Admissions Resources

Free guides to help you navigate every step of the college admissions process.

What Admissions Officers Actually Look For

Inside the process: how applications are read, what factors matter most, and what you can and can't control.

How to build a strategic list for selective schools. Reaches, matches, safeties, and why you need more of each than you think.

How to find your story, avoid the clichés, and write something admissions officers will remember.

The spike vs. well-rounded debate, what depth looks like, and how to present your activities list.

How to choose recommenders, what to give them, and what makes a letter stand out to admissions officers.

How scores are actually evaluated, when to submit, and how to decide if test-optional is right for you.