College admissions counselor Nikki Bruno helps high schoolers get in — without losing themselves in the process. Expect straight talk on applications, executive function, and the stuff no one else is saying out loud.
What students get wrong about “why this school” + Webinar tickets going fast!
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Quick note: the sailing and college admissions webinar I'm hosting is April 14 at 8:30 PM EDT. If you have a sailor navigating the recruiting conversation, send them this way. Almost 300 people are registered, will you be the next? Join in at collegesailingwebinar.eventbrite.com. I’ve been doing some passage planning lately - Spring delivery season is upon us! Routes, waypoints, weather windows. It’s the kind of work that looks like preparation but can become avoidance if you’re not careful. Because before any of that planning means anything, you have to know what kind of sailor you are. What conditions you handle well. Where you fall apart. What you actually need from the people you’re sailing with. Skip that part and you’re not really planning. You’re just drawing lines on a chart. A student sits down to write the “why this school” essay and the same thing happens. They’ve done all the research. Visited the campus. Read the brochures. But when it’s time to say something true and specific about why they belong there, the words don’t come. Because the prep they did was about the school. Not about themselves. You can’t chart a good course without knowing your vessel. You can’t write a convincing “why this school” essay without knowing who you are first. What kind of environment brings out your best work. Whether you need to be pushed or given space. What you want to be different about yourself when you step off campus in four years - or the boat in four weeks (yep, I'm planning a long one, but don't worry about me going AWOL, I'll have Starlink). Students who have sat with those questions show up differently. The essay writes itself. The list makes sense. Every conversation they have in the process has something real behind it. They know what they are doing and why they are doing it. They know what experiences have led them to this exact moment, and how their future will build upon it. The passage plan follows from knowing how you can handle your journey. The college process works exactly the same way. More than anything, in both worlds, it's important to trust what your eyes see and your gut feels, not mindlessly just follow the charts. Until next time, Nikki SAILING INTO COLLEGE — April 14, 8:30 PM EDT Three college coaches. Two pro sailors. One conversation. Free to attend. Chris Klevan (Stanford), Brendan Feeney (Fordham), and Carter Brock (Boston University) on the panel alongside myself and Steve Hunt. Whether your sailor is deep in the recruiting process or just starting to ask questions, this is the room to be in. Sponsored by our friends at North U, Zim Sailing, and Team One Newport. Register at collegesailingwebinar.eventbrite.com. |
Nikki Bruno // Student Coaching Services
College admissions counselor Nikki Bruno helps high schoolers get in — without losing themselves in the process. Expect straight talk on applications, executive function, and the stuff no one else is saying out loud.
Hi! We are still out here in the Atlantic - it feels like it's been forever! But we are closing in on our destination and will arrive in just a couple of days. Thank you to everyone who has checked in to see how it's going! Quick correction first. Last issue I told you Columbia was test-optional. Well, four days later they announced they’re going back to requiring the SAT or ACT, the last Ivy to drop the pandemic-era policy. It kicks in for the 2027-28 cycle, so this fall’s seniors are still...
Hi! Tonight’s the night. S/V Sonas sets sail for the Azores as soon as the weather clears. If you want to follow along: sdsatracking.com/azores2026 We’ve been sitting in Bermuda for a few days waiting for the right window – and in the meantime, exploring old forts, wandering through museums, doing what sailors do when the wind isn’t ready yet. Lifelong learners, all of us. And by the way, if your kiddo is an explorer too, that is something they can keep a log of to qualify for the...
Hi! I'm back on land. For now. I know many of my students are just coming up for air after AP exams, or still swimming in the thick of finals preparation. I've been super busy too. The IECA conference just wrapped up, which means I spent three days talking to college admissions officers from schools across the country - public, private, big, tiny, selective, very much not. Dozens of conversations. And if I had to distill every single one into one word, it would be: authenticity. I know....