• both options enable you to apply for college prior to regular admission deadlines and get an admission decision before regular applicants.
• if you apply early decision, you are bound to attending one school.
• you can apply to multiple colleges as an early action applicant (check the fine print of each school for their unique policies).
• both application types are usually due november 1st and you will hear about your admission status by mid-december.
• early action is not better than early decision and vice versa. each has its benefits and drawbacks.
• some admissions experts suggest that applying early increases your admission chances.

comparing early action vs. early decision

okay, now that you’ve got a general sense of the two ways to apply early to college, let’s look a little closer at the main differences between them.

think about the actual name of each option for a moment.

“early action” simply suggests that you’re taking action steps toward applying for college earlier.

“early decision,” on the other hand, has the word “decision” right in the name. it means that your mind is made up. you’ve decided that if you get into this school, you’re going no matter what—it’s your first-choice school. and that’s why early decision applications are binding. when you apply early decision to a school you are making a promise that you will attend if accepted.

binding vs. non-binding

a really important thing to know about early decision applications is that they aren’t legally binding. this means that you can’t be taken to court if you apply early decision, are accepted, and then want to back out. but—they are binding within the college system. so if you change your mind and decide to attend another college where you did not apply early decision, you could face having your admission revoked.

on the other hand, early action applications are non-binding. you’ll find out if you got in earlier, but you can still weigh your options. you’ll typically have until the regular commitment date (may 1st) to make a choice.

what to consider when choosing early action vs. early decision

when you’re deciding whether you want to apply early action vs. early decision, here’s the biggest factor:

how badly do you want to attend a particular college? do you have a true dream school? do just know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that this is the school for you? if so, applying early decision is the way to go.

but before you take that plunge and commit, it may be worthwhile to spend some time really reflecting on the factors that make this school your #1 choice.

factors to consider

for instance, you may be dead set on a particular school on account of:

• a particular program of study — is it the only place this program is offered? is it the best of the best? are there specific faculty members you’d love to take classes with?
• geographic location — is it very important to you where you go to college when it comes to the city or state? what draws you to this particular place? why will living there be integral to your college experience?
• financial aid — some schools guarantee a certain amount of financial aid to admitted students, which may be a significant factor in your decision.
• extracurricular activities — is there a sports team you’ve been scouted for? a club that you’d absolutely love to be part of? a greek community that you feel drawn to?
• internships or other experiential opportunities — is there a school-to-career pipeline of some sort that is offered at this school? are you guaranteed some type of intern/externship, mentorship, or research opportunity you can’t get anywhere else?
• values — is there something about the school’s culture and values that appeals to you? for instance, is it affiliated with a particular religion or committed to building a diverse student population?
• other personal reasons — you may be set on a specific school because of family legacy or the school’s history or prestige.

if you don’t feel “all-in” on a college because of any combination of the above reasons, but you’d still like to apply early, then early action is likely the better route for you. also, if you’re a competitive applicant (great grades, class ranking, test scores, etc.), then early action or early decision may be a good choice for you.

still unsure? check out our quiz on whether you should accept early decision!

pros

of course, there are pros and cons to early action vs. early decision. on the upside, you’ll be better able to make your college plans earlier, which can be less stressful and more cost-effective. on the downside, you’ll have to assemble your application materials quickly, which could be stressful if you’re not prepared.

let’s look at some key points of early action vs. early decision.

early action:

• you will know your admission status early and have more time to make plans regarding housing, financial aid, jobs, classes, and so on.
• you can apply to multiple schools early action and therefore you will have options when it comes to choosing a school. this includes having time to weigh out financial aid package offers from each school.

early decision:

• if you get in, you can celebrate super early that you got into your dream school!
• by making this type of preemptive commitment, you may be more likely to be accepted (more on this shortly)

cons

early action:

• you may have more applications if you’re applying early action, which can add a lot of pressure on top of an already busy schedule during your senior year.
• if you get in more than one school, you may feel overwhelmed by indecision (although this isn’t an entirely bad problem to have!). conversely, if you don’t get into any of your early action schools, you will only have a short window to apply regular decision elsewhere.

early decision:

• you only get one early decision application, so if you start to waver on your decision, the entire college application process can get delayed.
• there may be less financial aid options available and you won’t have the opportunity to weigh out other options.

how do i decide which schools to apply to?

okay so once you have an idea of which early application route you’ll be taking, how do you decide schools to apply to?

1. look into which schools offer early action and/or early decision options; not all of them do.
   1. some of the most common early action schools include northeastern, university of michigan, mit, and georgetown.
   2. some of the most common early decision schools include nyu, rice university, and columbia university.
2. check the admissions page or call the admissions office of each school you’re interested in to double-check their early application policies and deadlines.

you can read more about how to choose the right college here!

does early action or early decision increase chances of acceptance?

when it comes to the odds of getting into a college or university by applying early decision, the truth is that your chances depend on the school. ask an admissions department directly about their acceptance rates and if early decision candidates are given any sort of priority, or take a look at their most recent class profile. also, consider that:

• because applying early decision is binding, less students apply, which may increase your chances of getting in.
• what appears to be higher acceptance rates could be due to stronger and more competitive candidates applying early decision.

in short, it certainly can’t hurt, so if you feel strongly about a particular fit, we say go for it! (on that note, check out these 3 tips for applying early decision).

other types of early action and early decision

to make matters a bit more complex, there are also a couple of lesser-known types of early action and early decision applications.

early decision 2

early decision 2 (often just abbreviated as ed2) is an option some schools offer that is virtually identical to early decision (1) but has a different due date. so while most early decision deadlines are november 1st, early decision 2 is later, often january 1st or 15th (with notifications arriving in february). both types of early decision applications are binding with one school, but ed2 allows you a bit more time to get your application together. it’s unclear if you stand a better chance of admission with early decision vs. early decision 2. but with either type of application, you’ll be demonstrating your seriousness about your interest in a particular school.

restrictive early action

restrictive early action (also known as single-choice early action or restrictive ea), on the other hand, is a type of early action application that is sort of like a hybrid of early decision and early action. it’s non-binding (like early action), but you can only choose one school to apply to (like early decision). a select number of elite colleges including princeton, yale, harvard, and stanford offer restrictive early action.

the gist is that you will want to look into the specific application types and deadlines for each school that you’re interested in and then go from there.

early action vs. early decision: a final word

overall, the decision to apply early action vs. early decision to college hinges largely on how prepared you are to apply as well as how clear you are on where you want to go and what you want to study. there’s no wrong choice, and whateverway you apply early will show your seriousness and commitment to attending college, which is always a good look to admissions boards. if you want more help deciding which route is best for you, we encourage you to chat with your school counselor.

and what about if you apply early decision but don’t get in? you may feel bummed but the good news is that you’re still able to apply to plenty of other schools by the regular deadline.

happy applying and good luck!

the post early action vs. early decision: understanding the difference appeared first on magoosh blog | high school.

miami university’s name is somewhat misleading—it’s actually in a city called oxford. nope, not the english one: oxford, ohio! once you can correctly locate miami u. on a map, though, it has a ton to offer. known as the “mother of fraternities,” the school is especially known for its greek life. beyond that, though, the school offers a great liberal arts education, with 120+ undergrad programs. wondering how to get into miami university? we’ll take a look in this post as we explore miami university act and sat scores and other key miami university admissions statistics.

here’s a quick glance at miami university admissions. we’ll get into each one of these facts in much more detail below!
 

table of contents

• miami university acceptance rate
• miami university act scores
• miami university sat scores
• miami university gpa average
• freshman profile
• other admissions requirements and info
• faqs
• how to get into miami university-oxford: takeaways

miami university acceptance rate

overall, miami university’s acceptance rate is 80%. however, this varies ever-so-slightly according to different demographics. for in-state students, the acceptance rate was 81% overall; for out-of-state students, it was 89%.

in the last admissions cycle, in-state men had an acceptance rate of 83%, while in-state women had an acceptance rate of 80%. however, out-of-state men have an acceptance rate of 89% and out-of-state women had an acceptance rate of 90%.

note that miami university admissions skew heavily to early action and early decision. their acceptance rates through these programs were 89% and 90.9%, respectively. however, excluding their “early” programs, the admissions committee only accepted 56% of students. a big difference!
 

 

 

miami university act scores

before we get into anything else, let’s emphasize this: miami university went test-optional for fall 2021 admission due to covid-19. however, this may change moving forward—we’ll keep you posted!

on average, composite miami university act scores were 28 in the last admissions cycle. however, this only tells you so much! here’s a breakdown of what the scores looked like in more detail.

so what do these average act scores tell you about miami university admissions? as you can see, the act scores overall (composite scores) were slightly higher than the math and english scores. this doesn’t mean that the admissions data are wrong—instead, it means that scores in the two unreported sections (reading and science) must have been higher to get the score averages this high.

in other words, you can anticipate the reading/science scores to start at around 27 for the 25th percentile of students.

if your scores aren’t in the miami university act range and it’s your dream school, what should you do? first of all, try to retake the act with a different prep strategy, if there’s time. a few points can make a big difference in the admissions process.

however, if it’s too late to retake the test, it’s important to keep in mind that the school will evaluate all parts of your application. some parts, like your high school gpa, will be mostly out of your hands by this point, so focus on the parts of it, like the essay, that you can still control!
 

 

 

miami university sat scores

just like its act scores, miami university sat scores are above the national average of 1000 (composite), clocking in at 1308. here’s how their average sat score breaks down, from 25th percentile to 75th percentile ranges.

remember, these percentiles only tell you how the middle 50% of admitted students scored. in other words, 25% of successful applicants students had an evidence-based reading and writing score of below 600. on the other hand, 25% had a score above 680.

similarly, 25% of students admitted to miami had math scores below 610—and 25% had math scores above 730 (wow!).
 

 

 

freshman profile

so just what does miami’s most recent freshman class look like? they come from all around the country—though more than half (60%) are from ohio, and more than a quarter (28%) are from butler, hamilton, or warren counties within ohio. keeping in mind that the school is a public institution, so, this isn’t uncommon; it likely receives a much higher number of applicants from local areas.

however, that doesn’t mean that you need to be an ohioan to get in! 2.3% of students are international, and 44% of those come from china.

if you had a parent or other relative attend the school, you’d be in good company at miami: 36% of admitted students this year were legacies.
 

 

 

other admissions requirements and info

in addition to taking the act or sat, you’ll need to complete a few more steps to apply to miami. here’s what they’re looking for!

• the common application, including the specialized miami university supplement (note that the honors college/university honors program has an additional required essay)
• a letter of recommendation from a counselor or teacher
• your high school transcripts (usually provided by a counselor through the common app)
• any additional requirements for various majors (think: an art portfolio)
• $50 application fee

faqs

how hard is it to get into miami university?

with an 80% acceptance rate, it’s not as difficult to get into miami university as some other schools. think of it this way: you have a 4 out of 5 chance of getting in.

if miami’s your dream school, though, consider applying either early decision or early action. acceptance rates for both of these programs were much higher than for the general admissions pool!

what are the top programs at miami university?

the most popular programs are business, management, marketing, and related support services; social sciences; and communication, journalism, and related programs. us news & world report placed its business program in the top 50 at national public universities; they ranked its undergraduate engineering program within the top 10, as well.

what else makes miami university unique?

academically, miami’s renowned for its undergraduate liberal arts program. in the previous year, entering freshman had more than 110 declared majors, and there are more than 120 offered at the school! us news & world report ranked the school’s commitment to undergraduate teaching overall within the top 10 national public universities.

in terms of the social scene, 25% of men and 40% of women in the student body participate in greek life, so this is something to keep in mind if you’re either super excited about fraternities and sororities or super anti-greek life!

does miami university use the common app?

yes, they do! here’s what you need to know about the common app, including the personal statement.

does miami university offer financial aid?

yes! 80% of freshman last year filled out a fafsa form, and 100% of freshmen with financial need received financial aid offers.
 

 

 

how to get into miami university-oxford: takeaways

if you’re looking for a public research university with a small-town campus vibe, thriving greek life, and top-notch undergraduate teaching, this miami of ohio might be right for you! to get in, make sure you present the best application you possibly can, including polished essays and a recommendation from a teacher or counselor who really knows and appreciates you.

in the meantime, work on boosting your test scores into the miami university sat or act range (we offer a guaranteed 4 point increase on the act and 100 points on the sat!).

the post how to get into miami university: sat and act scores, gpa and more appeared first on magoosh blog | high school.

if you’re looking for a vibrant campus in a small town, the university of georgia (uga) just might be for you! founded in 1785, uga is the oldest public college in the u.s. with 700+ student organizations and ncaa division i sports teams, the school promises just about everything you could want. so what do you need to know about how to get into uga? in this post, we’ll take a look at uga admissions, including uga sat and act scores!

before anything else, here’s uga admissions data in a nutshell!
 

table of contents

• uga sat scores
• uga act scores
• uga acceptance rate
• uga gpa average
• uga freshman profile
• other admissions requirements and info
• faqs
• how to get into uga: a final look

uga sat scores

before anything else, know this: uga is going test-optional for fall 2021!! if you already have scores you love, that’s great—make sure you submit the official score report.

however, if you haven’t taken the test yet and are worried about doing so, know that you don’t have to this year.

future students, take note: uga admissions hasn’t decided yet whether to continue the policy into future years, so plan on taking either the act or the sat for now…we’ll keep you posted!

in the meantime, here’s the rundown of uga sat scores. like the school, we’re providing these from the 25th percentile to the 75th percentile.

pretty high! but remember that 25% of students scored below a composite of 1310, and 75% scored above a composite of 1460 (wow!).

if your scores are well within or above the average sat scores range for uga in both sections, that’s awesome! but if they’re not, you can retake the exam without any fear: uga uses sat superscores in admissions.
 

 

 

uga act scores

just in case you skipped right down to this section (who could blame you?!), we’ll say it again: uga is test-optional for fall 2021, and may or may not be in future years, so keep that in mind when seeing where your scores stack up.

without further ado, here they are: uga act scores!

*2019 data

those scores are pretty high—composite 30-34 is equivalent to the 93rd-99th percentiles on the act.

the fact that the composite score from the 2020 admissions cycle is so much higher than the sectional scores (which are from the 2019 admissions cycle—the school didn’t provide them for the most recent year) tells you that the sectional scores likely jumped up over the course of the last year, too.

however, if some of your sectional scores are already within that 30-34 uga act scores range, you’re in luck! you may want to take the act again, because the admissions offers will use your highest sectional scores, no matter which test day they come from. that’s right: they use the act superscore!
 

 

 

uga acceptance rate

the overall acceptance rate at uga is pretty competitive, at 46%. however, that’s for regular decision admissions. the number jumps up higher for early action applicants, who are accepted at a rate of 58.5%.

what does this tell you? well, if uga’s your dream school, let them know by submitting an early action application! it can only help your chances.

for transfer students, meanwhile, the acceptance rate jumped to 70%. so if you’d love to go to school in athens, georgia, but you didn’t get in the first time around, this might be a good option for you!

• pro-tip from slyndgaard (uga ’18), admitsee:

uga gpa average

by their own admission, grades and academics (coursework) are the most important factors the uga admissions counselors review. they’ve provided gpas for core subjects for two different groups of students: all admitted first-year students (freshmen) and all admitted honors students.

for incoming freshman generally, the middle 50% of gpas was 3.94-4.21. for honors students, that jumped up to 4.00-4.30.

whoa, whoa, whoa, you might be thinking. gpas above 4.0? what the—

these are weighted gpas, or gpas where some classes (think: ap, ib, honors) were graded out of the 5.0 scale (5 = a, 4 = b) instead of the traditional 4.0 scale (4 = a, 3 = b).

so students at uga definitely had high gpas—but you don’t necessarily need straight as to get in (though they couldn’t hurt!).

note that uga admissions actually unweights all gpas to the 4.0 scale during the admissions process, though the school reports the weighted gpas to look tougher. sneaky!
 

 

 

university of georgia freshman profile

although uga is a public university in the state of georgia, its students come from around the world and from all different american backgrounds. last year, admitted students came from 67 countries. meanwhile, 800 u.s. students came from households where english was not the primary language spoken.

however, if you’re an anxious local, you can set your worries aside: the georgians are definitely represented at uga! last year, students from 534 different high schools and 155 different counties within the state were admitted.

overall, students came from 43 different states. after georgia, the students with the highest uga representation were from north carolina, florida, and texas.
 

 

 

other admissions requirements and info

to get into uga, you’ll need to have taken the required high school curriculum. this includes:

• 4 units of mathematics
• 4 units of english
• 3 units of science
• 3 units of social science
• 2 units of the same foreign language

in addition to the school or counselor evaluation on the common app, you’ll also need to submit the optional letter from a teacher or counselor. the school should also send your official high school transcripts.

uga has a wide variety of application deadlines, depending on when you want to start your studies, whether you’re applying for a dual program, whether you’re applying early decision, and a variety of other factors, so check out their list of these deadlines to stay updated!
 

 

 

faqs

how hard is it to get into uga?

medium hard? it’s like asking “how long is a piece of string”—it depends on your application. the school accepts 46% of applicants overall, so you have about a 1 in 2 chance of getting in. this is tougher than a lot of public universities, but not as competitive as some selective private universities, like the ivy league.

for transfer students, it gets significantly easier: their acceptance rate was 70%, or 7 in 10.

applying through early action can also increase your likelihood of getting in, depending on where your application strengths lie.

• slyndgaard from admitsee can tell you all you need to know about early action at uga:

does uga have a waitlist?

yes! out of approximately 700 students who opted to stay on the waitlist in 2020, 300 were offered admission. keep in mind, however, that the numbers have not been as favorable for waitlisted students in prior years. make sure you (gently, once) express your continued interest in uga to the admissions office if it’s your dream school and you’re waiting to hear back.

what are the top programs at uga?

the most popular uga majors are (in order): finance, psychology, biology, marketing, and international relations.

however, as the #15 top public school in the us (according to the us news & world report), uga also has a lot of other great offerings. for example, the same publication rated them #1 in business insurance programs (who knew!), #102 in undergraduate engineering, and #104 in computer science.

what else makes uga unique?

the uga student experience is definitely a vibrant one: athens has been voted into the top college town in the united states.

at the school, you’ll find a pretty significant portion of the population involved in greek life (about 25%), but for those who aren’t interested in fraternities or sororities, there are 700+ clubs and organizations you can take part in, instead.

in addition, uga athletics are d1 in the ncaa, so they’re pretty competitive.

no doubt about it—you won’t be bored at uga!

does uga offer financial aid?

yes! they offer both need-based scholarships/grants and merit-based aid to help cover tuition and living expenses. the average need-based aid is $11,227, and the average merit-based aid is $3,756. overall, the school covers 74% of its students financial need.

what are some uga admission myths?

uga addreses some of these head-on, but here are a few key debunkings!

there’s no minimum sat, act, or gpa. they look at your whole application, so low numbers in any particular area won’t necessarily hurt your application. if you’ve taken challenging courses and gotten slightly less-than-perfect grades and a lower gpa, it’s better (in terms of both admissions decisions and life) than coasting by in easy courses with a perfect 4.0! rigorous courses are a good thing!

they don’t have quotas for any given location, whether that’s your state or your high school.

they also don’t need you to be a well-rounded student (necessarily). this is a huge myth around selective college applications in general. schools are actually looking to create well-rounded student bodies, not to admit only well-rounded students. so let your passions shine in your application!
 

 

 

how to get into uga: a final look

still wondering how to get into uga? make sure your personality comes through in your essays, description of extracurricular activities, and letters of recommendation. share why you’d be a good fit for the school. and, if you can, get your test scores into the uga average act score or sat score range (need help? magoosh offers a 4-point act score increase guarantee, and a 100-point sat score increase guarantee!). good luck!

the post how to get into uga: sat and act scores, gpa and more appeared first on magoosh blog | high school.

looking for a top-notch education on an idyllic campus? william and mary, in williamsburg, virginia, might be for you. the second-oldest college in the united states (and the first law school), w&m has literally centuries of educating students under its belt. curious? in this post, we’ll look at what you need to know about how to get into william and mary! from william and mary sat scores and act scores to admissions more generally—everything you need is in this post.

table of contents

• william and mary at a glance
• william and mary sat scores
• william and mary act scores
• william and mary school acceptance rate
• william and mary school gpa average
• william and mary school freshmen profile
• william and mary school other admissions requirements and info
• william and mary faqs
• a final word

william and mary at a glance

ranked #4 for undergraduate teaching by us news & world report (as well as #18 for veterans and #39 among national universities), there are lots of advantages to attending w&m. so just what are they looking for in their students? here’s a quick snapshot!

william and mary sat scores

if your sat scores aren’t quite where you want them to be, there’s good news: william and mary has gone test-optional for three years, starting with the 2020-2021 admissions cycle (class of 2024).

however, it can still be useful to look at william and mary sat scores. why? they not only tell us what the school’s looking for in its students, but they can also tell us about the selectivity of the school more generally.

with that in mind, here they are!

the composite range of 1300-1490 puts william and mary in highly selective territory. a score of 1300 falls into the 90th percentile of sat test-takers, while a score of 1490 falls into the 99th percentile.

taking a look at the division of those scores: math scores are slightly higher than verbal (evidence-based reading and writing) scores, but not significantly. this tells us that the school’s looking for relatively well-balanced students.

80% of successful applicants in the class of 2023 took the sat. however, as the school is going test-optional—at least for the next few years—we’d expect those stats to drop soon!

a quick note that test-optional is different from test-blind. william and mary admissions will still consider your test scores if you include them in your application. and if you’re scoring in this range, we highly recommend that you do!
 

 

 

william and mary act scores

like william and mary sat scores, william and mary act scores are pretty high. but don’t let that intimidate you: remember, the school is test-optional through the 2023-2024 admissions cycle.

if your scores aren’t where you want them to be, you can let the other parts of your application speak for you instead! on the other hand, if your scores are in the w&m average act score range, they’ll only help your admission odds.

with that in mind, here are the william and mary act scores at a glance:

how do these compare to the school average for sat scores? they’re slightly higher, percentage-wise, translating to a 93rd-99th percentile act composite score.

in this case, the 25th percentile-75th percentile of english scores (31-35) are significantly higher than the math scores (27-33). however, don’t read too much into this: remember that the act has four sections, and the school didn’t release data for the science or reading sectional scores.

again, if you’re struggling to pull your scores up, keep in mind that there are no act requirements at w&m. you can also take the sat—or, in a pinch, not submit any test scores at all!
 

 

 

william and mary school acceptance rate

with an acceptance rate of 38%, william and mary is considered most selective by u.s. news. you can think about it this way: about one in three students who applies gets in.

if william and mary is your dream school, though, don’t let this deter you! you can definitely increase your chances of getting in by aiming for high test scores, working on your essays, and otherwise doing your absolute best on the parts of your application that you can still control.
 

 

 

william and mary school gpa average

the average high school gpa of students admitted to william and mary is 3.9. according to us news & world report, admissions committees at the school regard gpa as “very important.”

however, we realize that, if you’re applying to colleges this year, your gpa is now out of your hands. if that’s the case, don’t panic! there are still things you can do to boost your chances of admission.

chief among these? if your gpa is significantly lower than average, submitting high standardized test scores on the act or sat can help show the admissions office that you’re ready for college-level work. even if you’re only able to put in a month or two of prep, this can still have a significant effect on your score and may end up making the difference!
 

 

 

william and mary school freshmen profile

though its name doesn’t sound like it, the college of william & mary is actually a public institution. this means that in-state students have a leg up when it comes to getting in. the school maintains a 65/35 ratio between in-state and out-of-state undergraduate students. however, this may shift slightly from year to year to maintain the balance in the entire population (for example, last year it was 67/33).

after virginia, the states sending the most students to william and mary were maryland, new jersey, pennsylvania, massachusetts, new york, and california. internationally, the most w&m students come from china, canada, south korea, india and the united kingdom.

of the 1,525 students admitted in the class of 2024, the demographics broke down to: 7% black, 11% asian/pacific islander, 8% hispanic/latino, 4% international, and 60% white.

50 incoming freshmen were valedictorians of their high school classes, with 77% overall placing in the top 10% of their graduating classes.
 

 

 

william and mary school other admissions requirements and info

william and mary look at applications holistically, so if your “stats” aren’t where you’d like them to be, keep in mind that you still have a chance at getting in! two readers go over each application to select, in the words of the william and mary admissions office, “an exceptionally talented and diverse student body.”

if you’re only applying to william and mary, or if your other schools don’t need it, then relax: you can skip the writing portion of the sat or act. the school doesn’t use standardized test essays to evaluate your writing ability; they use your application essay to do this, instead.
 

 

 

william and mary faqs

why isn’t william and mary an ivy league school?

the fact that william and mary isn’t in the ivy league doesn’t say anything about it except that it isn’t part of a particular athletic conference. yup—that’s the only thing that unites harvard, brown, columbia, et al.

in terms of quality, prestige, and sheer age (it was founded in 1693—the second oldest college in the states!), william and mary is up there with the most elite schools. us news & world ranks it in the top 50 universities in the us. so if that’s what’s holding you back from applying—don’t let it!

what is william and mary known for academically?

william and mary is generally known for the high quality of its undergraduate teaching; it was ranked #4 in the united states for this!

more specifically, poets & quants ranks it as #15 in its list of the best undergraduate business schools, while the princeton review ranks it as #10 for the best science lab facilities.

among william and mary students, the most popular majors are social sciences, business and related subjects, biological and biomedical sciences, multi- and interdisciplinary studies, and psychology. it’s also got a great computer science program! as you can see, this backs up those rankings quite well!

what else makes william and mary unique?

in addition to its age, its high teaching quality, and its excellent facilities, william and mary has a close-knit student body. all freshmen and most upperclassmen live on campus. their small class sizes help build this community: the average student-teacher ratio is 11:1.

it’s also known for its athletics: william and mary is a division 1 school, so you can expect to see some good games!

finally, william and mary is known for its illustrious alumni. three presidents (thomas jefferson, james monroe, and john tyler) went here!

does william and mary give merit scholarships?

they do—and they’re pretty generous. on average, students received $4,385 in merit scholarships in 2021.

their programs include the william & mary scholars, which gives students the amount of in-state tuition and fees, monroe scholars, which gives students a $3000 research stipend, and 1693 scholars, which includes full tuition, fees, room, and board (equivalent to in-state levels).

which is harder, uva or william and mary?

it’s very, very…very close. uva ranks #26, with sat scores of 1340-1520 (25th-75th percentiles) and act scores of 30-34 (25th-75th percentiles).

on the other hand, william and mary ranks #39, with sat scores of 1300-1490 (25th-75th percentiles) and act scores of 30-34 (25th-75th percentiles).

based on those stats, it’s fair to say that uva is ever so slightly harder to get into than william and mary. admissions rates make it even clearer: uva’s is 26%, while w&m’s is 38%.

does william and mary have an engineering program?

not in and of itself. instead, the school has a combined degree program with columbia university. you can either spend three or four years at william and mary, then two years at columbia, to get a bachelor’s degree in your primary subject from w&m and a bachelor’s degree in engineering from columbia.

however, if you want to study entirely at william and mary, you can also do that through the physics department, selecting their engineering physics and applied design undergraduate track.

does william and mary have greek life?

they do! william & mary has 16 fraternities and 13 sororities. however, if you don’t want to participate and are worried about missing out, keep in mind that less than a third (31% of men and 29% of women) participate in them.
 

 

 

a final word

to get into william and mary, make sure you present the best all-around application that you can. even if your scores and gpa are in the william and mary sat average range (or the act average range), it’s not enough. let your personality shine through in your essay and show why you’d be a good fit.

getting your stats up to those ranges can also give your application a boost. study with magoosh for an up to 100-point score guarantee on the sat and an up to 4-point score guarantee on the act to help you get into the college of your dreams. good luck!

the post how to get into william and mary: sat and act scores, gpa, and more appeared first on magoosh blog | high school.

thinking about attending the university of california-riverside? if you’re looking for a strong public university with a scottish flavor (all residence halls are named after locations in scotland, and the school’s team is the highlanders), it may be the right place for you! if you’re feeling like breaking out your best brogue, read on for a closer look at how to get into uc riverside: everything from ucr admissions to their sat and act scores policy!

table of contents

• quick ucr admissions statistics
• more about uc riverside sat scores
• more about uc riverside act scores
• uc riverside acceptance rate
• uc riverside gpa average
• uc riverside freshman profile
• other ucr admissions requirements and information
• ucr admissions faqs
• a final word: how to get into uc riverside

quick ucr admissions statistics

first things first! if you’re wondering how to get into uc riverside, here is the admissions data you’ll need!
 

 
of course, that isn’t the whole picture. for example, average sat and average act scores will be a lot less useful in the coming years than your average gpa! read on to find out why and for more about ucr admissions.

before we dive into uc riverside test scores, an important note: uc admissions has announced that, beginning with students applying for fall 2021 admission, they will be adopting a test-blind policy. check out our post on the a test-optional policy to learn more about this decision and the difference between test-optional, test-blind, and everything in between.

more about uc riverside sat scores

if you’ve already taken the sat and are wondering if your scores are up to scratch, or if you’re considering applying to ucr in a few years and want to make sure you have all of your bases covered, it can be useful to look at records of uc riverside sat and act scores.

if you’re wondering how these scores came into play historically, though— as you might expect, ucr students tend to receive fairly high scores. this table shows the 25th percentile-75th percentile in each section for the admitted class of 2019.
 

 
the composite score of 1130-1400 is useful to consider, even if you’re applying for admission for fall of 2021. why? for one, it gives you some measure of where uc riverside students are academically. these scores place the middle 50% of admitted students between the 64th and 94th percentile of all sat takers.
 

 

 

more about uc riverside act scores

again, just a reminder that uc riverside will not take act scores into consideration starting with students applying for the class of fall 2021. there are no act requirements whatsoever.

if you’re trying to figure out your chances of admission, the average act score won’t help you. however, there are still reasons to keep this information in mind! here’s a brief snapshot of the most recent data available for uc riverside act scores:
 

 
does that mean you shouldn’t take the act or sat if you’re applying to uc riverside? no! this can be really helpful for getting scholarship money (though not the uc regents and chancellor’s scholarships, which are now also test-blind) and class placement. it just means that your high school gpa is more important than before.

also, remember that even though uc riverside may not be considering your test scores, this might not be true for other colleges you’re applying to.
 

 

 

uc riverside acceptance rate

uc riverside’s admission rate was 56.3% in 2019. out of 49,509 applicants, the school accepted 27,886.
 

 

 

uc riverside gpa average

admitted students to ucr had weighted gpas of 3.69-4.11 (middle 50%). the fact that this is the middle 50% of gpas is key, as it means that the upper 25% of students admitted had average gpas above 4.00 on a weighted scale.

how do schools calculate gpas? use this process for an unweighted (out of 4.00) gpa:

1. look at your high school transcript.
2. give yourself points for each grade:
3. assign 4 points for each a.
4. assign 3 points for each b.
5. assign 2 points for each c.
6. assign 1 point for each d.
7. divide the total by the number of graded courses.

but it’s the weighted gpas at uc riverside that ranged from 3.69-4.11. this happens when schools give additional points for honors or ap courses by assigning 5 points for each a, 4 for each b, and so on.

as uc riverside admissions moves away from using standardized test scores, grades will likely become even more important in the admissions process.
 

 

 

uc riverside freshman profile

uc riverside has a diverse student body in a number of ways. first of all, ethnicity. by their own categorizations, undergraduate ucr students have the following ethnicities: 41.5% hispanic or latino; 33.8% asian; 11.0% white; 5.6% two or more races; 3.4% international; 3.3% black or african american; 1.1% unknown, less than 0.2% native hawaiian, pacific islander, native american, or alaskan.

54.6% of undergraduates at riverside identify as female, while 45.4% identify as male.

90% of uc riverside students come from california, while 3.4% come from abroad. the remaining 6.6% come from other states.

 

 

other ucr admissions requirements and information

to be considered for uc riverside admission, you’ll need to meet the requirements for the uc system overall. one key requirement is the subject requirement (a-g). this means taking 15 year-long courses in high school, getting a minimum grade of a c. 11 must be completed before your final year.

you can also meet some of these ucr requirements through testing, by the way—so don’t write off those standardized exams just yet!

important! the letter grade requirement for a-g courses completed in winter, spring, or summer 2020 is temporarily dropped. pass/credit grades meet the requirement, but will not be part of the gpa calculation (so gpa requirements for a-g classes still apply).

these subject requirements include:
a) history: 2 years, including specific requirements;
b) english: 4 years, including specific requirements;
c) mathematics: 3 years, including specific requirements;
d) science: 2 years, including specific requirements;
e) language other than english: 2 years, including specific requirements;
f) visual and performing arts: 1 year, including specific requirements;
g) college-preparatory elective: 1 year, including specific requirements.

in addition to taking these courses, there is also a uc riverside gpa requirement: to be considered for admission, you need a 3.0 gpa in a-g courses taken in the 10th and 11th grade years if you are a california resident. non-residents, you’ll need a 3.4 gpa in those subjects.
 

 

 

ucr admissions faqs

is it hard to get into uc riverside?

uc riverside has an overall undergraduate admissions rate of 56.3%, which the u.s. news and world report classifies as “more selective.”

in terms of the larger uc system, however, riverside is easier to get into than some of the other schools. it has a far higher acceptance rate than either ucla or uc berkeley, both of which accept fewer than 20% of applicants. similarly, its acceptance rate is higher than that of uc santa barbara or uc irvine, which each admit around 30% of applicants. it is slightly easier to get into than uc santa cruz, as well.

does uc riverside use the common app?

nope! none of the uc schools use the common application, actually. they use their very own university of california application, instead, as all the uc campuses do.

what do you need to get into uc riverside?

you’ll need to tick a few boxes to get into uc riverside! here are the most important.

1. meet the uc system’s overall coursework (a-g) requirements, described above.
2. take the toefl (minimum 80) or ielts (minimum 6.5) if you are from an international student from a non-native-english-speaking country.
3. complete the application. this involves answering 4 of the 8 “personal insight” (essay) questions uc riverside asks.
4. unlike a lot of other college applications, uc riverside doesn’t require letters of recommendation when you apply. they may ask for one or more recommendations later as part of a “supplemental review” process, but they aren’t a standard requirement.

does uc riverside offer financial aid?

yes! 72% of uc riverside students received need-based aid last year. first year students had an average need-based self-help aid award of 59%, while the average freshman received an additional $4,949 in merit scholarships or grants.
 

 

 

a final word: how to get into uc riverside

if uc riverside is your dream school, what should you do to present the best application possible?

uc riverside admissions officers review the following characteristics when going over your application.

• difficulty of courses taken in high school and grades received in those courses
• your personal qualities, such as leadership, motivation, and passion for helping the community
• your extracurricular activities
• performance in outside of school academic enrichment programs

with all of that said, though, ucr admissions does use a holistic review process: they look at how the aspects of your application combine to show off who you are, not just what your grades have to say about you.

if you’re a junior or senior, focus on what you can control now: your current grades and activities, and emphasizing your personal qualities and performance in various activities on your application. successful applicants will show off who they are and why they’re a good fit for uc riverside! good luck!

the post how to get into uc riverside: admission requirements, gpa, and more appeared first on magoosh blog | high school.

what will you find at the university of california-santa cruz? gorgeous hiking trails, recreational vehicles, and top-notch professors, to name just three benefits! if you’re ready to explore these opportunities, read on for a closer look at how to get into uc santa cruz: everything from ucsc admissions to their sat and act scores policy!

table of contents

• quick uc santa cruz admissions statistics
• more about uc santa cruz sat scores
• more about uc santa cruz act scores
• uc santa cruz acceptance rate
• uc santa cruz gpa average
• uc santa cruz freshman profile
• other ucsc admissions requirements and information
• ucsc admissions faqs
• a final word: how to get into uc santa cruz

quick uc santa cruz admissions statistics

wondering how to get into uc santa cruz and just want the facts? here’s a quick rundown of the admissions data you’ll need!
 

 
of course, that isn’t the whole picture for prospective students. for example, average sat and average act scores will be a lot less useful in coming years than your average gpa! read on for more about uc santa cruz admissions.

before we dive into uc santa cruz test scores, know that uc admissions has announced that, they will be going test-blind for fall 2021 admission. they will not look at your sat or act scores for admission purposes. keep an eye out on our post about test-optional schools and policies to stay updated.
 

 

 

more about uc santa cruz sat scores

if you’ve already taken the test and are wondering if your sat scores are up to scratch compared to current students at ucsc, or if you’re considering applying to ucsc in a few years and want to make sure you have all of your bases covered, it can be useful to look at records of uc santa cruz sat and act scores.

even if you’re applying for admission in fall of 2021, good sat or act scores can definitely still help you with things like course placement and even scholarships (though not the uc regents and chancellor’s scholarships, which are now also test-blind). however, they will not be an admissions factor.

if you’re wondering how these scores came into play historically, this table shows the 25th percentile-75th percentile in each section for the admitted class of 2019.
 

 
the composite score of 1200-1450 is useful to take into consideration, even if you’re applying for admission after the new testing policy has gone into effect. why? for one, it shows you exactly how strong uc santa cruz students are academically. these scores place the middle 50% of admitted students between the 74th and 96th percentiles of all sat takers. no doubt about it, they’re high achievers!
 

 

 

more about uc santa cruz act scores

again, just a reminder that uc santa cruz will not take act scores into consideration for the class of fall 2021. there are no act requirements whatsoever.

if you’re trying to figure out your chances of admission, the average act score won’t help you. however, there are still reasons to keep this information in mind! here’s a brief snapshot of the most recent data available for uc santa cruz act scores:
 

 
does that mean you shouldn’t take the act or sat if you’re applying to uc santa cruz for fall 2021? no! this can be really helpful for getting scholarship money and class placement. it just means that your high school gpa is more important than before.

also, remember that even though uc santa cruz may not be considering your test scores, this might not be true for other colleges you’re applying to.
 

 

 

uc santa cruz acceptance rate

uc santa cruz’s admission rate shows was 52% (well, 51.5%, to be precise!) in the last admissions cycle. for freshman admission in fall of 2020, the school received 55,868 applications and accepted 28,784 students, yielding an overall admissions rate of 51.5%.
 

 

 

uc santa cruz gpa average

admitted students to uc santa cruz had weighted gpas of 3.76-4.16 (middle 50%). the fact that this is the middle 50% of gpas is key, as it means that the upper 25% of students admitted had gpas above 4.00s.

how do schools calculate gpas? use this process for an unweighted (out of 4.00) gpa:

1. look at your high school transcript.
2. give yourself points for each grade:
3. assign 4 points for each a.
4. assign 3 points for each b.
5. assign 2 points for each c.
6. assign 1 point for each d.
7. divide the total by the number of graded courses.

however, you’ll see that ucsc uses weighted gpas. this happens when schools weight honors or ap courses by assigning 5 points for each a, 4 for each b, and so on. if your school does this, recalculate the above score with the new “weights.”

as uc santa cruz admissions moves away from using standardized test scores, grades will likely become even more important in the admissions process.
 

 

 

uc santa cruz freshman profile

uc santa cruz students constitute an incredibly diverse body in a number of ways. the entire student body is composed of 17,517 undergraduates and 1,977 graduate students. 51.6% are men, 47.5% are women, and 0.9% were other genders or did not reply to the question.

using ucsc’s categorizations, 4.8% of students are african american, 1.3% are american indian, 20.7% are asian american, 29.8% are chicano/latino, 0.5% are pacific islander, 36.8% are european american, 4.9% are international, and 1.2% did not answer the question.

the vast majority of ucsc freshmen come from california. only 5.4% came from other states, with an additional 11.2% coming from overseas. the rest are all california residents!
 

 

 

other ucsc admissions requirements and information

to be considered for uc santa cruz admission, you’ll need to meet the requirements for the uc system overall. one key requirement is the subject requirement (a-g). this means taking 15 year-long courses in high school, getting a minimum grade of a c. 11 must be completed before your final year.

you can also meet some of these ucsc requirements through testing, by the way—so don’t write off those standardized exams just yet!

important! the letter grade requirement for a-g courses completed in winter, spring, or summer 2020 is temporarily dropped. pass/credit grades meet the requirement, but will not be part of the gpa calculation (so gpa requirements for a-g classes still apply).

these subject requirements include:
a) history: 2 years, including specific requirements;
b) english: 4 years, including specific requirements;
c) mathematics: 3 years, including specific requirements;
d) science: 2 years, including specific requirements (think: biological sciences, laboratory sciences, etc.);
e) language other than english: 2 years, including specific requirements;
f) visual and performing arts: 1 year, including specific requirements;
g) college-preparatory elective: 1 year, including specific requirements.

in addition to taking these courses, there are also uc santa cruz gpa requirements: to be considered for admission, you need a 3.0 gpa in a-g courses taken in the 10th and 11th grade years for california residents. non-residents, you’ll need a 3.4 gpa in those subjects.
 

 

 

ucsc admissions faqs

how hard is it to get into uc santa cruz?

with an admissions rate of 51.5%, uc santa cruz is fairly competitive. u.s.news & world report classifies it as a “more selective” university. it is rated #97 among u.s. universities nationally and #40 among top public schools.

with that said, if you’re looking at admission statistics, uc santa cruz is one of the easier ucs to get into. uc santa cruz is significantly less competitive than some other uc schools. uc berkeley and ucla, for example, both have admissions rates under 20%. uc irvine and uc santa barbara each accept around 30% of applicants. uc riverside, however, also accepts over 50% of applicants.

what do you need to get into uc santa cruz?

1. to be considered for uc santa cruz admission, you’ll need to meet the requirements for the uc system overall, including the a-g requirements described above.
2. international students from non-native english speaking countries will also need to take either the toefl (minimum score of 80) or the ielts (minimum score of 6.5) for admission.
3. all applicants will also need to complete the application. this involves answering 4 of the 8 “personal insight” (essay) questions ucsc asks.
4. unlike a lot of other college applications, uc santa cruz doesn’t require letters of recommendation when you apply. they may ask for one or more recommendations later as part of a “supplemental review” process, but they aren’t a standard requirement.

does uc santa cruz use the common app?

nope! none of the uc schools use the common application, actually. they use their very own university of california application, instead. as part of the university of california system, this is true of ucsc as well.

does uc santa cruz offer financial aid?

yes! 51% of uc santa cruz students receive need-based aid of some kind, with the average scholarship/grant award for first-year students at $20,355.

part of the need-based financial aid packages at ucsc include need-based self-help packages (federal loans/work study).

merit-based scholarships are also available. in this last admissions cycle, first-year students received an average amount of $6,706 in merit-based aid.
 

 

 

a final word: how to get into uc santa cruz

if uc santa cruz is your dream school, you’re not alone! so what do you need to do when applying to ensure that you present the best possible application?

uc santa cruz admissions officers review the following characteristics when going over your application.

• difficulty of courses taken in high school and grades received in those courses
• your personal qualities, such as leadership, motivation, and passion for helping the community
• your extracurricular activities
• performance in outside of school academic enrichment programs

with all of that said, though, uc santa cruz does use a holistic review process to make an admission decision: they look at how the aspects of your application combine to show off who you are, not just what your grades have to say about you.

if you’re a junior or senior, focus on what you can control now: your current grades and activities, and emphasizing your personal qualities, special talents, and performance in various activities on your application. successful applicants will show off who they are and why they’re a good fit for uc santa cruz! good luck!

the post how to get into uc santa cruz: admission requirements, gpa, and more appeared first on magoosh blog | high school.

from beautiful la jolla beaches to great academics, the university of california, san diego has got it all. but how to get into ucsd? in this post, we’ll take a look at ucsd admissions, including ucsd sat scores and ucsd gpa requirements. here’s what you need to know if ucsd is one of your dream schools!

table of contents

• quick ucsd admissions statistics
• more about ucsd sat scores
• more about ucsd act scores
• ucsd acceptance rate
• ucsd gpa average
• ucsd freshman profile
• ucsd other admissions requirements and information
• ucsd admissions faqs

quick ucsd admissions statistics

just want a quick rundown? perfect! here’s the table for you: ucsd admissions statistics in a nutshell.

before we dive into uc san diego test scores, please note that uc admissions is going test-blind, meaning they will not take sat or act scores into consideration, starting in fall 2021.
 

 

 

more about ucsd sat scores

even if you’re applying to the uc system for entry in fall 2021, looking at ucsd sat scores can still be useful. why? it gives us a sense of how competitive the school is overall.

as you can see in the quick ucsd admission stats above, sat scores were pretty high: the average composite (overall) score was 1351. here’s how this breaks down by section:

so what does this mean for how to get into ucsd? if you’re applying for fall 2021, it doesn’t mean anything for your test scores—but it does mean that standards at the school are high. composite scores range falls in the 94th percentile of sat takers from the past three years. in other words, ucsd admitted students scored, on average, in the top 6% of sat takers.

the sections scores are similar. evidence-based reading and writing scores ranged (25th percentile to 75th percentile of admitted students) from the 83rd to the 97th percentiles, while math scores range from the 88th to 99th percentiles. keep in mind, though, that the average sat score at ucsd won’t be useful to future applicants except in showing that standards at ucsd are high.

if you got great scores on the sat or act, does that mean ucsd won’t be interested? not necessarily! you may still be able to use these test scores (among others, like ap scores) to help with course placement and scholarships (though not the uc regents and chancellor’s scholarships, also now test-blind)—so it still may be well worth your while to study for and take the exam.
 

 

 

more about ucsd act scores

again, ucsd admissions will not take standardized test scores into consideration for the entering class of fall 2021 onwards. that means that the average act score for ucsd isn’t useful for comparison purposes anymore.

however, it can be useful to know that, historically, ucsd accepted act scores as well as sat scores. however, their data on this is slightly more limited.

here are ucsd act scores they’ve released from the most recent admissions cycle:

what can we tell about ucsd act scores from this data? first of all, that the score range in the ela category is higher than the act composite score. this means that the non-language-based sectional scores (math and science) must be low to arrive at the averages. previous years’ data backs this up; in 2018, ucsd act scores for math ranged from 24-33.

as with sat scores, the primary useful information ucsd act scores can give applicants are around the competitiveness of the school as a whole. composite scores range from the 82nd to the 95th percentile. this is ever-so-slightly less competitive than sat scores, but barely. within ela, this places admitted students in the 88th-99th percentile range for english and 84th-97th percentile range for reading.
 

 

 

ucsd acceptance rate

in 2019, the ucsd acceptance rate was 32.3%. in other words, the school admitted about one in three applicants.

tough? definitely! but remember that ucsd is a pretty big school, and there are still lots of students who are accepted. for some context, think about it this way: admission data from the last cycle shows that almost 100,000 students (!!) applied. however, more than 32,000 were admitted.
 

 

 

ucsd gpa average

as the uc system shifts away from using standardized tests in admissions, they’ll be focusing more on your coursework and the kinds of courses you took (honors? ap? ib courses? a-g requirements—see below for more on this).

this makes your high school gpa one of the key factors in admission, rather than sat requirements or act requirements. overall, ucsd admitted freshmen had gpas of between 4.03 – 4.28.

you might be looking at that and thinking…great, but what does that mean? here’s how you calculate an unweighted gpa (out of 4.00):

1. grab your high school transcript.
2. assign 4 points to each a you’ve received.
3. assign 3 points to each b you’ve received.
4. assign 2 points to each c you’ve received.
5. assign 1 point to each d you’ve received.
6. add up your total number of points.
7. divide the total by the number of classes you took. voila, your gpa!

how does ucsd have an average of above 4.0, though? because some schools weight certain classes, like aps, out of a 5.0 rather than a 4.0 scale. in that case, each a becomes worth 5 points, each b, 4 points and so on.
 

 

 

ucsd freshman profile

so what does ucsd’s freshman class look like? gender balance is pretty even: 49.8% of incoming students identify as women, while 49.7% identify as men (0.5% did not answer the question).

the body of current students is ethnically diverse. 2.8% of the class is african american, 21.1% chicano/latino, 36% asian, 0.2% native hawaiian/pacific islander, 0.4% american indian, and 19.2% white (categories are those used by ucsd admissions).

around 75% of ucsd students come from california. an additional 17.6% of incoming freshman are international, while the remainder come from outside of california.
 

 

 

other admissions requirements and information

so you’ve got grades covered. what else do you need to get into ucsd? the answer is: it depends.

ucsd gpa requirements

if you’re from california, you need to have a minimum of a 3.0 gpa, with no grades lower than a c. if you’re from outside california, you need to have a 3.4+ gpa, with no grades lower than a c.

a-g subject requirements (all ucs)

another important element in your ucsd admission is the subject requirements. to get into ucsd, you’ll need to meet the requirements for the uc system more generally. one of these is the subject requirement (a-g). this means you’ll need to complete 15 year-long courses in high school, receiving a minimum grade of a c. 11 of these courses have to be completed before your final year.

important! the letter grade requirement for a-g courses completed during the 2020 winter, spring or summer terms, is temporarily dropped. pass/credit grades meet the requirement, but will not be part of the gpa calculation (so gpa requirements for a-g classes still apply).

these subject requirements are:

a) history: 2 years, including specific requirements;
b) english: 4 years, including specific requirements;
c) mathematics: 3 years, including specific requirements;
d) science: 2 years, including specific requirements (such as laboratory science);
e) language other than english (second language): 2 years, including specific requirements;
f) visual and performing arts: 1 year, including specific requirements;
g) college-preparatory elective: 1 year, including specific requirements.

in addition to taking these courses, remember that there is also a ucsd gpa requirement: to be considered for admission, you need a 3.0 gpa in a-g courses taken in 10th and 11th grade if you are a california resident. non-residents, you’ll need to meet a 3.4 minimum gpa requirement in those subjects.

what else does ucsd admissions require?

international students from non-native english speaking countries will also need to take either the toefl (minimum score of 83) or the ielts (minimum score of 7) for admission.

all applicants will also need to complete the application. this involves answering 4 of the 8 “personal insight” (essay) questions ucsd asks.

unlike a lot of other college applications, ucsd doesn’t require letters of recommendation when you apply. they may ask for one or more recommendations later as part of a “supplemental review” process, but they aren’t a standard requirement.
 

 

 

ucsd admissions faqs

is ucsd hard to get into?

with a 32.3% admissions rate, ucsd is moderately competitive. to put this in perspective, us news & world report, which ranks schools, classifies this as “most selective.” sat and act scores are high (though these will no longer be used in the admissions process going forward), as are gpas. it’s not as competitive as, for example, an ivy league school, but it is still competitive.

does ucsd use the common app?

nope! as part of the university of california system, ucsd uses the uc application. none of these schools accept the common app.

does ucsd offer financial aid?

yes! in the last admissions cycle, around 70% of admitted students received some kind of financial aid. this includes government aid as well as loans, grants, work-study contributions, and scholarships. this last part is particularly strong at ucsd; in the last year, they gave out around $10.77 million in undergraduate scholarship aid.
 

 

a final word: how to get into ucsd

ucsd admissions officers want to know that you are prepared for the academic environment at their college. higher gpas are one way of showing this. however, you’ll need more than just good grades to beat the admissions odds.

they’ll want to see that a successful applicant is talented in a lot of different areas besides school. a strong application will show your personality as part of your application by detailing your extracurriculars and giving your best responses to the “personal insight” questions to show why you’d be a great part of the ucsd community. good luck!
 

the post how to get into ucsd: admission requirements, sat and act scores, gpa and more appeared first on magoosh blog | high school.

so you want to go to berkeley—go you! come join us in the beautiful bay area. ranked #2 among u.s. public universities by u.s. news & world report, berkeley (also affectionately known as “cal”) features an idyllic campus, world-class professors, and a famously activist student body. the opportunities are endless—if you’re ready to explore them, read on for a closer look at how to get into uc berkeley: everything from uc berkeley admissions to uc berkeley sat scores and uc berkeley act scores!

table of contents

• quick uc berkeley admissions statistics
• more about uc berkeley sat scores
• more about uc berkeley act scores
• uc berkeley acceptance rate
• uc berkeley gpa average
• uc berkeley freshman profile
• other berkeley admissions requirements and information
• berkeley admissions faqs
• a final word: how to get into berkeley

quick uc berkeley admissions statistics

let’s start out with the basics. wondering how to get into uc berkeley? here are the facts you’ll need!
 

 
of course, that isn’t the whole picture. read on for more about uc berkeley admissions.

before we dive into uc berkeley test scores, please be aware that the uc system announced they will not take sat or act scores into consideration for admissions, beginning in fall 2021.
 

 

 

more about uc berkeley sat scores

if you have awesome sat or act scores, that’s great—they can definitely still help you with things like course placement and even scholarships (though not the uc regents and chancellor’s scholarships, also now test-blind). however, they will not be an admissions factor in 2020.

if you’re wondering how these scores came into play historically, though— as you might expect, berkeley students tend to receive fairly high scores. this table shows the 25th-75th percentiles in each section for the admitted class of 2020.
 

 
the composite score of 1330-1530 is useful to take into consideration, even if you’re applying for admission after the new testing policy has gone into effect. why? for one, it shows you exactly how strong uc berkeley students are academically. these scores place the middle 50% of admitted students between the 89th and 99th percentile of all sat takers. no doubt about it, they’re high achievers!
 

 

 

more about uc berkeley act scores

again, just a reminder that uc berkeley will not take act scores into consideration starting with students applying for the class of fall 2021. if you’re trying to figure out your chances of admission, the average act score won’t help you. however, there are still reasons to keep this information in mind! here’s a brief snapshot of the most recent data available for uc berkeley act scores:
 

 
does that mean you shouldn’t take the act or sat if you’re applying to uc berkeley? no! this can be really helpful for getting scholarship money and class placement. also, remember that even though berkeley may not be considering your test scores, this might not be true for other colleges you’re applying to.
 

 

 

uc berkeley acceptance rate

uc berkeley’s acceptance rate shows that it truly deserves the “most selective” label that u.s. news & world report has given it. for freshman admission in 2020, the school received 88,066 applications and accepted 15,461 students, yielding an overall admissions rate of 17.6%.

this is slightly above the 2019 admissions rate of 16.8% (87,389 applicants, of whom 13,558 were admitted). however, this is a slight difference in the grand scheme of things.
 

 

 

uc berkeley gpa average

admitted students to uc berkeley had unweighted gpas of 3.86-4.00 (middle 50%). the fact that this is the middle 50% of gpas is key, as it means that the upper 25% of students admitted had perfect 4.00s.

how do schools calculate gpas? use this process for an unweighted (out of 4.00) gpa:

1. look at your high school transcript.
2. give yourself points for each grade:
3. assign 4 points for each a.
4. assign 3 points for each b.
5. assign 2 points for each c.
6. assign 1 point for each d.
7. divide the total by the number of graded courses.

weighted gpas at uc berkeley ranged from 4.27-4.62. this happens when schools weight honors or ap courses by assigning 5 points for each a, 4 for each b, and so on.

as uc berkeley admissions moves away from using standardized test scores, grades will likely become even more important in the admissions process.
 

 

 

uc berkeley freshman profile

although data from the 2020 admissions cycle is just beginning to come in, the school has already provided some key statistics about their latest group of incoming freshmen. 76.5% of admitted students attended public schools. 5.25% come from rural areas, while 26.6% are in the first generation in their family to attend college.

the 2019-2020 admitted class provides even more info about the kinds of students that uc berkeley admits. in short? they come from all over and have all different kinds of backgrounds. undergraduates came from 52 u.s. states and territories, as well as 74 countries. combined, admitted students spoke 20+ languages!

age isn’t a barrier to admission at berkeley, either. the oldest undergraduate admitted was 28; the youngest was 15.

the 2019-2020 freshman also included 200+ more underrepresented minority students (native americans, african americans, and chicanx/latinx) than the previous year, for a total of 2,934 students.

in other words, uc berkeley students constitute an incredibly diverse body in a number of ways.
 

 

 

other berkeley admissions requirements and information

to be considered for uc berkeley admission, you’ll need to meet the requirements for the uc system overall. one key requirement is the subject requirement (a-g). this means taking 15 year-long courses in high school, getting a minimum grade of a c. 11 must be completed before your final year.

you can also meet some of these requirements through testing, by the way—so don’t write off those standardized exams just yet!

important! the letter grade requirement for a-g courses completed during the 2020 winter, spring or summer terms has been temporarily dropped. pass/credit grades meet the requirement, but will not be part of the gpa calculation (so gpa requirements for a-g classes still apply).

these subject requirements include:

a) history: 2 years, including specific requirements;
b) english: 4 years, including specific requirements;
c) mathematics: 3 years, including specific requirements;
d) science: 2 years, including specific requirements;
e) language other than english: 2 years, including specific requirements;
f) visual and performing arts: 1 year, including specific requirements;
g) college-preparatory elective: 1 year, including specific requirements.

in addition to taking these courses, there is also a uc berkeley gpa requirement: to be considered for admission, you need a 3.0 gpa in a-g courses taken in the 10th and 11th grade years if you are a california resident. non-residents, you’ll need a 3.4 gpa in those subjects.
 

 

 

berkeley admissions faqs

is it harder to get into ucla or berkeley?

the short answer is ucla—but the longer answer is that it will be easier for some students to get into ucla and some to get into berkeley.

recent admissions data shows that ucla is slightly more competitive, with a 14% acceptance rate in 2019-2020 (last year’s admission rate was 16.8% for berkeley). this is a very small difference, though!

meanwhile, ucla had average sat scores of 1365, while berkeley’s ranged slightly higher, 1330-1530 (implying an average sat score of 1430). similarly, ucla’s average composite act score was 29, while this is the bottom of the 50% range for berkeley. ucla’s average weighted gpa was 4.31, while this is at the lower end of berkeley’s middle 50% range of 4.27-4.62.

what does this tell us? ucla lets in a smaller percentage of its applicants, but berkeley’s have higher stats. in other words, the uc berkeley applications pool is likely more competitive.

because of this, it’s not really “easier” or “harder” to get into one school over the other. instead, focus on boosting your gpa as high as possible, showing off your extracurriculars, and writing stellar essays that explain why each school is right for you!

does uc berkeley use the common app?

nope! none of the uc schools use the common application, actually. they use their very own university of california application, instead. this is true of all of the ucs, such as uc riverside and uc santa cruz.

does uc berkeley offer financial aid?

yes, it does— and it tends to be pretty generous. entering freshmen receive an average of $23,767 in aid.

there are two different kinds of financial aid: need-based and merit-based. need-based aid includes scholarships, federal loans and work-study programs. last year, 41% of berkeley students received some kind of need-based financial aid overall.

merit-based aid is based on academic achievements, athletics, or other accomplishments. average berkeley freshmen received almost $8,000 in merit-based aid.

does uc berkeley require the sat subject tests?

according to the university of california system website, the answer is “it’s recommended.” don’t be fooled though. ‘recommended,’ in this case, would be like your doctor telling you that, “i recommend that you get that mole removed as soon as possible.” they aren’t required, but most competitive students are going to submit them.

i really hate to make light of a difficult (and immensely frustrating) situation, but consider a few facts. in the fall of 2015, 78,918 students applied to uc berkeley. the average unweighted gpa of accepted students was 3.91. to say the least, it’s a tall order for anyone to receive the ‘fat envelope’ from uc berkeley.

because of the deluge of applicants, sat subject tests play an important role in college admissions. for example, if your application is going up against a near-identical student, it may all come down to how you performed on your subject tests. though you’ll never know either way if subject test scores tipped the balance, they are a powerful tool in the ultra-competitive world of college admissions.

a final word: how to get into berkeley

if berkeley’s your dream school, you’re in good company! so how do you get the edge in applying?

uc berkeley admissions officers review the following characteristics when going over your application.

• difficulty of courses taken in high school and grades received in those courses
• your personal qualities, such as leadership, motivation, and passion for helping the community
• your extracurricular activities
• performance in outside of school academic enrichment programs

with all of that said, though, cal does use a holistic review process: they look at how the aspects of your application combine to show off who you are, not just what your grades have to say about you.

if you’re a junior or senior, focus on what you can control now: your current grades and activities, and emphasizing your personal qualities and performance in various activities on your application. show off who you are and why you’re a good fit for berkeley! good luck!

the post how to get into uc berkeley: admission requirements, sat and act scores, gpa and more appeared first on magoosh blog | high school.

a great college essay topic is meaningful and engaging. it tells a story only you can tell, in a way that only you can tell it. it reveals something important about who you are, how you think, or what you believe in and value. but what about a not-so-great college essay topic? are there any college essay topics to avoid entirely?

the short answer is: yes. for example, you don’t want to write anything that casts you in a negative light, risks upsetting the person reading your essay, or touches on a cliché and overused topic. keep reading to learn more about the seven topics you should never write about in your college essay.

top 7 college essay topics to avoid

1. illegal/inappropriate behavior

in very rare cases, it might be appropriate to tell a story that shows how much you’ve changed and grown as a person. for the most part, however, it’s better to avoid discussing any illegal, immoral, or inappropriate behavior in your essay. and when in doubt, it’s best to leave it out.

so, don’t write about underage drinking, drugs, trespassing, stealing, risky behaviors with your friends, or any major personality flaws. don’t glorify violence or write about experiences that might make your reader uncomfortable. similarly, avoid profanity and graphic language.

you don’t know who’s reading your essay or how they might feel about these topics. there’s a good chance they might question your character, along with the wisdom of offering you a place on campus.

2. overused ideas

when applicants write about cliché or overdone topics, it’s hard to offer anything new to your reader. and when you don’t offer anything new, admissions officers don’t get a chance to learn more about you. it also means that your essay won’t be particularly memorable.

here are common topics that you should avoid:

• highlights of a sports career
• a sports injury
• family history in a career field
• performing well in a challenging class
• overcoming divorce or the death of a pet
• starting your essay with a famous quote
• moving to a different part of the country
• volunteering
• volunteer trips/traveling (especially how you realized everything you have to be grateful for)
• religious background
• romantic relationships
• using a common object as a metaphor for you or your life

that’s not to say that none of these topics can be done well. you might be able to find a really creative approach to some of the topics listed here. for instance, the experience of divorced parents is common, but maybe you dealt with it in a unique way. to stay on the safe side, it’s still better to explore a different idea that will seem fresh to admissions officers and give deeper insight into your personality and individuality.

3. hot-button issues

controversial topics like politics, religion, and other hotly debated subjects and current events are not ideal for your college essay. for example, don’t get into your views on abortion, guns, immigration, police officers and the justice system, or the current president.

if you’re deeply passionate about or personally affected by some of these topics, it makes sense that you might feel compelled to write about them—but it’s still safer not to.

again, you don’t know who is reading your essay or where they stand on these hot-button issues. you simply don’t want to risk offending or alienating the person who decides whether you get into the college of your choice.

here’s a helpful rule of thumb: if posting about it on social media would start an argument, don’t write about it in your college essay.

4. list of accomplishments

the person reading your essay has already seen your gpa, test scores, and your resume of activities and achievements. your essay is your chance to reveal something new about who you are as a person. so, don’t rehash a list of your accomplishments or bore the admissions officer with something they already know about you.

plus, admissions officers don’t want to read an essay full of bragging and overconfidence. it’s better to focus on an obstacle, a moment of doubt, or a mistake that you learned from. stories of overcoming and growth tell a lot more about you than a story in which you’re the flawless hero.

remember, too, that most applicants have a similar list of accomplishments. they have also scored winning goals, starred in plays, aced the hard class, and volunteered to tutor younger kids or serve meals at a soup kitchen. this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be proud of your accomplishments, but it means that your accomplishments do not make you who you are. and who you are is what admissions officers want to learn about in your essay.

5. anything untrue/inauthentic

since admissions officers want to get to know you, the last thing you should do in a college essay is lie or try too hard to impress. your real, authentic voice should shine through. you should be honest, vulnerable, and memorable.

you might think your reader won’t notice if you lie, but it’s often more obvious than you might expect. and they will definitely pick up on it if you try too hard to use impressive vocabulary words or say what you think they’d like to hear. after all, you’ll end up sounding like a lot of other applicants, and your essay will be stiff and dull instead of interesting and authentic.

if you feel like you don’t have anything exciting to write about, don’t worry. some of the best and most memorable college essays are about small moments that held significance to the writer—like essays about fly fishing, a family’s dining room table, or a student’s commute to and from school each day. write about something true that matters to you, in your own voice. it’s really that simple!

6. over-the-top humor

if being humorous is naturally part of your personality, it’s fine to include a well-placed joke or two in your essay. but natural is the key here. don’t try to force humor, and don’t make humor the main theme of your college essay.

often, humor doesn’t come across well in writing, especially to a reader who doesn’t know you. admissions officers might find your “funny” essay forced and unamusing. satire and sarcasm are also best avoided.

7. topics that don’t focus on you

finally, your essay is supposed to give deeper insight into you—your personality, your beliefs and values, and what has shaped you into the person you are today. it’s ok to briefly talk about other people or places in the context of how they have influenced you, but try not to overly focus on:

• your hero
• a relative who has inspired or influenced you
• a famous book, painting, or quote that you love
• an issue or current event and how you would fix it
• the work, performance, or life of another person

since you are the topic of your college essay, writing too much about the subjects above feels off topic and irrelevant. again, you can briefly touch on these subjects, but quickly segue into what you have learned or how you have been impacted as a result. it’s your college essay, and you’re the star of the show!

bonus: a few other college essay topics to avoid

here are a few other miscellaneous topics and errors to avoid as you begin writing:

• poetry: like humor, it often falls flat.
• going too out-of-the box: writing something super creative and experimental, or a meta essay along the lines of “you’re reading my essay right now,” is risky.
• whining or making excuses: if you write about a challenge, focus on how you overcame it and what you learned as a result. avoid sounding whiny or making excuses. you also don’t want to sound pessimistic or cynical.
• insulting anyone (e.g., a teacher you didn’t like, a peer who wasn’t your favorite)
• talking down to the reader
• spelling the college’s name wrong (or using the wrong college’s name)
• saying anything negative about the college
• vague, generic details
• lack of personality
• using too many “fancy” words that don’t sound like you
• using repetitive words and phrases

this probably isn’t an exhaustive list, but use common sense as you brainstorm your essay topic, write, and proofread your essay. put yourself in the shoes of a tired college admissions officer who has read hundreds of essays, maybe even thousands. what would you want to read? what would you not want to read?

remember that you don’t know a lot about this person—their opinions, their values, their beliefs—so don’t risk upsetting them. after all, they have a major say in whether you get into this college. once again: when in doubt, leave it out!

final thoughts on college essay topics to avoid

when it comes to choosing a topic for your college essay, the possibilities are almost endless. but there are a few guidelines you should follow if you don’t want to upset, offend, or bore the reader of your essay:

1. don’t write about anything illegal, potentially inappropriate, or overly controversial.
2. humor is fine, especially if that’s a big part of your personality, but don’t be over the top.
3. try not to write the same essay that your admissions officer has already read hundreds of times.
4. don’t rehash information that appears elsewhere in your application.
5. make sure that you are the focus of your essay, and be honest and authentic.

avoid these topics in your college essay, and you’ll be well on your way to writing something that admissions officers will love! looking for more tips on how to write a great college admissions essay? check out our previous guide on how to stick to the word count on college essays!

the post 7 college essay topics to avoid writing about appeared first on magoosh blog | high school.

you have a lot to think about when writing your college essay: brainstorming a topic, writing it well, and proofreading and editing it until it represents your best work. and of course, you can’t forget about sticking to the word count.

keeping your essay short can be challenging. it’s supposed to showcase your best self, set you apart from other candidates, and give some extra insight into your individuality and personality. and you have to accomplish all of this in a limited amount of space?

don’t worry—sticking to the word count while writing an excellent college essay is certainly possible. we’ll show you how!

what is the word count for college essays?

first, you might be wondering: what is the word count for college essays? the answer varies, but let’s take a look at some general guidelines.

most college applicants will end up writing the common app essay. currently, the common app asks you to write an essay ranging from 250-650 words. 650 words is just over one page of single-spaced type. when you fill out the application online, it won’t allow you to submit an essay with less than 250 or more than 650 words. so, sticking to the word count is not optional.

if you don’t write the common app essay, or if you write additional essays, note that most college essays set word limits around 500-750 words. in the rare case that no word limit is specified, most experts recommend staying under 800 words.

remember that the person reading your essay has read a lot of other essays, so be kind. say what you need to say as concisely as possible. here’s how:

tips to stick to the word count on college essays

1. “zoom in” on your topic

the best college essays focus on a specific topic. for instance, you might write about a single moment or event that profoundly impacted you, or a small but meaningful aspect of your life.

when you get specific, you’re able to provide details that are unique to you and your experiences, crafting an essay that no one else could write. plus, you narrow the scope of your essay, which helps you stay within the word count.

think about it like “zooming in” with a camera. maybe you have a broad idea to start with, like family. but you can’t pack all of your thoughts, feelings, and experiences about family into 650 words. if you tried to, your essay would probably feel scattered and unorganized. it wouldn’t give a close, personal look at you or your life.

that means you need to zoom in some more. let’s take a closer look. maybe there’s a specific aspect of your family you want to highlight, like the way your family has taught you to speak your mind and stand for your beliefs. this is good, but it’s still pretty broad.

let’s zoom in again. get more specific. how has your family taught you to speak your mind? is there a particular memory that stands out? now, you decide to write about the spirited debates your family loves to have around the dinner table—and how those debates have shaped you as a person.

now, that’s a topic you might be able to thoroughly cover in 650 words. and it’s going to be a lot more reflective, meaningful, and personal than a generic essay about “family.”

2. outline first, then write

once you’ve narrowed the scope of your essay, you’re almost ready to write. one of the most powerful strategies to help you stick to the word count is to create a plan or outline. map out your essay before you start writing. if you have a plan, you’re less likely to ramble, go off on tangents, and ultimately waste words.

think about the main purpose of your essay. what do you want the reader (college admissions officers) to know about you when they’re finished? what’s the point you’re trying to make?

as you plan or outline your essay, create a narrative:

• what is the beginning, middle, and end of the story you’re telling?
• what is your character arc?
• who were you at the beginning? how were you challenged, influenced, or inspired? what did you learn or how did you grow as a result? who are you now?

focus on including information that accomplishes your main purposes and moves your narrative along. if it’s unrelated to any of your key points, you can probably cut it. and if it’s information that’s found somewhere else in your application, you don’t need to include it in your plan.

having a clear, concise, and focused plan for your essay will help you convey your message without exceeding the word limit.

3. keep the introduction short

the most important part of your essay is the body. that means your introduction doesn’t need to be extremely long. save your words for the “meat” of the essay, where you’ll really dig into your narrative.

an effective introduction is engaging, interesting, and brief. it provides a glimpse or a preview into what you’ll discuss, but not too much. you want to leave the admissions officer wanting to read more.

in general, an introduction only needs three key parts:

1. hook/grabber (an interesting sentence that immediately engages the reader)
2. necessary background information (keyword: necessary)
3. thesis statement or thematic statement (a clear statement summarizing your overall point)

because college essays are more creative, you don’t have to follow this pattern exactly. but it gives you an idea of why a solid introduction can be short and sweet. many students make the mistake of including too much unnecessary background in their introduction. try to limit your intro to 4-6 sentences, unless there’s other essential information you must include.

if your intro is longer than six sentences, go back and underline or highlight sentences that are essential to the meaning of your essay. then, review the sentences you didn’t highlight. can you cut them entirely, or at least shorten them? can this piece of info wait until the body of your essay?

4. focus on the important stuff

we already mentioned that you want to focus on information that advances your narrative and relates to your main point. you also want to devote most of your word count to reflection and introspection.

when an admissions officer reads your essay, they’re most interested in reading your analysis of your life experiences. think about questions like:

• what did this event mean to you?
• why is it significant?
• how has it shaped your life?
• how did you learn or grow from this experience?
• what does the information in this essay convey about you as a person, the way you think, or what you believe in and value?

if you write an essay about a challenge in your life, for example, you want to describe the challenge itself only briefly. the majority of your essay should focus on how you overcame the challenge and what you learned from the experience. it should demonstrate positive qualities that the experience revealed or helped you develop, like resilience, determination, and courage.

so, if it looks like you’re going to exceed the word count, reread. how many of these sentences are telling your story? how many are reflecting on your story? if you have to cut something, cut nonessential storytelling pieces. include specific details that bring your story to life and tell it clearly without taking up too much space.

5. eliminate repetition

have you included any repetitive words or phrases? do any of your sentences basically mean the same thing? reread your essay for repetition, and cut it.

here’s an example:

it was the hardest decision i had ever made in my life. i wanted to avoid embarrassment, but i also wanted to do what was right. making matters worse, i was torn between my two best friends. i never expected to face such a tough decision.

the first and last sentences of the paragraph above basically say, “it was a hard decision.” the writer doesn’t need both of them. if you can find sentences in your essay that don’t add any new information, then it’s safe to delete them.

6. avoid using unnecessary words

similarly, sticking to a tight word limit requires you to write concisely. concise writing is succinct and to the point. it avoids unnecessary words and sentences. to write concisely, think of each word as a $100 bill. you want to spend them wisely.

of course, you don’t want to sound like a robot. writing concisely doesn’t mean that you need to cut interesting details or doses of personality. choose your words deliberately, and avoid words that don’t add meaning, like:

• actually
• really
• very
• basically
• just
• totally
• completely
• absolutely
• definitely
• probably
• maybe
• rather
• quite
• somewhat
• somehow

in some circumstances, some of these words might add meaning. but if you’re struggling to stay within the word limit, these words should be some of the first to go. does the sentence make sense without it? if yes, cut it. in using the $100 bill analogy above, where can you save money? what unnecessary expenses could your essay live without?

avoid using unnecessary words: let’s practice!

let’s look at my first paragraph above:

similarly, sticking to a tight word limit requires you to write concisely. concise writing is succinct and to the point. it avoids unnecessary words and sentences. to write concisely, think of each word as a $100 bill. you want to spend them wisely.

i’m not trying to stick to a 650-word limit, but what if i was? what could i cut? here are some ideas:

• the word “similarly” doesn’t add any information. i could just say, “sticking to a tight word limit requires you to write concisely.”
• in the third sentence, i could delete “to write concisely.” you already know that the topic of this paragraph is concise writing. it would still make sense to say, “think of each word as a $100 bill.”
• in the final sentence, i could say, “spend them wisely” instead of, “you want to spend them wisely.” deleting those two words doesn’t change the meaning of the sentence. in fact, it makes the sentence clearer and more direct.

now, let’s look at my third paragraph:

in some circumstances, some of these words might add meaning. but if you’re struggling to stay within the word limit, these words should be some of the first to go. does the sentence make sense without it? if yes, cut it. in using the $100 bill analogy above, where can you save money? what unnecessary expenses could your essay live without?

if i had to cut something, what could i cut? here are some suggestions:

1. in the first sentence, i could shorten “in some circumstances” to “sometimes.” it means the same thing and saves me two words.
2. in the second sentence, i could delete “some of,” making the sentence, “but if you’re struggling to stay within the word limit, these words should be the first to go.” “some of” doesn’t add meaning, and deleting it makes the sentence stronger. plus, i said “some of” in the previous sentence too, so it sounds repetitive.
3. i could delete “above” from the question, “in using the $100 bill analogy above, where can you save money?” you probably know the analogy is above. and even if you don’t know, it’s not essential information.
4. the final sentence asks, “what unnecessary expenses could your essay live without?” i could delete “unnecessary” because it has the same meaning as “could live without.”

hopefully, this gives you an idea of how to cut unnecessary words from your essay! as a writer, it’s easy to get attached to the words you’ve chosen. but when it comes to word counts, you must be prepared to trim the fat and delete any words that don’t add meaning.

you should also shorten sentences and phrases whenever possible. for instance, instead of saying, “i wondered if i had made the right decision,” write, “had i made the right decision?” with the question mark, “i wondered” is implied. shorter sentences save you words, and they’re often clearer, stronger, and more direct.

7. ask for help

if you’ve tried all of these ideas and exercises, but your essay is still too long, ask for help! ask a friend, parent, teacher, or other trusted adult to read the essay.

do they see any sentences, phrases, or words that you can cut?

sometimes, getting an extra pair of eyes on your essay makes a huge difference. an outside perspective is always clearer.

final thoughts: how to stick to the word count on college essays

you might have a lot to say in your college essay, but you have to say it within the required word count. use strategies like:

1. narrowing down your topic
2. mapping out your essay beforehand
3. focusing on information that supports your main point and advances your narrative
4. cutting repetition
5. cutting unnecessary words and phrases
6. shortening sentences whenever possible
7. asking for a fresh perspective

believe it or not, using these strategies will also make your essay more engaging and powerful. not only will you stick to the word count on your college essays, but you’ll also write a clear, concise, and memorable essay for the admissions officers.

the post how to stick to the word count on college essays appeared first on magoosh blog | high school.