Using summer pre-college programs to deepen artistic interests and determine best fit in a college - By Nicole Mueller, Career Engagement Advisor in the Career Development office at CCA When we first started working with Jerry as a junior, he had a broad interest in art but struggled to express his ideas and reasons for wanting to [...]
The right plan makes all the difference in successful summer program admissions When I first met Valeri last October, she was very frustrated. She’d been rejected from COSMOS and a few other summer programs she’d applied to in her freshman year. Looking ahead to sophomore summer, she was unsure how to proceed. What a perfect [...]
The best part of Blue Stars is becoming friends with our students and catching up with them in college and beyond. I recently had lunch with Matt, now a rising junior at a large university in the Northeast who was brimming with valuable insight. Over Indian food at a local spot in San Francisco, we [...]
Admissions rates are falling quite dramatically, and not just at the nation’s top 10 schools. Mt. Holyoke’s overall acceptance rate dropped 15 points, from 51% in 2017 to 36% in 2019. NYU’s fell from 28% to 16% in the same two years. For a survey of some of the most significant reductions between 2017-2019 as [...]
I spend a great deal of time in consultation sessions with new families dispelling myths about what top colleges look for in applicants.1 Most parents come to our initial meeting thinking their child needs to be well-rounded, hardworking, and a perfect 4.0 student (a retro model of college planning belonging to the twentieth century). I [...]
At Blue Stars, we define TEEN POWER as: Knowing who you are Knowing what you want Knowing how to get there And guess what? Top schools happen to be excited about students who know these things. So we’ve created a FREE WORKBOOK with exercises to help you sketch out your plans for all four years [...]
Harvard doesn’t appreciate applicants who are too techie or give off an arrogant vibe. It divides its applicant pool into “regular” and “special” groups. It actively scouts athletes, under-resourced students, and students from less-populated areas long before most teens think about their college list. It also admits legacy students at five times the rate of [...]
What was your favorite thing about being an admissions officer at a top art school? Working with so many talented students who are all passionate about their work, their communities, and about using art as a means of expression or vehicle for change! One of the best parts of the job was getting to travel around [...]
In Part I, we shared the story of Jacob, a talented student in need of artistic direction who landed scholarship offers to five top art colleges within a year of us working together. Like Jacob, it’s possible for you to find the best program fit using the same research strategies. Start with the three-point checklist described in Part [...]
When Dr. M and I first met Jacob as a junior in high school, we recognized his strong artistic talent in experimental animation. We also realized that he had no idea how to create a best-fit school list or package his impressive work. Not a problem! A year later, when admissions announcements came out, Jacob was [...]
