CollegeVine Expert FAQ

Hey there! I'm a junior, and I've been hearing a lot about the importance of having a 'spike' or a special talent to stand out in college applications. Is this really necessary to get into a top schoo …

Hey guys, I'm a current high school junior and I've been hearing a lot about Early Decision (ED). I'm wondering if it's really worth it to apply ED to a college? Can it significantly improve my chance …

Hello, I'm currently a junior and I'm in the process of starting my college applications. The problem is, I'm not sure what to write about in my personal essay. I'm planning to major in Biology, but I …

Hello there, I'm currently a junior in high school and I'm at a crossroads. With college applications looming in the near future, I'm torn between preparing for the SAT or devoting my time to work and …

Hi everyone, I am a junior in high school and starting to think seriously about college. One of the things that's making me anxious is the cost. I've done some research and I know there are things lik …

Hey guys, I'm currently a junior in high school and I've been thinking about starting a chess club. The thing is, I want to go into medicine, and chess doesn't exactly align with that. I've been feeli …

Hi everyone, my sibling is currently applying to universities as a music major, and I was wondering if the application process is different for them compared to other majors, like STEM for example. Ar …

Hi all, I was wondering if anyone could provide some guidance on the process of requesting fee waivers for college applications. My family is not in the best financial situation, and with my sibling a …

Hi everyone, I'm working on a project aimed at simplifying the college admissions process for high school graduates and transfer students. In order to address the most pressing issues, I'd like to gat …

Hey guys, my dad started a college fund for me a long time ago, so I can pretty much pay for any college I want (except for grad school). I'm just wondering, does this make a difference when it comes …

Hello everyone, I am an international student facing a difficult decision between two universities. The first one is a well-known American university with an excellent engineering program, but it requ …

Hey, quick question - how often do colleges invite students for admissions interviews? Is it something I should expect or is it pretty rare? Thanks!

Hi everyone, I'm freaking out a little bit. I'm a junior in high school and I'm starting to think about college applications. I just realized that I need letters of recommendation from teachers, but I …

Hello everyone! I have been running a small online business for a couple of years now, and it has taught me valuable lessons in marketing, finance, and time management. I'm unsure if I should include …

Hey everyone! I've been really passionate about weightlifting for the past few years, and I feel like it's become an important part of my life. I lift several times a week and even do competitions. I …

Hello, I'm a rising sophomore seeking guidance on how to begin my passion project. Throughout my life, I've had various career interests, but now I find myself drawn to the STEM/Medicine field. Howeve …

Hey guys, I keep hearing about high school students doing research at labs, but I don't get it. Like, why would a lab let someone with no experience come in and work with them? How do these students e …

Hey guys, my high school is super small (like less than 300 students) and we don't have any clubs or after-school stuff going on. How am I supposed to make my college application look good without any …

Hello, I'm in the process of completing my college applications and I need some advice on describing my extracurricular activities. I have a 150-character limit for each description, and I'm not sure …

Hey guys, I'm a rising senior and I'm really into neuroscience and planning on going premed in college. I need to work on my extracurriculars this summer, but I'm kinda stuck with finding stuff I can …