After many conversations and much soul searching, you’ve decided to enroll your child in a private day or boarding school. This is a big decision with many moving parts, so it’s important to start the test preparation and application process as early as possible so that you (and your child) don’t get overwhelmed.

IvyWise counselors Victoria and Christine break down the college admissions rubric and discuss examples of different hard and soft factors that admissions officers evaluate on the Just Admit It! college admissions podcast, giving listeners expert insight from former admissions officers.

What are the chances of getting accepted after being waitlisted? As high school seniors prepare for admissions decisions, there’s a lot of uncertainty that comes with learning you’ve been placed on the waitlist. Do you accept the spot and wait to learn your fate? If you do, how likely are you to get in, and what can you do to improve your chances of getting off the waitlist?

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.