College Prep

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?

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.

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.

Do you play the violin or clarinet? Sing? Are you a freestyle rapper?

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.

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.

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.

Students across the US will take the PSAT/NMSQT this October, and for many, this will be their initial introduction to the rigors of college entrance examinations. Before heading into the test, 10th and 11th graders need to know what to expect and how the PSAT/NMSQT can impact their college preparation strategy. Use these tips for the PSTA to get started!

For students who are in eighth or ninth grade, college seems so far away, but this spring is actually a great time to set the foundation for your future college admissions journey as you make the most of your present college prep. The choices you make now will have the immediate benefit of making your high school years enjoyable and challenging, but they will also help you to build a strong profile that will make you a competitive college applicant. The most important thing to know is that colleges do not have one type of student that they are looking for, instead, they want to see applicants who have different passions and interests.

The most important document in a college application, as I tell all my students, is the transcript. Admissions committees are keen on applicants who have challenged themselves and excelled academically high school, not just in junior or senior year when they think it “counts.” Given the transcript’s importance, students should thoughtfully consider what courses they should take each year and plan ahead for subsequent years.

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.

For some international students applying to US universities, the SAT or ACT might not be the only test scores required as part of their application. Some colleges and universities might require international applicants to submit TOEFL scores, too. The TOEFL exam stands for “Test of English as a Foreign Language” and it is precisely that.

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.

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.

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.

As you imagine your college experience, perhaps you think primarily of the friends you’ll make, what type of campus you’ll be a part of, and how you want to be inspired and intellectually challenged. As you consider the intellectual experience and your eventual career, no doubt your choice of major plays a major (no pun intended) role in how you set the scene. While the choice of major doesn’t feel difficult for some students, it’s a daunting task for others.

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?

It’s never too early to look into summer programs for your child. Summer programs are a great opportunity to delve into a subject more deeply, participate in sports activities, and prepare for standardized tests. Many summer programs offer subjects and opportunities you can’t find in most schools.

Let's pretend you're a couch potato who wants to train for a marathon. You're going to want to set goals to help increase your chances of success, right? For instance, you may decide to increase your mileage or speed slowly each week.

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.

There are so few places in the college application process for a student’s voice to be truly heard. Sure there’s the essay and email communication with an admissions representative, but what makes a college admissions interview such a valuable opportunity is the chance to talk about yourself in a less structured and less formal way. It’s an opportunity to share your story the way you want it to be heard.