by Stephanie Ureña | Jun 27, 2022 | Blog
El proceso de admisión a la escuela secundaria en la ciudad de Nueva York ha tenido algunos cambios desde la pandemia. Algunos de estos cambios incluyen la fecha límite para las aplicaciones, que antes de la pandemia solía ser diciembre, y también cómo algunas de las...
by Dana Ponsky | May 11, 2022 | Blog
Just this past week, I returned from a week-long trip to the country of Israel to learn about gap year programs. In this one country alone, more than 10,000 students from across the globe (most from the USA) between the ages of 18-21 live for 1-2 years to have a...
by Wendy Federico | Mar 23, 2022 | Blog
I’m currently working with the family of a young girl who had been attending a private, parochial school. In first grade it was observed that she was struggling to master her phonics and reading skills. In second grade the school began to support her with...
by Wendy Federico | Jan 25, 2022 | Blog
As admissions decisions are being made, and offers of placement start rolling in, parents of children with special learning needs are feeling an increased level of anxiety knowing that seats are so limited. There are so few specialized schools offering full-time...
by Wendy Federico | Dec 27, 2021 | Blog
It’s been a roller coaster of a year, and just when we thought we could breathe a little bit easier, the world is turning upside down again. As we approach year 3 of COVID and parents juggling work/home demands, sheltering in place or quarantining, and monitoring our...
by Wendy Federico | Oct 4, 2021 | Blog
The excitement of the new school year is universally palpable; the smell of the new school supplies, books, shiny new shoes, and “school clothes.” Although many years have passed, I can still recall the fun of shopping for my school supplies after the first day of...
by Wendy Federico | Aug 29, 2021 | Blog
As parents and educators, we want our children to have every opportunity to achieve and experience success. Classroom accommodations, testing accommodations, and related services are all put in place to help the student gain access to content, complete tasks, and...
by Dana Ponsky | Aug 22, 2021 | Uncategorized
For more than 6 years I worked in offices that developed programs and supported students in the first year of college. I worked as a university retention officer tasked with ensuring university-wide programs were positively impacting the retention of its students from...
by Wendy Federico | Aug 2, 2021 | Uncategorized
You’re pregnant! The happiest time of your life! For nine months your thoughts are consumed with your hopes and dreams for the future of your child. Aside from the obvious concerns, “ten fingers ten toes”, healthy heart, lungs, brain, you begin to wonder, “will he/she...
by Dana Ponsky | Jul 19, 2021 | Blog, Uncategorized
The mid-spring months are always an exciting time of year. Around that time, we begin receiving college admissions results and can start planning out how our fall semester may look. It’s also a great time to start putting together a “summer reading...
by Wendy Federico | Jul 1, 2021 | Blog, Uncategorized
Federal law mandates that public school districts identify students who may require additional support or special programming. The first step in this process would be an evaluation at no cost to the family. Parents have the right to request that the school district...
by Dana Ponsky | Jun 25, 2021 | Blog, Uncategorized
Recently, I have had families ask me about scheduling college visits. While there are many colleges that have yet to fully open up their campuses for tours and information sessions, there are still so many colleges that have been able to safely open up and welcome...
by Wendy Federico | Jun 1, 2021 | Blog, Uncategorized
The challenge of identifying the “right” school for a child who needs to learn differently can be overwhelming. It takes a great deal of research, perseverance, and emotional strength. Unlike mainstream schools, most schools that provide specialized education operate...
by Dana Ponsky | May 27, 2021 | Blog, Uncategorized
Recently, I had the opportunity to join dozens of other independent college counselors at a professional development roundtable, which focused on the needs of learning disabled and neuro-diverse students (LD/ND) navigating the college admissions process. As we divided...
by Dana Ponsky | Apr 27, 2021 | Blog, Uncategorized
In the 20+ years I have been in education on both the high school and college side, I can say that senioritis definitely is a “thing.” For high school students, college students in their early 20s, and even professionals who are finishing up graduate...
by Dana Ponsky | Mar 22, 2021 | Blog
I am not a huge fan of the month of March. The energy of the month always seems to be “off” for me. Maybe it’s just the culmination of too many months of cold weather (if you live in colder climates). Maybe it’s the month’s inability to choose a climate, weather...
by Dana Ponsky | Feb 19, 2021 | Uncategorized
If I am going to be honest, I am not a huge fan of standardized testing. I could probably get into a healthy debate with anyone about the inherent and overt biases I think exist with the current standardized tests that are used for college and graduate school...
by Dana Ponsky | Jan 18, 2021 | Uncategorized
For those of us in the Northeast, we are at the point in the winter season when the idea of warm weather and being outside without multiple layers of clothing on is very appealing. While we can all daydream of a more temperate climate, it is also a good time for high...
by Maurice Frumkin | Dec 18, 2020 | Blog
As a college counselor, I both enjoy and feel a slight sense of despair at this time of the year. Usually beginning in mid-December, colleges from around the country that choose to offer Early Decision or Early Action plans, will begin the process of notifying...
by Dana Ponsky | Oct 13, 2020 | Uncategorized
The process of choosing the colleges that make it to the final list can take months and involves researching topics like degree offerings, faculty research, location, extracurricular opportunities, athletic offerings, and more. For many families, it also includes...
by Dana Ponsky | Sep 22, 2020 | Blog, Uncategorized
When it comes to schooling in the U.S. things are just different. Schools are in-person, a hybrid model, fully remote, or taken on an entirely new process/meaning for a family. No matter where your student is with schooling this year, there are some important points...
by Dana Ponsky | Aug 16, 2020 | Uncategorized
Each year, as the month of August commences, I find myself thinking how quickly the summer has gone by and in a few short weeks we are all back to school. This year, I, like so many, are thinking about how this year is unlike anything I could have imagined and there...
by Maurice Frumkin | Aug 1, 2020 | Blog
Virtual School Events: Strategies for Parents & Students As we head into what could be considered the most unique school admissions season in recent memory, families will be faced with a new question: How should we prepare for what’s likely to be a slew of...
by Dana Ponsky | Jul 14, 2020 | Uncategorized
The topic of how the Covid-19 health crisis dominates our news cycle (and our lives) and the amount of information and resources available to us can sometimes be very overwhelming. When it comes to thinking about how the college experience and application process has...
by Dana Ponsky | Jul 14, 2020 | Uncategorized
As it is well reported, the testing situation around the SAT and ACT has been a challenging one to navigate for many students around the country. With the slow reopening of the tri-state area and the quick reopening of other states around the country, the testing...
by Dana Ponsky | Jun 15, 2020 | Uncategorized
The school year has come to an end…finally. I speak to students and families regularly about how challenging the past few months have been, but now many are concerned about what the summer months are going to look like for their student. Most students...
by Dana Ponsky | May 17, 2020 | Uncategorized
Year after year, students and families take on the college application process with a balance of excitement and trepidation. The excitement is usually around the opportunity to explore what’s next after high school, thinking about the future, preparing for change, and...
by Maurice Frumkin | Apr 28, 2020 | Uncategorized
For most people, school admissions is not a top priority right now, nor should it be. At the same time, I’m hearing a lot of comments from parents about the application process such as, “There’s nothing I can do,” or “I feel like I can’t make any progress.” I’m...
by Dana Ponsky | Apr 15, 2020 | Uncategorized
As I spend hours a day reading news reports, emails from college admissions offices, and managing my overwhelmed professional association lists, I find that the same words keeping popping up: Unprecedented, unknown, uncertainty, test-optional, waitlists, gap year, and...
by Maurice Frumkin | Mar 19, 2020 | Uncategorized
As the Coronavirus situation changes hour by hour, so do our thoughts about what’s to come in the months and years ahead. Indeed, as you read this, the situation surrounding the crisis will have already changed from the time this was written, perhaps even...
by Maurice Frumkin | Mar 19, 2020 | Uncategorized
When I sit down with students during an initial consultation, after I ask many questions about grades, test scores, favorite and least favorite subjects, and extracurricular activities, the question that usually prompts smiles on the face of families and surprises...
by Dana Ponsky | Feb 18, 2020 | Uncategorized
For students and parents in 11th grade, the time has come to begin the early stages of the college application process. While there are no applications being filled out right now, there is plenty of preparation that happens in the months leading up to determining what...
by Maurice Frumkin | Feb 18, 2020 | Uncategorized
Since public high school results in New York City are expected in March, I am often asked questions about what to expect and the implications of the more recent changes to the admissions process. I will be covering much of this during my February 26, 2020 webinar....
by Dana Ponsky | Aug 12, 2019 | Blog, Uncategorized
As the month of August commences, I find myself thinking how quickly the summer has gone and in a few short weeks we are all back to school. As both a high school college counselor and independent college counselor for the past ten years, admittedly, I still find...
by Maurice Frumkin | Aug 8, 2019 | Blog, Uncategorized
The end of summer. As rising 8th grade families approach this key and perhaps anxiety-provoking milestone, I often get asked, “What should I have accomplished this summer to be in the best position for the upcoming high school admissions season?” Even with a few...
by Dana Ponsky | Jul 12, 2019 | Blog, Uncategorized
Over the past ten years as a college counselor, I have been asked countless times by families: Does my student need to visit a college before he/she/they apply? Can’t we just wait until they’re accepted before I/we have to take time off of work or spend money to...
by Dana Ponsky | May 24, 2019 | Blog, Uncategorized
Summer is around the corner and many families are crossing the final “t’s” and dotting the final “i’s” of their plans. For many high school students however, the pressure to have a summer that is filled with non-stop activities, programs, or travel plans can sometimes...
by Cait Foster | Feb 11, 2019 | Blog
It all started in June of last year when our guidance counselor called a meeting in the auditorium to discuss the high school application process with the 7th graders and their parents. We were handed a massive book with all the high schools in New York City; every...
by Karen Berlin Ishii | Dec 29, 2018 | Blog
For most parents, the smartest, simplest advice I can give is to start their child’s test prep six months earlier than they had planned. “But my older child got into Stuyvesant and he did nothing more than a couple of practice tests in...
by Maurice Frumkin | Dec 29, 2018 | Blog
I often get the question, “We’ve done all this work submitting applications, now what happens and why does it take so long to get results?” The bad news is, there’s a somewhat agonizing wait for 8th grade families across the city to receive their high school...
