College Planning

College in the US is expensive—too expensive, in fact, for the average student to be able to afford on their own. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, 87% of first-year students at four-year colleges were receiving financial aid in 2019-2020. Financial aid is good in all its forms, right? If it helps college students afford their education, what could be the problem? Unfortunately, not all financial aid is created equal—and not all schools can afford to give out "good" student aid. Here, I'll briefly talk about the types of financial aid available (the "good" kinds and the "bad" kinds) before introducing the colleges with the best financial aid programs in the country.   Financial Aid Basics: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly Financial aid comes from a variety of sour...

Is your goal to become a doctor? Do you want to put yourself on a fast track to medical school and making your dream a reality? If so, you may want to consider applying for a BS/MD program. In this article, I'll explain what these programs are and go over exactly how to get into a BS/MD program, so that you can be one step closer to your dream of becoming a doctor.   What Is a BS/MD Program? A BS/MD program offers you admission to medical school if you meet certain minimum requirements while you're in college or applying to colleges. You can apply for a BS/MD program as a high school student during the regular college application process. Additionally, there are BS/MD programs you can apply to as an underclassman in college. Most people begin applying to med school the summer between the...

From Applying early decision to college is often a highly effective way to increase the odds of getting accepted at many colleges that offer this admission option. At plenty of colleges, applying early action can also boost admission odds. Students and parents, who are interested in applying early decision or early action, need to know the advantages and disadvantages of this strategy. Here are things to consider: Applying Early Decision Definition 1. Early Decision refers to the admission practice of allowing students to send in their applications and receive an admission verdict before teenagers who use the regular admission process. 2. The deadline for early decision applications can be November 15 or even earlier. In contrast, the application deadline for regular admission can be in Ja...

If you're submitting a college application through the Coalition Application, you likely already know that you'll have to write a personal essay. The purpose of the Coalition Application essay is for you to showcase a side of yourself that colleges don't get to see through your transcripts and test scores alone. There are six Coalition essay prompts to choose from. So which one should you pick? In this article, we go over what the Coalition Application essay is and take a look at all six Coalition essay prompts. For each prompt, we give you potential topics you can write about and key tips for answering it effectively. Keep reading to learn which Coalition essay prompt might be the best fit for you!   What Is the Coalition Application Essay? The Coalition App is a centralized college...

Applying to college usually means writing some essays, asking for letters of recommendation, and submitting your transcripts. But what about the ACT and SAT? Is the ACT required for college? The answer is, not necessarily! In this guide, we explain what test-optional colleges are and give you the complete list of 1,000+ colleges that don't require ACT scores from applicants. We also offer a few tips for what to do with these ACT-optional college lists. Note: for a list of schools temporarily not requiring test scores due to COVID-19, read this article instead. Otherwise, read on to see which schools are always test-optional, test-flexible, or test-blind.   Is the ACT Required for College? Not Necessarily First off, is the ACT required for college in the United States? Or not? Though ...

Did you miss the registration deadline for the SAT test date you wanted? Don't fear—you still might have a chance to take the test if you get on the waitlist. In this article, we give you instructions on how to register for the SAT waitlist, followed by some advice on whether it's the right choice for you. (more…)

Not all admissions processes are created equal. One major point of difference among colleges these days is how admissions officers consider your SAT scores. More and more schools are de-emphasizing SAT scores as part of your application with test-optional and test-flexible policies. Some colleges has even eliminated SAT scores completely! There are now more than 1,000 accredited, bachelor-degree granting institutions that have changed their approaches to standardized test scores. Keep in mind that the majority of colleges, especially the more prestigious schools, do still require (and strongly consider) SAT scores. Let's take a look at the different score policies and the schools that no longer require applicants to submit their SAT scores for admission. Schools Temporarily Going Test O...

Want to be an engineering major in college? A great way to set yourself up for success before you even begin your freshman year is to do an engineering internship or camp as a high school student. However, summer engineering internships for high school students can be tough to find. That's where we come in! We've compiled a list of the 14 best engineering opportunities for high schoolers, including some that pay you to participate!   How Can High School Students Learn About Engineering Careers? If you're interested in a career in engineering, there are multiple ways you can get more knowledge and experience in the field before even graduating high school. Below are the three best ways high school students can get engineering experience.   Job Shadowing Job shadowing is where you spend a ...

If you’re a high school student who’s interested in becoming a lawyer, you can actually start preparing for your future career now by participating in high school law internships and other law-focused programs.  High school law internships, summer programs, and law volunteer opportunities for high school students all allow you to explore legal careers before you ever even get to college. We’ll explain everything you need to know about these programs, including: The types of law programs available to high school students  Real-life examples of law programs for high school students Tips for including your law experience on college applications  Keep reading to learn more!      What Programs and Law Internships for High School Students Are Out There? When it comes to opportunities to exp...

July 27, 2022 An op-ed writer for The New York Post makes a ridiculous argument against the merits of Affirmative Action. In an op-ed for The New York Post, a conservative-leaning daily newspaper, a writer argues that our nation’s elite colleges essentially have a moral imperative to end Affirmative Action so various under-qualified underrepresented minority students who earn admission don’t have to struggle to succeed academically once they matriculate. It’s an argument we, of course, find absolutely preposterous. But, hey, while we don’t agree with this argument one bit, we believe in sharing diverse perspectives on all topics related to college admissions, including the controversial topic of Affirmativ...

Looking for the 2023 AP exam dates? We have the complete 2023 AP test dates as well as advice for getting through the busy May exam season. Keep reading to stay on top of your 2022-2023 study schedule and to get tips for dealing with the stress of endless AP tests! (more…)

Which college majors are, on average, the smartest? Philosophy majors, followed by physics and astronomy, economics and math majors, score the most standard deviations above the mean on the GRE. Which college majors make the most money midcareer (who have not earned a graduate or professional degree)? Economics, engineering and math majors rank highest, followed, yes, by philosophy majors. Which college majors experience the fastest salary growth? Philosophy majors, naturally, trailed by math, econ, poli sci and, believe it or not, art history majors. As Matthew Yglesias, the widely read economics and policy blogger and journalist with a Harvard B.A. in philosophy, has observed, a philosophy degree signals intelligence, which is why leading tech firms like Google often hire philosophy majo...

Math competitions are a fantastic extracurricular activity for high school students. Math competitions help students improve their math skills, earn scholarships, and stand out as college applicants.  If you are interested in getting into high school math competitions but aren’t sure where to begin, this article is for you. We’ll give you all the details on 13 math competitions for high school students, including the eligibility requirements and cash prize opportunities for each competition.  We’ll also briefly explain how to decide which math competition is right for you and how math competitions can help you shine as a college applicant. So let’s get started!     How to Use This List We know that different students have unique reasons for wanting to participate in high school math...

No matter how stellar your transcript, no matter how mastered your extracurricular activities, no matter how lyrical your essay—no application is complete without your SAT scores. So how do you make sure your SAT scores are sent properly, at the right time, and with only the scores you are most proud of? Read on for our best advice on the decisions you'll be faced with and what to do in case something goes wrong. (more…)

No college application is complete without test scores. But sending scores to colleges doesn't have to be a confusing and frustrating process! Read this article to understand all the options for sending out your ACT scores, to get help with the many decisions you will have to make, and to know what to do if you run into problems. I'll describe the basic process of how to send ACT scores, how to take full advantage of the ACT's individual score reporting, when to send scores, and how to make sure your scores don't get lost. At the same time, I'll go through the pros and cons of every option and suggest a recommended course of action.   How to Send Your ACT Scores: 2 Methods You can send your ACT scores either when you take the test or any time after you get your scores.   Method 1: Us...