The college search process can immediately feel overwhelming with close to 5,000 colleges and universities in the U.S.! Since this is your first time exploring college options, you are likely unsure of what factors you should even be considering. Spend some time thinking about what you want the most out of your college experience. The…
Understanding the Pros and Cons For decades, the SAT and ACT have been a staple in the college admissions process. However, in recent years, there has been debate about whether these standardized tests are still relevant in today’s college admissions landscape. Here’s what you need to know: Pros of the SAT and ACT: Cons of…
The Common Application, a college application service first created in 1975, has helped billions of eager high school, transfer, and adult students take the first step to reach their educational goals. What first started out as a paper booklet designed to streamline the college application process has grown into a modernized online platform. The founders…
Among the many pieces of a college application is the Counselor Recommendation. While your transcripts and essays are among the most important parts of the application, what your counselor shares in their recommendation plays a significant role in putting your high school performance, activities, and experiences into perspective. Follow these steps to ensure you make…
No, college admissions is not solely about perfect GPAs and testing. While good grades and high test scores can certainly help, there are many other factors that colleges consider when evaluating applicants. First, it might be helpful to understand the difference between holistic and non-holistic college admissions. Holistic Admissions Holistic college admissions is an approach…
Simply put, financial aid is money that helps you pay for college. This funding comes from a variety of sources but does not include money from family or personal savings or earnings. For many students, financial aid is essential to making college affordable. An important key to understanding financial aid is to recognize the vernacular…
Yes, you can add reading (or any other activity) to your college application. However, like many things in college admissions and in life, just because you can doesn’t mean you should. But what if you are stuck staring at the 10 allowed spaces for the “Activities” section of the Common Application and only have 9…
Colleges determine financial aid packages for admitted students based on the results of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and in some cases the College Scholarship Service Profile (CSS Profile). If your financial aid offer is lower than what you were expecting, requesting more financial aid – read, ask politely, is an option.…
The college application process can be overwhelming, but by familiarizing yourself with the most common questions, you can make the process much easier. Here are some of the most frequently asked questions about the college application process and their answers. In conclusion, the college application process can be stressful, but by preparing yourself and understanding…
If you’re a high school senior applying to college, January is usually a nice change of pace from the busy fall season, when you were likely scrambling to submit all your applications on time. Now, you’re hopefully just waiting for schools to release their admissions decisions. But what if you somehow realize that you made…