Admissions rates remain exceptionally competitive at top colleges, with any schools reporting record-low admission rates for the class of 2027. What’s behind these competitive acceptance rates? The move to test-optional admissions policies may have encouraged some students who otherwise wouldn’t have applied to feel more confident hitting submit.

There are a number of reasons why you may want to visit a college in person before you send in your application. While it may seem more efficient to visit schools after you have been accepted, visiting before filling out your application can help you, too.

Now that you’ve finalized your balanced college list, it’s time to evaluate your application strategy — deciding when and how you will apply. Given the hyper-competitive landscape, it’s more important than ever for college-bound high school seniors to consider how their application strategy will impact their chances of admission at their dream schools.

Biology might seem like it’s just slides, cells, microscopes, and DNA models, but there’s a lot more to it than sitting in a lab all day. From conserving farm and grazing land, to developing new disease-resistant plants, to researching cures for a myriad of diseases, a lot of biology goes into making sure the things you use every day are safe for you and the environment.

Admission to science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) programs has become increasingly competitive, so it’s important to do your homework when it comes to identifying programs that meet your academic and career goals. We’ve covered other schools for various STEM programs previously, but one STEM major or track that frequently flies under students’ radars is veterinary medicine.

Every child is unique — even if you have twins and sextuplets! As the fall provides you with an opportunity to reflect on how much your children have grown and developed into young adults, you may be dealing with the dynamic of sibling rivalry. We hope the following provides a quick guide to help you manage your role as parent when your children apply to college.

When it comes to Greek life, students are pretty divided about joining a fraternity or sorority. Some students know they’re going to pledge, others are sure they want to skip it, and the rest haven’t made up their minds yet.

When it comes to your college application, colleges will look to see how you spent your time outside of school. In addition to your extracurricular activities, you may also want to list hobbies and interests that you commit a significant amount of time to. Reading is probably one of the best hobbies you can have – it can deepen your interests in a particular subject, help you become a better writer, and will prepare you for the often grueling reading lists in college-level courses. Not only will many colleges appreciate a reading list, some will ask you to list your favorite books on their application supplements.

Graduate school is becoming an increasingly attractive option for many students, if only because it provides a sense of security and purpose in an economic climate that does not. Still, applying to grad school on a whim is ill-advised. So, how do you know when grad school is right for you?

Many colleges require letters of recommendation from teachers as part of the college application. Colleges recognize that your teachers spend significant time with you and, therefore, trust them to provide a candid picture of who you are as a scholar and a person.