YCM Journal
Essays, testing, college fit, recommendations, curiosity, campus culture, and the questions families keep revisiting when the process gets noisy.
Reflection is a skill. It is also a practice and tool that has fallen out of practice. This is especially true for teens in the United States. Great, now I sound like...
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 College Application Personal Statement. How hard can it be? Given a rather open-ended prompt, just combine 650 words of highly illuminating and vulnerable...
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I just returned from the fine state of Oregon, where I sat for the National Certified Educational Planner exam in Portland. This exam was...
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A recent Forbes article discussed one of the common mysteries found in many college applications – the “optional” option. Some colleges provide an Optional...
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Dear Parents, When your child goes to college, he or she will encounter a whole new world of challenges. Some situations will involve academics...
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I just returned from a few days touring schools in Nashville: Vanderbilt, Tennessee State, Belmont and Lipscomb. A few things you immediately notice as...
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I don't eat fast food. But I can't live without pizza. - Trevor Donovan While there are innumerable ways to approach college visits –...
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Art without engineering is dreaming. Engineering without art is calculating. - Steven Roberts “I want to be an engineer.” As an educator, scientist and...
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I just got back from sunny – and green – California after touring Santa Clara University, San Jose State University, Carnage Mellon – at NASA...
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The reality of making a four-year commitment to a university has never been more… intimidating. The costs and long-term obligations associated with college are not...
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