College Application Tips

The college admissions process isn't perfect, so it's no surprise that many students feel anxiety and stress in their senior year when it comes to applying to colleges. There are about a million things to get hung up on and another million things that seem totally out of your control. However, this journey doesn’t have to be this stressful.

By Victoria, IvyWise Principal Counselor A lot of students I work with are still trying to discover or uncover their true passion and therefore a career path. This can be easy for some people but more difficult for others. I like to impress upon students that finding their passions and career paths are journeys that are different for everyone.

There is more to a great personal statement than the right topic. In fact, there’s more to it than being about yourself – a tip that most people will readily offer. While application readers, college admissions officers, and committees use your essay as a chance to get to know you, they are also looking for evidence that you can think critically, and being able to do so indicates a certain level of preparedness for education at the college level.

  You have it down to a science — you know the best way to get up to speed on class schedules and which clubs to join. Or perhaps this is your first time moving and you’re a little nervous about attending a new school. From a personal perspective, you have so much to consider.

The college admissions process is one of the most exciting and stressful journeys that families go through. That’s right — families go through the college admissions process, not just students! As a college counselor with IvyWise, I work with the entire family to ensure I’m communicating clearly, transparently, and consistently to meet the family’s goals and expectations.

The summer is a great time for students to catch up on their college prep, including pulling together some materials that will be helpful when it comes time to fill out your college applications. Putting together a resume of your activities, awards, internships, and more is a great way to organize all the information you want colleges to know – and set you up for a smoother college application experience. How exactly is a resume used?

As students begin a new school semester, they will soon be meeting with their college counselors to begin planning for the summer and the next school year. One important part of the counseling process is ensuring that students are taking the proper courses that match their academic ability, interests, and ultimately their college admissions goals. For many students and parents, course selection can be an afterthought.

For students that have already selected an essay topic, starting on the actual writing process can be just as intimidating. “Process” is the key word here. Writing takes time, and you must set aside at least several weeks to work on the personal essay.

Superman pajamas, summer road trips in an RV, driving a carriage, a Cuban grandfather. All seemingly disparate topics, yet these subjects happen to be from some of the most memorable college essays I read as an admissions counselor. Selecting a topic for your college application essay can be one of the most daunting tasks, and finding the right topic takes creativity and soul-searching.

The holistic admissions process can be confusing to both college-bound students and their parents, but identifying what college admissions officers are looking for in students' applications can actually be pretty simple. Colleges and universities are trying to build a class, and outside of grades and test scores, they’re looking for students who can positively contribute to the campus community and will graduate in four years. The Admissions Rubric breaks down what college admissions officers are looking for into two categories, the “hard factors,” like grades, test scores, and courses, and the “soft factors,” like extracurricular activities, essays, demonstrated interest, and more.

Now that you've finalized your balanced college list, it's time to evaluate your application strategy — deciding when and how you will apply. Given the hyper-competitive landscape, it's more important than ever for college-bound high school seniors to consider how their application strategy will impact their chances of admission at their dream schools. Throughout your college list research, you've likely come across terms such as Early Decision, Early Action, and rolling admission, among others.

By Danielle, IvyWise College Admissions Counselor One of the most common discussions I have with families is when to apply to business school. There are three questions to consider: Should the high school student apply directly into an undergraduate business program? Should the student apply at the end of their undergraduate studies through deferred enrollment programs?

By Alecia, IvyWise College Admissions Counselor One of the most compelling and authentic applications I read during my time as an admissions officer at Duke University was from a student who applied as undecided. His college counselor reached out to me earlier in the admissions season and explained that he was having trouble deciding which major he’d like to pursue — his interests were evenly split between engineering and entrepreneurship. I responded that the most important aspect of the college admissions process is authenticity.

By Rod, IvyWise College Admissions Counselor Direct dental programs allow high school students to apply to and, if successful, be admitted into an undergraduate institution and a partner dental school simultaneously. These programs are referred to by several different names such as accelerated dental or BS (BA)/DDS (DMD) programs. Regardless of the nomenclature, the program typically allows students to complete an undergrad and dentistry degree at the same institution, although in some cases these two degrees must be completed at two separate but partner institutions.

Like many of the students I work with, I have no idea what I want to do when I grow up. Every time I think I know, something very different and very interesting pops up, and my trajectory changes considerably. Once, while I was in my first year of medical school, I binge-watched David Attenborough’s , then promptly went to the Dean of Students and asked if there was a specialty that would allow me to combine medicine with a newly found fascination with ornithology.

With admit rates at historic lows and more students applying to more colleges than ever, it’s important for students to make sure they’re submitting the best applications possible. Early Decision and Early Action deadlines are quickly approaching, and as students work to finish up their college applications there are a number of last-minute applications mistakes that they should be mindful to avoid. Before entering the final stretch of the college application process, take time to make sure you’re not making these common application mistakes.

Many colleges require letters of recommendation from teachers as part of the college application. Colleges recognize that your teachers spend significant time with you and, therefore, trust them to provide a candid picture of who you are as a scholar and a person. At IvyWise, we encourage students to ask their teachers for letters before the end of junior year and then follow up at the beginning of senior year.

IvyWise counselors Victoria and Christine break down the college admissions rubric and discuss examples of different hard and soft factors that admissions officers evaluate on the college admissions podcast, giving listeners expert insight from former admissions officers. Listen Now! When making admissions decisions, colleges and universities in the US don’t just look at grades and test scores.

It is fairly common knowledge that most high schools offer honors and advanced placement courses for students looking to be challenged in their coursework. But did you know that colleges and universities also offer similar programs for undergraduate students through honors colleges? In some cases, high-achieving students are invited to enroll in a university's honors college upon acceptance, while other students seek out the honors track and apply to the honors college as part of their undergraduate admission.

By an IvyWise Principal College Admissions Counselor In 2013, a Pennsylvania high school student named Suzy Lee Weiss wrote an op-ed piece in the Wall Street Journal about not being admitted to the Ivy League colleges of her dreams. The article drew national controversy over the unrealistic expectations of college admissions offices and the role of diversity in building an incoming class at the most prestigious universities. "I offer about as much diversity as a saltine cracker," she wrote, satirically.

Grades and test scores are important factors when evaluating college applications, but they don't tell the whole story. When admissions officers evaluate applicants, they review both "hard factors" (quantitative measures like GPA) as well as "soft factors," such as essays, extracurricular activities, demonstrated interest, and recommendation letters. What role do letters of recommendation play during the college admissions process?