CollegeVine Expert FAQ

Hello! UCLA has always been my dream school, but my GPA is only around 3.3. I have strong SAT scores, good extracurriculars, and I plan on applying to their Film Studies program. Do any of you have ti …

Hi everyone! I've heard that some colleges check applicants' social media profiles during the admissions process. Is this true, and if so, should I be worried about what's on my accounts? Thanks for a …

Hi there, I'm working on building my extracurricular profile for my Ivy League applications. I'm wondering if there's an ideal number of extracurricular activities I should aim for to make the stronge …

Hello! I'm thinking about applying to Northwestern University and wondering if it's regarded as a research university. I would like to be involved in research related to machine learning and artificia …

Hi everyone! As I'm finalizing my college essays, I realized I haven't added any titles to them. Is it recommended or required to include a title for your college essay? Will it make a difference in t …

Hello! I want my college essay to stand out from the thousands of other applicants, but I'm not sure how to make my story unique. Any advice on how to approach my essay in a way that will grab the adm …

Hello everyone! I'm a high school junior interested in pursuing a STEM major in college. I was wondering if you guys could recommend some good safety schools for me to consider? I've got a 3.9 GPA and …

Hello! I'm considering applying to UCLA and am really interested in research opportunities available for undergraduates. Can anyone provide some insight on what the research scene at UCLA is like, and …

Hello! I'm a homeschooled junior and I'm thinking about applying to some Ivy League schools. I'm just not sure how they view homeschoolers during the admissions process. Are there any additional requi …

Hi! I'm a junior trying to research potential colleges, and I'm considering applying to NYU. I'm wondering if NYU is known as a research university and what kind of research opportunities they offer t …

Hey everyone, I'm applying Early Decision to an Ivy League school this year, and I'm so nervous! Does anyone know when the Ivy League schools typically release their Early Decision results? I'd really …

Hi there! I'm looking into applying to Stanford, and I'm trying to determine if it's considered a research university. I have a strong interest in robotics research and am curious if Stanford would pr …

Hello everyone, I'm trying to plan my course load for the upcoming school year, and I'm curious about how many AP classes I should aim to take in order to be competitive for Ivy League admissions. Any …

Hi, guys! I'm trying to figure out if I should apply early decision to my dream school. Does it actually increase my chances of getting accepted? What are the pros and cons of applying early decision? …

Hi all, I've been working hard on my AP exams, and I'm wondering how much emphasis Ivy League schools put on AP scores when evaluating applicants. Are they as important as other factors like GPA and e …

Hello, I'm a first-generation college student planning to apply to Ivy League schools. I was wondering if they typically give any preference to first-gen applicants during the admissions process. Than …

Hey everyone, I just got my ACT scores and I scored a 31. I'm aiming for top-tier schools, and I'm not sure if I should retake the test to improve my score. What do you think? Would it be worth it to …

Hi guys, I'm a junior and have been researching colleges. I stumbled upon Boston University and was wondering if it is considered a research university. I'm mainly interested in biomedical engineering …

When applying to an Ivy League school, what specific factors do their admissions officers primarily consider? Is it primarily GPA, test scores, or extracurriculars?

Hey everyone, I'm interested in Tufts University and was curious if it's considered a research university. Do they offer many research opportunities for undergraduates? Is research mainly limited to s …