Caroline Koppelman
Rejected Early Decision from Columbia 2023

Getting a rejection in the Early Decision round is definitely not easy. But the good news is, it’s really just the start, and that one rejection has no bearing on how you’re going to do with other, similarly competitive schools. The thing about Early Decision is it comes alone and it comes first. It’s sometimes easier to tolerate a rejection when it’s preceded by several acceptance letters. College admissions are extraordinarily competitive these days and the Ivies are just more competitive than any other time or place in history. That’s it. It doesn’t get harder. And Columbia in particular has just a 4% acceptance rate! So, if you’ve been rejected in the Early Decision round, don’t despair. We have some advice about how you might go forward. (And don’t worry, it’s really not that much more work!)

Caroline Koppelman
Deferred by Harvard — Now What? (2023-24)

If you’ve been deferred by Harvard, you are not alone. Harvard is notorious at this point for deferring an enormous percentage of early admission applicants. While most elite colleges with early admissions programs, like early decision and early action, only defer students they are seriously considering for the next freshman class, the statistics Harvard has released on early admission suggest that they take a very different approach.

Caroline Koppelman
Writing the “Why This College” Essay

Even though every college has slightly different supplementary application materials, you’ll likely run into a variation of one question more than any other: “Why do you want to attend this school in particular?” It’s every institution’s way of saying, Let’s cut to the chase. Why us?

Caroline Koppelman
How to Write an Amazing and Unique Common App ...

If you’re here, you’ve likely already taken a look at the Common App essay options, felt a little bit of existential doom, and fought the urge to take a long nap (and honestly? Relatable).

Caroline Koppelman
The Best Guide to College Application ...

No two college supplements are the same, but there is one question that shows up again and again. Why our school? If you are applying to multiple schools with supplements you will probably have to write multiple essays on this exact topic (no, you can’t just reuse the same one). While word counts and specifics can vary, these essays always follow a similar structure and goal. After reading this blog post you’ll be set to answer all of them.

transfer

How to Transfer to Wesleyan

Wesleyan University is a small, private, liberal arts college in Middletown, Connecticut. A liberal arts school not named after the town it’s in? Unheard of. Wesleyan started out as a men’s college, tried to admit women for a bit in the late 1800s (the “Wesleyan Experiment), then suspended that program in 1912 for sexist reasons (“losing their masculine edge”), but finally became co-ed in 1970.

How to Transfer to Tufts

Tufts University, located just outside of Boston, is a private research university with a liberal arts feel. Because of its proximity to all the other Boston (and near-Boston, wink wink) schools, Tufts has a ton of programs/affiliations/and crossover opportunities with schools in the area. Since the school did start as a liberal arts college, majors like econ, psych, poli sci, and international relations reign supreme.

How to Transfer to Swarthmore

Swarthmore College is a formerly Quaker, private liberal arts college in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania. We’re shocked – a liberal arts school named after the town it’s in! Who’d have thought?? Anyways, Swarthmore is part of the Quaker and Tri-College consortiums (consortii?) which means you can take classes at UPenn, Bryn Mawr, and Haverford.

How to Transfer to Pomona

Pomona College is a small liberal arts school located in Claremont, California. It’s a part of the Claremont Colleges, a consortium of schools that all share resources (and a campus!), made up of Pomona (duh), Claremont McKenna, Scripps, Pitzer, and Harvey Mudd. Each school has their own vibe and focus, but Pomona definitely has a broader liberal arts focus.

How to Transfer to Oberlin

Oberlin College in (you guessed it) Oberlin, Ohio (groundbreaking) is a small, private liberal arts school and music conservatory. Founded in 1833, Oberlin is the oldest co-ed school in the United States, the first college to admit Black students (1835), and the first college to admit women (1837), so it’s safe to assume that progressive politics and student activism are a huge part of the school’s culture.

How to Transfer to Pitzer

Pitzer College is a small liberal arts school located in Claremont, California, and it’s a part of the Claremont Colleges – a unique consortium of 5 undergrad colleges that share resources and a campus, but each school kinda has their own flavor. Pitzer is known for the social sciences, behavioral sciences, international programs, and media studies. It’s also a really progressive school with a huge social justice focus.

How to Transfer to Harvey Mudd

Harvey Mudd College is a small liberal arts school located in Claremont, California, and it’s a part of the Claremont Colleges – a unique consortium of 5 undergrad colleges that share resources and a campus. Harvey Mudd is the STEM Claremont College, with the most popular degrees being computer science, engineering, and math. If you’re looking for a stellar liberal arts school to get a well-rounded STEM education, then Harvey Mudd’s your ticket.

How to Transfer to Colgate University

Located in Hamilton, New York, Colgate University is a small, private liberal arts college that’s considered both a Hidden and a Little Ivy. And yes, it’s named after the toothpaste Colgate. Like a lot of the liberal arts colleges of the Northeast, the most popular majors are econ, poli sci, English, psych, and bio – also known as the most popular majors across the board.

How to Transfer to Claremont McKenna

Claremont McKenna College is a small liberal arts school located in Claremont, California, and it’s a part of the Claremont Colleges – a unique consortium of 5 undergrad colleges that share resources and a campus, but each has its own focus. Claremont McKenna is known for their programs on business, finance, government, econ, public affairs, and international relations, and is also slightly more conservative than their fellow Claremont College associates.

How to Transfer to Bryn Mawr

Bryn Mawr College is a women’s liberal arts school located in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. It’s a small school, with only around 1400 undergrads and 350 postgrads. They’re a part of the Seven Sisters, and they share a school paper with Haverford! They’re known for being politically super progressive and hella feminist – they were the first college in the US to offer a PhD in social work (and doctorates to women in general), they were one of the first women’s colleges to accept trans and non-binary applicants, and they renamed May Day as “May Hole” because maypole was too phallic. If this sounds like your jam, you might be considering applying as a transfer.

How to Transfer to Amherst

Amherst College is a small liberal arts school located smack dab in the middle of Massachusetts. Amherst (the town) is peak college town vibes, with Amherst College, UMass Amherst, and Hampshire College all packed into 27 square miles. In addition to Amherst classes, students can take classes at UMass Amherst, Hampshire, or the nearby Smith College and Mount Holyoke College. Amherst is known for a totally open curriculum – no core classes to mess with. They’re also known for having an academic culture in line with the Ivy League, and they have the admissions stats to back it. In 2022, Amherst’s acceptance rate was 7.25%, and their transfer acceptance rate was 6%. To put it more plainly, 503 people applied to transfer to Amherst in 2022, and only 30 were admitted.