Say you’re in your junior or senior year of high school, and some of your friends who graduated are home on break from college. This is the perfect time to do a little reconnaissance! After all, you’re smart enough to know that college probably won’t be like TV shows and movies, but you still wonder …
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Myth: Most Students Are Not Accepted into Their First Pick School
You might have heard how a surprisingly large percentage of college students aren’t attending their first choice schools. The number has been increasing steadily since 2006. In 2011, around 43% of students did not attend their first choice schools. That’s the lowest it’s been since UCLA began conducting the student survey in 1974. However, it’s …
The Importance of College Admissions Interviews
Some schools require college interviews. Some have optional interviews, and still, others have none at all. If you can make it to campus, schools want you to do so; otherwise, alumni interviews are often used if you live farther away. College Admissions Interviews Some schools place more emphasis on the interviews than others. There are …
Must-Know ACT and SAT Vocabulary Words: Part Two
Everyone knows that standardized tests love to “trick” you (the ACT, in particular, is known for this). One of the ways they do this is to use higher-level vocabulary. While questions such as “What is the definition of ____?” are few and far between, you’ll likely see many questions that want you to use context …
The Importance of “Show Don’t Tell” in College Application Essays
If you’ve ever taken a creative writing class, you’ve probably heard the classic line “Show, don’t tell.” This rule helps to remind writers that it is far more exciting (and engaging) to show readers how a character is acting rather than telling them how they feel. An example might be instead of saying “Character A …
Why Are the Ivy Leagues Called the “Ivy Leagues?”
Harvard, Yale, UPenn, Princeton, Columbia, Brown, Dartmouth, and Cornell: These eight schools make up the high academic standard world of the Ivy League. But how did the name come about? Does ivy have anything to do with it? Ivy Vines More than likely. Some schools covered themselves in ivy in the European style. Students even …
Using the Process of Elimination on the ACT / SAT
When it comes to taking tests, you want to give yourself the best chance that you can. This means a lot of studying and knowing your facts. But there will be times when you don’t know something, or you can’t remember all the elements. Times like these call for educated guesses. Benefits of the Process …
Colleges With Impressive Orchestras
Whether you want to join one or just enjoy listening to the sound, university orchestras are often a wonder to behold. All those private lessons and practicing really pays off once you’re around other people who are similarly focused on music. The great thing is that few schools have orchestras that are purely music/performance major …
How to Strengthen Application Essays (If You’re Not a Strong Writer)
A college application essay is your chance to really let admission officers (or scholarship committees) get to know you. Your interests, your activities, your family trips: So long as the information concerns the essay topic, it’s fair game. This means that essays need to be able to convey you as well as possible. Here are a …
Colleges for Students Who Love Art
Plenty of people like and appreciate art, and college students are no different. Schools have long retained their own art collections. They are often useful for students in the art programs, but art collections and museums are also a quiet place for students to enjoy the day. If looking at art is your idea of …