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The Insider: Your Expert Guide to College Admissions -
Choosing the Right College

A Tale of Two Students: The Importance of a Balanced College List in an Uncertain Year

students in cap and gown

by Mary Sue Youn, former admissions officer at Barnard College

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…

Well, truly, it was neither, but it was the most confusing of times.

Let me tell you about two students I’ve been working with this fall:

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January 14, 2021by Mary Sue Youn
College Admissions Consulting

Declining College Enrollment? Initial Numbers are In!

empty college classroom

by Mary Sue Youn, former admissions officer at Barnard College

In July, I wrote in a blog post about a question we get often from current senior families:

“What will happen if a higher percentage of the class of 2020 takes a gap year? Won’t that mean that there will be fewer spots for the class of 2021?”

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September 30, 2020by Mary Sue Youn
College Admissions Consulting

Is An Accelerated Medical Program Right For Me? | Part 2

doctor-563428_1280

by Mary Sue Youn, former admissions officer at Barnard College

In my last blog post, I reviewed the pros and cons of applying to accelerated BS/MD programs. If you’ve decided an accelerated medical program is a good fit for your educational goals, let’s move next to what the programs are looking for from successful applicants.

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July 30, 2020by Mary Sue Youn
College Admissions Consulting

Is An Accelerated Medical Program Right For Me? | Part 1

accelerated medical program

by Mary Sue Youn, former admissions officer at Barnard College

Have you always known you wanted to be a doctor? Maybe you have always been fascinated by medicine, or perhaps this is a more recent but intense interest. As you begin your college search, you may become interested in an accelerated medical program where you apply in high school to be admitted to a seven- or eight-year track to obtain both your Bachelor’s degree and your Doctorate in Medicine. But is this type of program the right fit for you?

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July 28, 2020by Mary Sue Youn
College Applications

Is It Okay To Apply To College With An Undecided Major?

With college applications looming on the horizon, many rising high school seniors are feeling the pressure to figure out in the next few months, not only where they want to study, but what they want to study. This choice, many believe, will determine the path of the rest of their lives. That’s a weighty burden for a 17-year-old to bear, and some may wonder if all this stress is really necessary. Find out from former Barnard and Whittier College admissions officer, Mary Sue Youn, in this installment of the College Coach video series, Ask the College Admissions Expert. Mary Sue answers the burning question on the minds of rising seniors and their parents, “Is It Okay To Apply To College With An Undecided Major?”

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July 17, 2020by Mary Sue Youn
College Admissions Consulting

Fact vs. Fiction: Debating the Great Gap Year Surge

student in empty classroom

by Mary Sue Youn, former admissions officer at Barnard College

As we talk to families, a version of the same question keeps popping up over and over again:

“What will the impact be on the class of 2021 if a high number of the class of 2020 takes a gap year?”

A “gap year” involves delaying enrollment at a college for one year, oftentimes for travel, volunteer, or employment experiences. Students must ask their enrolling college for permission to use this option, and generally students are not permitted to take courses at another college during their gap year. Annually, about 3% of American college students opt for a gap year, but recent articles have touted that the number of gap years will skyrocket in the age of coronavirus. If 30% of the incoming class didn’t enroll this fall and held off until next year, it would certainly mean that colleges would have 30% less spots for next year’s applicants, right?

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July 9, 2020by Mary Sue Youn
College Admissions Consulting

Using Naviance: How to Interpret the Scattergrams

study in the USA

In a previous blog post, Using Naviance: How to Get Organized, we discussed how to get started with Naviance. This installment focuses on how to best utilize the program.

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February 25, 2020by Mary Sue Youn
College Admissions Consulting

The STEM Student’s Guide to Finding a Mentor

STEM students

When working with high school students on their college admission process, I get a few common questions about STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) majors and careers. “I like my math and science classes; what STEM field should I major in?” or “How can I find out if I really like engineering?” or “I want to go further in my STEM studies; where can I start?”  There are literally hundreds of careers that fall under the umbrella of STEM, and sorting out which ones are right for you might seem daunting. The answer may be finding a STEM mentor who can help you explore these questions and help you discover opportunities to further your interests. But where would you look for such an advisor? Here are some of my best tips:

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August 29, 2019by Mary Sue Youn
College Admissions Consulting

Raising Girls to Love STEM

_MG_7446 (3)

Once upon a time, a boy in my middle school Math League questioned why I was a member because “girls weren’t really good at math anyway.” The remark stung and happened to coincide with my own self-doubts. Although I had always been a very strong math student, I was struggling with that particular unit of 8th grade Algebra. I really questioned whether to go to the next Math League meeting.

I hadn’t thought much about that moment since then, until my own daughter, at age 13, came home with a similar story after attending a tech club meeting. I would have thought we had progressed more in thirty years, but apparently not.

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May 29, 2018by Mary Sue Youn
College Admissions Consulting

4 Tips for a Smooth Transition from Middle School to High School

_MG_7446 (3)

For many parents of middle schoolers, the transition to the often bigger high school can seem overwhelming. There are so many curriculum choices and students are often given more independence in their course selection. College applications require a student’s transcript to display grades since the ninth grade, so the choices they make now may have an impact on their later opportunities. Here are a few of our tips to help your child make a smooth and seamless transition to their next school:

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March 22, 2018by Mary Sue Youn
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The Insider: College Admissions Advice from the Experts is where College Coach experts weigh in on the latest college admissions topics. We cover everything from application timelines and strategies to tips on financing your child's education.

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