My Get Into College Blog Ebook

A variety of Get Into College Blog posts that lay out my tips with regard to specific topics.

However, they only give you a bunch of general tips.

I often receive inquiries from my readers regarding the sorts of holistic questions that admissions officers are asking as they read through thousands upon thousands of applications.

For this reason, I've created a premium cheat sheet, "The 10 Questions Admissions Committees Ask," that lays out specifically what they're asking themselves as they review your college application.

Straight to the point, this one-page cheat sheet lists the key questions admissions officers consider as they analyze your entire application package.

When they are looking at your personal statement, recommendation letters, interview, high school courseload, GPA, and everything else that makes up your application, these are the questions they think about.

As you complete your personal statement and embark on the college admissions process, keep these questions in mind to put together the best possible application package and get into the college of your dreams!


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This is a PDF available for instant download after submitting payment via PayPal.

If you're already registered with PayPal, the download link will be sent to your PayPal email address. Otherwise, it'll be sent to whichever email address you submit.

Photo by the.sprouts

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Differences Between SAT vs. ACT

The ACT has gradually gained momentum amongst test takers as an alternative to the SAT. While the subject matter is somewhat similar (after all, the people designing the ACT are under the same constraints as those designing the SAT) there are some crucial differences. The vast majority of colleges accepts either test to fulfill their standardized test quota so it would be highly advantageous for you to take both tests, or, if you are short on time and don’t have the time to prepare for two different tests, it is to your benefit to compare the two tests and select the one that is most conducive to your abilities. Here are some of the key differences between the two tests.

1. The most salient difference between the two is clearly the addition of the science section. Foremost, the science section isn’t actually about biology, or chemistry, or any other scientific discipline. Rather, the section focuses on your general scientific ability such as data/chart interpretation, research interpretation, and comparing conflicting scientific opinions. Thus, the science section actually tests elementary statistics, and reading comprehension. If you understand these subjects, you can easily do extremely well on this section and should not be intimidated by its novelty.

2. The ACT does not penalize incorrect answers. This means there is enormous shift in strategy required. The ACT actually makes things quite a bit easier in this regard. While on the SAT one must do a certain amount of mental gymnastics trying to figure out whether or not to leave a question blank or think about how many questions to leave blank in a section, the ACT requires none of these concerns. This affords you the ability to focus on nothing but the question at hand and the time on the clock. Simply answer each question to the best of your ability in the allotted amount of time and move on.

3. The ACT has easier questions but less time to complete them. This may seem trivial but can have some big implications depending on the type of test-taker you are. Some people are able to dissociate their emotions from their test and if they struggle with a question they have no problem forgetting it and moving on. Others, however, are streaky test takers. When confronted with a question or a series of difficult questions they may become frustrated and let their emotions hinder their ability. When confronted with a question that they are capable of but do not immediately understand, they may give up on the new question too soon. On the other this same personality can get on an emotional high after answering a series of questions with ease giving them the confidence to attack even very difficult problems and solving them with gusto. The crux of the issue is to determine whether your confidence levels are affected by your test taking and whether your confidence level affects your test taking ability. If it is the latter personality type that you into, then the ACT will likely be a better choice for you to make holding other factors constant.

4. A final important difference is that on the ACT, the writing section is optional. This is largely up to your own discretion. If you feel you are a good writer then take the writing portion and vice versa. It is important to keep this in mind when comparing the tests. If you feel you are truly a terrible writer and don’t want this to affect your standardized score as it inevitably would on the SAT, the ACT is a simple solution that does not hurt your application.

As you can see, there are many important issues that should influence your decision to take the SAT or ACT. Do not simply go along with what your friends and your school's majority are doing. Analyze these differences and decide which test you are likely to perform better on. However, If time allows, taking both tests is still the optimal scenario.

Best ACT Prep Book: The Real ACT Prep Guide

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The SAT, ACT, and College Admissions

Standardized tests, specifically the SAT, are almost a rite of passage for high school students. Everyone seems to have a story about how they stayed up so many hours studying for the exam. There are several things to keep in mind throughout the college admissions tests process (and remember this is a process, not just one date).

4. Real practice problems and tests are your best friend.

The following books are published by the organizations that make each test, so they are the best source of practice questions:

The Official SAT Study Guide

The Real ACT Prep Guide

There is certainly something to be said for the tricks given by prep courses. They generally give solid advice, but their advice is not the only reason students in prep courses do better. The real reason is that in those courses, students are forced to do several practice tests and practice problems. You don’t need to spend a thousand dollars to have someone make a homework outline for you. All you need is some of your own time and a planner of some kind. Set goals for yourself and accomplish them. Do one section of the test every night for a couple of months. It only takes a half hour of your time and will raise your score significantly.


2. Do not treat this like you would a biology test.

Many of the study techniques you have learned over the years no longer apply. For example, you are allowed to take this test many times, and there is absolutely no reason other than getting a perfect score that you shouldn’t take it more than once. The vast majority of students perform far better each additional time they take the test. Colleges primarily consider your highest score from each section, make sure you have more than one score to choose from.


3. Consider the ACT.

Over the years, the legitimacy of the SAT has been questioned time and time again. Even with the recent overhaul of the SAT, most colleges realize the test is mostly meaningless. It is largely just inertia that keeps practice alive. Most colleges allow you to submit either the ACT or the SAT. The more options you have, the better the chances that you can portray yourself in the best light.


4. Most importantly, this test does not decide your life, so don’t be too stressed.

It may seem like a big deal now, but these standardized tests are truthfully nothing to worry about. Within a few years, your score will be nothing but a trivial pursuit question amongst your friends and no one else. It has a relatively small impact on what college you attend compared to your GPA and has almost no relation to your future career. Not a single job interview will include your SAT score.

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How to Review Your College Essay and Application

After last week's post on writer's block in the college essay process, you now know how to inspire creativity. Here are some helpful tips to keep in mind during the next steps:

Go through the process several times. The old saying goes “don’t put all your eggs in one basket,” and it is very applicable in this situation. Don’t settle on the first idea that comes to mind. The more you have the better the chances of discovering something truly excellent.

Take special note of your more unusual ideas. A student of mine wrote an essay titled “I am an Artichoke.” She got into MIT. Remember, the people reading your essay are reading hundreds of essays. Most likely they will spend no more than 5-10 minutes on your essays. Most essays are fairly typical and eventually these essays will undoubtedly all begin to blend together for the reader. You have only those 5-10 minutes to get their attention. Grab their attention with a striking title and interesting subject matter.

Show your idea to several people. Getting lots of input from friends, teachers, and parents is essential to this whole process. The most important thing is to ask these people not which idea they think is the best but which is the most interesting. If you can capture the attention of your peers and your mentors, you will do the same for the people reading your essay because they are essentially the same people.

Keep in mind the biases of the people reviewing your ideas. This is a small but important point. If you decide to write about how your grandmother inspired you, clearly your parents will be very pleased with this idea. These are the types of things you will need to take into account.

The best strategy is to take an aggregate of the opinions you receive. There is an important social theory based on the wisdom of crowds. It contains a great deal of value in processes like these. The best way to cancel out people's biases is to put everyone’s opinion together. The idea the largest number of people considers to be interesting is likely to be the most interesting.

Don’t discard your other ideas quite yet. Remember you have to be able to turn these ideas into an essay with some specific constraints. Take your two or three best ideas. Outline them in the process described in How to Start Your College Essay.

Now, you have to ask yourself several questions. Can you write a complete essay without loose ends with this topic? Don’t be afraid to throw away your best idea and go with your second choice. Forcing an interesting idea into a specific format can easily ruin it. You may end up with unfinished strands or may just not even have enough to say to fulfill the word count. The solution isn’t to add fluff; this will only serve to lose the attention of the reader. Removing information may result unfinished thoughts and loose ends that leave the reader with an incomplete feeling.

So now you have your most practical idea ready to be elaborated upon. Next week's post will go through the do’s and don’ts of the writing and reviewing process.

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