Washington and Lee University is a small liberal arts school of about 1,800 undergraduates. It’s located in Lexington, VA. It is known for being academically rigorous, and students who attend greatly embrace the outdoors. It has been coeducational for only 37 years, having admitted its first class of women in 1985. The university also operates on a peculiar schedule—each year is comprised of Fall term and Winter term, where classes are in session for 3 months before finals period begins, and then there is Spring term. Spring term is only 4 weeks long, and students take just 1 class during that time period. It’s a time to delve deep into a particular subject. Students get a lot out of studying something specific for a short period of time, as all of their attention is devoted to that one class. However, before enjoying their interesting academic schedule, you have to get in. We break down their supplement below:
Does Attending a School’s Summer Program Increase my Chances for Freshman Admission?
Though what students do during the academic year is important, there are also 3 months out of the year where students aren’t in school. These months are additionally important because they illustrate how students use their free time. Colleges consider this chunk of time an opportunity, as do we. As should your student. Many top tier colleges offer summer programs for students to participate in and we often get the question: “Does attending Brown’s (Harvard, Penn, Princeton, etc.) summer program increase his chances of getting in?”
What Other Materials May I Submit in Addition to the Common Application?
We had a student who had a particular obsession with baking. He specialized in creating these incredibly intricate lattice tops for pies. This student also designed and executed those kinds of pie crusts that have various cookie cutter shapes on top, layered in such a way that is so impressive. A true sight to behold. This was a passion of his and when it came time to submit their college application…he wanted to send a pie. Listing “avid pie crust designer” in the just wasn’t going to cut it. We were a little bit stumped but ultimately decided that sending an actual food item to an admissions office might result in being flagged for anthrax or something insane. Instead, we helped this student create an art portfolio of sorts, but instead of photographs of human subjects or still life paintings, we staged a photo shoot for his pie crusts. The photos came out wonderfully and we submitted all of the photos along with his application. . Maybe it was because of the pie crusts, maybe it had nothing to do with them. What we are pretty sure about is that it at least caught the admissions readers’ eyes. Because who else could have submitted a photography portfolio filled with images of beautifully designed pie crusts? We’d venture to say literally not one other applicant.
Deferred from Early Decision: A Guide to Freeing Yourself from the Upside Down Â
A Letter to Students About to get Deferred
What to Do If You Get Rejected from Your Early Decision School
Getting rejected from your Early Decision school can be heartbreaking. You’re 17 or 18 years-old. This is probably the first big rejection of your life and even if it’s not, it’s the first time you’ve been rejected by something so recognizable in society. Losing your student government race can be crushing, too, but getting rejected from a place you’ve heard of since you were a little kid can be rougher and you know what? It’s okay to be heartbroken.
5 Steps to Take If You Get Deferred
Deferrals can be rough. In fact, we find that they can be rougher than flat-out rejections because at least rejections provide closure instead of thrusting you into Deferral Limbo. While few of our students get deferred, we have developed a step-by-step backup guide for kids who find themselves in .
How to Get Into College With Bad Grades
We receive a lot of questions from parents and students alike that have to do with GPA, grades, scores, school choice, and likelihood of admission. What everyone really wants to know, though, is this: can my kid get into his dream school if he has less than stellar grades/scores? Let’s not beat around the bush. The answer is: YES. But there are some caveats to that yes, so read on.
How to Write the Princeton Supplement: A Practical Guide to Getting In
Some students struggle with the Princeton supplement because there are a number of questions and infinite ways one could answer them. But don’t get caught up in the pressure of thinking you have to sound sophisticated for the . As we’ve , the supplement is your chance to show your dream school who you really are. It’s personal. So, think of each part of the supplement as a chance to show Princeton a unique side of you.
How to Write the Lafayette College Supplement
How to Write the Mount Holyoke Supplement
Mount Holyoke is an all-women’s liberal arts college in South Hadley, MA. With about 2,100 undergraduates, Mount Holyoke is small and has a significant focus on research. If you apply to Mount Holyoke, we encourage you to visit and do a lot of research on the school. As for their supplement, here’s how to approach it:
What Are the Most Important Criteria in the Admission Process?
Can I Submit More Than One Version of My Common App Essay to Different Schools?
Students sometimes ask us whether or not they can submit different versions of the Common Application essay to different schools. As we’ve said before, the Common App is changeable. So yes, you can absolutely change the essay, submit it to a school, change it, and submit it again.
But why on earth would you do that?
How To Write the Occidental College Supplement
Topics to Avoid in College Essays
We’ve said it before, : you can write about almost anything for your college essay, in almost any format, as long as it fits the 250-650 word length requirements, but there are a few topics that we feel very strongly about avoiding. And by very strongly, we mean very strongly. This isn’t because we’re kill-joys or trying to dull your sparkle. It’s really in your best interest.
How to Write the Scripps College Supplement
Scripps College is a small all-women’s liberal arts school in Claremont, CA. It’s a part of the Claremont Colleges, which include Pomona, Claremont McKenna, Harvey Mudd, and Pitzer. Like the West Coast equivalent of the Five and Consortium. Scripps’ supplement has two parts—we’ve broken down how to approach it all. Read on:
How to Write the College of William & Mary Supplement
The College of William & Mary is a public school in Williamsburg, Virginia with an enrollment of about 9,000 students. Located in the quaint, colonial Williambsurg (think carriage tours and folks dressed in 17th-century attire), William & Mary is the perfect school for someone looking for a rigorous academic environment coupled with a small-town vibe.
Which Extracurricular Looks Best for College?
How to Write the Northwestern Supplement
Northwestern is a prestigious private school that has aspects of a big, midwestern state school. In addition to rigorous academics, an incredible location on the coast of Lake Michigan, Northwestern is also a part of the Big 10. Some would say Northwestern has it all: Division 1 sports, access to the bustling city life of Chicago (only 30 minutes away by train), and is located in Evanston, one of the most culturally diverse towns in the country.
How Much Testing Information Is Too Much Testing Info.?
Imagine you are a little kid again and your parents tell you that if you took out the trash every day for a week, you can get a new toy. You’re probably going to want to demonstrate your compliance by alerting them, somehow, to your success every time you complete the chore. Perhaps you have a chart with gold stars, or you walk them over to the newly-emptied trash can each day, or maybe you just yell across the house as the door slams behind you, “IT’S WEDNESDAY AND I’M TAKING OUT THE TRASH AGAIN.” What you don’t do is take out every piece of trash, put each one on your parents’ desk so they can see, put the trash back in the bag, and then take the bag outside.