I'm going to give you some advice that might surprise you: if you're a rising senior reading this in June, you're actually right on time to start thinking about college essays. Not late, not behind - right on time.

Also important to note, you might not need an essay! If you are looking at more open admissions schools (community colleges, many state universities, and some private universities), an essay may not even be needed for the application process. It also might be required for some scholarships you are considering, but not for general admissions. If not required, you can just move on, but if you think there is a good chance you will need to do some writing then keep reading...

Here's why summer is the sweet spot for essay writing. You're not juggling five classes, extracurriculars, and test prep all at once. Your brain has space to think creatively and reflect on your experiences. Plus, you'll have drafts ready when applications open in August, giving you time to revise instead...

By Kimball Bullington, Ph.D.

If you will be transferring or even considering transferring, make sure the courses you take will transfer for required courses in your major at your target university.  It is not sufficient to have courses that will transfer, they must transfer for the right courses.  Otherwise you will exceed the number of electives and courses will be wasted as far as your plan of study is concerned.  

Not all required courses are created equal. Generally, there are university requirements, college requirements, and major (departmental) requirements. University requirements are courses that are required for all degrees at that institution. You can schedule the university requirements at your target institution even if you are uncertain about the direction of your study. For instance, if you are still undecided between business and engineering, you can register for university-required courses and defer your decision.  Most, but surprisingly, not all, colleges will have ...

Guest post by Kimball Bullington, Ph.D.

When a new freshman enters college the question of how many hours to take is one that demands an immediate answer. Is there an ideal load? Should I take a light load to make the adjustment to college easier? Should I register for a heavy load and then drop the classes I don’t like?

The search for an ideal load for the beginning freshman begins with a look at the number of hours required to graduate. Divide the number of hours required to graduate by 8 to find the average number of hours you must take in order to graduate in four years without taking summer courses. For instance, if your school requires 120 hours that amounts to 30 hours per year or 15 hours per semester (120 / 8 = 15). The ideal beginning load would be the average number of hours to graduate in four years or slightly above average.

Isn’t it a good idea for beginning freshman to take less so as not to overload and give extra time for the adjustment to college? My answer is no f...