The official e-newsletter of The Equestrian College Advisor.

From the blog:

Scrolling through the results of a recent local dressage show this afternoon, I came across the name of a local competitor who was fortunate enough to earn the final score needed for her U.S. Dressage Federation bronze medal. That in itself – while a milestone – wasn’t the most remarkable thing about her victory; what stood out more while scanning the names of the other horses and riders in the class was that she had beaten a class full of specially-bred warmbloods aboard a Quarter Horse.

…and not just any Quarter Horse. This particular Quarter Horse was bred for halter classes, not for sport. Read More

A lot of things matter when it comes to the final college choice.

These 5 things DON'T matter.

Think those application fees are no big deal?

Colleges don't. In fact,

application fees are one of their main revenue streams.

When it comes to reaching one’s goals, there is a saying English speakers often use to explain the path to success. It goes like this:

“It’s not what you know, but who you know...”

Those words suggest that being hard working or knowledgeable is not the only way to get what you want in life. Very often it can even be more important to have a relationship with someone who can help you reach your goals.

Kenley Jones says that in a way, the same could be said of the process of applying to colleges and universities in the United States. Read More

A Recommendation for RecommendationsIt isn’t unusual for college and scholarship applications to request a letter of recommendation from a counselor, teacher, coach, or other mentor as part of the evaluation process. After all, it’s one thing for you to say you’re wonderful but it’s also valuable to have someone from outside your family who can verify that it’s true.So how should you select your recommenders?

• Start early. There are always one or two teachers who are asked by seemingly every student in the senior class to write their college application recommendations. Said teachers are typically the most popular choices, either because they’re the most approachable or because it’s known that they write a good letter. Either way, if you intend to ask one of these soon-to-be-swamped individuals, it’s best to inquire early – as soon as the spring of junior year, in fact – so that he or she has the time to complete the letter well before you need it.

• Choose carefully. It seems overly obvious to state this fact, but you should always select a recommender whom you know will have good things to say about you. That said, however, it’s worth emphasizing that the letter should have good things to say, not just okay things – or worse yet, boring things! The writer should be able to talk about the time you led your forensics team to victory instead of touting the fact that you’ve turned in all of your assignments on time this semester. (Snore.) Your college application is a big deal and your recommendation should be too!

• Follow up. Once your teacher, counselor, or mentor has agreed to write the letter (or fill out the recommendation form, in the case of the Common Application), it’s okay to follow up with him or her to make sure that the letter is in progress. Teachers are busy people (and also completely human), so it’s okay to check in a few weeks after you make your request to make sure that things are moving forward.

• Demonstrate gratitude. The process of writing a student recommendation is time-consuming and most teachers and counselors have a love-hate relationship with the process. (They love helping their students but hate how long it takes!) It’s important that you take the time to acknowledge this in the form of a (hand-written!) thank you note and even a small token of thanks if you’re able. (It also further demonstrates the good recommendation he or she just gave you!)

Though college admission personnel will often admit that the recommendation letter isn’t typically weighted as much in the process as your transcript and personal essay, they will tell you that a bad (or even mediocre) recommendation can easily tip the scales against a student who otherwise looks strong in the applicant pool. Thus, choose your recommenders wisely!

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