The College Application Specialist

05/28/2026

05/28/2026

The video is live.

I visited the University of Louisville and I want to tell you exactly what I found — the city, the academics, the safety programs, and the financial tools most out-of-state families have never heard of.

There is a program called the Border Benefit that can save families from six states roughly $16,000 a year in tuition. Before any merit money. And the two can stack.

Watch the full campus tour recap now. Link in bio.

05/27/2026

Tonight is the last session of the College Strategy Series this school year.

We are talking about the college essay. What makes it work, how to find the right topic, and the AI question families are sitting with right now.

Free. Virtual. Tonight at 6 PM ET.

Registration link in comments.

05/19/2026

Students are wondering if they picked the right topic.

Parents are wondering if it is good enough.

Both are looking at the wrong thing.

The essay works when it sounds like this student. Not trying too hard to impress. Not sounding like their parents wrote it. Authentic in a way only they could be.

That is the conversation on May 27.

College Strategy Series — May. Wednesday, May 27 at 6 PM ET. Free. Virtual.

Registration link in comments.

05/13/2026

Tonight is the second College Strategy Series — May session and we're going deep into the Common App sections families most often underestimate.

The academics section. The honors section. Adding colleges to your list. Special circumstances.

Free. Virtual. Tonight at 6 PM ET.

Not registered yet? Link is in the comments.

See you tonight.

05/12/2026

Every student fills it out. Not everyone fills it out well.

The academics section asks for specific information in a specific way — and it's one of the places families most often rush or miss something the first time through.

Some schools also require STARS in addition to it. Whether your student's schools are on that list or not, knowing what to expect before you sit down makes the whole process smoother.

We're covering it this Wednesday, May 13 at 6 PM ET as part of the College Strategy Series — May.

Free. Virtual. Registration link in comments.

05/11/2026

The honors section of the Common App isn't just for national award winners.

Honor roll. Local recognition. A church award. A community acknowledgment. A program certificate.

It all has a place — and most students leave entries blank not because they don't qualify, but because they don't realize what counts.

We're covering exactly what belongs in this section this Wednesday, May 13 at 6 PM ET.

College Strategy Series — May. Free. Virtual. Registration link in comments.

05/08/2026

Every year military families ask me the same question.

"Are we at a disadvantage because we're overseas?"

Every year my answer is the same.

No. Not if your student knows how to frame it.

Global perspective. Adaptability proven by experience, not claimed in an essay. Potential language skills. A story no one else in the applicant pool can tell.

Admissions offices are looking for students who bring something different. Your student has been living differently their entire life.

That is the application.

📌 Tag a military family who needs to hear this.

🔗 sayyestocollege.com

05/07/2026

Outside scholarships don't always help. Sometimes they cost your family exactly what they were worth.

Here's how it works:
School awards your student a $20,000 merit grant.
Student wins a $5,000 outside scholarship.
School reduces the grant by $5,000.

𝗡𝗲𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗳𝗶𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝘆: $𝟬.

This is called scholarship displacement. And it happens every year to families who did everything right.

Before you apply for outside scholarships, know your school's displacement policy.
Strategy beats volume every time.

📌 Save this. Every college-bound family needs to know this.

🔗 sayyestocollege.com

05/06/2026

This is the most important thing I tell military families.

Your housing allowance. Your overseas allowance. Your subsistence allowance.

None of it appears in your FAFSA income.

That means the financial aid formula sees a significantly lower number than your actual compensation. Run the numbers before you assume.

📌 Save this. Share it with every military family you know.

🔗 sayyestocollege.com