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.

Our kids chase so many things: an A in this class and that one, a spot on this team, a role in that play. Choose the right top, thrift the right shoes, collect the right number of likes. Even friendships at this age can feel like a scoreboard. Too often, adding college admissions to the mix only amplifies this stress-inducing way of life. Thinking about college becomes yet another scorecard -- apply to 10, no 15, no 20 colleges; getting into this one gets you ten (imaginary)

It's November. Seniors have submitted their early action or early decision applications. Some even have started getting their acceptances. Now comes the really fun part -- figuring out where they've gotten in, which school might be the best fit; what their freshman year of college will look like. As they -- and I -- begin that work, we're also looking back at the lessons of this application season. I had a good crop of hard-working, motivated, brilliant seniors -- what I cal

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