At Lantern College Counseling, we have over 25 years of experience helping high school students apply to and transition to college and over 45 years of experience supporting and educating students on college campuses. We’ve leveraged our deep and extensive expertise to develop this comprehensive guide and task timeline for the college application process. 

If you have questions about applying to college as a computer science (CS) major, you’ve come to the right place. I’m an engineer, a dean who oversees the CS curriculum in the School of Engineering at Tufts University, a former CS professor, and a college counselor specializing in STEM. I’ve synthesized over 30 years of experience supporting college students majoring in CS to create this complete guide to the college application process for computer science majors.

If you have questions about applying to college for engineering, you’ve come to the right place. I’m an engineer, a dean in the School of Engineering at Tufts University, a former computer science professor at Wellesley College who created undergraduate engineering programs there with Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Olin College of Engineering, and a college counselor specializing in STEM. I’ve distilled over 30 years of experience supporting engineering college students into this complete guide to the college application process for engineering majors. 

A strong personal statement (the “college essay”) shows who you are as a person and what makes you unique and different from other students with similar grades, courses, standardized test scores, and activities. A powerful college essay differentiates and individualizes you in the competitive engineering application pool. It may persuade an admissions officer that you are a Deep-Fit™for their institution and boost your chances of acceptance. Learn how to write a standout personal statement as an engineering major.

A strong personal statement (the “college essay”) shows who you are as a person and what makes you unique and different from other students with similar grades, courses, standardized test scores, and activities. A powerful college essay differentiates and individualizes you in the extremely competitive CS application pool. It may persuade an admissions officer that you are a Deep-Fit™ for their institution and boost your chances of acceptance. Learn how to write a standout personal statement as a CS major.

Artificial intelligence (AI) tools are being widely applied in nearly every aspect of our modern world. Yet, very few colleges and universities offer a formal AI major or degree. Indeed, according to the National Center for Education Statistics, only twelve US institutions currently offer a formal major in artificial intelligence. Learn about these programs and answers to some common questions about AI, including pathways to a career in AI.

Students thrive at both colleges and universities. Fit is important. Suppose a student is the type of person who could struggle to seek out resources and develop relationships with faculty. In that case, a smaller college may be a better match than a university. On the other hand, independent and assertive students may soar at a university amidst its rich offerings.

It is common for high school and new college students to be undecided about what they want to major in during college. And, those who start college with certainty about their major often change their minds. Not being sure about what one wants to study is entirely developmentally appropriate! At the age of 18 or 19, students are still young, forming their identities, and have significant learning and growth ahead of them. Students will and should change during college. After all, that is one of the goals of education.

We often hear concerns about the cost of college counseling when we speak with prospective families. Families’ questions usually boil down to: what will we gain from college counseling, and is it worth the expense? Learn the benefits of hiring a college counselor and how college counseling arms families to be most thoughtful about the significant financial investment of college.

Why do so many professors and deans specifically choose Lantern’s Deep-Fit college counseling process for their children? The answer lies not only in the emphasis on academic success but in the shared value of an entire educational journey. Professors and deans know the deeper, nuanced reality of higher education: it is more than getting accepted to an institution; what matters is what happens once the student arrives and how they thrive on campus.

Parents with children with unique needs for their learning and living environment worry that there may not be a college where their child will be happy and successful. Their child may have learning differences, documented disabilities, long-term health issues, or be part of a marginalized identity and require a welcoming and supportive campus environment to thrive. Lantern’s Deep-Fit™ counseling services help students find a college home where they will succeed and be happy.

The college search process should not be about chasing rankings or superficial factors. It isn't all about getting in - it is about what happens during college.

At a Deep-Fit college, students can achieve their personal and academic goals, have impactful experiences, thrive, develop confidence and agency, and lay the foundation for a successful life.

As anyone paying attention to college admissions knows, the chances of getting accepted to many of the most highly sought-after colleges and universities drop year after year. Indeed, a recent Inside Higher Ed article details that the number of applications increased this past application cycle, and acceptance rates decreased, with acceptance rates at some highly selective institutions below 5%.

Answering these types of questions will position students to make Deep-Fit applications so they stand out in the overcrowded CS and engineering application pool, shining above other talented students with similar grades, courses, test scores, and activities who have not shown that they are a Deep-Fit.

A Deep-Fit application boosts a student’s chances of admission. It is a powerful form of demonstrated interest that differentiates a student from other talented students with similar grades, courses, test scores, and activities.

What many families don’t realize is that perhaps even more valuable than the experience of serving on a Board of Admission is the experience of working with college students after admission and while they are on their college campus. This experience is critical to guiding high school students to campuses where they will thrive.

If you’ve begun thinking about college for your child, you’ve probably heard the terms “fit,” “good-fit,” and “thriving” in college. What do these terms mean? How can you identify a good-fit college for your child? What might you overlook as you seek a college where your child will thrive? I am excited to share a new paradigm for the college search and application process centered on thriving as a foundation for lifelong success.

One of the first things I suggest students do as they research colleges and universities is examine each school's mission statement. A school's mission is its "north star" guiding its decisions and will inform you about what you could expect to experience at the school. It helps you understand what the school seeks and values and if it matches what YOU seek and value.

Every student’s journey to—and through—college is unique. Students can find themselves feeling lost when they get to campus. Students who’ve historically lacked direction can suddenly uncover a passion that catapults them into an entirely new direction and career path.

At Lantern, the cornerstone of our work is comprehensive college counseling of high school students applying to college. However, I often work with families otherwise through targeted advising in various ways.