college applications

How to Write a College Application Essay: 13 Tips

By College Raptor StaffLast updated on August 20, 2024

  Key Takeaway: Writing a college application essay is different from writing a standard paper or assignment. This part of your application requires thoughtful reflection, brainstorming, and careful polishing to stand out and make an impact on the reader. By using these ten tips and having others review your finished work, you can craft an …

college applications

How to Write a Perfect Hook for Your Application Essay

By Lesley VosLast updated on December 22, 2022

Did you know admission officers might read around 50 essays per day during the application season?  A college application essay is not about your grades and scores, but your personality and who you are beyond school activities. You need to breathe life into it. Drawing attention to your writing, as well as making officers read …

college admissions

What To Expect at Parent Orientation

By Hilary CairnsLast updated on May 29, 2025

Key takeaways: Some colleges offer parent orientation, which highlights valuable information for parents to help their students make the most of their college experience. Sessions during orientation can cover financial aid, campus life, health and safety, academics, and more. Parents can sign up for their orientation online, through the student’s college portal. Colleges usually require …

college admissions

Ways to Prepare for College Orientation

By College Raptor StaffLast updated on December 22, 2022

College orientation is exciting for so many different reasons. You get to choose your classes, meet your future classmates and teachers, and get a closer look at the facilities and the campus that you will call home for the next four years. There’s a lot to be excited about, but there’s also a lot to …

college admissions

Why You Should Take Advantage of Rolling Admissions

By College Raptor StaffLast updated on December 22, 2022

Applying for college can be a stressful time. Usually, you will have to wait several months until you find out whether or not you were accepted. One way to cut down on the wait time is to apply under rolling admissions. Instead of waiting months, in most cases, you will hear back within a few …

college admissions

Pros And Cons Of Rolling Admissions

By College Raptor StaffLast updated on November 8, 2023

There are two distinctly different ways in which colleges process student applications. Some colleges may start assessing the applications as they come in, or only after the deadline. Regardless of when they do the assessments, they send out acceptance letters only after the submission deadline and after they have evaluated all applications. These are often …

college admissions

How to Prepare For A University Admission Interview

By College Raptor StaffLast updated on December 22, 2022

It’s finally happened. After months of spending hours every day creating customized applications, avoiding common mistakes, and submitting them to various colleges, you’ve received an invite for a university admissions interview. You’re excited but you’re also nervous at the same time. The admissions interview is the last obstacle that stands between you and that college seat. …

college admissions

Tips to Create Your Freshman Class Schedule at Orientation

By College Raptor StaffLast updated on December 22, 2022

Creating your college freshman class schedule is one of the many things you will have to do at orientation. Trying to figure out which classes to take can also be one of the most overwhelming things you will do that day. It is important to make sure your schedule is manageable while also ensuring that …

college admissions

3 Ways To Show College Admissions You’re the Right Fit

By College Raptor StaffLast updated on December 22, 2022

College admissions have become highly competitive. An increasing number of high school students are applying to college and many of them have outstanding grades and test scores. That has, in fact, become the baseline for college applications. You need to have good grades and high test scores just to be considered for the interview. But …

ACT & SAT

Pro Tip: NEVER Leave an Answer Blank on the ACT/SAT

By Hilary CairnsLast updated on December 22, 2022

If your SAT or ACT exam is coming up, we’re sure you’re studying hard! By this time, you’ve heard quite a few test-taking tips regarding each of them, which may have included “never leave an answer blank”. Here is how you should approach more difficult questions and why you should never leave them blank. Skip …