College Blog

October 14, 2020

New for Juniors: How to Visit Colleges Without Getting into the Car

As a junior embarking on the college search process, it may seem daunting to do a college search without an in-person visit. But it does not have to be. I usually tell my juniors to do their research […]
September 14, 2020
how to write the why this school essay

How to Write the Why This School Essay

One of the most popular questions in the Common Application and the Coalition for College Application is some variation as to why a student wants to attend a particular college. The answer to the Why This School question […]
June 13, 2020
liberal arts

Why a Speech Given in 2011 Resonates Today

My favorite musical, hands down, is Ragtime, which is based on the book of the same name by E. L. Doctorow, and which I have seen several times, not just on Broadway but in a memorable snowy winter night […]
June 11, 2020
Common Application

Introducing the Common Application: The Main Section

The 2020-2021 version of the Common Application doesn’t go live until August 1, but you can get a head start by creating an account right now at https://apply.commonapp.org/login. Your application will roll over from this year to the […]
June 3, 2020

Colleges Answer Your Covid-19 Questions

On Wednesday, May 27, 2020, I moderated the first virtual Inside the Admissions Office program, this time presenting a Covid-19 College Update. To view the informative and enlightening video, click on the YouTube video below and listen to […]
June 1, 2020

What Are Colleges Planning To Do This Fall?

Although many plans won’t be released until later this month or in July, we are getting an inkling of what some colleges and universities are planning on doing. Most schools seem to be leaning towards having students on […]
May 14, 2020

Inside the Admissions Office – Covid-19 College Update – Join Me Virtually on May 27, 2020

It started 13 years ago. Every Fall, Woolf College Consulting and the JCC of Mid-Westchester have been bringing together the deans and directors of college admissions in a lively discussion for the community in the JCC auditorium in […]
May 1, 2020
how to focus your college research

How to Focus Your College Research

Now that colleges have cancelled information sessions and tours, what students learn about colleges virtually has become more important than in the past. Each person will have his or her individual list of preferences and areas of importance, […]
April 30, 2020
deposits at college

Deposit Doubts

The New York Post, April 29, 2020: High school seniors are in coronavirus ‘limbo’ with college deposits due – by Kirsten Fleming. The Zimmermans were elated when Jack, their high-school senior son, was accepted to Vanderbilt University — […]
March 27, 2020
Emory University

On the Road with Betsy Woolf – The Two Sides of Emory University

It was a few blogs ago that I wrote about somehow visiting colleges on grey and rainy days, and my visit to Emory was no exception. It was pouring in Atlanta and Covington. Covington? Yes. Emory has a […]