CollegeVine Expert FAQ

Hello, I'm a high school junior and the first in my family to attend college. I've heard that being a first-gen college student can be an advantage in the admissions process, especially for the Ivy Le …

Hello everyone! I'm a junior in high school, starting to look into colleges, and the University of Southern California is on my list. I'm wondering if it's considered a research university and what ki …

Hello, I'm a junior and I'm interested in double majoring in college. How should I approach this when applying? Do I have to apply separately for each major or can this be done after I get accepted? C …

Hey guys, I'm an upcoming highschool junior who's really nervous about taking standardized tests like the SAT and ACT. Does anyone have any advice or tips on overcoming test anxiety? I don't want it t …

When applying to Ivy League schools, what is a competitive unweighted GPA? Should I be aiming for a perfect 4.0, or do these schools accept applicants with slightly lower GPAs? Any guidance on this to …

Hi everyone, as I'm writing my college essay, I find that humor is part of my personality, and I'm wondering whether to include it in my essay or not. Is humor a good thing to have in a college essay …

Hello everyone! My school doesn't offer a ton of AP classes, and I'm worried that it might hurt my chances of getting into a competitive college. Will colleges take that into account when they review …

Hey! I just finished writing my initial draft of my college essay and now I need to revise and edit it. What are your best tips and strategies for editing your own essay effectively and efficiently? I …

Hi all, so I'm thinking about applying Early Decision to Duke or Brown next year, but I'm not sure which one to choose. My SAT score is a 1480, and I have strong extracurriculars and recommendation le …

Hi guys, I've been working on my drawing and painting skills for years, but I don't have any formal art classes or clubs at my school. Can I still list this as an extracurricular activity on my colleg …

Hey there! I'm a junior in high school, and I'm trying to plan out my senior year. What are some things I should do during my senior year to improve my college application and increase my chances of g …

Hi there! I've been looking into public universities and noticed many offer honors programs. Can anyone share their experience with such programs? How selective are they, and do you think they’re wort …

Hey everyone, I'm working on my college applications and I'm wondering how specific I should be about my intended major. Should I mention a specific field or is it better to keep it more general? I do …

I'm a competitive athlete and was wondering if Ivy League schools offer athletic scholarships to prospective students. Can anyone shed some light on this? Thanks!

Hi everyone! I'm a junior and have already identified my top choice college. I'm considering applying Early Decision, but I'm not sure how much of a difference it really makes in terms of admission ch …

Hello, I recently took the SAT and got a 1490. I'm interested in applying to Ivy League schools and I'm wondering if my score is good enough, or if I should retake the test to try to improve. I'm feel …

Hello, I'm a high school junior, and although my grades aren't the best, I still hope to receive some scholarships to help cover college costs. What are my chances of getting a scholarship with a lowe …

Hey there! I'm a junior at a prestigious high school, and I've heard mixed opinions about whether attending a well-known high school helps or hurts my chances of getting into a good college. Can anyon …

Hello! I'm a high school junior and I've been thinking about visiting some colleges before applying. However, I'm not sure if it's worth the time and money to visit all the colleges on my list. How do …

Hi everyone, I'm in the process of finalizing my college essay and I was wondering if it should be double-spaced or if single-spacing is fine. I want to make sure my essay is easy to read and follows …