For the parents out there, it's a good idea to push past our own comfort zones when thinking about what might be possible for our kids.

I am not going to tell you everything is going to work out like you want it to, and I am not going to tell you that everything will be fine. What I will say is this: Millions of people have survived the college admission process, and you will too.

Given this frenetic level of activity, this probably isn't the time to be talking about fall -- but there are a few autumnal things to put on the smartphone, personal planner, or family fridge.

The City of San Diego Public Library system is at the forefront in California, if not the U.S., in providing information and resources about college a...

This is the second year in a row college admissions officers have told me that application essays, as a group, were pretty disappointing. They use phrases like "they're writing too safe" and "we appreciate the effort," but what they mean is clear; they were given celery when they were looking for steak.

To those of you with the prestigious admissions offers, a hearty, well-earned congratulations. But I want to offer you permission to think beyond the U.S. News & World Report rankings to make the best possible college decision for your future.

You'll get some solid information on which colleges are road trip-worthy, and some solid information about yourself as well -- truly a dynamic duo.

Colleges care about the character of people they admit; therefore, what you do after school, during weekends and over summers tells them a lot about the kind of person you are.

Here is what to do that will increase your chances for getting off a wait list and onto a college's acceptance list.

Not only do today's high school seniors apply to as many as 12-15 colleges, they seem surrounded by adult "handlers." As we move into the highest anxiety phase of the annual college application cycle, I offer a few words of advice.

f you are unsure about which college you want to say yes to, this may signal that you don't have enough information to make a good decision or that the information you have is incomplete or possibly disorganized. Here is a list of things to do that will help you make a good choice.

You might not be surprised to learn that almost a full 25 percent of today's college admissions officers use Facebook when judging applicants.

With the Oscars behind us, it's time for America's next gladiatorial event: college acceptances and rejections.

The seniors have dedicated so much time and effort into their high school experiences, their decisions of where to apply, and their actual applications. The waiting process naturally causes feelings of extreme doubt and stress.

I've found that the most effective way to defuse test anxiety and boost scores is to coach students in a way they find appealing: with pop culture and comedy. Here are three tips if you or someone whose cell phone bill you pay is taking the SAT this spring.

There may be fifteen weeks until June and much longer until fall, but now that the Class of 2014 has next year's plan on paper, the end of high school is in sight--and the start of college plans isn't far away.

It is that time of the year: the wait after you have submitted your applications and before you hear back from colleges. That infamous time that we all go through as we think about our future and try to stay calm as high school seniors.

Students' theories about standardized testing shortcuts are as numerous as they are incorrect, but they are usually easy to debunk with a little scrutiny.

For the first time in its recent history, the Common Application has changed its essay prompts for the 2013-2014 school year.