The College Consultant Network (CCN) is the first knowledge-sharing platform and social media network dedicated exclusively to independent education consultants whose primary activities include helping high school students and their families select a college, school or other program that is a “best fit” for the student. 

On the CCN, consultants can showcase their knowledge and expertise or interact directly with students and / or their families. The CNN also provides an interactive directory of helpful ancillary resources for students and / or consultants.  

The CCN is powered by Brainsy Inc. and was originally incubated in partnership with the Higher Education Consultants Association (HECA) but now operates collaboratively on a non-exclusive basis with any independent education association.  The long-term vision for the CCN is that it will be owned and operated by all members of the community that contribute to its growth and success. 
 
Students and their famil...more

 
Rich educational opportunities support student learning and development at college according to the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) at Indiana University for Postsecondary Research. NSSE suggests that students ask colleges the following questions to learn about the college’s rich educational opportunities:

“How many courses include community-based service-learning projects?
What types of honors courses, learning communities, and other distinctive programs are offered?
How many students get practical, real-world experience through internships or off-campus field experiences?
How many students study in other countries?
What co-curricular activities are most common (performing arts, athletics, fraternities and sororities, guest speakers, etc.)?”

Here are examples of rich educational opportunities at colleges and universities:

• 91 percent complete internships (American University).
• All students study abroad (Goucher College).
• More than seventy courses combine academics with

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Somehow this notion of attending your dream school became synonymous with the perfect place to receive a degree. This idea of getting into a college or university of notoriety would, by default, propel students into stardom, ultimate success, or even riches. How utterly absurd.

But what if the "dream school" had nothing to do with notoriety, fame or fortune. But instead, the college was a good fit because it met the student's needs, bringing happiness and a prosperous environment. 

This is the true and honest nature of healthy college selection. A student who pursues their future by identifying meaningful characteristics of a college, recognizing personal strengths and challenges, and strives for excellence has actually constructed a foundation for building a solid list of colleges.

This idea of matching colleges to students based on specific criteria unique to the student is something many IECs (Independent Educational Consultant) have been doing for decades. The...more

 First off, life isn’t fair. Second, unless you were in the room where the admission decision was made, you don't know that the other student was less qualified than you. Sure, he might have similar, or even lower, grades and test scores, but numbers aren't all there is in holistic admissions.

     Simply put, college admission has never been fair to the applicants. Admission to a particular college is not something you earn or deserve. If your abilities match their institutional priorities, then you will be admitted. One of those priorities might be “We need more students whose wealthy families will give us money.” C’est la vie. Those students’ families are paying for other students’ scholarships.

     But, if I’m correct in assuming that your “dream college” is one of those top 20 name-brand colleges, you need to face the facts that admission to those schools is not a given for anybody. There ar...more

Here are a few of my favorite college planning reference books and websites organized by category.  What other references do you like and use?

What makes a college right for you - College Match 

College Majors - Book of Majors

College Guides:

• The Princeton Review, The Best 3xx Colleges
• Fiske Guide to Colleges
• America’s Best Colleges for B Students
• Colleges That Change Lives
• Creative Colleges: A Guide for Student Actors, Artists, Dancers, Musicians and Writers
• The K&W Guide to Colleges for Students with Learning Differences
• Rugg’s Recommendations on the Colleges 
   

College Search Sites:

• http://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/
• https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/college-search
• http://www.collegedata.com/cs/search/college/college_search_tmpl.jhtml
• http://www.collegexpress.com/lists/ 

Chance for acceptance - Naviance scattergrams from your high school

Financial Aid:

• Financial Aid information- http://www.fina

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Many people mistakenly believe that applying to a larger number of “reach” or top-tier schools increases the chances of being admitted to one.  There are two big reasons why this belief not only is wrong, but jeopardizes students’ chances of admission to even one of the top schools on their lists.

Reason #1 Why You Shouldn’t Apply to All 8 Ivies

The first reason you shouldn’t apply to all 8 Ivy League schools, or limit your list to the top of the US News list, is that they are different in fundamental ways!  If you love and fit at Columbia, then Brown would probably not be a great match for you!  If you think Duke or Johns Hopkins would be perfect for you, it’s unlikely you’d fit well at Yale.  And if you aren’t a good fit, that’s probably going to come through in your essays – or at least other applicants’ essays are likely to be stronger than yours.  Top-tier colleges aren’t interested in students who are only interested in their top ranking, and the bumper...more

http://www.hercampus.com/high-school/how-narrow-down-your-college-application-list-so-you-won-t-have-regrets...more