Vassar is an undergraduate-focused liberal arts college an hour and a half north of New York City by train. Vassar is loved by humanities minded students who want to be in the country without being in the woods and losing access to cultural opportunities like live music and museums. STEM-focused students who don’t want to lose a liberal arts core also love Vassar as it empowers them to be their creative selves alongside their more systematic interests. Class sizes are small, the campus is beautiful, and the acceptance rate has plummeted in recent years as more students beyond the east coast have learned what Vassar has to offer. The acceptance rate is about 20%.

College counseling can start to feel synonymous with senior-year applications, but most of the decisions that shape a strong application happen well before a student opens the Common App. Course selection, extracurricular development, testing, summers, athletic recruiting, artistic training, affordability, and even whether college immediately after high school is the right choice can require years of planning.

Georgetown University is a private Jesuit research university in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. It offers many amazing programs, but it is especially a favorite among those hoping to work in policy, government, or foreign service. It makes sense; they have a bit of a home-court advantage when it comes to access to many of America’s highest political institutions.

Swarthmore is a small, private liberal arts school with an impressive reputation. After being a bit of a long-time hidden gem of the east coast, Swarthmore has gained international attention for combining intellectual rigor with a tight-knit community and ample alumni network. The acceptance rate for fall 2026, the Class of 2030, was only 7.4%.

Boston is, in some ways, a big college town. Okay, yes, it is also a major American city. Honestly, it offers the best of both, and Boston University is part of that magic. If you are looking for an urban campus that doesn’t feel too overwhelming, Boston University should be on your list. Often just called BU, the school is integrated right into the city (or should we say, integrated right into The Town).

The summer before senior year is when college admissions stops being a distant concern and starts becoming a very real list of deadlines. Rising seniors need to finalize their college lists, make decisions about testing, begin the Common App essay, prepare supplemental essays, think seriously about Early Decision and Early Action, and make sure the activities section and rest of the application accurately reflect what they have done throughout high school. For students with additional requirements -- auditions, portfolios, athletic recruiting, scholarship applications, or financial aid -- there may be an entirely separate set of deadlines running alongside the traditional application process.

The University of Texas at Austin is one of the most well-known, and well-respected, public universities in the United States. They offer an impressive education, and have a strong commitment to their Texas students — which has created a bit of a bottle-neck. It is true that UT Austin is a great school regardless of whether you are from Texas or not, but the university has become exceptionally hard to get into for out-of-state students mostly for an impressive public relations team. The guaranteed admission program for Texas students ensures that the best of the best have a seat, but out-of-state students face high odds. The difficulty of getting in has only driven up demand, and the most recent available data shows an out-of-state acceptance rate of only 10%.

For families considering private college admissions counseling, Crimson Education is difficult to miss. Its large scale and extensive menu of admissions-related services have recently made it one of the most recognizable names in the industry. But scale is not necessarily what every student or family needs. Some families would rather work with a smaller team, have more direct access to senior advisors, or hire someone whose expertise is concentrated on the specific challenge their student is facing.