CollegeVine Expert FAQ

Hi everyone. I've been aspiring to go to UCLA, but my grades are not outstanding (a few C's here and there). However, I'm really passionate about my extracurriculars and community service. Is there st …

Hi, I'm a junior in high school and spend a significant amount of time volunteering and participating in my church community. Can I consider this as an extracurricular activity for college application …

Hello! I'm a junior, and I'm taking some dual enrollment courses at a local community college. How do colleges view these courses in the admissions process, and will they help me stand out or give me …

Hi everyone! I'm a junior and I'm building my college list. I want to have a reach school, but I'm not sure how to choose one. What factors should I consider when deciding on a reach school? Thanks in …

I hope you're all doing well. I'm planning to pursue the IB Diploma, and I'm curious about how many Higher Level (HL) courses I need to take in order to earn the diploma. If anyone knows the answer to …

Hey guys, I just got my SAT scores back and I got a 1400. I was wondering if that's good enough for Ivy League schools or if I should consider taking the test again. What do you think? I appreciate an …

Hey guys, I'm a little stressed because I'll definitely need financial aid to attend college. I've heard that applying for aid can hurt your chances of getting in, especially at need-aware schools. Is …

Hello friends, I'm planning on attending several college application events to learn more about the schools I'm interested in. How much emphasis should I place on networking with admissions officers a …

Hi there! I'm a high school junior and I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed by the whole college application process. Can anyone offer some advice on how to prepare and what steps I should be taking now? Tha …

Hey, I'm a junior, and I've started working on my college applications. Some colleges require supplemental essays, and I'm not sure how to approach them. What are some tips for writing strong suppleme …

Hi all, I'm having a hard time deciding on the focus of my college essay. Should I write about my general interests and experiences, or go more in-depth on a specific topic or passion that I have? Are …

Hello! I'm a high school junior, and I'm having trouble balancing my time between schoolwork and my extracurricular activities. I know both are important for college applications, but I'm feeling over …

Hello! I'm a junior and I've seen some colleges offer early action application options. What are the benefits of applying early action? Does it increase my chances of getting accepted? I'd appreciate …

Hi everyone! I'm starting to work on my college essays and I'm feeling a bit stressed about it. I want to make sure my essay stands out and truly represents who I am. Any advice or tips for making my …

Hey, I'm really passionate about poetry and I wrote a poem that I think would make a great college essay. Is it possible to submit a poem as my essay or is that considered inappropriate?

My identity has played a big role in my life, and I want to write about it in my college essay. How can I approach this topic in a way that showcases who I am without sounding cliché or overly dramati …

Hi there! I'm an avid reader and wanted to know if my passion for reading falls under the category of extracurricular activities when applying to colleges. Should I include this information in my appl …

Hey everyone, I had to take a semester off during my sophomore year due to health issues that greatly affected my academics. How can I best address this gap in my college applications? Thank you for y …

Hello everyone! I'm writing my college essay and I noticed that I tend to use contractions quite often. Is it considered informal or unprofessional to use contractions in a college essay? Should I rew …

Hey guys! I'm a junior, and I've been considering applying to a school with a binding Early Decision policy. I'm not sure if this is the right choice for me, as I'm worried about committing without kn …