The other day I was in a clothing store and started talking to the young saleswoman named Rebecca who was helping me with some purchases. It turned out that she …

I stood at the base of the bleachers in the school gym, alongside seven other seniors, in front of the entire freshman class. We were to introduce ourselves as their …

“Your mom makes WHAT for dinner?” I looked around the table of the dining hall to a circle of blank stares, a circle of peers who simply could not understand …

You do something new, and you see yourself and the world differently. If you’ve had one of these moments, you will know. I once interviewed an applicant for Princeton whose …

Every year, the education community has the opportunity to help craft the narrative of SXSWedu. Through PanelPicker, the community has a voice in which sessions and speakers are selected with …

When I was a faculty advisor to the admissions committee at Douglass College, Rutgers, the stories of failure were much more memorable than those about success. I remember an admissions …

On March 29, 2004, I wrote in my diary, “There’s a school that my parents are planning for me to go to. I think that school is okay, but it …

Saying things out loud helps make them happen. This is especially true when planning for college. That’s why Story2 and Better Make Room are partnering as part of the Up …

We can feel the tides turn when the Common Application opens up on the first of August. Students rush to Twitter, asking questions, and we’re reminded how difficult the Common …