As we make our way through the admission decision season, there is so much happy news to celebrate. Dreams are fulfilled, goals are achieved, all the hard work has finally paid off! But with this happy news there may also come some tough conversations about costs, debt, and compromise.

Many College Coach admissions advisors are also parents who have made it through the college selection process with their own teens. How did they survive? Through open communication and transparency with their children, not just in senior year, but early on. We hope their advice and insight is helpful to you, whether you’re currently debating financial aid offers for the fall, or just beginning the college conversation with your younger children.

In the world of college admissions, nothing may be more frustrating than the waitlist offer. “Thanks so much for applying. I know you were expecting an answer, but we need you to wait for yours just a little bit longer than everyone else.” On this episode of Getting In: A College Coach Conversation, we’ll offer some perspective by reviewing the waitlist trends we saw last year and offering suggestions for how to approach your own waitlist status.

Is college always the right path? Given that we are dedicated to helping students through the college admission process, it may seem odd that I’m writing a blog post questioning whether a student should always go to college. But I think we all know high school students who see their academic classes as a slog but light up in other areas of their life.

Last week, I was sitting in a movie theater watching Personal Statement, a documentary film about a group of students attending resource-challenged schools in Brooklyn—schools where each counselor was responsible for guiding over 600 students through the college admissions process. Top students in each school were called forth, not only to navigate their own college applications, but to provide guidance for other students who needed the help. Think about it: first-generation college students, students who had absolutely no familiarity with the world of admissions, were called upon to explain the process to their peers. There are students in our society who are not only pulling themselves up from their bootstraps, they’re manufacturing their own boots, too—boots for themselves and boots for their peers.

On the latest episode of Getting In: A College Coach Conversation, Sally Ganga and guests discuss how many AP classes should you take, financial aid questions for admitted students to ask, and tips for your college visits during upcoming spring breaks.

On the Valentine’s Day episode of Getting In: A College Coach Conversation, host Ian Fisher has something for everyone as he and his guests offer advice on how to manage the rest of senior year, how to begin work on college essays (listen up, juniors), and how to negotiate merit scholarship offers from colleges.

On the latest episode of Getting In: A College Coach Conversation, guest host Sally Ganga covers three timely and informative topics: how to make demonstrated interest work for you in the college application process, the best way to communicate with colleges, and appealing the financial aid awards that high school seniors are starting to receive.

Once an international student has decided upon their set of undergraduate studies in the U.S., there’s often a lot of planning that goes into making their stateside academic journey a success. But the academic calendar isn’t the only aspect of U.S. collegiate life that needs plotting. Don’t find yourself unwittingly caught off guard by the academic breaks your American peers might more easily fulfill at a moment’s notice by virtue of their proximity to home. Some university breaks aren’t long enough for a complicated international trek to see family and might, instead, require some thoughtful alternatives. Here’s a quick primer on the breaks an international student might encounter while studying in the U.S. and a few quick ideas for taking full advantage of them.

What is a Third Culture Kid?

Are you a dual citizen? Do you live in a country outside of your citizenship? Do you dream in multiple languages? Do some of your friends look at you funny when you call soccer “football” or talk about “maths” class?

If you answered yes to more than one of the questions above, you might be a third culture kid.

Happy New Year! Whether you’re a parent or student, a freshman or senior, January presents an opportunity for a fresh start. We polled our team of seasoned admissions and financial aid professionals for their resolution ideas to help you make 2019 a healthy, productive, rewarding year. Be sure to check out our podcast, Getting In: A College Coach Conversation, for even more tips.