Boston is, in some ways, a big college town. Okay, yes, it is also a major American city. Honestly, it offers the best of both, and Boston University is part of that magic. If you are looking for an urban campus that doesn’t feel too overwhelming, Boston University should be on your list. Often just called BU, the school is integrated right into the city (or should we say, integrated right into The Town).
The Best College Counseling Firms for Rising Seniors in 2026
The summer before senior year is when college admissions stops being a distant concern and starts becoming a very real list of deadlines. Rising seniors need to finalize their college lists, make decisions about testing, begin the Common App essay, prepare supplemental essays, think seriously about Early Decision and Early Action, and make sure the activities section and rest of the application accurately reflect what they have done throughout high school. For students with additional requirements -- auditions, portfolios, athletic recruiting, scholarship applications, or financial aid -- there may be an entirely separate set of deadlines running alongside the traditional application process.
How to Write the UT Austin Supplement 2026-2027
The University of Texas at Austin is one of the most well-known, and well-respected, public universities in the United States. They offer an impressive education, and have a strong commitment to their Texas students — which has created a bit of a bottle-neck. It is true that UT Austin is a great school regardless of whether you are from Texas or not, but the university has become exceptionally hard to get into for out-of-state students mostly for an impressive public relations team. The guaranteed admission program for Texas students ensures that the best of the best have a seat, but out-of-state students face high odds. The difficulty of getting in has only driven up demand, and the most recent available data shows an out-of-state acceptance rate of only 10%.
The 10 Boutique Alternatives to Crimson Education of 2026
For families considering private college admissions counseling, Crimson Education is difficult to miss. Its large scale and extensive menu of admissions-related services have recently made it one of the most recognizable names in the industry. But scale is not necessarily what every student or family needs. Some families would rather work with a smaller team, have more direct access to senior advisors, or hire someone whose expertise is concentrated on the specific challenge their student is facing.
How to Write the Santa Clara University Supplement 2026-2027
Santa Clara University is all about location, location, location. As a selective university with a strong academic track record and Jesuit Catholic foundation, what really sells Santa Clara to strong students is the fact that it sits in the middle of Silicon Valley. Students at Santa Clara don’t need to wait for summer break for an impressive internship. Instead, they are able to start doing the work parallel to their academic path, with gives many students at Santa Clara a leg up when it comes to launching a career. This makes Santa Clara a strong strategic choice for many students, which is why we recommend it as a target or foundation school for driven students. The acceptance rate is about 50%.
The Top 10 Private Admissions Consultants for International Students of 2026
Applying to college in the United States as an international student comes with a different set of complications. Students may be translating an unfamiliar secondary-school curriculum into the American admissions system, deciding whether and how to submit English-proficiency test scores, determining which colleges offer meaningful financial aid to international applicants, and learning an application process that may look nothing like the university admissions process in their home country. For athletes, musicians, artists, and students with learning differences, there can be another layer of requirements on top of that.
How to Write the Princeton Supplement 2026-2027
Expert Interview with Yury Zabella: Top-Rated Fractional CFO
Thinking about a career in finance? When students think about careers in finance, they often picture accountants, investment bankers, or Wall Street analysts. But today's business world has created entirely new leadership paths that combine finance, operations, technology, communication, and entrepreneurship.
How to Write the Haverford Supplement 2026-2027
Haverford is a small liberal arts college in Pennsylvania with a culture other small schools only aspire to. Students are curious, growth-minded, and collaborative, and the student body passionately protects the Haverford Honor Code, an evolving, student-led series of policies that prioritize trust and freedom. A whopping 75% of classes at Haverford have fewer than 20 students, and the most popular majors are Political Science, Chemistry, and Neuroscience. In this way, Haverford defies many people’s expectations of small liberal arts schools. Yes, the English department is exceptional, but much more is happening on campus than debating philosophy. The acceptance rate is about 15.5%.
How to Write the Cornell Supplement 2026-2027
Let’s talk about Cornell University! We’ll start with the obvious, which many of you future applicants probably already know: Cornell is an Ivy League college located in Ithaca, New York. Of the Ivies, Cornell is the largest in terms of campus size (745 acres) and undergraduate enrollment (about 16,000 students) and has the highest acceptance rate (~8%).
How to Write the Notre Dame Supplement 2026-2027
How to Write the Johns Hopkins Supplement 2026-2027
Johns Hopkins University pulls off something highly improbable. The university is the #1 school in the United States for research investment, but also a mid-sized (5,600) close community. So, it’s a powerhouse, but also a welcoming space that embraces their undergraduate community. In fact, 98% of students conduct at least one year of research or internship experience before graduation. The first-year acceptance rate is about 6%.
The Best College Counseling Firms for Highly Selective Colleges in 2026
Admission to highly selective colleges has never been more competitive. At institutions where acceptance rates routinely fall below ten percent, applicants are expected to excel not only in the classroom but also through meaningful extracurricular involvement, compelling personal essays, intellectual curiosity, and clear evidence of long-term purpose. Strong grades and test scores may open the door, but they rarely guarantee admission on their own.
An Analysis of How to Get into Dartmouth 2026-2027
Dartmouth University is an outstanding Ivy League university in the idyllic college town of Hanover, New Hampshire. It is very much the mountain Ivy. It isn’t completely isolated, but it is the most rural of the Ivy League schools. It has the hardest winter, by far, and many would argue them most indomitable spirit. Students who choose Dartmouth don’t pick it just because they want a fancy name on their diploma, they pick it because they want Dartmouth. Unsurprisingly, getting in is tough. The acceptance rate for the Class of 2030 was only 5.8%.
The Best Boutique College Counseling Firms of 2026
The college admissions consulting industry has grown rapidly over the past decade, but not every firm has grown in the same direction. While some organizations have expanded into large national operations with dozens, or even hundreds, of counselors, others have intentionally remained small. These boutique firms often prioritize long-term relationships, founder involvement, and highly individualized advising over scale. For many families, that personalized experience is precisely what they're looking for.
How to Write the NYU Supplement 2026-2027
New York University, or NYU, is one of the most popular universities in the United States, and not only because it’s in the middle of the action of New York City. NYU doesn’t have a campus in the traditional sense. Downtown NYC is the campus. Students live alongside outstanding pizza spots and jump on the subway to get to week-night concerts. The arts are alive at NYU, and students are able to start building their careers in business long before receiving their diploma. Unsurprisingly, competition is steep to get in. The first year acceptance rate is about 8% for the New York campus, with the addition of the global campuses in places like Abu Dhabi only increasing the acceptance rate to 12%. For this post, we’ll be focused on the most competitive NYU campus: New York.
The Best College Admissions Consulting Company of 2026
The college admissions consulting industry has changed dramatically over the past decade. What was once a niche service reserved primarily for applicants to the Ivy League has grown into a diverse field of specialists helping students navigate everything from athletic recruiting and conservatory auditions to financial aid planning and highly selective admissions. As application numbers continue to rise and admissions offices place increasing emphasis on essays, extracurricular depth, and institutional fit, more families are turning to outside experts for guidance.
How to Write the Wake Forest Supplement 2026-2027
Wake Forest could be described as a liberal arts college with a strong research backbone, or as a research institution with a liberal arts ethos. Both apply. The university has become famous for offering undergraduate students the types of opportunities typically only available at much larger institutions, but in a manageable package and a close-knit community. There are about 5,600 undergraduate students total, and that accounts for about ⅔ of the total student body. The acceptance rate for the Class of 2030 was 17%.
Inside Admissions: How The UC Berkeley Admission Process Actually Works
Berkeley has long been associated with groundbreaking research, political activism, entrepreneurship, scientific discovery, and public discourse. It has produced Nobel laureates, CEOs, judges, economists, astronauts, journalists, and countless leaders across nearly every discipline imaginable. But Berkeley isn’t super interested in students just chasing prestige and access to Silicon Valley, and their admissions process reflects those values.
How to Write the Emory Supplement 2026-2027
Just as Ludacris once said, “Welcome to Atlanta.” Emory is Hotlanta’s No. 1 private research university. Emory has a lot going for it. They are best known for their health/premed programs (the CDC is pretty much in their backyard), the Goizueta Business School, and a strong liberal arts curriculum. They are also home to Oxford College, a smaller school for freshmen and sophomores looking for a LAC (liberal arts college) vibe before being folded into the greater Emory community for their last two years.