DIY vs. Professional Help: Are College Admissions Counselors Worth It?
Quick answer: Are college admissions counselors worth it? It depends on your needs. A DIY approach can work for organized students, but it relies on limited school counselor time. A professional counselor adds application strategy, personalized essay feedback, and accountability, which matters most for students applying to highly selective colleges. As a high school student, […]
How to Write the Georgia Tech Application Essays
Quick answer: The Georgia Tech application essays center on the Common App personal essay: you choose one of seven prompts and write up to 650 words. Georgia Tech looks for essays that show authenticity and self-awareness and deepen its understanding of you. Show your fit for your intended major through your activities, coursework, and essay. […]
The Art of Passion Projects in College Applications
Quick answer: Passion projects for college applications are self-directed efforts outside the classroom, such as research, a nonprofit, an app, or a podcast, built around a genuine interest. Admissions officers value them because they show curiosity, initiative, and follow-through. The best projects start small, run for months, and produce something you can point to. Inside […]
What Top Colleges Look For: Advice From a Yale Former Admissions Officer
Quick answer: What top colleges look for goes beyond grades and a long activity list. Drawing on experience as a Senior Assistant Director of Admissions at Yale, this guide explains how intellectual curiosity, meaningful impact, character, and a consistent story shape decisions, and why even exceptional students need a balanced college list. As a college […]
Leadership Experience: The Missing Piece in College Applications
Quick answer: When colleges review leadership experience for college applications, they look past titles for initiative, genuine interest, and the ability to make a difference. Maya Gobert, InGenius Prep’s Director of Student Innovation, explains that you should frame leadership through concrete actions and results, such as starting initiatives, solving problems, and helping others grow. Listen […]
A Yale Student Shares His Success Story and Top Tips for College Applications
Quick answer: Shan Lateef, a Yale student, shares tips for college applications that helped him earn admission: connect your activities to your academic interests to tell one clear story, show depth over breadth, plan challenging courses with purpose, earn detailed recommendation letters, and write essays in your authentic voice. Want to learn the secrets to […]
How a College Admissions Consultant Can Help You Achieve Your Goals
Quick answer: A college admissions consultant works with you through every stage of the application process with a personalized strategy: building a balanced college list, planning activities, brainstorming and refining essays, preparing for interviews, and managing deadlines. The best consultants bring firsthand admissions experience and one-on-one attention to each part of your application. The college […]
5 Reasons Why InGenius Prep is the Best College Admissions Consultant
Quick answer: Families choose InGenius Prep for its team of Former Admissions Officers from top universities, its 2-on-1 model pairing each student with a Former Admissions Officer and a Graduate Coach, personalized strategy from middle school through graduate school, a proven track record of acceptances, and support for students worldwide. The path to college is […]
College Admissions Preparation: 10 Things to Do Before Senior Year
Quick answer: The summer before senior year is the best time to get ahead on college applications. Create a master resume, finalize a balanced college list, visit campuses, draft your personal statement, ask teachers for recommendations, finish standardized testing, and open your Common App account so fall applications feel much less stressful. Wondering what you […]
Last Minute Summer Plans: Going Beyond the Usual Programs
Quick answer: Good last minute summer plans for high school students include taking on leadership in an existing activity, starting a self-directed project, launching a community initiative, getting a job or internship, taking a course, or doing independent research. Colleges care more about initiative and impact than about whether an experience came from a formal […]