Articles
We have an extensive blog sharing our perspective on college readiness and college admissions. We’re also always looking to add more topics. What else would you like to know?
Contact us and let us know! You can also find our latest posts on our Facebook page.
Reviews and Praise for Top College Consultants
At Top College Consultants, we work closely with students and their parents as we guide them through the college admissions process. We're fortunate to work with many wonderful families around the world. Thank you for your kind reviews and referrals! From parents...
6 Reasons to Consider a Gap Year
Choosing among the colleges they’ve been accepted to can be an exciting (and sometimes stressful) process for graduating seniors, but there’s still another big question to answer as well: should they start college right away or defer for a year? For many students,...
Should You Disclose a Disability When Applying to College?
Students with disabilities often wonder whether to discuss their diagnoses on college applications. It's a great question, and a very personal decision. In general, there's no reason to assume that disclosure will either help or hurt a student's chances of being...
7 Things Students with Disabilities Should Do When Starting College
Students with disabilities may have tremendous potential as well as exceptional needs. But to fulfill that potential in college, they need to be sufficiently prepared, because the transition from high school involves a huge increase in independence. Here are seven key...
3 Steps to Acing the “Why us?” Essay
3 Steps to Acing the “Why us?” Essay If you’ve started working on supplementary college essays, you may have seen prompts asking you to explain why you’re choosing to apply to that school. For example, Tufts University asks, “Which aspects of the Tufts undergraduate...
Discover Your Dream College at a Virtual Fair
Want to learn more about colleges? It's easy! Attend an upcoming virtual college fair from the comfort of your own home. Sign up at https://virtualcollegefairs.org/events.
New Event: Q&A with College Disability Services
Do you have questions about disability accommodations and services in college? If you missed this dynamic Q&A event with staff from three college disability centers, you can see the recording here.
Practical Tips for Working with Young Women On the Autism Spectrum
Autistic young women are gaining greater visibility--and with rising rates of diagnosis, independent educational consultants (IECs) are likely to encounter more students on the spectrum in their caseloads. However, much of what people know--or think they know--about...
Female Students With ADHD: How IECs Can Help
with Sharon Saline, Psy.D. Nia had been so excited to go to college. She’d been diagnosed with inattentive ADHD in eighth grade and received accommodations such as extra time on tests, preferential classroom seating and getting copies of teachers’ notes. An executive...
Students and Stress: Challenges and Solutions
Kate was a thriving high school junior before COVID hit, active in the French club and the tennis team. After the switch to remote instruction, she missed socializing and exercising with her friends. When the SAT was repeatedly canceled and in-person university tours...
9 Tips for International Students Applying to American Graduate Schools
The United States offers a wealth of opportunities for higher education, so it should be no surprise that it’s a popular destination for students from many other countries. But the world of graduate study is distinctive, and it pays to learn some of the subtleties of...
College Readiness and Transition for Students on the Autism Spectrum
Elena was looking forward to studying marine biology at a liberal arts college. Midway through her first semester she became overwhelmed by the social and academic demands, stopped attending class and moved back home in a state of depression. The only job she has held...
Coping with Coronavirus: What Students Need to Know
Current students–like most of us– have never experienced anything like the COVID-19 pandemic. With schools closing and events being cancelled, normal life has been greatly disrupted. High school closings means no athletics, clubs, proms or other social events. It’s a...
5 Ways You Can Cope Better With Remote Learning
When high schools and colleges shifted abruptly to remote learning, students reacted in a variety of ways. While some students thrived, enjoying fewer classroom distractions and less social anxiety, others missed the in-person interactions and struggled to focus....
7 Secrets to Seeking Learning Disability Services in College
Disability services work very differently in college than they do in high school—one of the key differences being that students, not staff or parents, are responsible for self-advocating for their needs. Before you head off to college, here are the key things to know...
What Questions Should I Ask the Student Disabilities Office?
If you’ll be seeking accommodations or support services for a disability or learning differences in college, it pays to research in advance what will be available at each school on your list. Here are some key questions to ask disability staff if you are considering...
Autism and the Transition to College
Making the transition to college is a big step for most students. For individuals on the autism spectrum, it can be even more daunting since college campuses and many traditions weren’t designed with these particular students in mind. The challenges for autistic...
Are You Ready for College?
You may be eager to go to college, but are you truly ready? If you’ve succeeded in high school courses, you might be justified in feeling capable of moving on to college-level work. But being college-capable is not the same as being college-ready. To earn your degree,...