Lisa Endlich's Blog

A new report from Harvard’s Graduate School of Education details what universities are looking for in applicants now.

Recently, a student came to me, her college counselor, and told me she didn’t know how to answer a question on her application to an Ivy League university. This particular student was at the top of her class: she had taken every advanced course available to her and earned straight

There’s an important new application question colleges want applicants to answer. (Shutterstock voro...

We learned a few things along the way. (Photo credit: Geist family)

One year ago, we dropped our oldest off at college. The months leading up to this mind- bending milestone were like a wild ride on an invisible emotional roller coaster. Senior year was a gradual, anticipatory ascent up to the first peak. We celebrated each senior ritual, one by one, before pausing all the way at the top to enjoy the sweeping, picture-perfect views on graduation day.

All smiles in the sun.

Then, in a split secon...

It happened again this week. Several times, in fact.

I’m a university professor and my office is located directly across from the elevators. Because I maintain a literal “open-door” policy for my students, visitors often mistake me for the department secretary, since I am the first person they see when the elevator doors open. At this time of year, the same scenario happens repeatedly:

What parents need to do to help their college students become more independent. What is a “Lawn Mower” parent?

I...

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Cutte dorm decor ideas. (Grown and Flown)

Do you have the (free) Grown and Flown Off-to-College Checklist?  It includes important financial, health and wellness, and legal things to check off your list before your teen leaves home. Download it here. 

Here are some of my best tips (and secrets…) for making your college dorm room look more like a ho...

He didn’t die. Not the first time we thought he might, or the many times afterward.

My son, Sam, was diagnosed with T-cell leukemia at eleven years old (Photo Credit: Jenny Sachs)

I learned something I never wanted to know: surviving your worst nightmare doesn’t mean you’re no longer afraid. It simply moves the bar.

My son, Sam, was diagnosed with T-cell leukemia at eleven years old. He had suddenly lost his appetite and was losing weight. It was the summer of 2020, and when his COVID test came ...

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Moving into a college dorm is a memorable experience for students and for their families. (Credit: Harrington)

Your teen may be nearly done packing for college with piles of their belongings growing higher every day. Before you load up the car, however, consider these last-minute items for your teen to make the transition to college life even smo...

We are a reader-supported site and receive compensation from purchases made through these links. See more about our Privacy and Affiliate policies here

Moving into a college dorm is a memorable experience for students and for their families. (Credit: Harrington)

Your teen may be nearly done packing for college with piles of their belongings growing higher every day. Before you load up the car, however, consider these last-minute items for your teen to make the transition to college life even smo...

We are a reader-supported site and receive compensation from purchases made through these links. See more about our Privacy and Affiliate policies here

Here are the best dorm ideas you and your student might not have thought of. (Grown and Flown)

We asked our Grown and Flown community for their best ideas for dorm supplies and furnishings that their teens ALWAYS used. While you may have covered the shopping basics, here are dorm ideas you might not have considered. Your teen might not want anyth...

I have raised five teens, and for one stretch, all five of them were teenagers at the same time. Five. If you are currently in the thick of it with one, I need you to sit with that number for a moment.

I have 5 teenagers at the same time. (Photo Credit: Erin Wilson)

I am surviving. Barely. I have learned a lot and I am better at seeing the patterns, but I am not done yet. What has carried me through more slammed doors, eye rolls, and “you don’t know anything” moments than I can count is a theory...

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Here’s a checklist of 50 things your teen might want to consider taking to their dorm. (Container Store)

You and your soon-to-be college student have likely thought about the basics but here are 50 popular dorm items you might want to consider before you leave home.

Do you have the (free) Grown and Flown Off-to-College Checklist?  It Includes im...