CollegeVine Expert FAQ

Hello! I'm slightly freaking out because I just found out I'll have to take a placement test to get into the right level language and math classes next year. Has anyone been through this process and c …

A bit stressed here because I don't have tons of traditional extracurriculars, but I've been really active in my high school's debate class and club. Do you think this experience has a big impact on m …

Hey, I'm looking to supplement my schedule with a chemistry course online. Does anyone know any free, quality high school chemistry courses available online that schools typically accept for credit?

Hey everyone! I’ve heard about independent study options at some local high schools and I’m intrigued. Does anyone know if doing an independent study could boost my college application? And what shoul …

Feeling a bit stressed because I'm in my junior year and my GPA isn't where I'd like it to be. Does anyone have advice or strategies on how to increase your GPA in high school, especially while juggli …

Hi folks! Quick question as I’m organizing my college list: does NYU accept the Common App, or will I have to prepare a separate application specifically for them? Thanks in advance for the help!

Hey, I'm super into true crime and forensics, and I heard about these online forensic classes for high school students. Do you think colleges would find this kind of self-study impressive? Could it po …

Hi! So I have some stuff that I want colleges to know about me that doesn't fit anywhere else in the Common App. Is there a section for additional information, and if so, how can I find it? Also, any …

I'm thinking about taking a gap year before applying to medical school to gain more experience and maybe travel a bit. Do med school admissions committees usually see this as a plus, or could it hurt …

I'm a bit overwhelmed with all the CLEP exam options out there. Could someone break down the most common topics covered in CLEP exams, so I can decide which ones align best with my knowledge and inter …

Hey guys! I have an option to take a class called Math Models next year. Does anyone know if this is a class that colleges would find impressive or interesting? It's supposed to be about applying math …

I've got a lot on my plate with AP classes and a couple of time-consuming extracurriculars, but there's a lot of talk about National Honor Society at school right now. So I'm debating—do colleges real …

Starting to think about teacher recs and feeling a bit flustered. How many recommendations is it typical to have for the Common App? Also, how did you guys go about choosing which teachers to ask? I w …

So, I've heard a lot about accelerated classes and I'm kinda interested. Could someone explain what are they exactly and how do they differ from AP or honors courses? Also, do colleges look at them fa …

I saw some of our 8th graders at school taking the PSAT and I was wondering, why do they do that? Is there any advantage to taking it so early? Do colleges look at these scores or is it just for exper …

Feeling a bit puzzled about how long my personal statement should be for the Common App. What's the typical word count everyone's aiming for? Want to make sure I provide enough detail without going ov …

Hey everyone, I'm a bit tense about whether to report all my AP test scores on the Common App or just the higher ones. Some of them aren't exactly where I want them to be. Will colleges care if I omit …

Just out of curiosity, does anyone know if being on a top-ranked high school sports team, like Missouri’s class 2 football, impacts your college applications or if it's largely irrelevant unless you'r …

This may sound ridiculous, but how do you find out your class rank in high school? I hear people talking about it, and I'm kind of lost. Is it something I ask my counselor for, or is there a way to ca …

Quick question y’all – when did you guys get inducted into the National Honor Society? I’m a sophomore and trying to plan ahead; not sure if I should be gearing up for this year or next. How does the …