Ask the Admission Office
The college search process is so exciting! But it can give you a little tummy trouble, too. We take away all the jitters and help you learn everything you need to know about college visits.
Melissa Brock
Personal Finance and Admission Expert
My name is Melissa and I’m a longtime admission professional, personal finance writer, editor and parent.
I hatched my site because I’ve heard so many head-scratching questions from parents.
I’ve journeyed in the footsteps of hundreds of families, trekked to dozens of college fairs.
I want to help you and your kiddo on your college journey.
Handy Summer Checklist for Rising Juniors
It’s July, and while it might seem like it’s a great time to catch up on Netflix, go to the pool and work at a summer job, why not get a jump start on college? (I knoooow, convincing your high schooler might be a different story.) It's even more important to...
How (and Why!) You Should Help Your Child Take a Gap Year After High School
Joan Halawi said, “A common misconception in modern American society is that education can only happen within four walls of a classroom.” Oh, wow. How true is that? It certainly makes the case for heavily considering a gap year. A gap year — a year off from college to...
What to Do When Your Child Wants You to Be a Helicopter Parent During the College Search
Here’s something I witnessed in the admission office many, many times: Parents playing an active role in the college search. It’s natural, right? We worked with families, not just students. What happens when the student wants you to do it all? I saw a lot of this:...
How to Help Your Soon-to-Be Freshman Navigate Options for this Fall
I loved move-in day at our college. As admission counselors, we’d walk around the campus with our list of students. We’d find them in their assigned residence halls and welcome them as they lugged their futons and TVs from the car. We shook hands with their grinning...
How to Launch Your Rising Senior’s Successful College Search Right Now
It’s almost senior year! What an exciting time to get started on the college search! I’m getting questions from families about whether it’s too late to launch a full-scale college search right as a rising senior. (Grrrr… COVID-19!) (By the way, I used to use the...