CollegeVine Expert FAQ

Hello everyone, I'm a junior and I've been wondering if colleges prefer weighted or unweighted GPA when evaluating applicants. I have both on my transcript and I'm not sure which one colleges will foc …

Hi everyone, I'm a junior and I've heard that college admissions officers sometimes check applicants' social media profiles. Is this true? If so, should I be worried about what I post online? What can …

Hey everyone, I just got my SAT scores back and I scored a 1450. While I know it's not a bad score, I can't help but feel like I could do better. Is it worth retaking the test to try and get a higher …

I'm working on my college essay and I'm not sure about the structure. Is there a specific number of paragraphs I should aim for, or does it vary depending on the essay?

Hi everyone, I'm working on my essay for college applications and I was wondering if it's acceptable to use contractions like 'I'm' and 'they're'. Will using contractions make my essay seem less forma …

Hi everyone! As I create my list of colleges to apply to, I know it's important to have a mix of safety, match, and reach schools. I'm not exactly sure how to determine which schools fall into each ca …

Hi all, I'm a high school junior starting to think about writing my college essays. I know this is a crucial part of the application, but I'm not sure where to start. Any advice on how to write a comp …

Hi all, I'm a high school junior, and I've heard about the Common App as a way to apply to multiple colleges. Can anyone explain how the Common App works and if it's a good option for applying to coll …

Hey everyone! I'm a high school junior, and I'm interested in finding a summer internship related to my field of interest (engineering) to gain some experience and improve my college application. Wher …

Hey everyone! I'm a junior and I'm wondering how I can effectively communicate with college admissions officers. I want to make a good impression and show my interest in their school. Can you guys giv …

Hey everyone, I'm a junior and I'm starting to think about what I want to study in college. I have a few interests, but I'm not sure how to narrow them down and choose a major. Does anyone have any ad …

Hello everyone! I know it's a bit early, but I'm already thinking about how to decide between multiple college acceptances. What factors should I consider when making this decision, and do you have an …

Hi everyone! I'm a junior and I'm having trouble deciding whether I should apply to in-state or out-of-state colleges. What are the pros and cons of each, and how did you all make your decision? Thank …

Hey everyone! I'm a junior at a high school that isn't very well-known or prestigious. I'm worried that this might negatively affect my chances of getting accepted into a good college. How much does m …

Hi there! As a high school junior, I am starting to think about what type of college I want to attend. I have been considering both large universities and small liberal arts colleges. Can anyone give …

Hey guys, I'm a junior who's feeling a bit overwhelmed by the college application process. I'm still not sure what I want to major in, so I'm wondering if I need to declare a major when applying to co …

Hi all! I'm just curious, what would happen if someone were caught plagiarizing a college application essay? I'm not planning on doing this, but I've heard stories and I'm wondering what the consequen …

Hi all! I'm considering writing about my experiences with mental health in my college essay, but I'm not sure if it's an appropriate topic. Do you think discussing mental health issues could be seen a …

Hey, I'm a junior, and I know that I'll need letters of recommendation for my applications. I'm just not sure how to go about asking my teachers. Can anyone give me some guidance on this process? Than …

Hello! I'm trying to create a list of colleges to apply to, but I'm not sure where to start when it comes to researching them. There are so many resources and websites out there, and I'm feeling a bit …