CollegeVine Expert FAQ

Hello! I'm a junior in high school and I've been hearing a lot about gap years. I'm intrigued by the idea, but I'm not sure if it's the right choice for me. How did you guys decide if taking a gap yea …

Hi all, I'm a junior and I'm finding it difficult to balance my academics with my extracurricular activities. I want to do well in both areas, but I'm not sure how to manage my time effectively. How d …

I want to save space in my college essay and get right to the point. Can I use common abbreviations (like 'etc.' and 'i.e.') in my essay, or is it better to avoid them and just use the full terms to s …

Hello everyone! I'm a junior in high school, and I've been looking at college rankings to help guide my college search. I was wondering how important these rankings are in the college admissions proce …

Hey there! I'm planning on attending a college fair soon and I want to make a good impression. What should I do to stand out and make the most of my time at the fair? Any advice would be greatly appre …

Hey guys, I'm a junior in high school, and I'm wondering how important extracurricular activities are for college admissions. Should I focus on joining more clubs and organizations, or should I priori …

Hello! I'm a junior and I've been considering attending a community college for a couple of years before transferring to a four-year university. What are the pros and cons of this option, and how does …

Hi everyone, I'm a junior and I recently took the SAT/ACT. My score is below my target, and I'm considering retaking it. Should I? How much can I realistically improve my score? I'd really appreciate …

I overheard someone at school talking about plagiarizing their college essay, and it got me wondering what would happen if they got caught. Does anyone know the consequences of plagiarizing a college …

Hi all! I'm a high school junior and I'm planning to take the SAT and ACT exams soon. I was wondering what resources I should use to prepare for these tests. Are there any books, websites, or apps tha …

Hi all! I'm a high school junior and have been looking at colleges. I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed by the number of options. How can I narrow down my choices and find a college that's right for me? Any …

Hey everybody, I'm beginning the essay writing process and I'm a little bit stressed about it. I want to know how long it might take realistically to write a good college essay. Could someone please s …

Hi everyone! I'm a junior right now and I'm really stressing about college applications. I haven't been able to decide on a major yet, and I'm worried that applying undecided will hurt my chances of g …

Hi everyone, I'm polishing up my college essay and I'm not sure if I should double space it or not. Is there a standard format colleges prefer? Thanks for any help!

Hey everyone, I'm considering attending a summer program to boost my college application. Do you think participating in a summer program would make a significant difference in my application? Is it wo …

Hi! I'm a junior in high school, and I've been thinking about what I can do to make my college application stand out. I know that admissions officers read thousands of applications, so I want to make …

I took the SAT in my sophomore year and got a decent score, but I'm wondering if I should retake it to improve my chances of getting into a top college. Is it worth the time and effort to try and rais …

Hey everyone, I'm a junior and I'm wondering how much weight colleges place on AP classes. I've taken a few, but I'm not sure if I should take more next year. Do colleges really care about how many AP …

Hey everyone, I'm a junior, and I've been looking at college rankings to help me decide where to apply. Is it a good idea to apply to a college just because of its ranking, or should I focus more on o …

Hey guys, I'm considering writing my college essay about a failure I experienced and how I learned from it. Is this a good idea or should I focus on something more positive? I want to make sure my ess …