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IvyWise KnowledgeBase

Female High School Student

What to Expect Your Freshman Year of High School

Making the transition from middle to high school can be an exciting, albeit intimidating process. Often the student body is larger, and you’re a new fish in a much larger pond. For others, the surroundings might be the same, but the academics are challenging, and the expectations are much higher. Additionally, you’ll be gaining more autonomy during high school as you develop the important skills that prepare you for college life and beyond.

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IvyWise What Families Need to Know About Test-Optional Colleges and Admissions

What Families Need to Know About Test-Optional Colleges and Admissions

Many schools shifted to test-optional admissions during the pandemic, and some of these colleges extended their policies for several years or went permanently test-optional.

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IvyWise The Value of a Liberal Arts Education in Today's World

Why Go to a Liberal Arts College

The growing cost of college combined with the increasing demand for students in career-ready fields such as engineering, finance, computer science, and medicine has left many people challenging the liberal arts. Much of the conversation surrounding higher education is focused on value and ROI. What majors earn the most right out of college? Which institutions produce graduates with the highest salaries? When deciding how to choose a major, you may find yourself asking: Is a liberal arts education still relevant in the 21st century?

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Transfer Admissions: How Transfer Applications Are Evaluated

Making the decision to transfer colleges is not easy. For undergraduates considering a transfer to another university, the thought of going through the admissions process again is daunting, especially with an entirely different procedure to navigate.

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IvyWise Last-Minute College Application Mistakes Students Frequently Make

Last-Minute College Application Mistakes Students Frequently Make

With admit rates at historic lows and more students applying to more colleges than ever, it’s important for students to make sure they’re submitting the best applications possible.

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IvyWise How to Manage Test Anxiety

How to Manage Test Anxiety

Whether you’re a sophomore preparing to take your first standardized test or a junior retaking the SAT or ACT to achieve your goal score, performing well is on the minds of many students. One thing remains consistent for students of all ages, however — test anxiety. 

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IvyWise 7 Tips for Applying to Graduate School

The Ultimate Guide to Graduate School

For most undergraduate students, graduate school is a possibility, but many aren’t sure until closer to application time. By then, you’ve passed many opportunities to work on areas that will influence your application to graduate school. Even if you’re not entirely sure which field you’ll be pursuing in a few years, it’s important to get involved the moment you step foot on campus to ensure that you’re making the most of your time in college and that you have the best chance of gaining admission into a top-choice graduate school.

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IvyWise Dr. Kat's List: Five Colleges Where You Can Express Your Poetic Voice

Dr. Kat’s List: 5 Colleges Where You Can Express Your Poetic Voice

Whether you love Emily Dickinson’s slanted rhyme, Allen Ginsberg’s beats, or Langston Hughes’ Renaissance jazz, you have many college options to study this literary art form. If you’d like to pursue your passion for poetry in college — be it writing, history, analysis, or performance — the expert counselors at IvyWise have identified five great schools where you can find poetic inspiration.

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IvyWise Finding Community Service Opportunities that Match Your Interests

17 Community Service Ideas for High School Students

Students tend to have a one-dimensional view of what community service entails. If they’re not tutoring younger students or serving meals at a local homeless shelter, what other community service is there? In reality, high school students can find various ways to make an impact — the possibilities are endless! 

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IvyWise Understanding the Facts About Deferrals

Understanding the Facts About Deferrals

For students expecting early decisions, it’s easy to imagine how they’ll react to their admissions outcomes — whether it’s an acceptance or a rejection. But there’s another possibility on the table that many students forget to prepare for: a deferral.

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