Dr. Lowe’s Admissions Blog

  Written By – Admissions Expert, Dr. Lowe Boarding school decisions are out! As expected, my firm is receiving continuous inquires to engage us (phone calls and emails) from stunned and stressed-out parents because their children are wait-listed and rejected! In some cases, their children have been wait-listed/rejected from ALL schools to which they applied.    All the parents are disappointed, unhappy and anxious because they are aware of the superior education at top boarding schools and that these schools are...

    Written By - Admissions Expert, Dr. Lowe A common question I am often asked by parents, other educational consultants and even high school college counselors is: What makes our admissions advisory firm different than all the rest? My explanation is long. However, the part of the answer that really raises eyebrows pertains to our ability to thoroughly understand our clients in order to refine their personal brand and develop their WOW-Factor so that they can stand...

  Written By - Admissions Expert, Dr. Lowe High school seniors have received their College Admissions Early Decision/Early Action results. The results are producing a mixture of palpable emotions. While some happy students settle in for the holidays with their acceptance letters in hand, others will be disappointed and distressed in discovering that they have been deferred to the regular decision pool by the college or university. For those who are deferred, their applications will be re-considered along with the...

  Written By - Admissions Expert, Dr. Lowe Diwali, the five-day “Festival of Lights,” is one of the most popular and celebrated holidays in India. The festival gets its name from the row (avali) of clay lamps (deepa) that Indians light outside their homes to symbolize the inner light that protects from spiritual darkness. Diwali marks a spiritual awakening and symbolizes “victory of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance.” There are several ways to...

    Written by - Admissions Expert, Dr. Lowe It’s mid-September, and we are currently receiving calls and emails from anxious parent of high school seniors requesting BS/MD Admissions help. Here is the problem for these parents (and students). It’s too late! Valuable and trusted BS/MD help starts as early as middle school prior to high school. The optimum time to hire an educational consultant, who specializes in BS/MD admissions, is sophomore or junior year (when you see that...

  Written by - Admissions Expert, Dr. Lowe It is hard to believe that the 2021-2022 boarding school admissions season is just about here! Just 5 months ago our clients were receiving their acceptance notifications to schools like Exeter, Andover, Choate, Deerfield, Lawrenceville, Taft, Deerfield, Loomis, Hotchkiss and similar top schools. We are receiving calls from parents who are inquiring about retaining the services of an educational consultant for direct admissions to the ninth grade or for reapplication...

    Written By - Admissions Expert, Dr. Lowe Last year was one of the most competitive years in college admissions history. COVID-19 caused disruption and uncertainty in college admissions. Our admissions team increased our time with clients and brought in additional supportive staff so that they could stand out. Our efforts were well invested in our clients and we have achieved their desired results! We are very pleased and happy to announce our final results for Program in Liberal...

    Written by – Admissions Expert, Dr. Lowe If you are a high school junior or your son or daughter is a high school junior and you are thinking about applying to Ivy League and highly selective colleges and universities and direct BS/MD programs, it’s time to get really serious about either planning or implementing your plans. With about 3 months left of your junior year, there is no time to waste! You will need to avoid...

    Written by - Admissions Expert, Dr. Lowe It’s April and parents continue to frantically call our offices or email us regarding waitlists! The common message: My child was waitlisted at a particular top boarding school or several boarding schools. They’re usually referring to one or all of the Ten Schools (a la Exeter, Andover, Choate, Lawrenceville, Deerfield etc.). Many parents decide to wait patiently, try to see what they can do on their own and then perhaps...

  By Admissions Expert, Dr. Lowe Dr. Paul Lowe, CEO of Pinnacle Educational Center and managing director of Ivy League Admissions Advisors was featured in a February 26, 2021 MarketWatch article by Howard Gold entitled: COVID-19 is changing college application strategies — and lowering the odds of getting into top schools.” Ivy League Admissions Advisors helps students get accepted to Ivy League and highly selective colleges and universities and BS/MD programs. “We are not for everyone,” Dr. Lowe said....

  By Admissions Expert, Dr. Lowe The annual cost to attend (tuition, fees, housing, food, books, misc.) gives pause to many potential applicants: Harvard: $76,479; Brown: $78,688; Princeton: $75,210; Dartmouth: $79,967. So, what's really happening here? Tuition is rising, yet U.S. as well as international students are competitively applying to these schools. What do these institutions have that others may not? This is a question I hear, year after year, and from several parents in my recent...

    Written by – Admissions Expert, Dr. Lowe The past year has been full of uncertainty. As a consequence of the myriad of transitions, changes, adjustments and adaptations, now there’s a whole new admissions world. Education has moved from in-person to online learning and there has been an increase in the number of applications to top private day and boarding schools, Ivy League and highly selective colleges and universities and BS/MD programs! The College Board recently announced...

  Written by – Admissions Expert, Dr. Lowe It’s that important time of the year for high school seniors as many students are beginning to receive their application decisions. Let's describe each.  ACCEPTED/ADMITTED - You're in! You did it! Congratulation! You have been offered a spot in the incoming freshman class of one or more of the schools on your list. If it's one of your top-choice schools and you have been accepted EA or RD it's great!...

  Written by – Admissions Expert, Dr. Lowe Since this summer, we have observed more and more parents establish permanent residences in Fairfield and Westchester Counties. Temporary weekend residences are now becoming permanent residences. Many realtors and relocation experts have been calling us to help their clients meet their educational goals for their children as they are seeking private schools in “Fairchester” (private schools in Fairfield and Westchester Counties). Based on our research, knowledge and professional working-relationships; and...

  Written by – Admissions Expert, Dr. Lowe It’s crunch time for BS/MD as well as Ivy League applications. As we help students brainstorm ideas, revise and edit the MOST IMPORTANT APPLICATIONS/ESSAYS of their lives, we are discovering consistent points in their essays that will cause instant rejections. Dr. Paul Lowe would like to share these points. Essays were verbose. Essays were not personal. Essays were boring. Essay did not answer the question. Essays were superficial. Essays were pretentious. Essays contained...

  Written by – Admissions Expert, Dr. Lowe It’s Back-To-School season! As we enter the seventh month of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on secondary education, many of our clients, private as well as public school administrators and teachers are reporting to us their potential approaches to education in the current COVID-19 environment. Some parents are forming learning pods. Some parents are hiring tutors to supplement online learning at schools that are fully online. Some parents are forgoing...

  Written by – Admissions Expert, Dr. Lowe It's August and for some rising seniors, school starts in approximately 30 days. For many students, school will be closed and taught in an online fashion. That in and of itself will be an additional disruption in the dynamics of the college admissions process. You can use this time to continue to vacation, relax and enjoy the summer or take full advantage of all this free time! For rising seniors, now is...

  Written by - Admissions Expert, Dr. Lowe Over the past months, starting from March, we have been receiving calls from anxious Manhattan parents who are seeking private schools for their children in Westchester and Lower Fairfield Counties. Real estate companies, relocation companies, executive assistants, and nannies have been calling us for admissions advice and placement. Some wish to temporarily rent and eventually return while others are purchasing homes for permanent residencies and seeking not to return...

    Written by – Admissions Expert, Dr. Lowe In our society, although many organizations continue to grapple with issues of diversity, in a multitude of businesses, including retail, fashion, media, entertainment and sports, diversity is reflected at many levels. Still, at this time it is clear that there is still more to be done as people realize that there continues to be a lack of communication and understanding on certain levels within our society. Everyone who participates in a...

  Written by – Admissions Expert, Dr. Lowe Now, more than ever, uncertainty surrounds the college admissions process. But you don’t have to navigate these uncharted waters on your own. Dr. Lowe and his team are here to support you and your child in this rapidly evolving landscape. Here are a few reasons why you can count on us: Experience. With so much changing in the college process, it’s more important than ever to have an Admissions Expert,...

  Written by – Admissions Expert, Dr. Lowe The Coronavirus pandemic continues to cause unprecedented changes in college admissions. Because schools remain shuttered, high schoolers now lack the in-person help they traditionally could receive from high school counselors to meet critical admissions deadlines and requirements. This situation is exacerbating the already difficult role that school counselors face in providing adequate help with college admissions. There are many high schoolers who have not met with their school counselors and their...

It's April and all the Ivies and highly competitive colleges and universities have notified applicants of their decisions. Even with the COVID-19 pandemic, college admissions offices are in operation. For some of the Ivies and selective colleges, the admissions rates have slightly increased. The reality is that even with these small increases, it's still hyper-competitive to gain admissions to these top schools. For example, Harvard's admit rate was 4.9%, up from 4.6% last year. However, the 4.9% indicates that...

  By Admissions Expert, Dr. Lowe This week is decision time for many Ivies and highly selective colleges and universities! COVID-19 has closed down many K-12 school districts around the world for the rest of the school year. If you’ve been following the directions of well-known books and/or chats, by now you must realize that your current college admissions “playbook” or plan may be ineffectual.  What will high school juniors need to do as they continue their admissions...

    By Admissions Expert, Dr. Lowe “To see the world in a grain of sand, And a heaven in a wild flower; Hold infinity in the palm of your hand, And eternity in an hour.” - William Blake Understanding facts of any situation is essential to one’s ability to analyze that situation for a positive outcome. So before getting into the ramifications of “the coronavirus” in college admissions, we’ll look at the pertinent facts. Let's first define the name of the...

  By Admissions Expert, Dr. Lowe You were certain that your son would be accepted. He had excellent grades. He played on a great sports team. His SSAT scores were off the charts. You made sure that his school principal knew him. His Math and English teacher recommendations were amazing (you even had a parent of a student at your target school write a recommendation). You thoughtthat your top-choice school board member's recommendation would help. You thought that you...

  By Admissions Expert, Dr. Lowe There can be confusion and assumptions with the use of the word guarantee. This can be particularly true when one associates the word “guarantee” with the word “admission.” In the college admissions industry, no one can guarantee admissions to any college or university. As an active member of several professional trade associations, including the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC), Higher Education Consultants Association (HECA), the New York State Association for...

  By Admissions Expert, Dr. Lowe The results are out for the college class of 2024 for several Ivy League and highly selective colleges and universities. What we are discovering from parents who are calling us as to what happened is that students (and their parents) who believed that just a high GPA, top SAT scores, high grades and a manufactured application and personal statement would work have now discovered that it’s not all about that! Even though the...

  By Admissions Expert, Dr. Lowe Some people view DIVERSITY as a nebulous and intangible descriptor, a court-ordered societal mandate or, in some cases, even unconstitutional. In truth, our differences represent an invaluable asset and in the economic sense has been proven to provide an unlimited ROI. Every person is a unique individual. Yes, we have commonalities. But the differences make life challenging, interesting and a learning experience. These are the qualities that keep us moving forward, progressing and improving life. Some...

  Dr. Paul Lowe is managing director of Greenwich Admissions Advisors, a boutique firm that helps place students into top-flight schools. We had a chance to sit down with Dr. Lowe and discuss his firm and business philosophy. Generally, Lowe helps clients who are applying to elite universities, private schools and medical schools. For the consulting services provided, Lowe charges a flat fee that ranges from $5,000 to as to high as $250,000, depending on the type of...

  News 12 Senior Producer, Gwen Edwards & Admissions Expert, Dr. Lowe Dr. Paul Lowe recently discussed on News 12 Connecticut “Our Lives” The Three Major Changes in College Admissions: 2019-2020. These include - (1) The effects of the admissions scandal, Varsity Blues, on college admissions, (2) Landscape metric on college admissions, (3) The effect of technology on college applications and decisions. According to Dr. Lowe, this means that college decisions are not based on a simple formula...