly limps into a new century -- though not necessarily the 21st! 

Common App, that critical portal to college admissions, goes "live" on August 1. 

Will you be ready?

 Plan. Prepare. Prevail!

The views and opinions expressed in this blog are solely those of The College Whisperer™. Who knows what peril lurks in the college application and admissions process? The College Whisperer™ knows. . .
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The College Whisperer™ and Official Sponsor of College Admission Success  are Trademarks of COLLEGE CONNECTION™. The road to college begins at COLLEGE CONNECTION! Whether you are applying to college, planning for college, paying for college or simply thinking about college, COLLEGE CONNECTION can help! Call TODAY for a FREE telephone consultation. 516-345-8766

For up-to-the-minute news, apps, info and insights on college applications, admissions, scholarships and just about everything college, follow The College Whisperer™ on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/GetCollege 


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If there is a single question The College Whisperer™ is asked most about the college application process, it is, "Where do I begin?"

Our typical response is, "At the beginning, of course!" ;-)

Seriously, though, getting started down that long and winding road to college admissions, as it is with many things in life, is often the most difficult part of the journey.

So, what will follow below is a basic (very basic, as in, just to give you a push) primer -- a "To Do" list, if you will -- to set you on your way as you prepare for the launch of this grand adventure known as the college application season.

Before we run down that list, however, here's a simple, yet critical thought to keep you on track -- if not relatively sane -- during your journey: 

Whenever you have or create a login/password combo (i.e., Naviance, CommonApp, College Board/ACTstudent, college websites, scholarship search engines), write it down in a notebook. In this way, you will always have those pesky logins and passwords at hand, and never find yourself saying, "Damn. I thought that was the password..."

And now, that list:

Katie of Syosset, NY writes:

I've seen a few ads for intensive, not to mention, expensive, college application events, promising, among other things, a completed Common Application and a fully prepared "suite of essays" in just 4 days. One such "boot camp," held up in Boston, charges $14,000, not including room and board. Is it worth the big bucks?

The College Whisperer™ responds:

Well, let's see. The earth was created in 6 days, so we suppose that creating a winning admissions strategy, no less that perfect college essay and a completed Common Application, in 4 days, is entirely possible. Then again, for the hefty sum of $14,000, I'd expect not only a "suite of essays," but also a suite in the pricey Taj Boston -- breakfast included, of course!

We first addressed this very issue on our blog several years ago, when a reader spied an ad in The New York Times for a college application boot camp. READ, College Admission Boot Camp?

Seemed like a rather extreme idea at the time -- sort of a costly way to name that tune in 4 notes. Since then, such boot camps, academies, and other such intensive (and similarly pricey) short-order programs, have proliferated, much like the spread of algae over a murky, stagnant pond. [Cue the mosquitoes for the latter. The vultures for the former? ;-)]

The good news: That outfit charging $14,000 for the 4-day boot camp (boots sold separately) back in 2010, has held the line on the cost for 2013. Guess they figured out just how much that fear-filled, stress-induced market will bear!

Look. There are intensive, short-term programs, courses and workshops (College Connection offers College Planning Workshops for FREE) for virtually everything. Cooking. Automobile Repair. Novel Writing. Learning How To Fly. Hmmm.

Take it from whence it comes and what they're worth -- to you. Will you benefit to the fullest? Get the most bang for your (parents') buck? Will your essay truly demonstrate who you are and what you would bring to campus (let alone be responsive to the new Common App essay prompts)? Will your application really be complete, accurate and thorough, ready to submit? And will all of this fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants in 4 (count 'em, four) short days, actually give you an edge in getting in to the college of your choice? Ummm. Who are we to say? Only one guarantee: An intensive college application boot camp, together with two dollars and fifty cents, will get you onto the subway in NYC*. [Prices may vary on the Boston T. :-)]

What we will say is pretty much what we said back in 2010: Fast and furious is best left for the big screen. In the college application and admissions game, slow and steady wins the race!

*According to the NYC MTA, the fare for a subway ride is $2.50. The cost of a SingleRide ticket is $2.75. If you can figure that one out, you should have no trouble applying to college!

Plan. Prepare. Prevail! 

The views and opinions expressed in this blog are solely those of The College Whisperer™. 

Who knows what peril lurks in the college application and admissions process? The College Whisperer™ knows. . . 
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Comments? Questions for The College Whisperer™?

Write us at info@TheCollegeWhisperer.com

The College Whisperer™ and Official Sponsor of College Admission Success ™ are Trademarks of COLLEGE CONNECTION.  The road to college begins at COLLEGE CONNECTION! Whether you are planning for college, applying to college, paying for college or simply thinking about college, COLLEGE CONNECTION can help! Call TODAY for a FREE telephone consultation. 516-345-8766 

For up-to-the-minute news, apps, info and insights on college applications, admissions, scholarships and just about everything college, follow The College Whisperer™ on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/GetCollege 

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While the folks in Congress have done absolutely nothing to stop the interest rates on subsidized student loans from doubling (yes, we said DOUBLING, from 3.4% to 6.8% on July 1), students can help themselves reduce, and even eliminate student debt by diligently searching and applying for college scholarships.

Start while you're still in high school (there are even college scholarships that high school freshman can qualify for), and continue throughout your college career (after all, that tuition bill keeps on coming, doesn't it?).

Here are some of our favorite links to scholarship resources to help get you started:

The Best Time To Apply For College Scholarships

Win A Free Ride To College

March Money Madness

Scholarships? Yup, There's An App For That!

How NOT To Get Money For College

Just Because You're Already In College. . .

The Best of The College Whisperer™: Paying For College

As The College Whisperer™ has said, time and time again, the only way to win scholarships is to apply for scholarships! Don't wait for Ed McMahon to come knocking at your door with a million dollar check in hand (especially since he's dead).

Need an assist formulating and implementing a winning scholarship strategy? Contact COLLEGE CONNECTION today. We'll not only show you the money, we'll help you get your hands on it!

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Plan. Prepare. Prevail! 

Contact us at COLLEGE CONNECTION, home of The College Whisperer™ and Official Sponsor of College Admission Success™, for all of your college planning needs. Nobody knows college admissions like COLLEGE CONNECTION. Nobody! 516-345-8766 

For up-to-the-minute news, apps, info and insights on college applications, admissions, scholarships and just about everything college, follow The College Whisperer™ on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/GetCollege

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The College Whisperer™ is often asked, "What is the most important factor in deciding college admission?" Grades? Test scores? The essay? Is it making the right choice of colleges to apply to in the first place? And what about cost? That should be considered in the mix, right?

Kinda like asking, "What's the most important ingredient in Grandma's out-of-this world soup?" Leave one out, or put in too much or too little of another, and it doesn't quite taste the same, does it?

Clearly, getting in to college -- as well as choosing the best (for you) colleges to which to apply -- requires a calculated and well thought out approach, taking into account not only factors such as grades, scores and essays, but the many variables and intangibles that go into making your decision, as well as theirs.

No question grades are important, and scores on the ACT and/or SAT matter (except when they don't, such as at the more than 850 "test optional" colleges and universities). So, too, must that college essay (along with those many supplemental essays and queries) give moment to who you are and what you will bring to campus. 

But what about that high school resume, setting you apart from everybody else's "activity sheet"? That search for scholarships and critical financial aid, beyond the Fastweb profile and FAFSA filing? And the college application itself, whether Common App or proprietary. Does what you say and how you say it actually make a difference? Does applying Early Action over Regular Decision improve your chances? Is having a college coach really necessary? You betcha!

In a time gone by, a piecemeal, on-your-own approach to college admissions might have worked for you. A pinch of thinking about where to apply. A smidgen of insight into your personal statement. A second thought about paying for college. A halfhearted fill-in-the-blanks of that application. Add a 5 cent stamp to the envelope, and you were good to go!

Today, in a highly selective and increasingly competitive college admissions environment, piecemeal just doesn't cut it, and going it on your own is fraught with many a pitfall that could well doom college prospects.

From college matching to admission strategies, application enhancement and essay development to scholarship and financial aid sourcing, the challenges and uncertainties of the college application and admissions process -- as well as your hopes and dreams of getting into the college of your choice -- call for a decisive and comprehensive plan of action. You have to look at the big picture, and not merely the oddly shaped pieces of the puzzle, taking a holistic approach to your college game plan.

If you've got college plans, you need a college planner. After all, getting in to college shouldn't be left to chance!

Plan. Prepare. Prevail!

The views and opinions expressed in this blog are solely those of The College Whisperer™.

Who knows what peril lurks in the college application and admissions process? The College Whisperer™ knows. . . 
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Comments? Questions for The College Whisperer™?

Write us at info@TheCollegeWhisperer.com

The College Whisperer™ and Official Sponsor of College Admission Success ™ are Trademarks of COLLEGE CONNECTION.  The road to college begins at COLLEGE CONNECTION! Whether you are planning for college, applying to college, paying for college or simply thinking about college, COLLEGE CONNECTION can help! Call TODAY for a FREE telephone consultation. 516-345-8766

For up-to-the-minute news, apps, info and insights on college applications, admissions, scholarships and just about everything college, follow The College Whisperer™ on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/GetCollege

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