The #1 family guide for education planning and college application advice
Featured Blog Posts
COLLEGE APPLICATION HELP
College Essay Cliches You Should Avoid
Every year, a large population of applicants write the same overused college essays that admissions officers have seen time and time again. So what topics should you make sure to avoid? ... Read More
SCHOOL ADVICE
Study Tips for Different Learning Types
Not everyone learns the same way, which is why certain study methods are more effective for some than others. We’ve framed our study tips by what type of learner they’re best suited for ... Read More
ABOUT HARVARD
Work Hard Playlist Hard | What's on Our Playlists?
I have embarked on a mission to curate the absolute study playlist with the help of the HSA Education team. Please feel free to enjoy the music-listening quirks I’ve discovered ... Read More
ABOUT HARVARD
Coming Full Circle | How an HSA Student Became a Tutor
Meet Emin Berker, a past HSA student who got into Harvard after getting our SAT tutoring. He’s now back to working with the Tutoring family, but this time he’s sitting on the other side of the table ... Read More
COLLEGE APPLICATION HELP
How to Write Your Supplemental Essays
While every school's supplementary essays are different, we’ve broken down the three most common supplementary prompts into step by step answers so you're prepared to tackle all of them ... Read More
SCHOOL ADVICE
Quiz-Style | What Type of Learner Are You?
Have you ever felt like you got lost in the middle of a lesson, or wondered what the best strategy was for you to learn the best? Take this short quiz to find out what type of learner you are ... Read More
COLLEGE APPLICATION HELP
Financial Aid | A Complete Guide From Harvard Students
Besides the academic and extracurricular rigor of college, students must also contend with the question of how to finance their time in college. Here is our breakdown of what you need to know ... Read More
SCHOOL ADVICE
Make Office Hours Yours | How to Succeed in College
After an exhausting day at school, the only thing you want to do is dump your backpack on the ground, kick off those shoes, and squirrel away for a nap. But before you book it for your bed ... Read More
SCHOOL ADVICE
12 Keys to Success For Students | Tips From Harvard Students
No one's perfect—we could all use some help to become better students. That's why we asked our team of Harvard students for their best study tips, and here's what they answered ... Read More
More Blog Posts
ABOUT HARVARD
Personal College Journey | How to Apply to College Online
Looking back on the college application process, the first phrase that comes to my mind is “an absolute dumpster fire.” The only thing I could think was, “What am I supposed to be doing?” ... Read More
COLLEGE APPLICATION HELP
What Happened to Admissions Rates This Year?
This spring, colleges across the nation have reported shockingly low rates of acceptances. Ivy League schools, which have been renowned for their selectivity, plummeted their rates ... Read More
SCHOOL ADVICE
Is Finding a Private Tutor Worth the Cost?
The most significant advantage of taking private tutoring is that it saves you stress, time, and effort! The reality of modern-day classrooms is that teacher's can't cater their lessons ... Read More
COLLEGE APPLICATION HELP
What Are They Even Saying? How to Conquer SAT Vocab
You thought you’d become inured to the phenomenon, but much to your chagrin the pristine test booklet is heckling you again. You don’t know whether to succumb to sleep ... Read More
ABOUT HARVARD
What's Bookin? Harvard Students' Reading Recs
Get yourself back in the swing of academics with some of these reading recommendations from our HSA managers. And for those seeking more rigorous engagement with their literature or ... Read More
SCHOOL ADVICE
How Can I Hustle This Summer? Get Ahead During the Holiday
School's out! As the ancient adage goes, "Scream and shout!" It's been a long haul through the third semester of virtual learning, and we all deserve a bit of a breather this summer ... Read More
COLLEGE APPLICATION HELP
Do I Still Need to Take the SAT? Changes in Test Policy
A series of changes have rocked the world of standardized testing, thanks to several monumental decisions that were laid down by College Board at the end of 2020 ... Read More
COLLEGE APPLICATION HELP
How to Brainstorm for the Common App Essay
No matter what your college application looks like, nearly every school will ask for a core college essay that will be the most central part of their application. This essay is one of your few chances ... Read More
COLLEGE APPLICATION HELP
How to Make Your College List | Picking the Right School
Before you begin crafting your college application, there is one important question that you need to address: where are you going to apply? When it comes to all the schools ... Read More
COLLEGE APPLICATION HELP
How to Do College Applications | Where to Start
Navigating college applications, scholarships, and financial aid for the first time is unbelievably confusing. It feels impossible to decide what’s best with so many options ... Read More
COLLEGE APPLICATION HELP
Getting Off the Waitlist | How to Handle Deferrals
So you’ve opened up your application portal and clicked on your decision notification, only to find that the committee is still undecided. That’s right, you’ve been waitlisted. What next? ... Read More
COLLEGE APPLICATION HELP
College Interview Questions and Answers
When applying for colleges, it is important to nail every aspect of your application, including the alumni interview. Here are some common questions and how to answer them ... Read More
SCHOOL ADVICE
Improve Your SAT Score | The SAT Bubble Strategy
Because the SAT is time sensitive, any time you can save will benefit your overall strategy. If your current strategy is to bubble in answers after answering each question, you are wasting ... Read More
SCHOOL ADVICE
How to Study For Your AP Exams
It’s the beginning of April, so there’s over a month left before AP exams. It’s time to start thinking about preparing for your exams. What should you start with, what resources ... Read More
ABOUT HARVARD
What Are Harvard Students' Favorite Movies?
Last season we gave you an insider view into the music that Harvard students actually listen to. This summer, we’ll give you a glimpse into what really matters to us – our top movie picks! ... Read More
SCHOOL ADVICE
How to Prepare For Your Final Exams
Even at Harvard, “exam season” is the most stressful time of the year for students. All of your effort, studying, and preparation culminates into a single test that decides your final grade ... Read More
Looking for More Personal Advice?
Featured Blog Posts
COLLEGE APPLICATION HELP
College Essay Cliches You Should Avoid
Every year, a large population of applicants write the same overused college essays that admissions officers have seen time and time again. So what topics should you make sure to avoid? ... Read More
ABOUT HARVARD
Work Hard Playlist Hard | What's on Our Playlists?
I have embarked on a mission to curate the absolute study playlist with the help of the HSA Education team. Please feel free to enjoy the music-listening quirks I’ve discovered ... Read More
SCHOOL ADVICE
Quiz-Style | What Type of Learner Are You?
Have you ever felt like you got lost in the middle of a lesson, or wondered what the best strategy was for you to learn the best? Take this short quiz to find out ... Read More
ABOUT HARVARD
Coming Full Circle | How a Tutee Became a Tutor
Meet Emin Berker, a past HSA student who got into Harvard after getting our SAT tutoring. He’s now back to working with the Tutoring family ... Read More
SCHOOL ADVICE
12 Keys to Success For Students | Advice From Harvard Students
No one's perfect—we could all use some help to become better students. That's why we asked our team of Harvard students for their best study tips, and here's what they answered ... Read More
COLLEGE APPLICATION HELP
Financial Aid | A Complete Guide From Harvard Students
Besides the academic and extracurricular rigor of college, students must also contend with the question of how to finance their time in college. Here is our breakdown of what you need to know ... Read More
More Blog Posts
SCHOOL ADVICE
Study Tips for Different Learning Types
Not everyone learns the same way, which is why certain study methods are more effective for some than others. We’ve framed our study tips by what type of learner they’re best suited for ... Read More
COLLEGE APPLICATION HELP
How to Write Your Supplemental Essays
While every school's supplementary essays are different, we’ve broken down the three most common supplementary prompts into step by step answers so you're prepared to tackle all of them ... Read More
SCHOOL ADVICE
Make Office Hours Yours | How to Succeed in College
After an exhausting day at school, the only thing you want to do is dump your backpack on the ground, kick off those shoes, and squirrel away for a nap. But before you book it for your bed ... Read More
ABOUT HARVARD
Personal College Journey | How to Apply Online
Looking back on the college application process, the first phrase that comes to my mind is “an absolute dumpster fire.” The only thing I could think was, “What am I supposed to be doing?” ... Read More
COLLEGE APPLICATION HELP
What Happened to Admissions Rates?
This spring, colleges across the nation have reported shockingly low rates of acceptances. Ivy League schools, which have been renowned for their selectivity, plummeted their rates ... Read More
SCHOOL ADVICE
Is Finding a Private Tutor Worth the Cost?
The most significant advantage of taking private tutoring is that it saves you stress, time, and effort! The reality of modern-day classrooms is that teacher's can't cater their lessons ... Read More
COLLEGE APPLICATION HELP
What Are They Even Saying? How to Conquer SAT Vocab
You thought you’d become inured to the phenomenon, but much to your chagrin the pristine test booklet is heckling you again. You don’t know whether to succumb to sleep ... Read More
ABOUT HARVARD
What's Bookin? Harvard Students' Reading Recommendations
Get yourself back in the swing of academics with some of these reading recommendations from our HSA managers. And for those seeking more rigorous engagement with literature ... Read More
SCHOOL ADVICE
How Can I Hustle This Summer? Get Ahead During the Holiday
School's out! As the ancient adage goes, "Scream and shout!" It's been a long haul through the third semester of virtual learning, and we all deserve a bit of a breather this summer ... Read More
COLLEGE APPLICATION HELP
Do I Still Need to Take the SAT? Changes in Test Policy
A series of changes have rocked the world of standardized testing, thanks to several monumental decisions that were laid down by College Board at the end of 2020 ... Read More
COLLEGE APPLICATION HELP
How to Brainstorm for the Common App Essay
No matter what your college application looks like, nearly every school will ask for a core college essay that will be the most central part of their application. This essay is one of your few chances ... Read More
COLLEGE APPLICATION HELP
How to Make Your College List | Picking Schools
Before you begin crafting your college application, there is one important question that you need to address: where are you going to apply? When it comes to all the schools ... Read More
COLLEGE APPLICATION HELP
How to Do College Applications
Navigating college applications, scholarships, and financial aid for the first time is unbelievably confusing. It feels impossible to decide what’s best with so many options ... Read More
COLLEGE APPLICATION HELP
Getting Off the Waitlist | How to Handle Deferrals
So you’ve opened up your application portal and clicked on your decision notification, only to find that the committee is still undecided. That’s right, you’ve been waitlisted. What next? ... Read More
COLLEGE APPLICATION HELP
College Interview Questions and Answers
When applying for colleges, it is important to nail every aspect of your application, including the alumni interview. Here are some common questions and how to answer them ... Read More
SCHOOL HELP
Improve Your Score: The SAT Bubble Strategy
Because the SAT is time sensitive, any time you can save will benefit your overall strategy. If your current strategy is to bubble in answers after answering each question, you are wasting ... Read More
SCHOOL ADVICE
How to Study For Your AP Exams
It’s the beginning of April, so there’s over a month left before AP exams. It’s time to start thinking about preparing for your exams. What should you start with, what resources are available ... Read More
ABOUT HARVARD
What Are Harvard Students' Favorite Movies?
Last season we gave you an insider view into the music that Harvard students actually listen to. This summer, we’ll give you a glimpse into what really matters to us – our top movie picks! ... Read More
SCHOOL ADVICE
How to Prepare For Your Final Exams
Even at Harvard, “exam season” is the most stressful time of the year for students. All of your effort, studying, and preparation culminates into a single test that decides your final grade ... Read More