ICC Blog

A photo illustrating college advisor South Florida from International College Counselors offers Common App essay tips for the 2025-26 Common App.

The 2025-2026 Common App Essay Prompts Have Been Announced! Start early to Maximize Success with Common App Essay Tips!

Good news for current high school juniors! The Common Application has announced that the essay prompts for the 2025-2026 application cycle will remain unchanged. This means that students can start brainstorming and drafting their essays early without worrying about any last-minute changes. While the prompts remain the same as last year, the way a student answers them…

A photo illustrating International College Counselors welcomes college advisor South Florida Jay Durso-Finley, who brings 30 years of admissions experience to ICC.

International College Counselors Welcomes a New College Advisor South Florida

International College Counselors is thrilled to welcome Jeffrey “Jay” Durso-Finley to our team as a new Director of College Advising. With his extensive experience in college admissions, Jay, a college advisor South Florida, will provide personalized guidance to undergraduate and graduate students navigating the college application process. His expertise will further strengthen our team’s collaborative…

A photo which spotlights International College Counselors shares extracurricular activities for college admissions.

Gain the Edge. Use Extracurricular Activities for College Admissions

In the journey towards college admission, high school students often find themselves consumed by a whirlwind of academics, standardized tests, and GPA calculations. However, there’s another crucial aspect that plays a pivotal role in shaping a well-rounded and successful college application: extracurricular activities — for college admissions and for your student. With the limited “real…

A photo for International College Counselors shares tips for asking for recommendation letters for college admissions.

Why Juniors Should Start Thinking About Recommendation Letters for College Admissions Now

As the school year winds down, many students are looking forward to summer break. But there is one important task juniors should handle now—deciding who will write their recommendation letters for college admissions. These letters are a key part of the college application and can provide admissions readers with valuable insight into a student’s character,…

A photo illustrating International College Counselors announces that it is an approved Certifying Organization for the President's Volunteer Service Award.

Apply for the President’s Volunteer Service Award through International College Counselors

Did you know that International College Counselors is an approved Certifying Organization for the President’s Volunteer Service Award (PVSA)? We can verify and certify that a volunteer has met the requirements to receive a PVSA. This is another benefit ICC offers our clients at no additional cost. What is the PVSA? Established in 2003 by…