How long should your college list be?
Talk to People You Trust to Build a College List You may already have one school in mind that you really want to go to, but you may want to consider the advice of people you trust and admire, like family, teachers, community leaders and so on. What colleges did they attend? What sort of […]
How to use college visits to narrow your college list?
Don’t Just Walk Around the School on Tour or Listen to the Information Session You may have a lot of schools on your list that you want to visit. Resist the desire to pack as many school visits into as short a time as possible. Sometimes you can tell if a school is not for […]
What are the pros and cons of early decision?
How Does Early Decision Work? Early decision is an option that many colleges offer to students that allows them to complete their college applications early in September of their junior year in high school. This means that the student will know if he or she has been accepted quite early and will have no worries […]
Which test should you take?
SAT or ACT? The most common standardized tests that colleges require applicants to take are the SAT and ACT. So, which one should you take? The easiest way to find out is to simply go to the website of the college that you are interested in and review the application requirements. The college will make […]
How to use the resources at your high school counseling office to begin your college search?
What Does Your High School Guidance Counselor Do? The guidance counselor is there to help students make excellent educational and career choices. He or she has a lot of information about what resources the high school has to help students find employment after graduation or to further their education at an institute of higher learning. […]
How do colleges make their decisions?
College Application Review – Academic Qualifications First a college will simply review your application materials to make sure that all requirements have been met and all the documents are present. If they are not, then your application simply won’t be considered. Once the college has confirmed that your application is complete, it will review your […]
Letters of Recommendation, Essays, and Interview Report
Tips for Getting Recommendation Letters One of the most important parts of your college application is a part that you don’t write and over which you don’t really have any control. Selective colleges in the United States require that applicants include recommendation letters with their applications. In order to get recommendation letters, you must first […]
Extracurricular Record
Get Involved in Extracurricular Activities that Interest You Selective colleges in the United States are interested in more than just the classes you took in high school and the scores that you got on your standardized tests. Looking at a lot of scores is valuable, but colleges want to get a better idea of who […]
Standardized Test Scores
For Undergraduate Admissions: Taking the SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test) Most universities in the United States still require or at least strongly suggest that students applying for undergraduate admission take the SAT. The SAT is offered at different times throughout the year, but generally high school students will take the exam in either the spring of […]
Academic Record
Your Academic Record is not just your G.P.A.! Selective colleges, particularly those in the United States, view many different aspects of an applicant’s academic record before coming to final decision on whether or not to accept that applicant. Colleges do not simply look at the applicant’s high school G.P.A. (Grade Point Average), since every high […]
