

Impactful College Recommendations
by Brenda Shepherd As the application season approaches, now is the time for juniors to consider who can best advocate for them. It’s...
Brenda Shepherd
Apr 212 min read


WHAT DRIVES AN INCREASE IN APPLICATIONS?
When I work with students, we focus on the parts of their applications they can mostly control: selecting appropriate courses, earning...
Brenda Shepherd
Dec 4, 20233 min read


BE BOLD AND UNIQUELY YOU
Last year a scandal unfolded exposing the fraudulent paintings displayed by the Orlando Museum of Art, purporting to be originals of the...
Brenda Shepherd
Apr 17, 20231 min read


essays: no need to freak out
In episode #500 of the Freakonomics Radio podcast, Dr. Ruth Simmons, President of Prairie View A&M University, recounts a time when she...
Brenda Shepherd
May 6, 20222 min read


THE FINE PRINT
One of the best times of the year is now, when students send me their acceptance letters from their rolling, early action, and early...
Brenda Shepherd
Dec 26, 20212 min read


BELIEVE
When I notice a student struggling to write their main college essay, I sometimes ask how they would complete the sentence “If you really...
Brenda Shepherd
Aug 16, 20212 min read


Positive Change
The admissions deans from Tufts, Northeastern, and Boston University presented a “Best of Boston: Year in Review” webinar yesterday,...
Brenda Shepherd
May 12, 20213 min read


Setting Priorities
“Institutional priorities” is the fancy-schmancy way of explaining why an admissions officer may choose an All-State oboe player with a...
Brenda Shepherd
Feb 4, 20213 min read


Don't Wait until the Year 2059
Eighth grade was a long time ago for me. So, imagine my recent surprise—my disbelief, really—when I glanced at my computer screen and its...
Brenda Shepherd
Dec 7, 20202 min read


World, we're going to be okay.
I stopped by my office yesterday afternoon: checked my mail, threw away the last dead plant, re-assessed my cleaning supplies, and turned...
Brenda Shepherd
Jul 11, 20202 min read