Tag: College Prep
Recruited or Not: How Sports Affect College Applications
When watching the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, I was in awe of the high school-aged kids like Chloe Kim and Red Gerard on Team USA. How do they balance their intensive training and extensive travel schedules with homework and school commitments? Surely being an Olympic athlete is impressive, but how do sports affect the college admissions process for regular students?
Selecting Teachers to Write Letters of Recommendation
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.
Set Your Fall Semester and College Prep Goals
Whether you’re still adjusting to your first year of high school or you’re 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 help keep you on track with your college prep, but they also help you learn more about who you are, what you’re interested in, and how you can better pursue those interests. During a particularly busy or stressful time, goals can help you stay motivated.
Starting Second Semester off Right: Tips for a Successful Spring Term
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.
Striking a Balance: Working With Both Independent and School-Based College Counselors
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 have worked 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.
Students: Tips for Cultivating Teacher Relationships
Letters of recommendation, especially those from your junior year teachers, are a key component of your college applications. 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. The expert counselors at IvyWise have compiled the following tips to help you develop teacher relationships and leave a positive, lasting impression that will help you get those glowing letters of recommendation: Arrive to class on time, treat your peers respectfully, and be alert and engaged during class.
2024 College Admissions Trends and Insights from the Experts
It’s important for college-bound students to stay up to date on the latest college admissions trends. With the 2023-24 admissions cycle underway, now is an excellent time to reflect on recent updates and keep an eye toward the future. 2023 continued the trend of tremendous change that affected almost every aspect of college-bound students’ lives — including the college admissions process.
Test Prep 101: Preparing for AP Exams
With spring comes long-awaited admission decisions, but it also brings along AP exam season — and students should be preparing now for these long and intensive exams. AP exams are a major event for college-bound students, as performance can impact their grades and how colleges evaluate their transcript when considering students for admission during their senior year. Some colleges can also award some class credit based on students’ scores, so it’s possible to get a head start on your college education if you do well.
Test Prep 101: Tips for the TOEFL
For some international students applying to U.S. universities, the SAT or ACT might not be the only test scores required as part of their application.
Test Prep Checklist for Sophomores and Juniors
If you’re not already preparing for the SAT or ACT, now’s the time to get started! The spring semester is a popular testing time, and high school sophomores and juniors need to have a plan to prepare for these important college admission exams. An excellent SAT or ACT score is not a guarantee of admission, but it can be the difference between the “maybe” and the “no” pile when admissions officers are reviewing applications.
The Benefits of Honors Programs
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.
A Gap Year Can Set the Stage for a More Meaningful College Experience
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.
How to Build a Strong Student Profile for College Admissions
Most savvy college applicants these days are finely tuned into the fact that it takes a lot more than being an accomplished, high-achieving student to gain a coveted acceptance to the nation's top institutions. But how exactly do you develop the best applicant profile? What can you do over your four years of high school to define your niche, find that hook, and, most importantly, become the best version of yourself that colleges will be excited to snatch right up?
The Value of Research Mentorship
In the highly competitive world of college admissions, high school students seek every possible advantage to distinguish themselves from their peers. One significant, yet often overlooked, strategy is engaging in research mentorship — a unique opportunity to deeply explore an academic area of interest, develop critical skills, and demonstrate intellectual curiosity and a commitment to academic excellence. These attributes can substantially enhance your appeal to college admissions committees.
There’s an App for That! Dr. Kat’s List: 5 Colleges for Computer Science and App Development
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.
Tips for the College Transition
Making the jump from high school to college can be exciting, but also overwhelming for some students. With college life comes more independence, but also significantly more responsibilities than students may be used to at home. It’s easy to have a smooth college transition, however, if students keep these simple tips in mind.
Visiting U.S. Universities as an International Student
If you're an international student applying to U.S. universities, it’s important to visit, if possible, and ensure that you’re making the most of your time on campus.
Tips for Applying to the University of California System
By an IvyWise College Admissions Counselor As a University of California alum and California native, I cannot imagine another institutional system that truly offers something for everyone. From STEM to humanities, research to innovative arts, extremely focused students to those still figuring out their next steps, highly selective campuses to those with a great foundation for exploring yourself, the UC system packs it all in one and offers limitless options to explore, develop, and shine! On top of that, the diverse community encourages students to get out of their comfort zones, study alongside peers from all walks of life, and be part of something bigger.
How to Make an Art Portfolio for College or University
By an IvyWise College Admissions Counselor When applying to arts programs or majors, many colleges will require an art portfolio for college admission. This is a critical piece of your college application that often requires many hours of planning and creating to ensure that you’re accurately highlighting your creative background, skills, and interests. The portfolio can often be as important as (and in some cases even outshine) the overall college application.
What Do Admissions Officers Look for in STEM Applicants?
In recent years, even as undergraduate enrollment numbers have plateaued, students enrolling in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) majors have continued to grow rapidly. Admission rates into selective institutions are plummeting and the competition for STEM students at our nation’s top institutions is becoming increasingly competitive, so what exactly can make a great student stand out among the thousands of other good applicants to STEM programs? As a former admission officer at MIT I have reviewed thousands of applications, and I want to give you some insider insight into what colleges are looking for in STEM applicants.