Improve your chances of getting into college,

Yes it matters. Most colleges will view your application in context and where you have lived is a big part of that context. It can make it much more difficult or less difficult to be accepted at certain schools.

This totally depends. At some schools the admissions rate is higher during early admission seasons and at others it is exactly the same as during regular admission. If your top choice school admits a larger percentage of students early and you are not concerned about comparing financial aid awards with other schools, I would probably encourage a student to apply early. It is important to understand the differences between ED, EA, and single choice EA and to discuss your strategy with an advisor.

The most important thing is to build the relationship over time. Make sure you meet and begin an ongoing conversation with your counselor freshman year. Be proactive and inquisitive, talk to him or her about your your developing interests, and goals. Respect their time, but keep them abreast of your progress through HS.

Very carefully. You can contact the the admission office and the alumni association which is advisable and can be helpful to learn about and earn admission to a school. The more "active" the alumni, which often means how much they donate or fund raise, the more helpful they can be. At the same time, a school like Harvard is not going to give you the names of members of the Committee on University Resources. If you know an influential alumni, like those on the COUR, well, or can connive to know one well, it can be very helpful. Remember, that people are usually not that interested in helping people they only know marginally and briefly. So.....early, often and with purpose.

Many schools ask students to write a supplemental essay that effectively asks "why us?" Students can use this essay to describe how and why the school best matches what he or she is looking for and how they plan to contribute the school.

Students considering a community college should consider the same aspects of the college as they would for a four year college. Namely, is the school a good fit academically, socially, and financially.

Academically, community colleges usually offer programs that will prepare a student to transfer to a four year college and more technical or job training programs. The social aspect of community colleges is often the weakest. Because students are commuters, they often lack a high level of involvement with the school which leads to a generally lackluster experience and a high attrition rate. Financial concerns often are what make a community college seem best. Tuition is very low, and students usually save on room and board by continuing to live with parents.

It would be almost impossible to overstate the benefit of being a recruited athlete.

It can be a big advantage to have built that relationship. If an admission rep is able to put a face to the application they are reading they will be inclined to view the application more favorably. That could cut both ways of course, if you are remembered for being rude or pushy, it could be a disadvantage.

Most students should create a balanced list of 6-9 schools and then consider applying early to one or more of those.

If you have had an interview with an alumni, their impressions of you matter quite a bit. Otherwise, recommendations always depend on how well the writer knows their subject. If a prominent alumni truly knows you well and writes a thorough well thought out letter, it would be helpful. How much more helpful than anybody else who knows you well would depend on just how prominent an alum we are talking about.

Every student needs to approach college according to their own unique circumstances. In any economy, I would recommend a conservative approach to taking on large amounts of debt. I would want to look at the finances of the college as well. Are they cutting back and offering fewer classes with more students in them?

Taking a gap year to learn from any number of valuable experiences is something many more high school students should consider.

I usually find much more similarities than differences, but there can be very different social experiences. At rural colleges, most social activity will be based around the college. This is true at many suburban and urban campuses where students live on campus, but many do not require students to do so. This may lead to less of a sense of connection. The bigger differences occur if large numbers of students commute or not, the size of the school, they style of education and so forth.

Lots of colleges are fairly politically active places. Washington DC attracts many politically involved students. American and George Washington are known for this. So is Columbia in New York, Harvard in Cambridge and the University of Wisconsin in Madison. It is typical that many of the flagship state universities are fairly active.

First, students who want to go to school in a non-anglophone school must obviously be fluent in the language of instruction. Other than that, the same things that will make a student competitive at US colleges will also make them competitive at many international colleges. In addition to a rigorous curriculum, doing well on standardized tests is very important for the most competitive schools.

Americans interested in being competitive at schools like Oxford or Cambridge often take a gap year to study for A level exams.

Many college students wish they began planning for college earlier in their high school career.

There is no most important extracurricular activity. What is important is that students demonstrate a sustained interest in one or two activities. That students are passionate and dedicated and show leadership, creativity and involvement in their communities is what is important.

If a school is need blind, it does not consider how much aid a student needs in their admission decision. If they are need sensitive, they do. Most of the most prestigious schools, because they have large endowments, are need blind

Students who have a passion for learning and responsible citizenship will be good candidates for admission at highly selective schools. Cultivation of an athletic or artistic talent will make them especially desirable.

Many students should consider getting information and advice from an IEC. College is a major life event and investment, and the college selection and admission process has become increasingly complicated. While most institutional counselors are competent, they may not have the time, resources, or expertise that an IEC has to offer his or her students.

Selection of, and admission to, a college that is the best match and fit for the student is most important for retention, graduation and enjoyment. The easiest way to save money on college is to enroll at one college, stay there, and graduate on time. This is often the result for students who hire IECs.

Ultimately, students who are applying multiple highly selective colleges, students who are interested in learning about a multitude of colleges, students who want to pay as little as possible for college, and students who want personal attention from a thoughtful professional when planning for and going through the admission and decision making process.

Take the most rigorous curriculum available to you and then supplement it with individual study. You can study and take AP exams without taking the class at school. A good score would be very impressive showing a lot of drive. You could also seek out an online program like the Stanford EPGY or simply express an interest to your teachers and ask if they are willing supervise some more advanced study.

When the college is in session and not during final exams or the weekend. You want to see and experience the college on a typical day. Thursdays are usually great because students are going to class and then out at night. You want to see the school at work and at play. You might also want to visit during the worst month of weather if that is important to you. Schools in the east are idyllic in October, but can you handle the cold in January. Likewise, Arizona is great in February, but scorching in September.

Get the best grades and test scores possible, demonstrate intellectual enthusiasm by asking teachers of subjects that interest you for extra reading, demonstrate leadership in one or two extra curricular activities, plan a valuable summer enrichment activity, begin to visit colleges and think about what aspects of a college are most important to you.

Thorough research, while no substitute for a campus visit, can provide a lot of crucial information. A school's own website will provide much of it. In addition to basic information and a virtual tour, you can explore specific academic programs within the college. Beyond the school's website, reading a good guide book should provide important information about the overall experience at a particular college. Finally, talking to as many people as possible who have experience and knowledge of the school should be very helpful.

Colleges come in all sizes from very small (2000 students) to huge (50000 students). While size alone does not make a school good or bad, generally smaller schools tend to focus more on teaching undergraduates as opposed to large research universities. Professors (as opposed to TAs) tend to teach more classes with fewer students in them. Smaller schools also tend to have higher retention and graduation rates because the scale is more personal and manageable. Students who attend small schools also tend to go to graduate school more often and be better prepared.

Larger universities are often the better place to get a professional degree in business and engineering since they are not always offered at smaller schools.

Sure. Each individual student's intellectual journey is different. What is most important is that you are able to articulate in your application essays, and possibly in interviews, what and how you have learned from the experiences that you have had.

Starting the process later rather than earlier, having a closed mind about schools they are interested in, and being unorganized and/or careless is completing applications....

The level of opportunity and competition to go to college are both exaggerated. Some people like to say there are 3000 colleges, many of whom have open enrollments. The real number of colleges of high and even modest quality is significantly less. On the other hand it is true that there are a few colleges that accept less than ten percent of applicants, but this is the exception. There are many colleges of very high quality that accept students at much higher rates.

Another myth is that the cost of college is skyrocketing. While the sticker prices are rising, the reality is that the cost of college is very progressive. Wealthier families are paying more, but for a majority of Americans the cost of tuition is zero due to federal or institutional subsidy.

Quite simply going further away from home can be both a benefit or a drawback. Being further away will make it harder to travel home which can be a positive, students will be forced to experience life at college fully and hopefully grow and mature. It can be a drawback however if a student wishes to visit home more often, or has trouble adjusting.

Experiencing a lesser known place and meeting new people is almost always a good thing. However, going to college in state, even if it is not that far away in distance, will be quite a new place and experience.

Lastly, some states just have better quality schools than others.

Rankings themselves are much less important than what the rankings are based on. Looking beyond or inside the rankings can be very useful when choosing a college.

The very best way to begin the college selection process is to start even before high school. This means arranging family trips to some major education centers like Boston, New York, Chicago, or LA where the focus does not have to be exclusively on seeing colleges, but students can have the opportunity to see a variety of types of colleges.

When a student reaches high school, he or she (and family) can begin an ongoing conversation with a counselor, either at school or privately, who can talk to them about their interests and values and expose themt to the best print and online resources.

Typically, besides obviously being on a smaller scale, liberal arts colleges are more dedicated to educating undergraduates. The traditional liberal arts colleges usually do not include professional or technical majors such as business or engineering.

The goal of researching colleges is finding ones that are both a good match and fit for the student academically, socially, emotionally, and for the family, financially.

This will vary slightly for different individuals, but the majority of students I work with apply to 6-9 schools. These are usually fairly evenly divided amongst reach, target, and safety schools.

A student may apply Early Decision to just one college. If the student is admitted, he or she must attend.

A student may apply Early Action to multiple colleges and if admitted, is not obligated to attend.

A student may only apply to one school Early Action school, however, if that school is a "single choice" school. While you can only apply to one, you are not obligated to attend if admitted.

An ideal class would include students with diverse academic interests, intellectual passions, special artistic and athletic talents, and backgrounds. Majors will be appropriately subscribed, the rosters of sports teams will be filled, plays and concerts will be put on, and students will learn from each other.

Admissions officers are looking for students that will best thrive and contribute to the unique milieu at their college. Specifically strong grades in a rigorous curriculum along with strong standardized test scores are seen first. Then they look for well written and thoughtful essays, leadership in a community, athletic or artistic talent, and desire to attend.

Basically, almost everything that makes ones a good friend, citizen, and person also makes them attractive to an admissions officer.

I don't think there is any benefit. This is a question I get a lot from Asian and Indian students who obviously do not want to be held to a higher standard, but generally unless there was a compelling reason that went along with the whole application (like a philosophical argument against culturally created categories) I would not hide from it.

It exists primarily to try to provide some balance to lopsided departments. For instance there are much less female applicants claiming an interest in engineering or computer science. They would have an advantage over someone with a similar academic record. The same may be true for males in elementary education or social work.

They can and they do. In addition to your facebook profile, you should Google yourself and make sure your online presence is professional.

An upward trend is viewed very positively if the student continued to challenge him or herself with a rigorous curriculum!

It is not a problem, especially if the student will be using the time wisely.

It has streamlined the process for students making it easier to get information and stay organized. The result is that more students are applying to more schools.

Students are usually judged on the basis of there own context. The high school they attended is one piece of contextual information that would be the same, but there may be many other differences to consider.

Twins or siblings applying to the same school are usually evaluated individually according to their own merit. Sometimes being a twin, or quadruplets can be used as a hook however. Just ask Yale.

Admissions offices will usually unweight all GPAs and then consider the rigor of the curriculum in context.

The most unexpected successes I have witnessed involve students with less than stellar grades being excepted at Ivy League colleges. It does not happen often, but excelling in other areas can make up for a lackluster academic record. Especially if a student writes compelling essays illustrating their unique talent and experience.

It depends, but generally if the student was positive that a school is a first choice and the family is not concerned about comparing financial aid awards from different schools it might make sense.

You can eliminate a lot of stress and anxiety of a long waiting period and some schools admit a higher percentage of students who apply early.

At some schools the percentage of students admitted who applied early is higher than those that applied during regular admission. It never hurts to let a school know it is your first choice. If you are a legacy and are interested in increasing your chances of admission, you generally must apply early.

It is really binding. If your family's financial circumstances change substantially and unexpectedly however, you will be able to change your plans.

Most colleges want as much information as possible to evaluate applicants. Supplements help provide a more detailed picture of who you are.

Evidence of a high degree of excellence, leadership and creativity in one or two specialties will always stand out as will well written compelling essays.

As much as possible.

Yes. Almost all colleges offer an online application and prefer that you use it.

All parts of the application should reinforce the picture of yourself that you are trying to paint. Deciding on your hook in advance, will help you make decisions about what and how to write about yourself and your experiences.

Yes.

It can be helpful if it adds new information or it provides evidence of talents and skills that you claim to have.

Unless the college reviews application on rolling basis it will usually not make a difference.

Beyond poor proofreading, incongruities can hurt you. This means if you have a high gpa and low SAT score or vice versa. You want all parts of the application to affirm who you are.

A hook is a combination of attributes that you highlight in your application. It can be academic, cultural, ethnic, athletic, artistic, philosophical or many other possibilities. For instance, you may be a basketball player who intends to major in the classics. When a highly selective college is trying to put together a well rounded class, it means they want unique and pointy individuals. Having a hook is invaluable.

Your curriculum, grades, test scores are the most important bases. Letter of recommendation, essays, and special talents are what will set you apart at highly selective schools.

Make a genuine effort to get to know teachers over the course of your high school career. Often being a member of a team or club that a teacher is involved with or taking two courses from the same teacher can help. If a subject is of particular interest, let teachers know and ask if they would be willing to recommend additional reading and talk with you about it. Ask them to supervise an independent research project. Participate in class, and encourage your peers with enthusiasm, but try not to dominate others or show off.

Sometimes great letters come from teachers of classes that you struggled in. If you are struggling in a class, ask for help early and often and dedicate yourself to doing your best.

Putting together a package for teachers that includes your resume and a letter that indicates what your goals are, challenges have been, and how you have pursued them and persevered through adversity will help teachers understand what you want and how they can best help you. Giving teachers this package at the end of junior year will give teacher the most time to write a great letter without pressure.

Also, the college application in not the first time a teacher should be writing for you. Apply for something earlier that requires a letter. If the teacher is proud of the letter and has written glowingly, they will often want to share their letter with you. A little early reconnaissance can be very informative and helpful.

Only if you are very nice or lucky, but I wouldn't try it.

No. They are a sheltered asset. Never take money out of your retirement funds to pay for college.

Yes. If students take AP courses and get a 4 or 5 on the AP exam for that course, many colleges will award college credit. If a student earns enough credit to graduate early from college he or she will save a significant amount of money. Many students come to college as effectively sophomores based on the amount of AP credit they have earned and are able to graduate a full year early. Additionally, taking AP can potentially make students eligible for merit awards and scholarships.

Many schools award merit aid to their top admits. Increasing your SAT score is one of the fastest ways to increase the number of schools who will offer you merit aid and the amount of that aid.

The custodial parent is defined as the one with who the student lives with most often and who provides the majority of financial support to the student.

The very best way for grandparents to help is to pay student loans off after the student has graduated.

There are a few things families can do:

1. Do not have any assets in the students name.

2. Have as little cash on hand as possible. Pay off consumer debt, pre-pay mortgage, contribute to retirement funds, and make major purchases.

3. Reduce income in base year by leaving it in business or taking a leave of absence from job.

Yes. If a family's financial situation has changed drastically schools will often be open to reevaluating the student's aid package. Additionally, it is possible to negotiate a better aid package if a similar school has offered significantly more aid. Some colleges will match the offer.

Besides not filling out the Fafsa, families commonly overstate their income and assets by not taking advantage of a few key strategies.

If there is a change in the family's financial circumstances, a student should contact the financial aid office to discuss them and provide documentation.

Students who do not want to consider the military can pay for unmet need with college loans. More drastically, a student can make themselves eligible for more aid by becoming independent. This requires waiting until the student is 24 or is married.

The Free Application for Student Aid. It is the essential document for all students seeking financial aid.

Income is most most important. Assets are also very important and are not created equal. Some assets are much more advantageous than others when applying for financial aid. Early Planning can make a huge difference.

I would advise almost everyone to fill out the FAFSA. It is very hard for families to determine they are not eligible for aid, and there are many other options that require the FAFSA to be filled out.

You must use the information of the parent you live with most and/or the parent that provides the majority of financial support. The stepparent's income and assets that is associated with that parent does need to be included.

Having a strategy to maximize financial aid is important. Paying a consultant for advice can often be a very good investment.

While severance pay is income, not all income is equal. The fafsa provides opportunities to explain. It is important to fill the fafsa out completely and with as much detailed information as possible.

For many students this can be a major factor to consider. If a student has a lesser offer from a school they prefer, it is always appropriate to ask the school to match the offer. If they do not match it, you must way all the factors and make a decision.

Any graduate who is not working, may ask for a forbearance. Payments can usually be delayed for up to a year while you are looking for work.

Paying for a private tutor will often yield a high return on investment. You will be admitted to more schools and earn more merit aid.

After the PSAT, which I would take as sophomore for practice and as a Junior for the National Merit competition, either the SAT or ACT if not both. Most of my students decide which test they are going to focus on and take it twice. Unless you prepare in a drastically different way, taking the test a third time usually does not result in a higher scores.

Also, the most selective schools require two or three SAT subject tests, and as many AP tests as possible.

Private tutoring with an experienced expert.

Standardized test scores are probably the second most important component of the application after curriculum and grades. While they should not take over your life, spending significant time preparing is necessary to compete at highly selective schools.

There are basically 3 ways students can prepare for standardized tests. 1. They can buy a study book and work through it on their own. This is the least expensive method (30 dollars), but is also the least effective for most students. 2. Students can take a course with other students. This will provide structured overview of the test and general strategies. It can cost anywhere from 500 to 1500 dollars, but will be impersonal and therefore inefficient. 3. Private tutoring is the usually the best way to prepare. It will be the most expensive, costing between 100 and 400 dollars an hour based an the level of expertise and experience of the tutor, but will be the most effective, efficient and convenient way to prepare. I recommend some amount of private tutoring for almost all of my clients.

A private tutor will provide the most targeted, personalized and efficient help. Students need to not only be able to do the math, but do it quickly. Know the test, know the tricks.

College application essays are a special literary genre, but they are of course personal. They add further dimensions to an individual's record and great ones need to be creative, thoughtful, and well written. Most importantly however, a great essay will reveal an aspect of a self that a student has chosen to highlight and a voice that is unique to that self.

The essay is extremely important to understand and evaluate students. Essays can often be the most critical part of the the application when students have similar academic records.

Essays should not reiterate a lot of information that can be found elsewhere in the application. They should add to the complexity of the stereotype of the applicant by illustrating a genuine and unique voice that is thoughtful and engaging.

Different colleges have varying review processes. At almost all selective colleges however, every college essay will be read by multiple people. One reader admits are very rare. If a student is on the fence, not an early admit or deny, essays will probably be read multiple times by multiple people while an applicant is being discussed.

It would be irresponsible not to have someone proofread any important piece of writing.

Editing is a part of the writing process, like development and revision, where another person can be helpful. There is nothing theoretically wrong with that person being a parent if they are skilled and sensitive to helping while allowing the student's own voice to remain dominant.

Many times however, when a parent tries to help, they do more harm than good. It is very easy to spot an essay that has been overly edited by a parent and that is not good for the students chances of admission.

Video essays for Tufts or anywhere else, should be given as much thought and preparation as a written essay. Do not dash off an impromptu extemporaneous video. Be authentic, but plan what you want to say to make your application most compelling.

Do talk through ideas and drafts with a someone you trust. Don't talk about your ideas and drafts with too many people.

While unpaid internships are controversial, the best ones can be very beneficial. There are many industries where it is simply the best way to gain experience and make connections that can lead to gainful employment. Many times there are opportunities for college credit as well.

While there are internship possibilities almost anywhere, one of the best ways to land a quality internship is to be in a city that has a significant amount available. Washington DC, New York City, Chicago, and LA are where you will find the most and best internships.

Then use all your networking powers to make contact with people who may be able to help. Take advantage of your college career services office which may maintain employers and individuals who are interested in recruiting students from your school. Alumni can be very helpful. Also use any personal family contacts to make connections.

There are many print and online resources that can also guide you toward places and people who want interns and have quality programs. While a personal introduction is always best, a well written letter can do wonders.

If there is not an excellent networking program associated with the internship, students can go out of their way to make connections and learn from and about as many people as possible. Finding a good mentor is paramount.

The more competitive the industry or employer is, the more important it becomes to have experience as an intern. Not only are they important for students who know what their goal is, but they are important for students to confirm what they think their goal may be before making further commitments.

Practice. Have somebody ask you common questions to help you think about how you would answer and get comfortable articulating them.

Either Admission reps or Alumni.

Yes.

It is very possible that a student working for the admission office may conduct an interview and that their impressions of you will be taken seriously by full time admission staff.

Knowing that this is typically how interviews begin, you should think about two or three points you want to make and devise an interesting way to state them that allows you to elaborate with purpose and direction. Do not start at the beginning and meander through your life story.

A student should try not to say things that display a lack of basic knowledge of the college. Additionally, they should try not to be conceded or entitled. Those are big turnoffs for most interviewers.

Body language always conveys meaning and impacts all interactions and the college interview is no exception.

The same way that politicians use talking points to get across what they want regardless of the question asked, students who convey a consistent message can control what the interviewer records, however it may also backfire in the same way as when a politician comes off as unresponsive or evasive.

Athletics can be a tremendous hook if a student has exceptional ability in a sport or a particular position in a sport where a particular college happens to have a need.

Yes. Colleges are looking mature, responsible citizens with high moral character. Keep your facebook page as private as possible to avoid any statements or pictures, by you or anyone else, that may be interpreted otherwise.

Freshman retention rates indicate what percentage of freshman return for sophomore year. Few other statistics reveal as much about the quality of the academic and social experience.

Yes they can and they will if a students behaviors are less than becoming academically or socially. Beyond letting grades slip, evidence of unlawful or unethical activities can cause a college to revoke an offer. Keeping your facebook page private and not being deceptive in your application should protect most students.

Visit each school, consider the costs, and talk it over with a trusted advisor.

No

Smart early planning is always best and can make college much easier to pay for. Beyond financial planning techniques, which can be extremely beneficial for maximizing need based aid, smart academic planning can pay huge dividends. For instance, hiring academic and test prep tutors is usually a very smart investment. Better grades and test scores can result in exponentially more merit aid.

Most of the best things a parent can do should take place prior to the applicant process. All parents can take an interest in and be supportive of their child's goals. Helping them seek out opportunities to explore interests in further depth is great. Parents who have been to college can talk to their kids about what their experience was like and how they selected a college. Parents can also make a point of showing their kids colleges of varying types. A visit to a major city like Boston or New York can mix in college visits with other activities. This will all increase the students own internal motivation for the strenuous application process.

During the process, a parent needs to make sure that their child is making appropriate progress, but keeping the college application process in the proper perspective is probably the most helpful thing a parent can do.

A parent who is too involved can hinder your chances for admission and success at a college. The classic example is re-writing or even writing application essays for their son or daughter. This is always a bad idea, ethically of course, but also because it will not work. It is fairly easy to tell the difference between an essay that has been written or re-written by a parent, even if trying to sound like their child, and an essay with an authentic voice. Parents who are too involved in selecting the schools the student applies to may also hurt a student's chances. Beyond match and fit, the student's passion for the school is an important factor. And finally, a parent who tries to intervene on a student's behalf by talking to admissions staff or others at a school will not be helpful. Especially if they are rude. Students or counselors should make any inquiries except in very special circumstances. If a parent is prepared to be involved in making a substantial financial contribution or can contribute to the goals of the university in other meaningful ways, this could be a big help.

Parents should attend an information session with their child and while on a tour of the campus should generally remain in the background. Let the student meet with admissions staff or faculty on their own and ask their own questions. Try to refrain from commenting on the school until later when the student has had time to think about it and comes to you.

First do no harm. Ask them if anything you are doing is adding stress, and if you cannot change what you are doing, you can explain why you are doing it. Having a greater understanding may be helpful for them. Also, do not try to talk about the application process every time you see them. Set up a schedule for checking in on their progress and thinking. Assure them that what you want is for them is to find schools that are good matches for their academic, and social interests and that they are excited about. Reinforce that there is not one school that will make them happy or provide the key to success. And definitely try not to gossip to others about where you son or daughter is applying.

Most parents are very concerned about their son or daughter's future and they often go overboard, but hopefully it is from a place of love. If your parents are causing you to feel more stressed, rather than less, you need to talk with them. Explain how you feel, and why what they are doing is causing you stress. Let them know how, when and what you are doing to select, apply, and pay for college. Give them a chance to talk, and listen to them. Hopefully having a better understanding of each other will help. One helpful tip is to set aside specific time for "college talk" so that it is not the focus every time you are together. Beyond that, it can be helpful to have a third party mediate sometimes.

Commonly no, but it definitely does happen. Schools have to see how correct their anticipated yield was before they look to the waitlist. Most schools have a really good idea of what percentage of admitted students will enroll which doesn't leave a lot of room for waitlisted students. It is an art not a science however so certain schools in certain years may take more from the waiting list.

Not much accept when it happens. Waitlisted students have to wait further in to spring and summer to learn of their acceptance.

A well written and compelling appeal letter that updates the school on your academic progress and indicates your continued interest is most important.

I would normally evaluate it very positively. Being admitted off the waitlist does not make you a second class student. Since you were not a top admit however, you probably will not be getting a merit scholarship which would be a negative if you were awarded merit aid at other colleges. These are issues that each student and family must evaluate individually.

Probably not. First the standards for a transfer student are often higher, and if were accepted you may lose credit for work you did at your other school. Second, most students fall in love with the school they chose to attend and after making friends there they would never want to leave.

If you are set on one particular school however, I would give yourself two bites at the apple by doing an amazing gap year activity and then applying again.

This is not uncommon. There are many factors that cause schools of similar selectivity to respond differently to the same student. The schools are involved in creating a class as well as fitting the new class together with the previous class. Your interests, talents, and passions may be a key piece of the puzzle at one school and a duplicate at another.

Hopefully your final college list included schools that you were sure to be admitted to and have many of the same qualities that made the first two schools your favorites. Review the aspects of the colleges that attracted you and compare them to the the schools you were admitted to. Many less selective schools have similar features to more selective schools.

Almost all colleges will view a gap year positively if a student has used it well.

A gap year can be beneficial because it gives students a chance to pursue a passion. Learn about it, be exposed to it, do it which will be viewed very positively in college admission offices and usually allows the student to enter a more mature confident and goal directed individual.

If a student does not have a good plan or the plan does not include a significant amount of independent reading, it could make for a tough transition to college.

The possibilities are virtually unlimited. Many of the most valuable experiences combine independent study with actually doing work in the world that benefits others.

Most students should apply to 6-9 schools.

International students are usually evaluated in pretty much the same holistic manner as domestic students.

Most schools do not offer need based financial aid to international students, but you can earn merit based scholarships at some schools.

Home schooled students can stand out in similar ways as all students. Developing intellectual, artistic, athletic or civic passions to the point where they are recognized on a national level will make any student stand out.

Selectivity is important to consider when determining if a school is a good match. It can be misleading however, since many schools are very self selective. Therefore, a school with a 10 percent admission rate is not necessarily better than a school with a 20 percent admission rate.

The quality of food varies widely from campus to campus and often between different dorms on the same campus. Some dorms offer very healthy almost gourmet options, while others can be almost inedible. Food is important and students should definitely spend time inspecting their options when on college visits.