Top Tier Admissions
Thinking about applying to MIT? As one of the most selective institutions in the world, with an acceptance rate below 5%, MIT looks for applicants who excel not only in academics, but also in curiosity, creativity, and character. The good news is that while MIT’s admissions process is uniquely rigorous, it’s absolutely manageable with thoughtful […]
If you’ve had a bump in the road during high school, maybe a suspension, honor violation, or other disciplinary action, you’re not alone. For years, most college applications required students to disclose any high school disciplinary history. But that’s changing. Good news: A growing number of colleges no longer ask about a student’s disciplinary record. […]
Every fall, families across the country scramble to interpret the latest college rankings, treating them as if they were gospel. But here’s the truth: rankings, including those from U.S. News & World Report, are not definitive roadmaps to educational quality. They’re built on formulas that often prioritize prestige, selectivity, and future earnings over other critical […]
I have personally toured more than 60 college campuses: first as a prospective student, then as an admissions officer, now as a counselor guiding other families and (most recently) as a parent walking my own child through the process. Each role offers its own lens, and seeing it all converge has been enlightening and sometimes […]
Applying to college used to be a pretty straightforward process involving just a handful of schools, like higher education journalist Jeff Selingo recounts in his recent Wall Street Journal article. But today’s landscape looks very different. With the ease of the Common Application, many students are casting a much wider net. Add in sensationalized stories […]
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.