Students Stress Over College Applications

“Hi everyone, looking for a reality check on my senior year schedule and course rigor. I plan on applying to all my schools as a drama/theatre major with an intention for an interdisciplinary studies humanities major, and I’m EDing (in-state) to UVA. I took IB Math Applications SL early, and finished SL 2 in my junior year (got an A- both years). For senior year, I’m currently taking Dual Enrollment Pre-Calculus w/Trig (1.0 GPA boost, same as an IB). But my concern is that because I’m taking DE P”

“I'm applying as a music major, so naturally I took a lot of music courses in high school. 2-3 a year. My school obviously doesn't count these as AP-level courses (because they aren't, except for music theory) so my courseload, rank, etc. are a bit lower because I couldn't load up on these rigorous courses. I tried to take nearly exclusively APs outside of music. Since students aiming for stem/humanities had more AP/IB courses available directly, they were naturally able to surpas”

“Okay this is a genuine question and I really hope it is not a dumb one…BUT i’m applying to a few more selective colleges like dreammm schools and majority of my ec are with music, it’s a huge time commitment and i’ve spent most ALL of my highschool career doing this because I go to an art school. So my question is, if my intended major which is music history and culture and ec’s strongly align does that increase my chances in any way? I’ve been under the assumption that it will because it shows”

“hi!!! posting here again because college apps are coming up and i need as much advice as i can get!!! my dream is to go to USC and major in acting for stage and screen with a minor in songwriting. its all i’ve ever dreamed about but i know how competitive it is and im worried about my shot of getting in. this is what my college path has looked like so far: sf state fall2023- spring 2024 gap semester junior college spring 2025 sf state fall 2025 junior college spring 2026, summer 2026, fall 2026”

“hiii!! i am class of 27 and applying to college rn. my family is relatively wealthy, but not wealthy enough to pay for a college counselor that charges 500 dollars for every zoom call, so i’m sort of navigating the application process by myself. i have been struggling to write my common app essay, and i write drafts and usually hate them soon after. i have one draft i think i like right now, but really i have no idea if it’s any good, and i have nothing to base it on. i don’t really want my fami”

“Hey all, I'm a high school senior trying to figure out where to apply for college. I live in Virginia, and am a member of one of our Governor's Schools, but I want to go to an urban OOS if feasible. I'm looking to attend college for Computer Science, as I want to pursue a career in Computer Network Engineering eventually. - 1440 SAT, hopefully up to at least 1480 after the 3 Oct session - 10 APS + 1 DE class previous years, +6APS this year. Also 3 pltw courses - 4.85/5 weighted GPA M”

“I'm in my freshman year of highschool, and unsure of when to start taking college/uni serious. I don't know what to look for in schools, I don't know what I want, and I'm unsure what school would suit me best. I'm currently in Alaska, and wondering if maybe a school in Canada would be a better convenience for me (For insight: I'm thinking maybe when I'm older I may debate living in Canada). I wouldn't mind the foreign area, and travelling to and from wouldn't”

“Hi! I would love feedback and college advice for my future. I’m a senior in highschool who’s planning on doing early apps and scholarships. Also still in the middle of finding my pathway but i’m sure on majoring in Medical/Biomedical sciences, stuff like that. Maybe something related to film or media for a minor as im interested in that. My current focus for out of state colleges has been on NYC and any major city area! I’m not rich at all and i’d consider myself lower middle class. I’d be finan”

“Hii!! I'm a senior interested in majoring in English with minors in Philosophy and African American Studies on the pre-law track. I'm hoping for a full ride or at least most of the cost covered, as I want to enter law school with little to no debt. My GPA is a 4.41(Weighted) and 3.95(Unweighted) I have taken 9 classes at the University of Memphis as a dual-enrollment student over the past three years (27 credits). I am also scheduled to take AP Environmental Science next semester. My non”

“Hi! I am writing my college application essay right now and I wanted my topic to be about my OCD. I was diagnosed a few years ago, and it deeply changed my outlook on life. I want to be a psychologist now because of it so I can help as many people out as possible! I know mental health is a risky topic for a college essay, but it's more how the diagnosis made me realize I want to help people with their own struggles. Should I pivot to another idea? submitted by /u/octopieee_ [link”

“I got a 1590 (790 Reading/800 English) on the last paper SAT as a freshman; however, I also got a 36 (35 English, 36 math & reading) on the July ACT. Now as I’m applying to colleges, I’m unsure which one to submit to schools. I’ll be applying ED out of state to Cornell with a major in Plant Sciences. I’m also applying to these schools + some unmentioned safeties: - Virginia Tech - University of Florida - UIUC - UW Madison - Purdue University - Texas A&M - UM Amherst Any advice for what t”

“So I have already written a collage essay but after talking to my counselor she has convinced me to do something different but idk how to go about it. I have always been a good student. I take AP classes participate in academic teams, sports, and other various extracurriculars, but last year,my junior, everything went to shit. It started with my ADHD meds causing me to become depressed so I stopped taking them, which lead to me struggling to get work done and be motivated to do anything. Through”

“Basically the title. I'm having some trouble figuring out a reasonable colleges list. My intended majors are Computer, Electrical, or Mechanical Engineering. Here are my stats: I have a 3.7 UW 4.42 W GPA with pretty mid ecs. My SAT = 1200 something. Debating on whether to retake it or just go test optional. APs Ive taken (AP calc AB, stat, lang, apush, ap world) + 4 more senior year. Here are my extracurriculars = part time job at a coding place where i taught kids how to code (10th lwk lear”

“I’m a senior applying to colleges right now. How do I know what colleges are good for my major and what do I look for in a college to make it on my applying list? I’m going to major in accounting, and I have very mid stats. My SAT score is in the 1300s and my GPA is 103 (weighed)/95 (unweighted). I did 2 sports in one year (I transferred schools the year after I started unfortunately), got top 10 in DECA states, I’m in National Honor Society and English Honor Society, I have a job (at my moms na”

“I’m sure this has been posted millions of times, but what are things you’ve found most confusing about applying/attending for college? It could be related to FAFSA, financial aid in general, admissions, transferring, graduating on time, etc. You also don't have to be in high school or currently attending college, former college students, parents, counselors, non-traditional students, etc. are more than welcome too I'd genuinely just love to hear what people think to help me polish up som”

“okay guys I’m a senior and college aps are getting to me, I still don’t know where I want to go I need help on possible college options here are my needs and wants college radio strong social sciences culture rich area night life research adjacent or close to political hubs (dc) I like rain and warmer weather lgbtq/poc heavy OR present at the very least I think I like football culture submitted by /u/iamthesunandtheheir [link] [comments]”

“The Statement of Purpose for UT Austin is looking for my interest in my chosen major (Biology) and my preparation for said major. I am still researching ways to integrate experiences and activities I have done/am going to do to help write this essay. But, I am also wondering do I include other things like why I don't think my current school is a good fit for me and why I think UT would be better? Or should I stick to focusing on my major and the interest behind it? More specifically, I go to”

“Hi! Question in the title. I'm in my senior year of high school right now. I have a very vague idea of what I would want to major in, but I have 0 idea what college I would actually want to go to, so I haven't made any decisions or started the application process. None of my relatives that I am in contact with have gone to college either, so I really have no idea what I'm doing here and have not made any preparations for... Anything, really. I originally planned to take a gap year af”

“College eassy Hey guys! I am seeking for some people who could help write a great college essay I’m a transfer student and I’m seeking to write essay that actually can help me a lot since my gpa is 3.3, I have a great story but and came from 3rd world country by myself to USA when I was 13, I just need a good way to put all of those in words. I’m looking to apply to Princeton, Columbia and Barnard College. I could definitely do something in return! Thank you! submitted by /u/Internat”

“I'm trying to assemble my college list and I have WAY TOO MANY. I aspire to go to a T20 (ik it might be unrealistic and I do have safeties), but I'm looking to narrow down that list for a biology related undergrad major. I'm still not completely sure what I want to do, but something related to biology, microbiology, or possibly pre-dent. This isn't my full list but I'm looking to cut from here: Vanderbilt Case Western Georgia Tech WashU Cornell Duke JHU Northwestern Brown Sta”

“I can’t break 30 on my act, and want to know if anyone has gotten in test optional. submitted by /u/No-Manner5922 [link] [comments]”

“So this is my first post ever, but after taking the September SAT, I sort of kicked into high gear with my college apps, and I just wanted to broaden my horizons in terms of what colleges I should apply to. Some of my preferences for colleges are small, liberal arts schools and small-size classes. I personally really prioritize curiosity and learning, so any schools that prioritize that I really like. But I honestly don't really care. Personal Info: Hispanic, Afro-Latina. Fluent in both Span”

“I’m a junior in high school and I’d appreciate some advice about strengthening my college application over the next year or two. I haven’t taken the SAT yet, but I’m planning to take it in a few months. I’m also currently doing dual enrollment and started with two classes. I plan to increase my course load over my next three semesters. My main passion is film, and I’m considering double majoring in college. Film is what I really want to pursue, but I also want a more practical career option, so”

“I’m applying ED to Nu and have a rough draft of my “why Northwestern” essay. But, I don’t know if it’s too generic. Does anyone have any tips about how they went about their essay? Any help would be greatly appreciated! submitted by /u/Southern-Angle-3027 [link] [comments]”

“I'm starting my applications as a spring transfer in dire need of financial aid and while i am pretty well accomplished as a student (good grades, lots of ECs), I've been told by multiple friends that I have so much trauma I have overcome and that my life story is very inspiring. My first essay draft was about my debate journey bc its my most consistent EC but idk is it better if i write about how my dad died last year and I am basically Devi Vishuakumar with 10 times more mommy issues?”

“Hi everyone! My friend and I were struggling to find time to dedicate for college applications, and we thought of starting a zoom call for people applying for colleges to work on their essays. The zoom call would be mute and quiet, but preferably cameras on to have motivation to work. Let me know if you’re interested and I’ll send you more details and the zoom link. I live in Pacific Time, so meetings times might vary. Thanks! THIS IS NOT AN AD OR PROMOTION! submitted by /u/Sistarsla”

“Can anyone give me feedback on my college essay🥹🙏 I’m an international student here, planning to apply for colleges in America. Low income background so I can’t really afford professional college consultants. I ask AI for feedback and it keeps telling me to fix somewhere and after I did, it tells me to change again and again😭 I really need real human help me with it, so please if you’re an alumni, that would help me a lot🥺 submitted by /u/FootEducational1396 [link] [comment”

“So currently im in 11th grade worried for college so asking few questions 1st question - how many collages should one apply to and in general how many colleges do people apply to 2nd question - should I start preparing for entercnce exams right now \- how many should I give \- should I take coaching 3rd question - are extra curricular activities actually important for Indian Colleges if yes which ones should I do If you have any other advice for me or things i should take care of pls let me know”

“Hello there! I'm an Indian Class 11 humanities student aiming for Ivy League undergraduate admissions. I have Psychology, Political Science, History, Geography and English. I'm interested in the intersection of law, psychology (i think?) and public policy. What should I realistically focus on during Classes 11–12, especially academics, extracurriculars, research and standardized testing? I feel like it's not for me since i have one enemy in this world and if maths wasn't a thing,”

“Hi all, I am a senior and applying to colleges. I am working on supplementary essays. I want to major in Electrical Engineering. For the "Why Major" essays, or questions similar to it, will colleges view it worse if I mention an activity I did as late as the summer entering senior year? I knew I wanted to major in engineering prior to that but not EE specifically. It wasn't until I first tinkered with Arduino microcontrollers and created many small projects that I knew it was for m”

“I’m currently going to a college that’s really heavy on Greek life and sports and it’s not really what I want for a social life. Does anyone know of good colleges for kind of alternative scenes? I have trouble describing it, but like house parties with emo or goth people and live music and what not. I like the “weird” alternative kinda gay people, and I’m really struggling to find somewhere that has that kind of social scene. Thanks for any advice; I’m kind of shooting in the dark here. su”

“Hi! I’m building my college list and would love honest advice. I’m mainly looking for HBCUs, schools with a strong Black population, and schools with strong financial aid for low-income students. I also want 2 reach schools that can be PWIs like duke and Emory. Stats: 3.9 Unweighted GPA / 4.4 Weighted GPA Dual Enrollment, AP, and MYP IB Classes National Honor Society One AP APUSH — 3 ACT not taken yet — predicting 27–30 Law, Government & Leadership: ACLU National Advocacy Institute — got to”

“I currently have 3 paragraphs rn, 1 about what sparked my interest, 1 about how i developed it in high school, and a longer one at the end about what i want to do in my future and how going to this school would help. Im just not sure what would maybe be the most important thing to add in submitted by /u/Agitated-Cup-7109 [link] [comments]”

“When writing college supplemental essays, is it better for each essay to reinforce a consistent image of who you are, or should each one reveal a completely different side of you? I understand that the essays shouldn’t repeat the same stories, but I’m unsure how much they should connect. Should they build one clear narrative around a few central qualities, or should I use each supplement to cover a different interest, experience, or personality trait to appear more well-rounded? For Duke, my per”

“Hi! I have just started my sophomore year at a relatively small private school in southern California. I’m an out of state student from the deep south, so I came here to the school that gave me the biggest scholarship in hopes of gaining more connections and a better career path in the arts than I would have had at home. I am currently studying creative writing because I am very naturally skilled at it and want to work in storyline development for animated projects and especially story-based vid”

“Hi! I have just started my sophomore year at a relatively small private school in southern California. I’m an out of state student from the deep south, so I came here to the school that gave me the biggest scholarship in hopes of gaining more connections and a better career path in the arts than I would have had at home. I am currently studying creative writing because I am very naturally skilled at it and want to work in storyline development for animated projects and especially story-based vid”

“Hello! This is my first time posting here and I need some help. So for reference I have a 4.3 weighted GPA and I’m a dual enrollment student so at the end of this year I’ll be graduating early with my associates degree as a high school senior. I live in Texas currently but I fell in love with the PNW. I plan to major in business management or a general business and apply to Oregon state, university of Oregon, WSU, and some UC schools. Although I’m a little worried about how business is in the PN”

“Hi! I’m applying to college to start Fall 2027 as an international student. The central themes surrounding my essay is how I learned to process my environment in an analytical manner stemming from self abstraction to cope with constantly dealing with separate truths and complicated family dynamics (I feel like I just said a bunch of nothing LOL), birthing an interest in understanding others and their minds from an objective point and through empathy. I use the object of poetry magnets (little fr”

“just curious, rank them from most important to least and why: grades/gpa, sat/act, demographics, extracurriculars, awards, essays/supplementals, LoRs, interviews, and financial background submitted by /u/These_Ad7862 [link] [comments]”

“I was wondering if I should submit js my 35 ACT or if I should include my 1510 superscore SAT because it's also a pretty decent score imo. Im applying to most of the T20's btw. submitted by /u/Suspicious_Sink9036 [link] [comments]”

“I ask because I was under the impression that art schools are not interested in impressive EC's, and they focus on portfolio 100%. Yet, your counselor rec letter will directly compare you to your peers. If you have minimal ECs, how can they give you an enthusastic rec? submitted by /u/PizzaShoelace [link] [comments]”

“I'm genuinely SO exhausted with the whole college process right now. It's almost September and I'm STILL stuck between different options 😭 My sister keeps suggesting completely different colleges, my family has their own preferences, and I have my own things I'm looking for. Every time I think I've finally narrowed it down, someone gives me another option and I'm back to square one 💀 The worst part is that if I choose a college myself and something goes wrong later, I a”

“Colleges require the essay by end of november if I am not wrong.So I started writting my main essay but I want to get it checked to know if it’s good enough. Does anyone have any recommendations where I can find a human to grade it and give me some advice on how to make it better? submitted by /u/donutpegasusfox [link] [comments]”

“Did anyone use or is using a private counselor to help in admissions process, especially in building a narrative and a strategy for essays. Ideally, we are looking for someone who specializes in finance/economics/business/law majors. My daughter is already on the path of picking up the right courses, EC and summer programs. Please provide recommendations if the student enjoyed working with them and had strong admissions outcomes. Thanks. submitted by /u/Organic_Fig_736 [link] [”

Hi everybody! I'm a rising junior at a large public high school and I'm looking for a college counselor to help me with my application, specifically in terms of building a cohesive…

“I'm a first gen & oldest child in my family. I'm applying to college this fall but I have no clue how to start my personal essay or what to write about. I see people online with these wonderful essays but I cant write like them. I also have no clue where to apply. My stats are mid at best & i want to pursue engineering. submitted by /u/MarketFlimsy4791 [link] [comments]”

“I actually don’t know if public high schools in the U.S. have specialized college counselors for their students or if people just go to their guidance counselors for general help. Anyways other than the amount of time they can spend on you, what sets apart a private school (think college prep feeder boarding school) college counselor from an independent, private college counselor? submitted by /u/runfreelyactwildly [link] [comments]”

“I have no idea where to start when it comes to a college essay, or anything college related. I know what I want to be, which is a psychologist, and I have an idea of how my essay would be but idek what the topic should be to properly apply to college.im graduating a semester early and am going to try and go to college during the spring I tried looking it up and it seems to be main topics of who you are as person, why you want to be what you want to be, and more. But I fear being wrong. If it is”

“Hi so im a senior and working on applying for college and i dont rlly know what major to apply for because i dont rlly have like a big sustained passion in anything? So i was thinking of going w psychology cause i do alot of mentoring and working w children and also w special needs kids as well and like i feel like I woould like to be a clinical psychologist or like an slp or something I also did an internship this summer doing some psychology ish related work relating to speech sound disorders”

“I am currently applying to colleges as a biomedical engineering major from the Boston area. I’ve been looking for colleges that would accept me because many of the programs are very selective. I have a 4.0 UW and 10 APs all 4s and 5s. My ECs are pretty average but i do a varsity sport, have a lot of volunteer hours, am a student ambassador, did a Harvard MedScience program, and have research with E-coli. Many schools like BU and UMich seem impossible to get into with my ECs so I would love some”

“Hi, so I'm a California senior in high school and I'm currently working on my UC applications. My essays and all are done I just need them reviewed but something i've considered is applying for the easiest acceptance in engineering for each UC with a minor in math(bcs i wanna do QB as a backup if engineering goes to shit near my masters time) and then transfer to the engineering I want. is this viable or even worth it? I want to go in for electrical engineering, mechanical engineerin”

“I finally started to take the first step into finding out colleges for me, however my college template has a few terms I'm unsure about? Can anyone here help clarify them for me: Superlative SCEA/EA/ED/RD only Suppliment intervew (you have to get interviewed for college?) submitted by /u/Ok-Increase-6285 [link] [comments]”

“Right now I have a single school I know I’ll be applying to and able to attend if I get in. I had a few other schools on my list but I recently learned I wouldn’t be able to attend if I were to get in dude to unforeseen circumstances. What is a good way I can find colleges that match my criteria to bring my list back up? Is there a good site or resource? submitted by /u/TomatoMirror [link] [comments]”

“I’ve heard that colleges check with ur counselor abt ur activities but several of my major activities are outside of school. How does that work? submitted by /u/Expert-Bluebird-505 [link] [comments]”

“Everything is either conflicting or useless. i've heard: "it is okay to show you are introverted, you have to show your true self and vulnerable" but also "demonstrating introversion reflects poorly on you because the AO wants someone who beings something positive" ... "the AO wants to learn how you can contribute to the college" while most successful essays you can find online are about things like culture, dealing with failure, etc. ... "you shouldn't”

“hi everyone! i'm totally stuck on my common app personal statement, and it's because i doomscrolled too much under all the college hashtags and got in my head. i have high aspirations but don’t know what advice to believe! to give some context, i am aiming for ivies and other t20s, so i am being very ambitious with this essay for obvious reasons. i have it written in a montage format and it doesn't use any kind of hackneyed strategy like "i am like a butterfly" or "her”

“Hi everyone, I’m an Indian high school junior looking for advice on U.S. college admissions, particularly on where I might have the strongest combination of admission chances, financial aid, and career outcomes. Academically, I scored 97% in Class 10 and expect around 93% in Class 11. I may have a lower Class 12 result, potentially around 90%, because I will be undergoing surgery shortly before my board examinations. I’m generally a strong student academically. I have not taken the SAT yet, but”

“I already have a draft of an essay that talks about how I think, tackle problems, and pursue challenging solutions. In this draft I talk a lot about my academics and some of my activities, but I'm getting cold feet. I'm thinking about writing another one about finding a sense of belonging at a summer program that I attended. This second one feels much more personal and honest about over coming some of my personal challenges; however, I feel like its detrimental to not mention anything ab”

“This post will probably be a bit all over the place so sorry in advance, but I want to just get my thoughts out. I’m really confused about what I should be doing non-academically. For context, I’m going into third year this fall, and while I’m doing good academically (3.96 GPA and probably around 520 MCAT but I’m currently waiting to get my score back), I have basically nothing when it comes to non-academic stuff. I got super lucky and I’ll be able to get a publication from doing a chart review,”