College Planning

By Carolyn, IvyWise College Admissions Counselor As you might have heard, many colleges across the country have been adopting a test-optional application review process in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. If you know you will be submitting applications of your own sometime in the next few years, you might be wondering what exactly 'test-optional' means and whether or not these policies will apply to you. In this article, I will address some of these questions and consider the possible scenarios that you might encounter when your senior year rolls around.

By Tasha, IvyWise College Admissions Counselor When international students think about applying to college in the US, they may be surprised to find that there are over 3,000 four-year colleges and universities to which they can apply. When building their college list for U.S.

While we are not supposed to have favorite applicants in the admissions process, I will fill you in on my little secret; my favorite applicants to read at Johns Hopkins University were often the Biomedical Engineering (BME) applicants. I loved learning about their innovative solutions to the problems overwhelming healthcare. These students are always so creative, passionate, and excited about making their impact in the world through engineering.

By Kelly, IvyWise College Admissions Counselor Have you been drawing in a sketchbook since you were five? Did you receive national/international recognition for your fashion design work through competitions/awards? Are you involved with your community in arts-related initiatives such as mural painting projects?

By Carolyn, IvyWise College Admissions Counselors When I first begin speaking with students and their families about college, the tone of the conversation is often trepidatious. Students know that this process involves a lot of work and high-stakes decisions, and with that comes an understandable amount of stress. While I do not want to invalidate these feelings, too much stress can have detrimental effects on your mental and emotional health and may even cause some unforced errors along the way.

Peruse the academic offerings on any university’s website, and you’ll encounter everything from the more “traditional” psychology, math, business, and English majors to several intriguing potential majors like neuroscience, Slavic, and Eurasian Studies, public policy, astrobiology, and data science. Suffice to say that one of the most exciting aspects of pursuing a college degree is that you finally get to focus on an academic area that genuinely intrigues you and ignites your curiosity. For some students, however, pursuing a single academic major simply won’t suffice, and they choose to double major in another academic area of interest.

By Joey, IvyWise Tutor With students from around the world continuing to seek higher education in the US, determining applicants’ English proficiency has remained a top priority for colleges and universities. After decades of relative stability in the field of standardized English testing—ETS’s TOEFL is accepted by everyone, with the IELTS, the PTE, and others popular as well—the landscape shifted dramatically in 2015 with the introduction of the Duolingo English Test (DET). Users of the world’s most popular language-learning app asked the company to certify the knowledge they had gained, and Duolingo responded with an exclusively online exam that has since exploded in popularity.

“You know, there’s math in music” my piano teacher said as I lowered my hands from the keyboard. With one simple phrase, she sent my 12-year-old mind into a cyclone, questioning the sneaky places that math might also be hiding without warning. As the daughter of two accountants, I considered this statement as an attack on a whimsical, free flowing form of expression — all of the things I did not know math could be.

As a college counselor, one of the aspects of my job that I especially enjoy is touring college campuses. Whether traveling alone or with my family, I’m always game to explore institutions of higher education. Over the past few years, as my firstborn made his way through high school and navigated his own college search odyssey, I discovered much to my delight that visiting colleges with him brought many rewards I hadn’t anticipated.

Most U.S. colleges and universities use a holistic review method when reviewing applicants for admission, considering various aspects of a student’s academic and personal record.

I’ve spent a lot of time over the past several years thinking about the answer to one (admittedly nerdy, very college counselor-y) question: If I could go to college all over again, which school would I choose? I attended a medium-sized research institution in a major city in the southern U.S.

How exactly do college admissions officers evaluate a student's transcript? Join IvyWise college admissions counselors as they share insights on how college admissions officers take a student's grades, course load, and strength of school into consideration when reading their application. REGISTER HERE The transcript is one of the most powerful documents provided in the application process and is often one of the first components of the college application that evaluators consider.

Interested in applying to visual or performing arts programs in college? The application process, while not completely different than regular undergraduate admissions, can be more nuanced and requires a lot more prep and consideration. From finding the best-fit program to putting together a portfolio, here’s what you need to know about applying to college as a fine arts student.

Virtual school got you down? Are you interested in turning your love of memes and social media into a project that could help you get into college? This past year has been hard for many students who want to explore their interests through extracurricular activities but have been limited by the availability of opportunities because of the pandemic.

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.

  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.

By Indhika, IvyWise Academic Advisor Your first year of college is critical in establishing a strong foundation that sets you up for academic, professional, and personal success. As you prepare for your first semester on campus this fall, embrace the changes of this new journey and lean into some advanced planning and self-directed goal setting to help you smoothly transition to campus life. Below are some tips to help you get ready for college and make the most of your first year.

Fit and academics are top priority when building your balanced college list, but it’s important for students to consider other factors that matter to them including activities, location, campus culture and, yes, even the food! At IvyWise we work with students to help them find the best-fit colleges where they will be successful, happy, and graduate in four years. But fit isn’t just about finding the right place academically and socially.

Now that the admission committees have given you their decisions, the power is back in your hands. It is time for you to decide where to enroll. For some, this choice is easy.

When I meet with a new student and their parents for the first time, I will often point out the things about their college admissions profile that are “set in stone.” The closer the student is to senior year, the longer this list is because we are too close to application season to make any big changes to GPA, testing, and activities. When I meet with younger students, though, there are a lot of things about their profile that are set in stone and there’s a lot they can do to make the most of their high school experience so that come senior year they’re satisfied with the elements they’ve solidified.