Have A College Admissions Question? — Fire Away

Rachel Korn

I have spent my entire career in admissions. In the beginning, I served as an admissions officer at the University of Pennsylvania, Wellesley College and Brandeis University. Reading over 10,000 applications at an Ivy League university and at two elite small schools, I learned from the most respected leaders in my field about student recruitment and application and decision-making processes. I also earned my Ed.M at Harvard University in Higher Education Administration.

I have also written three books, “How to Survive Getting into College,” its second edition “Get Into College,” and “How to Survive Getting Your Kid Into College.”  From these titles, you can see that I am not only passionate about the world of college admissions but aim to ease the stress of the application process on high school students and parents, sharing my insider knowledge. Since 2005, I have merged my expertise with my love for counseling as an admissions consultant. I have assisted hundreds of students worldwide in their college pursuits.

Through visiting hundreds of high schools across the United States, I have seen you in your hometowns. I have talked with thousands of students and parents from schools big and small, public and private, urban and rural. Despite vast differences, you actually all have similar questions and concerns: When do I get started? What is a great essay topic? Essentially, “How do I navigate this application process?!”

I have discussed these topics on “The Today Show” on NBC and in other media and newspapers, such as “The Washington Post.” I have additionally written blogs for test prep companies, such as Varsity Tutors and LA Tutors 123, about these questions. You can read more on about me and view these on my website.

So how can I best help you here? Please ask me to explain confusing and stressful parts of the applications and share advice about how to be your best self to shine in your applications. I am happy to provide tips about everything from what to do on a college visit to how to impress an interviewer.

Let me help de-mystify this process for you.