Every year I hear it from students and see it online: How, they ask, can I find a “good” essay topic? How can I avoid the “bad”? What do I do if nothing amazing or special has happened to me? As we spend time going over their extracurricular activities, their hobbies, their interests and their family situation, the questions begin: Should I write about being on the soccer team? Is that a good topic? What about the time I broke my leg? That was a really rough time. Our robotics team went to...

What do parents love most about having a college coach? Well, they like having someone to help with the essay process and the selection of schools. They like hearing of schools that offer substantial merit. They like having someone to bounce questions off of. But the NUMBER ONE thing parents mention is . . . PEACE, PEACE, PEACE. A few years ago, I joined two college admissions Facebook groups. Posts were mostly from parents and responses from a mix of parents and consultants. It was...

It's July. It's actually halfway through July. And so far, it appears that nothing has been done. Many parents know that the summer before senior year is an ideal time to get started on the college application process. However, as the days go by and they find themselves gazing upon their rising senior playing hours of video games, scrolling on their phone, or stumbling in exhausted after hours of work, a vague sense of panic begins to set in. Any attempts to start a conversation about schools...