How do you get accepted to your #1 college choice AND be awarded financial aid? By understanding how different types of colleges award both need-based and merit-based aid, you can put together a college application list that increases both your chances of being accepted and receiving a generous aid package. Here’s how to get college scholarships:

Step 1: Get Accepted to College

The first order of business is to get accepted to a number of colleges. The potential issue is that the criteria for admissions is very different at different universities. The question of how you get accepted to the Ivy League is not the same as the question of how to get into the University of Wisconsin, which is still different from being accepted to your regional four-year college or a less selective liberal arts college. You first need to understand the admissions requirements for the schools you are targeting and follow these requirements very carefully.  

Bear in mind, however, that at the top-tier universities, there are unstated, subjective factors in the admissions process that are not easy to discern. For example, to get accepted to Harvard or any of the other Ivy League schools, you not only need outstanding grades, test scores, and teacher recommendations: you also need to demonstrate things like motivation, energy, curiosity, leadership ability, and special talents. 

Therefore, as you prepare for college during high school, you need to concentrate on your academic performance. No matter where you want to go to college, you must do well academically. But the more ambitious you are, and the more you want to get accepted to the Ivy League or other top-tier universities, you must also cultivate these subjective characteristics. 

Step 2: Earn or Receive College Financial Aid 

It is more difficult to be admitted while also being awarded a merit aid scholarship. Most universities will reserve their scare scholarship dollars for its top performing students and applicants, focusing first on need-based aid and then non-need-based merit aid. You don’t automatically earn consideration for a college scholarship just for applying.  

The better your high school performance, the higher the odds you’ll win a scholarship. For example, the very selective liberal arts college Washington and Lee will award non-need merit-based scholarships to only a very small percentage of its incoming class (see detail below). It reserves most of its financial aid budget for students with high financial need. So, it you want to be awarded The Johnson Scholarship at Washington and Lee (W&L), you need to be among the cream of the crop within its applicant pool.  

Examples of How Financial Aid is Disbursed 

University of Puget Sound – Less Selective Liberal Arts College (LAC) 

At some less-selective private colleges with a high cost of attendance but lower yields, many of its students receive some type of aid, whether it be need-based or merit-based aid. For example, at the University of Puget Sound, 100% of the 430 students in the Class of 2028 received some form of financial aid. 64% (277/430) received need-based financial aid and the remaining 36% (153/430) received merit aid. Puget Sound’s tuition is $65,000 for the 2025-2026 academic year with the total cost of attendance (COA) approaching $88,000. The average aid package for students demonstrating need is just over $59,000. The non-need-based award package for those 153 students was $30,400. 

Bucknell University – More Selective LAC 

But, at the more selective Bucknell University, only 50% (493/991) of the Class of 2028 students are getting any sort of financial aid from the institution, while the other 50% of Bucknell students will pay the full price of admission. 41% (407/991) received need-based financial aid and 9% (86/991) received merit aid (excluding 79 athletes). Bucknell’s tuition is $70,000 for the 2025-2026 academic year with the total cost of attendance (COA) just over $88,000. The average aid package for students demonstrating need is just over $52,000. The non-need-based award package for those 86 students was $19,000. 

Washington and Lee – Even More Selective LAC 

At W&L, which has an impressive endowment for a school its size, 61% (287/472) of the Class of 2028 students are receiving financial aid. 57% (269/472) received need-based financial aid and 4% (18/472) received merit aid. W&L’s tuition is $66,800 for the 2025-2026 academic year with the total cost of attendance (COA) just over $86,500. The average aid package for students demonstrating need is just over $68,500. The non-need-based award package is an impressive $60,000, likely due to many of the incoming 18 students being awarded The Johnson Scholarship. 

Source: College Common Data Set reports. 

Get Accepted to the Ivy League With Financial Aid 

How do you get accepted to the Ivy League with a scholarship? Can you get accepted to Harvard with a merit-based scholarship? The answer is: ‘not likely’. The first issue is that unlike W&L, Bucknell or the University of Puget Sound, Harvard and the rest of the Ivy League do not offer merit-based scholarships. Their financial aid budgets are reserved for students who exhibit financial need. 

For Harvard’s Class of 2028, roughly 54,000 high schoolers applied of which only 1,970 students were admitted, an acceptance rate of below 4%. But, Harvard is very generous to the high-need students it accepts. For the Class of 2028, 920 of the 1630 (57%) enrolled students qualified for need-based aid with the average package totaling $74,000. Only 3 students received non-need merit aid of which the average award was only $6,000.  

What’s the conclusion? While Harvard is very generous to students who qualify for need-based aid, only the most exceptional high-need students in the world will be admitted to Harvard.  

What Are the Odds You Will Receive Financial Aid? 

So, what are your odds of getting accepted with a merit scholarship to an Ivy League university?  

Very small. 

But what are your odds of getting accepted to another college with a scholarship? They could be pretty good, if you are strategic about where you send your applications. 

What Should You Do? 

Understand the financial aid process at different schools 

If you want to get accepted to university with a scholarship, you first need to understand how different schools allocate their scholarship dollars. Use the examples above as reference points while your building your college list. 

What college scholarships do you want? 

Second, you need to make sure what sort of scholarship you are aiming for? Will you be eligible for a need-based aid? If not, you need to hunt for schools that offer merit-based scholarships. 

Where will you most likely get college financial aid? 

Third, you need to look at which schools are more likely to offer YOU a scholarship. You need to carefully assess where you fit in the application pool. If you are going get accepted to university with a scholarship, you need to be realistic about which schools are going to shower you with money. As we have seen, the University of Puget Sound is mostly likely – of the colleges we examined above – to give you a merit-based scholarship. 

Need help with the college admissions process?  

College education is an investment, and college admission to selective schools is very competitive, especially Ivy League and the ever-expanding list of Little Ivies and Public Ivies. So how can you invest your college budget wisely? How can you get accepted to college with scholarships? 

These are questions that the team at Great College Advice can answer. We can help you identify those colleges where you will likely be accepted AND receive a generous aid package. Just contact us on this form and we’ll set up a no-cost, no-obligation meeting so we can learn more about you and discuss how we can help make the college admissions process more successful and less stressful.  

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 How to Get College Scholarships first appeared on Great College Advice.

“Very carefully.”

The same sensibility applies to choosing a college.  A college may not clamp its toothy jaw around your arm and rip it off, it’s still a good idea to be careful in choosing the right college for you.

Too many kids choose a college based on the wrong criteria.  They look too hard at the architecture, they fret too much about the climate, and they obsess about climbing walls.

As educators, we try to keep the focus where it should be:  on your education.  While the some of the atmospheric issues of architecture and climate–and the amenities like climbing walls–can factor into the choice, we want to help you be sure to consider the kinds of educational environments that will help you succeed.  We want to help you identify the resources, both material and human, that you need in order to propel you personal and professionally into the future.

And the thing is, what’s right for one kid could be just awful for another.  Every student is different, and every student wants and needs different things out of their college education.

So at Great College Advice, we take the time and give the care necessary to help you identify the criteria that will drive your college choice.

And then based on our experience, we will help you identify the colleges and universities that meet those criteria.
 
It’s a fun an exciting process. No alligators.
 

The post Find the Perfect School for You first appeared on Great College Advice.

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Similarly, the rankings organizations use these student to faculty ratios in how they rate different schools against one another.  The lower the ratio, the higher the rank.

However, student-to-teacher ratios are misleading statistics. They really don’t tell you much about the quality of teaching going on at an American college or university. It turns out that the research agrees with me.

Which teachers are included in student to teacher ratios?

In a report by the American Federation of Teachers, entitled, “American Academic: The State of the Higher Education Workforce, 1997-2007,” We learn that adjunct instructors and graduate students are teaching a very high percentage of undergraduate courses in the United States. The AFT updated its research in 2020, only to find that higher education is delivered by an “army of temps” that make low wages–sometimes at or below the poverty line.

The fact is that these ratios do not really reflect how higher education is being delivered and by whom.  These ratios are not a great guide to understanding what is really happening in today’s college and university classrooms.

What is the actual student to faculty ratio? 10%?  25%?  50%?

In thinking about the student to faculty ratio, we tend to assume that the faculty are full-time teachers–most with tenured positions–whose life-calling is to advance human knowledge and impart it to young people in their classrooms.

The facts belie our assumptions.

A 2023 report by the American Association of University Professors using data compiled by the US Department of Education found the following:

At community colleges, it’s worse: four out of every five people teaching a course are non-tenure-track faculty.

At publicly-funded research universities (you know, those “flagship” campuses like UC Berkeley, CU-Boulder, Michigan, and University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill). A whopping 41% of the instructional staff members are graduate assistants, 15.8% are part-time faculty, and 14.4% are full-time, non tenure track faculty. So at our “flagship” research universities. On average, only 28.9% of the instructional staff are full-time, tenured or tenure-track faculty members.

On average, private universities fare no better, with only about 29% of instructional faculty at both research and comprehensive universities either tenured or on the tenure track. But within this group, it’s important to recognize that different universities have very different mixes of instructional faculty. And as usual, those universities with bigger budgets and bigger endowments will generally have more full-time, tenure-track faculty. Also, many smaller, liberal arts teaching colleges are likely to have a higher proportion of tenure-track faculty. Even though the proportion of these professors has been declining in the past decade, too.

The one major difference of private, comprehensive colleges and universities (i.e., not the doctoral granting research universities) is that you will find very few graduate assistants teaching courses: only 2% of instructional faculty at these institutions are graduate students.

Why is this stuff important?  Because when you hear statistics like “student-to-faculty ratios.” These ratios usually include ALL INSTRUCTIONAL STAFF, including adjuncts and graduate students. Hidden behind this statistical ratio is the dirty, little secret that full-time. Tenured professors of yore are NOT the norm in most larger universities, whether public or private.

So when the admissions office or the leader of your student tour trumpets a low student-to-faculty ratio. Ask in the admissions office some more probing questions. Take a copy of the AFT report with you to the admissions office. Ask what percentage of undergraduate courses are taught by full-time, tenure-track faculty, adjuncts, and where they come from. Ask about the proportion of courses taught by grad students.

And as you ask these questions, watch the face of the admissions officer. It’s going to turn white. After a moment of panic, the officer stumbles off to find the director of admission or the VP for enrollment management. Then these marketing and sales bosses will try to reassure you that “faculty are very qualified” and “incredibly accessible” and “they are required to hold office hours.” They will downplay the importance of these statistics in the AFT report. And they’ll probably fudge the answers (which are publicly available online and reported annually to the US government).

But I assure you, these statistics from AFT are going to give you a better idea of what the undergraduate educational experience will be like.

If you’re interested in more on my take on student-to-faculty ratios, you can get a general explanation of what these statistics mean and don’t mean. How a low student-to-faculty ratio can actually have a negative impact on class sizes, and you can watch a short video in which I ask some students on one college campus what this statistic means to them. And in the meantime, when college representatives tell you that the student-to-faculty ratio on this or that campus is really low, just smile knowingly and ignore them.

Mark Montgomery
Myth Busting College Counselor

The post What is the Student to Faculty Ratio first appeared on Great College Advice.

Setting a target SAT score without a clear framework is one of the most common planning mistakes high-achieving juniors make. Students fixate on a single number — heard from a friend, seen on a college homepage, or pulled from a ranking article — and treat it as a universal standard. It isn’t. A score that makes one student competitive at their target school may be irrelevant to another applying to a different set of colleges from a different high school. The question is never what is a good SAT score? It is always: what is a good SAT score for me, given my college list, my high school, and where I’m starting?

That distinction matters most at the highly selective end. There, scores work as a minimum sorting mechanism that helps admissions officers move through thousands of similarly credentialed applicants. Knowing exactly where your score needs to land, and why, is a strategic necessity — not an academic exercise. The framework below has three components, each giving you a different and genuinely useful piece of information. Together they replace guesswork with a concrete, defensible target.

Why “a Good Score” Isn’t a Number

Families want clarity, so the instinct to search for a single benchmark is understandable. But the premise is flawed, and a generic answer leads to either under-preparation or wasted effort.

Take the ACT national average, 19.4. A student who scores a 28 has beaten that average by a meaningful margin. But if their high school’s average ACT is 30, that same 28 sits below the midpoint of their own class — and tells an admissions officer a completely different story when read alongside the school profile.

The same logic applies at the college level. A 1400 SAT is strong in absolute terms, but whether it’s competitive depends entirely on the middle 50% range of the schools on your list. The number doesn’t change; its strategic value does. That’s why the starting point for any SAT goal isn’t a number. It’s a college list.

The Three-Benchmark Framework

Benchmark 1: Your College List’s Middle 50%

The most direct target comes from the middle 50% (25th–75th percentile) score range for the schools on your list. Colleges publish this on their admissions pages and in the major guidebooks.

The middle 50% tells you where the bulk of admitted students scored. If a target school’s range runs 1450–1560, a 1450 puts you at the 25th percentile — not disqualifying, but not adding strength either. A score at or above the 75th percentile (here, 1560+) puts you in the most competitive position.

The practical target: aim for the top of the range, or above it, for the most selective schools you’re genuinely pursuing. If your list spans very different ranges, set your target by the most selective school on it.

The range also carries a specific reading. If a school’s middle 50% ACT runs 24–31, then 25% of admitted students scored 23 or below and 25% scored 32 or above. Inside the range means viable; above it signals strength; below it doesn’t eliminate you, but the rest of your application has to carry more weight.

Benchmark 2: Your Position Within Your High School

Less commonly used but equally important: where does your score place you within your own graduating class?

Admissions officers don’t read scores in a vacuum. They review every application alongside the school profile — a document most high schools publish and send with each application, typically including a percentile breakdown of test scores for the class. You can find yours by searching your school’s name plus “college profile,” or by asking the counseling office.

If your school’s average standardized test score is modest and you score well above it, you’re near the top in testing terms — and that context is visible to admissions officers. If the average is high and you fall below it, your score signals below-the-midpoint standing even when the raw number looks strong nationally. Scoring at or near the top of your school’s distribution shows you’ve maximized the environment available to you, which is one of the core questions selective offices are trying to answer.

Benchmark 3: Your Baseline and Realistic Growth

The third benchmark is the most honest: what can you actually achieve from where you’re starting?

Most students won’t see a 500- or 600-point jump compared to their practice tests. That’s not pessimism — it’s a realistic frame for how to spend your prep time. A high-quality diagnostic or a previous official SAT is your baseline. From there, structured, consistent preparation produces meaningful improvement, but the ceiling is real. Planning around an unrealistic target creates its own problem: it consumes time that could strengthen other parts of your application.

This is where the personal benchmark meets the college-list benchmark. If there’s a large gap between your diagnostic and the score you’d need to submit competitively, the real question becomes how to set the right admissions goals — and whether closing that gap is a better use of your time than investing in your GPA, extracurricular depth, research, or leadership.

How Superscoring Changes Your Strategy

One structural feature directly shapes your target and your testing schedule: superscoring. Most colleges, with a few notable exceptions, take your highest score from each section across all test dates and combine them into a single composite. Your best math from one date and your best reading and writing from another combine into the highest possible total.

The implication is significant. If you’ve already scored an 800 in math, retaking to improve math isn’t a productive use of prep time. Instead, focus entirely on reading and writing, and your superscored composite improves with no additional math work. Identify the section holding your composite down, prepare specifically for it, and let superscoring do the rest.

Because most colleges superscore, taking the SAT at least twice (with dates spread far enough apart for real preparation between them) is a sound default. Score Choice policies at most schools also let you select which scores to send.

Knowing When to Stop Testing

There’s a point where additional attempts stop adding value and start creating costs. Taking the SAT more than three times is a signal worth examining. If your score has plateaued across attempts despite consistent prep, that plateau is information: more test prep is unlikely to change the result.

The better question then isn’t “how do I raise my score?” but “where is my time best spent?” A student sitting just below the middle 50% of their target school after three attempts has to weigh a possible small gain against the opportunity cost — a research project, a leadership role, or sustained academic performance that selective schools weight heavily. Burnout is real, too. Feeling depleted after repeated attempts is a reason to reassess the strategy, not to push harder.

Putting the Framework to Work

Applied to your own situation, the three benchmarks produce a concrete target. Pull the middle 50% data for every school on your list. Find your school’s college profile to see where you land within your class. Then take a high-quality diagnostic to establish your baseline and gauge how much realistic improvement is available with structured prep. Combine those three inputs and you can name a number that’s competitive for your list, strong in your high school context, and achievable from where you’re starting — a strategic target rather than a borrowed one.

Turning Your Target Into a Testing Plan

Once your target is grounded in all three benchmarks, build a plan specific enough to produce results. “I’m going to study harder” isn’t a plan. A standardized testing plan identifies which sections need the most work, what resources you’ll use, how many practice tests you’ll complete before your next official attempt, and how your timeline maps to application deadlines.

Full-length practice exams are the most effective tool available — both the College Board and Khan Academy offer official materials, and the Official SAT Study Guide is a solid resource for structured self-study. Students who need accountability or targeted instruction can prepare with a tutor or course, especially when the work focuses on specific skill gaps surfaced by diagnostic testing rather than general review. The key principle: every official attempt should be preceded by a prep phase that’s meaningfully different from the last. Retaking the test without changing your approach is just repeating the same inputs and expecting a different output.

What Your Score Actually Measures

The SAT is a means to an end, not a measure of intelligence or worth. At selective colleges it’s one data point within a holistic review that also weighs GPA, course rigor, extracurricular depth, essays, recommendations, and demonstrated interest. A strong score doesn’t guarantee admission; a score below the middle 50% doesn’t eliminate a candidate with exceptional strength elsewhere.

What a well-targeted score does is remove a potential obstacle. When it falls within or above the middle 50% for your schools, it stops being a question mark and becomes a neutral or positive signal. That’s the goal — not the highest possible number, but the number that serves your list and frees the rest of your application to do its work.

Build Your Target Before You Build Your Prep Plan

The three-benchmark framework — college-list middle 50%, high school context, and personal baseline — gives you everything you need to set a target that’s both meaningful and achievable. Students who skip this step and chase a generic “good score” tend to either under-prepare for the schools they want or over-invest in testing at the expense of application pieces that matter just as much.

If you’re a junior working through this now, start with your college list and pull the middle 50% for every school on it. Find your school’s college profile. Take a high-quality diagnostic if you haven’t. Those three inputs will tell you more about your target than any article, ranking, or number you’ve heard from a peer.

Great College Advice works with students to build exactly this kind of personalized testing strategy — grounded in your specific list, your high school context, and a realistic read on where your scores can go. If you’re ready to move from a generic number to a strategic target, get in touch with our counselors.

The post Benchmarking Your SAT Score: How to Determine Your Target Number for Highly Selective Colleges first appeared on Great College Advice.

When a selective college receives your transcript, the GPA printed on it is rarely the number that drives their evaluation. Admissions officers run your grades through an internal recalculation process before making any judgment, and the result can look meaningfully different from what your high school reports.

The reason is simple: GPA is not a standardized metric. As Sarah Farbman, counselor at Great College Advice, explains: “The typical or classic GPA here in the US is calculated out of four, but some schools weight their GPA out of five, some out of six. Some states, like North Carolina, calculate out of 100. Some private schools calculate out of 12. And once you factor in the IB program, IB grades are out of seven. So it’s very, very inconsistent across the applicant pool.”

Comparing a 3.8 from one school to a 3.8 from another is, in many cases, impossible without a common framework. Recalculation is how colleges build that framework. If you want to understand your starting point before this process kicks in, it helps to know the difference between weighted and unweighted GPA.

How GPA Recalculation Works

Colleges apply what’s called an institutional methodology. This means a proprietary formula is applied consistently across the entire applicant pool. It strips away school-specific weighting conventions and rebuilds the GPA from raw course grades, using the college’s own rules about which courses count and how much. As Sarah puts it: “Colleges will take your transcript and plug it into a formula or algorithm that they made up and use at their school, and spit out a recalculated GPA.”

The result is comparable across applicants from thousands of different high schools. It’s also a number the student never sees, which is why understanding the inputs matters more than fixating on the output.

The 5 Core Subjects That Drive the GPA Number

Not every course carries equal weight. Sarah is direct on this point: “There are five areas that are considered core courses — math, English, social studies, science, and a foreign language. Those are the courses that colleges are gonna look at the most and give the most weight to. Other classes like band or PE or ceramics — they’re still looking at them, but they’re not gonna give as much weight to those types of classes.”

A C in math or English lands squarely in the data colleges weight most heavily — more damaging than a C in a non-core elective. For a deeper look at how grades and course rigor interact in admissions, the core subjects are always the starting point.

How Context Transforms a GPA Number

School context. A 3.7 doesn’t mean the same thing at every school. Sarah gives a clear illustration: “At some high schools, a 3.7 actually puts you below average — in the bottom quartile of your high school class. So colleges are gonna look at your 3.7 and say, ‘Well, compared to the rest of the kids in this individual’s high school, maybe that’s not looking so good.'”

The most selective institutions aim to admit a high proportion of their class from the top 10% of each applicant’s high school. The relevant question isn’t “What is a good GPA?” — it’s “Where does this GPA place me within my own school?”

Grade trajectory. Cumulative GPA and grade trend are both evaluated, and they tell different stories. Sarah explains: “The movement, the trend of your grades matters just as much as your actual GPA.” A student who struggled early and built a consistent upward trend presents a different narrative than one whose grades peaked and declined — even if both share the same cumulative GPA.

On declining grades, Sarah is candid: “What that story tells an admissions officer is, ‘Hey, maybe this student has something going on in their life, and they’re actually not as prepared right now to take on the rigors of a university education.'” An upward trajectory signals adaptability and growing academic maturity — and it’s the more compelling story to an admissions office.

Course Rigor as a Multiplier

Recalculated GPA doesn’t exist in isolation from course rigor — colleges evaluate the two together. The perennial question of high grades vs. hard classes doesn’t have a single answer, but Sarah frames the principle clearly: “You wanna be able to show colleges that you challenged yourself and took a hard load of classes, but you also want to make sure that you can still succeed in those classes. So in general, you wanna take the hardest classes that you think you can succeed in and do the best that you can.”

When colleges recalculate, they apply their own weighting rules rather than accepting the high school’s — so a student’s recalculated GPA may land higher or lower than the transcript figure, depending on how the college values the specific courses taken. The underlying principle remains: rigor in core subjects, combined with strong performance, produces the most favorable outcome.

What a Single C Actually Does

A C is not automatically disqualifying, but its impact depends on four variables: which course it appeared in, when it appeared, what the surrounding circumstances were, and what the rest of the application looks like. A C in a core subject carries more weight than a C in a non-core elective. A C during a semester with a documented hardship is interpreted differently than one that appears without explanation in an otherwise strong record.

Students should avoid Cs where possible, particularly in core subjects. When one does appear, the goal is to ensure the rest of the application provides context and compensating evidence of capability — something worth keeping in mind when you consider how grades stack up against other parts of your profile.

Practical Steps

Prioritize core subjects. Math, English, science, social studies, and foreign language are the primary inputs into institutional GPA formulas. These deserve the most rigorous course selection and the most focused effort.

Choose rigor you can sustain. A schedule that produces a declining trend is worse than a slightly less rigorous one with a stable or improving trajectory.

Track your class standing, not just your GPA. The relevant benchmark is where your number places you within your high school class. Your guidance counselor can help you find this if your school doesn’t publish GPA distributions — or search online for your school’s college profile.

Build a strong grade trend. A strong finish can help offset a weaker start. A declining trend raises concerns about readiness that are difficult to explain away.

Address anomalies when there’s a real reason. As Sarah notes: “The only time you’re really even gonna reference your own transcript is if there is something that you feel like you need to provide an explanation or context for” — a serious illness, a family crisis, an extended absence. Otherwise, let the transcript speak for itself.

What Your GPA Is Really Telling Selective Colleges

The recalculated GPA is a tool colleges use to answer a specific question: given everything we know about this student’s school, their course choices, and their performance over four years, how academically prepared are they for our environment?

The trend that produced the number, the rigor of the courses behind it, and the class standing it represents all feed into that answer. Students who understand this stop asking “What GPA do I need?” and start asking “What does my transcript say about who I am as a student?” Those are different questions — and the second is the one selective colleges are actually trying to answer.

If you want an expert review of how your transcript is likely to be read by the specific schools on your list, including how your course rigor, grade trend, and class standing interact. Our counselors at Great College Advice work through exactly this analysis with students. Reach out to schedule a consultation and get a clear-eyed picture of where you stand before applications open.

The post The Contextual GPA: How Selective Colleges Recalculate Your GPA first appeared on Great College Advice.

Here are some of the most commonly asked questions about how to get into college.  

1. What is the best summer program that will make my application stand out?

This is actually not the right question to ask. The right question is ‘what is the best way to achieve something great?’ Choose programs that you would enjoy putting energy into and try to make a real difference. This will give you a better chance at getting into the college you want. Read more about exploring internships in high school.

2. Which is better? Top grades or rigorous coursework?

The reality is both. Top grades in rigorous coursework are the best way to demonstrate to a college that you are prepared for the further rigors of academic life on a college campus. See our blog post on the topic to explore further.

3. Which club(s) should I join?

Join a club, team or society whose mission aligns with your interests and goals. Again, try to make a difference. Don’t just participate, lead and stand out. This will help you stand out on your college application. See this post on how to optimize your activities for college admissions.

4. What is a good SAT / ACT score?

You want to earn the highest score you possibly can. This means you must prepare ahead of time. Take the preparatory classes, take the practice exams. Learn as much as you can about how to earn a high score and do your best. To learn more, read this post.

5. How much community service must I do?

You do not necessarily have to participate in community service at all in order to get into college. What you need to do is stand out in your extracurricular activities. So, choose activities you enjoy, so you will be more likely to invest your time and talent in them. Be sure to check out must I do community service to get into a good college for more information.

6. What’s the most important academic activity?

Read books. Read for class, and outside of class. One of the most common traits of academically successful students is that they read for enjoyment outside of their regular academic coursework. Of course, do your homework, and complete it on time. Give yourself ample time to study for exams in order to get the best grades that you can. But reading is the best way to expand your mind.

7. Is getting good recommendation letters one of the best ways to get into college?

It is advisable to get three letters of recommendation (LOR) although colleges do have different requirements. Typically, a college wants to see two recommendations from teachers and one from your school counselor. The best way to receive a good recommendation is to put forth effort in those classes, participate, collaborate, and to get to know your teachers outside of the classroom. Talk to them before and after class, about anything. Let them know about your interests. Show them you are motivated to succeed in life and they will be more than happy to share that information in the form of a recommendation letter. Here are our 6 tips for a great LOR.

8. What’s the best way to prepare for the English portions of the ACT or SAT?

Read books. This is the answer to two of these questions for a reason. It is that important. It’s a great indicator of academic success and it’s a great way to learn outside the classroom. Yes, it expands your mind, but in answer to this specific question, it expands your vocabulary. This is of crucial importance for the English portion of the ACT or SAT.

9. What’s the best extracurricular activity to pursue?

Pursue activities you enjoy. It is in those areas where you are most likely to put in real effort, and where you are most likely to truly excel. This is what college admission officers want to see. Mere participation in extracurricular activities pales in comparison to demonstrations of leadership in those activities. Go where you want to make a difference and then make that difference.

10. Should I apply Early Decision?

Applying early decision (ED) is an option but only if you are truly competitive for acceptance into that school. It is not a random lottery. Schools are looking to lock in top performers and get an idea of the remaining spots they have open for the regular admissions process. It’s also a great way for you to put the stress of the college application process behind you sooner than later. But again, if you wonder about your ability to get accepted into a school or program, or feel like it is a stretch for you, do not apply early decision. Learn more about Early Decision, Early Action and Regular Decision in this blog post.

Have more questions about the best ways to get into college?

Do you have questions about how to get into college? Let the experts at Great College Advice help you navigate the complicated and sometimes confusing world of college applications. We have several tiers of services we can provide that can fit any budget. With our years of experience in the world of college applications, we’ve helped thousands of students get into the college of their dreams. We can help you, too!

Contact us today for a complimentary consultation.

The post 10 Questions About the Best Ways to Get into College first appeared on Great College Advice.

Planning your ACT timeline is one of the highest-leverage decisions you’ll make in high school. Done well, it produces a competitive score without draining the time you need for coursework, activities, and the rest of your application. Done poorly, it leads to testing fatigue, diminishing returns, and a senior year spent cramming instead of writing essays.

This guide walks you through every stage — from your first ACT to knowing when to stop. You’ll be finished when you have a written testing calendar that fits your academic schedule, uses your summer study window, and caps your attempts at a number that leaves room for the rest of your application to shine.

ACT Prerequisites

Before building your timeline, confirm that you:

• Have taken at least one full-length, timed practice ACT (or SAT) to establish a baseline
• Know whether you prefer the ACT or SAT format — if not, take a diagnostic for each before committing
• Have reviewed your target schools’ testing policies (superscore, all-scores, or test-optional)
• Have your high school’s academic calendar for junior and senior year, including AP exam dates

Building the plan takes about an hour; executing it spans 12 to 18 months.

Step 1: Know the Outer Limits

Before scheduling anything, set the boundaries of a sensible plan. The ACT can be taken multiple times, but more attempts don’t automatically mean better scores.

Sarah Farbman, a Senior Admissions Consultant at Great College Advice, frames the cap this way: “Generally, we recommend taking it [The ACT] between two and three times. Students tend to do better the second time because they gain familiarity with the test. But most of the time, after the third attempt, we see scores plateau.”

If you’re wondering how many times you can take the ACT before it becomes counterproductive, the answer usually lies in the balance between score improvement and the time everything else requires. Every hour spent prepping for a fourth or fifth attempt is an hour not spent on grades, activities, or essays — and admissions officers evaluate the whole profile, not just the score.

One constraint applies at the most selective schools: a handful require every test date from ninth grade onward. So no official sitting should be treated as a practice run. Take practice tests at home; treat every official date as real.

Success check: You’ve confirmed your target schools’ score-submission policies and set a cap of two to three official dates.

Step 2: Choose Your First ACT Test Date

The ACT is designed for junior year, and that’s the right anchor for most students — aim for winter or early spring.

“There’s absolutely nothing wrong with waiting until junior year to take the test,” Farbman says. “That’s actually when it’s designed to be taken, and if you wait a little longer, you’re more likely to have seen all of the material in your classes.”

Taking the test in spring of sophomore year is reasonable if you feel genuinely ready, but it isn’t necessary. Before your first official sitting, complete as many full-length practice exams as you can. Review your mistakes as carefully as you take the tests: look for patterns, and decide whether each error reflects a content gap or a strategy problem. Building a disciplined standardized testing plan and learning how to ace the ACT both come down to targeting your specific weak spots.

Note: registration deadlines are typically one month before the exam, so build your calendar backward and register early. If you need accommodations or help, notify your counselor at least six weeks out.

Success check: You’re registered for a spring junior-year date with a daily practice schedule for the four weeks prior.

Step 3: Use the Summer as Your Primary ACT Study Window

The summer after junior year is the single best prep window in the whole timeline: more unstructured time, no AP pressure, and fall deadlines still far enough away. The sequence:

• Take the ACT in late winter or early spring of junior year
• Review your scores and identify your weakest sections
• Study over the summer — once a week is productive, twice is better
• Retake during the summer before senior year begins

If your summer ACT score is strong, you’re done. If one section still lags, an early fall date gives you one more shot before Early Action and Early Decision deadlines.

Whatever you choose, don’t retake without a real plan. As Farbman puts it: “It’s easy to say, ‘I’m going to take it again and knock it out of the park.’ But that is not a plan. That is a wish.” Decide concretely how next time will differ — tutoring, a set prep schedule, or targeted free resources like Khan Academy (especially useful for SAT prep).

Success check: You have a summer date scheduled and a study plan covering the specific areas your first test flagged.

Step 4: Decide Whether a Third Attempt Makes Sense

After two dates, evaluate honestly before committing to a third.

Pursue a third attempt if one section jumped while another dropped and superscoring would benefit; if you have a specific, achievable target and know exactly which content is holding you back; and if you have time to prepare without hurting fall grades or college application deadlines.

Skip it if your scores have plateaued across two attempts; if you’re in the thick of college essays and a full senior load; or if the likely gain wouldn’t change your standing at your target schools.

To judge whether a score is “good enough,” compare it against the middle 50% of admitted students. “Look at the colleges you’re hoping to attend and their middle 50th percentile test score — the 25th to the 75th percentile — and try to aim within that range,” Farbman advises. “If you can, aim for the top of that range or above it.”

Most colleges publish this range. Within it, you’re competitive; above it, more scores add little; below it, weigh whether closing the gap is worth the time. Understanding how to read your ACT score report makes that comparison accurate.

Success check: You’ve made a deliberate, data-driven call. Not an anxious one.

Step 5: Know When to Stop Taking the ACT

Recognizing diminishing returns protects your senior year. The clearest signal is plateau; the second is opportunity cost — if prep is competing with grades, activities, or essays, the test is winning a competition it shouldn’t be in.

“If you see your score plateauing, or you’re feeling really frustrated and burned out — like even though you’re prepping, you’re not seeing improvement — that might be a sign it’s time to focus your efforts elsewhere,” Farbman says.

The fall of your senior year is the most demanding stretch of the whole process: multiple essays, recommendation letters, activity lists, often a full AP load. A marginal score bump doesn’t justify slipping grades or rushed essays — and colleges do review fall grades for early applicants.

For test-optional schools, the math differs: if your diagnostic sits well below the range you’d need and closing the gap would cost you GPA and activities, not submitting may be the stronger move. That’s exactly what test-optional policies are for.

Success check: You have a clear stopping rule — a target score or a date after which you won’t register again, regardless of how you feel.

Tips and Best Practices

Spread your dates apart. June then July leaves little time to fix what the first test revealed. Late winter or early spring, then summer study, then July gives you a real gap with active prep in between.

Superscoring changes the math. Most colleges superscore the ACT, combining your best section scores across dates. Confirm your target schools’ superscoring policies before deciding how many times to test.

Use Score Choice. Both tests let you choose which scores to send to most schools; your counselor will help finalize what goes where.

Check the Science section. It’s optional, but if you want to go into a STEM field then you should sit for this section. Verify current requirements on the college’s own admissions page before your first date.

If Your ACT Timeline Gets Too Long

My score didn’t improve between attempts. Usually the prep wasn’t targeted enough, or the gap was too short. Review your errors for patterns; if you keep missing the same question types, that’s a content or strategy gap, not a reason for more general practice. Use the summer for a longer, focused reset.

I’m a senior and haven’t taken it yet. September and October dates still work for Early Action and Early Decision although you’re cutting it close. Register now, prioritize the sections most likely to move your composite, and don’t let prep displace your essays — they carry more weight at this point.

My target school requires all scores and I tested poorly early. Focus on demonstrating improvement. All-scores readers expect early attempts to be lower; they’re looking for a trajectory, not a single number.

How to Take the ACT with Confidence

A well-structured ACT timeline takes the guesswork out of one of the most stressful parts of college prep: test first in late winter or spring of junior year, study over the summer, retake in the summer, and make a deliberate call on a third attempt in September or October. Two to three well-prepared attempts, spread across a real study window, consistently beat four or five rushed ones.

The goal isn’t the highest number of attempts; it’s the strongest application. Protecting your GPA, your activities, and your senior-year energy for the essays that round out your candidacy isn’t a compromise. It’s the strategy. For more admissions strategies and tips, talk to a Great College Advice counselor.

The post How to Plan Your ACT Testing Timeline: Maximizing Scores Without Burnout first appeared on Great College Advice.

Elite college admissions offices read your high school transcript as a story: one that includes where you go to school, which courses you chose, and how your performance evolved over four years. This FAQ draws on the evaluation frameworks used by highly selective institutions to answer the questions students and families most often get wrong about GPA. Whether you are aiming for the Ivy League, the University of Chicago, or any other top-tier school, understanding these distinctions is the difference between a competitive application and a confusing one.

The Basics: What Colleges Actually See

Does a strong GPA guarantee admission to a highly selective college?

A strong GPA does not guarantee admission. Admissions officers at selective colleges evaluate GPA relative to the distribution of grades across the applicant’s specific high school. At schools where students routinely carry weighted GPAs of 4.2 or higher due to heavy AP and honors course loads, even a 3.9 can fall in the bottom half of the class. The number itself is far less meaningful than where it places the student within their own school’s population.

Why do colleges recalculate GPA instead of using the number on the transcript?

Colleges recalculate GPA because grading scales are not standardized across the United States or internationally. A traditional US GPA runs out of 4.0, but some schools weight out of 5.0 or 6.0, North Carolina schools calculate out of 100, some private schools use a 12-point scale, and IB programs grade out of 7. Comparing these numbers directly is not just unfair. In many cases it is mathematically impossible. To solve this, every selective college applies its own institutional methodology, plugging transcript data into a proprietary formula that produces a recalculated GPA on a consistent scale. That recalculated number, not the one on the transcript, is what admissions officers actually use for comparison. Understanding the difference between weighted vs unweighted GPA is essential for interpreting how these numbers appear on your official record.

Which courses count most when a college recalculates GPA?

Colleges give primary weight to the five core academic areas: math, English, social studies, science, and foreign language. These are the courses that most directly signal academic preparation for college-level work. Electives and non-academic courses may appear on the transcript, but they carry less weight or no weight at all in most institutional recalculation methodologies. A student with strong grades in core courses and weaker grades in electives is in a meaningfully different position than a student whose pattern is reversed.

What does “class rank” mean when many high schools no longer report it?

Class rank is a percentile measure of where a student’s GPA falls relative to every other student in their graduating class. Most highly selective colleges think in percentile terms rather than raw GPA numbers: they aim to admit a high proportion of their class from students in the top 10% of their high school, with many targeting the top 5%. Many universities report on their incoming class class rank distribution when they release their annual Common Data Set. When a high school does not report class rank, which is increasingly common, admissions officers use the transcript itself to approximate where the student likely falls. The absence of a formal rank neither helps nor hurts; colleges have developed reliable methods for inferring relative standing from course selection, grade patterns, and available school data.

Course Rigor and the Rigor-Grade Trade-Off

Should a student take harder classes and risk a lower GPA, or protect their GPA with easier courses?

The answer is both, and the framing of this as a trade-off is itself a misconception. Selective colleges want to see that a student challenged themselves with a rigorous course load and succeeded in those courses. The strategic principle is to take the hardest classes a student can genuinely succeed in. The goal is the most demanding schedule that still produces strong performance.

How do admissions officers evaluate a student from a high school with limited AP or honors offerings?

Admissions officers evaluate course rigor in the context of what was actually available at the student’s school. A student who takes every AP course their school offers is demonstrating maximum rigor, even if that is only three AP classes. A student at a school with 20 AP offerings who takes three is telling a different story. Colleges receive information alongside transcripts that describes the curriculum available at each high school, so admissions officers can distinguish between a student who had limited options and one who had many options and chose the easier path. It is also important to note that how college admissions works differently at small vs. large high schools can influence how these opportunities are perceived.

Grade Trends and Trajectory

Does it matter whether grades went up or down over four years, or only what the final GPA is?

Both the cumulative GPA and the trajectory matter, and they tell different stories. A student who struggled freshman year, developed stronger study skills, and showed a consistent upward trend through junior year is demonstrating growth and current readiness. A student with the same cumulative GPA whose grades peaked freshman year and declined steadily through junior year is signaling the opposite: that something may be interfering with their preparation for college-level work. An admissions officer reading a declining transcript is asking: “Is this student ready right now?” An upward trend answers that question affirmatively; a downward trend raises it.

Can a strong upward trend offset a weak freshman year?

It can, but the degree to which it offsets depends on two variables: how weak freshman year actually was, and how strong the subsequent trend was. A freshman year with one or two Bs followed by straight As through junior year is a very different situation from a freshman year of mostly Cs followed by a recovery to mostly Bs. The first scenario is unlikely to significantly damage a student’s chances at selective schools. The second scenario may limit options at the most selective institutions, even with a genuine upward trend, because the cumulative GPA will reflect the early struggles. The upward trend is always more compelling than a flat or declining one. But it is not a universal remedy.

What does a “spiky” grade pattern signal to admissions officers?

A spiky grade pattern, one that is inconsistent and unpredictable across semesters or subjects, raises questions about reliability and focus. Admissions officers are not only evaluating academic ability; they are trying to predict how a student will perform in a demanding university environment. Inconsistency makes that prediction harder. A student whose grades fluctuate significantly from semester to semester, without a clear explanation, presents a less compelling academic narrative than one whose grades are steady or trending upward, even if the average GPA is similar.

Contextualizing GPA for Specific Schools

What GPA is actually competitive for Ivy League and highly selective colleges?

The most useful benchmark is not a specific GPA number but a class rank percentile. Highly selective colleges typically admit the majority of their class from students in the top 10% of their high school, with many Ivy League schools drawing heavily from the top 5%. To illustrate how context shapes meaning: at some high schools, a 3.9 weighted GPA places a student in the top 10% of their class: a very strong position. At other high schools where the average GPA is closer to 4.2 because students are taking so many honors and AP classes, that same 3.9 may place a student in the bottom half of the class. Similarly, a 3.7 at a school where that is near the top of the distribution tells a very different story than a 3.7 at a school where it falls below the class average.

The number on the transcript is the starting point. Where it places the student within their school is what selective colleges actually evaluate. When determining what is a good GPA for your specific goals, you must always look at the data through the lens of your target institutions.

Does a single C on a transcript eliminate a student’s chances at a highly selective school?

A single C does not automatically eliminate a student’s chances, but the impact depends on four factors: which course the C was earned in, which year of high school it appeared, the circumstances under which it was earned, and the overall strength of the rest of the application. A C in a core academic course junior year carries more weight than a C in an elective freshman year. If there were extenuating circumstances (a serious illness, a family crisis) the additional information section of the application is the appropriate place to provide that context. Without context, admissions officers will interpret the grade on its own terms.

Should a student address a weak semester or a grade anomaly in their application?

Only when there is a genuine, specific explanation that the college needs in order to interpret the transcript accurately. A student who was hospitalized for several weeks during sophomore year and missed significant school should explain that. A student who simply had a difficult semester without a clear external cause should let the transcript speak for itself. Attempting to explain away grades that do not have a compelling explanation can draw more attention to the weakness rather than less. The standard is: provide context when the context is material and verifiable, not when it is an attempt to reframe ordinary underperformance.

Setting Realistic Goals

How should students set GPA goals that are both ambitious and realistic?

GPA goals should be set in two dimensions: academic goals (what grades to aim for in each course) and admissions goals (what class rank percentile those grades are likely to produce). A student who sets a GPA target without knowing where that number places them within their school’s distribution is missing the most important variable. The more useful exercise is to identify the percentile range that competitive applicants to target schools typically fall within. Usually the top 10% for highly selective schools and then work backward to understand what GPA and course load is required to reach that percentile at their specific high school.

Understanding how selective colleges actually evaluate GPA, through the lens of school context, course rigor, and grade trajectory, is the foundation of a competitive application strategy. If you are ready to understand exactly where your academic profile stands relative to your target schools and what steps will strengthen it, connect with our team to start building a strategy grounded in how admissions offices actually make decisions.

The post How Ivy League and Highly Selective Colleges Evaluate High School GPAs first appeared on Great College Advice.

Prompt 3 asks you to reflect on a time you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. It sounds simple, but it’s one of the most misread prompts on the Common App.

The confusion is understandable: students assume the prompt wants a story about conflict, a moment they stood up to someone and won. What admissions officers actually want is evidence of maturity — the capacity to sit with uncertainty, examine your own assumptions, and arrive at a more honest understanding of yourself. Those are two very different essays.

Is prompt 3 right for you?

Not for every student. This is a hard prompt to pull off, and it works best for a specific kind of story.

“Prompt three is a tough one,” says Pam Gentry, a Senior Admissions Consultant at Great College Advice. “I might recommend it to students who feel differently about a worldview than their parents or the majority of students in their school, or who’ve had an experience where their eyes were really opened to a different way of seeing the world. It is not for everybody.”

She also names the trap. “Some kids really feel like they’ve had a moment where they questioned something, and now they feel strongly in a different way,” Gentry explains. “They can sound like they know it all now — and that’s normal. Seventeen-year-olds often feel like they know everything.” An essay that performs certainty is the opposite of what this prompt rewards. If you can’t write about the questioning honestly, choose a different prompt.

What are admissions officers actually looking for?

They’re looking for you — not more of your data. Your transcript and activities list already tell them what you’ve done. This essay is where they learn who you are.

“They have a transcript and an activities list, but those make the student pretty flat — pretty 2D,” Gentry says. “The personal statement makes them into a 3D person: somebody you’d want to sit down and have coffee with.” That’s the real bar this prompt has to clear, and it’s worth understanding what admissions officers look for in an essay before you start.

The essay also has to be unmistakably yours. “The best essays are in the student’s own voice,” Gentry notes. “It should not be an essay that somebody else could have written.” A belief described with genuine precision — rooted in your specific family, culture, or classroom — can’t be mistaken for anyone else’s.

How do you find the right belief to write about?

Start with quiet beliefs, not dramatic ones. The strongest essays rarely open on a political argument or a religious crisis. They begin with an assumption so embedded in daily life it was nearly invisible until something tested it.

Three brainstorming exercises tend to surface those beliefs:

• The “of course” inventory. Write down ten things you’ve always assumed were true. The phrase “of course” is a reliable marker: Of course you go to college. Of course you study something practical.

• The friction log. Identify three recent moments when you felt unexpectedly uncomfortable, confused, or defensive. Discomfort is usually the first sign a belief is being tested.

• The “I used to think” sentence. Finish it ten times without editing. Beliefs that surface here are already in the past tense — you’ve started the questioning the prompt is asking about.

Then test each candidate against three questions. Can you name the exact moment the belief started to crack? Can you describe what the questioning felt like from the inside? Did your thinking actually change or deepen, even slightly? A belief that fails on that middle question — interiority — will produce a weak essay no matter how dramatic the external story.

How should you structure the essay?

Think in three movements: before, during, and after.

Before establishes the belief with precision. Where did it come from? What did it feel like to hold it? Specificity makes the essay personal and makes the shift that follows feel earned.

During is the part most students skip, and it’s the most important. This isn’t the external event that challenged you — it’s the internal experience of having your certainty disturbed. Name your resistance honestly (“My first instinct was to dismiss it” is more credible than “I immediately reconsidered”). Write out the actual questions you found yourself asking. Acknowledge what you stood to lose.

After is where students most often go wrong. The prompt does not require you to abandon a belief. A valid outcome can be changing your mind, holding the belief with more nuance, becoming comfortable with uncertainty, or reaffirming the belief for reasons you chose rather than inherited. The only ending that fails is a false resolution — one that claims more transformation than you actually felt. Ask yourself one question: what do you carry forward?

What mistakes should you avoid?

The preachy ending. “This taught me we should all be more open-minded” is a platitude, not a conclusion. The fix is the single most useful piece of craft advice for this prompt, and it comes straight from how Gentry coaches it: “We don’t use the word you in this essay. We use the word I. This is how I see the world. This is how I was changed by this experience, and this is how I want to move forward.”

The reason is strategic, not just stylistic. “This isn’t didactic. We’re not telling other people what to do, and we don’t tell adults how they should think,” Gentry says. “The ultimate goal of a personal statement is for them to like you — and they don’t like you if you tell them what to do or how to think.”

The savior narrative. When the belief involves other people, essays can tip into “I used to misunderstand this group, then I learned better.” Keep the focus on your own thinking, not on the people who prompted it. (Focusing on you is the whole game.)

Duplicating your activities list. “It’s okay to have one or maybe two of the activities from your list in there,” Gentry says, “but it shouldn’t be all of them. You don’t want to shove all that stuff in.” If the external event takes up more than a third of your essay, the balance is off — the event is context, the questioning is the essay. Save the activity itself for the Common App activities section.

Choosing a belief that’s too safe. “I used to think I wasn’t good at art, then I took a class” is a skill discovery, not a reckoning. The belief has to have mattered enough that questioning it cost you something — even if only a comfortable certainty.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to change my mind for this essay to work?

No. Questioning a belief and keeping it — now for reasons you chose — is a fully valid outcome. What matters is showing honest reflection, not a reversal.

What if my story fits more than one prompt?

That’s common, and it’s fine. As Gentry points out, the same story often works across prompts — admissions officers care about the story, not which number you picked. Write it first, then choose the prompt it fits best. (You can see the full set of Common App prompts here.)

How long should this essay be?

The Common App personal statement caps at 650 words. Aim for at least 500 — well under that, and you’re leaving room to show more of who you are.

Can I write about politics or religion?

You can, but you don’t have to, and dramatic topics are often harder to pull off than quiet, personal ones. Choose the belief with the most honest interior story, not the most controversial subject.

If you’re finding it hard to identify the right belief or capture the questioning honestly, that difficulty is itself a signal worth following — the prompts that feel hardest to write authentically often reveal the most. Great College Advice counselors work with students through exactly this process, from brainstorming to final revision. Get in touch to talk through the essay only you can write.

The post Common App Prompt 3: How to Write About Questioning a Belief 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.

Prompt 5 of the Common Application asks you to describe an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth. It sounds simple, but it’s one of the most misunderstood prompts on the application, because most students write about the event itself rather than the shift in thinking that followed. Admissions officers don’t need a detailed account of what happened. They need evidence of who you became because of it.

That distinction matters. The first reader of your file is often a recent graduate of that school, early in their career and energized about building a freshman class — and they already hold your transcript and activities list. They don’t want more data. They want a glimpse of who you actually are, and this is the clearest invitation in the application to show them.

Why isn’t this prompt about the event?

Because the event is the setup, and the growth is the point. The most common misread treats this as a problem-solving essay: describe what happened in vivid detail, explain the steps you took, wrap up with a tidy resolution. The result reads like a project report, not a personal statement.

What admissions officers are evaluating is the quality of your self-reflection. “The goal of the personal statement is for them to make themselves into a 3D person,” says Pam Gentry, a Senior Admissions Consultant at Great College Advice. “They have a transcript and an activities list, and the student is pretty flat, pretty 2D. The personal statement makes them into a 3D person — somebody you’d want to sit down and have coffee with, somebody you might want to be friends with.” A problem-solving narrative tells the reader what you did. A growth narrative tells them who you are.

That’s also why this prompt is so flexible. “What I love about this prompt is that it doesn’t box a student in,” Gentry says. “It doesn’t have to be a big event. It can just be an example” — a moment that reveals a value or a change in how you see yourself. Understanding what admissions officers look for in an essay helps before you choose your moment.

What are the three layers of a strong response?

A well-built essay works on three layers, and understanding each before you draft prevents the most common structural failures.

The inciting event is a specific moment, not a pattern. “I struggled with perfectionism throughout high school” is a pattern. “The night before my AP Chemistry exam, I realized I’d been studying the wrong unit for three weeks” is an event. Specificity signals that you’re writing from real experience rather than constructing the story you think they want.

The realization moment is the structural center, and the part most students rush past. It’s the instant your understanding shifted in a way that can’t be undone — the difference between “I lost the championship game” and “Standing in the parking lot afterward, I understood I’d been playing for my coach’s approval, not my own.” If you could delete this moment and the essay still made sense, you’ve written about an event, not growth.

The “after” is evidence the growth was real — shown, not declared. Not “I became more resilient,” but the specific decision you made differently, the habit you built, the question you started asking that you’d never thought to ask before. It should be concrete enough that a reader could verify it against the rest of your application.

On the page, that means: establish the “before” self in a sentence or two, open at the moment of maximum tension rather than with background, give the realization more room than the event itself, and prove the “after” with one concrete example.

How do you find the right story?

Identifying the story is harder than writing it, and your most dramatic experience is rarely your most revealing one. Gentry works backward from character rather than forward from events. “We start by brainstorming what we want them to know about you,” she explains. “What adjectives would you use to describe yourself? Give me an example of when you showed that. Then two more examples. All of a sudden, we have a story.”

The point of that exercise is that the turning point doesn’t have to be enormous. “It gives an opportunity to students who haven’t had a big event in their life,” Gentry says. “It doesn’t have to be when my brother died in a tragic accident. Most of my students don’t have something that impactful, so it’s a way for them to share who they are with something everyday — something that shows empathy, or competitiveness, or compassion.”

A few brainstorming prompts that surface genuine growth:

• Belief inventory. Three things you believed two years ago that you now believe differently — and the experience that changed each.

• Uncomfortable moment. A time you felt embarrassed, ashamed, or wrong about something that mattered. What did you do with that feeling?

• Unexpected teacher. A person or situation that taught you something you didn’t expect. Surprise matters — an expected lesson is usually confirmation, not growth.

• Ripple effect. What changed in your behavior or relationships in the six months after? If you can’t name two concrete changes, the moment may not show the growth this prompt rewards.

Does your story actually qualify?

Run your topic through four questions before you commit. A strong topic answers yes to all four:

• Is there a specific moment when your thinking changed — not a gradual drift with no turning point?

• Is the growth internal, not just behavioral? You think differently, not only act differently.

• Can you show the “after” with a concrete example — a real decision, relationship, or habit, not an abstraction?

• Is this a story only you can tell? As Gentry puts it, “It should not be an essay that somebody else could have written.”

If it fails the third question, look further forward in time; the evidence of growth often appears months after the turning point. If it fails the fourth, the fix is usually more specificity, not a new topic — the same experience, told with precise and honest detail, becomes uniquely yours. (Keeping the focus on you is the whole game.)

What mistakes should you avoid?

The hero complex. When a turning point becomes a victory lap — obstacle encountered, obstacle crushed, lesson learned about personal strength — it tells the reader what you accomplished, not what you learned about yourself. Locate the moment of genuine uncertainty inside the story; the vulnerability is more compelling than the resolution.

The cliché sports injury. The injury essay isn’t inherently weak, but most versions follow the same arc — injury, lost season, discovery of resilience, triumphant return — so it reads as a template. If your story involves a physical setback, ask what it revealed about you specifically, not what it taught you about perseverance in general.

Duplicating your activities list. This prompt tempts students to recount an accomplishment already on their résumé. Gentry is direct about the limit: “It’s okay to have one or maybe two of the activities from your list in there, but it shouldn’t be all of them. It shouldn’t be why soccer is important to you — it should be about you being hyper-competitive but also compassionate in the right situations.” Save the activity itself for the Common App activities section.

Performing growth instead of demonstrating it. The most common failure of all. “I became more empathetic,” “I grew as a person and a leader” — these are conclusions without arguments. Treat the “after” the way a lawyer treats evidence: show the specific conversation you had differently, or the specific risk you took that you wouldn’t have taken before.

The single most useful revision for any draft of this type: find the sentence where your thinking changed, and move it closer to the top. Most students bury the turning point after pages of setup — and the opening line is where readers decide whether to lean in.

If a turning-point story feels like the right fit, start with the audit questions, not the blank page. Great College Advice counselors work through exactly this process with every student — surfacing the moment that genuinely reflects who you are, then building the structure that makes it land. Get in touch to talk it through.

Prompt 5: Frequently asked questions

Does the turning point have to be a big, dramatic event?

No. As Gentry emphasizes, most students don’t have a single dramatic event — and an everyday moment that reveals a value often makes a stronger essay than a big one.

What if my story fits more than one prompt?

Common, and fine. “The admissions officers don’t really care which prompt you choose,” Gentry notes — “they’re just looking for the story.” Write it first, then match it to the prompt that gives it the most room. (See the full Common App prompts guide.)

How is this different from the failure prompt?

They overlap, and the same story can sometimes serve either. The turning point asks for the moment of growth; the failure prompt asks for the setback that produced it. Choose the framing that puts your realization at the center.

How long should the essay be?

The Common App personal statement caps at 650 words; aim for at least 500 so you have room to show the “after,” not just the event.

The post The Turning-Point Essay: How to Answer Common App Prompt 5 first appeared on Great College Advice.

The Colorado Free Application Days campaign is an initiative designed to inspire more Coloradans to continue their education. From Tuesday, Oct. 20 through Thursday, Oct. 22, 2026, many public colleges and universities in Colorado and several private institutions will waive their application fees, making it free for Colorado residents to submit an application. By waiving application fees—a common barrier to higher education—Colorado Free Application Days aims to improve access to further education and training, which is becoming increasingly critical in the state’s rapidly changing economy.

2025 Free Application Days Results: 

• 71,504 applications (9% increase from 2024) were submitted during October 7 – October 9, 2025
• More than $2.4 million saved by applicants in waived application fees
• 36% of applications were submitted by students who are the first generation in their family attending college
• 49% of applications were submitted by students of color

For more information, visit the following Colorado Department of Higher Education (CDHE) for more details, including the list of participating colleges and universities, here and here.

The CDHE also provides a lot of educational materials on its My Colorado Journey site. It includes resources for high school course selection, career exploration, college research, financial aid, and test preparation.

Best of luck to your student as they begin their senior year of high school and please reach out to the team at Great College Advice if we can help with their Colorado (and beyond) applications!

The post Colorado Free Application Days first appeared on Great College Advice.

Choosing which Common App essay prompt to answer is one of the most consequential decisions in the application process. The prompt asking you to describe a topic, idea, or concept that deeply captivates you is among the most intellectually demanding. It doesn’t ask what you study. It asks what captivates you, why, and what that reveals about who you’re becoming.

For students who’ve spent years optimizing their academic profiles, this can feel disorienting. The instinct is to reach for something impressive — quantum mechanics, constitutional law, behavioral economics. But admissions officers read thousands of essays built around impressive-sounding subjects. What they’re looking for is genuine curiosity: the kind that pulls you down a rabbit hole at midnight, not because a grade depends on it, but because the question is irresistible.

This guide is a process for finding, developing, and writing that essay — one only you could write. (For the fundamentals that apply to any prompt, start with our guide to how to write a college essay.)

Why Prompt 6 Is Different

Most Common App prompts invite you to narrate an experience: a challenge overcome, a background, a belief. This prompt does something structurally different. It asks you to demonstrate how your mind works by showing what it gravitates toward when no one assigns the direction.

That distinction matters in selective admissions. The risk is treating the prompt as a subject-matter showcase rather than a self-portrait. An essay explaining the mechanics of CRISPR, however accurate, tells an officer what you know. An essay tracing the moment you realized editing a genome raises the same ethical questions as editing a sentence — and how that sent you down six weeks of unassigned reading — tells them who you are. That’s the difference between a transcript and a person.

The Discovery Framework

The most common mistake is choosing a topic before doing the work of discovery: picking something that sounds serious, then manufacturing enthusiasm for it. Admissions officers recognize manufactured enthusiasm immediately.

Pam Gentry, a Senior Admissions Consultant at Great College Advice, describes the test she runs with students:

Have you ever started watching just one video on YouTube, and three hours later you look up and realize you still have homework to do? That’s going down the rabbit hole. The next day, you’re online looking for sources to learn more. If a student has found themselves in that situation, this can be a really great prompt.

Step 1: The Rabbit Hole Test

Think back over the last two years. Identify three to five moments when you started reading, watching, or thinking about something and lost track of time — not because you had to, but because you couldn’t stop. They don’t need to be academic or prestigious; one student wrote about repairing a car over four years. The criterion is genuine absorption. For each, note what triggered it, how long it lasted, where it took you that you didn’t expect, and what question it left you with. The rabbit hole with the most unexpected destination usually makes the most interesting essay.

Step 2: The Curriculum Gap Test

Ask which of your interests your formal education has almost entirely ignored. The things that captivate students most deeply often fall between subjects, or outside them: the philosophy of mathematics, the acoustics of architecture, the history of a single word. If your topic appears on a standard AP syllabus, that’s not disqualifying, but you’ll need to show what you pursued beyond the curriculum. These deep dives often become the foundation for a capstone project later in high school.

Step 3: The “So What?” Excavation

Once you have a candidate topic, test it in three layers. Layer 1: what is the topic? (subject matter only). Layer 2: why does it fascinate you specifically? (your intellectual personality). Layer 3: how has this fascination changed how you see something else? (your worldview and growth). Most students stop at Layer 1; strong essays reach Layer 3. A student fascinated by urban planning doesn’t write about urban planning — she writes about realizing that the placement of a bus stop determines who can reach a job, how that changed the way she walks through every city, and why she now reads zoning minutes the way other people read novels. That’s a Layer 3 essay.

Demonstrate Genuine Intellectual Curiosity

Admissions officers want evidence that you pursue ideas for their own sake. As Pam Gentry puts it:

The trap is that it doesn’t have to be about what the student wants to study in college. A student who learns something in class and then goes on to learn more about it outside the classroom — because they have this deep interest in it — can write a really great essay, because it shows intellectual curiosity, motivation, and what they value.

That demonstration requires three things. Show the process, not the conclusion — narrate the inquiry, the initial hook, the unexpected turn, the question that opened into three more. The essay should read like a mind in motion, not one that has already arrived. Use specificity as evidence — the difference between “I became fascinated by linguistics” and “I spent three weeks trying to understand why ‘cellar door’ is considered phonetically beautiful by people who’ve never heard it in context” is the difference between a claim and evidence. Connect the micro to the macro — the student captivated by how light behaves at the boundary between two media isn’t just interested in optics; she’s interested in boundaries generally, and that shows up in how she thinks about borders, transitions, and thresholds everywhere else.

The “So What?” Factor

The most common structural failure is ending at description. The student explains the topic, shows real knowledge and enthusiasm, and stops. The essay answers “what captivates you” but not “what does that captivation mean?”

This doesn’t require a grand statement about career ambitions — essays that pivot to “and that’s why I want to be a neuroscientist” often feel reductive. The more powerful move is to show how the captivation changed you as a thinker: what questions you now carry, what you notice that you didn’t before. The goal is for the officer to finish reading and want to sit down and talk with you.

Common Pitfalls

Choosing a topic for its impressiveness. A topic chosen to signal sophistication produces an essay that reads as exactly that. Officers read thousands of essays on AI, climate science, and behavioral economics every cycle; the topic confers no advantage. This is where the fit-over-prestige approach matters — authentic engagement is everything, and the essay that stands out is the one only that student could write.

Staying at the surface. An essay that reads like a Wikipedia summary has failed the prompt. The reader doesn’t need to understand the topic fully; they need to understand your relationship to it.

Neglecting personal voice. Because the prompt invites intellectual content, some students write more like a term paper than a person. The essay should sound like you.

Forgetting the narrative arc. Even an abstract topic needs structure: a question arises, a discovery is made, an assumption is overturned. For students who’ve explored their interests through internships, those real-world experiences can supply the narrative spark.

What a Strong Essay Looks Like

A strong essay on this prompt usually has four moves: an opening that drops the reader into a specific moment of captivation — not “I have always been interested in X,” but a scene (getting this right is hard; see our take on the elusive first line); a middle that traces the rabbit hole, showing where the question led and what was unexpected; a Layer 3 “So What?” connecting the captivation to your worldview, not a career statement but genuine reflection; and a closing that leaves the reader feeling they’ve met someone specific. It doesn’t need to be long. Every sentence should earn its place.

Turning Captivation Into Your Most Powerful Asset

This prompt isn’t one to “answer correctly.” It’s an invitation to show officers something they can’t find anywhere else in your application: the texture of your intellectual life, the specific quality of your curiosity, the way your mind moves when it’s free.

The strongest essays don’t come from the most impressive topic. They come from students who did the honest work of identifying what actually captivates them, traced it to its deeper implications, and wrote in a voice unmistakably their own.

If you’d like a counselor to help you run the Discovery Framework, find your Layer 3 “So What?”, and develop a draft that reflects who you genuinely are, our team at Great College Advice works through exactly this process with every student. Get in touch — the goal isn’t an essay that sounds like what colleges want to hear. It’s one that sounds like you.

The post What Captivates You? Answering the Common App “Topic, Idea first appeared on Great College Advice.