Now is the time—if you haven’t already done so—to ask your teachers for letters of recommendation. (Asking for recommendations the day before Thanksgiving will not win you any points from a teacher who would rather be enjoying holiday turkey with family and friends!)
The teacher recommendation plays a significant role in admissions decisions, particularly at selective colleges. Be sure to choose your recommender wisely:

• Select a teacher who knows you well. Although the colleges will see your grades for each class, they don’t know what you actually experienced in that class and how you handled any challenges that arose. Even if you struggled for a B, the letter can be a powerful statement of your commitment to succeed and your work ethic. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: College Applications, recommendation letters
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Hello, I’m Toby Waldorf and I’ve been an educational consultant for 20 years, working with high school studentsand helping them make good college choices.  I’ve traveled the country visiting campuses big and small, urban and rural, highly competitive and a little less selective.  Surprisingly, in all these years I’ve never been on a campus that I didn’t like! Truth be told, every college has something appealing about it.  Put a lot of 18-22 year olds together and there’s a certain magic that happens.

So how do you decide which of the schools is the best of the best?  Good news!  It’s only November and you don’t have to make that decision for another six months!  (Unless you applied Early Decision in which case you’ve already made that choice.)  If you’re going the “Regular” Decision route, your focus for now is on applying, not accepting.  Put all of your energy into creating the best possible application that you can.  Then, when they’re all sent in, take a deep breath and give yourself a well-deserved pat on the back.

In the coming months you’ll hear from each of the colleges you applied to.  That’s when you’ll begin to analyze which schools are the best match for you academically, socially, and financially.  For now….just focus on the task at hand. GOOD LUCK with those applications and let me know if you have any questions.  I’ll be on the WiseChoice Community Forum during our special November Experts Month, answering your questions.

Tags: college admissions, College Applications
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