2020-2021 Common App Essay Prompts
UPDATE May 14, 2020 On May 12, the Common App announced a new COVID-19 question, which will appear on the 2020-2021 application. This optional essay will be located in the Additional Information section of the Common App. The COVID-19 question […]
Is Early Decision Right for You?
For many students, the most fraught part of the admissions process is not writing essays or asking for letters of recommendation, but choosing an Early Decision school. Applying Early Decision allows students to submit an application to a single school […]
Top Tips for Selecting High-Impact Extracurricular Activities
Today’s students have to balance many competing obligations. With rigorous course loads, standardized test prep, family obligations, and after-school jobs, they often don’t have much time for extracurricular activities. Yet, as we’ve noted before, extracurricular commitments are a crucial part […]
The Legacy and Wealth “Hook” at Elite Colleges
We are often asked if being a legacy applicant is a benefit in admissions. “If my mom went to College X does it increase my odds of being admitted?” Typically, your parent having gone to the college to which you […]
Common App 2019-2020 Essays Are Out: Write Now
It’s official –for any current junior in high school, essay writing season just began. The Common App released their main essay prompts for the 2019-2020 year, which means that essay brainstorming for any junior, if you’re ready, can launch. One […]
A Guide to Deciphering Super Scoring
There are so many “terms” to learn when you’re applying to college that it can feel like an entirely different language. Super scoring, ACT, SAT, Subject Tests, Common App, reach, target, early action single choice, early decision II, score choice, […]
Take Action in the College Application Process: Have No Regrets
Post by Mimi Doe College Board and Seventeen magazine recently released results of a college application survey given to 100,000 students from the Class of 2018. This was one of the largest nationwide surveys of high school students to date, and […]
Top Five Things Ivy Admissions Officers Look for When Reading College Applications
With the academic year coming to a close, high school seniors head to graduation with a spring in their step and sporting swag from colleges and universities across the country. Juniors starting their summer breaks have many things on their […]
2018-2019 Common App Essays
Evolutionary anthropology. Environmental economics. Middle-Eastern studies. Political feminism. Forensic toxicology. These are not just classes you could take this summer, but are essay topics from five of our successful seniors who worked with us last summer in our Application Boot […]
Waitlisted? Take Action Now!
It’s another record-breaking year at the nation’s top tier universities. Universities are quick to trumpet record-high application volume and plunging admit rates but a bit more circumspect as to the numbers of students landing in admissions purgatory – i.e. the […]
