| |
Our Latest Newsletter - Spring 2009!
FEATURED ON WSJ'S ON CAMPUS WEBSITE
Shannon's video on college admissions essays is featured on the newly launched WSJ "On Campus" website from the Wall Street Journal.
Our video with INSIDER TIPS ON COLLEGE ADMISSIONS ESSAYS appears next to one of the Journal's best college admissions articles so far this year, in which college presidents were asked to answer their college's essay prompt!
Click on this link and SCROLL DOWN to view the video:
http://www.unigo.com/articles/Mastering_the_Admissions_Essay/?taxonomyId=760030
Online "Jam Session" for 85 Broads - March 11, 2010
In this Jam Session, Shannon Duff, founder of Collegiate Compass LLC (www.collegiatecompass.com), a college advising firm, will help parents to understand the realities of today's college admissions landscape, and to learn how they can support their teenagers during this all-important process. To register, go to http://bit.ly/af6aXP - and you must be a member of, or join 85 Broads (www.85broads.com).
As she shares critical elements of her advising methodology, Shannon reminds students and parents that applying to college should be exciting, and emphasizes the importance of several key steps in ensuring that your student's college admissions plan is long on strategy, and short on stress. Her positive approach produces results: in the past five years, over 80% of Collegiate Compass clients have been accepted to their first choice college, and over 95% have been accepted to one of their top three college choices.
85 Broads is an exclusive global women's network whose mission is to generate exceptional professional and social value for its members. Through regional events and online community, members engage in a rapid, high-powered exchange of ideas and information. The women in 85 Broads are investment bankers, lawyers, educators, venture capitalists, hedge fund managers, philanthropists, athletes, scientists, doctors, engineers, artists, and entrepreneurs. 85 Broads was originally founded in 1997 as an exclusive network for women who worked for Goldman Sachs at 85 Broad Street, the investment bank's NYC headquarters. In 2000, the network was expanded to include a more diverse group of women from a variety of fields and backgrounds, including the non-profit sector.
Student-Athletes and College Admissions: Our Top Tips for Maximizing Your College Opportunities - March 27, 2010
Have you heard of the "broken leg test" in college admissions? It gives both admissions officers and students unique perspective on the admissions process. Join us at Bluestreak in Stamford, CT on Saturday, March 27 at 1:00 pm to learn about this and key tips for making the most of your college options as a student athlete. Whether you're considering playing or being highly recruited, Shannon Duff, a former Yale student athlete, and Dan Blednick, a former Amherst student athlete, will offer tips to help you maximize your college options. If you'd like to attend this event, please email info(at)collegiatecompass.com
GET INTO COLLEGE - by Hundreds of Heads (April, 2009) - Shannon's tips for college visits are featured in this new book!
Excerpt:
“An increasingly common question from students and parents is whether or not they should arrange a meeting with a professor. Meeting with a professor in a particular subject area in which you are interested can be helpful – but remember that you need to know what you’re talking about! If you do arrange such a meeting, you need to be well-prepared and have a list of things about which you want to talk."
Buy the book here:
http://www.hundredsofheads.com/Pages/textPage.aspx?name=Buy%20a%20Book
Download PDF
"U.S. Colleges and the Economy" -- article by Shannon Duff in the Family Office Association Newsletter
Excerpt:
"The troubled global economy is having numerous effects on universities. First, changes in the number of applicants to various colleges and universities are likely to represent the beginning of several admissions trends. At private colleges which do not pledge to meet 100% of families’ demonstrated financial need, where admissions departments may consider candidates’ ability to pay tuition in deci‐ sion‐making, applicant pools are in many cases, leveling off or declining; these declines come after a period of significant growth in application pools at both private and public colleges, stemming from demographic and educational trends over the past decade. For instance, at Bucknell and Middlebury, applications for the Class of 2013(08‐09 admissions cycle) were down approximately 5% and 12%, respectively. On the other hand, the number of applicants at many of the most competitive colleges, including Stanford, Yale, Duke, and Brown, continues to rise..."
Download PDF
What Will You Do for Your Summer Vacation? -- New York Observer - April 13, 2009
Excerpt:
"Summer programs can be tremendously important for students," says Shannon Duff, College Coach and Founder of Collegiate Compass, which is based in New York City and Greenwich, Ct. According to Duff, summer programs can help students in a number of different ways. They can be used to further a particular interest, such as creative writing, or to explore a particular interest such as dancing, that will add to a student's credentials and further their talent...."If students are thinking about majoring in engineering (where they would be committing to a school of engineering), I suggest that they do a summer program in engineering to get their feet wet."
Download PDF
Bluestreak/Chelsea Piers Newsletter - Winter 2009: "Getting Into College:
The Athletes' Guide"
Excerpt:
"Although college might seem like a distant thought for incoming
high school freshmen, Shannon advises, "Once you enter high school, it's
good to start thinking about the big picture. I encourage students to set
both academic and athletic goals for the current semester or year, and then
follow up with them on their progress in working towards these goals."
In short, it doesn't need to be college-focused early on, but kids and
parents should be aware that that the choices they make now will affect
their future options.
Download PDF
NEXT STEP MAGAZINE: "Is The Ivy League All That?"
Excerpt:
There is no barometer for acceptance
First things first. Even though everyone has the same exact questions when it comes to Ivy League admissions (Who gets in? What are my chances?), there is, unfortunately, no one exact answer.
According to Shannon Duff, founder of the educational consulting firm Collegiate Compass and a former Yale admissions essay reader, it is important to realize that there is no standard formula that will get you admitted to the Ivy League.
"There is no 'ideal student' who will always get in, and no one barometer to predict your odds," Duff says. "The bottom line is that there is nothing typical or average about the Ivy League because, when it comes down to it, there is no average Ivy League student. Each one is exceptional and unique; that's why they get in."
Link to Article:
http://www.nextstepmagazine.com/nextstep/articlePage1.aspx?artId=2755&categoryId=29
UNTANGLING THE IVY LEAGUE – by College Prowler (2006)
Shannon wrote the "Getting In" Section of this Guidebook.
Excerpt:
When we asked Shannon for some general tips for students applying to the Ivy League, she offered the following advice:
1. Get Involved. If there’s one characteristic that Ivy students share, it is passion and a relentless commitment to whatever inspires that passion—whether it is squash, the cello, photography, or sports reporting. By heightening your commitment to the issues, subjects, and activities that
interest you most, you will increase your chances of standing out amidst a pool of high achievers. It is up to you to take the initiative to increase your involvement in the activities that interest you most, whether it means taking a summer history class at a university, working as an intern for a member of the state legislature, hosting a soccer clinic for younger
players in your area, or organizing a benefit for a local charity.
Buy it here:
http://campuslife.collegeprowler.com/guide.asp/1-59658-500-5/index.html
NY Resident Magazine: "Comparing City Colleges"
Shannon was on the panel which helped to put together the chart for this NYC publication.
Excerpt:
NYU: With 40,000 students split half-andhalf between undergraduate and graduate programs, NYU is the largest private university in the country, and students can choose from myriad majors, minors and courses of study.
Fordham: With a campus in the Bronx and one in Lincoln Center, student life at Fordham strikes a balance between the city’s resources and a more traditional college experience.
^ Back To Top
|
