Hilary Cairns

Hilary Cairns is a graduate of SUNY New Paltz and has a BA in English/Creative Writing. She's an established freelance writer who also has a hand in marketing, social media, and editing for various businesses across the United States.
University of Washington
college search

Finding the Right Size Colleges: Small, Medium or Large Campus?

By Hilary CairnsLast updated on July 5, 2024
Whenever students are asked about their college preferences, one of the things students consider is the size of the school. The majority of college match tools, including College Raptor, ask about preferred college size. There are small, medium, and large size colleges, but how do students know what the right size is for them? Each …
A group of students standing together in front of a chalk board.
college admissions

8 Awesome Organizations that Help Students in Low-Income Households go to College

By Hilary CairnsLast updated on January 10, 2024
College degrees are more important than ever. Data on LinkedIn found that just over 70% of paid job offerings require at least an associate’s degree or bachelor’s degree. While this has actually dropped since 2019 (it was nearly 80%), there’s no denying that a majority of companies want college graduates. And with college grads averaging …
A pair of glasses sitting on top of a journal.
questions & answers

How Many Times Should I Take the ACT or SAT?

By Hilary CairnsLast updated on December 22, 2022
First: There is no magic number for how many times a student should take the ACT or SAT. For some students, taking the test once may be enough. Others may need to take the test twice or even three times. There are no penalties for taking the tests multiple times or choosing to take both …
how to start the college search process
questions & answers

How to Start Searching for Colleges: A Step-by-Step Guide

By Hilary CairnsLast updated on February 8, 2024
Searching for colleges is a process that requires time and dedication. Resources like College Match can help students find the colleges and universities that meet their unique needs and wants in a school. Students thinking about attending college should consider location, size of the school, majors, career options, and more. With nearly 6,000 community colleges, …
A big stop sign hanging on a pole.
college admissions

How to Deal With College Rejection Letters: 6 Steps

By Hilary CairnsLast updated on May 22, 2024
College rejection letters can hurt. If you get one, stay calm and keep your head up. You have options. If you’ve received a college rejection letter, you should consider writing appeal letter while also celebrating the acceptance letters you do receive. Here’s how you can approach this disappointment. Why Do Colleges Reject Students? The reason …
college applications

7 Tips for Writing an Impactful College Essay

By Hilary CairnsLast updated on November 30, 2023
College admissions departments have to read through a lot of applications every year. Harvard University alone received over 61,00 applications in the 2022 admissions cycle. That’s a lot of essays to read! That’s why standing out with your college essay and making an impact on the reader is so very important. You have so little …
What should you do if you've been waitlisted?
college applications

What to Do If You’re Waitlisted by a College

By Hilary CairnsLast updated on December 22, 2022
As your college acceptance letters roll in, you’re probably wondering, “Am I accepted or rejected?” But there’s always that middle ground that could happen, too – waitlisted. So what should you do if you’re waitlisted for a class? And what shouldn’t you do? We’ll answer those two questions below. What Are College Waitlists? When a …
Three students sitting at a table, with a laptop and notebooks on the table.
college search

How to Choose a College: A Complete Guide

By Hilary CairnsLast updated on May 29, 2024
It can be intimidating to try to choose one college from nearly 6,000 options. Even after you’ve received acceptance letters, making this decision can be a tough one! Thankfully, there are ways to narrow down your choices and choose the college that best fits you. How to Choose a College in 9 Steps Start Your …

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