College applicants often consider the teacher recommendation letter to be a bothersome and relatively useless part of the application and thus don’t worry about it until the absolute last possible moment. This is a mistake. Recommendations can not only sway college admissions officers in your favor, but also sway them against it. It’s important to […]
Volunteering is Good for Others AND Yourself… and Your College Applications
Everyone knows that helping others gives you good karma…but did you know it can give you career guidance, too? It can! Helping out with service organizations and volunteering your time and expertise to different causes not only helps out your community, it also lets you “try on” different jobs and see which ones fit the […]
How to Make the Most of the Summer Before Senior Year
It’s easy to treat your junior year–rather than your senior year–as the culmination of your high school career. Junior year is the last full year of grades that colleges see when you apply, after all, and many high school students take on leadership positions in their extracurriculars during their junior year. Senior year, however, is […]
What are SAT Subject Tests?
As you start the college application process, you may notice that some schools ask for “SAT Subject Tests.” Although many students are familiar with the SAT itself, many others are not at all familiar with the SAT’s little brother, the Subject Tests. What are SAT Subject Tests, why should you take them, and who should […]
How a Common Myth Can Hurt Your College Application
There’s a very strong feeling among college applicants that you “have to do everything and do it well” in order to be accepted into college–and this goes doubly strong if you’re aiming for one of the nation’s elite universities. Invariably, this leads to high school students joining as many clubs as possible, participating in as […]
5 Ways to Build a Great High School Résumé
You’ve heard it before, and you’ll hear it again—colleges like to see their applicants do more than just excel in academics. They like to see involvement in extracurriculars, participation in the community, an active volunteering streak…maybe even a combination of all three! It can get exhausting to try to get all of these bases covered, […]
How is the ACT Scored and What’s on My ACT Student Report?
One of the most nerve-wracking things about applying to college is taking standardized tests. The ACT can stress anyone out! And waiting to get your scores can be even more stressful than taking the tests in the first place. Once you get your scores, though, it’s all about deciphering exactly what all those numbers, percentiles, and […]
How to Ask for More Financial Aid for College
When it comes to college, the most stressful thing you’re likely going to go through is figuring out how to pay for it. Filling out form after form, completing the FAFSA and CSS PROFILE, submitting tax returns, getting everything sent off and certified–it can be quite the experience.
Top 5 Tasks if You are Wait-Listed for College
If you’re like most college applicants, you would almost rather see a rejection letter than a waitlist letter. While the rejection letter may hurt more, you at least have closure. With a waitlist letter, you have…well, not closure. And a whole lot of waiting, to boot. So what should you do if you’re waitlisted at […]
Foods That Help Feed Your Brain for the SAT and ACT
It’s not just an apple a day that will keep the doctor away—these days, modern medicine has found hundreds of other foods that can keep you healthy and improve your brain functions. If you’re wondering what to eat (or not to eat) before your test or you’re just desperate for anything that will help you […]