Advice from Freshmen

We've been keeping in touch with college freshmen who worked with us during high school on their college searches. They each went through a thorough process of learning about themselves, and learning about colleges in order to find schools where they "fit"! They're willing to share with you: what surprised them about college life. Read what these three students say -

I'm adjusting well to life away from home, and my living conditions are very nice. I have an freshman housing apartment a couple miles off campus, which is nice, the only problem is living off campus, but I'm doing my best. The football team is doing great, undefeated going into the homecoming game this Saturday. My classes are going well, the biggest thing to adjust to is the tests but I've been doing fairly well for myself. So far it looks like I made the right decision coming down here, so thank you so much for your help, hope to keep in touch.

Hi!! Everything is going well. I miss home but I love the school and the people here. The surprising thing about college is the amount of homework I have to get done.

Things are going very well! The marching band is super crazy here but a ton of fun. Also, my classes are going really well, I haven't been stressed at all. But we'll see how far that goes. I would say the most surprising part about college is finding out how much time you have during the day to do whatever you want. Also, some people are just so afraid to be weird or be more of themselves even if they don't know the people around them. I will say it's nice to decide what I want to do without having to clear it with someone.

What have you found to be most surprising about college?

Independent College Counselors

Our business is helping students and their families through the maze of college admissions. We love our work.

There have been several recent web based articles about the relationships between families and independent college counselors. In this blog, I'll talk about why we believe families benefit from working with private admissions counselors and then highlight two additional pieces, one on how to find a consultant, and the other on how to evaluate the quality of a consultant. Lastly, I'll provide a link to the IECA list of suggested questions to ask a college consultant before you retain their services.

The success rate of college students in the United States shocks many people. The fact that 25% of all freshmen fail to return to the college where they enthusiastically enrolled as freshmen causes problems for students, families and for colleges. Top educational consultants eliminate the gap between what students expect at college, and what college is really like, therefore maximizing their success. Instead of just identifying colleges where a student can "get in", a good consultant finds colleges from which a student is likely to graduate.

Colleges differ from one another in many ways. Students and parents need factual information about those differences. The facts may not coincide with their assumptions. Finding colleges where students can thrive and succeed is key to student success and to a consultant's success.

A college education is a major financial investment. Few families make large financial investments without guidance from qualified, ethical professionals. Top educational consultants have experience, commitment to professional development, and membership in organizations that pride themselves on vetting top-notch, ethical professionals: IECA, HECA and AICEP.

The higher education correspondent at MPR recently provided guidance to families on how to go about locating an independent college counselor. Read what Alex Friedrich suggests.

Lynn O'Shaughnessy spoke with three prominent college consultants, members of IECA and HECA, recently and had this to say about how to select a college counselor.

Here's the list of questions IECA suggests you ask prospective consultants.