College Lists

For many students, college is a time of exploring new opportunities, learning more about themselves, and determining the impact they want to make on the world. Interestingly, where your school is located can have an effect on the opportunities available to you. Read on to learn how location plays a role in your college experience and the location factors to consider when creating or narrowing down your college list.

The MBA admissions process is highly competitive, and for many applicants, especially those who are applying after years in the workforce, navigating the MBA admissions landscape can be difficult. There are a number of questions that come up time and time again when applicants are weighing their MBA options and our expert MBA admissions counselor is here to answer them. How can MBA applicants identify their best-fit MBA programs?

As a college counselor and a mother of a child with a learning disability (LD), I know the concerns that many families have before, during, and after the college search and admissions process. It's important for parents and students to know their options, and since information and policy are constantly changing, research and expert advice are key to successfully navigating this confusing landscape. Research is important and knowledge a powerful tool, as parents of high school age kids with LDs already know.

Since launching in March 2010, Pinterest has become the third most popular social media platform, behind only Facebook and Twitter. Pinterest is a tool for browsing and creating categorized digital bulletin boards, and while it may initially seem to be a tool simply to share fashion and recipes, there are many ways students can use the site throughout the college admissions process. IvyWise recently started using Pinterest as a way to share expert information and resources and to further demystify the admissions process for all students and their families.

Despite the current economy, a business education is still a hot commodity—and if you’ve found yourself glued to MarketWatch.com, thinking about how to launch your great business idea, or wowed by the impact of Twitter and Facebook on customer service, you might want to consider a school with an undergraduate business program. There are many undergraduate business programs in the country, offering a wide range of opportunities for students interested in fields such as finance, accounting, international business, real estate, marketing, information technology and entrepreneurship.

For most 9th and 10th graders, the thought of college is so far off they don’t want to engage with the process until it becomes more time-sensitive in 11th grade. Many think “well I have a lot of time to think about this,” and while this is true they also need to be actively engaging in simple college prep tasks to get and stay on track with their college admissions goals. This might sound overwhelming to some underclassmen – thinking about college prep while also juggling current schoolwork and activities – but when approached in the right manner it can be really fun and exciting for everyone!

Early decision and early action deadlines are quickly approaching, and as we enter the homestretch of the college application process, anxiety will continue to build. Stressed out students can lead to stressed out parents – and that can make for a tense household. It’s only natural for students to experience some stress and anxiety when applying to college.

As fans of TLC’s series know far too well, every child is unique – even if you have twins and sextuplets! As the fall provides you with an opportunity to reflect on how much your children have grown and developed into young adults, you may be dealing with the dynamic of sibling rivalry. I hope the following provides a quick guide to help you manage your role as parent when your children apply to college.

As seniors receive their admissions decisions, high school juniors should use the first few weeks in April to set up one-to-one meetings with their guidance counselors to make the most of their high school college counseling meetings. Regardless of whether or not you attend a large public high school or a small private school, your guidance counselor is bound to be very busy. In an effort to make the most of the little time you’ll have together, heed our advice and begin forging your relationship early.

In April, we gave you tips on how to have a successful summer, and this month we have one more. Many IvyWise students have been working with their counselor to finalize their college lists and build resumes. They will begin drafting their personal essays later this summer.

Setting academic and college prep goals now is a great way to get students excited about their college prep and alleviate some of the stress commonly associated with planning for college. While it may not be time to apply to college yet, starting to think about academic and college prep goals now will make it easier for students to identify solid goals by the time application season rolls around. It will also allow them to relax over any upcoming breaks, rather than stressing about what they need to accomplish before school is back in session.

Whether you’re a freshman still adjusting to your first year of high school, or a college-bound junior ready to hit the ground running, it’s important to set academic and college prep goals for the fall as soon as school starts back up. Goals not only help keep students on track with their college prep, they also help students learn more about who they are, what they’re interested in, and how they can better pursue those interests. Goals can also help students stay motivated during a particularly busy or stressful time.

While it can be tempting to simply count down the days until summer break, spring semester is a prime time for high school underclassmen to prepare for the college admissions process, and for college-bound seniors to close out the year on a high note. Believe it or not, seniors, you are not off the hook just yet! Here are some tips for high school students to ensure a productive and successful spring semester.

By Nat, IvyWise Master College Counselor It seems that every year we hear about how college admissions has become increasingly competitive. Stanford reported a 5.07% admission rate for the Class of 2018, and many other selective schools have announced record-low admission rates as well.

Whether you’re working with your school-based college counselor, an independent college admissions consultant, or both during your college admissions journey, there’s one thing that you can’t afford to do, and that’s miss opportunities to tap the knowledge and resources of the staff and teachers at your school. I work as both an independent college counselor and as a college counselor at an independent high school, so I’m in a unique position to see that students can benefit the most when fully utilizing both professionals from their school and outside counselors or tutors. Time and time again I have worked with students on both sides who seem to think that since they are using an independent counselor, they don't have to meet with their college counselor or guidance counselor at school.

For many rising seniors, the end of their junior year marks the beginning of the long, and often stressful, college application process. While the full Common Application and school specific supplements aren't released until August, some essay topics have already been revealed, and many students are taking the initiative to begin working on their application essays even before summer kicks off. While it's a great idea to get started as early as possible, there's much more than just essay brainstorming to complete the summer before senior year.

HBCUs, or Historically Black Colleges and Universities, are a critical cornerstone of American higher education. While it’s clear that these institutions are still going strong despite the havoc that the pandemic has caused higher education, how can students determine whether an HBCU is a best-fit choice for their individualized needs and goals? While the history and shared values at some HBCUs may overlap, each college has its own opportunities and experiences that can set the school apart.

If you surveyed the participants of an average college freshmen orientation, you probably wouldn’t be surprised to learn that the incoming class has a variety of experiences and backgrounds. However, it might be surprising to learn about the growing number of students who chose to take extended time between completing high school and enrolling in a university of their choice. Deferring enrollment—typically coined a gap year—is when a student decides to forgo a traditional timeline in pursuit of a different experience.

Determining what type of college is best for you is essential to your personal and professional self-development and requires thoughtful self-reflection. As the cost to attend college continues to climb, parents are wondering if a liberal arts education is still valuable. I can assure you; it is.

By 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.

Before you can even begin to consider the "will my child get in to her top choice college?" question, it's impossible not to reflect on the cost of attending college. In fact, you have probably been thinking about this since she was in diapers and - hopefully--saving some money for that very occasion!

Compiled by the team of counselors at IvyWise These days, with advancements in technology, there’s an app for just about anything and a need for people to build them. STEM-related fields are seeing a high demand for workers, with jobs expected to grow 17% over the next decade, and as a result, many students are realizing the value of a STEM education – often in terms of ROI and job demand. Computer science and app development are booming fields, and many colleges are catering to those needs with exceptional programs for budding techies.

Now that the early application round has closed, the window to craft thorough, compelling, and thoughtful regular decision applications is quickly closing. Many regular decision deadlines aren’t until January 1, so if you’re just now starting on your admissions journey, or need some help getting back on track, here’s what you need to do now in order to catch up and be ready to submit great applications by the regular decision deadlines. Make an appointment as soon as possible with your college counselor to go over your balanced college list (or what you have so far), what you need to do now to get on track, and collaborate on a plan of action.

Attending university in the US is an appealing prospect for an increasing number of international students. Choosing to study abroad can improve a student’s resume, demonstrating to future employers an appreciation and understanding of the broader world. Studying in the US also offers students pathways into top US employers, and therefore possibilities for career opportunities that might be different than those available in their home country.

Most students wait until the summer after their Junior year to study and cram for the SAT/ACT. As a result, once you get your scores in October, you only have one or two more opportunities to re-take the exams to improve scores. Give yourself more time to improve by taking the tests early in the spring semester.

Making the decision to transfer colleges is not easy. For undergraduates considering a transfer to another university, the thought of going through the admissions process again is daunting, especially with an entirely different procedure to navigate. The transfer admissions process is highly competitive, especially if a student is looking to transfer to a college that is already extremely selective, and how applications are evaluated is very different.

The graduate admissions experience isn’t that much different than the undergraduate application process, but there are several aspects that make it special. No matter what the reason may be to go back to school, it is important to understand how and why graduate admissions offices function as they do in order to maximize your chances of admission to your best-fit graduate program. Graduate programs are available for most disciplines of academic study and they generally entail research, gaining specialized knowledge beyond what is offered at the undergraduate level, or some sort of terminal qualification that imparts a specific skill set.

Juniors, you may have just started to dig deeper into colleges to which you are applying. You should be exploring schools on your preliminary list through campus visits, on-line research, and speaking with students and alumni. It's not only important to find a good fit socially but also academically; you should make sure the schools you're looking at have your possible major (or majors).

Is Virginia really for lovers? Yes, if they are lovers of knowledge. Teeming with campus folklore, arresting landscape and warm hospitality, Virginia has left its mark on higher education in the United States.

For international students applying to US universities, it’s important to visit, if possible, and ensure that they’re making the most of their time on campus when they do. There’s a lot that international students need to be mindful of when planning visits to US universities – both before and while they’re on campus. Planning college visits as an international student requires a lot of work beforehand, especially if you’re trying to fit multiple visits into one trip to the US.

By Tasha, IvyWise College Admissions Counselor and former Admissions Officer at University of Southern California Applying to college is no small feat, but deciding where to apply can be an even bigger undertaking. There are just under 4,000 degree-granting post-secondary institutions in the US – that’s a lot of different schools to choose from spread out throughout the entire country. Looking at a list of schools could quickly evoke decision paralysis, so it’s easy to understand why prospective college students might feel overwhelmed when it comes time to narrow down where they want to apply.

IvyWise counselors Rachel and Zach share their top tips on how to create a manageable and balanced college list on the Just Admit It! college admissions podcast, giving listeners expert insight from former admissions officers. Listen Now!