Q & A - Choosing Colleges to Apply To

Question:
Can the colleges you apply to see which other colleges you are also applying to or is that confidential? I know there is some rivalry among the IV leagues and some of them express that "level of interest" is one of their criteria. Can applying to rival schools cause conflicts? Is it better to apply to all the schools you are considering to increase chances of admission or to pick only top choices in order to show that you are serious and committed to those institutions?

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My answer:
This is a great question. I'm not certain whether or not colleges can see where else you're applying, and I'm sure that they probably do have methods to tell, but this should not in any way deter you from applying to schools. You should apply to every college you want, even if you don't think you will accept them or they will admit you. You want to have a good breadth of schools when choosing who you will accept. Applying to rival schools will not cause conflicts, and only applying to your top schools will in fact be detrimental in the long run.

When Ivy Leagues say they want you to express a "level of interest," they want you to visit their school, have a clear definition in your mind of what you like about it, and be able to articulate your interest. Almost every school has that essay "what do you like about our school." This is the best way to express your level of interest, not by omitting other colleges.

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SAT and ACT: Are scores on these tests indicative of my college acceptance?

Hey guys (and gals), this is John, I'm one of Sohan's friends here at Cornell University. I just wanted to tell you a little bit about SAT and ACT scores and if you have any questions, feel free to respond. It is a long lived myth that the primary factor colleges take into consideration is your score on the SAT or ACT. Some schools you are considering may have statistics on their websites that suggest that your score is not high enough to get accepted. But remember, when you are looking on these websites, the data they present typically consist of the mean or the median scores and don't fully represent the whole student body.

Here is one personal example in which comparatively lower SAT scores had no effect on admissions. When I arrived at Cornell University, I met Sohan and soon after, when we were discussing our college decisions, I revealed my SAT score of 1900. This came as a bit of a shock to him because the average SAT score at Cornell is around 2100. My score was 200 points below average and I had no troubles getting accepted into Cornell and many other top tier schools. I knew the high school I went to was well below national academic achievement averages so I became heavily involved in extracurricular activities in order to remedy this disadvantaged academic background.

I also have friends from my high school who had SAT scores right at 1500 and had no trouble in getting accepted into other nationally ranked colleges and universities. We will discuss more about essential extracurricular activities later on. For now, the point to remember is that SAT scores and ACT scores are not indicative of your chances of being admitted into the college of your choice. Focus on your high school grades and extracurricular activities and these will lead you down the pathway to success!

For those of you who feel that your SAT score is much lower than you want it to be and you really need some extra help, stay tuned for a blog on how to succeed on the SATs.