CTCL: The Student-Centered College Search

From the CTCL website:

Keep the college search student-centered. Consider interests, strengths, and values, and reflect on what truly matters to you—academic programs, campus atmosphere, available support and resources, and extracurricular activities that align with your goals for personal and professional growth.

Explore colleges where you can connect with classmates and faculty and engage in high-impact educational experiences that empower you to shape your future.

Focusing on what inspires and motivates you will help you find college communities where you will thrive.

Here’s the most recent list of the 40+ schools that make up the Colleges That Change Lives consortium.

Let Great College Advice Help You Find the Right College Fit

The team at Great College Advice are big proponents of CTCL colleges and can work with you to identify the colleges that are the right fit for you. Start your journey today!

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About Great College Advice: Since 2007, the expert team at Great College Advice has provided comprehensive admissions guidance to thousands of students across the United States and more than 45 countries. Our six counselors bring over 100 combined years of college admissions experience. Great College Advice also runs College Admissions Experts, one of the most active Facebook groups for college-bound families, with over 100,000 members.

The post Colleges That Change Lives College Fairs first appeared on Great College Advice.

Quick answer: In California, “public” and “private” aren’t just cost labels — they’re two different admissions games. The public systems (the nine undergraduate UC campuses and 22 CSU campuses) use their own applications, are test-blind, generally don’t read letters of recommendation for first-year applicants, offer no early-decision option, and are mandated to prioritize California residents. Private colleges (Stanford, USC, Caltech, the Claremont Colleges, Santa Clara, and others) use the Common App, weigh supplemental essays and recommendations, some track demonstrated interest, and offer early-decision and early-action rounds. A strong California applicant runs two parallel strategies — one for the UC/CSU systems and one for privates — rather than treating them as interchangeable.

What’s the real difference between public and private colleges in California?

The surface difference is funding. California’s public universities — the UC and CSU systems — are supported by the state, which subsidizes tuition for residents. Private institutions such as Stanford, USC, Caltech, the five Claremont Colleges, Santa Clara, Pepperdine, Occidental, and Loyola Marymount run on endowments, donations, and tuition, which is why their published sticker prices are higher.

But the difference that actually shapes your application strategy isn’t the balance sheet — it’s how each type of school reads you. As Sarah Myers, a Senior Admissions Consultant at Great College Advice, puts it: “If you’re an in-state student, you’ll get priority at most in-state schools, so the chance of getting in can be higher and the tuition is going to be less.” Privates, by contrast, charge the same regardless of where you live and evaluate applicants through a national and international lens.

Veteran college admissions expert Jamie Berger urges families to resist ranking these schools against a mythical hierarchy in the first place. “There is no such thing as a top-20 school. It’s a false list,” he says. “The top 20 is not what we focus on — fit is what we focus on.” That mindset matters more in California than almost anywhere, because the state offers world-class options on both sides of the public/private line.

How is applying to a UC different from applying to a private California college?

This is where public and private diverge most sharply, and where students lose the most ground by assuming the process is the same.

The University of California uses its own application — not the Common App or Coalition App. One UC application covers all nine undergraduate campuses (Berkeley, Los Angeles, San Diego, Davis, Santa Barbara, Irvine, Santa Cruz, Riverside, and Merced). Instead of a single personal statement, you answer four of eight Personal Insight Questions (PIQs), each capped at 350 words and weighted equally. The UC system is test-blind, meaning SAT and ACT scores are not considered at all. It generally does not require letters of recommendation for first-year applicants, has no early-decision or early-action round, and opens a single filing window from October 1 to November 30. (For the full mechanics, see GCA’s guides to applying to UCLA, UC Berkeley, and UC San Diego.)

The California State University system uses a third platform, Cal State Apply, is also test-free, and leans more heavily on a formulaic eligibility index built from your GPA and A–G coursework, with “impacted” majors and campuses (Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, San Diego State) applying tougher criteria.

Private California colleges look completely different. Most use the Common App with school-specific supplemental essays; they read letters of recommendation, many track demonstrated interest, and they offer early-decision and early-action options — USC, for example, has introduced an Early Decision round with a November 1 deadline beginning in 2026. For need-based aid, selective privates typically require the CSS Profile in addition to the FAFSA. (We break down which schools use which platform in Do All Colleges Accept the Common App?, and walks through the private-side process in How to Apply to USC.)

Does being a California resident give you an admissions advantage?

At public universities, yes — and it’s built into policy. The UC system is mandated to prioritize California residents, which shows up plainly in the numbers: at the most selective campuses, in-state applicants are typically admitted at higher rates than out-of-state and international applicants, and residents make up the large majority of each entering class. In-state tuition is also dramatically lower, which is why a UC or CSU is often the strongest value on a California student’s list.

Private colleges offer no such residency edge. A student from Los Angeles and a student from New York are evaluated in the same pool at Stanford or Pomona. The strategic takeaway: your California residency is an asset you can only “spend” on public schools, so make sure your list actually includes UC and CSU options where that advantage applies — rather than loading up exclusively on privates where it does nothing for you.

How should you weigh a UC against a private like Stanford, USC, or a Claremont College?

Start with fit, not reputation. A large public research university and a small private college can both be excellent and still suit completely different students. Berger frames the honest self-assessment this way: “The kid who loves Ithaca, New York won’t love Morningside Heights in Manhattan.” Scale is part of that calculus — at big research universities, graduate students often get first claim on faculty attention and research slots, whereas smaller privates like the Claremont Colleges (Claremont McKenna, Scripps, Harvey Mudd, Pitzer, and Pomona) are built around undergraduate access and small classes.

Cost strategy is the other half of the decision, and it runs counter to intuition: the most selective privates — Stanford, Caltech — award no merit scholarships, because they don’t need to compete for students. Many strong mid-tier privates do, routinely discounting tuition by tens of thousands of dollars to attract high-stat applicants (USC’s Trustee and Presidential awards are well-known examples and Santa Clara has a generous merit aid program). Berger tells families the math can favor a well-chosen private: “The sticker price might seem large, but it might save you $20,000 a year by getting more merit aid at a college. You can’t guarantee it, but it very often does.” (GCA works a concrete version of this trade-off in UCLA vs. USC: Which Is Better? and the cost breakdown in Public vs. Private College: Which Costs Less?.)

One under-discussed factor: counseling support. “If you go to a big public high school, there’s almost no college counseling,” Berger notes — a reminder that the amount of guidance a student gets applying to these systems varies enormously, and the UC and private processes each reward students who plan deliberately. Applying to the UCs with different essays and a different application platform is a daunting DIY project if you’re also applying to colleges via the Common App.

How do you build a balanced California college list?

The single most common mistake California families make is building a list that’s really just a stack of UCs. Because the campuses share one application and a similar review philosophy, they tend to move together — if Berkeley and UCLA are reaches for a given profile, the rest of the selective UCs likely are too. A list of “eight UCs” is not necessarily a balanced list for some students; it’s one bet placed eight times.

A genuinely balanced list spans reach, target, and likely schools, and — critically — mixes systems: a couple of reach UCs or privates, solid target campuses, at least one CSU or private likely school you’re actually excited about, and options across both public and private tracks. GCA’s counselors describe this using a simple frame such as a “1-2-1” model (one or two true lottery schools, a few reaches, a few targets, and some likelies).

Getting there starts with defining fit before names. “One of the first things we do is have a student fill out a long spreadsheet with about 100 categories,” Berger explains — “everything from majors to big-sports schools to small, urban, or suburban campuses — rated from ‘must have’ to ‘not interested at all.'” That exercise is what turns “I want to go to a UC” into a list of specific campuses and privates that genuinely match the student. GCA also encourages students to present themselves as “well-lopsided” rather than well-rounded — showing real depth in one or two areas — which reads strongly in both the UC’s activities-and-PIQ review and a private’s holistic read. (More on building the list in College Fit vs. Prestige and the year-by-year College Admissions Lifecycle guide.)

Quick-start decision framework

• Confirm residency early. Your California residency only counts at the UC and Cal State schools.
• Run two application tracks. Build a UC/CSU plan (UC application, PIQs, Cal State Apply) and a private plan (Common App, supplements, recommendations) in parallel.
• Map the calendar. The UC window closes November 30 with no early option; privates may have November 1 ED/EA deadlines. Back-plan from the earliest date.
• Separate the essays. Four 350-word PIQs for the UCs are a different craft than one personal statement plus supplements on the Common App. Don’t recycle blindly.
• Diversify by system, not just by name. At least one likely school you’d be happy to attend — public or private.
• Model real cost, not sticker price. Compare in-state UC value against private merit-aid potential using each school’s net price calculator.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Treating the UC application like the Common App (or assuming test scores help — the UCs won’t see them).
• Building an all-UC list and calling it balanced.
• Ignoring CSU campuses, several of which are outstanding and highly competitive in specific majors.
• Skipping demonstrated interest at privates that track it, while over-investing in it at UCs that don’t.
• Chasing prestige over fit — and dismissing a strong “likely” school you’d actually thrive at.

There are great universities across the US, but not every university is great for every student. Focus on fit over the name of the school and the prestige of the school. In California, that fit-first approach is a genuine luxury — because whether the answer is public or private, the state gives strong students an unusually deep bench of great choices.

Ready to build a California list that balances your best public and private options? Book a consultation with Great College Advice.

Frequently asked questions

Are California public universities test-blind?

Yes. The UC and CSU systems do not consider SAT or ACT scores in admissions decisions. Many private California colleges are test-optional and a few are reinstating testing, so check each school individually.

Can I apply to a UC and a private college with the same application?

No. The UC system uses its own application, CSU uses Cal State Apply, and most privates use the Common App. Plan for at least three separate platforms.

Does the UC system give an advantage to California residents?

Yes. The UC system is mandated to prioritize California residents, and in-state admit rates and tuition are both more favorable than for non-residents. Private colleges offer no residency advantage.

Do private colleges in California offer merit scholarships?

Some do and some don’t. The most selective (Stanford, Caltech) generally offer no merit aid, while many strong mid-tier privates use sizable merit awards to attract high-achieving students.

How many essays does the UC application require?

Four Personal Insight Questions (PIQs) chosen from eight prompts, each with a 350-word limit. All four are weighted equally.

Should my list include both public and private schools?

For most California students, yes. Combining UC, CSU, and private options across reach, target, and likely tiers produces a more resilient list than concentrating in any single system.

The post Public vs. Private in California: Comparing the Student Experience first appeared on Great College Advice.

Most lists of “best pre-law schools” rank universities by prestige and leave it there. That’s not especially useful — and according to the counselors at Great College Advice, it can actually send students in the wrong direction.

“To get into fantastic law schools, you need to be engaged. You need to be aware of what’s going on in the world,” says Pam Gentry, senior admissions consultant at Great College Advice. “A lot of students choose to major in political science, but that’s not what’s important. What’s important is being engaged and putting yourself out there — working on those skills of leadership, community involvement, of being a good listener.”

That reframing shapes how the schools below were selected. Each one earns its place not just because of name recognition, but because it consistently delivers the specific combination of analytical writing practice, community engagement, internship access, and intellectual depth that law schools actually evaluate. Within that list, the right school for any individual student depends on fit — campus size, culture, location, and the environment in which that student does their best thinking.

How to Read This List

Each entry includes a standout pre-law feature, recommended majors, and a best-fit profile — because the goal is not to rank schools against each other, but to help you identify which environment is right for you.

1. University of Virginia

Type: Large public research university | Location: Charlottesville, VA (2.5 hours from Washington, D.C.)

Why It Works for Pre-Law

UVA is one of the few universities in the country that offers a named Government major — a distinction that Pam Gentry specifically highlights as rare and valuable for pre-law students. The department is built around exactly the analytical reading and writing skills that law school demands, and UVA’s robust pre-law advising infrastructure gives students clear pathways for LSAT preparation, internship placement, and faculty mentorship.

Proximity to Washington, D.C., means students can access federal agencies, think tanks, and major law firms for internships — the kind of hands-on engagement that strengthens law school applications far more than an impressive transcript alone.

Standout Pre-Law Feature: Named Government major; direct pipeline to D.C. internship ecosystem

Recommended Majors: Government, Economics, English

Best Fit For: Students who want a large, resource-rich public university with strong pre-law culture and access to policy and legal institutions

2. Dartmouth College

Type: Ivy League research university | Location: Hanover, NH

Why It Works for Pre-Law

Dartmouth is the other institution Pam Gentry names specifically for offering a Government major — a meaningful differentiator in a landscape where most universities offer only Political Science. The college’s relatively small size for an Ivy means undergraduates have closer access to faculty than at larger peer institutions, which matters for developing the writing skills and faculty relationships that translate into strong law school recommendations.

Dartmouth’s quarter system also allows students to take a wider variety of courses across disciplines — an advantage for pre-law students who want to pair their government or economics coursework with writing-intensive electives in English or comparative literature.

Standout Pre-Law Feature: Government major with Ivy-caliber faculty access; smaller scale than most research universities

Recommended Majors: Government, Economics, Comparative Literature

Best Fit For: Students who want the prestige and resources of an Ivy but in a more intimate academic environment

3. Georgetown University

Type: Mid-size research university | Location: Washington, D.C.

Why It Works for Pre-Law

Georgetown’s location is its most distinctive pre-law asset. Students are embedded in the legal and policy capital of the country, with direct access to federal courts, Congressional offices, the State Department, law firms, and public interest organizations. For students who want to test their interest in law through internships before committing to an LSAT prep cycle, no campus in the country offers more immediate access.

Georgetown’s own robust pre-law advising program, combined with a student body that skews toward policy and public service, creates a peer environment that reinforces the kind of engagement and awareness that Pam Gentry identifies as essential for law school readiness.

Standout Pre-Law Feature: D.C. location with unmatched access to legal and policy internships

Recommended Majors: Government, Justice and Peace Studies, Economics, English

Best Fit For: Students drawn to public interest law, policy, or international law who want real-world exposure during the undergraduate years

4. Amherst College

Type: Small liberal arts college | Location: Amherst, MA

Why It Works for Pre-Law

Amherst consistently appears on law school placement lists not because it has a pre-law advising center to match Georgetown’s, but because its curriculum does exactly what law schools reward: it forces students to read primary texts carefully, construct written arguments, and defend those arguments in seminar settings. That is, in essence, what law school is.

Amherst’s open curriculum — with no distribution requirements — allows pre-law students to design a rigorous course of study in whatever combination of disciplines builds their strongest analytical foundation. Small class sizes mean writing receives close faculty attention, which is how undergraduate writing actually improves.

Standout Pre-Law Feature: Writing-intensive liberal arts curriculum with no distribution requirements; exceptional law school placement rates

Recommended Majors: English, Law, Jurisprudence and Social Thought (LJST), Economics, Political Science

Best Fit For: Students who thrive in small seminar environments and want a curriculum that prioritizes analytical writing above all else

5. University of Chicago

Type: Large research university | Location: Chicago, IL

Why It Works for Pre-Law

UChicago’s Core curriculum is, by design, one of the most intellectually demanding undergraduate experiences in the country — and it maps almost perfectly onto what law schools evaluate. Students read primary texts across philosophy, social science, natural science, and the humanities, write extensively in response to those texts, and are expected to engage in rigorous argumentative discussion. That is not incidental preparation for law school; it is essentially the same cognitive training.

Chicago’s urban location provides strong internship access in legal and policy settings, and the university’s pre-law advising resources are extensive. The intellectual culture here rewards exactly the kind of student who wants to become a lawyer for the right reasons — because they find ideas genuinely compelling.

Standout Pre-Law Feature: Core curriculum that trains analytical argument at the undergraduate level better than almost any other program in the country

Recommended Majors: Economics, Political Science, English Language and Literature, Philosophy

Best Fit For: Intellectually driven students who want to be challenged across disciplines and are serious about developing the writing and argumentation skills that define legal practice

6. Williams College

Type: Small liberal arts college | Location: Williamstown, MA

Why It Works for Pre-Law

Williams routinely places among the top liberal arts colleges for law school admission, and the reason is structural: its tutorial system, in which pairs of students meet regularly with a faculty member to present and defend written arguments, is essentially a replication of the law school seminar in miniature. Students develop the habit of writing analytically, receiving critical feedback, and revising — skills that most undergraduates at larger universities develop far more slowly.

Williams also maintains a strong alumni network in law and public policy, which students can begin building through the college’s career resources as early as sophomore year.

Standout Pre-Law Feature: Tutorial system that builds analytical writing and argumentation through regular one-on-one and small-group faculty engagement

Recommended Majors: English, Political Economy, History, Comparative Literature

Best Fit For: Students who want an intimate academic environment with exceptional writing instruction and a tight alumni network in law

7. Northwestern University

Type: Large research university | Location: Evanston, IL (bordering Chicago to the north)

Why It Works for Pre-Law

Northwestern offers pre-law students an unusual combination: the scale and resources of a major research university, proximity to Chicago’s substantial legal and business ecosystem, and one of the strongest undergraduate writing programs among Tier 1 universities.

Northwestern’s pre-law advising is well-resourced, and its alumni network in law is active and geographically distributed — particularly valuable for students interested in corporate law, where firm relationships matter.

Standout Pre-Law Feature: Strong writing requirements university-wide; Chicago internship access; active pre-law alumni network

Recommended Majors: Economics, Political Science, English, Philosophy

Best Fit For: Students who want a large university environment with strong writing standards and immediate access to urban legal and business internships

8. Pomona College

Type: Small liberal arts college | Location: Claremont, CA

Why It Works for Pre-Law

Pomona is part of the Claremont Consortium, which means students have access to five colleges’ worth of courses, faculty, and resources while still experiencing the intimacy of a small liberal arts campus. For pre-law students, this is a significant structural advantage: they can pursue deep writing-intensive coursework at Pomona while drawing on the broader consortium for economics, government, and policy courses at Claremont McKenna.

Pomona’s pre-law advising is active, its alumni network in California’s legal community is strong, and its academic culture rewards exactly the kind of rigorous, text-based analytical thinking that law schools seek.

Standout Pre-Law Feature: Access to Claremont Consortium resources with the academic culture of a small liberal arts college

Recommended Majors: English, Politics, Economics, Philosophy

Best Fit For: Students interested in California or West Coast legal careers who want a liberal arts foundation with broader course access than a single-college campus provides

9. University of Michigan

Type: Large public research university | Location: Ann Arbor, MI

Why It Works for Pre-Law

Michigan is the strongest public university option on this list for pre-law students who are weighing cost against outcomes. Its undergraduate pre-law advising is among the most developed in the country, its alumni network in law is enormous and geographically wide, and its programs in political science, economics, and English are consistently ranked among the best at any public institution.

For families concerned about the cost of law school, building a strong application from a well-resourced public flagship is a legitimate and strategically sound path. Michigan’s in-state tuition makes it one of the most cost-effective routes to a top-tier law school application.

Standout Pre-Law Feature: Exceptional pre-law advising infrastructure; enormous alumni network; cost-effective relative to peer institutions

Recommended Majors: Political Science, Economics, English Language and Literature, Philosophy

Best Fit For: Students, particularly Michigan residents, who want the resources of a major research university without the cost of a private institution — and who are thinking strategically about the total cost of an undergraduate-plus-law-school path

10. New York University

Type: Large research university | Location: New York City, NY

Why It Works for Pre-Law

NYU’s single greatest asset for pre-law students is also its most obvious one: New York City. No other city in the country offers comparable density of law firms, courts, public interest organizations, corporate legal departments, and policy institutions — and NYU students have direct access to all of it through internship pipelines that begin in the first year.

For students who learn best by doing — who want to be working in a legal setting during their undergraduate years, not just studying about the law — NYU’s location is unmatched. The university’s pre-law advising is strong, and its faculty connections to the legal world are deep.

Standout Pre-Law Feature: Unparalleled internship access in one of the world’s most active legal markets

Recommended Majors: Politics, Economics, English and American Literature, Philosophy

Best Fit For: Students drawn to corporate law, public interest law, or international law who want real-world legal experience woven through their undergraduate years from day one

The Underlying Logic: What These Schools Share

Every school on this list delivers some combination of the four things that Pam Gentry identifies as genuinely predictive of law school success:

Analytical writing practice — not just a writing requirement, but a culture in which writing is taken seriously and improved through sustained feedback.

Community engagement — a campus environment, location, or advising culture that actively encourages students to lead organizations, pursue internships, and connect their academic work to the world outside the classroom.

Major flexibility — the freedom to pursue English, economics, government, or comparative literature rather than defaulting to political science, because those majors build the analytical skills law schools actually evaluate.

Internship access — through location, alumni networks, or advising infrastructure that gives students the opportunity to work in legal settings before they apply to law school.

No single school on this list is right for every student. The right choice is the one where a specific student will write the most, engage the most, and grow the most — not the one with the most prestigious name.

A Note on Timing

One practical point worth flagging: the LSAT does not go away. As Pam Gentry notes, “There’s no test-optional heading into grad school.” Students who struggled with standardized tests in high school need to begin thinking early about building the confidence and test-taking skills they will need for the LSAT — typically taken at the end of junior year or the summer after. The undergraduate school you choose should have pre-law advising that supports that preparation, not just helps you pick a major.

Working With Great College Advice on Pre-Law Planning

The college list is only one piece of the pre-law puzzle. At Great College Advice, our counselors work with pre-law students to identify the undergraduate environment that fits their specific academic profile, legal interests, and long-term goals; and to build a plan for the undergraduate years that positions them competitively for law school admission. If you are working through this decision, we are happy to help you think it through. Request a free consultation today.

The post Top Pre-Law Schools to Consider Applying to first appeared on Great College Advice.

Every spring, thousands of families search for the same thing: a ranked list of the best pre-med schools in the country. The expectation is a tidy hierarchy — Penn at the top, followed by a handful of elite names, with a clear signal that admission to one of them guarantees a medical school seat four years later. That list doesn’t exist, and chasing it can lead pre-med students into choices that make the path to medicine harder, not easier.

At Great College Advice, we’ve worked with pre-med students for decades. What we consistently find is that the schools that produce the strongest medical school applicants aren’t always the most prestigious ones — they’re the ones where a specific student could earn excellent science grades, access meaningful research, and still have the bandwidth to become a fully developed human being. Here’s what that actually looks like in practice.

#1. A College Where You Can Actually Earn Strong Science Grades

This is the single most important factor for any pre-med student, and it’s the one most families overlook when building a college list. Medical schools evaluate the science GPA separately from the overall GPA. Performance in biology, chemistry, and physics is the clearest academic signal in the application — and it matters more than the name on the diploma. The practical implication is significant. Competition in science courses at elite universities is fierce. A student who earns excellent grades at a well-supported state flagship or a small liberal arts college can be a stronger medical school applicant than one who struggles for average grades at a highly competitive institution.

As our senior admissions consultant, Pam Gentry, explains: “Getting into medical school in the US is very difficult — it has about a 40% acceptance rate. The most important thing a student needs to do to get into med school is to have a good GPA in their science classes, and that can be done at Penn, but the competition is certainly more fierce.” The honest question isn’t “which school is the most prestigious?” It’s “at which school am I most likely to earn A’s in organic chemistry?”

# 2. State Flagship Universities

State flagship programs — the primary public research universities in each state — consistently produce competitive medical school applicants. They offer robust pre-health advising offices, extensive research infrastructure, and the breadth of course offerings that pre-med students need. The cost advantage is also substantial. An undergraduate degree at a private institution can cost $300,000 and more — and medical school adds significant additional expense on top of that. In-state tuition at a flagship university can provide equivalent pre-med preparation at a fraction of the cost, which matters enormously when you’re planning a career that involves multiple advanced degrees.

“There are a number of fantastic undergraduate programs in the US at colleges and universities where students can be highly successful of achieving their goal of getting into med school without spending the same amount of money,” Gentry notes. “Med school is so expensive in the US that sometimes families come and say, ‘They’re going to med school, but they don’t want to spend three hundred thousand for undergrad.'” The trade-off is that large introductory science classes can make it harder to build relationships with faculty. That’s a real consideration, but it’s also one a student can navigate with intention.

# 3. Small Liberal Arts Colleges

Small liberal arts colleges are among the most underrated pre-med environments in the country. Their student-to-faculty ratios are lower, which translates directly into greater access to undergraduate research — often more accessible than at large research universities where undergraduates compete with graduate students for lab positions. The academic culture at these institutions also tends to support the kind of broad intellectual development that medical schools actively value: writing, critical thinking, engagement across disciplines.

A student at a liberal arts college who pursues a humanities or social science major while completing the required science prerequisites is building an application that stands out — not despite that choice, but because of it. For more on why the liberal arts model works well for ambitious students, see our guide on the educational advantages of liberal arts colleges.

# 4. Med Schools Want More Than Biology Majors

One of the most common misunderstandings in pre-med planning is the assumption that biology must be the undergraduate major. It is not a requirement, and the flexibility this creates is significant. Every pre-med student must complete the same prerequisite courses regardless of major: four biology courses, four chemistry courses, two physics courses, sufficient calculus to support those sciences, and at least one social science course. But the major itself is wide open — and medical schools actively value the diversity that non-biology majors bring.

“Med schools love students who major in the humanities. They love students who major in the social sciences,” Gentry says. “Be a religion major, be a psychology major, be an English major — because they need doctors who have excellent critical thinking skills. When a student comes to them with an undergraduate degree outside of biology, they know they’ve engaged in writing and thought about other topics, and that makes them able to relate to patients and helps them become better doctors.”

The structural difference matters too. An English major might require only eight to ten courses to complete, compared to twelve to sixteen for a biology major. That scheduling flexibility creates real room to complete prerequisites, pursue a meaningful major, and still explore the broader undergraduate experience.

# 5. Programs With Strong Pre-Health Advising Infrastructure

A strong pre-health advising office is one of the most important — and least glamorous — variables in evaluating a pre-med school. The best pre-health advisors don’t just check boxes. They track the school’s medical school acceptance rates, understand the MCAT, support students through the application process from start to finish, and help students understand what a competitive application actually looks like at different medical schools.

Questions worth asking directly: Does the school have a dedicated pre-health advisor, or does pre-med advising fall under general academic advising? What is the school’s track record of medical school acceptances? Does the office provide committee letters of recommendation, and how competitive is that process? The answer to these questions tells you more about a school’s pre-med environment than its ranking does.

#6. Colleges That Give You Real Research Access

Medical schools want to see that applicants have engaged with scientific inquiry beyond the classroom. Research experience — working in a lab, contributing to a faculty project, or conducting independent study — signals intellectual curiosity and the capacity to function in a scientific environment. At large research universities, undergraduate research spots can be competitive. At smaller colleges, access is often more direct. When evaluating schools, ask specifically how undergraduates access research opportunities and what the typical timeline looks like — can a first-year student begin working in a lab, or is that typically reserved for juniors and seniors? Both large and small institutions can provide strong research access. The key is knowing what to ask — and asking it before you commit.

# 7. Schools Where You Can Be More Than a Pre-Med Student

Medical schools are explicit about wanting students who are well-rounded. A pre-med student who leads a student organization, pursues a serious interest in the arts, or engages in community service is not wasting time. They are building the application that medical schools are actually looking for. “Med schools are interested in students who are well-rounded, not just students who can perform well in science classes,” Gentry explains. “A pre-med student is really somebody who’s engaged in what they love, and has shown interest in the world, along with getting good grades in their science classes.” The right pre-med school is one where the schedule and culture allow for that kind of engagement — not just a pressure cooker designed to filter students out before they reach their applications.

# 8. BS/MD Programs

Combined BS/MD programs, in which a student is conditionally accepted to both an undergraduate program and a partnered medical school simultaneously, represent a distinct option worth understanding — but not for most students.

Veteran college admissions expert Jamie Berger is direct about this: “BSMD programs are insanely selective, and I don’t think there are that many 16-year-olds who know they want to be a doctor. I don’t necessarily recommend it except for that very rare kid. It’s kind of like going and becoming a Division 1 athlete — you don’t get to have that full college experience. You’re already in a career training program for four years.”

Some programs, like the University of Pittsburgh’s direct admission pathway, offer meaningful security and are worth serious consideration for the right student. But applying without also building a strong conventional college list is a risk — these programs are hard to get into, and the experience of a student who enrolls can feel narrowly focused in ways that aren’t right for everyone.

The Right Question to Ask

Families who arrive at Great College Advice with a list of “the top pre-med schools” are usually surprised to find that we don’t spend much time on that list. What we spend time on instead is understanding the student: their academic profile, their financial situation, where they’re likely to thrive rather than just survive, and what they want from the undergraduate years beyond the pre-med track.

The best pre-med school in the country is the one where your student earns excellent science grades, gets into a lab, and becomes the kind of well-rounded person that medical schools are genuinely looking for. That school exists at many price points, in many formats, and across many ranking tiers.

If you’d like personalized guidance, our team at Great College Advice specializes in exactly this kind of strategic planning for pre-med students. Book your consultation today.

The post Top Pre-Med Schools in the US first appeared on Great College Advice.

Choosing a college for a student who wants to become an architect is not a standard college search. It is an entirely different process. Most families approach it the same way they would for any other major: compile a list of well-ranked schools, assess cost and location, and apply broadly. That approach fails architecture students in ways that only become visible after acceptance letters arrive. The pool of qualifying programs is smaller, the admissions standards within those programs are dramatically more competitive than the university’s overall rate, and the preparation required before a student even submits an application is specific and non-negotiable.

At Great College Advice, when we work with a student who is interested in architecture, the first thing we do is get to know them. We try to understand why they want to be architects. And then we help them understand that this path is very directed. That directedness is both the defining feature of architecture school and the reason the college search must begin earlier and run differently than it does for most other majors.

This guide first details how the architecture track differs from typical undergraduate paths, then outlines the steps high school students should take to be competitive, reviews program evaluation strategies, and clarifies key considerations regarding acceptance rates as families begin the college search.

Why Architecture Is Unlike Any Other Undergraduate Search

The Program Is Five Years, Not Four

Families must recognize that most accredited professional architecture programs span five years, not four, with an additional year typically for an embedded internship. This is a required part of the degree, not optional. Budgeting for only four years or expecting a four-year timeline can catch families off guard if they do not establish this fact early.

The five-year structure shapes both social and academic aspects. Architecture students spend most of their time with their cohort, moving through studios and design courses together. Unlike majors that allow broad academic mobility, architecture is concentrated and insular. Some find this energizing; others may see it as limiting. Consider which environment best suits your child early in the process.

Direct Entry Is the Standard Model

Most schools of architecture operate on a direct-entry model, meaning students apply directly to the architecture program and begin their major-specific coursework in the first year. Students are not given general admission to the university with the option to transfer in; instead, applicants must gain acceptance into the architecture program from the start. If a student is accepted to the university but not the architecture program, they cannot begin studies in architecture and must consider other options or majors.

This distinction is crucial when building a college list. A school with an accessible overall acceptance rate may have a far more selective architecture program.

The Intersection of Art, Math, and Engineering

Architecture sits at the convergence of three demanding disciplines: art, math, and engineering. This combination makes the programs rigorous and the preparation requirements specific. Students who are strong in only one or two of these areas will struggle. The programs are looking for students who can demonstrate spatial reasoning, design sensibility, and quantitative competence simultaneously — and the portfolio requirement is the primary mechanism for evaluating the first two. Because of the technical overlap, many students also research what the best engineering schools in the US are to see how different institutions approach these integrated disciplines.

What Students Must Do in High School

Build a Design Portfolio

For architecture applicants, the portfolio is more than evidence of interest—it’s a required tool for demonstrating visual thinking and design sensibility, directly affecting admission decisions.

An architecture portfolio is more than art class assignments. It should show spatial awareness, design process, and creative problem-solving. Students serious about architecture should build portfolios across high school—through art classes, design courses, independent projects, and relevant workshops. Starting in junior year is too late for real development.

We work with students to understand what a competitive portfolio looks like for the specific programs they are targeting and help them structure their high school activities to build toward it.

Take the Right Math Courses

Architecture programs require strong math skills, and high school math preparation directly impacts readiness. Structural and systems coursework depends on mathematical ability, so underprepared students will struggle with the demanding curriculum.

Seek Out Design Experiences

Beyond the portfolio, students benefit from any hands-on design experience they can accumulate before college: architecture summer programs, drafting or CAD courses, participation in design competitions, or even independent study of architectural history and theory. These experiences serve two purposes. First, they produce material for the portfolio. Second, and more importantly, they help the student confirm that architecture is genuinely the right path — because the commitment required once enrolled is substantial, and discovering a mismatch after two years in a direct-entry program is costly.

How to Evaluate Architecture Programs

Program Culture and Studio Environment

Because architecture students spend so much of their time within their cohort, the culture of the studio environment matters more than it does in most other majors. Some programs are intensely competitive; others are collaborative. Some emphasize theoretical and conceptual design; others are more technically and professionally oriented. Visiting programs, speaking with current students, and understanding the faculty’s design philosophy are all essential steps — not optional ones.

The following table compares key structural variables across program types that families should evaluate:

Setting Realistic Expectations About Acceptance Rates

The acceptance rate gap between a university’s overall admissions and its architecture program is one of the most important and most frequently misunderstood facts in this search. Selective top architecture programs may have acceptance rates that vary widely from the institutions that house them.

This has two practical implications for building a college list. First, the list must be built using architecture-specific acceptance data, not university-wide data. A school that appears to be a “match” based on overall selectivity may be a reach for architecture specifically. Second, the list must include genuine safety options — programs where the student has a strong probability of admission based on their portfolio, GPA, and test scores — not just aspirational targets. While the portfolio is critical, students should also know how to prepare for the SAT to ensure their academic profile remains competitive for these selective institutions.

We help families build architecture-specific college lists that account for this gap, using program-level data rather than institutional averages.

Common Mistakes Families Make in the Architecture Search

Treating the university acceptance rate as the architecture acceptance rate. The two numbers are not interchangeable. Always research program-specific admissions data.

Starting the portfolio too late. A portfolio assembled in the spring of junior year or the fall of senior year does not reflect the development arc that programs want to see. Students who are serious about architecture should build their portfolios throughout high school.

Skipping the campus visit for architecture programs. For most majors, a campus visit is helpful but not essential. For architecture, visiting the studio spaces, meeting faculty, and experiencing the program’s physical environment are meaningful parts of the evaluation. The studio is where a student will spend the majority of their undergraduate years.

Not researching program length. Most professional architecture programs are five years, not four. Families who plan around a four-year timeline will be caught off guard if this is not confirmed early in the search.

Building the Right Foundation Before the Search Begins

The architecture college search is most successful when it starts with the student, not the school list. Understanding why a student wants to be an architect, whether they are genuinely suited to the concentrated, studio-intensive environment of an architecture program, and whether they have the design sensibility and quantitative preparation to be competitive — these questions come before any list is built.

Once those questions are answered honestly, the search becomes more focused and more productive. The pool of qualifying programs is smaller than in most other fields, which means every application carries more weight and every choice on the list matters more. A student who has built a strong portfolio, taken the right math courses, and accumulated genuine design experience enters that smaller pool as a competitive applicant. A student who has not done that preparation is applying to programs that will see the gap immediately.

The architecture path is demanding, directed, and deeply rewarding for students who are genuinely suited to it. The college search for that path deserves the same level of intentionality.

If your student is interested in architecture and you want to build a college list grounded in program-specific data (including portfolio guidance and realistic acceptance rate benchmarks), our counselors at Great College Advice work through exactly this process with families. The earlier that work begins, the stronger the foundation your student brings to their applications. Schedule your consultation today.

The post Pre-Architecture: How to Choose a College first appeared on Great College Advice.

If you’re a high school student with your sights set on dental school, you’ve probably already started Googling “best pre-dental programs” and ended up with a list that’s heavy on prestige and light on anything actually useful. Here’s the thing: the “best” pre-dental program isn’t the one with the most famous name. It’s the one where you are most likely to thrive, build the GPA dental schools want to see, get the research and clinical exposure you need, and genuinely enjoy the four years you’re there.

Jamie Berger, veteran college admissions expert at Great College Advice, puts it plainly: “Rankings do not tell you very much about what is actually going on at a school. They’re not measuring the quality of education you’re getting there. If you can avoid ranking obsession, you’re going to be a lot happier and a lot more successful.”

With that in mind, here are ten colleges worth considering for pre-dental students — chosen for their strong science foundations, research access, pre-health advising, and the kind of environments where pre-dental students actually get into dental school.

1. University of Michigan — Ann Arbor

Michigan’s pre-health advising infrastructure is among the strongest in the country, and pre-dental students benefit directly from proximity to the University of Michigan School of Dentistry — one of the top dental schools in the nation. That means real shadowing and research opportunities without having to hunt for them. The campus is large and competitive, so students who thrive here tend to be self-driven and comfortable advocating for themselves in big lecture environments. If that’s you, the resources here are hard to beat.

Best fit for: Students who are academically strong, independent, and want to leverage a Big Ten research ecosystem.

2. University of the Pacific

UOP is one of the few universities in the country with its own dental school on campus — Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry. That’s not a trivial advantage. Pre-dental students can shadow dentists, attend clinic observations, and build relationships with dental faculty starting in their first year. The pre-dental program here is intentional and structured in a way that large universities simply can’t replicate. Class sizes are smaller, advisors know students by name, and the pipeline to dental school is genuinely built in.

Best fit for: Students who want a clear, supported path to dental school and prefer a tighter-knit academic community.

3. University of Florida

UF is consistently one of the top public universities for pre-health students, and its pre-dental track benefits from the Shands Hospital system and the UF College of Dentistry. Florida residents get exceptional value here, but out-of-state students should run the financial numbers carefully. The campus culture is strong, Greek life is prominent, and students who do well here tend to be organized, socially active, and good at managing a busy schedule alongside rigorous coursework.

Best fit for: Florida residents, or out-of-state students for whom the financial fit works and who want a large, high-energy campus.

4. Marquette University

Marquette is a Jesuit university in Milwaukee with a dedicated pre-dental advising program and direct proximity to the Marquette University School of Dentistry. Marquette’s pre-dental students benefit from early clinical exposure, a collaborative (not cutthroat) academic culture, and strong faculty mentorship. The values-driven academic environment tends to attract students who are community-oriented — an asset when dental school applications ask about your commitment to patient care and community service.

Best fit for: Students who want a values-driven, mid-size university experience with a genuine pipeline to dental school.

5. Stony Brook University (SUNY)

For pre-dental students who want strong research opportunities without a $70,000/year price tag, Stony Brook is worth serious consideration. As a flagship SUNY school with its own dental school — Stony Brook School of Dental Medicine — undergrads have meaningful access to clinical shadowing and faculty research. The academic culture is rigorous and the student body is diverse and driven. This is a strong option for New York residents in particular.

Best fit for: High-achieving students who are budget-conscious and want research and clinical access in a large public university setting.

6. Boston University

BU’s pre-health program is well-resourced and the Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine is one of the most well-regarded in the country. Pre-dental students at BU can access research opportunities, faculty mentors, and clinic observations in one of the most medically dense cities in the world. Boston’s ecosystem of hospitals, research institutions, and health-focused networking is genuinely useful for pre-dental students building their application profile. BU is a good fit for students who are proactive — the city rewards initiative.

Best fit for: Students who are self-motivated, want an urban campus, and plan to take full advantage of Boston’s health and research ecosystem.

7. University of Pittsburgh

Pitt has one of the strongest pre-dental programs of any public research university, anchored by the University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine. Pre-dental advising is structured and proactive, and students have legitimate access to research, shadowing, and clinical experiences that strengthen a dental school application. Pittsburgh as a city has become increasingly vibrant, and the cost of living makes it manageable for students on a budget. The campus culture tends to be collaborative rather than hyper-competitive.

Best fit for: Students who want strong pre-dental infrastructure, a livable city, and a collaborative academic environment.

8. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

UNC-Chapel Hill’s Adams School of Dentistry is one of the best in the country, and undergraduate pre-dental students at UNC benefit from proximity to both the dental school and the broader UNC health system. The campus is beautiful, the academics are rigorous, and the research opportunities are genuine. This is an outstanding value for North Carolina residents. Out-of-state students face significantly higher tuition, so the financial fit conversation matters here.

Best fit for: NC residents who are strong academically, or out-of-state students for whom the financial package makes it competitive.

9. Case Western Reserve University

Case Western is a research-intensive university in Cleveland with a direct connection to the Case Western Reserve University School of Dental Medicine. Pre-dental students here have access to one of the most active dental research environments in the country, and the university’s collaborative relationship with the Cleveland Clinic adds another layer of health exposure. The academic culture is demanding — this is a school for students who genuinely love science and can handle a heavy workload with intellectual curiosity rather than anxiety.

Best fit for: High-achieving students who are passionate about the science of dentistry and want a rigorous research-forward environment.

10. James Madison University

Not every school on a pre-dental list needs to be a large research university. JMU in Harrisonburg, Virginia, offers pre-dental students an excellent pre-health advising program, strong science faculty who know their students personally, and a campus culture that supports wellbeing alongside academics — which matters when you’re trying to protect a GPA through organic chemistry. JMU students who are pre-dental tend to stand out in dental school applications because they’ve had mentorship, leadership opportunities, and community engagement that larger schools make harder to access. This is a smart “likely” school for students who want to arrive at dental school with more than just grades.

Best fit for: Students who want a supportive, mid-size university experience where they can stand out academically and get strong letters of recommendation.

The Great College Advice Perspective: Fit First, Always

No two pre-dental students are the same, and the school that launches one student into dental school might be the wrong environment for another. For example, a student might be torn between two major California institutions and wonder which is better: UCLA or USC depending on their specific career goals. At Great College Advice, our team of veteran admissions consultants help pre-dental students look past the rankings and ask the right questions: Where will you get the GPA you need? Where can you access shadowing and research? Where will the faculty know your name? Where will you thrive for four years?

The answers look different for every student and that’s exactly the point. Beyond choosing the right school, students must also focus on their application profile, which often starts with learning to ensure their scores meet the threshold for these competitive programs.

Ready to build a pre-dental college list that actually fits you? Book a free consultation with Great College Advice and let’s figure it out together.

The post Which Are the Best Schools in the US Offering Pre-Dental Programs first appeared on Great College Advice.

Quick Facts About Wake Forest University

• Location: Winston-Salem, North Carolina
• Undergraduate Enrollment: approx. 5,490 students. 83% of students are out-of-state
• Campus Setting: Suburban / Midsize city campus.
• Student-to-Faculty Ratio: 10:1
• Over 50 Majors and 60 Minors offered
• Most Popular Majors: Business, Social Sciences, Life Sciences
• Mascot: Demon Deacons – Go Deacs!

Wake Forest’s motto, Pro Humanitate, For Humanity, underpins a culture of leadership, service, and community engagement. Wake Forest is looking for students with a passion for service. Character/personal qualities is marked ‘very important’ as an admissions factor in the university’s Common Data Set along with academic rigor, class rank, GPA, and your college essays.

With unique supplemental essays such as its Top 10 list and Maya Angelou quote, Wake Forest takes a truly holistic approach in its admissions process.

Wake Forest Admissions Statistics:

• Applications received: 18,735;
• How hard is it to get into Wake Forest? Acceptance Rate is 22%, or 4,066 students offered admission;
• Yield Rate: 36% or 1468 students enrolled
• How much does Wake Forest cost? Cost of Attendance: $94,600; merit aid is difficult to come by at Wake Forest although there are scholarship opportunities;
• Is Wake Forest test optional? Yes, Wake Forest has been test-optional since the late 2000s;
• What’s a good SAT score for Wake Forest? 25th – 75th SAT percentile range: 1420- 1500 with the average 1460. 22% of enrolled students submitted SAT scores;
• What’s a good ACT score for Wake Forest? 25th – 75th ACT percentile range: 32 – 34 with the average 33; 26% of enrolled students submitted ACT scores.

Watch Our Wake Forest Campus Visit

A Beautiful & Walkable Campus just outside downtown Winston-Salem: The Reynolda campus features wooded paths, and historic architecture. During our tour on a surprisingly busy campus for a Friday, we were impressed by the energy and community feel.

What Makes Wake Forest Unique?

• Rolling Early Decision : Unlike most selective universities, Wake Forest offers students the ability to hear back from admissions as soon as late September with its rolling ED plan;
• Liberal Arts + Professional Programs in One: While small enough for intimate classes and strong faculty engagement, Wake Forest also offers nationally ranked professional and research opportunities (business, health sciences, engineering, etc.). This hybrid model is a powerful draw.
• Strong Athletics and Campus Spirit: D1 Athletics for a mid-sized university and it is part of one of the big athletic conferences (ACC)
• STEM students may find themselves taking the bus to the Wake Downtown campus for some of their classes.

What Wake Forest Admissions Really Looks for: Beyond Good Grades

While Wake Forest values strong academics, it takes a holistic approach to admissions, meaning the admissions team looks closely at who you are as a person — not just your GPA or course rigor. Wake Forest seeks students who demonstrate intellectual curiosity, leadership, integrity, and a commitment to community engagement.

Tips for Standing Out in the Wake Forest Admissions Process

• Show depth, not just activity: Wake Forest prefers students who are deeply engaged in a few meaningful extracurriculars rather than lightly involved in many. Leadership, sustained commitment, and initiative matter.

• Connect your interests to impact: Whether through service, research, entrepreneurship, or creative work, admissions officers want to see how you contribute to your community and think beyond yourself.

• Write reflective, authentic essays: Successful Wake Forest essays reveal self-awareness, intellectual curiosity, and personal growth. Avoid résumé-style writing and focus on insight, not just accomplishment.

• Demonstrate fit with Wake Forest’s culture: Highlight collaboration, ethical leadership, and curiosity — values that align with Wake Forest’s emphasis on character, community, and engaged learning.

What is Wake Forest’s Financial Aid Policy?

Wake Forest need-based aid policy

As laid out on Wake Forest financial aid site, the university meets 100% of demonstrated need. Families will need to fill out both the FAFSA and CSS Profile.

Wake Forest merit aid policy

Unfortunately, Wake Forest does not offer much in the way of merit-based scholarships. According to its website, Wake Forest only ‘offers merit scholarships to fewer than 3% of first-year applicants. Most scholarships (including the full-cost of attendance Signature Scholarships) do not require a scholarship application, but only a completed admission application by November 15. Finalists for scholarships that require comprehensive interviews or auditions are notified by April.’

As confirmed by our College Admissions Experts Facebook Group, only very high-performing students receive merit aid as noted by a mom of a sophomore at Wake Forest who received a scholarship: “We are very happy with my sophomore who is there. As far as $$, she has two scholarships- $16k as Presidential Scholar for the Arts, and $20k for Academic merit ($36 total). For context, she came in with 5.2 weighted GPA, 9 APs (all with 5s), and 1500+ SAT.”

Final Thoughts on Wake Forest Admissions: Is Wake Forest the Right Fit for You?

Wake Forest University is an excellent choice for students who want rigorous academics and a personal, engaged community. If you thrive in a setting where professors know your name, you can pursue meaningful research or real-world internships, and you appreciate both tradition and flexibility, Wake Forest could be a great fit.

That said, because admissions are highly competitive students should present a thoughtful, well-rounded application emphasizing both academic strength and personal character.

Do you need help putting together your college list?

If you’re considering applying to Wake Forest — or want help compiling a college list that includes a school like Wake Forest — our consulting team is ready to help you evaluate fit, craft your narrative, and navigate the process.

The Wake Forest admissions team takes a holistic approach so you need more than good grades and academic rigor. Your essays need to shine and your personal qualities need to jump off the page. Contact us to schedule a consultation.

Since 2007, the expert team of college admissions consultants at Great College Advice has provided comprehensive guidance to thousands of students from across the United States and over 45 countries across the world. Great College Advice has offices in Colorado, New Jersey, Chicago, North Carolina and Massachusetts.  

In addition to our one-on-one counseling, Great College Advice extends its support through one of the most active and resource-rich Facebook Groups for college-bound students and their families: College Admissions Experts. With over 100,000 members—students, parents, and experienced counselors—this vibrant forum offers peer support and expert advice like no other. 

The post College Visit Spotlight: Wake Forest Admissions first appeared on Great College Advice.

How to get into Penn – Isaac’s ambitions

Isaac’s mother contacted Great College Advice toward the end of his sophomore year of high school. Her son was a straight-A student at a competitive school in suburban Denver, and he had it in his mind that he wanted to aim for the Ivy League and other top universities. She made it clear that this was his ambition, and that she and Isaac’s dad simply wanted to give him the best shot at achieving this goal.

Soon after, Isaac called. He asked us a number of hard questions. He clearly had been talking to other college consultants because he seemed to know what he wanted. As his mother indicated, Isaac was firmly in charge of the college admissions process from the very beginning. The Ivy League was his own goal—not one that had been planted in his brain by someone else. His mom contacted us later to say that Isaac had selected Great College Advice to guide him with the Elite package of services. Clearly this was a young man who wanted advice and was willing to incorporate it into his own plans.

The puzzle of how to get into Penn

Isaac was an academic specimen. Despite the extremely high rigor of his coursework at his very rigorous school, he did not have a single B grade on his transcript. He would go on to get super high standardized test scores, too. But, where Isaac fell short was his extracurriculars.

This is not to say that he wasn’t doing some awesome things. He played on the varsity baseball team as a 10^th grader; his team routinely won the annual state championship. He was a solid member of the school’s debate team, where he specialized in Public Forum. But, he was not yet a stand-out in debate. He was a leader in his local Jewish youth group. Isaac was also something of a news junkie; our conversations nearly always began with a review of the week’s headlines—especially in international affairs. Yet none of these activities were impressive enough to help him stand out in a field of tens of thousands of qualified applicants who would be applying to Penn (his first choice) and the other Ivies.

Isaac needed something more. But in order to achieve more, he would have to make some decisions.

As with so many top students, Isaac was extraordinarily busy. Baseball took up a lot of his time—especially during the season. Debate was also a very time-consuming activity requiring a ton of preparation. Isaac had intellectual interests beyond the classroom, but despite his love of reading, he didn’t have much time to dig into books beyond those assigned by his teachers.

A tough decision

Baseball was clearly part of the problem. Isaac loved baseball, but by his own admission, he wasn’t good enough to be recruited by a Division 1 Ivy League school. He also knew that he was unlikely to play baseball no matter which college he attended. His baseball career was coming to an end; it was just a matter of when. Still, Isaac was hesitant to give up the game. He loved it, and had some very tight friendships on the team.

Should he stay with the sport or not? Isaac wrestled with the question for weeks. Part of the problem was deciding how to use the time he might free up if he did quit. What would he do? Would he be able to build accomplishments fast enough and impressive enough to win him a place in the Ivy League? I couldn’t promise him that he could (though give Isaac’s drive, we thought it would be a good bet). We also warned him that he had to make a decision that he wouldn’t later regret—especially if he was denied by Penn.

He agonized over this decision. So did his parents: they wanted such a momentous decision to be his own.

Decision Made

Isaac eventually decided to drop baseball. He decided his own potential outweighed the risks. And he also figured he might learn some more things about himself along the way. (Spoiler alert: he was right!)

His new accomplishments

This decision was super difficult for Isaac. But once he made it, he poured himself into other things so that he could rack up more achievements:

• He began winning Public Forum debates, and he performed very well at the State level. In 11th grade, he became captain of the team.
• He deepened his own understanding of Middle East politics and then sought out a research assistantship at a local university with a professor who specialized in the subject.
• He applied for—and landed—a fantastic internship with a state representative at the Capitol, where he worked twice a week after school.
• Isaac ramped up his activity with his youth group and breathed some life into it by organizing new programming.

How to get into Penn? Write Some Awesome Essays

Then Isaac wrote some amazing essays. His Common App essay was a deeply personal account in which he was able to present an aspect of himself that caused him a lot of worry and psychological insecurity but that he was slowly conquering by broadening his perspective of what is truly important in life. He also wrote a supplemental essay about traveling to Israel with a large group of teens. He highlighted a particular experience that encapsulated the human dimensions of the conflict in Israel and Palestine. It was both wonderfully academic and intensely personal.

Outcome

Isaac applied Early Decision to Penn but was deferred. He was intensely disappointed, but handled it well. After three and a half months of agonizing limbo, Isaac was finally admitted to Penn in the regular round, and was breathlessly excited.

How to get into Penn or other Highly Selective Colleges

Clearly there is no one way–there are as many ways as there are Penn students. But two things are clear: a record of accomplishment and the need to focus on a few areas of interest where you can make the biggest impact.

A Record of Accomplishment both In and Out of the Classroom

First, there is no fixed timeline or formula that will result in an admissions offer from the Ivy League. What is important is that you do the things that you enjoy, and that you do them to the maximum. What Penn and other Ivy schools want is a record of accomplishment. They want to see that you are a high achiever…not just in the classroom, but in life more generally. Of course they like athletes, but if the athlete is not good enough to play on an Ivy League Division 1 team, then that athletic participation doesn’t mean a whole lot.

Focus on activities where you can make the biggest impact

Which leads to the second aspect: getting into the Ivies sometimes requires some tough decisions that must be made in conditions of uncertainty. Isaac couldn’t know–in advance–that his decision to drop baseball would be the right one. We know in retrospect that it probably was. But that made the decision no less difficult at the time. He really agonized. We had many conversations about it, and in some ways it was made even more difficult.

College preparation–like most of life–is about making tough decisions. In the end, Isaac’s decisions worked for him. And he learned a lot about himself in the process of making these decisions. He had to leave baseball behind, but he discovered new talents and new interests that he might never have had the time to explore had he stayed on the team. And that, too, is part of life’s beauty–and mystery.

So how do you get into Penn? Make good decisions, work hard, excel in as many ways as you can, and hope for some good luck!

Need help with how to get into Penn or other Ivy League universities?

The expert admissions counselors at Great College Advice can help you in every aspect of the college admissions process: high school course selection, extracurricular activities, standardized test planning, researching colleges, essay assistance, and overseeing the college application process.

Contact us today for your complimentary consultation.

Since 2007, the expert team of college admissions consultants at Great College Advice has provided comprehensive guidance to thousands of students from across the United States and over 45 countries across the world. Great College Advice has offices in Colorado, New Jersey, Chicago, North Carolina and Massachusetts.  

In addition to our one-on-one counseling, Great College Advice extends its support through one of the most active and resource-rich Facebook Groups for college-bound students and their families: College Admissions Experts. With nearly 100,000 members—students, parents, and experienced counselors—this vibrant forum offers peer support and expert advice like no other. 

The post How to Get Into Penn: The Isaac Case Study first appeared on Great College Advice.

From the site:

Application Information

Acceptance to EHP is highly competitive. We typically receive over 200-400 applications for around 80 first-year spots. Application to EHP is a separate, voluntary process from applying to the College of Engineering and Applied Science (it is also separate from applying for RAPs through the housing application).  You must apply to both the Engineering College and EHP. 

Please Note: The Engineering Honors Program has its own review and selection process completely separate from the Admissions process to CU Boulder and the College of Engineering and Applied Science. Although many of you have already been accepted to CU Boulder Engineering, you are encouraged to apply for EHP before you hear back from Admissions. To be accepted into our program, though, requires you also to be accepted into the CU Boulder College of Engineering and Applied Science.

Find Your Right-Fit Engineering School with Great College Advice

Not sure which of these programs is actually right for you? That’s exactly the conversation Great College Advice was built for. Whether your target is MIT or a hidden gem you haven’t heard of yet, the team will help you cut through the noise, build a smart, balanced list, and put together applications that show each school why you belong there.

Book a call with Great College Advice today and find the engineering program that fits you — not just the rankings.

The post CU Boulder’s Engineering Honors Program first appeared on Great College Advice.

About Westmont College

Westmont is a small Christian liberal arts college located in Santa Barbara, California. As you drive a few miles from downtown Santa Barbara you head up winding streets. Into the hills behind the city. After driving through a pretty residential neighborhood with large gated homes you end up on a campus that evokes a calm beauty. With wonderfully wooded areas, trails, and clusters of buildings. With a free shuttle system that heads to three different beaches, downtown Santa Barbara, a strong Kinesiology program, and some fun traditions like “Spring Sing”. Westmont could easily be confused with other traditional colleges.

However, after a closer look – and lots of questions. It is easy to see the important role that religion plays on the campus. From a dry (no alcohol) campus policy to an open door policy in the dorms for guys and girls, necessary attendance at chapel three times a week, prayers before tests, and required coursework in the New Testament, Old Testament, Christian Doctrine, and Christian History, you will find that religious life takes a central role at Westmont.

This is an important reminder that as you look explore colleges you should ask yourself a lot of questions. Whether or not a religiously affiliated college is the right fit for you. Specifically, when looking at religious schools you should take the time to understand the impact that religion plays on the campus. In the classroom, and with the student body. Some colleges may have a historic religious affiliation. But it does not play a central role in the teaching or classroom. While others may have very specific requirements surrounding religion, like Westmont.

So, as you are considering attending colleges with a religious affiliation it is worth asking these three questions.

1. How big a role does religion play in the classroom? 

It is worth asking if you will be required to take any religious classes or if teachers will discuss religious doctrine in the classroom or if there will be prayers before tests. You should determine your comfort level with this level of religious influence in the classroom.

2. How does religion impact the student body?

You may want to consider asking about the religious nature of the student body. Do most students adhere to religious practices or come from a similar religious background? You may want to think about how religion will impact your living arrangements (co-ed floors in dorms vs. single sex), social life, student organizations, etc.

3. Are there religious requirements outside the classroom? 

While on a tour, exploring the website, or talking to admissions you may want to learn if you will have any requirements outside of the classroom such as required chapel attendance or student worship. If so, how often and are there expectations or repercussions if missed?

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