How to Request Letters of Recommendation
Let’s engage in mental exercise intended to do something quite strange—help you imagine your teachers as real human beings. Don’t worry—there’s a purpose to this! Put yourself in your favorite English teacher’s shoes for a moment. Let’s call him Mr. Hemingway. Mr. Hemingway rises at…
Should I mention Depression/Anxiety on my College Application?
Sometimes it takes unspeakably tragic events to bring the existence of a widespread problem into the national conversation. In the past decade, highly publicized suicides at UPenn, Hamilton College, MIT, NYU, and Cornell, among others, have moved the discussion of mental health services on campus…
Does being a “legacy” increase your admission odds?
Colleges love to throw around high-minded words like meritocracy, access, and egalitarianism when discussing admissions policies. Yet proclamations of a focus on social justice and opportunity ring a bit hollow when you consider that so-called legacy applicants, those who have familial ties to an institution,…
Do I Need a Maker Portfolio?
Advice for aspiring Computer Science and Engineering Majors The notion of a holistic application process that includes work samples or a full-blown portfolio has long been common practice in schools of architecture, the visual arts, and music. On the other hand, the STEM fields have…
How to Start Your Own Extracurricular Club
Seeking to get more involved with your high school, you peruse the list of clubs and activities posted on your high school’s website. From there, you attend meetings of various clubs, get seriously involved in one or two, but, as time goes by, you are…
How to demonstrate interest in your prospective colleges
At their core, college admissions officers have a good deal in common with 7th graders. While they may not share the same hygiene issues, burgeoning rebellious spirit, or general awkwardness, thirteen-year-old’s minds are often dominated by one critical question—the same exact question that keeps college…
Dealing with deferral: A few tips for applicants
You shed any Prufrockian paralysis and boldly confess your undying love to the college of your dreams. By applying early decision you’ve offered them 100% commitment and devotion with no guarantees in return. Your heart is all in their hands now. After a nervous, lengthy…
How to Create the Perfect College List
A great sculptor stares at a giant hunk of stone and can visualize, in their mind’s eye, a finished work of art. The average person just sees a rock. When it comes to the task of creating a list of prospective colleges, most teens and…
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Downloadable Resources for your College Transition
