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1408, 2022

What Each Ivy League College is Known For

By |August 14th, 2022|Categories: Brown, college, College Admissions, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, Ivy League, Ivy League Advice, Ivy League College, Princeton, UPenn, Yale|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |1 Comment

WHAT EACH IVY LEAGUE COLLEGE IS KNOWN FOR Each Ivy League college has its own niche. It’s own “brand” In other words, what each Ivy League college is known for in terms of reputation.  In terms of college admissions, and Ivy League college admissions in particular, understanding which school is the best fit for you, as well as which school will think you’re the best fit for THEM, is only going to increase your chances. The following is a very brief list detailing each Ivy League school and what specific programs or majors it is best known for around the world. Allow me to add, that all 8 of the Ivy League colleges mentioned here, as well as the ones I deem “Ivy League competitive”  are excellent universities, and truly do offer an extensive, wide-reaching, liberal arts education that will leave you extremely well-educated and intellectually valued around the globe. And yet, knowing what each Ivy is known for, will give you an advantage when applying to universities.  It is 100% correct to say that some of the schools are known for certain specialties more so than the others, and if you pay attention to that fact, you will have

1408, 2022

How to Choose a Topic for Your Common App

By |August 14th, 2022|Categories: college, College Admissions, Common App, Ivy League Advice|Tags: , , , , , , , |1 Comment

How to Choose a Topic for Your Common App 1. The Easy Way: Picking a topic for your Common App essay is easy -- but choosing the RIGHT topic for your Common App, as you probably know, as otherwise you wouldn't be googling this question, is really very hard! The right topic is extremely important as the topic choice itself can make or break your entire application.  Literally. As the Common App goes to all of your schools, instead of just one school, like your supplementals, mess this essay up and you can really hurt your overall chances. No worries though, as I'm going to walk you through the process of how to choose a really strong topic for your Common App! Brainstorming Common App Topics + Ideas Make a list -- on your phone, on a separate piece of paper, in a Word document, basically anywhere you keep a running "topic idea" list and refer back to it adding more ideas over the next few days as we think about this.  Number your list, say 1-5 to start, and just write one short sentence for each "idea" you have. Don't be afraid to write down BAD ideas, too. Just

1208, 2022

Ivy League Early Decision

By |August 12th, 2022|Categories: College Admissions, Early Decision, Ivy League, Ivy League College|3 Comments

Ivy League Early Decision: How to Choose Which College to Pick? If you're a rising senior this year, I'm sure Early Decision and your Ivy League college applications are already on your mind (hint: if not, they should be). A lot of students have questions though around Early Decision and Early Action as a whole, including not knowing which school to pick, not knowing if ED really does make a difference, not knowing if they should go with their absolutely hardest school for ED, or a still hard, but not "the" hardest college so they can best leverage their chances. I'm going to answer your questions.  For the purpose of this article, we're going to focus ONLY on Early Decision, and I will write a second article in the coming week about Early Action which is completely different.  So, first of all, the "what" and "why" of college admissions and early decision, just so everyone's on the same page: EARLY DECISION The "What" --  Early Decision is the opportunity you have as an applying high school senior to designate one of your college applications as your #1 "priority choice" so college admission offices can basically "flag" your application to the

1906, 2022

The Summer Before Your College Applications

By |June 19th, 2022|Categories: College Admissions|Tags: , , , , , , |1 Comment

How to Prep for College It's the summer before your college applications, as in the summer before your senior year.  You know you should be kind of thinking about stuff...right? But what exactly should you be doing to plan?  Allow me to step in: I'm a former Harvard admissions interviewer and a Harvard graduate and having been running my Ivy League college admissions consulting firm for the last 10+ years.  In other words, I have some great tips + advice for you, so read on! Research schools:  Use the summer to make a list of your top schools.  I usually recommend that you break down the list into three categories = highly competitive reach schools, moderate schools, and low tier or safety schools (as everybody needs at least ONE safety). Make the list your top 15 choices and you can narrow it down from there.  Most people apply to 8-10 colleges total when all is said and done! Summer internships, summer programs, jobs, or travel: Use your summer time wisely as this stuff make great college admissions essays and Common App essays!  Just make sure you're doing SOMETHING and the more interesting the better.  You're going to be asked one

1912, 2021

Common App Essay Deadlines! Last Minute Help + Advice!

By |December 19th, 2021|Categories: The Harvard Admissions Interview|0 Comments

Common App Essays: Last Minute Help + Advice! Are you struggling to finish your Common App Essay + each individual school's supplementals?  With only 2 weeks left before the January 2022 college admissions deadline, and with the holidays quickly approaching, a lot of students are panicked!  What if it's not good enough???  What if my essays sound stupid?  But suppose my topic is off base, and it's just not what the schools are looking for? What if I blow all of my chances? Panic can be a bad thing, but the harsh truth is...there may be some truth to your fear.  The top schools in the US are looking for certain things, and if you don't check the boxes in terms of your college admission essays, you're simply not going to accepted. The following however is a list to make sure your essays, and especially your Ivy League essays if you're applying to the very top schools like Harvard, Princeton, Yale, Dartmouth, Brown, UPenn, Cornell, or Columbia, hit the mark.  Check out the following list of pointers to see where your own admissions essays might stand, and most importantly, while you still might have time to make some adjustments. 1.

2210, 2021

Ivy League Early Decision?

By |October 22nd, 2021|Categories: Brown, College Admissions, Columbia, Common App, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, Ivy League, The Harvard Admissions Interview, Yale|Tags: , , , , , |0 Comments

Ivy League Early Decision: Nov 1 Deadline! Ivy League Early Decision applications are due Nov 1. With only one week left, what can you do to make sure your college admissions essays are in the best state possible to secure your chances of getting into the Ivy League?  Read on for the "Top Ten" tips for Early Decision from a former Harvard Interviewer:   Early Decision Tip #1: Only submit your best work. Yes, early decision will help you, but if you're struggling to finish your college admissions essays on time, just to get in by the deadline, and as a result are submitting sub-par, or what you know is not your best work, it is better to WAIT and submit regular decision, than get rejected now because you ran out of time.   Early Decision Tip #2: Make sure you've chosen the best school for your early decision (or early action) pick! I usually tell my students who work with me via my Ivy League College Admissions Consulting service, that you want to pick the most difficult school on your list for early decision, because it will give you a slight (slight! as in many 5-10%) boost to your

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