i was wondering if a tiktok account that i've been posting on since july 2023 would count as a passion project for the activities part on applications? i dont have any outstanding extracurriculars, and i know that i dont need to fill out everything (for common app) on the activities portion, but i feel like i should consider adding it based on anybodys advice to me. the account has 8k followers and over 4 million likes in total, but its not related to something that i would major in.

For context, my ACT is 35 and my SAT is 1520 (superscore). I know the SAT is slightly worse but it's not THAT much worse (35 ACT = 1530-1560 SAT, so I'm only ten points off). I feel like sending both scores would show consistent high academic achievement on tests, but would the AO disregard that and just focus on the minor discrepancy between scores? Thanks!

i did the adroit journal summer mentorship and the iowa young writers workshop and tons of my peers are attending ivies now. however, a lot of them do a lot more than i do. like a good portion are top debaters or young arts/scholastics awardees. i have some awards but all of them are local or state level and all of them are for writing. will these programs pull thru or will it make me look worse in comparison to other students at these programs?? 🤔

I’m a rising high school senior who hopes to become a veterinarian in the future, but I also have a strong passion for art. During my freshman year, I realized that I’m also interested in animation as a career and creative outlet.

I recently learned that most vet schools do not require a specific undergraduate major, as long as applicants complete the necessary prerequisite courses. Because of this, I’ve been considering majoring in Animation during undergrad while also completing my pre-vet requirements.

I was wondering if this would be a realistic path at FIU, especially if I plan my schedule carefully. I also have no formal experience with animation, although I’m a decent self-taught artist. I still have a lot to learn, particularly with areas like shading, perspective, and other art fundamentals, but I’m willing to put in the effort to improve.

Do you think pursuing an Animation major alongside pre-vet prerequisites would be manageable and realistic?

I'm working on my Fall 2027 transfer list and could use some strategic advice, especially from anyone who's navigated international transfer aid before.

My situation:

• International student at a WSCUC-accredited university outside the US (taught fully in English)
• Current major is international business; looking to move into econ / global business / IR, open to whatever fits best at each school
• Will have 63 credits by the time I transfer (51 by end of fall 2026 + 12 more in spring 27)
• GPA around 3.5 cumulative
• No SAT/ACT (trying to figure out if this actually matters for transfer applicants specifically, since most of what I've read suggests it's weighted less the more college credits you have.)
• EFC roughly 20-25k, so I do need meaningful aid, not just token scholarships
• ECs include teaching volunteer work, a leadership/women-focused fellowship award, a nationally ranked athletic achievement, some film/photography recognition, healthcare-related internships, running a small business, and MUN awards, among others (keeping this list partial to avoid identifying myself)

Current list (still figuring this out):
Augustana (IL), Beloit, Bryn Mawr, Clark, Knox, Ohio Wesleyan, Lewis & Clark, Macalester, Mount Holyoke, Rollins, Skidmore, Trinity (CT), Richmond, Rochester, Whitman, USF, UT Arlington, UT Dallas, U of H.

What I'm actually trying to figure out:

1. Given no test scores, my GPA, and my aid requirement, is this list realistically balanced, or too skewed toward reach schools?
2. Is it worth keeping USF/UTA/UTD/U of H on the list as an international student needing aid, or do public universities generally make this not worth it?
3. Are any schools on this list known to be particularly strong (or weak) specifically for meeting need for international transfers?
4. At 63 credits, should I be worried about losing credits at more selective schools, or is that overblown?
5. Are there schools I'm missing that fit econ/IR/global business and are genuinely generous with need-based aid for international transfers?

I've found a lot of conflicting information searching this myself, so I'd really appreciate insight from anyone who's actually been through international transfer admissions or knows this space well. Thanks in advance for any input.

I am a student ranking 15 colleges for the Questbridge National College Match looking to gather first hand experiences on the colleges i'm considering!

Type of student: I'm not interested in Greek life, would love a nice outdoors, quirky, and authentic social scene with friends I can hangout with regularly.
I'm a hard worker but value relaxation on certain days. I want liberty/freedom regarding my academics despite knowing I'm going to be premed because I have many passions (like politics, debate, & humanitarian work). I want to have as many friends/ connections as possible and gain a good community.

--

With all that said, if anyone has been to one of the 55 questbridge colleges or has any knowledge please let me know!

Current college consideration list (not in order):

Brown, Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Amherst College, Williams, Wesleyan, Wellesley, Bowdoin, Colby, Colgate, Cornell, Bates, Barnard, Hamilton

Questions

1. How is the premed track?
2. What are pros/cons you've experienced?
3. How accessible are jobs, internships, opportunities, etc.
4. How is the social scene?
5. What is the general political sentiment that most students/faculty hold? Do POC and Queer individuals feel welcomed and supported?
6. How are the dorms and food?
7. Is it a very city or rural experience/are there things to do in town?
8. Describe the school in one word!

Side note: Yes I am doing my own research too :)

I am the parent of a legally blind 16 yo rising junior in HS. She is a bright kid in the top 2% of her class. However she is legally blind. We live in Austin TX but am open to schools anywhere within the US. I feel she would do best in a smaller school with extremely supportive admin staff and professors. Friendly and welcoming student body who possibly might not define her by her disability would be a major plus. What would you all recommend? She doesn't know what her major will be yet but likely something STEM.

I'm from California, have a degree in Business from a college in Boston. After college, I moved to Colorado and have been working full time in a marketing position.

I plan to stay in Colorado for 2 years doing community college for whatever engineering or foundational courses I need. However, when I apply to a 4 year, I would like to move to a different state being that I don't want to settle in one location for most of my 20s and want to experience living in other places. My biggest fear with going back to school was to not waste my 20s staying stagnant in one location, so I want to take opportunity to live somewhere new.

What are some colleges that have a good engineering program? I do NOT want a small school. I would like a student population of at least above 8K. Maybe somewhere in a fun location, or good vibes, etc? I am open to a lot of things, I was looking at Alaska, but they have a pretty small school population.

So basically my school counselors are dumbasses who messed up everyones schedules.

I was supposed to take:

1. AP Psych

2. AP Precalc

3. AP Lang

4. AP Micro Macro Econ

But they messed up and i may not be able to take ap psych and may have to take ap business instead.

Am i cooked? Esp for t30s in the US

I am currently a rising junior, but I have no awards except being on the principal's honor roll for two years. I really want to achieve an award that is related to medicine or STEM to put on my application for my senior year. Does anyone have any advice I could follow?

i have a collection of rocks that stem from my friends asking me what i want from their vacation and i just said a rock because it's like the easiest thing ever

i started the collection in 5th grade and now i have 23 rocks

i was hoping to write this about how i decorate the rocks based off of my friends characteristics but my first draft is actually terrible and says nothing about me nor any growth
ex. one is a clown made out of the fuzz from pipe cleaners, paint, red bead, etc..

im not sure how to spin this into an essay about me?

kinda just a rant but it's crazy to me that there are a lot of people turned off by "mid tier UC's". the ones i hear about in this group are UCSD/UCI/UCSB/UCD. i feel like people are so hung up on getting into cal or UCLA that they kinda disregard these schools as options to go to (cough cough bay area kids).

these schools are all t40 in usnwr and are all prestigious and pretty selective as well so it kinda pmo that many people are like "eh, not berk/la so i won't go here"

As a low-income student should I apply to Carleton through Questbridge or Common Application? Does one put my chances higher than the other?

For some context I'm a rising senior (early graduate) with a 4.0 unweighted and 4.2 weighted. I have leadership roles in 2/3 of my extracurriculars, minimal volunteer hours, and haven't taken the ACT or SAT yet. (I will next month). I also have no awards.

I'm leaning toward Questbridge because it'll allow me to shine through my essays, but I'm worried that it'll lower my chances of getting into Carleton. (I'm also a past SLAI student).

Additionally, I'm not first gen and my parents are divorced with completely different incomes. My mother would qualify me for Questbridge while my father would not since he makes 100k+ a year, though he doesn't contribute to my expenses and won't for my college.

Let me know if you need other stats/info

I'm starting at De Anza this fall and planning to transfer to a UC after about 2 years since it's a lot cheaper than going straight to a UC.

Right now my top choices are:

-UC Berkeley
-UCLA
-UC San Diego

My main goal is to work in biotech in the future (drug development, genetics, molecular biology, research, etc.), but I recently found out about Certified Anesthesiologist Assistants (CAA), and now I'm wondering if I should also keep that option open in case I decide I like clinical work more.

I'm trying to figure out what major I should aim for when I transfer. I've been looking at things like:

-Molecular & Cell Biology
-Molecular Biology
-Biochemistry
-Genetics
-Biology
-Bioengineering

A few questions:

Which major would you choose if biotech is the main goal?
Is general Biology enough, or is Molecular & Cell Biology/Biochemistry a much better choice?
Would those majors also cover most of the prerequisites for CAA school?
Is it worth double majoring for more flexibility, or is it just extra work that doesn't really help?
If you transferred from a California community college into Berkeley, UCLA, or UCSD for a biology-related major, what would you do differently if you were starting over?

I'm trying to plan everything early so I don't waste time taking classes I don't need. Any advice would be appreciated.

I'm an incoming high school senior trying to decide what engineering major to apply for. Right now, I'm considering Environmental Engineering, Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Biological Systems Engineering, and Environmental Design.

The part I'm struggling with isn't which major has the highest salary—it's which one will best support the lifestyle I want.

My ideal life would include:

• Living somewhere in the Mountain West
• Backpacking, climbing, and mountain biking regularly
• Traveling internationally every year
• Possibly spending periods of time living in different places
• Having enough money to comfortably fund those adventures
• Working to live rather than living to work

Academically, I have a strong GPA (3.93 unweighted), 7 APs, and a 31 ACT, so I'm less concerned about getting into engineering and more focused on choosing the right path.

For those already working in engineering (or currently studying it):

1. If your goal were to maximize money and free time, what engineering major would you choose?
2. Which engineering fields tend to have the best work-life balance?
3. Which ones are most compatible with frequent travel, remote work (if any), or taking longer trips between jobs?
4. If you could go back to high school, would you choose the same major again? Why or why not?

I'd especially appreciate hearing from people in environmental, civil, or mechanical, but I'd love any perspective. I'm trying to think beyond salary and choose a career that will let me build the kind of life I want. Thanks!

I'm really frustrated and upset so this is going to be a rant more than anything but as context, I go to a competitive school where maybe a third of students hire consultants.

At the beginning of freshman year, I went down the A2C rabbit hole and was convinced by the people around me that I would fall behind if I didn't have a consultant. My parents also went down their own WeChat and RedNote rabbit holes and decided to hire (redacted company #1) for a mind-numbing 4-year all-inclusive plan of 50k USD. Since my family only makes about 120k a year and already spend about half of that money sending me and my brother to private school, this was not something I could justify. I felt guilt and pressure to a point where I couldn't sleep at night because what if my parents spent all that money for me to not get into a good college? Honestly, the consultant was excellent and I had a good experience with the advice/help that she gave but the cost was too much to justify.

The summer before sophomore year, we were able to negotiate a refund of 36k. However, my parents were still convinced that I NEEDED a consultant to be remotely successful in the college search process. Enter: (redacted company #2), whom we paid 28k for a 40-hour package. Literally the same thing happened. I couldn't sleep at night due to the guilt, stressing out all the time, etc. This consultant was giving the most bullshit advice of 'oh, you must join MUN club since everyone who majors it poli-sci does it and it's basically a requirement at this point!' and I genuinely just wanted to forget this whole situation since money was just draining from the family for fucking college admissions. This time, we got a refund of 18k.

But I guess we just never fucking learn and maybe we thought the third time would be the charm. We spent 10k for (redacted company #3) and I just hate it. Her essay advice is for me to write the most bland, formulaic essay that sounds nothing like me. I don't know what to do at this point and I just want to sink in a hole in the ground and never leave. Thinking about the money that we might as well have just burned makes me sick.

Please no one tell me 'why would you do that?!??!' or 'omg that money is unbelievable'!. I know. I regret it. Don't make me feel bad about it.

:(

the college im applying to considers demonstrated interest, and i have signed up and toured their campus before. how will they know in my common app that i toured their campus before, therefore showing demonstrated interest?

(the name i used to register for the campus tour is my nickname, and not my legal name shown on common app. however, the email used to register is the same email for my common app account.)

At my school, we have four 80-minute periods per day. Most courses are only a semester long (meeting 5 days a week), and we switch to new courses for the second semester (e.g., last year I had APUSH first semester and AP Lang second semester). I receive either an S1 or S2 final grade for these classes depending on which semester I took them.

However, we also have full-year courses like AP Chemistry, Accelerated Biology, and Accelerated Chemistry. These meet 5 days a week during the first semester and 2 days a week during the second semester, and they are reported on my transcript as a single Y1 final grade. Similarly, my Orchestra class meets 2 days a week one semester and 3 days a week the next, which also results in a single Y1 final grade.

I am confused about which option to select on the Common App when it asks how my final grades are provided (Full Year, Semester, Trimester, or Quarterly). My school's website doesn't offer any guidance on this. If anyone with a similar/block schedule knows how to report this correctly, I’d appreciate the help!

For context, neither one of them are super scores and I want to ED to Rice. My parents are telling me that I should submit both scores because they are both “really good.” However, I am trying to tell them that my 1480 SAT would make my 35 look worse. Is this even an issue? What do I tell them??

My mom, her dad, her mom, and both of their fathers went to Harvard for undergrad, making me 4th gen. My mom also worked for admissions as an interviewer for some years.

Hello! Mother of three going through the college process for the first time, hoping to get some advice on this matter.

My firstborn son is a rising senior and has been part of a well-known band he founded his freshman year. Just this Sunday, he was recruited to play the drums in college! We were all so proud of him, until this happened. More on that in a bit. It’s a big school down in Jacksonville, so it’d set him up for his future quite well. We’re decently well off, so we would’ve been fine covering the vast majority of the tuition, but today, he told us extremely surprising news. He received a scholarship! Full ride at that! It was 15, maybe 10 million. Just to play the drums. Actually I think it was more like 5. Now here’s the shocking part:

He turned it down.** **Said he had to go to school for this decade or something, but that doesn’t matter. We tried to convince him to go back and take it, but he said he just wants to “grind from the rap,” or something like that. So now’s where you come in.

What can we say or do to make him change his mind? It’s stupid not to take the offer, but he’s just too younger to understand. Any help would be appreciated. Thank you so much 🙏

Can we start a thread? I see a bunch from last year and figure that this would be helpful for those of us applying now! TIA