CollegeVine Expert FAQ

Hey everyone, I'm a junior and I'm trying to decide whether to submit my SAT/ACT scores or apply test-optional. My scores are decent, but not outstanding. Should I submit them anyway or just focus on …

Hi everyone, I'm really interested in research and considering applying to Purdue. Would you classify Purdue as a research university or more of a teaching-focused university? Thanks for any insight y …

Hey everyone, I'm a junior and I attend a competitive and well-known high school with excellent programs and extracurriculars. Does attending a prestigious high school improve my chances of admission …

Hey everyone, I'm a high school junior and I'm currently researching colleges. I came across UCLA and wanted to know if it's classified as a research university. If so, what impact would it have on my …

Hello! I'm interested in applying to colleges that are renowned for research. Can anyone give me a list of the top research universities or share some resources where I can find information on this? A …

Hi there! I'm a high school junior who's really interested in research, but I'm not sure how universities fund their various research projects. Can someone help me understand the process? If I take pa …

Hi everyone, I attend a high school that has a somewhat negative reputation. I'm worried that college admissions officers might be biased against students from my school. Is this a real concern or am …

Hi everyone, I'm a junior in high school and I'm a little stressed about my GPA. It's not perfect, and I'm worried that this will hurt my chances of getting into a good college. Is it still possible t …

Hi there! I'm a junior, and I've been hearing about the importance of demonstrated interest in the college admissions process. Can anyone explain how important this is and how it can affect my chances …

Hello! I'm considering participating in a study abroad program during my junior year of high school. Would this experience make me more attractive to colleges, or does it not really matter in the gran …

Hello, I provide tutoring to my peers in various subjects after school. Is this something I should list as an extracurricular activity on my college applications? Thank you!

Hey guys, I'm a high school junior, and I've had the opportunity to travel a lot with my family during my high school years. We've visited numerous countries and learned about various cultures. I was …

Hi, I'm really interested in Stanford and one of the things I want to do in college is get involved in research projects. Does anyone know if Stanford is actually considered a research university? If …

I've got quite a few universities on my list, and I want to make sure I make well-informed decisions. How can I best research these universities to discover which ones align with my priorities and goa …

Hey guys, I'm starting to work on my college essays, and I want to make sure they stand out. Do you have any tips or strategies on how to write an essay that really shines?

Hi, I'm a junior in high school and I feel like my extracurriculars aren't unique or interesting enough. Can you guys suggest some uncommon extracurricular activities that could help me stand out to c …

Hey everyone, I'm really interested in neuroscience and would like to spend my upcoming summer doing something related to this field. However, I'm having trouble finding internships or research opport …

Hey everyone! I'm considering taking a gap year before starting college, but I want to make sure I use that time wisely. Do you have any suggestions on how to make the most of a gap year and what acti …

I've noticed I used some abbreviations in my college essay draft and I'm not sure if that's considered acceptable or if it looks unprofessional. Should I rephrase my writing to avoid abbreviations, or …

Hi all, I just got my ACT scores and scored a 33. I'm aiming for Ivy League schools, but I'm not sure if this score is competitive enough. Should I retake the test, or focus on other parts of my appli …