The 2025-2026 Common App is officially OPEN! The Common Application is now accepted by over 1000 colleges and was designed to streamline the college admissions process. However, not all colleges accept the Common Application (particularly some public universities) and many of those that do accept it also have application supplements that may contain additional essay […]
Looking Back on the 2025 Admissions SeasonLast week, the Dunbar Consultants team sat down to review our students’ application results and reflect on this year’s admissions season.Here are our findings:1. Smart early application strategies are critical, continuing a trend we have seen for several years now as colleges fill significant portions of their incoming classes with […]
We are excited to share that we have been selected the best COLLEGE PREP SERVICE by Best of the Gold Coast Connecticut! Thank you so much for your support! We will continue to strive for excellence in helping our students navigate the college admissions process. We are incredibly proud of our Class of 2025’s acceptances and look forward to their continued successes!
This feels like the Year of the Waitlist!As more students apply to more colleges, it has become increasingly difficult for colleges to accurately predict their yield—how many of the students they accept who choose to enroll— and shape their incoming class. Having a waitlist gives a college a cushion in the event they don’t meet […]
With so many college decisions to be announced in the next several weeks, it’s natural and appropriate to hope for good news! But you should also be prepared for some disappointment as most every student gets a rejection letter in this highly competitive college admissions process; it’s almost a fact of life. Hopefully, there will […]
Believe it or not, now is a good time to think about SUMMER plans, especially if you are interested a summer enrichment or research program with an early deadline (as in December or January!). We have always advocated taking advantage of the summer months to pursue interests, earn money, develop independence and responsibility, build skills, and […]
In the world of college admissions, there is one decision that always — and understandably — causes a lot of confusion: the deferral. A deferral is neither an acceptance nor a denial; it means they are going to review your application AGAIN along with the Regular Decision applications. It is a “wait and see” or a […]
There are many ways to assess whether a college or university may be a good fit for you, but we believe, when possible, the best way for students to get a sense of academic and social fit is to visit the campus when students are present if you are able to do so. Campus tours […]
With more the 2,500 four-year colleges in the United States, it can be (understandably) overwhelming for students to narrow down that list to just 10-12 colleges to which they will apply. Not only that, but a college list should contain options across a range of admissibility (Likely, Target, Reach) to ensure a student has options […]
Throughout high school, students have been taught the importance of writing clear and logical essays for many of their academic courses. Students learn the value of revealing their thesis early in the essay and then logically and with evidence, proving their thesis throughout the body paragraphs and then restating their thesis in the conclusion, perhaps […]