by Kennon Dick, former admissions officer at Swarthmore College

What the Waitlist Means

Some students would rather be denied than waitlisted and I don’t blame them. For many, the college application process has been a long and protracted ordeal; with a waitlist letter, it’s going to last a few months longer with far less certainty about how it will end.

by Elizabeth Heaton, former admissions officer at University of Pennsylvania

The news on college applications can feel a little scary this year—applications are up in huge year-over-year numbers at Brown (26%), Oregon State (40%), UC Berkeley (28%), University of Pennsylvania (34%) and Colgate (100%!). How to account for these increases?

Maybe you want to take it easy for the last half of senior year. Your college applications are in, right? So what harm will dropping a class do at this point? Before you make any hasty moves, check out this video tip from former University of Pennsylvania admissions officer, Elizabeth Heaton. In the latest installment of the video series, Ask the College Admissions Expert, Beth answers the question, “Can I drop a class?”

We talk a lot about what to do as part of your college admissions process. This week, we have some cautionary tales of mistakes some have made in the hopes that you can avoid making similar bloopers. In Officer Hours, we’re answering your college admissions and finance questions.

Sure, you’ve got the grades and test scores, but so do lots of other students—and most of them are denied admission from Ivy League universities. What, then, is the secret recipe to gain Ivy League acceptance? College Coach consultant, and former Babson and Holy Cross admissions officer, Kimberly Asselta explains in this installment of the video series, Ask the College Admissions Expert.

Just in time for the new year, we have some new year’s resolutions for college admissions. We’re also sharing two team stories this week: attending college as an adult and paying for college as an adult.

In another story from our team, Jen Simons will share her experience choosing and attending a women’s college. We’ll also answer your questions on college finance and admissions.

Thinking about transferring colleges? If costs are a consideration, we have advice on how to start preparing financially for this transition. While many seniors have already submitted some or all of their college applications, many, many more are just getting started. We have tips on getting organized and planning ahead in order to maximize the time left before regular decision applications are due. In Office Hours this week? Supplements for Tufts and Harvard.

Grades, SATs, extracurriculars, essays, recommendations…. When you think about all you have to do in order to get into college, it can start to make your head spin. What, though, is the most important factor in the college application? Find out from former Reed College admissions officer, Ian Fisher, in this installment of the video series, Ask the College Admissions Expert.

by Lauren DiProspero, former admissions officer at Columbia University

The process of applying to medical school requires a lot of reflection on the part of applicants. As you start considering when you want to apply, the very first question you should be asking yourself is: Am I competitive for medical school? You need to do an honest assessment of your academics, MCAT score, experiences, and motivation. It can be helpful to include your pre-med advisor in this process as that person has seen many students from your college apply to medical school. They can also provide suggestions for next steps to take to improve your application. Remember, gap years are incredibly common and you do not want to apply to medical school unless you have prepared the strongest application possible.