Extracurricular Activities

Do you dream about sinking that winning buzzer shot in the Sweet Sixteen tournament? How about celebrating New Year's Day with a touchdown at the Rose Bowl? Nearly 8 million U.

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.

The college admissions process is a huge undertaking, and submitting your applications is a great achievement. Regardless of your admissions decisions, you should feel proud and celebrate this accomplishment. You can finally study for your next test, go to the movies with your friends, or read for pleasure without that little voice in your head (or perhaps a parent or IvyWise counselor) reminding you that you should be working on your college applications.

Am I doing enough? Am I doing too much? What do I need to do in order to stand out to college admissions officers?

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.

Incoming senior, rising senior — these terms refer to a high school student who has just completed their junior year and will be starting their senior year in the fall. 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 over the long summer break.

IvyWise counselors Christine, Nat, and Eric discuss how the coronavirus pandemic is impacting higher ed and how the Class of 2021 can navigate the altered application cycle this semester on the college admissions podcast, giving listeners expert insight from former admissions officers. Listen Now! It has been well over a year since the pandemic's onset and information and responses are still continuing to evolve.

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.

Middle school was the time to perfect your study habits and learn to organize and multi-task. Middle school was also a time for trial and error. You grew into your own skin, experimented with hobbies, and readied yourself for a more focused academic career.

Across the country, high school seniors are making plans for life after graduation. For many colleges is the obvious choice, but not for all. Gap years, where students take time off between high school and college, are becoming increasingly popular in the US.

Compiled by Will Fitzhugh from The Concord Review The formal research paper in high schools has been steadily disappearing over the past two decades, and it shows no signs of revival. The accessibility of the Internet, larger high school class sizes, over-worked teachers, and a growing emphasis on alternative forms of research presentation has dwindled the traditional 15-20 page research paper to just a few pages and Power Point presentations. As the founder and editor of The Concord Review, I have spent the last 26 years championing the significance of the research paper.

In recent years, there has been a steady growth of Chinese students enrolling in US universities and colleges, with nearly 300,000 coming to the US for the 2013-14 academic year. Although this is a fairly small number compared to the nine million university students studying in China, the country has also seen a steady decrease in students who sit for its national college entrance exam, the Gaokao. This indicates that international education is unquestionably on the rise.

IvyWise counselors Eric and Rachel discuss the importance of identifying interests, forming a plan to make an impact both inside and outside the classroom, and committing to these activities for the long-term on the Just Admit It! college admissions podcast, giving listeners expert insight from former admissions officers. Listen Now!

IvyWise counselors Eric and Rachel discuss the importance of identifying interests, forming a plan to make an impact both inside and outside the classroom, and committing to these activities for the long-term on the Just Admit It! college admissions podcast, giving listeners expert insight from former admissions officers. Listen Now!