ICYMI

In case you missed it, August and September

Late summer was busy this year! If you missed any of my blog updates because you were on vacation, too busy getting ready for school, or--like me--enduring a major hurricane, then here's your place to quickly and easily catch up. New blog posts arrive every Monday and Thursday. Thanks for being a part of Apply with Sanity!

I covered the opening of the 2017 Common Application, dove in to the UC-Irvine take-back debacle, and nitpicked a mostly great New York Times piece.

I gave some last-minute advice for ending the summer strong.

I discussed not only getting accepted to college, but making sure you graduate.

I looked at a poll showing a lot of people have regrets over some of their college choices.

I reminded Houstonians--and now Floridians and Puerto Ricans--that the disasters in their area might affect their financial aid packages.

I updated the What Should I Be Doing Now? section for 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th grades.

I introduced you to Grace and Jack, two seniors I'll be following all year on the college admissions trek.

I explained why you might want to join an honor society...but probably won't.

I asked you a weird hypothetical question to get you thinking about risk and debt.

I gave you my take on Affirmative Action

In case you missed it, June and July

It's been a quiet, slow summer for me. But that doesn't mean I had nothing to say! Here's what I wrote about this summer.

I gave a concrete example of how to put your College Mission Statement to use.

I responded to the Harvard Meme Incident and gave some advice about taking control of your communications.

I explained that supply and demand work the opposite way than many of us think about it: there are more universities trying to get you in than there are universities trying to keep you out.

I gave a summer homework assignment to research income trends. I've no idea why this was such an unpopular post!

I tried to make sense of the report that an alarming number of Americans think that universities are doing harm to our nation.

I argued that there are few good reasons to pass up a full scholarship, even though people do it all the time.

I'll be keeping my only-on-Thursdays approach to blog posts through August, and then moving back to twice a week when things really get moving in the fall. Thanks for reading Apply with Sanity!

In case you missed it, May

May is such a busy time for high school students! Finishing classes, taking AP and IB exams, studying for final exams, and--for seniors--making college decisions. Almost everything I wrote last month had to do with these transitions. 

I provided links to a few of the best graduation speeches ever.

I explained what a 9th, 10th, and 11th grader should do this summer to prepare for college admissions.

I used a podcast about economists to explain why you should consider applying early and colleges should allow people to apply early to two or three schools.

I gave some unusual advice about social media and your college applications.

In my most popular blog post so far, I reacted against a popular story and explained what being valedictorian actually means...and what it doesn't.

I offer both individual coaching and group workshops to students who'd like to use the Five Foundations to make their application process a little more sane.

 

Thanks for reading! You can follow Apply with Sanity on Facebook and Twitter. Contact me if you'd like more details about coaching or workshops.

 

 

In case you missed it, April

On or around April 15--Tax Day--everyone loves to quote the beginning of T. S. Eliot's The Wasteland: "April is the cruelest month." Even for high school seniors who aren't yet part of the working world, and many of them are, April can seem at least a little difficult. Before May 1st deadlines, students have to sort through their acceptances, make hard decisions about financial aid packages, and choose where they're going to be next year. Most of my April posts had this in mind.

I used the example of a semi-scandal at UVa to show how money matters when it comes to admissions, but not necessarily how you may think it does.

I passed along a cool project from a performance artist and suggested it can help you understand yourself and your goals better.

I grumbled about the national obsession with students who are accepted to all the Ivy League colleges.

I gave some insight for thinking about Return on Investment and thinking about debt.

Keeping with the T.S. Eliot theme, I explained what Eliot, Hamlet, and something called "the objective correlative" have to do with your college applications.

I begged everyone to stop making such a big deal out of low acceptance rates.

I gave some last-minute advice for seniors still struggling to make last-minute decisions.

 

Thanks as always for reading Apply with Sanity! You can follow us on Facebook and Twitter. Please share this with someone who would like to read it.

In case you missed it, March

Maybe you're new to Apply with Sanity. Maybe you were busy. Maybe you put your head down for just a 20-minute power nap and missed all of March. Don't worry. Here's a quick list of what you missed.

Are Advanced Placement classes a scam? I say no, but I explain why some people say yes, and I explain the pros and cons of taking an AP course.

Watch out for "just." I alert you to one word that may be signaling that you're making the wrong decision.

Dealing with family while you decide. You've got until May 1 to make a decision about where to go, but your family is bugging you daily. Here are some links to send them to let them know they should back off.

What do you want from a college advisor? I ask the question, because I'm genuinely seeking your answers.

You've been caught cheating. Now what? Cheating is more common than we like to believe. Handling yourself well when you're caught is not.

Big data and your education. Two stories about the way people manipulate the algorithms to change your perception of schools.

The university marketplace. Thinking about colleges as a capitalist market isn't a metaphor--it's how things really work in the US.

Starting a 529. A 529 is an account that lets you save for college and save on taxes. Check it out.

Making meaning our of adversity. One of my most popular blog posts yet. I explain how the College Board is trying to quantify your daily challenges, and how they might get it wrong.

 

Thanks for reading! Please share Apply with Sanity with someone who would like to see it, and remember that there's a lot more to it than the blog.

 

 

In case you missed it, February

Thank you so much for visiting Apply with Sanity.

I'd love to hear from you. What has been useful to you? What would you like to see in the future? What should I never attempt again? Here's a quick rundown of blog posts from February, just in case you weren't checking in every Monday and Thursday. But surely you're checking in every Monday and Thursday, right?

I gave some advice on looking for the best school for your intended major, assuming you know your intended major.

I explained both the rational and emotional approaches to dealing with being waitlisted.

I gave some insight on a case from the news about a teacher who took back a student's rec letter.

I went over the new prompts for the 2017-18 Common Application.

I gave you the magical formula for writing a college mission statement, and I speculated about why you might have difficulty sharing your mission statement with people.

I calmed your anxiety about your acceptance being a clerical mistake.

I shared some good tips from College Vine.

I told you where I want my own kids to go to college and why.

In case you missed it, December and January

Thanks for visiting Apply with Sanity. Now that you're back in the groove with the second half of the school year, here's a peek at what you may have missed over the winter.

I interviewed a college student about her path to becoming a double major.

I recommended two books by one of my favorite nonfiction writers.

I gave some tips for what to do over the winter break, as well as updating the What Should I Be Doing Now? section for 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th grades.

I talked about some of the emotions your family might be going through right now as you're getting ready to leave high school.

I advised you on how to ask a college for a larger financial aid package.

I reminded you that your career path will likely involve more than one career, with examples of people who have made some big changes.

I revealed what I learned from talking to a college Dean of Admission and Enrollment.

I put out a call for seniors to share their wisdom.

I told you how to say Thank You.

I'll continue updating the site several times a week, so please let me know your thoughts, questions, and suggestions.

In Case You Missed It, November

Thank you for visiting Apply with Sanity, which is now two months old. November included a major holiday and some other important stuff, so here's a run-down of what you may have missed in the past month.

I covered President Obama's official statement proclaiming November "National College Application Month."

I recommended the one book that every college-bound high school student should have--and it's free!

I discussed the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, which may be useful for understanding yourself a little better.

I recommended against planning a double major, or at least telling people you're planning a double major.

I gave some good news about the cost of college.

I poked fun at the Japanese robot who did poorly on college admissions tests.

I talked about bias in college admissions, and why you shouldn't worry about it.

I'll continue to update the blog twice a week, and there are plenty of other sections on this site to peruse. Leave a comment if there are any subjects you'd like to to cover.

Coming soon, I'll update the "What Should I Be Doing Now?" section for the spring semester. Happy Holidays!

In Case You Missed It, October

Thank you for visiting Apply with Sanity. It's been up for a month now! In case you weren't here from day one, here's a run-down of what's been covered in the blog so far:

I explained what this site is all about, and why.

I wrote about expanding the way you think about your college search.

I explained why you don't deserve a scholarship.

I talked about joy and pleasure.

I advised you to prepare for your admissions freak-out now.

I gave some tips on preparing for an interview.

I explained why you should not take an SAT prep course.

I explained why it's okay write about yourself freely in your admissions essays.

A financial planner explained how and why to talk to your family about money.

Two college students explained how they made some tough decisions about college.

I explained why your college will not stop asking you for donations--this one includes a link to a funny video.

 

And that's just the blog! There are also sections on the Five Fundamentals of Applying with Sanity, a how-to section, and an answer to the question "What should I be doing right now?"

Please share this with someone you think will enjoy or benefit from Apply to Sanity.