Alan Gelb, author of “Conquering the College Admissions Essay in 10 Steps,” delivers tips on how to keep a college essay within bounds in The Choice’s recent article, “Advice on Whittling Your Admissions Essay.”

As most college admissions essays require that students don’t exceed 500 words, college essay expert, Gelb reveals that it is essential to stick to the crux of your story and the message you’re trying to convey. Excess verbiage typically doesn’t lead to a better essay. We encourage you to check out his article for good suggestions on keeping the word count down.

A-List’s incredible nonprofit partner, Year Up, was recently featured in The NY Post! Check out the amazing article detailing the program and its tremendous successes–simply follow the link below.

Byrne, John Aiden. “ ‘Prep’ for Life: Year Up’s Private $uccess”.  New York Post.  June 26, 2011.

Interesting article from The Wall Street Journal, supporting one of A-List’s most valuable tutor’s theories…

Shea, Christopher. “Want to Boost Your Math SAT? Have Someone Yell at You”.  The Wall Street Journal.  June 2, 2011.

“Teenagers have a hard time paying attention to anything that’s not flashed across a smartphone screen. Yet somehow, parents still expect results when they plop an SAT study book in front of their children…” Read more by following the link below.

Tedeschi, Bob. “Tutorials and Exercises to Help Students Prepare for the SAT.”  The New York Times.  May 11, 2011.

Check out this useful Q & A featuring expert answers on financial aid and how to pay for college from CollegeData.com!

> Paying for College Q & A

The numbers are in. In case we didn’t already know, the college admissions world is getting more competitive. From 2001 to 2008, average annual increases in the median number of applications at public four-year institutions increased about 6 percent a year, or 47 percent growth overall. Check out some more stats in the article below.

Adams, Caralee. “Rise in College Applications Raises Concerns About Access.”  Education Week.  November, 19, 2010.

The thought of paying for your child’s college education can be understandably overwhelming. Check out this article to see what financial aid options are available.

Cohen, Steve. “Paying for College (When you haven’t saved enough)”  Forbes.  October, 9, 2010.

What makes a great college essay? Check out what these admissions officers had to say.

Marcus, Dave. “Some of the More Mundane Moments in Life Make Great Essays”  The New York Times: The Choice.  October, 11, 2010.

A-List partner, College Essay Organizer and it’s founder Dan Stern, were featured in this article about the college essay process! Check it out!

Verdon, Joan. “College essays are his passion, business.”  NorthJersey.com.  October 3, 2010.

Check out this telling article on early decision.

Cohen, Steve. “Early Decision: College Admission’s Secret Handshake”  Forbes.  September, 27, 2010.