While it’s important to visit colleges to help you understand the schools better and decide where you want to apply, sometimes you simply can’t visit in person. However, with some creative research, you can still learn a lot about different colleges and their personalities without a physical visit. Here are some alternatives that don’t involve […]
College Visit Planning
If you’re applying to college this fall or next fall, you may still have some college visits planned for the coming months. Visiting colleges before you apply, and certainly before you’re admitted, is important for several reasons. First, you won’t really know how you feel about a place until you’ve been there. College is an […]
Recommendation Letter Advice for Rising Juniors
Junior year of high school can be a pivotal year in the college application process. You’ll probably take the SAT or ACT for the first time, begin searching for colleges, and go on your first college visits. In addition to these college application milestones, junior year is also an ideal time to identify which teachers […]
Tips for Choosing a Personal Statement Topic
Whether you apply to college using the Common Application, Universal College Application, or individual institutional applications, you will most likely need to write a 400-650 word college essay or personal statement. The prompts for these essays are intentionally broad and open-ended to make it easier for you to find a topic that is personally meaningful. […]
Recommendations 101
Recommendations 101 Don’t care what other people think about you? Think again! Many colleges require at least one recommendation letter from either your school counselor or a teacher. Some colleges even require a counselor letter, plus one – or two – teacher recommendations. Your recommendations should ideally come from teachers who taught you in 11th […]
Making the Most of College Visits
You may be visiting a few colleges in the coming weeks and months. The college visit is an important way to decide how you feel about the schools you’re applying to, and to pick up information that will help make your applications stronger. Follow our tips for more productive college visits. 1) Plan in advance. […]
Essay Idea Brainstorming
It’s September, and the fall semester is starting up. This means it’s time to dig into your college application essays. Before you start writing, however, you should probably do some reflecting and brainstorming. Putting some work in before you write will allow you to spend less time figuring out what you want to say, and […]
When to Begin Working on your College Essay
The college essay, or personal statement, is one of the most important elements of the college application process. As a result, rising seniors may be wondering about when they should begin working on their essays. It’s best to wait until later this summer, or at least until you’ve completed your summer program or experience, to […]