Jessie's Blog

Are the SAT and ACT Still worth worrying about? The short answer is likely "yes."

The pandemic's ripple effects continue to send college admissions offices scrambling. They have long relied on test scores as one of the key variables they use to evaluate candidates, yet according to FairTest, seventy-six percent of bachelor's-degree-granting institutions have now adopted some blend of a test-optional or test-blind policy. The ramifications have been – unsurprisingly – both positive and negativ…

There is no limit to the amount of time and treasure we can invest in enhancing our children's potential. It can feel like there are endless educational and experiential opportunities to be had... because there are. It can also feel as if there's no limit to the expense those opportunities can amass. At the end of the day, we do our best with the means at our disposal to help our children realize their potentials, but as teens reach the cusp of adulthood, the stakes can feel higher. The added pr…

In my last newsletter, I promised to share a list of eleven things that went really well last year as part of what I have come to call the Anti-Resolution Movement (ARM). The idea came to me after starting to read, The Gap and the Gain: the High Achiever's Guide to Happiness, Confidence, and Success by Dan Sullivan with Dr. Benjamin Hardy.

I had a vision of sitting contemplatively with a cup of green tea under a blanket with my dogs snuggled on the couch as I happily reflected on what went re…

Jessie Martin and Elevated Admissions saved us! 

My son had begun his college application the summer before his senior year, and he had met with a local college advisor from another company. As we got closer to deadline day, we realized that he still had no idea where to apply or what to study in college, and his application was nowhere near where it needed to be. Based on many recommendations, we reached out to Jessie Martin at Elevated Admissions. 

With only three weeks before the early-admi…

“Our daughter attended a small, private elite prep school. The idea of hiring an independent educational consultant seemed absurd to me. Wasn’t she getting all of the support she needed from the school I was writing a hefty check to? The reality is that college admissions just isn’t as straightforward as it used to be. And, it’s a lot more completive. Our daughter had to write 18 different essays and she didn’t apply to a single Ivy League school.  I’m glad I let my wife talk me into hiring Jess…

After interviewing several college consultants, our family felt an immediate connection to Jessie. Our son is a freestyle skier at a ski academy with limited availability due to the demands of training and competition. She and the team at EA created a manageable plan for him that met his needs and worked with his calendar. Her thoughtful approach to developing a relationship with our son enabled him to craft a unique and compelling application and ultimately secure ED admission to his top choice…

New Year, Same You! Long Live the Anti Resolution Movement.

It’s the middle of the month now, and I wonder how many of you have spent the days since January 1 trying to change something – your hips or lips or parenting or account balance. You’re trying to keep your RESOLUTIONS. 

I find the entire idea of New Year’s resolutions off-putting at best. They imply (or outright assert, if we’re being honest) that you are decidedly not what or where you need to be. Even the word itself, “resolution,” …

You may have noticed something new around here.

Since launching my educational consulting practice in 2014, we’ve had three "official" names and – I am embarrassed to admit – several additional “unofficial” names. In a world where branding becomes seemingly more important by the day, consistency means a lot. And yet, throughout my professional life, I have had to pivot, reinvent myself, shift markets and embrace change. As they say, change is the one thing that's inevitable, right?

Our first n…

Labor Day 2021 - Move-in day at Stratton Mountain School for Aaron '22 and Mary '24 

You don't need me to tell you that there are moments in life that require you to suddenly reprioritize your time. In other words, sometimes, things go seriously sideways.

This particular time, it was my husband getting a breakthrough case of COVID-19 right in the middle of back-to-school. The subsequent reprioritization required that I race to Jersey City at 9 am over a national holiday weekend so our two te…

One of the incredible side effects of owning a dog in the time of AirPods is that I get to walk Aspen, our super-athlete in the form of a German Shorthaired Pointer, while listening to podcasts and Audible. As in life, some are better than others. And some are so timely, helpful, AND informative that I feel that I need to share them. This is one of those. 

One of my go-to podcasts is called "Tests and the Rest." Amy Seeley and Mike Bergin, colleagues and hosts of said podcast, recently interv…