CollegeVine Expert FAQ

Hey everyone, I'm starting to get my application materials together and I'm a bit confused about the Common App. Is it exclusively for US students, or can someone living outside the US apply to colleg …

Hey everyone, I'm in the midst of college application season and I was wondering if it's frowned upon to use the same essay for different applications? Or should I be personalizing each essay to the c …

I just logged into my Common App to check my progress and there's this red exclamation mark. What does it mean, and is it something I need to fix ASAP? A little stressed since I thought I was on top o …

Hey folks, I'm kinda confused about what scores we need to aim for the PSAT in order to be in the running for National Merit. Any insights on what range I should be looking at, especially with the com …

Yo, I've been loading up on honors classes and I've done pretty decently. But now I'm facing the Common App and I'm not exactly sure which of my accomplishments qualify as 'academic honors.' Like, wou …

I've finally hit submit on my Common App! What comes next? Should I be on the lookout for confirmation emails, or is there anything else I'm supposed to do now? Just don't want to miss any steps.

Hi all, does anyone know if Iowa State uses the Common App for their admissions process? I’m really trying to cut down on the different systems I have to navigate for college apps.

So, I'm working on my college app and I keep hearing about supplemental essays that I need to write for specific colleges. How exactly do I find these on the Common App? A little bit stressed because …

Looking for advice here: I'm prepping my college apps and want to know how to best describe my experience with Girl Scouts, specifically my Gold Award project. It was a huge part of my high school lif …

So, I've heard a lot about the PSAT and SAT and it's kinda making me anxious. What are the main differences in content between the PSAT and SAT? Should I start prepping differently or will my SAT stud …

So I heard from some seniors that when you’re in doubt on the PSAT, you should just guess because there's no penalty for wrong answers, while others say to leave it blank. What’s the best strategy her …

When I'm inserting my grades into the Common App, I see an option to mark them as 'final'. Does this just mean the final grade for the course, or is it referring to something else? Just want to make s …

Hi folks! Quick question. I'm trying to get a full view of my application before I submit it, and I've heard there's a way to enable a preview in the Common App. Can anyone walk me through how to do t …

Hey guys, just got my SAT score back and I’m sitting on a 1490. Stanford's been my dream school for a really long time, but I'm not sure if my score is competitive enough. Considering their crazy high …

Hey everyone, so applications are expensive and I heard about fee waivers for the Common App. How do I qualify for one, and what's the process to get it? Is it a lot of paperwork or pretty straightfor …

Can anyone tell me where I should be adding my certifications in the Common App? I've earned a few that are related to my intended major, and I definitely want colleges to see them!

I’m a little confused by my PSAT score report. There's a bunch of different numbers and percentiles. Can someone explain to me how to read it properly, so I know what areas I need to work on?

Trying to fill out the Common App and I've hit the academic subject section. Are they asking for my best subject, or all the subjects I've taken so far in high school? Any tips from seniors or others …

Hi guys, I'm a sophomore and starting to stress about my college prep. Just took the PSAT 10 and I'm waiting for my scores. Like, what would be considered a good PSAT 10 score if I'm aiming for top-ti …

Hi everyone! I'm beginning to organize my college list and I was wondering, how can I find out which colleges don't use the Common App? I want to make sure I'm aware of any additional applications I n …