Southern Methodist University, usually just called SMU, is a private research school that is surprisingly non-secretarian in its teaching (so not as Methodist as you might have guessed). Located in a charming area of Dallas, Texas, the school has become popular recently, especially for their undergraduate business and engineering schools. SMU has a sizeable Greek system, fun traditions, and a beautiful campus… which has also made it even more buzzy. They often don’t outright publish their acceptance rate, but it is usually around 50%. The school is test-optional and has a reasonably straightforward supplement. While it isn’t a tricky supplement, there are a couple of best practices on how to approach it. So let’s break it down.
Applying to Dartmouth as a Student Athlete
Dartmouth is the athletic (and outdoorsy) Ivy, known as the Big Green. Located in Hanover, New Hampshire, a town of 8,000 in central New Hampshire, it’s also the small-town Ivy. Dartmouth offers an exceptional education, and Hanover has a bustling main street full of international food options, small mom-and-pop stores, and basically anything you could need at last minute notice.
Summer Strategy Ideas for UCLA
UCLA, or the University of California, Los Angeles, offers a big school experience in a big city. It’s sort of like ‘maximum’ college. UCLA is prestigious, it’s fun, it’s creative, it’s community focused, and it’s academically intense. It’s everything, and that’s why students love it. There are over 33,000 undergraduates at UCLA, and nearly 50,000 total students. The student body represents over 100 countries, and over 9% of students are international — one of the highest ratios of international students in the country. Students in the undergraduate colleges are able to pick from over 125 majors, and over 90 minors, and many mix and match subjects and arenas. People who love to explore, to challenge themselves, and to collaborate with others thrive at UCLA. Two out of three classes have less than 30 students.
How to Write the Duke University Supplement 2024-2025
Duke University, located in Durham, North Carolina, is a private research university known for their work-hard-play-hard vibes. Duke holds a special place in our heart, as it is one of the most popular and in-demand schools with our students. Last year, TKG students had over a 90% acceptance rate at Duke. As you probably know (since you’re here), Duke is crazy hard to get into. Like, Ivy-level hard to get into. The acceptance rate was 5.1% for the Class of 2028.
Applying to the University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) as a Student Athlete
The University of Pennsylvania, or Penn (some say UPenn, but we don’t love how that rolls off the tongue), is a top-tier high-selective research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The city offers a cosmopolitan urban college experience steeped in culture, history, and delicious food, and the university offers one of the best educations on earth. They have four undergraduate schools — The College of Arts & Sciences (or The College), The Wharton School, The School of Engineering and Applied Science, and The School of Nursing — and more than 10,600 undergraduate students. There are nearly 30,000 students overall, and the campus is known for bringing together the best and the brightest to innovate, engineer, and discover.
The Best Majors or Concentrations at Hamilton
Hamilton is a small liberal arts college in Clinton, New York. The college is home to about 2,000 undergraduate students, and does not have a graduate program — so it’s entirely undergraduate-focused in a rural hilltop setting that invites exploration and creativity. The motto of the school is “Know Thyself,” and they take it very seriously.
Applying to Brown as a Student Athlete
Brown is an Ivy League university in Providence, Rhode Island with an open curriculum. They challenge students to create their own path, charting a track through the university that takes them where they want to go — on their own terms. It is a unique, highly-respected, and selective education in an urban setting with a strong campus culture and a vibrant creative community for the 7,000 undergraduate students who call it home.
How to Stand Out as a Math Major
So, you want to study math? As admirers of #PeopleInStem, we think that’s incredible. The world of crunching numbers and understanding statistics offers countless ways to express your passion for math. However, math is a competitive major, so you need to seize every opportunity to boost your chances of getting in.
Applying to Northwestern as a Student Athlete
Northwestern is regularly ranked as one of the top 10 universities in the country, and is considered a powerhouse of the Midwest. Located in Evanston, Illinois outside of Chicago, the school has additional campuses in Chicago proper and in Doha, Qatar. Across the university, Northwestern is home to more than 8,000 undergraduates who pursue more than 100 majors and minors.
Summer Strategy Ideas for UC Berkeley
The UC schools are all excellent, top-tier state schools. But Berkeley stands out as being one of the best in the nation. With an acceptance rate of just 11%, it’s an extremely competitive school. If you’re dead-set on enjoying the NoCal life for the next four years at one of the best programs the west coast has to offer, we have some advice as to how you can maximize your summer.
How to Write the Carnegie Mellon University Supplement 2024-2025
Located in Pittsburgh, PA, Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) is a medium-sized private research university known for its top-notch STEM programs. It was founded in 1900 by thee Andrew Carnegie (the OG steel billionaire, for those not in the know) and is primarily known for engineering, computer science, and business. It’s also a highly competitive school, with the acceptance rate for 2023-2024 at 11.4%.
9th Grade College Strategy for Math
Calculus? Algebra? Trigonometry? There’s so much math, we don’t even know what to do with it! If you’re here, you think you might want to study math in college, and we don’t blame you. Math touches every single field and has applications within business, finance, education, the social sciences, and so much more. Maybe you’re drawn in by the allure of solving complex problems, the fascination with how math underpins everything in our world, or just the fact that mathematical concepts are integral to every part of our modern society. Now, you, as a 9th grader, want to know what you can do to start the college prep process.
Summer Strategy Ideas for Columbia
For more than 250 years, Columbia University in New York City has led the conversation academically and culturally. The community is passionate, engaged, and lively. Sometimes really lively. And they like being in the heart of the action. Most of all, though, they’re smart. Students at Columbia want to be at the forefront of whatever it is they are passionate about, whether it’s through assisting with research, working in a lab, or pushing a field forward.
Official Common App Essay Guide 2024-2025
We’ve spent the last few weeks breaking down the Common App essay prompt by prompt, and today we’re going to give you our ultimate guide to writing the Common App essay. There might be seven different prompts, but ultimately, all schools want the same thing from their applicants’ Common App essays: a story.
The Best Majors at The University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is regularly ranked the #1 public university in the country. For this list of the five best majors at the University of Michigan, we are specifically looking at the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts (or LSA), which is “the largest and most academically diverse” college at Mich.
How to Write the Haverford College Supplement 2024-2025
Haverford College is a small, private liberal arts college located right outside of Philadelphia. They’re a part of the Tri-College Consortium along with Bryn Mawr and Swarthmore, and they’re in the Quaker Consortium along with UPenn, which means as a Haverford student, you have access to classes at all of these schools. Haverford has also gotten increasingly competitive over the years, with last year’s acceptance rate at a competitive 12.9%.
Applying to Cornell as a Student Athlete
Cornell University is an academic, and an athletic, powerhouse. It’s also one of the most famous universities in the country, and carries a huge amount of cache globally. Located in the city of Ithaca in upstate New York, Ithaca is a welcoming medium-sized city with lots of opportunities for exploring the arts and the outdoors, accessing internships and career opportunities, and lots and lots of delicious food.
Summer Strategy Ideas for Michigan
Nestled in the wonderful college town of Ann Arbor, the University of Michigan is an excellent school academically with a vibrant college culture. With an undergraduate population of approximately 30,000, Michigan is big! It’s a great option for students who are serious about academics, but want to experience being in a spirited, sports-centric atmosphere (and students who can handle…or at least tolerate the cold). Michigan boasts 415 All-Time Big 10 athletic championships and is home to almost 1,000 student athletes.
10th Grade Strategy for Political Science
How to Write the Bowdoin College Supplement 2024-2025
Bowdoin College is a private liberal arts college in Brunswick, Maine. The school is old; like Nathaniel Hawthorne went there old… like older than the state of Maine-old. With such a long legacy, Bowdoin has made a name for itself as one of the top liberal arts schools in America. With about 1,800 students, Bowdoin is also very small. But if you are looking at top small schools, Bowdoin should be on your list.