Posts by Ivy League Potential
Creativity
We just read an excellent article on creativity by Emma Seppala, Science Director of Stanford University’s Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education. Researchers have found that “people are more creative after they have been daydreaming or letting their minds wander” and that the biggest obstacle to creativity is being too busy. So many high achieving high…
Read MoreFrom the Dean of The University of Pennsylvania
We recently watched a short video of Eric Furda speaking. Eric is the Dean of Admissions at the University of Pennsylvania and has his own blog. The video is the first one in a series of three, and there is much that we found interesting. One important message he gives to future engineering students is that…
Read MoreFrom the Dean of MIT
Today we watched an interview with MIT Dean of Admissions Stu Schmill, who emphasized the importance of extracurricular activities. College admissions officers want to know how students will contribute to the campus community, and what they do in high school is a good indicator of what they will do at university. Most of the students we work…
Read MoreSave Thousands of Dollars in College Tuition!
High school seniors and their parents around the country are now hearing back from colleges about whether or not they were accepted, and financial aid considerations are an important part of this decision. Many families don’t know that there is a way to save thousands of dollars in college tuition. Recently we helped a high…
Read MoreWhat’s the ratio at your school?
What’s the ratio of students to guidance counselors at your school? The average ratio in the United States is 464:1. The recommended ratio is 250:1. But the ratio in some states is much more than the recommended or average ratio. For example, in Illinois, the ratio is 678:1 and in California, it’s 708:1. According to the American School…
Read MoreA full ride scholarship!
One of our students found out recently that he was awarded a full ride scholarship worth $120,000 at Nova Southeastern University! He was also awarded a full ride scholarship at another university, as well as excellent scholarships at several other universities. He has chosen to attend Nova Southeastern, where he will be participating in their…
Read MoreWhy do you want to attend Stanford?
“Why do you want to attend Stanford?” This kind of essay question appears over and over again in almost every college application. Too often students haven’t done the hard work to answer these kinds of questions thoughtfully. Yet, they assume that their parents should spend thousands of dollars on a university education for them. Many…
Read MoreThe Value of AP Credits
Will you be taking AP exams this school year? If you have the opportunity to do so, we would highly recommend it. Many highly selective colleges offer college credit for students who score well on AP exams, but very few students take advantage of these opportunities. At Harvard, students who have scored 5 on a…
Read MoreDo Colleges Look at Students’ Facebook Pages?
Have you ever wondered why a college admissions officer would look at your social media page? A study by Kaplan showed that admissions officers look at social media pages for a variety of reasons: 1. If the applicant mentions a special talent 2. To verify awards 3. If an applicant has a disciplinary history 4.…
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