The Process
When should I start the college application process?
It starts the moment you begin high school! We recommend starting the full process at the start of sophomore year, but everything you do in high school counts towards that final application.
How do I start the college application process?
As a sophomore or junior, you’ll start by building out your niche, developing extracurriculars, and honing in on your specialty. For seniors, you start by brainstorming the Common App and writing out your college list.
What do colleges look for?
That’s a big question! They look for a lot, not just overall but from you, specifically. Overall, they don’t really want you to be totally well-rounded, they want you to become a specialist in your chosen field of study.
How do I start the college application process as a freshman/sophomore/junior/senior?
Another big question! We have some pretty detailed guides written for each grade on the blog. (freshmen, sophomores, juniors, seniors)
What’s the process for transferring colleges?
Transferring is a lot different from first-year applications. First of all, it’s a lot harder to get into top-tier schools as a transfer (with some notable exceptions). Plus, as a transfer student, you should be a little more honed in on your topic of study. Read more about the transfer process here.
Extracurriculars
What extracurriculars should I do for (insert major here)?
There are so many unique things you can do for each major. We recommend looking at your more niche interests and building around them. More advice can be found here.
How many extracurriculars should I have?
The Common App has space for 10, but many students do much more than that, while some do less. The number doesn’t matter as much as the quality.
What extracurriculars look good to colleges?
Ones that add depth and that apply to your niche. That means things like sports and community service are actually not that important.
Are extracurriculars important?
Yes, but they’re just one piece of the puzzle. Great extracurriculars do not replace test scores or grades.
Grades and Scores
What SAT/ACT score do I need to get into (insert top tier college)?
Some schools publish their middle-50 data (the average range of scores accepted into the school), which can give you a good idea of where you need to be. We recommend being on the top end (or higher!) of that scale for best results.
What SAT/ACT score do I need to get into an Ivy League school?
Perfect? We know that’s hard, so generally we advise above a 1550 for the SAT and a 35 or 36 for the ACT.
How important are my test scores?
Extremely! Now that most schools are test-optional, the scores students submit are higher than ever. Get to studying!
Should I take the SAT or the ACT?
It depends on your strengths. We find that most students excel at the ACT, but some are more suited for the SAT. Take a diagnostic before you commit!
What GPA do I need to get into (insert top tier college)?
With how competitive schools have gotten, across the board, you need to have the closest to perfect GPA for most top-tier colleges in the US.
What classes should I take?
Schools want to see you get the best grades in the hardest classes available to you. That means if there’s an IB program, take IB classes. If they offer APs, take APs. If honors classes are the highest level of difficult you have, take those.
How important are my grades?
Extremely. The college admissions process has changed a lot in the last few years, especially with the addition of test-optional policies at most schools, which means quantifiable factors like grades are taken into high consideration.
Should I apply test optional?
Generally, no. If you’re scoring under a 1450 or a 33 and are looking at top 20 schools, then yeah, you might want to be test-optional. Try another crack at it before you opt to not send those scores, though.
Do I need to take AP and honors classes?
If your school offers them, yes.
I got bad grades my freshman year. Am I going to get into college?
Yes. Obviously, it’s not great, because it drags down your overall GPA, but you’re not completely out of luck. Buckle down and ace your classes for the rest of high school. Don’t be afraid to ask for help.
College List
How do I make a college list?
There is no one way to make your college list, but we recommend starting by doing your research on schools that have majors you’re interested in and narrowing down from there. If you care about things like location, size, weather, culture, etc., that should be your next filter, after academics. We recommend having a healthy, even mix of reach schools, target schools, and safety schools.
What’s the difference between a reach, a target, and a safety school?
A reach school is one that would be, well, a reach to get into. Maybe you’re just shy of their requirements, or it’s just a hypercompetitive school that’s a reach for almost everyone (cough, Ivies, cough, Stanford). A target school is one where you fit nicely into their requirements, and a safety is one where you are above and beyond their minimum requirements. More on this here.
How do I pick an ED school?
Your ED school can be your top choice or a reach school that you want to get a better shot at (perhaps aiming for deferral). We’d love to tell you exactly how, but a lot of it is gut instinct.
What’s the difference between ED, EA, ED2, REA, and RD?
ED - Early Decision - a binding early application where if you get in, they expect you to attend. Good for showing ‘demonstrated interest’ in a school. Many schools accept the majority of their incoming classes from ED. Typically due November 1st.
EA - Early Action - a non-binding early application that shows heightened interest in the school. Also typically due November 1st.
ED2 - Early Decision 2 - a binding application that is typically due the same day as regular decision. If you didn’t get into your ED school, we recommend having an ED2 on your list as a backup.
REA - Restricted Early Action - a somewhat non-binding application. You are not required to go if let in, but they often bar you from applying ED or EA to other schools. Each school has their own requirements. Also typically due November 1st.
RD - Regular Decision - the general applicant pool. Non-binding, no special tag associated with it. RD apps are due anywhere from January 1st to mid February, with some schools having rolling admission through the summer.
How many schools should I apply to?
We recommend between 8-12, with 10 being the sweet spot.
Should I tour schools?
Yes and no. We don’t think it’s productive to go to every college you think is remotely interesting. We think it’s smart to go to your top 3-5 schools if you can. You can also always take virtual tours, which are found on the admissions websites of colleges.
Common App
When does the Common App open?
August 1st.
What are the sections of the Common App?
Profile, Family, Education, Testing, Activities, Writing, and Courses and Grades.
How do I fill out the activities section of the Common App?
The activities section allows for you to share 10 extracurriculars with the schools you’re applying to, and we recommend focusing on the activities that prove your academic interests. More on that here.
Should I use the additional information section?
There are scenarios in which writing an additional information section is crucial to your app, but those are few and far between. Read more about the additional information section here.
Who should I ask for letters of recommendation?
Teachers of your upper-level core classes (think Math, Science, English) that you have a good rapport with and have done well in their class.
Should I use the optional letters of recommendation?
We generally advise against it, unless it’s a recommendation so personal that you just gotta have it. An additional letter of rec should give the admissions committee something super new about you, not just another cookie-cutter “they’re sooo hardworking” type letter.
What’s the Coalition App?
It’s like the Common App, it has about 150+ colleges on it, but it’s much newer than the Common App and not as widely used.
What schools aren’t on the Common App?
Georgetown, MIT, and the University of California system are the most notable exclusions from the Common App.
Essays
How important are my college essays?
Very! They’re the one place where you get to show off your personality.
Which prompt should I choose for the Common App essay?
We are huge fans of the last prompt, write an essay of your own design. You can write fun, creative essays for most of the other prompts, but we think the last prompt gives you a lot of freedom.
What should I write for my Common App essay?
Anything! You can truly write about whatever you want. We know that’s daunting, but it also means you can write about a small moment and explore something that can’t be quantified in an application otherwise.
Can I write about travel for a Common App essay?
Should I write about a trauma for my Common App essay?
We get the impulse, but we encourage students to not write about their worst days on college apps. You can get in without having to dredge up uncomfortable memories. That information is typically more well-suited for the additional information section.
How do I write the “Why Us” college essay?
The ‘why’ essay is one of the most common essays for a reason. Schools want to see that you’ve done your homework on them! You need to convince them that their school is the only place you can study your major. This is accomplished by writing your essay like this, with some tweaks depending if they’re asking about just academics, the culture, or the space you’re allotted:
Origin story – why do you want to study what you want to study?
Declare your major
Some upper-level classes that fit into your niche
A professor or two you want to study with
An academic extracurricular you want to participate in
A non-academic extracurricular you want to participate in
Something about the city or town the college is in
How do I write the (insert college) supplemental essay?
Don’t worry, we have so many guides for you!! While we love writing essays, we understand that you might not – the good thing? Most colleges ask the same few questions, which will make your life a little easier.
Getting in (or not)
I got into my ED school! What’s next?
Congrats! Keep up your grades + get super excited for freshman year. Go ahead and withdraw your outstanding applications and breathe a sigh of relief!
I got rejected from my ED school, what do I do?
You’re gonna be okay. Take a day or two to wallow, but then you need to get back into it. If you didn’t do a full slate of applications, you may need to get some more submitted. Tweak your essays, revisit your strategy, and again – you’re gonna be okay.
I got deferred, what do I do?
Keep applying to schools, let your ED school know you still want your application considered for RD, and write a deferral letter.