College Admissions

What Is Demonstrated Interest in College Admissions?

By Haley Artime / 05/09/2025

When applying to colleges, students often focus on writing great essays, getting strong recommendation letters, and achieving high test scores. However, one less obvious factor in the admissions process is demonstrated interest. Many colleges, particularly private and smaller institutions, take demonstrated interest into account when making admissions decisions. But you may be asking, “What exactly…

Do Ivies accept the common app? Which top schools do?

By Philana Tenhoff / 04/25/2025

The Common Application is an online college application platform used for first year and transfer applications.  In the 2023-2024 application cycle over 1.4 million distinct first year applicants submitted over 9.5 million applications to over 1,000 member institutions. This is the most commonly used application platform.  Majority of the member institutions are from the United…

Life After Acceptance: Adjusting to U.S. Campus Life as an International Student

By Guest Author / 04/17/2025

Getting accepted into a U.S. university is a huge milestone—but what comes next can feel like stepping into the unknown. Between landing in a new country, adjusting to a different way of life, and figuring out how everything works on campus, it’s easy to feel a little lost at first. In our other post, we’ve…

7 Tips for a Successful College Campus Visit

By Haley Artime / 04/10/2025

Visiting college campuses can be one of the most exciting and informative parts of the application process. However, with so many students competing for limited tour spots and information sessions, planning ahead is crucial. Many students can only visit a campus once before applying, so making the most of each college campus visit is key.…

Why College Admissions Are Unfair

By Anoi Hindle / 02/19/2025

Let’s start by addressing the elephant in the room: College Admissions are unfair. Yep, we said it. In this article, we will outline some of the historical reasons for that, and also describe ways in which you (and all students) can submit your strongest applications within this context. This Article Will Discuss The Following: Imagine…

Why do Universities Defer Students?

By Anoi Hindle / 01/22/2025

You’ve worked hard on your early applications, collected recommendation letters, proofread your essays numerous times, and then finally apply to your dream school, only to hear that your application has been deferred. Often, this comes in the form of a letter from the university where you applied saying they were not able to offer you…

Why Are Some Colleges Test Optional?

By Solomon Team / 01/13/2025

The Common Application and Coalition Application have helped mainstream and simplify the application process for students allowing them to apply to multiple schools using the same form versus decades past when students filled out single paper applications for each college. Despite using one (or only a few) platforms to submit your college applications, you still…

The Ivy League Academic Index Explained

By Anoi Hindle / 01/02/2025

There is a great deal of confusion about the “Academic Index” used in the Ivy League, what it means and how it’s applied. We asked our admissions consultants to shed some light on this important matter in Ivy League admissions. Key Facts About the Ivy League Academic Index Exclusively for Athletes Within the Ivy League,…

Do Freshman Grades Matter in the College Admissions Process?

By Solomon Team / 12/20/2024

As a high school freshman, you may be wondering how much your grades from this year will impact your chances of getting into college. It’s a common concern and one that deserves a thoughtful answer. In this blog post, we’ll explore the role of freshman-year grades in the college admissions process and provide you with…

What Can I Do To Improve My College Application?

By Solomon Team / 12/13/2024

One of the most common questions higher education professionals receive is, “How can I improve my college application in a very competitive and saturated academic environment?” The application process can often seem overwhelming and clouded in mystery but there are some very clear steps you can take to show yourself in the best light during…