College Guidance Q & A

Larry receives numerous questions about college admissions from applicants and their families. This week he addresses a question about repeating a year in boarding school.

Q: Will applying to a boarding school as a repeat junior affect my college application?

A: Aren’t you doing this to either advance your education, improve upon a weak academic year, or add another year of sports training? Well, then, yeah - it will affect your college application, and hopefully in a positive way. However, the upward or downward trajectory depends on you.

In our College Admissions Counseling program, Larry works with students of all academic profiles and extracurricular interests. Holly, Director of Learning Associates, offers School Placement services to families seeking admission to private day and boarding schools. If you would like to learn more about these services, contact Larry at larry@learningassoc.com or Holly at holly@learningassoc.com.

College Guidance Q & A

Larry receives numerous questions regarding college admissions from applicants and their families. Each week he will pick one question and share his response. This week's topic is relevant to all prospective college students.

Q: What is the best indicator of college success, ACT, GPA, or extracurriculars?

A: The research is clear, despite anecdotal opinions to the contrary. It’s GPA in core courses, along with rigor of the High School academic program.

Larry works with students of all academic profiles and extracurricular interests. If you have questions pertaining to college admissions or would like to learn more about our services, please contact him at larry@learningassoc.com.

College Guidance Q & A

Larry receives numerous questions from applicants and their families about college admissions. Each week he will pick a question and share his response. This week's question is about athletic scholarships.

Q: Can a sports scholarship get you into Harvard?

A: No. There are no sports scholarships at Harvard or at any other Ivy League college. Harvard, and the other Ivies, provide need based aid, only.

Recruited athletes, who are quite a talented group, are measured differently in admissions, though. They are not expected to have had the same sort of out-of-classroom accomplishments as non-recruits, having spent so much time excelling in their sport. As a group, their academic credentials are not as robust as non-athletes, but some individuals are equally qualified as the main applicant pool when measured by GPA, academic rigor, test scores, etc. This process of admitting recruited athletes is monitored by the Ivy League through a system called the Academic Index - a longer topic for another time and place.

Good luck.

Larry works with students of all academic profiles and extracurricular interests. If you have questions about college admissions or would like to learn more about our services, please contact him at larry@learningassoc.com.