It’s hard to know when a college list is complete. Your neighbor tells you about her nephew’s college and it sounds amazing, and you start to wonder, do the colleges on my student’s list have the interesting majors, great facilities, career focused internships, social life, and financial aid packages we’re looking for? When is your list complete?

There are a lot of mixed messages around taking the SAT or ACT when so many schools are test optional. Should you take them? Read this blog to find out.

We’re always surprised when we talk to people to hear their perspective on careers in the arts. I always start out by asking everyone to look around them. Wherever you are I can guarantee that many artists contributed to creating everything you see, hear and touch.

Creatives are multi-talented and often think outside the box. They’re highly sought after and greatly valued in the job market but often they have to make their own jobs.

Parents it’s critical that you give your students the most support possible as the college process is a marathon not a sprint. The most successful applicants start the process early in Junior year and grow as they contemplate colleges and programs and then start their applications Senior year.

Knowing that a program has what you’re looking for is just as important is knowing that the college is a good fit.

If you’re looking for a creative gift for a creative grad here’s a list that I hope sparks your imagination. They’ve all been favorites of my recent students.

I wanted to know from one of our students from 2018 to learn what makes Pace’s School of Performing Arts so special. I learned that it is the small size and individual attention, coupled with the ability to major outside of the arts that makes it one of the most competitive BFA Acting programs in the country. Maybe it’s perfect for you?

Besides the usual places to look on a college website, here are some often overlooked things to look for when researching colleges for your list or to write supplemental college essays: freshman seminars, college newspapers, and senior projects.

Co-op programs can help students learn about careers in industry as well as provide employment post graduation. Not all schools offer co-op opportunities and not all programs offer them.

When considering “best fit” ask yourself questions about academics, culture, geography, career guidance, and affordability. What is a best fit for you may not be the best fit for your best friend or your best sibling. Think about what is most important for YOU to succeed at college and beyond.

Learn about applying to university in the UK. From creative arts to STEM to humanities, there are great opportunities and some time and cost savings possible as well.

These five schools have great BFA and BA programs for acting, visual arts, film, musical theatre, dance, and music and also have all the facilities and culture that universities and colleges have to offer. Get to know them, you might add them to your college list.

9th and 10th grades are years to discover your interests but keep in mind that they are also years to start your college journey. Don’t forget to have fun too!

Many high school students consider attending a pre-college summer program to gain insights into the collegiate experience, boost their extracurricular activities, or enhance their college applications. For creative students, pre-college programs can be much more.

Are you a multifaceted student interested in data science and music? or in chemistry and painting? or english and psychology? If so, then a Small Liberal Arts Colleges (SLACs) could be just the type of school for you. Read the post to learn more about them.

There are three types of colleges creative students usually consider: a college of art and design (for visual artists) or conservatory (for performing artists), a traditional liberal arts college or university, or a combination where the college of art and design or conservatory is within a traditional liberal arts college or university. Deciding which college degree is right for you is the first step in deciding which type of college is right for you. Asking yourself these four questions will help you determine both which degree is right for you and if a two year college, traditional liberal arts college or a college of art and design is the right choice for you.

Extracurricular activities let colleges learn about what you do in your non academic time. Descriptions are only 150 characters so you have to describe activities thoughtfully, and minimally.

What I learned:

1. The title and description of your work helps the viewer interpret your vision.

2. When submitting a portfolio pieces should to relate to each other.

3. Bold and sophisticated personal voice and vision are key to successful portfolios.

4. Don’t be afraid to be amusing.

The 5C’s include Pomona, the original of the colleges and the one that most resembles a small Ivy League liberal arts college with excellent departments in just about everything, Claremont McKenna, which attracts students most interested in political science, economics, business, and international relations, Harvey Mudd, for the ultra STEM focused students, Scripps, the all-women’s college, which focuses largely on arts and humanities, with strong dance and visual arts departments, and Pitzer, the most recently founded college, which, since the 1960s has been known for social justice and environmentalism, as well as a top-notch media studies department.