The Best U College Admissions Consulting

As a high school student, you may be starting to select your high school classes for next year. It is important to understand that your high school course requirements may or can be different from what colleges want to see when you apply for admission. Here are some suggestions to consider prior to selecting classes…. Review your high school graduation requirements. You want to pay attention to the academic core classes (English, Math, Sciences, World Languages, and Social Studies). Most U.S. high schools will have a pretty standard list of course requirements. For example, you may see something like four years of English, three years of Math, two to three years of Social Studies, World Language, and Science. If you already have a few colleges in mind, go onto each college’s “Undergraduate Admissions” website and review the high school classes they want to see. Many colleges will give you an idea of their high school course requirements or preferences. For admission to US colleges and ...

You can’t listen to the news without hearing daily information about the spread of COVID-19. Colleges and universities around the USA and the world are having to make extreme decisions in order to keep their students safe. The impact has reached both high school and college students around the world. Some of the impacts so far include… Colleges are being asked to be flexible with missing application materials and make application decisions without having updated information since some high schools are closed and cannot provide updated grades, transcripts, etc. Service trips abroad and other school trips that high school students were planning on attending are being canceled, so they are having to plan new activity options. Families are canceling college visits due to their concerns about traveling. Many colleges are canceling or recalling students back from study abroad experiences this semester. Some high schools are postponing or canceling college fairs and college visits and may res...

Katie Thomas   started her career in the college admissions field in 1994. She worked in admissions at two different colleges including Knox College and University of Colorado-Boulder. In admissions, she reviewed applications, made admission decisions, and recruited students. Katie then transitioned into teaching and taught Spanish and French at a variety of independent schools for many years. In 2007, she went back into college admissions by becoming a College Counselor and then Director of College Counseling at Kent Denver School in Denver, CO. Currently, Katie serves on the Counselor Advisory Boards for the admissions offices of the University of Pennsylvania, University of Miami, Grinnell College, and Ohio Wesleyan University. A career educator, Katie’s professional experience includes nearly 30 years as a teacher and college counselor. Having redesigned the college counseling model and program as the recent Director of College Counseling at Kent Denver School, a leading indepe...

Get support with your college affordability needs under the guidance of an experienced financial aid and scholarship specialist. We support self-directed students and their families through the key aspects of the college affordability process. The key pieces of the college affordability process include: Financial Aid – overview of the process, eligibility criteria, application timeline, deadlines, and strategies, how to read financial aid award packages, what to look out for, direction on how to fill out applications, and navigate special circumstances/financial aid appeals Scholarship process – overview of the process, application timelines, deadlines, and strategies, and assist in the scholarship search Overall understanding of the cost of college and creating a college finance plan Structure of Support We provide one to one session hourly sessions. Families book meetings directly and dictate the frequency of sessions. We offer an hourly rate or discounted punch card options. Meeting...

As you are preparing to go back to school, here are some great ways to start to explore colleges this fall. Normally colleges travel the globe every fall to visit high schools, present to students, and attend college fairs. This year, colleges are going online to recruit students. Below are a variety of ways that you can connect with colleges and start your college search… Virtual College Fairs Colleges fairs are a great introduction to college exploration. You can attend various college panels and presentations. Make sure to take notes!  Here are  some virtual college fairs… High School Visits Some colleges will be offering high school presentations remotely this fall. You can find out through your school’s counseling office if there will be school-based high school presentations. College Websites Through the college’s undergraduate admissions websites, check out the virtual programs that they offer. Typically, they are offering virtual tours and information sessions. Many co...

  If you saw the recent  Boston Globe article   “At Harvard, other elite colleges, more students deferring their first year ”, you may be left with many questions. The big headline is that 20% of Harvard first-year students have opted to defer their admission for one year. This is most likely due to Harvard announcing all  fall classes online .  This would mean that the deferred students would enter Harvard in the fall of 2021. However, we are seeing most colleges have lower numbers of first-year students requesting gap years. For example, 8% for MIT and 10% for Williams of the freshmen class requesting defers. The trends we are seeing most include: Most state schools are not being impacted as much due to the cheaper tuition rates, being closer to home, more academic diversity, etc. Most colleges offering on-campus living and either all in-person classes or hybrid class schedules are having fewer students defer. Overall, we are seeing that most first-year studen...

In this video, Stacy Hernandez, Owner of The Best U, interviews Dr. Terry Mena, Associate Vice President of Student Engagement & Dean of Students at Lamar University. They discuss issues that students face in college, advice to parents, support services available, and more. Families from the USA and All Over The World –  Sign up for a FREE 20-minute phone call or online video meeting now   so we can learn about your family’s college admissions needs and how we can provide support.

During these challenging times staying informed can decrease your worries and help you to plan ahead. Staying present and at the moment are important practices right now. And due to so many families having many questions related to the impacts of COVID-19 on the college admissions process, we are doing what we can at The Best U to provide updates and important information. Click here   to learn more.