A licensed counselor and published researcher, Andrew's experience in the field of college admissions and transition spans two decades. He has previously served as a high school counselor, consultant and author for Kaplan Test Prep, and advisor to U.S. Congress, reporting on issues related to college admissions and financial aid.

UPenn Supplemental Essays 2023-24 – Prompts and Advice

The University of Pennsylvania accepted 40% of applicants back in 1980—as of 2023, that figure had plummeted to 7.4%. Those wanting to join the Quaker campus a generation ago could gain acceptance simply by producing strong grades and test scores. Today, applicants find themselves in a hyper-competitive admissions process....

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UC Essay Prompts 2023-24 – Personal Insight Questions

The 2022-23 admissions cycle saw the nine undergraduate University of California campuses collectively attract an all-time record of 245,000+ applications; this represented a double-digit increase from three years prior. Logic would suggest that institutions receiving as many as 174,000 applications (UCLA) would not employ a particularly holistic admissions process....

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Vanderbilt Supplemental Essays 2023-24 – Prompts and Advice

With an acceptance rate of just 5.6% for the 2023-24 entering class, Vanderbilt has become one of the more selective schools in the United States. It’s easy for prospective applicants who can claim a 99th percentile score and a position near the top of their high school class to...

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Should I Apply Test-Optional to College in 2023-24?

Prior to the onset of the pandemic in March 2020, rarely did a single month pass without another well-known college or university making headlines by announcing that it would no longer require applicants to submit standardized test scores. COVID-19’s destruction and disruption acted as a powerful accelerant, taking this...

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Boston College Supplemental Essays 2023-24 – Prompts and Advice

EssayBoston College’s 15% acceptance rate for the Class of 2027 is half of what it was just five years ago. Today, accepted students earned an average SAT score of 1511. Additionally, you need an all-around stellar academic resume to get serious consideration at this highly-selective Jesuit university. Writing an...

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SAT Test Dates 2023-2024

If there was a one-size-fits-all answer to when you should take the SAT for the first time, this blog would be one straightforward sentence in length. Yet, the decision on when to sit for your first SAT exam is context-dependent. Arriving at the correct answer for you involves considering...

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