CollegeVine Expert FAQ

I'm a bit of a math enthusiast and completed all the math courses available at my school. Found an advanced online math course for high school credit. Do colleges give equal weight to online courses l …

I'm in the process of listing my extracurricular activities in the Common App and I wanna make sure I'm doing it right. How should I be filling out this section effectively to stand out? Should I prio …

Hi friends, I’m wondering about the letters of recommendation for the Common App. How many does each college typically ask for? I want to start thinking about which teachers to ask. Any advice would b …

Hey everyone, I'm considering enrolling in an online World History course to fulfill my high school's history requirement. I'm aiming for colleges that value strong social science credentials. Does an …

I'm in the process of planning out my senior year and I'm thinking about taking a couple of CLEP exams. But before I commit, does anyone know how widely accepted these exams are by colleges? Are there …

Hey fam! I'm considering taking the Human Growth and Development CLEP exam and would love to hear from someone who's actually taken it. Was it tough? Are there specific topics I should focus on or any …

I'm seeing a lot of talk about having a 4.0 GPA, but I'm curious – what percentage of high school students actually achieve this? Is it as common as it seems, or are my school's standards just really …

Hey friends, I'm curious and doing some college app homework here - does Johns Hopkins use the Common App for their admissions process, or do they have their own portal?

Hi peeps, I'm gearing up for senior year course selection and stressing a bit. If I want to go into a STEM field, is chemistry like a make-or-break class for college admissions? Like, will colleges ex …

Hey everyone, I’ve heard some mixed opinions about enrolling in a Study Skills class during high school. Does it really make a difference when it comes to being ready for the workload of college? Anyo …

Hi friends, I’m in a bit of a dilemma here. I’m really into tech and I plan to apply to some pretty competitive engineering programs. I've got the chance to take a class in music technology - do you t …

Hi guys, stressfully pondering over here: How crucial is the Common App essay in the grand scheme of my application? I'm worried about how much time I should be investing in it.

Yo, I need help figuring out what colleges are expecting from our essays. What kind of qualities or essay elements make them go 'yes, this is the kind of student we want'? Any insights?

Hi everyone! I’m planning my junior year schedule and I’m really interested in kinesiology as a major for college. Will taking anatomy and physiology in high school give me a head start? Or are there …

So, I keep hearing about the 'Common App essay' from everyone in school, but I feel kinda lost because no one really explains what it's supposed to be. Is it like any normal essay for English class, o …

So, there’s this thing called a 'mid-year report' mentioned on the Common App. How important is this, and is it something that everyone must submit? Does it just show your first semester grades of sen …

Hallo Leute! Looks like I might be able to get some easy college credits with my German skills, and I've heard about the CLEP exam for German. For anyone who's taken it, what sort of preparation did y …

Hey folks, I've been hearing a lot about CLEP exams lately and I'm kinda curious. Could someone break down what subjects are covered by the 34 CLEP exams? I'm trying to see if I can get some college c …

I'm looking into the CLEP exams as a way to save on college credits, but I'm not sure what to expect. If any of you guys have taken multiple CLEP exams, could you share whether they're relatively easy …

Hey all, I'm in a bit of a pinch here. I've got a CLEP exam scheduled soon, but something important came up and there's no way I can make the test date. Life gets messy, and I don't want to lose my re …