Top Tier Admissions
In July, we welcomed Nellie Brennan Hall to the Top Tier Admissions team. As Associate Director of Admissions at Brown University, Nellie spent nearly a decade recruiting and evaluating applicants. She then moved into college counseling at independent schools, helping students craft essays and guiding them through every stage of the college search and application process. […]
All eight Ivy League universities recently clarified that they do not track “demonstrated interest” when making admissions decisions. Applicants who have been advised to show their love for a school to increase their odds of success may be suspicious when hearing these statements. After all, each of these schools also requires a supplemental “Why” essay […]
With Class of 2024 results now coming in on the early admissions round at top colleges and universities around the country, here is our expert assessment on what we’ve learned thus far. We’ll continue to update our information as more schools release their information. UPS AND DOWNS Unlike past years that saw big gains in […]
Twenty years ago, admissions to top colleges was much more formulaic. Applicant pools were smaller, more homogeneous, and more self-selecting. Each college had its own application that students filled out by hand. Most high schools calculated and reported class rank. “Merit” was pretty much defined as high class rank and high test scores, with some […]
This has been an unbelievable year in college admissions. We’ve worked with students and families for over 15 years and nothing stays the same, we promise that. The sheer number of applications is rising. Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Duke, Emory, Harvard, Pomona, Stanford, U Penn, Emory and Yale are just some of the schools who report the largest […]
Calling All Juniors!
Your August Edge Starts Here:
Application Boot Camp®
Complete your Common App and supplemental essays, build a school list aligned to your profile, and develop a clear admissions strategy—guided by the Top Tier Admissions team. In our 22 years running Boot Camp, our counselors have helped thousands of students earn admission to the country’s most selective colleges.