When Your Teen Wants to Apply Early Decision: What Parents Need to Know

July 31, 2026July 30, 2026 by Jen Foldvary

“I can’t imagine going anywhere else!” At this time of year, many of my students are wondering whether they should apply Early Decision.

In this blog, I walk through the big questions every family should discuss first, including binding commitments, finances, fit, and realistic odds.

Need Help with College Essays? Start Here for a Stronger Application

June 24, 2026June 24, 2026 by Jen Foldvary

Need help with college essays? In this post, one of our college experts shares practical tips to help your teen write an authentic, compelling essay that stands out to admissions officers.

Whether your child is a rising senior or just beginning to consider college in their future, these insights will set them up for success.

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Educational Connections Tutoring, Executive Function Coaching, and College Consulting4.9

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Clem Rastatter

6 months ago

The tutor provided for or 10, now 11 year old grandson is clearly the best tutor we have ever hired. I was concerned about her being on zoom, but they quickly established a relationship. Part of the tutoring process each session is games. I hear them giggling all the time. Highly recommend!

Response from the owner:Hi Clem, thank you so much for this wonderful review! We’re thrilled to hear how strong the connection has been between your grandson and his tutor. 😊 Building rapport and making learning engaging (remotely!) are huge parts of our approach. We’re so glad the games, relationship, and results have made such a positive impression. Thank you for trusting us and for the enthusiastic recommendation!

Peter Glantzis

10 months ago

The team at Educational Connections is fantastic! We used them for both test prep and college selection/application advising. Both services were top notch, exceeded our expectations, and we definitely saw a great return on our investment. The test prep quickly uncovered where the gaps were in my son’s preparation, and focused on those specific areas. The result was 100 point increase in his SAT score. Having already done a lot of work on college selection, our college advisor validated our work, recommended a few additions, and then we spent the majority of the time working on the application, with a heavy focus on the essays. While we’re still waiting on the majority of the decisions, I can say that we were much more confident in his applications when he submitted them than we otherwise would have been without Educational Connection’s services. I highly recommend working with this team.

Response from the owner:Thank you, Peter! We're so proud of your son for his 100-point SAT increase and thrilled that both our test prep and college consulting exceeded your expectations. Our team works hard to provide targeted, personalized support, and it's incredibly rewarding to know you felt more confident with his applications. We're keeping our fingers crossed for great news! Thank you for trusting Educational Connections with this important journey and for recommending our services.

Snorkie Lou

2 years ago

I am very happy a friend recommended Educational Connections. This was money well spent. In retrospect I think SAT prep we have done with another company was a waste of money. Best to invest into Educational Connections colleges applications counsellor. This will make a bigger difference than SAT score in my mind, especially because most schools don't require it. We worked with Kristin Landis and she is great. My daughter applied to 10 colleges in early October and by mid-October she already was already admitted into one of them. I am sure more to come.

Response from the owner:We're so glad to hear that Kristin and our team at Educational Connections have been a great help! It’s awesome to see your daughter already getting acceptances. We're excited to see where she decides to go! Thanks for taking the time to share about your experience with our college consulting program!

Amy P

3 years ago

I am blown away with my son’s tutor, Andy! Max just got back his SAT score this morning and he went up 100 points from his practice exam. Andy is amazing. He is patient, super smart, and Max loves working with him.

Response from the owner:Hi Amy, We're so happy to hear it. Congratulations to your son! And thank you for your feedback. We will be sure to pass it along to Andy!

Kathryn Koehl

3 years ago

Our son worked with Educational Connections for both college counseling and SAT prep. Our college counselor, Lisa, was phenomenal to work with throughout the process from the initial college list, to essay writing and supplementals to the actual application submission. Lisa was knowledgeable, patient, encouraging, efficient, professional, dependable and did everything with a positive attitude and a smile. She helped our son identify his strengths and how to showcase those to colleges. She truly brought the best out of our son and made a grueling process so much easier for all of us! Our son also did SAT prep with Pete and he was very helpful in identifying areas for improvement and worked on those areas consistently over 12 weeks. Pete was easy to work with, great with answering questions and knew all the best test taking techniques. Our son improved his score by 100 points and couldn't be happier! Both Lisa and Pete were an integral part of our college process and we are so happy we decided to work with Educational Connections. We're happy to report that our son got into his dream school and is so excited for next Fall!

Response from the owner:Thank you, Kathryn! Lisa and Pete are truly wonderful and I'm so glad they were able to make a positive impact on your son's college process. I will share your thoughtful comments. Thank you for taking the time to review EC!

Mary Ann Dutton

4 years ago

EC connections has provided excellent tutoring to our 10th grade son who was struggling with ADHD and executive functioning challenges during online learning. Our tutor was able to provide just the right amount of structure and support, demonstrating immense patience and skillful interaction. The competence of the EC tutor was outstanding. We have also used EC tutors for SSAT and SAT test prep, and have experienced equally excellent collaboration preparation with our kids.

Response from the owner:Thank you for taking the time to write such a thoughtful review. Thank you, Mary Ann! It feels really wonderful to know the difference we played in your kids' lives. Thank you for the opportunity to serve your family!

Maria Zimmitti

6 years ago

I have known Ann Dolin and Educational Connections Tutoring for over 10 years personally and professionally. One of my kids received ACT prep with one of Ann's tutors, and the process was organized, thoughtful and thorough. Not only did the tutor prep for the test, but he provided helpful strategies that served him well in high school and college. I refer to Educational Connections regularly in my practice and know that kids and their parents will be in excellent hands. Ann truly cares for her families and tutors, and this shines through in their work.

Response from the owner:It was a pleasure to work with your son and to see him have so many college choices! Thank you so much for your confidence in our work over the years!

Conrad Harrell

7 years ago

I've used these guys for over 10 years and now my 3rd child and am shocked at the consistency of this business -- especially how each tutor continues to be of the highest caliber. If you are looking for really high quality tutors - especially ones that can handle multiple high level subjects - this is the place to go!

Response from the owner:Thanks, Conrad! I remember when your oldest was in our kindergarten program all those years ago (almost 15 I believe!). I appreciate your faith in us to help all of your children!