As you move through high school, you are probably beginning to wonder, what things actually look good on a college application? You know the importance of getting good grades and scoring well on your ACT or SAT, but haven’t thought much about your college application holistically. Does HOSA look good? Does JROTC look good? Does…
While your performance and potential as a student are most important for post-secondary admission, colleges also care about who you are outside the traditional classroom setting. In fact, they want to see evidence of how you’ve engaged outside of your coursework, whether it’s through sports, volunteering, clubs, or jobs, as this can be a reflection…
Course load rigor, GPA, and one’s standardized testing profile are the three main components of the academic rating. Taking higher-level high school courses, such as Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate courses, is essential for building a competitive academic profile when applying to elite colleges and universities. You want to ensure you are pursuing courses…
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…
When putting together an incoming first-year class, college admissions officers spend a significant amount of time evaluating hundreds of factors to determine an applicant’s competitiveness for their institution. While many of these factors are important, it’s hard to overstate the value of leadership in college admissions. Their holistic evaluation process can be quite hard to…
Updated: August 2024 (Originally published: January 2018) The Importance of Research Experience for High School Students Students often hear the word “research,” but they might not fully understand what it means. It’s a term that pops up in phrases like “do your research,” which simply means digging deeper to learn more about something. But in…
Understanding the Role of Extracurricular Activities As admissions consultants, we are often asked about the role that extracurricular activities play in the college application process. Many students and parents are under the impression that only traditional activities such as being president of the class or captain of the sports team are important. However, thinking outside…
As a busy high school student, you may feel overwhelmed by the pressure to maintain good grades, make and keep friends, and engage in community service. You may wonder why volunteering matters so much. The Importance of Community Engagement In the world of highly selective admissions, we are often asked, “how many hours do I…
Students spend hours, weeks, and even years committing to activities they hope will make them stand out in the college admissions process. Does it really make a difference if you play soccer, volunteer as a math tutor, play the piano, serve as president of the student council, or write for the school newspaper? As a…
MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses), have been available since 2012, with edX and Coursera being the most widely known. They’re an excellent way to learn about any possible topic from history, science, language, and many STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) and CS (computer science) courses. Here are some of the benefits of attending a…