The Ultimate College Application Timeline to Help Your Process
Quick answer: A college application timeline starts the summer before senior year, when you build your list, draft your personal statement, and plan recommendations. Submit early applications in October or November, finish Regular Decision applications by January, complete financial aid forms such as the FAFSA, and make your final choice by May 1. The Ultimate […]
Tips for Learning to Love Your College Acceptances
Quick answer: Not getting into your top choice college hurts, and that disappointment is normal. Give yourself a few days to feel it, then turn to the colleges that admitted you: attend admitted students’ days, connect with future classmates, compare programs side by side, and choose the school where you can do your best work. […]
How to Tackle Applying to College as a Homeschooler
Quick answer: Applying to college as a homeschooler works best when you document your coursework with a detailed transcript and course descriptions, submit test scores, take outside classes for independent validation, and get recommendations from instructors other than your parents. Selective colleges such as Harvard review homeschooled applicants the same way they review everyone else. […]
How to Publish a Research Paper in High School: 8 Journals to Consider
Quick answer: If you want to know how to publish a research paper in high school, start with a focused project and a mentor, then submit to a student journal such as the Journal of Emerging Investigators, The Concord Review, or the Columbia Junior Science Journal. Follow each journal’s guidelines exactly and expect at least […]
IB vs AP: Which Should You Choose?
Quick answer: In the IB vs AP decision, IB is a two-year diploma program with six subject groups plus Theory of Knowledge, the Extended Essay, and CAS, while AP lets you take individual college-level courses and exams. Selective colleges respect both. Choose IB for an integrated, writing-heavy program, or AP for flexibility to focus on […]
Can I Get Into an Ivy? 4 Key Ways to Know if You Qualify for Top Schools
Quick answer: Can I get into an Ivy? It depends on four things: the rigor and trend of your grades, the recommendations you earn, the depth and impact of your activities, and the story your application tells. Every Ivy is highly selective, so treat each one as a reach and build a balanced college list. […]
High School Reading List: What to Read Before College
Quick answer: A good high school reading list mixes widely taught classics, such as To Kill a Mockingbird, 1984, and Antigone, with contemporary fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and drama. Reading broadly builds skills for college courses and the SAT, and it gives you genuine answers when applications or interviewers ask what you have been reading. High […]
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 […]