Your kiddo has just started high school. They're getting used to new teachers, a new building, a new way of doing things. Surely, it is too early to send them to a college counselor. They haven't had a chance to settle into high school yet -- there will be plenty of time to stress them out about college later. Why subject your child to all that now? And it's true. There will be time later. But getting started NOW will make things smoother, less stressful right out of the gate

The college application/ admissions process is opaque and nerve-wracking — and the financial aid piece of it, especially so. As I work with your family, I aim to clarify the process to the extent possible – as early as possible. It’s hard to make decisions even about which schools to apply to, if you don’t have a clear picture of what they might cost.

I was in DC recently and visited American University and Georgetown University. Both midsize-larger schools with healthy endowments. Both powerhouses for government and international relations. So what are the differences? If you tour both, what can you learn? Let's try something a little different. Here's a little quiz. From what you know of these schools, which answer would you choose? (check your answers below) Q1: At which school do your tuition dollars get you a free unl

You're a senior. You've got 5-6 worthwhile college acceptances you're considering. College A gave you $35,000 in merit aid. College B gave you $40,000 in merit aid. College C gave you $25,000 in merit aid. Chat, we're going to College B, right? No brainer. But.... the reality is not so clear. You have to look deeper. College A charges $ 67,000 tuition and averages at $13,000 room and board, for a total cost of $80,000. College B charges $ 73,000 tuition and averages $14,500

tools for evaluating colleges for high school juniors and seniors

Have you ever heard the expression "if you're on time, you're late"? The idea is that if you're late, you're late, but if you get somewhere just on time, you're still late -- you're harried, your hair is out of place, and you've probably forgotten something. Well, I don't know if it's how I was raised, or nature, or a combination of the two, but when left to my own devices, I tend to run late. Regular late, not "on time" late. And if so, I arrive flustered. My hat gets left a

find out why investing in college admissions consulting your child's junior year is worthwhile.

My college seniors and I are currently in the middle of the "hurry up and wait" part of the college application process. The applications are in. Most of the Early Action results are in. But it's too early to start deciding between schools because, in addition to the regular decisions, the complete financial aid letters are still coming in. It's hard to evaluate your options when you don't have a clear sense of how much those options will cost. A couple of my students, howev