The McIntire School of Commerce at the University of Virginia has become one of the most coveted destinations for undergraduate business students – and with good reason. It combines academic prestige, professional polish, and the kind of interdisciplinary learning that employers love. Students who land here get access to a tight-knit, ambitious community and a curriculum designed to prepare them for leadership in just about any industry. If you're reading this, chances are you've got your sights set on McIntire – and you're trying to figure out the smartest way to get there.
Economics Extracurricular Activity Strategy for Sophomores
Economics is a popular major that offers a bridge between STEM and the humanities. To excel in economics, you need to be strong in math, including statistics, and in history. Critical thinking is a key part of the excelling in economics, and so when we work with our economics-minded students on an activity strategy for sophomore year, we know that developing and emphasizing critical thinking must be front and center.
McDonough (Georgetown) Undergrad Admissions Strategy
Georgetown’s McDonough School of Business has steadily become one of the most competitive undergraduate business programs in the country. McDonough draws high-achieving students who are intellectually curious, globally minded, and interested in leadership with purpose. Its location in Washington, D.C., and its connection to Georgetown’s Jesuit values add a distinct dimension: this is a business school where ethics, policy, and global impact matter just as much as profits and performance.
Physics Extracurricular Activity Strategy for Sophomores
If you love physics, chances are that you love physics. We find that students with an interest in physics tend to be deeply passionate, curious, and driven. What they aren’t always doing automatically, though, is laying the groundwork for a successful college application experience. That’s where we can help.
How to Write Common App Essay Prompt 1: Example and Guide 2025-2026
It’s time to apply to college! The 2025-2026 college application cycle is underway, which means we get to share with you our favorite part of the application: the Common App essay. If you’re just now learning what the Common App even is, we wish we could live in your world, but it’s a single application platform that lets you apply to up to 20 colleges at once. Sounds efficient, right? It is. Kind of. Except, notably, some big names (looking at you, UC system, Georgetown, MIT) don’t participate in the Common App, which is a little (a lot) annoying.
Ultimate Common App Brainstorming Guide 2025-2026
The Common App essay. Simply reading these words might send a shiver down your spine, but we’re here to tell you that the Common App essay doesn’t need to be scary – and it can actually be, dare we say, kind of fun? You heard the seniors before you talking about the Common App essay in hushed tones between classes, so you know how serious it is. And yes, the Common App is a serious factor in your application, but that doesn’t mean your Common App needs to be a serious essay. The essay is your one place to show off who you are as a person, beyond the numbers and the stats.
Kenan-Flagler (University of North Carolina Chapel Hill) Undergrad Admissions Strategy
UNC Chapel Hill is one of the most respected public universities in the country, and the Kenan-Flagler Business School sits right at the heart of its growing popularity. It’s a favorite among our business-focused clients who are looking for a top-tier education in a collaborative, intellectually rigorous environment without sacrificing the energy and spirit of a classic college campus. If you’re here, chances are you’ve already decided that Kenan-Flagler is the place you want to be. Now you’re looking for the smartest way to make that happen.
Mechanical Engineering Extracurricular Activity Strategy for Sophomores
Mechanical Engineering is the type of engineering that builds things. As the name suggests, mechanical engineers design, make, fix, and operate machinery. Sometimes the machines are small enough to fit on your fingernail. Sometimes they are massive, like mining equipment the size of a residential home. No matter the scale, becoming a mechanical engineer requires a ton of specialized study — which is why one would major in mechanical engineering in college. As a sophomore interested in mechanical engineering, you likely already know this, though. What you don’t know is how to get from the mid-point of high school to a top-tier mechanical engineering program that can launch you into an impressive career. And that’s precisely where we can help.
Mendoza (Notre Dame) Undergrad Admissions Strategy
Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business has quietly become one of the most in-demand business programs in the country, not just among our clients. Mendoza attracts students who are not only academically strong but also embody ND’s values around ethical leadership, social impact, and long-term purpose. That unique mix makes the program increasingly selective.
International Relations Extracurricular Activity Strategy for Sophomores
If you are interested in government, policy, international business, research and analysis, or non-profit work, International Relations is an amazing major. International Relations is a great melding of the humanities that leads to a deep understanding of the global financial system and the relationship between different nations. Students take courses in economics, political science, history, and language, and go on to careers that span politics, policy, philanthropy, and global business.
Math Extracurricular Activity Strategy for Sophomores
If you are passionate about math, you understand the power of numbers. This is especially true if you want to major in math in college. Every top undergraduate school in America has a top math program, and getting in isn’t an unsolvable equation (lol!). You need to be exceptional. Your grades must be exceptional across the board, not simply in math. Your standardized test scores must be exceptional, and not only in the math sections. And your activities, or how you spend time outside of the classroom, must also be exceptional. However, you don’t need to cure cancer or write and publish a novel as a high school student. You’re a prospective math major, and colleges want to see you immersing yourself in the subject beyond course offerings.
History Extracurricular Activity Strategy for Sophomores
Students interested in history are common, but students who want to major in history in college are of a rarer breed these days. In an era of STEM and questions around the immediate financial value of an undergraduate degree outside of the STEM fields, many students who would have once passionately pursued a major in history are now choosing to make history a minor. However, history is an amazing major, or second major, especially for students interested in pursuing a role in academia or teaching.
Biomedical Engineering at Johns Hopkins: Deep Dive
Welcome back to “Deep Dive,” our blog series investigating the reputation certain schools have acquired for particular excellence in one program or another. Sometimes those front-running specializations far outrank the school’s general standing — as with Texas A&M’s agricultural science offerings — or they are simply stand-out departments at holistically competitive universities — like Business at Penn or Neuroscience at UMich.
Management Extracurricular Activity Strategy for Juniors
Students who are interested in studying management in college often do it through a major in Business Administration and Management. This entails courses in business, economics, accounting, marketing, and more. Colleges don’t expect you to arrive dialed in on business management. To prepare for it, though, you can’t just do what is available through the course options at your school and call it a day. Admission to a top-tier business management program requires exceptional grades and equally strong scores, of course. It also demands going above and beyond in your activities and extracurricular engagements, with a special attention to linking what you do outside of the classroom to your future management major.
Philosophy Extracurricular Activity Strategy for Juniors
We don’t hear very often that a student is dead set on a philosophy major in college. And yet, philosophy is a classic major at the core of a liberal arts or humanities-focused education. It is also less competitive than english, history, and economics. We absolutely love working with philosophy or philosophy-curious students.
Political Science Extracurricular Activity Strategy for Juniors
Political science is the study of politics, government, policy, and political behavior in the United States and beyond through the lens of scientific methods. Students who major in political science go on to careers in politics and policy through advocacy, lobbying, non-profits, think tanks, consulting, law, and more. The top political science programs in the country are also at many of the most popular and competitive colleges. Think Harvard, Georgetown, Tufts, Stanford, Williams, and the like. Getting into these schools is hard, obviously, so you have to put in the work far ahead of writing applications. That means a strong transcript, amazing SAT and ACT scores, and outstanding activities.
Agricultural Science at Texas A&M: Deep Dive
Stern (New York University) Undergrad Admissions Strategy
NYU’s Stern School of Business is one of the most competitive undergraduate business programs in the country – and one of the most sought-after among our clients and applicants nationwide. With its location in the heart of New York City, Stern attracts students who are ambitious, globally minded, and laser-focused on business from day one. That makes the admissions process especially intense.
Marketing Extracurricular Activity Strategy for Sophomores
An undergraduate major in marketing is industry agnostic. This means that you can apply the degree to any industry or field, pairing your passion in marketing with a passion for fashion or business or design or bringing people together. As a marketing major, you can move laterally, from one industry to another, and vertically, rising up the ranks of a company or marketing firm until you are truly an expert in your craft.
McCombs (University of Texas) Undergrad Admissions Strategy
The McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin is one of the most popular business schools at one of the most popular public universities – not just with our clients, but with students across the board. This mix means McCombs is competitive, especially for out-of-state students.