The Best U College Admissions Consulting

  Letters of Recommendation are one of the few places in your college applications that someone who knows you well has the opportunity to bring your strengths, personal qualities and unique characteristics to life. So what do you need to know about teacher recommendations? Read on for our tips to making the most of this aspect of your application – How many letters should I have? Most colleges want letters of recommendation from one to two academic teachers and your school counselor . To be considered an ‘academic teacher’ – the teacher should have taught you at your high school in a core academic subject – usually considered to include: English/Language Arts, Math, Science, Social Studies, and World Languages. Some schools will accept an “other” letter which is a non-academic letter of recommendation. These can come from a teacher who has advised you in a club, taught you in the arts, or been a coach or mentor who knows you well. Not all colleges will accept these. Keep the numbe...

  Scholarships are on the minds of most parents thinking about how to pay for college. For many families, merit aid, awarded to a student for their academic or personal achievements, can be an important part of the college affordability equation. Whether a student is submitting applications in the next week, or just starting out in 9th or 10th grade, there are a few things you should know about merit aid right now. Read on for 3 keys to securing merit aid – #1 Start With Your Colleges. Students and families often think that the best way to gain scholarships is to conduct an online search and begin filling out scores of scholarship applications. While these kinds of scholarships can be a part of a student’s process, the most important place to start is with the colleges you are already considering or applying to. Go to the college’s financial aid website and review all of the available information about what we call “institutional aid,” merit aid and scholarships provided directly b...

As you may have heard reported in the media, many colleges are accepting 50% or more of their admitted students through Early Decision admissions. This pathway is an agreement between the student, family, school counselor and college; if admitted, a student has committed through the submission of the application that they will enroll. There are a few key things to know in determining whether or not this is the right path for you. Here’s our best advice: What’s in it for colleges? First and foremost, college admissions offices have a goal to meet: enroll a full class that aligns to the college’s priorities, without over-enrolling. Many colleges like to fill a significant portion of their class from the Early Decision pool, because it’s guaranteed. They know who will enroll, and they know how they are ‘shaping the class,’ usually to showcase greater diversity and higher admitted student statistics. What’s in it for students? If 50% or more of the class is coming from a smaller, committed...

  Throughout our work we meet thoughtful, well-intentioned, caring parents who are struggling to make sense of the confusing and rapidly shifting landscape of college admissions. At The Best U, we have long seen our mission as empowering students and families with the resources, tools and knowledge to navigate the college process with clarity & confidence. The chief means we have of sharing our experience and insights has always been one-on-one advising. We love this work and are so grateful for the families who entrust their children to us to navigate the journey together. It is a gift to build a relationship with a student, know them well, and champion their growth as they move through high school. But is this the only way? For those who’ve stayed on this mailing list, but felt that the cost of one-on-one advising is beyond reach, we are thrilled to share a new way to engage with The Best U– We’ve often found ourselves wishing there was a way to share our knowledge and exper...

A discussion of changes in the academic and admissions environment, and what a student can do this summer to enhance their future in high school and beyond. To visit more blogs please, click here .