Supplement Job Displacement Benefit Program

TIPS FOR STUDENTS WHO WISH TO STUDY IN THE UNITED STATES

With over 4000 colleges and universities in America to choose from, it is sometime difficult to know where to start.  International Agents have been barred from being able to just sign up students as in days past because of their manipulation tactics that hurt students and their families.

Look to see what it will take to come to the United States and Study.

LEARN MORE HERE

SANTA MONICA COLLEGE CONSULTANT HELP STUDENTS GET INTO TOP CALIFORNIA AND IVY LEAGUE SCHOOLS

The College Admissions Consultant helps students showcase their talents, skills,  and passions.   Just last year,  one student whose single mother had never seen the front door of a college campus before was face with numerous obstacles in the admissions process.  With the help of The College Admissions Consultant,  this student was accepted not just to USC and UCLA,  but also Dartmouth, Columbia, and other Ivy League Schools.  How did this happen?

Well,  when starting early,  students can be positioned so that they can clearly demonstrate and showcase themselves to admissions officers.  

LEARN MORE HERE

COLLEGE AFFORDABILITY --- TIPS TO HELP FAMILIES

Here are ideas that families can do to afford college costs.

10 TIPS TO COLLEGE AFFORDABILITY

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We are hosting a common app Bootcamp for those students or workers who are looking to apply to 4- year colleges. We also have a program in place now for those people who were injured on the job and need to retrain starting with the GED and returning Vets who are looking to get addition training for new jobs. Our injured worker can get an injured worker a worker with 8th grade education a 2 year associates degree for FREE... and some costs for 4- year, Master and Doctoral programs. Contact us for additional information. college bound and transfer students--- Injured workers/Vets

5 TIPS TO KEEP IN MIND WHEN LOOKING AT COLLEGES

nts and families throughout the application process.

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Start The Process Early (12-18 months ahead)

“The college admissions process can be stressful and can elicit anxiety in both students and parents. This feeling is compounded when students make a choice to wait late into the fall of their senior year to start their research and applications.

The application season now opens for almost  all colleges on August 1st each year.  Start the process as early as you can and do not procrastinate.  See the big picture and make a calendar that includes your final due date and work backwards. Give yourself mini goals that can be accomplished in small intervals. This will help  prevent the fatigue that comes with the college admissions process.”

Get To Know Your Guidance And/Or College Counselor!

Your biggest advocate in the college admissions process is going to be your school counselor. If you are not familiar with your counselor, make time to get to know them. More importantly, make sure they know you. These counselors will be providing a letter of recommendation,  and your counselor can help you devise an admissions calendar and help keep you accountable as you work through the process.” 

If you feel you need more assistance than your counselor can assist ou will,  college admissions consultants can also assist you.  These people usually travel around the country and tour colleges and universities.  There consultants can give you an inside look to a college that might help you with your decision.

Ignore Your Boyfriend/Girlfriend, Cousin, and Best Friend.

These people may be close to you,  but they are not you.  In my 12 years of experience meeting with students and parents, there is a very interesting barriers that can stand in the way of real progress.  

Without fail, every student has a brother, sister, parent or cousin that has attended an Ivy League school, scored 2400 on their SATs, has received a full ride fencing scholarship, has been published in a peer reviewed journal, etc. In addition, your parents or your aunt, is an expert in college planning and pretty much has your future planned. She knows the best major and and career for you and has created a spreadsheet to make sure each Ivy League school application is submitted in a timely matter.

You are not your brother, your sister,  you parent or your cousin. You are YOU! . What is good for someone else may not be good for you. Keep this in mind as you work through the college admissions process. Your parents or aunt willl eventually forgive you.”

Focus On Relationships, Not Rankings

Rankings are about how many books are in the library or the grants theiir scientist have recieved.  It has  nothing to do with what your life will be like at the school.  

“Students should focus on colleges in which they can create solid and lasting relationships. Rankings can help consumers find colleges that have strong quantitative qualities (number of academic programs, faculty/student ratio, number of teaching faculty, etc.), but what these rankings don’t take into account is the institution’s ability to assist students in creating relationships and contacts that will benefit them in their future careers.

It is important that students take responsibility for this aspect of their college life, but certain colleges do a better job making this a priority. In my experience, alumni are more likely to attribute success to the quality and quantity of relationships formed during their undergraduate years. Students with poor ‘relational capital’ can certainly find success, but it is unlikely that they will have the same experience as a student who focuses on, and knows the value of, developing relationships.”

While a college consultant can look expensive up front,  a college consultant can help you streamline this process, saving you money, time,  and lost credits in the future.  Transferring from a school that is a wrong choose can be very expensive,  and also effect your financial aid.

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Treat Your College List Like A Financial Portfolio

“Unfortunately, college admissions standards have become more competitive than any time in our nation’s history. For this reason, it is more important than ever to be smart when devising your final list.  Treat your list like a financial portfolio. It would be unwise to put all of your money into high-risk stocks, but also too conservative to put all of your money into low-yield mutual funds. Your college list should include safety, 50/50 and  stretch colleges. Your school counselor or college consultant can use their experience to help you determine which colleges fit into the appropriate category, taking into consideration your academic profile. Keep in mind that the goal of the admissions process is to eventually have options. If you keep this perspective in mind, you will be just fine.” 

REMEMBER: Pick the best school for you...  the money WILL follow!

High School Guidance Counselors Are Becoming Few and Far Between

Counseling of high schools studetns is become more specialized.  More and more, we are hearing that schools are changing the ground work for their high school counselors.  One counselor wrote "As a counselor,  I deal with students facing many challenges including but not limited to depression, truancy, drug abuse, sexual abuse, homelessness, school failure meanwhile I have to also provide student academic guidance. My workload in the past few years has more than doubled due to the economic crisis and the school board announced recently that it might very soon be eliminated".

Like physicans,  schools are now looking at counselors as a specialty,  where there is no longer a counselor who will handle all issues.  Some with deal with those students who suffer with drug, sexual, physical, or mental abuse, homelessness, school failure etc. as a new category, followed by school counselors, and then others will over see the guidance and/or college counseling.

Guidance counselors jobs are in jeapordy because many counselors are being replaced by college consultants who can spend more time with a student and who do not cost the district one penny.

Students need to be more pro active and learn what is needed in their education for them to succeed.  College Admissions Consultant is one way for families to keep their students on track.

Book a FREE 1/2 hr. appt. now.  

SHOULD YOU BE CONSIDERING A COLLEGE ADMISSIONS CONSULTANT?

Private College Admissions Consulting is a booming industry that offers to help families navigate the often-confusing and stressful process of college admissions.  There are approximately 800 College/Educational Consultants across America who regularly tour colleges, keep up with all the newest trends,  continue their own education on a constant basis, and are members of at least one of the several national organization.  

Demand for applications advice often exceeds the capacities of most public institutions. Indeed, public high schools in the United States employ an average of one staff member per 500 students. In 2013, 26 percent of all college applicants -- three times as many as in 2003, hired a "private admissions consultant" or an "independent educational consultant (IEC)" to assist with their college applications.

Fee-based college advice has long been available, but where such services once catered to students with difficult cases, an uneven transcript or learning differences, now they are becoming mainstream.

Unfortunately, because this has been such a closed industry for so long, many are just learning about "college admissions consultants".  Many believe there are is one on every street corner.  If that is true, you should double check their qualifications.  Many believe they understand the process and how to make it work without any proper training.

Responding to public demands for greater insight and access to college, private admissions consultants offer a range of services from test preparation and college selection, to essay and interview coaching and application packaging. Some consultant businesses provide a bevy of courses and coaches. Others merely focus on the application and are small businesses owned by individuals, who may have worked in counseling, admissions or for a university in the past. Still others are new to the profession and have an interest in working with teenagers and families. Their backgrounds and experiences vary greatly from education to marketing to athletics and the arts, as do their services.

No matter who you hire, ask a lot of questions!

FACEBOOK LOSES THE "LIKES" TO YOUR PAGE(S)

One our website, we noticed a few days ago that our likes dropped from what is now 903 to 59,,,,,  What happened.  We filed a complaint and after several discussions trying to clarify the issues, we got this message a few minutes ago

"We have received a lot of complaints regarding users losing their FaceBook Like count on their WIX site.

We have approached FaceBook regarding this matter and have asked them to look into it.

Please note that the FaceBook API is the engine that is providing the counter for your FaceBook Like button.  This applies to the FaceBook Like Widget from WIX, as well as using FaceBook's code to generate the Like counter using the HTML App.

If you are experiencing a loss in your FaceBook Like count for your site's url, then please contact FaceBook regarding this matter.

You can raise an issue with FaceBook by contacting the FaceBook Help Center here."

So hope they do  fix this issue.   As far as I am concerned,  Facebook is the worse place to try to contact anyone to talk about a problem.  They post all kind of messages and it is so confusing that I usually say "forget it".. but today, I am really sad--  and upset,  and I dont think this issue will get resolved!

So if anyone did like our page, and you are not there.. please LIKE us again!   I lost something that at least made me feel people saw me..  now I am dust in dirt.

The College Admissions Consultant

COLLEGE ADMISSIONS - IS THERE A FORMULA? Online Radio by TheCollegeAdmissionsConsultant | BlogTalkRadio

Please Join us for our 1st Radio Show starting on September 8th at 9 pm.

We wil cover each week, ONE topic about the college admissions process and you are welcome to call in with your questions.

See you there!

COLLEGE ADMISSIONS - IS THERE A FORMULA?  Online Radio by TheCollegeAdmissionsConsultant | BlogTalkRadio

How Does A College Admissions Consultant Help You and Your Family

Today,  Due to the cut back in the schools,  Private College Admissions Consulting is a booming industry that offers to help families navigate the often-confusing and stressful process of college admissions. 26 % of all college applicants -- three times as many as in 2003, hired a "private admissions consultant" or an "independent educational consultant (IEC)" to assist with their college applications

While  many public and private universities provide meet and greets, college tours, application seminars, post "application tips"  on their websites as well as distribute information to high school counselors, the demand for applications advice often exceeds the capacities of most public institutions. Indeed, public high schools in the United States employ an average of one staff member per 500 students. 

Families are given so much information that they do not know what to do and as a result students make huge financial mistakes by picking the wrong school, not understanding the financial aid process, or just picking a school because it was the brand name.  Many do not even realize that the process will take their child approximately 100-200 hours to complete with a consultant depending on the situation to offer 27-30 hours of assistance for a regular package and more for those who are international or deal with learning differences.  A good Counselor will be able to make recommendations of schools you and your family may never have even heard of.

Today, we  found  this  article that was published last month  by the Huffington Post.  It outlines how and why college consulting is becoming a huge business and how a well trained counselor can quickly mainstream the process, get a child on track, and offer help to a student.

Huffington Post Article On Private College Admissions Counseling

NOTE:  We currently are still accepting those who are incoming seniors.  It is important for a student to start the process well in advance of their senior year, but we realize many still feel it starts in the 12th grade, and signing up incoming Juniors.

The College Admissions Consultant is a member in good standing with NACAC, OCACA, and HECA

WHAT IT TAKES TO GET INTO A COLLEGE

I get so many letters from students who have hopes... I blows me away how very far off base they are with their assessments of what colleges and universities. Students need to see this valuable video


.Congratulations! You Are Not Accepted

THE 2013-2014 COLLEGE ADMISSIONS APPLICATION SEASON IS NOW OPEN!

If you have been following one of our social media links, you known we have been talking about the NEW common application...  Well, this past Thursday,  the new app  went live on line.  The creators of the application have tried to make it simplier. I have found that when things are made simplier,  they end up tougher.

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Do you want to know more about the app.. go to this site~~

THE NEW COMMON APPLICATIONS

AWARD WINNER AGAIN

Parenting Teens -- The Underachieving Child" May Not Really be An Underachiever At All

Every now and then I stop to read a magazine on parenting teens, or listen to mothers discuss their newest issues in raising their children.    Early today, I over heard a parent ask her friends this question about her underachieving 15 year old---

" What do you do with a 15 year-old freshman who has been described by a teacher as "sometimes almost brilliant"  and who just brought home 3 C's on his report card?  With the note "work turned in late/incomplete."

and then she had specific recommendations---  asked as questions...

A. drag him to a psychologist to discuss his feelings about his father's mental illness and disappearance 

B. punish him (how?) 

C. set up a reward (bribe?) 

D. make him go to summer school, missing the family vacation, if his final grade is a C (this would go against other family values) 

E. other ______________ 

F. all of the above

His only input is that the teachers involved don't like him/he doesn't like them/or the work is boring.

Thanks in advance for all your suggestions. I'm not feeling confident in my "parenting of a teenager" abilities.

Another mother commented --  "Last report on my son's card had two D's on it, one in Ceramics, if you can believe that.  My smart 16-y-o son  has been utterly unmotivated since Middle School. and his 13-y-o brother is close behind. I don't know how to solve this problem but I will tell you what I've tried, and what the result was. Maybe others on the list will have ideas. If not, we can at least cry together on the mailing list!

1. punishments - I've tried all these for periods of a week to an entire grading period: come straight home after school, no TV, no video/computer games, no weekend sleepovers, no more allowance Result: no noticable results

2. rewards - instead of allowance, hefty bonus for A's and B's, nothing for C's, deductions for D's and F's. Extra bonus of TV in his room for all As and Bs. Result: slight improvement first grading period but zero profits all grading periods since then and he never qualified for the TV

3. nagging & lectures - "Where do you want to be in 2 years?" "How will you live in the Bay Area on miniumum wage?" "How will you get into college with a 2.3 GPA?" "When I was in High School" "All the Things you Have that I Didn't Have" etc. etc. etc. Even his friends nag him about his crummy grades. Result: if he's feeling happy, he says either "I guess I'm just lazy" or "Mom - think of what you're doing to my self-esteem" If his self-esteem is low, or I push him too hard, he says: "You just want me to be perfect! I'm not like you were!" and there is a big screaming fight and we both feel terrible for days .... I know self-esteem does come into this, but how do you preserve their self-esteem while still trying to prevent them from making huge mistakes?

4. private school - my son takes this as a threat. Very possibly this might have helped, but he loves the social life  so much, and it is so important to him to be with the friends he's known since kindergarten, that I have never seriously considered this.

5. tutoring - this is about the same as trying to get him to do regular school work, only there is an additional person also trying, and you have to pay them to do it. The problem is not that he doesn't understand the material - he doesn't want to do it. The tutor also wasn't able to convince him to do it.

6. phoning/meeting with teachers - Result: predictable ("He doesn't turn in the work") This can also have the undesired effect of turning the teacher's attention to a previously unnoticed poor student, which has a couple of times for us meant even WORSE grades - now the teacher is expecting lousy performance from your kid so even if he improves, he may be already tagged for failure. On the other hand, I think it's good to meet with the teacher now and then so your kid knows you are interested, and that you care about his school work and are trying to find a way to make things better.

7. meeting with the school counselor - This was beneficial. The counselor listed all the classes and credits he's taken and he is actually not doing as badly as we thought, even though his grades suck, as he puts it. She had some helpful suggestions (find a study group). We felt encouraged. She also suggested we NOT take him off his jr. varsity team, something we had considered, because outside activities help with college applications. I also realized that being on the team is a big part of his identity, and that it helps him feel important and useful, so it would be devastating to have that taken away even if it interferes with his academic performance, which I am not so sure about.

8. talking with my friends - this helps a lot. Everyone has stories of the sister/nephew/husband/son who went thru high school with a C average and then blossomed in college when he found his niche. Or even later than college. Or maybe never, but "he's a really nice guy and everyone loves him." Seriously, some of my friends have teenagers who are brilliant in school, same schools as my kids all the way through, have fabulous GPA's and all sorts of extra-curricular activities, and are highly self-motivated, seemingly right out of the womb. That does get discouraging and it's hard to acknowledge that my kid just isn't like that. But it still helps to talk to other parents, because there are all sorts of kids, some better off than yours but some worse off too.

9. focusing on his good points - He's a personable guy, enjoyable to be around, has a good bunch of friends. These attributes can sometimes be more useful in life than stellar grades. And we have a pretty good relationship and he has never given me any problems with bad or risky behavior, which I am grateful for. I hardly ever tell him I appreciate these qualities, and I should do it more, now that I think about it - it seems like they can't get enough praise. He doesn't say anything back, but if I just say "You look nice in that shirt" his face lights up!

Anyway, I hope you don't put too much blame on yourself, because there are a lot of us out here struggling with the exact same problem, and there don't seem to be any easy solutions, at least not that I've found. But I'm always open to new ideas, so if anyone has something, send it on!"

Then the third mother chimed in and said  "This situation sounds just like my 14 year-old, down to the "sometimes almost brilliant" who just brought home 3 C's "work turned in late/incomplete." First, the parenting of teenagers just isn't something to feel that confident about unless your child is a mutant. Having a child who is brilliant but won't do the work is a constant struggle! Don't give up."

I see a lot of kids, and sometimes the issues are real, and sometimes, they are just being teens.  You can not force a child to do something they do not want to do... so you might have to look to other ideas not mentioned here.

There are therapist who work with teens, and you can find them at PsychologyToday.com  - find a therapist.  There are many therapists close to you who can work with your child and determine quickly is it might be worth screening him for a brain disorder/mental illness; or if the material is so boring to your "almost brilliant" child should be put into a more challenging program.  

If there is mental illness in the family,  you need to accept that sometimes these conditions are hereditary.   If that is the case,  treating the underlying illness might help him get back on track.  Another issue may be that in fact he is coping with a learning difference that has gone undiagnosed or he is bright and he needs a more challenging and engaging environoment.  Testing is very important here.... either with a therapist or educational consultant.

The only thing that is more challenging than parenting a teenager is parenting a teenager with learning differences or personality disorders,   but these issues can be addresses and treatments offered to help. Finding out if there is anything going on with the brain chemistry can really help.

Parents need to find out what the core issues are, and then you will see improvement most of the time.

"H" IS FOR HELICOPTER PARENTS

“H” Is For Helicopter Parent. That dreaded label hovers over all parents as we try to help (and yes, over help) their children, to the point where when a child has to stand on their own, they can't. It is never more evident than when these children apply to college. That’s when parents become, well…"CRAZY".

 Legends abound about parents writing essays, berating admissions officers, and, in some particularly creative urban instances, apply to schools on behalf of their own offspring’s behalf.  Well,  much of it, if now all is true.  Colleges and Universities have now gotten on track and have recently instilled new measures to assure that the student who is in fact apply is the student, not a parent, not an agent, not anyone other than the student. Like the person(s) who tries to defend themselves in a court of law, parents who try to oversee the college admissions process are their own worse enemy.

 So we have one parent who summed up her college admissions experiences with her children like this... and we thought we would share with you this woman's experience.

  Why Hire a College Consultant?

" So let me confess right here… I was more than happy to accept help from professional college admissions consultants when both of my children applied to college. But the reasons might surprise you. It wasn’t, as many might imagine, to micromanage every decision on their road to higher ed. Au contraire… it was to get my big “H” out of the way.

 It’s Your Child’s College Search, Not Yours.  My reasoning: as I approached my eldest daughter’s sophomore year in high school, I realized it was impossible – summarily and completely impossible! – for me to engage in her college choices without inserting myself into the equation. We all have dreams for our children. But as my children became young adults, it became clear that my dreams were not necessarily theirs. I’m city and luxury hotels. They’re woods and campgrounds. I’m Edith Wharton and F. Scott Fitzgerald; they’re Stephen Hawking and Jack Kerouac. I love everything about them and admire their drive to simplify and save the planet. And while it is my job as a parent to help guide them, I couldn’t help feeling that my presence might actually steer them in a new and unintended direction.

 An objective voice helped ensure any detours – in whatever directions – were theirs. And I got a much-needed voice to remind me that the label affixed to their college of choice – brand name or not – didn’t matter. It’s what they did when they got there that would make the difference; what they decided they wanted from a future career, and how hard they were willing to fight for it.

Save Your Time and Sanity: Leave it to the Experts Yes, I was happy for the essential how-to advice from the pros. But I also got assurance that my children were pursuing their dreams and not mine. And when worries wracked me, I had an educated resource to deflect my angst away from them. Maybe most important, I got the solace of knowing I wasn’t going to screw it up. The people I worked for liked it, too, since I wasn’t spending my days obsessively surfing which school made the “best party” list, or which one was voted “best seven years of my life.”

 My oldest in particular ended up pursuing a college I wasn’t especially familiar with and that I probably never would have picked for her. And you know what? It fits her like a glove. She loves the environment, she’s doing beautifully as a student, and she’s making carefully thought-out decisions about internships and summer jobs to set herself up for a great resume.

Every day, I’m impressed by something new – things I’m now certain she wouldn’t have accomplished if I had been in the driver’s seat. And all of it was achieved because I was miles out of the way. So if all of my experiences are worthy of the title, “helicopter…” Well slap on an “H,” and color me scarlet."

To all parents, please keep in mind ---   the college experience of your day is NOT what it is today... this is YOUR child's 4 years, not yours. A college consultant may initial look expensive and burdensome, but a trained college consultant can save you not only time and worry, but a consultant can save you thousands of dollars in costly mistakes.

NEED HELP?   Call for a FREE 1/2 hr. Consultation, no obligation!

THE COLLEGE ADMISSIONS CONSULTANT

RULES ARE BEING PUT IN PLACE BY THE COMMISSION ON INTERNATIONAL RECRUITMENT FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

Today, China sends over 200,000 students to the United States each year for higher learning.  India sends about 50,000.  Other countries like to send their students as well.  

If you are one of these people who would like to study in the U.S.~~  take note!   As you begin your journey of preparing to study in the United States, you may be considering the option of hiring a consulting service provider to help you in this process.   Depending on where you live, such services could include a recruiter, broker or agent who charges fees or receives a commission for such things as helping you obtain a student visa, housing or other services. A recruiter is often known as Zhongjie in China and Yeo Haeng Saa in Korea.

It is important to know that you do not need to use a recruiter or agent in order to obtain a United States student visa. Free information about applying for an F or M visa is available from the US See the Department of State’s website.

What is important to know your rights and responsibilities and the problems you could encounter by hiring an agent or recruiter. Get all the facts up front and ask a lot of questions.  These recruiters do not hold professional membership in organizations like HECA, ICEA or NACAC.

Students and their families must ensure that their living arrangements in the United States are adequate for their needs. The arrangements a recruiter makes for you may not match how the recruiter describes them to you. A recruiter cannot prevent you from moving to a new living arrangement. Also, the fees paid for
your housing should not be tied to the agent or recruiter.


Additionally, and more importantly, you are a student must ensure that the school where you enroll meets your educational objectives. If it does not, a recruiter cannot prevent you from transferring to another school.  

Be aware that the US government cannot force recruiters to refund fees you have paid to them for not meeting your expectations (such as bad living arrangements or the school 
program not providing what you expected).

REMEMBER: KNOW AND UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AN INTERNATIONAL RECRUITER/AGENT and a COLLEGE ADMISSIONS CONSULTANT.

Many recruiters/agents work for a specific school or many schools in the U.S.  In addition to charging families for their fees, they sometimes receive incentive compensation from the schools they represent which can lead to misrepresentation, “high pressure” sales, conflicts of interest, and other forms of detrimental behavior.  This behavior hurts international students and their families.

On the other hand, a college admissions consultant is a highly trained individual who belongs to at least one of the national organizations, stays current on the latest trends, tours colleges campuses and can give a family a first hand look at each of the schools in the United States.  A college admissions consultant is NOT affiliated with any college or university and have no specific ties to any one school, and the fees to families are less that that of agents.  The only fees they receive are from their client.  

If you are looking to attend college in the United States, We offer a FREE 1/2 hr. consultation to international families to answer their questions.  Feel free with no obligation to contact us about how we can help you reach your goals.

Temporary Relief for Immigrant Students (Deferred Action-- AKA Dream Act")

There is great news for undocumented students who are now seeking a chance to gain college access into U. S. Colleges and Universities. On June 15, 2012, President Obama announced a new policy allowing undocumented immigrants brought into the country as children the opportunity to avoid deportation.   The new policy, commonly referenced as 'Deferred Action', will allow undocumented immigrants under 30 to apply for two-year deferrals excluding them from deportation,  so long as they meet criteria similar to provisions found in the DREAM Act, including  being a student, high school graduate or veteran of the armed forces or Coast Guard. Unlike the DREAM Act, which would give people under the age of 35 a path to  citizenship, the new policy would not provide any increased opportunity to obtain legal permanent resident status.           For more information, please see the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s website.

WHAT THE IVY LEAGUE SCHOOLS DON'T WANT YOU TO KNOW!

It's refreshing when two of the supposed most intelligent institutions in the world make a LOUD but intelligent decision. This week, Harvard (followed an hour later by Princeton) announced that it would re-institute the single action early action policy it abandoned four years ago.

Across the country, students, parents and high school counselors are heaving an enormous collective sigh of relief. In 2006, Harvard and Princeton stated that by eliminating their early programs (Harvard had early action, Princeton early decision), they would reduce the overall stress of the admissions process and make it a more level playing field for minority applicants. But that's not what happened.

In fact, the past two years have seen not only prodigious upticks in freshmen applications at top tier schools, but also the consequent (and predictable) trickledown effect throughout the top 50 colleges. These schools have been overwhelmed with applications: Harvard up 15 percent, Columbia up 32 percent, Princeton up 98 percent over the past seven years, and as a result they have had to hire part time readers to wade through the huge volume of applications. Why is there a huge rise in applicants in the regular round? In brief, because in order to "save" themselves for a shot at Harvard and Princeton in the regular round, students were reluctant to apply to the five Ivies (Dartmouth, Columbia, Penn, Brown, Cornell) that offer only binding early decision policies, flocking instead to non-binding colleges like Yale, UC Berkeley, Stanford, MIT and University of Chicago, all of which have some form of early action.

Those schools bore the brunt of these "extra" applicants. Chicago, Stanford, and Yale experienced a 40 percent rise in applicants two seasons in a row. Naturally, these schools couldn't simply accept a higher percentage of students, so they ended up deferring or rejecting many talented students who in any other year would have fared much better. As a result, many of these extraordinary students, facing an early round rejection, panicked and applied to 20-30 colleges, clogging the system and driving up the regular admissions numbers at schools from the Ivies and little Ivies to schools like Vanderbilt, Johns Hopkins, Emory and Northeastern.

As applications went up in the regular round, admissions odds went down with colleges around the country experiencing record low admit rates. Where did admissions odds diminish the most? 

At Harvard. Historically Harvard's early action acceptance rate (in the chart below) was 20%-25%  and they filled almost half of the class through Early Action Applicants. Without it, the acceptance rate plummeted to 7 percent.

We know the Ivies have raised there standards across the board this year.  The only one who did not was Dartmouth, but they may have to conform down the road.