Probably. Gap years can be incredibly transformative in terms of focus, motivation, and interest. We believe and always advise our students that if you are thinking critically and are contemplating a gap year, then you probably should take the gap year. A gap year, regardless of what you do (as long as you don’t spend it holed up in your bedroom--though if you’re a thoughtful student, you aren’t thinking along these lines), can inject you with a sense of perspective, a broader understanding of the world, and a boost in concentration going into your first year of college that you wouldn’t have had otherwise.
Deferred from Early Decision: A Guide to Freeing Yourself from the Upside Down
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?
What Do I Do If I Get Rejected from My Early Decision School?
We know. Just seeing this headline makes you want to slam your computer shut and call in sick from school. Take a deep breath. We’re not saying you’re going to get rejected or even . While, every year, kids do get rejected from the , most of our students get in where they want to go. However, we always recommend a contingency plan because the only thing worse than not getting in is not getting in and having no backup plan. Let’s call this insurance.
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?
Is Sophomore Year Too Early to Think about Studying for Standardized Tests?
How To Write the Occidental College Supplement
The Best Undergraduate Creative Writing Programs
If you’ve worked with us, are working with us, or have read any of our , you should know by now that we are big fans of creative writing. But if you’re thinking about majoring or minoring in creative writing in college, there are a few things that you should know first. Creative writing programs are competitive and sometimes cutthroat. Small workshops are the foundation of a positive creative writing experience, but that also means fewer seats are available - sometimes as few as 6 for a high-level course.
How to Decide if an Undergraduate Journalism Program is Right for You
For most students, picking a major is a process. Yes, , but you have at least a semester or two, and normally until your sophomore year, to really decide what you want to focus on. Even then, it isn’t rare for a college student to change majors as they gain a better understanding of themselves and what they want in life. A pre-med student might end up in the English department, and an English student might wind up majoring in computer engineering. After all, most students pick a school based on its overall credentials, not because of one specific major. But if you are thinking about pursuing a pre-professional journalism program, this does not apply to you.
What If I Get Writer’s Block While Trying to Write My College Essay?
When writing the college essay, a lot of kids tell us they have Writer’s Block; they sit down to get started and after hours of trying, produce nothing. Don’t worry. You’re not a professional novelist (yet) and you probably don’t have Writer’s Block. You’re just a little stressed and don’t have an idea. So here are some steps you can take to come up with an essay idea:
Should I Pay to Expedite My ACT or SAT Scores?
We know that you’ve all been listening very carefully every time we’ve told you to hand in your application materials by the. So, we’re sure that this blog post doesn’t really pertain to you who well, sent in everything months ago and have just been relaxing with your feet up. But in case you’re wondering what our hypothetical advice to those racing against the clock, wondering if they should pay to have their test scores expedited would be, here it is:
Should I Change My Essay at the Last Minute?
Ah yes. The inevitable “should I change my essay” freak out. We know it well. Listen, the past year has been all about training yourself to have a ton of energy--energy for SATs, APs, college essays, sports () and homework. At this point, you’re basically the Energizer Bunny. So, in the final leg of the application marathon, it’s natural that you would want to direct that energy (or dare we say ) towards the last part of the application left in your control. So, should you keep going and going and going on your essay?
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.