YCM Journal
Essays, testing, college fit, recommendations, curiosity, campus culture, and the questions families keep revisiting when the process gets noisy.
College applications are evaluated on surprisingly few components: GPA, Standardized Test Scores, Essays, Recommendations, Extracurriculars, and FAFSA. This can actually serve as a checklist for juniors as they tackle the college application...
Read the latestMeasured advice on testing strategy without panic theater.
EssaysHow students can write with clarity instead of performance.
College ListBuild lists that are strategic, honest, and personal.
RecommendationsPractical guidance for support letters and context.
Latest essays
The Iliad. The Odyssey. The Wizard of OZ. The Princess Bride. Harry Potter. Star Wars. Most episodes of My Little Pony. These are some...
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May 1st came and went a couple weeks ago. Historically it is known as May Day, but it is also the deadline for high...
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All college applicants are constitutionally equal; however, they are not evaluated equally. Increasingly, more colleges are employing highly refined algorithms to quantify and qualify the...
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Yes, there is a Greenville, North Carolina as well as a Greenville, South Carolina. Who knew? After learning that important geographical lesson, I visited...
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Last year a student told me, “Visiting a college campus is like meeting a famous person. You can read about them and see them...
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In an attempt to get warm and dry out from the Seattle winter, I spent a couple days touring San Diego schools. The first...
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A surprising number of high school seniors – yes, even those with incredible grades and test scores! – are stressed and anxious about having...
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A friend of mine often calls attention to “The Six P’s of Planning” when characterizing his athletic performances. He also likes to wait a...
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It's official. I have passed the national Certified Educational Planner exam, the last step in obtaining the CEP credential. There are now four CEPs in...
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