There’s no secret that colleges look beyond student grades and test scores. They also seek feedback and perspectives from your teachers, guidance, and college counselors. Your essays also matter. Whether it’s the Common Application personal statement or the college supplemental essay, they invite you to voice yourself. Equally important are your extracurricular activities (ECA) that…
If your intentions are to go to a top college or university, you need to make productive use of your summer. Think about it. You have literally 8-10 weeks off from school. Doing nothing will not cut it. Neither will sleeping your days away, or excessively watching TV or playing video games. At some point…
I hope to address how having an addendum to your application whether it is to highlight an academic hiccup or academic strength or nuance is important to share! This question is truly significant for many applicants. This is where YOU as the applicant can address any red flags, “pink elephants in the room” or just…
Supplemental college essays are additional questions asked by colleges in addition to the primary essay. They can be anywhere from a seemingly straightforward question such as “Why Our College?”, to a highly specific one such as “Design a Course We Don’t Already Offer” and can range from one question to several. Whichever one it leans…
Two things that most certainly do not go together is your tweet or Facebook post about an all-night underaged drinking rager you hosted and your application to colleges and universities. Neither is any sort of opinion showcasing hate speech or the like to any group of people. Most high school students do not think that…
The short answer is No. Colleges may ask for either the SAT or ACT, but they do not treat applicants differently based on which test scores are sent. Either one will suffice and be treated equally. Some colleges may also be “test-optional”; they may not ask for any tests at all. You may want to…
Ahhh summer…long lazy days, beaches, parks, marathon video game sessions, Netflix binging…or not. No one is saying you can’t enjoy your summer break, but it’s also a time to explore ways in which you can strengthen your college prospects. Here are some ideas on how to spend a productive summer that can add value to…
There are numerous sources available that can help you craft a good college essay. Grammar, spelling, and structure are all important, but what about content? Is it better to be serious, light or funny, controversial? Anyone of those may be appropriate, or not, for college essays. Here are some considerations as you approach writing your…
Colleges look for evidence that you’ve been involved in the world outside of the classroom- whether it’s sports, volunteering, clubs, or jobs, what they want to see is that you’re engaged in the world around you and demonstrate some leadership qualities. But, is there such a thing as too much leadership? Consider the points below:…
There is a great deal of confusion about the “Academic Index” used in the Ivy League and what it means and how it’s applied. We asked our admissions officers to shed some light on this important matter in Ivy League admissions. Here are some facts: Ivy League Use Exclusively for Athletes Within the Ivy League,…