Yes, we know the 2014-2015 Common Application will not officially be live until August 1st, however, as we have been telling our students, the essay prompts this year have not changed from last year's application.

So, rising seniors, what are you waiting for? Students can (and should!) get started on their essays now.

Common Application Prompts

Do you (the student) need help writing an essay that will improve your admissions odds? 

Contact us today! We will guide you through everything you need to know about writing a great college application essay.

Writing a Compelling College Essay in 1-Day!

Our 1-day course (5 hours, with 30 minute break included) will include:

• What admissions officers are looking for in the essay
• How to pick a compelling essay topic
• Topics students should never write about
• Common mistakes to avoid
• How to use humor and anecdotes
• How to wow admissions officers with a great opening (with examples) 
• How to approach each common application prompt
• How to write a great "Why Here" essay (for Supplemental Applications)
• How to write about a weakness or failure 
• Brainstorming, Developing, and Editing a final draft before the end of the 1-Day Program.
• Plus, a question and answer session just for you about the process.

Seats are limited (small group course of 3 students or 1-on-1 private available)*. For more details or to register, contact us now at 646-266-6084 (8AM-6PM EST) or email us at Stephenie@Leeacademia.com with the following information to reserve your seat:


Student Name, High School, Home Address, Phone Number, Email Address
Credit Card Number (MC or Visa)
Name on Card
Expiration Date

Early Registration (register before August 1 at 7pm EST): only $450
Regular Registration (begins August 2): $550


*Online courses are available, as well. Contact us for more details.

Questions?  Call 646.266.6084

The cost of a college education is one of the second largest financial investment next to purchasing a home. Currently, many private tuitions range between $180,000 and $250,000, and state governments have been decreasing their funding. Your financial decisions will benefit from our professional guidance.

As many students choose a college without adequate investigation and research regarding what the college has to offer them, research shows that one out of three college students leave or transfer to another college and five out of ten students require five or more years to earn a degree. Our objective assessment of the student’s needs at Lee Academia help us to use current research beyond website information to find the right “student-college fit”.

Many colleges have become more selective and Lee Academia's College Consultants understand what is needed for top students to gain admissions. However, finding the right college for the average or learning differences students is just as important. Many less competitive colleges have higher drop out rates and lower graduation rates, therefore it is essential we carefully place average students in appropriate educational settings.

High school counselors – both in public and private institutions – are so overwhelmed with student caseloads, federally mandated paperwork for special needs students, dealing with disciplinary situations, and scheduling courses. There is little time left for quality personal contact between counselor and the student applying to college. Guidance counselors will write a letter of recommendation, assemble a transcript, and include a student profile in the college packet – nothing more.

For more information and to contact us for a consultation: click here.

Last week, Ms. Stephenie, our college consultant brought 14 high school students around the Columbia University undergraduate campus at Morningside on 116th Street, Manhattan, for a tour. They were told the superstitious stories about the Alma Mater and the students rushed to find the owl to determine who would become the incoming class' Valedictorian. Stories about the Tunnel and Manhattan Project were told as the students walked around and had a firsthand look at the academic classrooms. The infamous Havemeyer classroom where most filming take place was visited, as well as Dodge Fitness Center. Students had the opportunity to ask informal questions and to see a typical Columbia day in progress with many undergraduate and graduate students walking around campus, sitting at the Low steps, and playing soccer at the South Lawn.

After lunch at Columbia's popular cafe, the students toured the Butler Library and had the opportunity to visit the Stacks, observe the old card catalogs, and see hundreds of books that dated back to the early 1900s. The tour concluded at Columbia's Bookstore, where students had the opportunity to rest and buy Columbia logo clothing.

For more information about future tours and the opportunity to have Ms. Stephenie provide you with a fun unofficial Columbia University tour, contact us.

Whether you are thinking about applying to the Ivy-League Institutions or your local community colleges, college research is needed. Juniors, after they have taken all their finals and exams (hopefully, their first SAT by May), should begin looking into what types of colleges they are interested in applying to based on their current school records and grades. Knowing what colleges are best suited for them is the key step before applying.

Lee Academia consultants are here to help. We have done all the research for you and will continue to stay up to date with current trends and admissions that only a few are aware of.

With the March Madness, and seniors finding out their college acceptances or rejections this March and April, everyone becomes stressed and anxious, even the juniors who begin to think about colleges and their future. Do not listen to the myths and gossips out there. Speak to an expert who can guide you and help you narrow down your college options and find a best-fit college for you!

Early-Bird Registration for College Consultations begin this April 1st, 2014. After May 30, 2014, regular Registration begins. Consultations are year-round with College Packages for rising Juniors and Seniors beginning in July 2014 to the end of the academic year. Contact us for more information.

Lee Academia's Consultants present their simple 5 Step process.

Some colleges were accused of violating the federal law that bars institutions from requiring student-aid forms other than the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, according to an investigation by Congressional Democrats.

111 institutions were identified that appeared to be establishing additional requirements for students to complete costly additional forms, such as College Board's CSIC/Financial Aid Profile.  Of the 111 colleges identified, 58 of them explicitly stated that applicants must submit the Profile form to secure any financial aid. The other schools directed applicants to submit both the FAFSA and the Profile to obtain aid, though they did not specify what each form was used to assess.

While more than 200 institutions use the Profile to evaluate students' eligibility for institutional aid, they also asked for more detailed and complicated financial questions than does the FAFSA and students had to pay a fee to submit it. President of the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators, said he doubted the colleges were withholding federal aid from students who had failed to complete the Profile, but he acknowledged that some of their websites could be clearer. He also mentioned that if there was a practice where schools would not award federal aid, then the schools should be held accountable. More likely it would need to be more clear on the consumer-information piece.

For more guidance and information about the FAFSA, tuition cost, or financial aid process, contact Lee Academia financial consultants can help. Contact us now.
 

By 2018, 63% of all job openings will require a post-secondary education.

In other words, almost 2 in every 3 jobs will be COMPLETELY CLOSED to you if you don’t have a college degree.

And considering that those with a college education make an average of 64% more than those who don’t...This fact should really freak you out.

If you haven’t started earning college degree, or if you took classes but never finished, the time to take action is NOW.

Lee Academia experts can guide you through choosing degree programs available, and help you qualify for government grants or scholarships.

The SSAT Standard Tests are held on eight (8) Saturdays during the testing period (August 1- July 31). Students should register early to avoid additional late fees and to ensure seating at their preferred test site. Regular Registration will close three (3) weeks before the test date. Registrations are submitted online. Register for your SSAT here.

Creating an #SAT or #ACT study schedule that allows you to pace yourself will help you avoid burnouts.

For many students entering their junior year of high school, one of the most stressful parts of preparing to apply to college is taking the SAT or ACT. When students are inundated with so many different test-taking tips, strategies and services, it can be quite challenging to sift through them all.

One of the most important things for students to do in preparation for the SAT or ACT is to map out exactly when they will take the test and how they will study for it. The following are three tips for designing such a timeline. 

1. Sign up for a test date far in advance: The SAT is offered seven times per year nationally; the ACT is offered six. Once you determine which test you will be taking, the first thing you need to do is look at the upcoming test schedule and decide on a date to take it. Make sure that you avoid all possible conflicts in the time immediately preceding it. Don't let things that you can control interfere with your preparation during that time. 

2. Take the test early: While it would be great if you could reach your target score the very first time you take the test, you will most likely have to take it once or twice more in order to attain the score you want.  Improvement comes naturally through repetition. No matter how many practice tests you take, it is difficult to simulate test day conditions before actually experiencing what it's like to be sitting in that test-taking room.  It will be impossible to take the SAT or ACT multiple times prior to applying to colleges if the first time you take it is late in the fall of your senior year.  With plenty of time left in your junior year, you leave yourself ample time to take the exam once or twice more.

3. Simulate testing conditions: Reserve the last two weeks in your studying schedule for taking a full sample exam, and make sure to simulate test day conditions as much as possible. 

The closer you can get to feeling exactly what it is like to take the test, the less stressful the real experience will be.

For more tips on how to set up a study plan timeline for yourself, get in touch with our experts.

Here are some of the top reasons why students need to kick the television out of their bedrooms right now:

1. More/Better sleep. Statistics that tell us Americans watch over 35 hours of television/week are the same statistics that make it clear the lure of the screen is just too strong to turn off. The temptation is too great...  especially when we are tired. Not only does television in the bedroom keep us up later at night, but there are also studies that indicate watching television before bed actually disrupts sleep cycles. Removing the tv from your bedroom results in more sleep and better sleep… which means you’ll have a better rested, more productive day.


2. What you think about first matters. Every morning begins with a clean slate and brand new opportunities. We would be wise to choose carefully who/what directs our morning thoughts rather than blindly allowing television producers to do it for us. After all, it sets the stage for the rest of the day.


3. Lower Test Scores. Children with televisions in their bedrooms score lower on school tests and are more likely to have sleep problems. Also, having a television in the bedroom is strongly associated with being overweight and a higher risk for smoking.