Now that you have a year of high school under your belt, you’re ready to really make your mark!The 10th grade is an important chapter in determining what your story will be when you ultimately apply to college. As you prepare to welcome in another hopefully exciting year of learning, you’ll want to build positive momentum from the beginning.
Read MoreBy now you’ve heard that “junior year is the most important year of high school.” Admissions officers, college counselors, and well-meaning teachers repeat this adage over and over to ingrain it in the minds of the students they hope to motivate.
Read MoreYou’ve made it! This is your last year of high school and all the goals you’ve been working toward are right in front of you.Hopefully you made the most of your summer with an enriching experience that advanced your knowledge and skills in an area of passion.
Read MoreFor many 12th graders, the most important event in November isn't Thanksgiving; its early decision (ED) deadlines.By November 15, hundreds of thousands of students will have submitted an application to their first-choice college.
Read MoreThere was a time when New Year's Day was the major holiday milestone marker in the college application process. Students would spend a good chunk of their winter vacation finishing applications that were due shortly after the ball dropped in Times Square.
Read MoreThere are many important elements of the college application process to think about. Some of them—your current GPA, for example—are already set.However, there are important parts of this journey that you can still control. Your essays and your resume both give you a chance to tell your story in your own words.
Read MoreColleges look favorably upon uniqueness, but not because they look for students with the most outlandish personality traits and activities. Imagine reading hundreds (thousands in many cases) of applications each year with similar stories. Admissions officers may have a hard time differentiating between applicants with common narratives.
Read MoreIf a picture is worth 1,000 words, then how do colleges really expect you to paint a whole picture of yourself with only 650 words?Trying to write an outstanding Common Application essay frustrates a lot of talented students. For many, the task is so daunting that it takes significantly longer than it should.
Read MoreWriting is rewriting.That’s the reality—whether you’re attempting to pen the great American novel or finally impress your AP English teacher. The more comfortable you become with revisions, the stronger your writing will be.
Read MoreAccepted by over 750 institutions—including Stanford, Duke, Williams College, and Caltech—the Common App opens in August each year for students around the world to begin their applications. For the most part, it is an intuitive platform that presents you a centralized place to complete up to 20 applications.
Read MoreFew questions are more ubiquitous (and probably nerve-racking) for a high school student than, “Where do you want to go to college?”But if you’re like most rising seniors, this thought consumes many of your waking hours. And while we know how stressful this can feel, there’s good news. For each of you, there are many colleges and universities that will match your goals and personality.
Read MoreBecause volunteer work has become a common item on applicants’ activities list, how deeply you engage in bettering your community is what will ultimately set you apart.Let’s take a closer look at how you can make the most of your community service.
Read MoreThe Common App activities section is somewhat of a strange animal in the world of customizable resumes and CVs. Instead of the freedom to adjust margins and font size as you wish, students are given just 10 slots—and about 150-characters per slot—to describe their academic, research, sports, community service, and club commitments.
Read MoreCollege applications—with their numerous essay requirements, recommendation letters, and activity lists—can feel difficult to tackle and easy to put off for another time.But procrastination is not your friend. When we ask our graduating students their advice for the next class of seniors, one suggestion inevitably comes up: start early. The sooner you begin, the better.
Read MoreThough it is the student who goes off to college, there is no denying that the application process is a family affair. Whether it’s your first child or you’ve sent more than one to college, this is a major transition for everyone.
Read MoreWhen I was an admissions officer at Amherst, nothing made me feel more like a rock star than when my summer information sessions were overflowing with eager families, hanging onto every word I said.Our normal conference room couldn’t hold all the visitors we had. Engaging an auditorium full of prospective families waiting to receive the pearls of wisdom from my PowerPoint was one of the most exciting aspects of my job.
Read MoreSummer can be a time of many possibilities. You can partake in internships, push forward passion projects, travel to new cities, or make positive change in your community.
Read MoreInternational applicants face an increasingly competitive admissions landscape. Colleges in the United States limit the percentage of international students they admit to 10-20 percent of the student body. At most competitive schools, acceptance rates have reached historic lows, with more and more students applying every year.
Read MoreEach June, high school students all across the country proudly walk across the graduation stage in their caps and gowns and accept a diploma indicating the completion of years of hard work. It’s a major accomplishment and, when it’s your turn, you’ll understand just how exciting and hopefully reflective that moment is.
Read MoreLet’s take an in-depth look at the part of the college process that often weighs the most heavily on the minds of rising seniors – essays.The personal statement and supplemental essays are one part of the application process that rising seniors can use to share their own stories, in their own words. Regardless of your grades, test scores, and extracurricular activities, your writing samples are your best tool for self-advocacy.
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