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Sara Harberson

Sara Harberson is the founder of Application Nation™, which provides personalized advice to college applicants and their families. In her book, SOUNDBITE: The Admissions Secret that Gets You Into College and Beyond, Sara reveals the secrets of her signature college admissions tool, the "Soundbite," and shares tried-and-tested exercises that have helped thousands of students gain admission to their school of choice. She is the former associate dean of admissions at the University of Pennsylvania and the former dean of admissions and financial aid at Franklin & Marshall College. Sara’s philosophy is that every kid applying to college deserves the best advice.
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Recent Posts

To Report or Not to Report? The Strategy Behind Listing Your Summer Activities

Students and parents ask me all the time to weigh in on summer opportunities. They ask me, "Is it[...]

Facebook Live Recap and Bonus Questions: How Students Can Make the Most of Summer Vacation

Summer is a time for fun, but it's also the ideal time for working on your college admissions[...]

Lessons Learned from the Best College Essays of the Year

It's that time of year when the New York Times shares the most remarkable college essays from this[...]

The Sure-Fire Way to Get Powerful Recommendation Letters - Part 2

Last week I wrote about how picking the right teachers for letters of recommendation can positively[...]

The Sure-Fire Way to Get Powerful Recommendation Letters - Part 1

Applying to college is often compared to playing a game of chance like Monopoly—where you land[...]