This fall, PrepScholar has been thrilled to partner with the new BrightGen Foundation to provide both academic tutoring and Complete Prep to underserved students in California. The founder of BrightGen, Amira, is herself a senior in high school, and between studying for finals and applying to college, she found the time to tell us a bit about what inspired BrightGen and how she built it into the program it is today.

Ivy League schools are some of the most prestigious and exclusive colleges in the United States. Every year, tens of thousands of students apply to each one and only a few thousand receive acceptance letters. So what does it really take to get into an Ivy League college?

In this complete guide to Ivy League eligibility, we’ll discuss everything from basic Ivy League admissions requirements to what makes a student stand out so you can learn exactly how to get into an Ivy League school.

Every college applicant wants to get accepted. When you apply to safety schools, you boost your chances of getting into colleges that are the right fit for you. But what is a safety school, and how do you decide which ones to apply to? 

In this guide, we’ll walk you through a step-by-step process for how to find safety schools. We’ll also give you tips for narrowing down your list of safety schools so you can apply to the right ones for you! 

College admission rates can tell you a lot about your chances of getting in—you just have to know how to read them. A school’s acceptance rate is the percentage of total applicants who get in during any given admissions cycle. This percentage is a quick and easy way to understand how selective a school is and how competitive your application may be. 

But why should you care? 

Think about acceptance rates as clues. When you understand how to find them and what they mean, you can make smarter choices about where to apply. 

In this guide, we’ll break down what college acceptance rates are, where you can find them, and how recent trends in admissions can give you an advantage in the application process.

Let’s jump in!

Have you ever wondered to yourself, “What do college applications look like?” You’re not alone! 

For many students, the college application process can feel overwhelming, especially when they see all the different forms, sections, and essay prompts. 

But here’s the good news: most college apps have a similar structure. Once you understand the basics, the entire process of applying for college becomes much easier!

In this article, we’ll break down each part of a typical college application to give you a better idea of what to expect when you begin writing your own. Think of this as your personal roadmap through the application process—by the end, you’ll know exactly what colleges are looking for and how to complete each section with confidence.

Let’s get started!

When it comes to crafting a strong college application, it’s easy to focus on numbers: GPA, test scores, number of AP courses, etc. And all of those factors can be important! However, what really sets applicants apart often comes down to less measurable, but equally important, qualities. Colleges want students who will have a positive impact on campus and beyond. That means they care about who you are as a person, too. The admissions team is aiming to build communities, not just collect transcripts. 

How can you show colleges you're the type of applicant they're looking for? Read this article to learn the top 10 qualities colleges are looking for and how you can show them in your application.

There are many reasons you may want to email a college admissions office. You might have questions about deadlines, application requirements, financial aid, or getting off the waitlist, among other topics. Whenever you interact with a college, it's important to showcase your best self. This means you'll want to be thoughtful about any email you send them. 

But how do you write an email that’s professional, respectful, and gets your questions answered? In this guide, we’ll walk you through exactly how to write an email to a college admissions office, with examples, tips, and mistakes to avoid.

If you've done any research into college essays and how to write a great one, you've likely come across the esteemed "Costco Essay." This essay, published publicly in 2016, has since achieved near-legendary status in the world of college admissions. The Costco essay focuses on the writer's lifelong love of Costco and helped earn her spots at multiple Ivy League schools, as well as Stanford. Since then, it's been held up as a shining example of a college admissions essay.

But is the Costco essay still good? Was it really that impressive to begin with? Would it still get an applicant into Ivy League schools today or has it become overused and outdated? How can you take what it did well and apply it to your own college essay? Learn all the answers in this expert guide.

There’s been a lot written lately about the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in education, especially when it comes to students completing their assignments. But AI is becoming a hot topic in college admissions, both in terms of students using AI to create their applications and colleges using AI to help choose students for admission. 

Today, we’re going to bring you up to speed on how both students and universities are using AI in the admissions process and what that means for you. 

Let’s dive in. 

People are using artificial intelligence (AI) large language models, or LLMs, for everything from helping write emails to refining the lists of collegesthey’d like to apply to.

However, using artificial intelligence to help you craft your college applications can cause problems. 

Colleges want to make sure they’re admitting students who can be successful on their campuses, so they use the application as a way to assess students’ skills and preparedness. In fact, most colleges require students to attest that they have been truthful and honest on their applications when they submit them! 

That’s why some schools are starting to run students’ applications through software that checks for the use of AI and flags applications that it suspects have used AI to generate some or all of the text. In this article, we’re going to explain what you need to know about how colleges are using AI scanning software and how it can impact your admissions prospects. 

Let’s get started. 

In 2024, several elite colleges dropped their test-optional admissions policies and returned to requiring SAT/ACT scores as part of the admissions process. 

This is a major change in college admissions–and one that may be adopted by other colleges and universities in the future. With more college admissions changes potentially on the horizon, how can you plan your college application process? How do you know which colleges are test optional and which colleges require SAT/ACT scores?

Our expert admissions counselors are weighing in and giving you the tips and insider knowledge you need to know so you’re prepared for a changing college admissions landscape. Keep reading to learn more!

In February 2024, Dartmouth and Yale — two Ivy League universities — announced that they were returning to their previous policies of requiring SAT or ACT test scores as part of their admissions processes.

Brown followed suit in March 2024, announcing their decision to return to requiring standardized tests as well.  

For the past few years these schools have been “test optional,” meaning students could choose to send test scores, but they weren’t required for admission. This signals a major shift in the college admissions landscape as other U.S. universities weigh if they should follow suit. 

So how does this change impact students applying to Brown, Yale, or Dartmouth? And does this signal a larger trend in the admissions landscape? 

Let’s find out. 

Trying to save money on college applications? Good news! There are actually quite a few colleges that allow you to apply for free. In this article, I'll provide some general information about application fees along with a comprehensive list of all the schools that offer free applications.

If you have been putting off the ACT/SAT or are hoping to retake one, you need to know when you can take your last test so that your scores will arrive at your schools in time. In other words, when is the very latest you can take the SAT or ACT for your college applications?

Read on to find out when you can still take the SAT or ACT—and when you'd be too late. You might be surprised by how little time you have!