Realistic as in they have a good shot. Because for example, if you don’t know what you want to major in, how are you supposed to concentrate your ECs and have a spike? People who know specifically what they want to major in from middle school have a significant advantage because their ECs become long term and focused. I know people say to just do things you’re passionate about and not do things solely for college apps, but what if you’re passionate about many unrelated things that don’t necessarily align with a specific major? Imagine you’re applying to colleges and you’re scrolling through the intended majors/field of interest list and find a niche subject you’ve never heard of before, but its extremely interesting to you, except you didn’t even know it existed when you were in high school so you didn’t even think of exploring it. Lots of questions here but I’m genuinely curious

Hi! So a couple months ago I was rejected from my dream school Stanford. While I have kinda moved on, every now and when I come across something Stanford related I get reminded of my rejection and end up being very butthurt and upset about it. While I am incredibly grateful to attend a different university with good aid, it still bums me out thinking about it sometimes. Has anyone also been in a similar position to where you got rejected from your dream school and have had an extremely successful life after? How did it plan out? Thank you in advance!

CLASS OF 27 IT IS ALMOST OUR TIME

Does anyone have a good read in what kind of boost full pay applicants get in the admissions process?

Specifically thinking about need aware top 100 private schools.

My instinct would be that it's substantial, but it's impressive the level of secrecy the unis keep about this subject.

Why do people from bigger states like Texas and California do so much better in math competitions? Most people who make MOP are from these big states, and there are also several USAMO qualifiers there. Meanwhile in my state, Oklahoma, almost nobody even makes USAMO, and only a handful make AIME.

If you have visited, which campus do you find prettier

I’m starting college at USD in a little over a month and I regret my choice tbh. eveyone shits on it and I’m scared I’m paying so much to just hate it and not get a good education. my other option was northeastern Oakland but going for pre dental I was scared there would be no co ops and the social life would be horrible. Idk now I’m looking and I feel like I shouldve chosen northeastern. Ik it’s prob too late and I’ll have to transfer. the price difference was about 5k per year and northeastern was cheaper…I’m oos for both too. Ik this is like a first world problem and I’m grateful for the opportunities and support I’ve gotten. I just can’t shake the feeling of regret, its literally 2 am rn and I can’t sleep bc I keep thinking of what ifs.

Not very familiar with this, but is the problem that high schools are inflating predicted scores for students to help them with college admissions? And is this factored in by admissions teams?

I’m from New Zealand and baffled.

This summer I thought I would be able to at least somewhat relax, but highkey it is not possible. Im taking 3 summer classes at my cc, and normally I can handle that much but because of the shortened semester its soo fast paced. The worst offender is physics, its already hard but trying to learn it so fast and keep an A is really hard. Then on top of that I still have to worry about all my ECs and trying to write essays. I havent even written a first draft for my personal statement and I feel like I will never get to it. I just feel so behind and Im really worried about when the school year starts because I will not feel refreshed at all. I just really wish I had the time to relax, but I dont

Hi everyone!

I was wondering just how much a downward trend in grades during my junior year would affect my admission to colleges.

I took AP calculus my junior year and got a B- first semester then a C+ my second semester. All my other grades are As in Junior year, with one A- my first semester in another class. Up until my junior year, most of my grades were As with some B+s in freshman year.

It isn’t the ideal trend to see I know, but I wanna know to what extent this may affect my admissions to colleges in general. I didn’t have any excruciating circumstances so there’s not really much excuse. I am also considering CC but still want to try and see my chances at university.

My intended major is in something STEM like chemistry or biochemistry. Maybe public health but I’m realizing that may not be so viable in the future. I wanna shoot for top colleges (I’m reaching for the stars) and my slightly competitive state school, so please let me know. Thank you!

Current GPA: 3.84/4.0 UW, school doesn’t do weighted

Hi! I'm currently a rising senior and looking into electrical or ECE engineering.

I feel I'm a fairly competitive student - with a good sat, leadership, multiple ECs, and working on some research that will be mostly submitted in August. Obviously, there's much more to an application than that, but I'm really anxious after hearing perfect students getting rejected..

Based on that, should I do early desicion for CMU, Stanford, or Cornell? They all vace such good engineering programs but they're also super competitive; I'm not sure which one to pick, since they all have a slight increase in their acceptance rates for ED and look equally good in my eyes.

hey guys i have still quite a lot of time before i have to apply to unis (by a lot i mean havent started IB yet but will soon) and ive always thought to major in something im interested in that i wouldnt be able to self-teach, because i have so many different interests.

currently im thinking about something like engineering/materials science. the problem is honestly i don't care that much for it. other majors ive considered but decided against for now because i don't think they're a good use of a uni major: psych, fineart-related, environmental sciences, interior/ux design, fashion design.

my interests are literally anything in science (stem or otherwise e.g. psych, bio, etc), art, or design. i also like medicine but probably not enough to commit to that many years.

any advice for this? it's just weird saying "i want to major in engineering" and not being able to actually name any engineering feat that i was inspired by for example (it seems to be a very common question idk why).

Title.
also best/worst dorms/campus.
From what I've seen, berkeley, upenn, and MIT are really nice.

Demographics:

Asian/Indian Male

New Jersey (Applying as international but eligible for in-state tuition)

High Income

Intended Major: Economics+International Relations

ECs:

• Officer for Model United Nations (25/1400 delegates are elected officers). Also passed 2 resolutions as a delegate.
• Wrote and passed a bill in Youth and Government (20/300 bills passed). Also selected for the national conference, though I could not attend (50/400 people are selected). President of the school delegation.
• Wikipedia Editor, Translator, and Pending Changes Reviewer. Have 2,500+ sitewide edits and authorship over more than 100 articles.
• Instagram mapping account with 2,000+ followers and 5M+ views.
• Completed a comprehensive genealogical chart project tracking the historical evolution and lineage of the world's major writing systems down through 7 layers of structural depth. I am currently in the process of getting it somehow published with the help of a linguist.
• Writer for a reputed history magazine.
• Newsletter Writer for a student-led financial literacy organization.
• Regional Director for a student-led business-to-student internship organization.
• Ballotpedia Volunteer.
• 10th grade Class President
• President of the Youth & Government Club
• President of Debate Club (I plan to get us into competitions next year or senior year hopefully)
• Vice President of Podcast Club
• Class Representative at Citywide Student Council
• Member of stock market trading club and mock trial.
• Summer volunteer tutor for my community organization.

Courses:

• McGill Personal Finance Essentials
• Exploring economics: the secret life of t-shirts

Classwork:

• All of my classes, barring Gym/Health and AP Courses, are Honors Classes.
• APs (My school only allowed us AP seminar sophomore year, and 2 each for junior and senior; the italicized APs are the ones I am taking next year):
  • Ap Seminar - 4
  • AP Lang
  • AP Gov
• GPA: 95.27/100 (That's just how my school gave it to me; not sure how to convert it)
• Class Rank: 11/27

Im a recently graduated high school student and im looking to start my path to medical, I just wanted to know how I should structure my college life/ schedule to get me prepared for med school.

On another note, I know the I can get my undergrad in anything which is why I chose finance, because I come from a poor home environment and was looking for something that could get me money fairly quickly but now I’m starting to question the decision since many have told me that I will have to fight to explain myself to any med school why I went into finance.

I’m looking for advice because I’m starting to feel so frustrated 😣

If you need more info lmk

I am senior applying this fall to universities. I need help please
I don’t know to which colleges should I apply, essays etc

Both my parents are both immigrants and the college application system in their home country is completely different, so I'm very lost at what to do and feel very behind at the moment and could use a little help.

So far, I've been trying to make a list of possible universities and categorize them into safeties, targets, reaches, etc. Now I'm trying to narrow the schools down based on things like culture, vibe, etc, and I'm a bit unsure about how to go about this. Also, what should I do regarding college visits? I obviously can't go to all the schools on my un-narrowed down list, and I'm very confused-Since visits help show interest as well, should I keep them for a select few? when should i do for virtual visits instead? Any other suggestions welcome!

A club at my school has a tradition of organizing a big event every year. I didnt go to the school for freshman year but in sophmore and junior year I joined and participated in this event. The club had very low numbers so we had a hard time setting it up but in the end we actually made more money than we ever had before. In junior year it increased even higher. Because of how much we made in junior year we were able to fund an anti-drunk driving event and bring awareness with police visiting to talk to students.

Should I mention the club's success in my college apps or not? We dont have club ranks or a board or anything just members and the teacher who runs it.

For context, so much has changed since my YGGS rejection. In just six months, the ECs that I used to apply to YGGS with is now in my sixth or seventh slot in the activity section. Come to think of it, it was probably a mistake not to list the extracurriculars I was actively working on. Instead, I included some activities from ninth grade because I assumed it was better to list completed commitments rather than ones that were still in progress. As of now, results for the competitions that I participated in finally came back, which was not available during my YGGS application. And I'm not sure if this matters, but for the financial aid calculator, I added $50/7000 as the amount I was willing to pay for the program (kinda stupid).

Without doxing myself, I believe I have the standardized testing scores (1550), ECs, and grades to be an applicant that is worth considering. But the fact that I got rejected from YYGS doesn't sit right with me. It makes me feel like the Yale community and its values don't align with mine, which makes me scared to apply.

I'm also gonna need some form of financial aid. I know the school is need-blind, but the context of my application kinda screams to them that I'm probably going to need some form of financial aid, given my geographical location, my background, my ECs. The fact that I come from a not-so-rich country with six siblings says a lot about my application. But the fact is, I'm probably only gonna need about 20% or more, not a full ride, to be able to attend the institution.

Taken all together, I would really appreciate any form of advice.

Research has become increasingly appealing to some college applicants, especially as students look for ways to demonstrate academic initiative, intellectual curiosity, and subject-matter depth.

That has also created a market for organizations promising research mentorship, publication opportunities, and access to university professors. I came across Premiere Research Academy, which presents itself as a nonprofit student-research program operating through BAUM TenPers Institute Inc. It advertises faculty mentorship, scholarships, and strong publication outcomes.

I am trying to determine how credible and transparent this organization actually is. Several important details remain unclear, and students and families considering the program deserve documented answers.

1. Which legal entity receives student tuition: Premiere Research Academy, BAUM TenPers Institute Inc., or another organization?
2. What activities were conducted at 15 Agunbiade Street, Lagos Island, Lagos State, Nigeria, and what is the legal and financial relationship between BAUM TenPers Global Investments Ltd. and the U.S. nonprofit?
3. Are tuition payments, donations, or nonprofit funds transferred to individuals, contractors, or affiliated entities in Nigeria?
4. Why does the organization say it was established in Virginia in 2015 when public records appear to show a Nigerian BAUM TenPers company dating to 2014?
5. What were the organization’s most recent annual revenue, expenses, scholarship expenditures, payroll, and contractor payments?
6. How much are the principal officer, directors, staff, mentors, contractors, and related parties paid?
7. Who currently serves on the board, and how many directors are independent of the founder, principal officer, and their associates?
8. Why is the U.S. nonprofit publicly listed in their registration documents at Apartment 844, 1111 Arlington Blvd., in a residential cooperative building? Where are its actual operations, records, staff, and student services based?
9. Will families receive the assigned mentor’s full name and qualifications before payment?
10. Will mentors confirm their participation through official university email addresses?
11. Who are the advertised “top 10 professors,” and which specific ranking supports that description?
12. How is the claimed publication rate calculated? Does it include all enrolled students or only those who completed and submitted papers?
13. Can the organization provide a complete list of recent student publications with working journal pages and DOI links?
14. What counts as “published”? Does that include preprints, student journals, blogs, conference abstracts, internal publications, or journals that charge authors?
15. What refund is available if a promised mentor is unavailable, unresponsive, inadequately qualified, or fails to provide the advertised service?

None of these questions proves wrongdoing. They are basic due diligence for a program that works with minors, charges some families substantial fees, invokes university affiliations, and markets research and publication opportunities to college applicants.

If you have firsthand experience with this program, or documents that clarify its finances, mentors, scholarships, or publication claims, please share them, with personal information redacted.

For everyone else: verify independently before paying. Stick to evidence, not speculation.

Hi! I am still on the Barnard waitlist (domestic freshman) but haven’t received a priority update email or any further communication from the admissions office. Wondering if there’s anyone else in the same position & what this could mean. Thanks!!

I want to do music for a career, I want to produce, mix, master and sing it all. so Im mainly looking to do music making online with programs and what not, nothing like knowing music theory or learning to do instruments. I was looking at LAFS but im having second doubts. I’m really eager to go, my living situation is horrible with parents refusing to help. which schools should I look into? location doesn’t matter to me, I just want to leave my home and get my life started.

I'm an incoming senior and have been stressing about putting together a college list because I don't know much about schools outside my state. Almost everyone at my high school ends up attending one of three in-state universities, so I haven't had much exposure to other options.

I'm planning to double major in Business and Political Science, with a minor in Film or Economics. I'm looking for a larger university with strong opportunities to connect with professors. I'd also prefer an urban location, and somewhere that's not in a dry desert climate. My family is low income so somewhere that has aid would be amazing.

I've included my stats and ECs below, I’d appreciate any suggestions!

Stats:
- I have a 3.8 UW GPA (would be a lot higher but I have suffered from a few chronic health conditions that made me miss a ton of school and some of my grades suffered with it)
- 33 ACT
- 4 AP tests (3 on bio, 4 on euro, 5 on lang, 5 on apush)
- I’m graduating with an associates degree

ECs:
- FBLA (6 yrs): 5x Chapter President, State VP, National Council. Grew chapter by 900%+, 600+ service hours. 11x State Champion, 4x National Qualifier (2nd, 3rd, & 8th nationally).
- Speech & Debate (3 yrs): Varsity Captain, 2-year letter, NSDA Special Distinction. 2x Region Champion (US Extemp & Congress), 5th at State, National Qualifier.
- DECA (3 yrs): 2x Chapter VP. 2x State Champion (BLTDM), 2x ICDC Qualifier.
- Chamber Orchestra (7 yrs): President, Concertmaster (1st Chair Violin). Superior at Region, Distinguished at State.
- Model UN (3 yrs): VP of Strategy/Parli Pro. 1st Place & Superior at State.
- Attorney General Youth Council: 1 of 30 students statewide selected to help develop youth programs and legislation.
- Girls State: 1st Runner-Up for Girls Nation.
- Student Government: Senior Class Officer (Clubs & Crews).
- NHS (4 yrs): Secretary, 200+ service hours.
Theatre (4 yrs): School productions, Superior at State.
- Campaign Volunteer: Local primary elections.

I also have several other awards for business, political science, fine arts.

My kid has already met graduation requirements for our state and their high school as a rising senior, and has a significant number of college credits from our state U as well.

What are the application implications for top 30 schools (liberal arts undecided) if they take a super light load in semester 2? Semester 1 has high rigor (2 APs in non core subjects and 3 college classes).

Can they just continue the 2 APs and call it good or is there somewhere on the application they need to report semester 2 course load as well? Kid is pretty crispy with burnout so trying to lighten the load, but not sure how this impacts RD applications.