Explore our collection of admissions FAQs. Each answer is expert-approved by our team to help you reach your goals.
Hello! I'm a junior and I'm planning to take the SAT or ACT soon. I'm wondering what scores are considered good for top colleges. I know it varies, but can anyone give me a general idea of what I shou …
I'm planning to attend college next year, and I know I'll need a student loan to cover the costs. Do bad high school grades affect my ability to get a loan, or are there other factors lenders consider …
Hello all! I'm thinking about applying to Penn State, and I wanted to know if they are known for being a research university. If they are, would this provide me with more opportunities to get involved …
Hey guys, during my sophomore summer, I participated in a summer study abroad program in Spain. Would this count as an extracurricular activity on my college application? Looking forward to hearing yo …
Hey, I'm working on my college essay and I'm not sure how many paragraphs it should have. Is there a specific number of paragraphs that's considered ideal for a college essay, or does it depend on the …
Hey everyone, I'm a junior and I'm planning to attend some virtual college fairs this year. I want to make the most of these events and gather as much valuable information as possible. What are some t …
Hello everyone! I was thinking of writing about a time I failed and how I bounced back from it in my college essay. Is it a good idea to write about failure, or should I focus on a more positive topic …
I love making art in my free time and I've been doing it since elementary school. Can creating art be counted as an extracurricular activity for college applications, even if I haven't taken formal ar …
Hey everyone, I'm a junior working on my college list. Do you suggest including a mix of reach, match, and safety schools or just focusing on a few schools that I feel confident about? Any advice is a …
Hey everyone, I'm currently a junior, and I had some rough personal issues during my sophomore year that really affected my grades (mostly C's). I'm doing much better now, and my grades are back up, b …
When applying to Ivy League schools, how many extracurricular activities should I have on my application? I don't want to overwhelm myself with activities, but I also want to be a strong candidate. Su …
Hello! I just started putting my thoughts on paper and noticed that my essay is already looking quite lengthy. What is the ideal word count for a college essay? How long is too long or too short? Any …
Hey guys! I'm a high school junior, and I started off with a rough freshman year (2.6 GPA). Since then, I've been working hard to improve my academic performance, and I managed a 3.8 GPA during my sop …
Hey guys, I'm a junior, and I haven't taken any AP classes so far. I'm worried this will hurt my chances of getting into a good college. Can I still apply to college without any AP classes on my trans …
I've noticed that several of the colleges I'm applying to ask for a 'Why This College' essay. What's the best way to go about writing this type of essay? What type of information should I include? Tha …
Hey! I'm a junior who is considering applying to some Ivy League schools. I have mostly B's on my transcript but several extracurriculars, including significant leadership positions. Is it still possi …
Hello all, I'm a high school junior and I'm starting to look at colleges. I've noticed that some schools have lower acceptance rates, and I'm wondering if I should still consider applying to them. Wil …
Hello, I'm brainstorming ideas for my college essays, and I've heard a lot about avoiding cliche or overused topics. What exactly makes a topic cliche, and how can I make sure my essay is unique and i …
Hi everybody! I asked one of my favorite teachers for a recommendation letter, but I'm not sure if it's going to be strong. Is there any way to know if they wrote a good letter? Thanks in advance!
Hi everyone! I was just thinking about who to ask for recommendation letters for college applications. Can I ask my 10th-grade English teacher for a recommendation letter? She was a really supportive …