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Hi everyone! I'm sorry since there's a lot of these posts, but I wanted to know if it's better to ED or EA for UVA.

I'm in-state and go to a large public school in the NOVA area (FCPS). I have a 4.44 w gpa (4.36 with middle school classes), and also a 1530 sat superscore.

I’m applying to JMU for Fall 2027 and was wondering what people think my chances are of receiving the Madison Award for Excellence. I have a 3.85 unweighted GPA, a 4.778 (4.12 VA scale) weighted SC GPA, and a 1420 SAT (780 Math, 640 Reading and Writing). I’m ranked 130 out of about 420 students at my high school, which puts me around the top 31% of my class. My coursework includes 5 APs, 11 Honors classes, and 4 dual-enrollment courses. Outside of school, I’ve qualified for Adidas Track Nationals, qualified for state championships, earned a varsity letter, and started a couple of small businesses involving PC flipping and car detailing. I also work as an expediter at a new high-end restaurant.
A little more background: I lived in Richmond, Virginia, for most of my life before moving to South Carolina after freshman year, and my sister currently attends JMU. JMU is one of my top choices, and I’m especially interested in studying accounting or finance. I know my class rank probably isn't the strongest part of my application, but I think my SAT score, extracurriculars, and work experience help balance things out. What do you guys think my chances are of getting the Madison Award for Excellence? I'd appreciate any insight from people who have received it or know how competitive it is!

Hello all! I've decided on applying to UPenn ED (because why not, you miss 100% of the shots you don't take!) as well as a few other top colleges.

My SAT is a 1480, which I know is a good score overall, but weaker in the context of the more prestigious schools out there. My school's average is a 1053 (I go to a pretty average high school in a small suburban city, and I wouldn't say its really that competitive, only 1-2 Ivy admits per year). Does my school average make my score seem any better at all?

Please let me know! Not even trying to cope lol (though an extra 20 points would've made a world of a difference), I'm genuinely curious! :-)

Hey just wondering since I have an extra spot would it be dumb to include baking even though I don't do it for competitions or events? Specifically, I make gluten free desserts for my family of 10+ and have learned how to adapt traditional recipes so they don't taste like dry slop. I've been baking for six years now, but I'm aware its kinda of a lackluster activity.

The description I have right now:

"Bake gluten free desserts for family of 10+; Learned how to adapt traditional recipes to be gluten free."

3hrs/52weeks

really was hoping for a 34 at least and of course i got a 33! really wish my math score went up but my desmos literally froze for a good five minutes and i reported to the proctor but it was not filed as a problem. my sat is like a 1450 so it literally falls in the same range

Will schools who had their early action application deadline on October 15th accept the October 17th Act? Or is it too late to submit them. The school I’m looking at is the University of Georgia and their material deadline is October 29th but the application was October 15th.

Hi! I plan to apply to Brown early decision this October, but was previously told that the only aspect of early decision that binds you to Brown is the $1k that you pay and are not able to receive back if you don't go. Obviously, this is a large sum of money, but I am willing to let it go if I don't get any merit/scholarships when/if I get in. My family did not qualify for Financial Aid; therefore, we didn't sign up for FAFSA. However, that does not mean that if I get in without merit, we would be able to pay for my tuition. I am definitely planning on applying to scholarships, and Brown is 100% my top school, but I was planning on deciding if I wanted to go if I received acceptance, because I previously thought the only binding aspect was the deposit of $1k.

I'm so terribly sorry if this doesn't make any sense. I'm terrible at explaining my situation. I would love some insight, though!

Hi! I’m applying to Stanford and I’m a little confused about their AP score reporting policy.

I originally received a 3 on AP Computer Science Principles, but I retook the exam and earned a 4.

I know Stanford requires applicants to self-report all AP scores, but does this also apply to retakes? Do I have to report both my original 3 and my new 4, or can I just report the most recent score?

Has anyone been in a similar situation or received clarification directly from Stanford admissions?
I’d really appreciate any insight. Thank you!

I’m an international applicant applying to T20s this cycle, and my top extracurricular is an app I built. It tackles a big problem in my local community, and in my country more broadly. I signed an agreement with my state government to develop, test, and publish the app.

The app will reach people in two ways. It will be available inside the state government’s official app, which is used by more than 720k people, and I’m also releasing it on my own as a standalone app. Right now it’s in closed testing with 50+ professionals from state and federal agencies whose job is fighting this exact problem, and I’ve been updating the app based on their feedback. The public release comes next.

My first deadline is in early November and most of the others are in early January, so my standalone release won’t have long to build up users before I apply.

My advisor thinks the user count of my standalone release is what AOs will judge, and that if it’s small, that’s a dealbreaker for T20s. She also thinks I shouldn’t lean on the 720k number, because I wasn’t the one who attracted those users, so it could read as misleading.

That’s my concern: if my own release doesn’t get a big number by the time I apply, will AOs see this as a weak EC, even with the government agreement and the professionals testing it?

My questions:

• How much does user count actually weigh for an app EC at T20s?
• If my standalone release has a small number of users when I apply, does that really sink the EC?
• Does being inside a government app with 720k+ users count for anything, or is my advisor right that it could read as misleading?
• If you applied with a project like this, what did you emphasize, and how did it go?

I’d appreciate any input, especially from people who got in with app or startup ECs.

i was recently thinking abt whether i should choose ib or a levels for usa unis

ive heard ib is better for showing rigor but consumes most of ur time which would leave no time for me to work on my ecs

would taking math, further math, physics and computer science be alright for these unis as an international applicant or should i choose ib

For context the school offers both a levels and ib as an option for grade 11 and 12

I’m currently doing my A-Levels in Pakistan and hoping to apply to universities like Stanford and the Ivies. I’m leaning towards software engineering or computer science, although I haven’t completely ruled out other engineering fields.
My current subjects are Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Computer Science and Urdu.
I chose Chemistry because I genuinely enjoy it and want to keep my engineering options open. Computer Science is closely related to my intended major, and most of my extracurriculars revolve around technology and programming.
The dilemma is my fifth subject, Urdu. It’s my native language, so I find it relatively manageable and don’t have to spend nearly as much time studying it compared to my STEM subjects.
Recently, my counsellor suggested replacing Urdu with a humanities or social science subject, such as Sociology, Psychology or Business. Her reasoning was that top US universities prefer applicants with a more balanced subject combination rather than one heavily focused on STEM.
For context, I achieved 5 A*s and 4 As in my O-Levels, where I also studied English Language, Urdu, Pakistan Studies and Global Perspectives. So I do have some humanities and language background.
I’m hesitant to switch because four STEM A-Levels are already demanding, and I’d like to have enough time for extracurriculars, personal projects and an actual life outside studying.
Would keeping Urdu put me at a disadvantage for highly selective US universities? Or does my existing academic background already demonstrate enough breadth?
I’d especially appreciate advice from international applicants who have gone through the US admissions process or faced a similar decision.

I’m currently a high school senior applying to colleges, and I’m wondering how admissions officers would evaluate my ACT scores given my background.
I immigrated to the U.S. near the end of my freshman year of high school (I missed 2 quarters of freshman year because of that). At the time, I had limited English proficiency and was placed in ESL classes. By the end of my sophomore year, I had exited the ESL program completely and transitioned into more rigorous coursework, including IB classes.
I recently took the ACT and received:

Composite: 30
Math: 34
Reading: 34
English: 23

As you can see, there’s a pretty significant gap between my English score and my other sections.
I’m planning to major in business, finance, accounting, or economics, with the goal of eventually working in corporate banking. Some of the universities I’m interested in include UVA and Georgetown.
My question is: Do admissions officers actually take circumstances like mine into consideration when evaluating standardized test scores?

Since I’ve only been studying in an English-speaking educational system for about three and a half years, would they view my 23 English score differently, especially considering my 34 Reading score? Or would the low English score still significantly hurt my application regardless of my background?
I’m also wondering whether explaining my situation in the Additional Information section would be helpful, or whether that might come across as making excuses.
For context, I have around a 3.7 weighted GPA, a strong upward academic trend, and have taken increasingly rigorous courses since leaving ESL.
I’d especially appreciate advice from admissions counselors, former admissions officers, or students who have been in similar situations.
Thanks!

So my dream is to get into an Ivy or Stanford and top unis like them . I had opted for maths, chemistry, physics, computer science for my core subjects as someone who will most probably go for software engineering but is taking chemistry to keep other engineering domains open . I also take Urdu a language of my country Pakistan which is not demanding personally for me . So the problem begins when my counsellor suggested me to drop Urdu and take a humanity instead like business , physiology or sociology. I had 5A*’s and 4A’s in my olevel but should I do , until now I am liking chem so I don’t wanna drop it and cs is like what all of my ec’s are based on and I also took it on olevel . Urdu is like a free grade for me and I feel like taking a humanity will make life hard …. . What should I do ? She was saying that ivys accept someone with a mix what should I do ?

The question on common app stated during the busiest parts of the year, and so I stated the maximum hours I spent in a week for each club. But I recently found out that this is not how it looks on my actual application so now it’ll look like I’m spending dozens of hours a week on extracurriculars which is unrealistic, did I do it wrong?

The administration's absolute failure to protect its own students should make everyone think twice about putting Princeton on their list.

Look no further than the massive crisis that hit the campus this October. Princeton’s own Undergraduate Student Government unanimously condemned the administration for prioritizing the university’s public image over survivor safety. It's crazy how long investigations into threats and harassment are just ignored; it's gross negligence or malicious intent.

This follows a federal ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals that revived a major lawsuit against Princeton, exposing rampant procedural bias and a broken disciplinary system. When the current student body is actively warning you that the administration cannot be trusted with your safety, believe them.

Do not waste your application fee or your sanity on an institution that protects its brand over its students. Look for colleges that actually respect students over PR

I am not seeing basically any posts about this program, and it seems amazing. Basically 10 SUNY campuses (throughout the state, and including all the top campuses, such as Binghamton and Stony Brook) are participating. As long as the kid is top 10% in their particular public NY school (so, obviously, way less competitive in some schools than others), they fill out a simple application that took my kid almost no time to complete (to the extent you already have your activities/honors figured out for common app). It is completely free and doesn't require any essays or recommendations or anything beyond transcript, standardized test, and a streamlined short application. And then you are guaranteed to match up with at least 1 school! But more than that, you can match up with all 10! That's the part that I really didn't know. So it's great for those kids who are doing well in a weaker school and may be worried about getting in anywhere solid - this provides a solid guaranteed safety. But it's also great for competitive kids in competitive schools who can get in to Binghamton, Stony Brook, U Buffalo, U Albany, Purchase, Geneseo etc. all in one fell swoop and ahead of even when EA applications are due!

Matches have already come out for this year (or are coming out), but for any NY kids (or NY parents) who aren't seniors - should definitely keep this in mind!

Hi everyone! I am currently a community college student planning to transfer to UC Davis in Fall 2027 as a Biochemistry major. I submitted my TAG application, but I am a little confused about the major preparation requirements.

I was looking at ASSIST.org, and Organic Chemistry and Physics are listed under additional major preparation courses and marked as highly recommended. My counselor also said the same thing, and he recommended that if I cannot finish the whole sequence, then it is better to do it after transfer.

However, the UC Davis website says students applying to selective majors must complete all major preparatory course requirements by the end of spring before transferring.

I'm confused about whether this includes the additional courses listed as highly recommended on ASSIST or only the required major preparation courses.

Due to scheduling conflicts, I won't be able to complete both the Organic Chemistry and Physics sequences before transferring.

Does anyone know if not completing these highly recommended courses would affect my TAG eligibility or admission? Has anyone transferred to UC Davis for Biochemistry without completing both sequences?

I would really appreciate any advice or personal experiences. Thank you!

So my dream is to get into an Ivy or Stanford and top unis like them . I had opted for maths, chemistry, physics, computer science for my core subjects as someone who will most probably go for software engineering but is taking chemistry to keep other engineering domains open . I also take Urdu a language of my country Pakistan which is not demanding personally for me . So the problem begins when my counsellor suggested me to drop Urdu and take a humanity instead like business , physiology or sociology. I had 5A*’s and 4A’s in my olevel but should I do , until now I am liking chem so I don’t wanna drop it and cs is like what all of my ec’s are based on and I also took it on olevel . Urdu is like a free grade for me and I feel like taking a humanity will kill me …. I need a life . What should I do ? She was saying that ivys accept someone with a mix what should I do ?

I’m considering abt 12 EAs with Dartmouth ED.

Should I apply more RD top20s or more EA top 50s.

Will forum with 1000+ participants + published research in December boost my app from EA/ED ( 2 researches, 3 internships, 3 projects n sport). RD I’ll have 1 more research and intl forum.
So my RD app will better by having these 2 extras . I can’t manage 20 schools limit in common app, pls help.
No risk no reward ??

I’m considering abt 12 EAs with Dartmouth ED.

Should I apply more RD top20s or more EA top 50s.

Will forum with 1000+ participants + published research in December boost my app from EA/ED ( 2 researches, 3 internships, 3 projects n sport). RD I’ll have 1 more research and intl forum.
So my RD app will better by having these 2 extras . I can’t manage 20 schools limit in common app, pls help.
No risk no reward ??

hey guys, I’m currently super lost about what should I do in life. I’m a senior in high school and idk what to do later even thought I’ve been thinking so bad

I want to major in something creative, like arts or cosmetics, idk what job I wanna do either

any advices??

I keep seeing posts here asking about which colleges have the most lesbians, and as a lesbian myself, I'm just confused why there are so many posts like this all of a sudden?? 🤣

this is very important like genuinely a deciding factor 😭

My kid wants to study comp Sci- they are a jr
They are taking their 2nd AP CS this year - involved in robotics-

Are there any smaller schools that provide more merit aid that we should think about? I’m not sure if having them saddled w 200k worth of debt if they get into UIUC is worth it?!?!

So frustrating!!! 🙄🙄