Ask Wendy
College Admissions FAQs for High School Students
I enjoy helping high school students find the college that is right for them and am happy to answer your questions. When you click the button below to send an email, please include the grade you are in currently. By submitting a question, you affirm that you are over 12 years of age. Westport Educational Consulting does not knowingly correspond with or accept information from anyone under the age of 13.
College Search and Selection
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- When should I start planning for college?
- I’m a high school sophomore. What should I be thinking about in terms of college planning?
- I’m a high school junior. What should I be thinking about in terms of college planning?
- I’m a high school senior. What should I be thinking about in terms of college planning?
- How do I narrow my college choices down to what’s right for me?
- How do I decide between a college in a city vs. one in a smaller town?
- How do I determine what size school I want to attend?
- Do I have to know what I want to major in when deciding where to apply?
- How can I make the most of my college visits?
- Do colleges look at grades from freshman year?
- What tips have successful students shared?
- What advice do parents have for families new to college planning?
Applying to College
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- How many colleges should I apply to?
- What is the most important factor in colleges’ admissions decisions?
- Will going to a summer program at a highly selective college increase my chances of getting in there or at any other college?
- Should I take the ACT or the SAT and if so, how many times?
- Which colleges are test-optional?
- Is it better to be involved in several extracurricular activities or to concentrate on just a few?
- How should I list my high school activities on the Common Application?
- What is the difference between Early Decision, Early Action, and Regular Decision?
- I applied for Early Action and/or Early Decision and got deferred to Regular Decision. What do I do?
- What are the worst admissions strategies you’ve seen from applicants who were deferred or waitlisted? (Don’t try these!)
Writing College Application Essays
College Interviews
About Wendy
I wanted to take the opportunity to thank you for all you have done to bring clarity to the college selection process. The questionnaires, email exchanges, and our meeting were so helpful in finetuning our thought process and guiding our conversations. We are so very grateful to you for sharing your expertise with us.