Explore our collection of admissions FAQs. Each answer is expert-approved by our team to help you reach your goals.
Hi everyone, I'm currently a college freshman, and I'm thinking about transferring to a more competitive school for my sophomore year. My dream schools are schools like Cornell and Vanderbilt. Do you …
Hey all, I'm lucky enough to have been able to participate in a study abroad program last summer. I'm not sure whether I should include this experience as an extracurricular activity on my college app …
Hey guys, I have an idea for my college essay. I want to write about how a particular fictional character has had a major impact on my life and influenced my perspective and beliefs. Do you think this …
Hey guys, I'm a junior and I'm starting to think about college essays. I'm curious about how long it took you all to write your college essays. I want to make sure I give myself enough time to write a …
Hi, I'm a high school junior, and West Point has always been my ultimate goal. Due to some unforeseen circumstances, my grades suffered in 9th and 10th grades. Is it still possible to get into West Po …
Hi everyone, I'm a high school junior and I'm starting to think about how to pay for college. I'm wondering if I should focus on applying for financial aid or merit-based scholarships. What are the di …
Hello, I'm starting to look into scholarships and I've noticed that some are need-based, while others are merit-based. Am I correct in assuming that my family's financial situation won't impact my cha …
Hi everyone! I'm a junior and I've been involved in a variety of extracurricular activities throughout high school. How can I best present these on my college applications to make them stand out? Are …
Hey everyone! I'll be taking the ACT soon, and I'm feeling a little bit stressed about how to prepare for it. Can anyone recommend an effective study plan or any resources that have worked for them? T …
Hello! I'm curious about how important recommendation letters are in the college admissions process. I have a couple of teachers who know me well and could write strong letters, but I'm not sure how m …
I've been hearing that plagiarism detectors are getting more and more advanced. Is it possible that colleges will use AI detectors to check for authenticity in college essays? Just curious about the c …
Hey guys! I'm a junior and I'm starting to look at colleges. I was wondering if it's worth applying to colleges with high acceptance rates, or if I should focus on more competitive schools. What do yo …
Hi there! I've done a substantial amount of volunteer work, and I was wondering if colleges place a high value on this during the admissions process? Any input would be appreciated.
Hey guys, I'm in the midst of writing my college essay, and I'm curious: do colleges really read all the essays they receive? If they receive thousands of applications, how do they manage to read all …
Hi there! I'm a junior and I want to make the most of the upcoming summer break to strengthen my college applications. What are some productive ways to spend my time that will help me stand out to col …
Hi, I'm a junior and have been babysitting my younger siblings for a couple of years now. Is it appropriate to include this in my list of extracurricular activities on college applications? Thanks!
I have been working part-time after school and on weekends throughout high school. I was wondering if this would be considered an extracurricular activity when applying to colleges, or just something …
Hi there! I'm planning on attending some college fairs and open houses soon, but I'm not sure how to make the most of these events. Can you provide some tips on how to get the most valuable informatio …
Hey guys, I'm torn between writing about a personal challenge I've overcome or an accomplishment I'm proud of for my college essay. Which one do you think would make a stronger essay? Any advice would …
UCLA is one of my top choices, but my grades in freshman and sophomore year were less-than-impressive. My GPA has improved significantly since then. How much weight will UCLA place on my past performa …