Posts in High School
50 Questions to Ask Next on Your Next College Tour

A college tour is your opportunity to get to know the campus and start picturing yourself as a student there. You can research colleges for weeks on end, but nothing beats the experience of walking on campus and seeing the college with your own eyes. Many students know as soon as they step foot on campus whether or not they see themselves attending.

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Rising Seniors: Essential Resources, Dates, and Deadlines to Gear Up for College Application Season

We don’t want to think about summer ending either. But to make sure you’re ready for what’s ahead, we broke down some of the resources and important dates for you to be aware of as we enter the college application season.

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Should I Take an SAT Subject Test? Here’s When the Answer Should Be Yes.

Deciding whether or not to take a Subject Test? If you’re worried about adding another test to your junior or senior year, don’t panic! Luckily, many colleges do not require the SAT Subject Tests. Requirements vary program to program, but in a lot of cases, it’s up to you whether you want to try out the SAT Subject Tests.

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A Step-by-Step Guide to Brainstorming and Starting Your College Essay

We’ve put together a guide to simplify the college essay writing process. Writing your college essay is a gradual process that takes a lot of reflection and time. These steps aren’t intended to be completed in one day or even one week. By following these steps, the writing process will be less stressful. If you’ve been procrastinating, our step-by-step guide will help you get started.

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College Admissions 101: What You Need to Know about the Universal Common Application

Decisions, decisions. Throughout the college application process, it starts to feel like everywhere you turn there’s another decision waiting for you. Of all the decisions, choosing between application types doesn’t have to be stressful. Most of the time, the decision might be made for you, especially if the college you’re interested in only offers one type! Here’s everything you need to know about the Universal Common Application.


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College Admissions 101: How to Make Your College List

If you’re entering your senior year, now is the perfect time to start thinking about the college admissions timeline. The College Board recommends students apply to 4-8 schools. According to C2Education, approximately a third of all high school students apply to 7 or more colleges. By September, you should have a running list of colleges that you’re interested in before narrowing them down to your top schools.

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The 8 Best Websites for College Scholarships in 2019 (and 3 Honorable Mentions)

There are a ton of scholarship websites out there and it’s hard to know which ones are legit and which are well-cloaked scams. So, I felt the need to put together a list of websites I’ve personally used and vetted (mostly as a recent grad student). Below is a list of my favorites for 2019.

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Closing the Opportunity Gap: How QuestBridge is Helping Low-Income + “A” Grade Students Beat Admissions Odds

Did you know that the majority of low-income, qualified students don’t apply to top colleges? With high grades and academic achievements, many would be as competitive as their peers at the most selective schools, including Ivy League institutions like Harvard, Yale, and Princeton. Yet, a number of socioeconomic factors either dissuade or prevent low-income students from applying to these schools. In comes QuestBridge.

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Should I Take AP Classes in High School? 4 Pros & Cons to Consider Before You Make a Decision

Balancing extracurricular activities and academics is hard enough. With the added rigor of an AP course, and the stress that comes along with it, deciding to enroll isn’t to be taken lightly. Below, we’ll walk you through the pros and cons to help you decide.

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Making the Most of Your Summer: 10 Must-Reads for Rising Seniors

Summer is the perfect time to give reading a second chance. Even if you’ve been overwhelmed by your high school reading requirements and swore you’d never read again, there’s something magical about getting engrossed in a new book. I promise.

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College Admissions Explained: Breaking Down the SAT’s New Adversity Score

Among some of the most selective institutions, low-income students have a low representation--a fact that’s “relatively unchanged from 20 years ago.” The adversity score has been created perhaps in response to this achievement gap and in an effort to support students who are beating all odds by applying to college in spite of their circumstances.

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FAQs: Everything You Need to Know About the National Honor Society for High School Students

If you have a GPA of 3.0 or above, you may be eligible for the National Honor Society (NHS). The NHS is a great way to stand out on your college application, especially if you take advantage of all that the program has to offer. Here’s more information about the NHS, including how to apply for the National Honor Society Scholarship Program.

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The 5 Do’s and Don'ts for 9th and 10th Graders Who Want to Get a Leg up in the College Admissions Process

It’s still early. You don’t need to create your dream college list or polish up your resume just yet. In your 9th and 10th grade year, you should be focusing on your studies, getting involved in extracurricular activities, and setting up healthy habits to carry you through the next few years.

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SAT Introduces ‘Adversity Score’ to Capture Social and Economic Background

David Coleman, CEO of The College Board, recently announced plans to assign an adversity score to every student who takes the SAT in an effort to capture their social and economic background.

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The Ultimate Guide to Prepping for College: 9th and 10th Grade Edition

As a 9th or 10th grader, it can feel like it’s too early in the game to start worrying about the actual process of applying to college. And you’re right. Your goal in the first two years of high school should really be to lay the foundation for success--focus on doing your best in school and finding the extracurricular activities that you enjoy--so you can develop your interests and grow as a student.

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Why Your Extracurricular Activities Matter (in College Admissions and in Life)

Like the name implies, extracurriculars are the things you do outside of your normal curriculum. In other words, an extracurricular is any organized group activity or hobby that is an extra to what you do in your studies.

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College Admissions 101: Choosing between the ACT and SAT

If you’re worried about which test to take for college admissions and going back and forth, look no further! There are enough decisions to make in the coming months; don’t let choosing which test to take add to your list of stressors. In fact, many students take both. Taking both tests allows you to compare which scores reflect your abilities better. Colleges accept both, so whether you choose the ACT or the SAT, you won’t be making the wrong decision.

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Q&A: What are some things I can do in high school to help me get into good colleges?

As an experienced admissions file reader, there are some basic guidelines I would give any applicant, that if followed, would make their application profile more competitive for top schools, like the Ivies.

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