The anticipation of applying to college is a lot. The pressure of getting in where you want to go is even greater. The idea of just doing it once and then being done is appealing to many students. But relief shouldn’t be the motivating factor in applying early decision to a school. While it’s true that acceptance rates for early decision schools trend higher, applying early decision is a huge commitment—it’s one you can’t get out of. In this post, we talk about what that means and the reasons someone might consider early decision as an option.
Do I Stay on a Waitlist?
Getting waitlisted can be frustrating. You spend all this time working throughout high school to get into your dream school only to face uncertainty. It can feel like being in limbo, but there are things you can do to get yourself out of limbo, one way or another. In this post, we discuss how to proceed if you’ve been waitlisted.
Should I Apply To Princeton?
Princeton University is an Ivy League school in you guessed it, Princeton, New Jersey. The student to faculty ratio is 5:1, just over 5,200 undergraduate students attend, and the academic programs are fantastic. The school is hugely popular for many reasons: exceptional resources, lovely facilities, loan-free aid packages, and its long-standing reputation as a school where smart kids have tons of fun. Princeton also has a long and checkered past with early action applications. We wrote a long-form blog post about it here, please read it!
Is The SAT or the ACT Better for College?
Should I Study For Standardized Tests During My Sophomore Year?
How To Show Intellectual Vitality
It’s no secret that getting into Stanford is incredibly difficult. Despite the lengthy supplement and the tragically low acceptance rate, many of our readers still choose to throw their hat in the ring year after year. If you were to google the holistic admissions process at Stanford, you would come across a section that is titled “Intellectual Vitality.” Here’s what they say:
What Is Intellectual Viability (Stanford)?
Getting into any college these days is much harder than it used to be. But getting into Stanford is like, really hard. Getting in requires, not only excellent grades and a strong resume but foresight and thought regarding your application. If you are really dead-set upon getting into Stanford, you’re going to need to push the envelope.
Freshman Year of High School Tips
What Is the Most Important Year of High School?
We get this question a lot. The college process is long and winding. As such, people always want to know which year matters the most. This likely comes from a desire to wrap one’s head around putting all of their effort into a short spurt. Thinking of the process in this way, instead of as a holistic four-year process, might feel more manageable to some. However, college applications aren’t a test a student can cram for. The reality is, all four years matter for kids who want to get into, say, Stanford.
6 Ways Coronavirus Changed College Admissions
The Covid-19 global pandemic has affected most aspects of our day to day lives. We know by now that these changes will be felt for years to come, and the college admissions process is certainly not immune to the impact of the Coronavirus. In hopes of updating our blog readers as to how the college admissions process might change, here are six things to keep in mind as you consider the application process:
Regular Decision Strategies for College Essays
It’s almost December, which means that you have about a month to finish both your common app essay and your supplements. We’re often asked about strategies for early decision and regular decision, and the truth is that our approach doesn’t change depending upon when you apply. We work with our clients to brainstorm, write, and edit essays (common app and supplements) that stand out, no matter what time of year. The rest of this blog post will provide three tips for getting through the rest of the year:
Deferred Early Action – Help
It’s just about that time of year when our phones ring off the hook and people start calling us in search of help after being deferred from a dream school. We are here to remind you that yes, even if you got deferred, it’s going to be okay. A lot of students get deferred. It might even be fair to say that most students get deferred. And despite this unfortunate reality, and the feelings that accompany it, you have no choice but to get your life together. It’s time to make a plan, stick to it, and power through the rest of the year. Here’s how:
Is it Better to be Deferred or Waitlisted?
We all know that colleges want a lot of students to apply. They also love low acceptance rates that boost their rankings. What some people don’t understand is that when colleges accept students, they’re doing a bit of gambling. This is why we stress the importance of writing specific, well-researched and thorough supplements. Before you can be admitted, colleges want to know that you’re going to attend the school, go back year after year, and graduate within four years. This pertains to this blog post because whether you’re deferred or waitlisted, you’re put in a sort of holding tank. They’re essentially waiting to see if A) your application will hold up against the rest of the applicants during regular decision, or B) who else says “yes” before they reach out to you.
Tips for Early Decision 2 to NYU
Should I Apply Early Decision to a Reach School?
How to Choose a College Major for College Applications
Our regular blog readers probably know by now that it’s important to tell colleges what you plan to major in should you be admitted. Many schools that use the common app have drop-down menus that allow you to select a program and those that don’t often ask via their supplements. We have written about this before, but here’s a refresher: it’s crucial that you tell X school what you plan to major in for a few reasons.
Tips for Applying to Brown During Coronavirus/COVID-19
ICYMI, Brown is test-optional for the upcoming school year. We broke down their announcement here. Their statement is unnecessarily wordy and yet despite its length, it does not provide any groundbreaking information. Essentially, send in your scores if you’ve done well because Brown says, verbatim, “we will continue to review test scores that are submitted.”
Tips for Applying to Yale During Coronavirus/Covid-19
If you’re familiar with our blog, you probably already know that the entire Ivy League is test-optional for the class of 2025. This might ~seem~ like good news to those aspiring Yale students who are yet to sit for a test. But it actually means that even more people will be applying to Yale this year, which will lower their acceptance rate. Spoiler alert: it’s still really hard to get into Yale. Your application will still be considered without test scores, but this means that all other components will matter more. Below you’ll find a few tips for applying to Yale:
Tips for Applying to Harvard During Coronavirus/Covid-19
In keeping with the rest of the Ivy League, the small liberal arts school just outside of Boston more commonly known as Harvard is now test-optional for the upcoming round of applicants. Before you jump for joy, please understand that it will still be extremely difficult to get into Harvard this year. Even harder than last year. This is because more people will be applying in light of this recent shift. At TKG, we have made our stance on applying to Ivy League schools “just because” quite clear. If you’re planning on applying to Harvard, you need to have already been working towards this goal long before the school went test-optional. It is worth noting that Harvard will still consider your scores if you send them in, which means that you should definitely send your scores in if you did well. Keep reading for our tips on applying to Harvard this year:
Tips for Applying to Princeton During Coronavirus/COVID-19
A wise man once said, “better late than never, but never late is better.” Well, Princeton must have heard these profound Drake lyrics because the school just decided to hop on board the test-optional train. A bit late, but they did it. Please direct yourself to this blog post that breaks down their announcement, which includes a decision to remove their single-choice early action offering.