Last Minute College Application Tips Before You Press Submit
Quick answer: The best last minute college application tips are to proofread every essay aloud, confirm each supplement names the right school, check that your activities hours add up, self-report your test scores, confirm recommenders and transcripts, and preview the final PDF. Submit a few days before the deadline to avoid technical problems. Last Minute […]
How to Get Into Stanford: 3 Actionable Tips
Quick answer: Learning how to get into Stanford starts with academic excellence, which Stanford calls its primary criterion: near-flawless grades in rigorous courses. From there, show intellectual vitality, build real depth in one or two activities, and write specific, personal essays and short answers. Stanford also requires first-year applicants to submit SAT or ACT scores. […]
Studying for the SAT and ACT: 6 Ways to Motivate Yourself
Quick answer: To stay motivated while studying for the SAT and ACT, set a specific target score, study at a set time and place, keep sessions short and focused, track progress with official practice tests, and study with friends for accountability. Knowing the current test formats and seeing measurable improvement are two of the best […]
US News Rankings Methodology: What’s Really Behind the Numbers
Quick answer: The US News rankings methodology blends measures such as graduation and retention rates, outcomes for Pell Grant and first-generation students, peer assessment, faculty and financial resources, and graduate earnings. US News revises the formula over time, so small rank changes often reflect method, not quality. Use rankings as one input alongside fit. The […]
Stanford Olympians and College Admissions: 6 Questions with Maggie Steffens
Quick answer: Stanford Olympians show that elite athletics and top academics can go together. Stanford won a school-record 39 medals at the 2024 Paris Games, yet its primary admission criterion is academic excellence. Three-time Olympic champion Maggie Steffens explains how she applied, balanced training with coursework, and why that dual commitment defines Stanford athletes. Why […]
InGenius Prep Partners with Teach for China
Quick answer: InGenius Prep partnered with Teach For China in a pilot program to help teaching fellows apply to graduate school. Fellows receive complimentary webinars led by InGenius Prep’s graduate admissions experts and a discount on services, building on InGenius Prep’s earlier partnership with Teach For America. We are very proud and excited to announce […]
How Many AP Classes Should I Take?
Quick answer: How many AP classes should I take? There is no magic number. Colleges evaluate whether you took the most rigorous courses available at your school that you can succeed in, especially in core subjects and your intended field. Taking every AP at the expense of your grades, sleep, or depth in activities is […]
How to Build a Common App Activities List That Reads Like Evidence
Quick answer: Build your Common App activities list by choosing up to 10 meaningful commitments, ordering them by significance, and opening each 150-character description with an action verb and a concrete result. A plain, accurate position title is fine. What you did and what changed because of you matter far more than rank. Ten slots. […]
3 Ways to Get Into Ivy League Schools in Just a Few Hours a Week
Quick answer: You can improve your chances to get into Ivy League schools with a few focused hours a week: turn one real interest into a project with results, build relationships with coaches, directors, or mentors in your main activity, and do research with a professor or other expert. Steady effort over years matters more […]
Thomas Kang Joins InGenius Prep as Co-Director of InGenius Korea
Quick answer: Thomas Kang, an expert in Korea’s private education sector and a graduate of the University of Chicago, Stanford, and Harvard, joined InGenius Prep as Co-Director of InGenius Korea. He works with students in Korea applying to top U.S. colleges and graduate programs, pairing local knowledge with the firm’s admissions expertise. Thomas Kang, an […]