College Lists

At IvyWise we like to highlight colleges, programs, and facets of college life that many students may not be aware of. Each month, we will highlight a unique aspect of a school, program, or event in an effort to help students learn more about the variety of institutions in the US – and the many different ways they can get a best-fit education.  

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The holiday season is here, and students are getting a much-needed break from their normal school schedule. While it’s necessary for students to take some time to recharge, many often become restless after a few days and may need some productive ways to pass the time.  

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IvyWise Intern Sarah tells us how she knew Colby College was her best-fit school.

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IvyWise Intern Janeen tells us why New York University was the best fit for her academic goals.

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I was the kid that loved the college process. I loved visiting campuses and imagining what it would be like to attend each school. I loved coming up with essay topics and trying to be creative so that I would stand out. I put a great deal of time, thought, and effort into my college applications, but at the beginning, I never would have imagined that would end up at Cornell. 

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You’re half way through the semester! Are you doing everything you can to stay on track for college admissions and a productive academic year?

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When researching colleges, it’s important to find an institution that matches your interests and goals, and with over 4,000 colleges and universities in the US, there’s a great fit school out there for everyone. Whether you’re concerned with location, academic offerings, or just the right campus culture, all facets of a school should be examined when determining if you can see yourself attending that institution or not.

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It’s a new year, a new semester, and the perfect time for freshmen, sophomores, and juniors to get a head start, or keep up the momentum, on the college admissions process.  

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The end of the fall semester and the fast-approaching Regular Decision deadlines, coupled with the release of early decisions, makes December an especially busy, and crucial, month. Students need to prepare for finals and standardized tests, while also juggling extracurricular commitments and, for seniors, the added stress of finishing college applications.

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Are you applying to the right schools? During college admissions season we talk a lot about creating a balanced college list of schools that are best-fits for your personal and academic goals, but some students may not be choosing schools that are the best academic and budgetary matches. 

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This week The Princeton Review released its 2013-14 Best 378 Colleges rankings, ranking some of the country’s best colleges in 62 different lists. While we don’t encourage you to make rankings a defining factor when building your balanced college list, these lists can be a good place to start when researching what you want from your college experience.

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This week our client relations associate Catherine tells us what she loved about attending Boston College in Chestnut Hill, MA.

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At IvyWise, we’re always thinking of news ways to get families the information they need in order to succeed in the college admissions process. Available now are on-demand college counseling videos featuring our expert counselors speaking on a variety of topics, from community service to how selective schools evaluate applicants.

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It may be the middle of summer, but application season is fast approaching! In just a couple of weeks the Common App will be released, but with the prior announcement of the essay topics, and some schools announcing their supplement questions early, many rising high school seniors have already started on their applications.

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Happy April Fools’ Day!

College students have conducted some of the best pranks in history. Rival schools, politicians, school administrations, and fellow students have all fell victim to elaborate and harmless pranks. A lot of technical planning, crafting, and attention to detail was put in to these projects so they would go off without a hitch.

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These schools offer students some of the country’s most interesting concentrations

While many students opt for college majors like business, history, and biology, others decide to take a more unconventional path in school. Interdisciplinary studies allow students to combine a variety of interests into one major, but some schools decide to create distinct majors on their own. Colleges across the country offer a slew of unique majors for students with highly individualized interests, and the list grows every year.

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Four universities and one graduate program have come forward in the past year admitting to the release of false admissions data

Within the past year, four undergraduate programs and one graduate program have admitted to misreporting their admissions data for U.S. News & World Report’s college rankings, causing some to question just how many schools may be inflating statistics. Bucknell University and Tulane University’s Freeman School of Business are the most recent schools to announce misinformation, both coming forward in the past two weeks. They join Claremont McKenna College, Emory University, and George Washington University which have already reported false standardized test scores, class rankings, GPAs, and other statistics for admitted and enrolled students.

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This week our client relations manager, Alex, tells us what she loved about attending Stanford University in Stanford, CA.

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Did you know that at some schools you can take a classes on Harry Potter, how to watch the TV show The Wire, and even one on Lady GaGa’s (actual) fame? Many colleges these days are offering interesting course selections that take pop culture and familiar icons and use them as tie-ins to deeper, more intellectual ideas and lessons. 

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Making new friends and getting involved on campus starts with exploring your interests. Student clubs and organizations are a great way to meet new people and build on the skills and interests that you already have.

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In this month’s newsletter, we highlight the importance of the college visit and how to prepare for and what students can expect during their tour. While the college visit is very important in deciding where you want to apply, it’s also a part of helping you get in.  

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For high school sophomores and juniors, fall marks the first steps in the college search process. Many schools have a mid-October fall break, and students and families often use this time to go on college visits. At IvyWise, our team of expert counselors always stress the importance of the college visit. Not only does it give you the opportunity to show demonstrated interest, a factor that admissions officers take into consideration when reading applications, but it also gives you the chance to get a feel for campus life first-hand.

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Test-Optional v. Test-Required: Which is the Best-Fit for You?

The October SAT is this weekend, and high school students across the country are squeezing in every last bit of knowledge they can before heading to their testing centers on Saturday.  

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Location, Location, Location!

Recently, Dr. Kat spoke with the Los Angeles Times about the benefits and shortcomings of virtual campus tours.  Virtual tours are a great (and free!) way to gain an overview of a campus’ main attractions, but even with technological advancements, nothing beats the impression you gain from stepping onto a college campus. At IvyWise, we advise that whenever possible, students should visit a college in-person to get a sense of the three Cs – campus, classroom, and community.

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These Are a Few of Our Favorite Things…

This week, our Executive Assistant, Amanda, shares what she loved about attending New York University in New York City, New York:

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Finding Your Best Fit School: Spotlight on Skidmore College

This week one of our new interns, Sara, shares why she chose Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, NY. Sara will be a freshman at Skidmore this fall:

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College Acceptance Rates, Then and Now

This summer, as many rising seniors create their college list, we remind our students that there are no guarantees when it comes to college admissions. Admission at the nation’s most selective schools has become much more competitive over the past decade. To add some perspective, keep in mind that parents of today’s high school students likely applied to college 20 or more years ago.

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Our Best Advice for Students Embarking on the College Admissions Process

IvyWise students often begin working on the college admissions process in the spring of 11th grade, and many of our rising seniors complete the bulk of their college application work before even starting senior year! Once school ends, many students begin intensively researching colleges, creating a college list, and drafting essays. We’ve asked some of our college admissions counselors, advisers, and friends to share their best advice for students embarking on the college admissions process:

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5 Ways to Narrow Down Your College List

With more than 4,000 colleges and universities in the US, many students find that creating an expansive list of schools they’d like to go to is easier than winnowing down the list. As juniors embark on the college admissions process (and visit schools over Spring Break), now is a great time to make a preliminary college list. Here are some of the most common mistakes we see students make and some tips from Dr. Kat to help you narrow your focus. 

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