Stanford University is one of the most prestigious and fiercely selective universities in the United States, with an acceptance rate of under 4%. One former admissions officer revealed that during the initial sorting, with occasional exceptions, applications with “more than two Bs, SAT section scores below 700, a disciplinary infraction, or unremarkable extracurriculars” were relegated …
Starting high school is an exciting milestone. You’re stepping into a world of new opportunities, challenges, and experiences. While college applications might seem light-years away, your freshman year is the perfect time to begin exploring your interests and developing your passions. By starting early, you can build a strong foundation not just for college applications …
Whether you are applying to be a first-year student or a transfer student, you will find that many undergraduate universities and colleges across the United States and in countries around the world use the Common App. There are more than 1,000 Common App member schools in the United States, Canada, European Union, United Kingdom, and …
When the adcoms ask you to write about a flaw or weakness in your essays, and you either fail to offer any or the ones you come up with sound like you are just checking a box – mentioning something vague and generic and not of much significance – you will seem like a fake …
A fascinating discussion among Accepted’s admissions consultants revealed that MBA applicants don’t always understand how adcoms define an accomplishment, so we wrote this post to help remove the guesswork for you. Here are the kinds of accomplishments you should strive to include in your essay: Examples of Impact and Initiative In your accomplishment essay, providing examples of …
All original essays have a unique theme, and it can take time and careful thought to identify what yours should be. If you go back to the essays we examined in the previous post in this series, you will see that the public health program applicant opened her essay by cleverly presenting her theme in the form …
You are nearly finished with your application, but when you get to the section that asks you about your extracurricular activities, you freeze up. “I don’t really have any extracurricular activities,” you think. “What should I do now?” I’ve worked with countless applicants who have found themselves in the same nail-biting dilemma. They search frantically …
Teacher recommendations are an essential part of your college application, and most schools require one or two letters supporting your candidacy. These recommendations provide additional insights into your personality, intellectual curiosity, and potential impact on your college community. These letters of recommendation (LORs) are only one element of your application and probably won’t make or …
When crafting application essays – whether for graduate school, business school, or any other competitive program – candidates often focus on highlighting their accomplishments. And it’s easy to understand why. Most applicants want to showcase their significant achievements, such as leading a groundbreaking project, making a meaningful impact through research, or spearheading a successful community …
It’s November, and we are starting down the home stretch of the college application season. As we enter the regular admissions cycle, additional deadlines are looming. Congratulations if you applied Early Action or Early Decision using the Common App. Now you can turn your attention to Regular Decision deadlines, which will vary somewhat over the …
The University of California (UC) system consists of nine campuses that all use the same application. They are UC Berkeley (Cal), UC Santa Cruz, UC Davis, UC Merced, UC Santa Barbara, UC Los Angeles (UCLA), UC Irvine, UC Riverside, and UC San Diego. If you are applying to one or more of these campuses, you …
The preparation for a successful college application does not happen overnight but is instead the culmination of years of work throughout high school. However, not all aspiring college students take the correct steps leading up to, and during, the application process. Here are four mistakes successful college candidates don’t make and that you should avoid, …
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