All Myths Articles

Congratulations! You got a college admissions offer! You’re likely still riding the high of opening that letter and reading the long-awaited words: “We’re pleased to inform you of your acceptance into XYZ University.” So pop the confetti, get yourself a celebratory cupcake, and maybe do a little happy dance. You’ve done it! Note that the above …

The ACT vs SAT. A battle of the standardized tests. If you’re in college, thinking about college, or know anything about college- you’ve heard of them. You think they’re the same, right? Wrong. The ACT and SAT are both college entrance exams but have different components. The SAT’s test structure includes math, reading, writing and …

College Admissions can stress out even the calmest, coolest, and most collected of students (and parents.) It is a wonderful thing to be determined, passionate, and ambitious when applying to your dream school. However, not having a backup plan, that’s not a good idea. College admission odds for the Ivy Leagues are at an all-time …

Nope. The college preparation process starts the moment you enter high school as a freshman. From that point on, each grade and test score really matter, as do the specific classes you take and extracurriculars you participate in. Start Planning Early This isn’t said to overwhelm you, but rather prepare you so you can make informed …

The college search is pretty serious, working hard to earn good grades is serious, getting accepted (or rejected) by colleges is serious, so it would make sense that people would think that the application essays would have be serious too, right? Your essay doesn’t have to be super serious. Not entirely true. While you should definitely …

GPA and test scores are the most quantifiable aspects of a college application. This makes them easy to compare–and may explain why applicants tend to place so much Iemphasis on them. While these ARE important, they’re not the only things that colleges consider when reviewing your application. In fact, just consider that many schools will receive thousands …

Many students assume the colleges which send them marketing materials in the mail are their best options. This isn’t necessarily true. In fact, some colleges send out millions of pieces of mail each year (not very targeted). Other schools only send out very little. Bottom line: being on a college mailing list does not necessarily …

It’s easy to convince yourself as a college applicant that the most important characteristic of a college is its selectivity or prestige. No matter how envious your friends may be if you’re accepted into selective colleges, it doesn’t mean you’ll ultimately be happy there. Here are some of the problems with judging colleges only by …

Colleges send out lots and lots of bulk mail Not all colleges can afford to mail every student Most mailings are not very targeted If you haven’t started to get piles of brochures from colleges yet–just wait. Most high school juniors and seniors receive more college mail than they know what to do with. It’s …

Generally speaking, colleges don’t share admissions information with each other. The only way a college might figure out how many colleges you’re applying to is through your FAFSA, where you list each of the colleges you wish to receive a copy of your financial aid application. The number of colleges listed on a student’s FAFSA …