Admissions.Blog

AUGUST 4, 2023

It once stood for “Standardized Aptitude Test.” A significant number of students engage in more than ten extracurricular activities during the course of their years in high school. What, after all, does SAT stand for anymore? ” Now it stands for literally nothing other than “SAT.”

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The Koppelman Group

NOVEMBER 3, 2023

And look, you’re also probably interested in the top programs out there, like Stanford, Berkeley, Michigan, Duke, and Georgia Tech, which means you’ll need not just amazing grades and scores, but a slate of impressive extracurriculars that show your dedication to engineering.

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Princeton College Consulting

MARCH 7, 2023

Depth over breadth: How to make your extracurricular activities count for college admissions By now you already know that it’s not just about academics. While you are onto something, you need to rethink your approach in answering the question, “What do selective colleges look for in extracurricular activities?” Having a 4.0

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HelloCollege

MAY 25, 2023

Many students struggle to decide which extracurriculars to include on their college applications and which activities to cross off. Luckily, this article provides a list of extracurriculars that are best left off college applications. Why Are Extracurricular Activities So Important For College Applications?

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Solomon Admissions

DECEMBER 8, 2023

Did you know that there are over 1,830 colleges and universities that have switched to test-optional over the last few years? These universities recognize that standardized tests alone do not fully represent a student’s abilities, talents, and/or potential. So, what does the term ‘test-optional’ really mean for you as a student?

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The Koppelman Group

NOVEMBER 9, 2023

You’ll need more than just exceptional grades and test scores; a portfolio of impressive extracurricular activities that reflects your unwavering dedication to computer science is a must. In-school Extracurriculars Join computer science clubs, robotics teams, or programming clubs at your school. Make an app! Develop your own AI!

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The Koppelman Group

JUNE 5, 2023

So when we hear this question, we usually have to respond with a question, “What do their extracurriculars look like?” Why do extracurriculars matter at MIT? This means they will be looking carefully at your extracurriculars. Our MIT test case had a huge passion for research. Need help figuring out extracurriculars?

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Berkeley² Academy

MARCH 15, 2024

Some ,, big changes are coming to UT Austin admissions in 2024—today we’ll go over important details regarding their standardized testing policy, essay prompts, application deadlines, and more. Testing Policy This week, UT Austin announced its reinstatement of mandatory standardized testing as part of the undergraduate application.

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CTK College Coach

OCTOBER 8, 2023

Testing Tips and Timeline for High School Juniors (Class of 2025) October - Taking the PSAT Most high school juniors in the US will take the PSAT on or around October 11. It is meant to be a warm-up to the real test, and it is! You can also simply take a practice test of each and compare results. No more long reading passages.

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College Essay Guy

NOVEMBER 29, 2022

If you’re exploring different colleges to apply to, you may have heard the terms “test optional” or “test blind.” So what do the terms “test optional” and “test blind” mean? How might they change your testing and application approach? And which schools are actually test optional or test blind?

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Shemmassian Academic Consulting

FEBRUARY 29, 2024

A Complete DAT time breakdown, plus answers to common test day questions Introduction The Dental Admission Test (DAT) is arguably the most consequential assessment on your journey to dental school. Preparation for the exam can take months, and when test day finally arrives, you’ll want to be absolutely sure you know what to expect.

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Educated Quest

OCTOBER 20, 2022

Test-optional admissions grew in practice at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. I touch on test-optional admissions in my new book, The Good College. Standardized test scores are one of several data points in college admissions, even at test-optional schools. Test scores are one of them and so are grades.

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Ivy College Essay

AUGUST 10, 2023

What are the test score requirements to get into Dartmouth? Understanding the academic standards and test score expectations can make your journey smoother. Choosing Between SAT and ACT Dartmouth doesn’t favor one test over the other. Take practice tests to determine which format suits you best.

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Solomon Admissions

APRIL 3, 2023

No, college admissions is not solely about perfect GPAs and testing. While good grades and high test scores can certainly help, there are many other factors that colleges consider when evaluating applicants. First, it might be helpful to understand the difference between holistic and non-holistic college admissions.

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Ivy College Essay

AUGUST 22, 2023

In recent times, standardized testing policies for Ivy League universities have undergone significant changes, especially in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and growing concerns about equity in college admissions. However, whether these changes will influence colleges’ decisions about the use of standardized tests remains uncertain.

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The Koppelman Group

JANUARY 27, 2023

Online classes are a great way to take what you’re interested in and really put it to the test. If you need help developing your extracurriculars and strategizing for college admissions, reach out to us today. Online Classes Once you’ve started to read books and narrow down what you’re passionate about, it’s time to get even deeper!

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BestColleges

NOVEMBER 2, 2023

Data Summary Check Less than half of students (47%) say that the use of standardized test scores to assess applicants in college admissions is fair. Check Among students who submitted standardized test scores to a college, 56% say their score may have helped their chances of getting accepted to the school of their choice.

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ACM College Consulting

APRIL 23, 2024

Here's a comprehensive guide to navigating summer college planning for rising seniors: Reflect and Set Goals : Take the time to reflect on your academic achievements, extracurricular activities, and personal interests. Utilize the summer months to review test materials, enroll in test prep courses, or schedule exam dates.

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Princeton College Consulting

SEPTEMBER 16, 2019

If you do hope to go the pre-med route in college, you’ll need to have high grades and test scores, but also impressive extracurricular activities. Why Extracurriculars Matter So Much. With some exceptions, most students who apply to extremely selective colleges and universities have the highest-tier grades and test scores.

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Elite Open School

JANUARY 20, 2021

Earlier this week, the College Board announced some major changes to their suite of college application tests. SAT Subject Tests will no longer be offered On January 19, the College Board officially announced that they would no longer offer SAT Subject Tests. Will colleges accept SAT Subject Test and SAT Essay scores?

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Admissions Village

DECEMBER 1, 2022

The University of San Diego (who is test blind) has expanded tutoring services and invited all first-year students to campus a week early, at the college’s expense, for Science Lab boot camps because the students probably missed that in high school. Many other colleges might be thinking of returning to requiring test scores.

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Strategic College Consulting

APRIL 16, 2020

Traditionally, admission criteria have centered on elements such as grades, strength of curriculum, standardized test scores, essays, and extracurricular activities, among others. Some colleges have temporarily suspended their standardized testing requirement. Does this mean that a student should abandon all test prep?

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Princeton College Consulting

MAY 22, 2018

While you are onto something, you need to rethink your approach in answering the question, “What do top colleges look for in extracurricular activities?”. A simple Google search will yield results providing you with checklists of ‘The Best Extracurricular Activities for Your College App’, and so on. Stop looking for checklists.

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Simply Admissions

AUGUST 13, 2020

This month, we’ll go over post-COVID standardized testing changes and FAQs. The majority of colleges have changed their testing requirements recently, which seems like it’s only caused more confusion! Below is a handy cheat sheet I’ve created that summarizes the different testing policies. Should I still sign up for an ACT/SAT?

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The Koppelman Group

APRIL 28, 2024

Extracurriculars After your grades, the thing that they care most about next are your personal qualities as shown through your essays and recommendations. Extracurriculars give you things to write about outside of the classroom, and underline what you care about enough to invest time in when you don’t have to in school.

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The Koppelman Group

APRIL 24, 2024

In this post, we’ll go into detail about what Wesleyan likes to see on your transcript, in your extracurriculars section, and on your standardized tests, but the most important thing to remember is that Wesleyan doesn’t like cookie cutter. Show this through extracurriculars and extra classes in the subjects you love.

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Ivy Central

APRIL 6, 2023

The future of standardised tests. We have also seen an increase in colleges going Test Blind, most noticeably the University of California colleges, meaning that even if students do send a test score colleges won’t use it when making decisions on acceptance.

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Scoir

JANUARY 11, 2024

Between preparing for standardized tests to keeping up with extracurriculars, this year is full of hard work, reflection, and discovery. Junior year of high school is a key point in the college planning process.

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Koodoos Learning

MAY 6, 2020

Admissions Test Score For those of you who have test anxiety, you’ll be glad to know that the ACT and SAT scores are not the number one factor in determining your admissions decision. Extracurricular Activities Extracurricular activities show who you are and what you’re going to be bringing to the college’s campus community.

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Spark Admissions

JUNE 7, 2023

Although many colleges and universities have become or are becoming test-optional , it is undeniable that top-ranked schools still prefer to see strong standardized test scores if possible. A strong test score can fortify an applicant’s other academic and intellectual strengths in the admissions process.

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SSA Online College Prep

APRIL 15, 2024

Academic Expertise While a transcript is not the only thing that Georgetown considers, it is important to acknowledge that an applicant’s secondary school record, including grade point average, standardized test scores , class rank, etc, is highly considered in the selection process. Are you good at managing tough situations? We can help!

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Excelsior Admissions Consulting

MARCH 11, 2024

Grade inflation is another reason why standardized test scores can be useful to admissions officers as these scores peg students to a national average. Colleges like Dartmouth, Yale, and Brown all recently announced they will require test scores for the 2024 application cycle.

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The Koppelman Group

APRIL 2, 2024

Let’s talk Scores Princeton is currently test-optional , but you really should try to submit scores. Also, 85% of applicants submitted scores, and Princeton classifies test scores as “very important” if submitted. Ideally, you want your test scores to exceed the middle 50% range, aka being better than the average applicant.

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Ivy College Essay

JANUARY 5, 2024

This pivotal essay prompt serves as a litmus test for your knowledge of Columbia’s distinctive academic and extracurricular offerings. This essay prompt provides an opportunity to showcase your personality, interests, and extracurricular involvement. Then, explain how you envision extending these contributions to Columbia.

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Shemmassian Academic Consulting

SEPTEMBER 12, 2023

When viewing the test scores below, note that 42 percent of admitted students did not submit test scores. To find their ideal students, the BU admissions committee closely evaluates applicants’ academics, test scores, and extracurriculars. Average GPA: 3.9 Average GPA range: 3.8–4.0

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The Koppelman Group

APRIL 27, 2024

We will review your performance in school, the rigor of your program, your writing skills and any test scores you choose to submit. Test Scores USC is currently test-optional. Last year, around 50% of students submitted test scores. However, if you submit scores, they consider them to be “very important.”

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The Koppelman Group

APRIL 22, 2024

Test Scores Penn is currently test-optional. However, and this is big, over 70% of matriculated students sent scores last year , and Penn list test scores as “very important” if submitted. Extracurriculars Penn is proud of its “work hard, play hard” vibes and generally wants students that get involved on campus.

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