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So, you’re applying to Dartmouth...at least we know you have good taste. We also know that you’re up for a challenge, because as I’m sure you’ve realized, getting into the smallest of the Ivy League colleges is no easy feat. Strong responses to the Dartmouth essay prompts are essential!

Too many applicants rush through their Common App activities list. A slap-dash mention of how you’ve spent your time for the last four years is not going to get you into your dream colleges. Everything about your extracurricular activities for college applications matters: the titles, the descriptions, the effective use of the character count, the order, and the categorization.

We all know that Stanford University is one of the most competitive colleges in the world. With over 44,000 applications last year, Stanford’s acceptance rate is the lowest nationally at 4.8%. Only 2,085 students got the big envelopes! So how does Stanford decide which lucky students they want to admit? Along with taking every component of the Common Application into consideration, Stanford asks 3 supplemental essay questions to help make their decisions. The Stanford essays this year seem straightforward:

Applying to safety schools with rolling admissions was one of the best decisions I made during my college application process. By October 17th of my application cycle, I knew I was going to college. Don’t underestimate what a HUGE relief this can be!

Spewing TMI (too much information!) on your application might seem innocuous, but exceeding limits can actually be quite detrimental to your candidacy. When I was applying to college, I presumptuously believed that admissions officers were exaggerating when they implored visiting students to follow the word limits precisely and not send unsolicited additional information.

With so many early admission options, it’s easy to get confused. Early Action, Restrictive Early Action, Single-Choice Early Action, Early Decision I and Early Decision II...Can you apply ED and REA? Can you apply EA to more than one school? What about ED I and ED II? It’s challenging enough just wrapping your mind around all of these acronyms! You then need to understand what these choices mean for your admissions chances and specific college applications.

The answer to “Do AP test scores matter?” is a complicated one. The use of Advanced Placement courses and test scores continues to evolve. It’s important that you look at the specific policies of the colleges that interest you. While AP classes still signal academic rigor on a transcript, elite universities have scaled back their acceptance of AP test scores in exchange for college credit, to the point that they are rarely accepted. While AP test scores may not shorten your college career or save you tuition dollars, solid AP test scores can help improve your chances in the college admissions process!

The SAT, ACT, and SAT Subject Tests are some of the hardest hurdles to overcome when applying to college. As you study to take the tests (probably multiple times), you might think to yourself: what score do I need to get into Yale? How many times do I have to take the test to get into Stanford? Standardized testing for college admissions causes a lot of stress, and many students spend most of their free time studying to attain perfect scores. But when applying to college, how much do your test scores matter?

I can’t tell you how often students and parents ask me exactly what they need to do to get into Ivy League schools. As you well know, these schools are looking for the smartest and most talented individuals. In reality, there isn’t a simple answer or shortcut. There is, however, a brilliant strategy you can implement to significantly improve your chance of getting into a top school. And it is to prepare for college rowing...NOW!

Law school admissions are a time-sensitive process. Rolling admissions is commonplace among law schools, so the earlier you can get your application materials prepared and submitted, the earlier admissions panels can review your materials and provide you with a response. Mapping out deadlines for yourself to meet along the way is crucial to staying on track, so getting to know a law school application timeline is a great way to start. Take the time to plan your law school application strategy!