CollegeVine Expert FAQ

Hi everyone! I'm a high school junior feeling a little stressed about choosing a major before applying to college. How do I decide what I want to study? Is it okay if I'm not sure yet? Any advice woul …

Hi everyone! I'm trying to find the right balance between focusing on my academics and participating in extracurricular activities. What do colleges value more: a higher GPA with fewer extracurricular …

Hello! I'm a junior and I'm starting to think about applying for scholarships to help pay for college. My GPA isn't the best (around a 3.0) due to some personal challenges I faced in my earlier high s …

Hello friends, I'm in the midst of the writing process for my college essays, and I wanted to allocate my time more efficiently. Where should I give more attention: my personal statement or my supplem …

Hi everyone, I'm a junior and I've been focusing on community service hours and taking on leadership positions in clubs. I want to know which is more valued by top colleges like the Ivy League – servi …

Hi all, I'm a junior, and I'm getting nervous about college interviews. What are some tips for improving my interview skills and making a good impression? Thanks for any help!

Hey guys, I'm a junior and I just got my SAT scores back. I scored a 1530, which I'm really proud of! However, my GPA isn't that great (3.4 unweighted). Will colleges overlook my GPA because of my hig …

Hi fellow students and collegevine! I'm a junior and I know I'll be really busy next year with schoolwork, extracurriculars, and college applications. How can I manage my time effectively and avoid ge …

Hey everyone, I'm currently working on my college essays and I have a personal story that contains some strong language. I was wondering if it's acceptable to use swear words in my essay or if I shoul …

Hey there! I've been in my school's choir for a few years now and I'm wondering if that's considered an extracurricular activity when applying for college? Do colleges usually view choir as a valuable …

Hi there! I'm currently a high school junior, and my grades aren't the best (2.8 GPA). But, I'm really passionate about nursing and want to pursue it as a career. Is it still possible for me to become …

So I currently have a 3.9 unweighted GPA and I'm interested in applying to top schools like Harvard and Yale. Would a 3.9 GPA be considered strong enough for the Ivy League or should I aim higher? Tha …

Hi all, I'm considering applying to schools like MIT and Caltech for engineering but my GPA isn't quite competitive enough. I have a little over a year until I apply, so I'd appreciate any advice on h …

Hello, I'm a current junior, and I've noticed that many colleges are still test-optional for the class of 2023. How does this policy impact the chances of getting admitted to top schools like Yale, Co …

Hey everyone! I am in the process of brainstorming for my college essay, and I can't decide if I should write about a personal achievement or focus on an academic accomplishment. Do colleges have a pr …

Hello everyone! I'm a junior with a strong interest in pursuing a STEM major in college. What should I include in my college application to emphasize my passion for STEM and make my application stand …

Hey there! High school junior here, exploring my options for college. Purdue University is on my list, and I was wondering if anyone has any information on whether it's regarded as a research universi …

Hey, I'm a little bit stressed about my college essays, and I'm just curious if colleges are using artificial intelligence or any other software to detect plagiarism in college essays? Also, how stric …

Hi! I'm a junior, and I'm really struggling to find a good topic for my college essay. How did you guys decide on your topics and what advice would you give to someone in my situation? Thanks a bunch!

Hello everyone! I was wondering if it's even possible to get into an Ivy League school if I have a B on my transcript. I'm usually a straight-A student, but I got a B in one course that was very chall …