Category: College Admission Advice
How to Ace Your UPenn Interview: Common Questions and Tips From Alumni
The University of Pennsylvania — or Penn, as it’s often referred — offers interviews to prospective students. Depending on volunteer availability, Penn may reach out to you to schedule an Alumni Conversation. This is essentially a conversation between you and an alum so that you can learn a little more about Penn and they can learn a little more about you.
College Prep 101: College Admissions Glossary of Terms
Applying to college and choosing where to enroll is both a major milestone and an important decision. It’s bound to be a little stressful, but it can feel completely overwhelming if you’re not up to date on all the latest terminology.
How to Start a Club in College
Getting involved in clubs on campus can help you pursue your interests, meet new people, have fun, and enrich your college experience. So, what do you do when you have an interest in a specific activity or club that’s not offered at your school? Rather than accept its absence, create it! Many clubs and organizations on campuses across the country were started by college students who recognized a need and wanted to fill it. Starting your own club takes initiative and can be a lot of work, but the reward is well worth the effort.
What If I Get Rejected From My Top-Choice College?
As colleges begin notifying applicants of their admissions decisions, many students — especially those who applied to highly-selective universities with notoriously low admit rates — may be faced with their worst-case scenario: getting rejected from their top-choice college. Receiving a rejection from a top-choice college can be crushing to students, but it’s not the end of the world.
Application Strategy: Learn How Early Decision Works
Once you’ve put the finishing touches on your list of best-fit colleges, it’s time to consider application strategy. More specifically, rising seniors need to decide when they will apply to the schools on their list.
Early Decision can be a great application option for a student who is passionate about a certain school and able to meet the deadline. Keep reading to learn more about this application strategy and to determine whether applying early is the right move for you.
What Happens if You Are Not Accepted Early Decision
Early Decision and Early Action notifications are right around the corner, and many students have already received their admissions decisions. With so many more students applying to college this year, unfortunately, there isn’t a spot for everyone. But remember, it isn’t the end of the world if you were not accepted early!
2023-24 Cornell University Supplemental Essay Prompt Guide
Is Cornell University on your college list? Because it’s an Ivy League institution with a low admissions rate, your application needs to be extremely competitive. Your responses to Cornell’s supplemental essay prompts can help set you apart if they are compelling, thoughtful, and authentic. Keep reading for some insights into Cornell’s 2023-24 supplemental essays.
What to Do While Waiting for College Admissions Decisions
This time of year makes for very anxious high school seniors as many wait to hear back from colleges about their admissions decisions. The period between submitting applications and receiving decisions can feel like an eternity and often leaves students in an academic limbo with many thinking, “I’ve done all I can and the decision is in the hands of the admissions committee — what else can I do?”
4 Things to Review Before Submitting Your College Apps
Regular Decision deadlines are around the corner, which means it’s time for students to put the finishing touches on their applications. It’s a good idea to carefully review your applications before submitting, but what should you be mindful of when proofreading your college apps?
How to Find and Apply for Scholarships
Scholarships are a win-win: students can help reduce the costs associated with attending college while also adding to their resumes. As a bonus, the vast array of scholarship options means there is truly an opportunity for every student. However, it can be challenging to know where to find the right scholarships, and the process of applying for them on top of your college applications can seem daunting.
While the application process will vary depending on the scholarship you are pursuing, there are some tried-and-true tips that can help students stand out from the pack. Keep reading to learn more about what it takes to craft a compelling scholarship application.
College Admission Secrets: How Colleges Read Applications
With high school seniors in the thick of the college application process, speculation abounds about how college admissions committees make decisions, what it takes to get in, and whether student A is more qualified than student B. But what really goes on behind closed doors at college admissions offices?
Understanding EA vs. ED vs. EDII and More
Did you know that you can apply to a college early and get a decision way before most other students? Many colleges offer early application options, with students usually submitting their applications in October or November and receiving a decision by December. With the rise in the number of students applying to multiple colleges, and the difficulty of predicting yield, many colleges are offering a number of early application options. So how do you know if applying early is right for you?
Staying Up Late to Study Hurts Students More Than It Helps
For many high school students balancing standardized tests, school projects, assignments and extracurriculars, it may seem like there are not enough hours in the day to get everything done. As a result, many students are staying up late to study. According to a 2015 study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about seven out of 10 high school students aren’t getting enough sleep. In fact, Stanford Medicine refers to teen sleep deprivation as an epidemic.
10 Colleges with Spooky Course Selections
From religion and folklore to film and even medicine, college departments love to celebrate the supernatural and postulate on the paranormal. Whether you’re an occult-loving student building your college list, or you just want to get an idea of some creepy courses to add to your schedule, check out our list of otherworldly offerings below.
UCLA Personal Statement: FAQ, Examples & Insider Tips
UCLA is part of the University of California system, which is comprised of nine campuses throughout the state. Students applying to UCLA must use the UC application — the University of California system does not use the Common App or Coalition Application. The application process includes several personal statement prompts, or what UC refers to as personal insight questions. Keep reading to learn more about these prompts and tips for responding to them.
Time Management Tips for Students
Energy and sanity can run low when a pile of work is never ending. Managing good grades, performing well at a big game or academic competition, spending quality time with family, and maintaining a social life can be exhausting. That’s why every student should invest in a time management game plan.
School Spirits: Spine-Chilling Stories of Haunted College Campuses
October brings the smells of pumpkin spice and apple cider, colorful fall foliage, and spooky season. For Halloween, there is nothing better than a good ghost story — or several! While unexplained things may go bump in the night at many college campuses across the U.S., these schools have well-known haunted histories.
Independent School Admissions: ISEE vs. SSAT
For students and families who are interested in the private school application process, there are generally two major tests on their radar: the ISEE and the SSAT. While both exams have a lot in common, there are also some distinct differences between the tests that students should keep in mind.
Harvard University Supplemental Essay 2023-24 Prompt Guide
If Harvard is one of your top-choice schools, you may be wondering how you can make your application stand out to the admissions committee. This is where your college essays come in. If done well, they can set you above other applicants. However, these essay prompts require short, creative answers, which is not an easy task. Keep reading to learn more about Harvard’s supplemental essays for the 2023-24 admissions cycle and how to craft them.
Will Legacy Status Be the Next Admissions Factor to Go?
When the U.S. Supreme Court struck down affirmative action in June 2023, colleges and universities across the country scrambled to find alternative solutions that promote diversity and inclusion in the admissions process. For many, this meant revising the supplemental essay prompts for the 2023-24 college admissions cycle to encourage students to write about their personal experiences based on race or ethnicity. These prompts act as a loophole to get around the affirmative action ruling.
Stanford University Supplemental Essay Prompt Guide 2023-24
If Stanford is one of your top-choice schools, you may be wondering how you can make your application stand out. Your responses to Stanford’s supplemental essay questions are a significant way to set yourself apart from other applicants. However, these essay prompts require you to be both concise and creative, which is not an easy task. Keep reading to learn more about Stanford’s supplemental essays for the 2023-24 admissions cycle and how to craft them.
