Dr. Lowe’s Admissions Blog

14 Aug

Published on August 14, 2019 in Dr. Lowe's Admissions Blog by

  By Admissions Expert, Dr. Paul Lowe The College Board, the New York based nonprofit that oversees the SAT, plans to assign an adversity score to every student who takes the SAT to try to capture their social and economic backgrounds. This fall, 100 colleges and universities will join the 50 colleges (which include Harvard, Yale, Cornell and University of Michigan) already utilizing this new metric designed to place students’ SAT scores in the context of their socioeconomic...

20 Jun

Published on June 20, 2019 in Dr. Lowe's Admissions Blog by

  By Admissions Expert, Dr. Paul Lowe Dr. Lowe and his team of admissions advisors visit Ivy League, prestigious and elite colleges several times annually, where they have the unique opportunity of interacting one-on-one with directors of admissions and senior admissions personnel.  In May, I visited Harvard College. This is my third visit to Harvard College this year. During each visit, I have the opportunity to meet professors and admissions personnel and talk about the college.  I...

09 May

Published on May 9, 2019 in Dr. Lowe's Admissions Blog by

  By Admissions Expert, Dr. Paul Lowe In a previous PWM blog, “High School Guidance/Counselors/College Admissions: Big Caseloads and Little Time," I discussed the challenging demands of high school guidance and college admissions. Since then, a new report has indicated that public high school students lack quality college counseling. The Hechinger Report states that “many public high schools are scrambling to provide students with even basic information about college after years of belt tightening have drained them of counselors. As...

28 Mar

Published on March 28, 2019 in Dr. Lowe's Admissions Blog by

    By Admissions Expert, Dr. Paul Lowe By now many people are aware of Operation Varsity Blues. Federal prosecutors allege that William “Rick” Singer touted his knowledge of “the secret of getting into college,” becoming “the mastermind of an enormous, elaborate scheme carried out over years, brazenly paying off coaches and test monitors, faking exam scores and fabricating student biographies – all to help wealthy parents cheat their children’s way into desirable colleges.” Hiring a high-end college admissions...

14 Mar

Published on March 14, 2019 in Dr. Lowe's Admissions Blog by

  By Admissions Expert, Dr. Paul Lowe In February, Dr. Lowe participated in the Washington International Education Conference located in Washington D.C. Dr. Lowe had the opportunity to meet and network with foreign embassy officials involved with the international education community and discuss boarding school and college admissions. He was also able to discuss the latest information on visa issuance and regulations governing international students in the United States with immigration law firms. During the conference, Dr. Lowe...

21 Feb

Published on February 21, 2019 in Dr. Lowe's Admissions Blog by

  By Admissions Expert, Dr. Paul Lowe Dr. Paul Lowe, Co-Managing Director of New Jersey Admissions Advisors, was invited to speak at 99 Hudson Sales Gallery on “How to Choose the Right Education for Your Child.” His seminar focused primarily on top/elite private school and Ivy League and highly selective college admissions. 99 Hudson Street is a premier luxury condominium complex scheduled to be completed in December 2019, developed by the world-renowned investment and development firm China...

08 Jan

Published on January 8, 2019 in Dr. Lowe's Admissions Blog by

  By Admissions Expert, Dr. Paul Lowe Over 20 years of being an admissions advisor, I receive calls from parents to retain our services for college admissions.  All of their children have guidance counselors and many are from suburban public schools in the NJ, CT NY RI and MA.  Students were applying to range of universities and BS/MD programs. Because of the increasing competition to get into top colleges, many families feel overwhelmed and stressed by the college...

29 Nov

Published on November 29, 2018 in Dr. Lowe's Admissions Blog by

  “Admissions is a competitive sport!  Why gamble with uncertainty?” – Dr. Paul Lowe   This time of the year, my firm is receiving calls from parents and students regarding college transfers.  Students who have completed their first semester freshman year (or some who are now sophomores) and have decided that for several reasons, they need to transfer! Why do students choose to transfer?   Did not do very well in high school and did not have many options when...

18 Oct

Published on October 18, 2018 in Dr. Lowe's Admissions Blog by

  Cheryl Plummer, Director of Admissions and Financial Aid at Greenwich Country Day School with Admissions Expert, Dr. Lowe   On October 5th, Dr. Lowe was invited to a Greenwich Country Day School presentation. The School, located in Greenwich, CT (in lower Fairfield County, 35 miles north of Manhattan) is entering a new chapter in its 92-year history - the opening of a new innovative high school in September 2019. Located two miles from the existing campus on...

21 Sep

Published on September 21, 2018 in Dr. Lowe's Admissions Blog by

By Admissions Expert, Dr. Paul Lowe Over the last 2 years, I have had a 55% increase in Chinese clients who have hired our services specifically for Ivy League admissions. Each year, we place on average 20 Chinese clients in Ivy League and highly selective U.S. colleges and universities. Last year, we placed 45 Chinese students into Ivy League and highly selective U.S. colleges and universities. Chinese students are attending U.S. colleges and universities in record...

23 Aug

Published on August 23, 2018 in Dr. Lowe's Admissions Blog by

  By Admissions Expert, Dr. Paul Lowe The Common Application 2018-2019 was launched about three weeks ago and we are now receiving calls from very anxious and stressed parents because their children (rising seniors) just started the preliminary portions of the Common Application. The Common App is more than just about the main essay! Every section is devised so that the admissions officers get to know (or find ways to reject) a student. Statistically, it takes top colleges...

12 Jul

Published on July 12, 2018 in Dr. Lowe's Admissions Blog by

  By Admissions Expert, Dr. Paul Lowe Parents create spread sheets, talk with friends, read books, search websites, form groups to share tips and “sure-fire” methods, try to “chat” with admissions industry personnel, obtain letters of support from VIPs, take copious notes during college tours, and try to gather information from my workshops. For some parents, they discover, when it is too late, that what is really required to help their child with the hyper-competitive college admissions process...

07 Jun

Published on June 7, 2018 in Dr. Lowe's Admissions Blog by

  By Admissions Expert, Dr. Paul Lowe Many parents, students, guidance/college counselors, and even my fellow educational consulting colleagues are under the belief that college admissions is an exercise in determining the “right fit” and that gaining acceptance into the Ivies and highly selective colleges is just a game of chance and luck. I disagree! In participating in competitions these days, many students (K-12) are taught that everyone wins. With regard to the college admissions process, it is acceptable...

05 Apr

Published on April 5, 2018 in Dr. Lowe's Admissions Blog by

  By Admissions Expert, Dr. Paul Lowe On Wednesday, March 28th, the Ivies notified high school seniors of their admissions decisions. Thousands of students and parents were disappointed. Here is a list of the acceptance rates, number of students admitted, total number of applicants and rejection rates - Many of the applicants “looked perfect” on paper. Princeton reported that more than 14,200 of the 35,370 applicants had a 4.0 grade point average. Brown reported that 96% of its admitted students are...

08 Mar

Published on March 8, 2018 in Dr. Lowe's Admissions Blog by

  By Admissions Expert, Dr. Paul Lowe How long do you think it takes a top college to review your application? 24 hours, five hours or one hour? Try less than 8 minutes!!! Due to the ease of applying to multiple schools, the number of domestic and international students applying to elite schools, the number of applications to these schools continues to grow. Additionally, top colleges have also increased recruitment from rural areas in the U.S. Last year the number of...

26 Jan

Published on January 26, 2018 in Dr. Lowe's Admissions Blog by

By Admissions Expert, Dr. Paul Lowe Did you ever wonder why parents pay as high as $60,000 a year for private high school?  Did you ever wonder why the private school admissions process in Manhattan is so hyper-competitive? I am always surprised in my college admissions seminars at parents who assume that it really doesn't matter where their kids attend school when their kid is interested in Ivy League colleges. As many parents suspect, the path to Ivy...

08 Dec

Published on December 8, 2017 in Dr. Lowe's Admissions Blog by

    By Admissions Expert, Dr. Paul Lowe For years, elite colleges have tried to address a proportional decline of students arriving from areas beyond metropolitan and suburban areas. These colleges have been implementing additional measures to address diversity issues on college campuses. Increasingly, private elite colleges are seeking small-town and rural students.  One thing has not changed with regard to college admissions and diversity. Recent studies by the National Center for Education Statistics have shown that even with...

02 Nov

Published on November 2, 2017 in Dr. Lowe's Admissions Blog by

  By Admissions Expert, Dr. Paul Lowe The work of selecting students for admissions into colleges and universities is becoming more complex. Each year college admissions officers and their committees review thousands of applications and seek to predict the likelihood of those applicants to meaningfully contribute socially, culturally and personally to their specific college communities.  Ivy League and highly selective colleges use a team review process to holistically evaluate each applicant when creating a particular class during the...

28 Sep

Published on September 28, 2017 in Dr. Lowe's Admissions Blog by

  By Admissions Expert, Dr. Paul Lowe You may ask yourself, why is a college admissions advisor writing about reading? What does reading have to do with college admissions? Everything! One of the first things I ask my clients is what do you like to read outside the required reading at school. Even the best students have difficulty answering this question. Why is the need to reed important in the college admissions planning process? I just provided...

31 Aug

Published on August 31, 2017 in Dr. Lowe's Admissions Blog by

  By Admissions Expert, Dr. Paul Lowe Being thorough and particular when evaluating a private school choice is extremely important for parents. But one thing is certain… the competitive private schools will be equally as picky when choosing your child as a member of its incoming class. Private schools have been using the traditional academic criteria of SSAT/ISEE and grades for a number of decades. However, admissions personnel have long recognized that these cognitive measures are limited in their...

18 May

Published on May 18, 2017 in Dr. Lowe's Admissions Blog by

  By Admissions Expert, Dr. Paul Lowe Several weeks ago the U.S. News World Report published their ranking for best public high schools. Only eight public high schools in Connecticut, including four in Fairfield County made the Top 500 list. Here are the top public high schools in Connecticut which received a gold ranking in the report.         Amistad Academy in New Haven, #1 in Connecticut, #20 in the U.S.  Weston High School, #2 in Connecticut, #231 in...

06 Apr

Published on April 6, 2017 in Dr. Lowe's Admissions Blog by

  By Admissions Expert, Dr. Paul Lowe “Some of America’s most exclusive colleges are becoming more exclusive” (WSJ – April1-2, 2017). According to recently published data in Business Insider, more qualified students are applying to Ivy League schools. This has resulted in even higher rejection rates for Harvard, Brown, Cornell, Columbia, Princeton, Dartmouth and UPenn.  The Wall Street Journal article also reported that even applicants with 4.0 GPAs and SATs greater than 1400 are being rejected. “Competition...

02 Mar

Published on March 2, 2017 in Dr. Lowe's Admissions Blog by

  By Admissions Expert, Dr. Paul Lowe My team and I personally work with U.S. as well as international families (who reside in the U.S. or are abroad) during the private school application admissions process. We have worked with families from over 130 different countries and on all seven continents. My firm works with families who are interested in top day and boarding schools primarily on the east and west coast. Year after year, I hear about...

08 Dec

Published on December 8, 2016 in Dr. Lowe's Admissions Blog by

By Admissions Expert, Dr. Lowe They are all Ivy Leaguers: Matt Damon (Harvard), Emma Watson (Brown), John Legend (UPenn),Julia Stiles (Columbia), Brian Hallisay (Cornell), Conan O’Brien (Harvard), Amanda Peet (Columbia), Ashley Judd (Harvard), Angela Bassett (Yale), Mindy Kaling (Dartmouth), Mira Sorvino (Harvard), Dean Cain (Princeton), Maggie Gyllenhaal (Columbia), Rashida Jones (Harvard), Elizabeth Banks (UPenn), Julie Bowen (Brown), Joshua Redman (Harvard), Wentworth Miller (Princeton), Connie Britton (Dartmouth), Famke Janssen (Columbia), Ron Livingston (Yale), Aisha Tyler (Dartmouth), Bruce...

23 Nov

Published on November 23, 2016 in Dr. Lowe's Admissions Blog by

  By Admissions Expert, Dr. Lowe On June 23, 2016, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld its previous rulings that colleges and universities have the right to consider diversity and to include race as a factor in its holistic review process. The Court’s decision empowers colleges and universities to promote both equity and excellence by reducing the role of test scores and other quantitative factors and focusing more on students’ character, qualitative attributes and what I have coined...

27 Oct

Published on October 27, 2016 in Dr. Lowe's Admissions Blog by

  By Dr. Paul Lowe Admissions and Athletic Recruiting Expert You have been playing your sport for 5-10 years and you want to be recruited or even better, recruited and receive that four-year athletic scholarship from a top choice college. Don’t sell yourself short. My advice after 18 years in the college admissions advisory business and constantly talking to college coaches and Athletic Directors is that they are looking for these points: (In case you missed Part...

20 Oct

Published on October 20, 2016 in Dr. Lowe's Admissions Blog by

  By Dr. Paul Lowe Admissions and Athletic Recruiting Expert You have been playing your sport for 5-10 years and you want to be recruited or even better, recruited and receive that four-year athletic scholarship from a top choice college. Don’t sell yourself short. My advice after 18 years in the college admissions advisory business and constantly talking to college coaches and Athletic Directors is that they are looking for these points:  Ability: Coaches are interested...

22 Sep

Published on September 22, 2016 in Dr. Lowe's Admissions Blog by

  By Admissions Expert, Dr. Lowe Admissions officers are talented and committed professionals who make decisions based on a comprehensive and holistic understanding of an applicant and how he or she will contribute to their institution’s mission. They are committed to expanding a diverse applicant pool by reviewing every detail of an applicant’s application and supportive documents. Their decisions are based on their perceptions and perspectives of a student, the students’ backgrounds and communities, as well as...

18 Aug

Published on August 18, 2016 in Dr. Lowe's Admissions Blog by

  By Admissions Expert, Dr. Lowe As college admissions becomes increasingly more competitive, admissions officers and committees look beyond high GPAs, high standardized test scores, ESEs (expensive summer experiences) and seemingly amazing, but generic essays. Dr. Lowe and his team have developed the Wow Factor Admissions Concept. What’s your personal “wow factor” that will make you stand out and get accepted to the college of your choice? It’s a factor that your admissions officer will look for as...

09 Jun

Published on June 9, 2016 in Dr. Lowe's Admissions Blog by

By Admissions Expert, Dr. Lowe Plan, plan and plan. “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” – Benjamin Franklin “A goal without a plan is just a wish.” – Antoine de Saint-Exupéry Or as Yogi Berra put it:     Common App. Prepare for The Common App 2016-2017 as soon as your summer vacation begins. Visit colleges. Be sure you have narrowed your choices down to a realistic list. Start your college essays....