Common Misconceptions About College Admissions + 5 Scholarship Opportunities

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March 31, 2025 • 31 mins

I recently spoke with Michelle McAnaney, Founder and CEO of The College Spy.

Michelle founded The College Spy® with this mission: Help students identify colleges that are a good fit for them and get accepted.

Michelle is an expert in college admissions and a leader in her field. She has over 20 years of experience as an educator, counselor and consultant, assisting students in making smart choices to reach their full potential. She is current on the latest trends in college admissions.

Her extensive admissions knowledge is coupled with firsthand experience with the colleges and universities your student will be considering. She tells students and families that the best way to get to know a college is to visit and she holds herself to the same standard. She visits approximately 40 colleges each year, attending information sessions and open houses, taking tours and meeting with admissions officers.

In our conversation, Michelle and I discussed:

Some of the biggest misconceptions students and parents have when it comes to gaining admission to selective colleges
The role extracurriculars play in college admissions
How student-led projects can help a student get into their dream college
Michelle’s experience with scholarships from when she worked in a high school
And much more

To connect with Michelle and learn more about how she works with students and families, go to thecollegespy.com

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If you or your student are struggling to identify things like a future college major or career, please check out the services offered by Flourish Coaching. Click here to learn more: https://courses.flourishcoachingco.com/a/2147584293/PLHdxFCx

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Starting your scholarship journey before senior year allows students to earn more scholarships, but it also builds a foundation for being a better scholarship applicant during their senior year. That is why Scholarship GPS started our Scholarship Navigator programs. These programs provide students with a custom list of scholarships, personalized help with scholarship applications and essays, and much more. To learn more about the Scholarship Navigator program for the Class of 2026, click here. To learn more about the Scholarship Navigator program for the Class of 2027 and Class of 2028, click here.

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I talk to numerous scholarship providers, and they all tell me that this one thing is why they reject applications - sometimes as many as 90% of the applications they receive! It’s one of the most obvious and the most simple to correct, and it’s the topic of the lesson entitled "How to Beat 90% of Scholarship Applicants” in the Scholarship GPS Course.

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This Week's Featured Scholarships: