College Admissions with Calm, Clarity & Confidence

the blog

Bursar Services sign in college admin building.

read post

Usually the first question families have after their kid learns they were admitted to a college is: How much will this cost? Unfortunately, there is no uniform format for delivering financial aid offers. And some colleges have confusing ways of labeling grants, scholarships, and loans. So understanding college financial aid offers takes time and attention […]

College Financial Aid Offers

read the latest

Read More

These are the biggest college admissions trends I noticed during the 2022-23 admissions cycle. Families of this year’s seniors and younger high school students should be aware of these trends, so they can make wise decisions as they apply to college. Note, I wrote this in April 2023, before the SCOTUS decision on the use […]

College Admissions Trends 2023

College Admissions
University of Tennessee campus under a bright blue sky.

Read More

When public and private high school students apply to college, their school counselors submit documents to support their application. Homeschool students also need to give admissions an academic history to base their admissions decision on. In addition to the applications the student fills out, there are several supporting documents for homeschool college applications that are […]

Documents for Homeschool College Applications

College Admissions

Read More

What most high school students know about military life tends to come from movies or books. Even those who grew up in military families may wonder what it would be like to personally serve under military restrictions and responsibilities. Military academy summer programs offer rising seniors a taste of life as a cadet or midshipman. […]

The US Naval Academy Chapel copper dome gleams against a blue sky.

Read More

Extracurricular activities are anything a student does outside the classroom. These might include school clubs, work, volunteering, or hobbies. Activities give students a chance to explore interests, demonstrate leadership, and be a force for positive change. History related activities can help students show they have experience with research, analysis, and presentation that they might use […]

7 History Extracurricular Activities for High School Students

College Admissions
USS Constitution in Boston Harbor.

Read More

In the past couple years, the US Air Force has changed its Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) scholarship program. These changes affect who is offered scholarships and how much money they receive. But Air Force ROTC remains an excellent pathway for students to become US Air Force officers. Fewer Air Force ROTC Scholarships for High School […]

Air Force ROTC Scholarships

Military
Air Force ROTC cadets learn about aviation training.

Read More

These are some of the best college admissions books I’ve read. They will help parents understand the modern college admissions landscape, from how colleges pick students to how to pay for college.  We often focus on sensational articles about a handful of colleges. This can lead to a lot of doom-casting and despair. In fact, […]

Cup of coffee next to a stack of books. Text reads Books on College Admissions above the Admissions Decrypted logo.

Read More

Students applying to college ROTC scholarship programs need to keep a close eye on the scholarship board dates. These dates are set by each service, meaning Army ROTC board dates are different than the board dates for Air Force ROTC. Students often ask when they should submit their ROTC scholarship applications.  They should submit a […]

ROTC Scholarship Board Dates

Military
Larger than life size Ohio State University "Bucky" mascot statue dressed in green military flight suit outside The Ohio State University ROTC building.