So awesome to hear, Milana. Happy writing. :)

Can you give some tips?i am considering applying to Russian universities

@@rahmahdalhat8484 If you are from US, I wouldn't recommend to. The Russian University diploma is not as valued as a basic US state diploma. For example, Moscow State University (МВГУ - short in russian) which is really good and right at the top of all Russian Universities, is less valued that University of Central Florida (UCF)

Please review my UT Austin essay, please I'm begging you this is the only great college I am applying to and so I cannot afford to fail. ( www.collegevine.com/essay/d65cef26 )4

Поступила?)

Good point! While sharing competing financial aid offers might be good in some cases, it's often best not to start off a conversation on appealing financial aid by sharing what you've received from other colleges. Why? Jodi Okun shares lots more on this podcast episode at around 18:25: www.collegeessayguy.com/podcast-stream/how-to-appeal-a-financial-aid-award-letter

Great to hear!

You're welcome, SuperAce!

Thanks for watching!

Happy to help!

You got this!

Thanks for watching!

Please review my UT Austin essay, please I'm begging you this is the only great college I am applying to and so I cannot afford to fail. ( www.collegevine.com/essay/d65cef26 )4

I'm so glad!

I assume now you’re a college freshman unless you are taking a gap year, so where did you go and what are you studying? I’m a rising senior about to begin applying to colleges

@@ckdraws410 you would be right! I just finished my freshman year. For my specific financial situation I needed to attend a college I could pay my way through by working or that would meet my full financial needs. By the time I was sending out applications here is where I was stats wise. I took the SAT once and I got a 1310, but most of my schools went test optional so unless I was above their average I didn’t send it in. I took 7 AP classes, got As in most of them and I passed 5/7 AP Exams. My GPA was around 4.1ish, so I was somewhere in the top 25 out of 180 kids. I did violin 7 years, tennis 4 years (2 JV, 2 varsity). I ended up getting a merit scholarship to a fairly local university and negotiated with the school for a bit more than they originally offered. I am on track to graduate early and without debt. I’m not at a top school but I am at a school where I stand out because of the work that I put in. My professors know me by name even in my larger lectures, which means I’ll have letters of recommendation secured for whatever path I choose. As for what I am studying, I entered as a psychology major but because of the way my credits worked out I’m probably going to double major. All of this to say, consider YOUR options and YOUR situation above all. People’s opinions on your life decisions do not matter. I didn’t want to have debt from undergrad because I’m going to accumulate more than enough during law school or grad school. But many people said that I was wasting my potential going to a smaller school. They are now stuck with debt and a philosophy degree, im not. Talk to people who go to the schools on your list and take as many tours as you can. If you get a bad vibe, trust your gut. I found out that a school I chose not to attend was super racist recently, very glad I dodged that bullet. All in all, i want to wish you the best of luck. College isn’t bad but it isn’t easy. Take this time to form good habits and routines so that you are prepared to succeed.

Thank you! :)

Awesome! Thanks for sharing.

Glad I could help! I have another video about getting financial aid as an international student here: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/l8iahZyTtKiwooU.html

I’m still in middle school but I just wanna have some rough drafts to be ready for when I do need to do a College application

I'm so glad!

Happy writing! Check out my free guide for more videos and a step-by-step guide: collegeessayguy.com/the-free-guide

how do I tell if my essay topic isn't clique?

I say ask yourself this question: Are there many other students applying to this college who are writing on this topic? If so, what are ways that I can focus on uncommon values. More here on finding uncommon values for common topics: www.collegeessayguy.com/uc-prompts-guide/2-5-montage-structure-example

You're welcome!

Thanks!

Glad you like them!

Yep, that can work!

That's awesome!

Hi there! The admissions readers will already have a good idea about your dual enrollment experience since you'll be including information about it in other parts of the application. There may be "better" essay topics that can round you out as a great candidate. A good question to ask yourself is: "Does this topic demonstrate the skills, qualities, values, and interests I offer the school as an incoming student?" If yes, then start outlining and writing your first drafts. If no, go back to brainstorming!

I can't go back to one foot!

@@Collegeessayguy whats your reasoning for this?

You're welcome, Omar! Good luck on your journey.

Good question! Here's a blog post I wrote on this exact type of essay: www.collegeessayguy.com/blog/why-this-college-essay

Yes, I recommend it!

Thanks for the love! To answer your question-- it depends on the schools you're applying to. Applications can open as early as May and as late as August. I recommend making a college list to help organize your essays, application deadlines, and other important action items all in one place. At this blog post (www.collegeessayguy.com/blog/how-to-choose-a-college), you can download a free spreadsheet template for tracking all this information I listed above. Hope this helps!

In general, most of the resources on my site will apply to any student tackling their undergraduate applications! I don't have specific resources for adults returning to college, but I'd focus on telling your journey back to college at some point in your applications or essays.

Glad I could help!

I feel you, Quan. If you connect those details and challenges with what you did to overcome them and the values/skills you developed as a result, it can really help to provide useful context for colleges and show your resilience. Here's a blog post on this that might help: www.collegeessayguy.com/blog/how-to-write-about-challenges-college-essay

It's OK to talk about your future ambitions and values in your application essays-- just make sure you're connecting them back to your life in the present (so you don't seem vague and hyped up, as you say).

@@Collegeessayguy thanks for the advice 😇

You're very welcome!

Gap years can be great!

Hmm, this is a tricky situation to navigate. I'd recommend talking with your parents directly, as many things (like which colleges will admit you) are out of your control!

Please review my UT Austin essay, please I'm begging you this is the only great college I am applying to and so I cannot afford to fail. ( www.collegevine.com/essay/d65cef26 )4

Need based scholarships and federal grants are based on your family income, but Merit-Based scholarships are not based on family income. Different colleges give out scholarships in different ways. Many colleges have merit based aid, and you can also look for colleges with lower starting tuition, like state schools and community colleges. The best way to save money is to find the right schools for you in your circumstances, the ones that have the major you want to study and the financial package that meets your needs.

That's up to you! :)

It's OK if you haven't won any awards in your extracurricular activities. I say include it in your list (especially if you have ample room to).

If you're not so happy with your SAT/ACT scores, I recommend shining through in other areas of your college application (like your Activities List). I wrote a blog post on the paradox of SAT/ACT scores a while back that you may find interesting. Feel free to check it out: www.collegeessayguy.com/blog/how-much-do-sat-scores-matter Other than that, a bunch of schools this year have gone test-optional (and some even test-blind). In your case, you may have the option of excluding your SAT/ACT scores altogether (with no strings attached-- your application will be reviewed the same as other folks who may be submitting their scores).

Hi! Thanks for asking. It's ultimately up to you, but I've seen it work well before. Seems like you have the right idea!

You might want to check this out kzfaq.info/get/bejne/nbRypcd2xKm2aGQ.html

You could mention that in the additional information section if that feels right to you. As far as your foreign language class credits, it depends on which schools you're applying to and their admission/credit hour requirements. Dive deeper into each school's requirements and consider adapting your class schedule to meet your needs. :)

You got this. You could use the Additional Information section or Coivd-19 prompt to address this!

Thanks for writing in! Not sure actually--might be good to check in with your school counselor or an admissions counselor at the school you'll be interviewing with.

@@Collegeessayguy thanks for the info. You're the best! 🙌

Hah! Glad it helped you pump the brakes a tad.

Hi there! Thanks for watching. Have you checked out my website? There are tons of free and pay-what-you-can resources on there for students applying to college. Check it out! www.collegeessayguy.com/

It depends on your situation! I suggest speaking with your counselor about this for more clarity.

Check out my guide on the Additional Information section and consider mentioning it there: www.collegeessayguy.com/blog/common-app-additional-info-guide-examples

Hi there! Unfortunately I don't offer any essay editing or one-time revisions, but my friends at prompt do! You should check them out: prompt.com/ceg/

@@Collegeessayguy great! thank you 😊

Sure! You can briefly mention this in a sentence if you feel the context is important. :)

@@Collegeessayguy thank youuu love your videosss 💖

LOL! I'll take that as a compliment. :)

Thanks for writing in! This would be a better question for Google or for your school counselor. I'm not an expert on the SAT/ACT, so don't want to misinform you!

Yes! Everything I have to say is at this link: www.collegeessayguy.com/blog/coronavirus-covid19-college-essay

Honors & Awards Section would be great.

Did you work on any self-directed projects? i.e. recording/producing your own music? Competitive gaming? Hiking/camping trips? Get creative. Anything you might have done outside of the classroom can count towards your application!

You can totally do it yourself, Aditi! But it never hurts to get some feedback from a trusted counselor, mentor or friend.

For the Common App, you just need to answer one of the options there.

@@Collegeessayguy Yes, I understand that, but what I don't understand is personal statement different and I should write one or the question I answered is personal statement

In general, many schools are going test-optional this year (for SAT and SAT Subject tests) but I'd recommend checking with each of the schools you're applying to directly.

You'll be submitting your high school course grades when applying to colleges, so you don't necessarily need to explain one year of low grades. If you really feel inclined to, you can briefly mention it in the Additional Information section. Hope this helps.

College Essay Guy alright thanks for the help

Linked in the description!

Hi there! Unfortunately we don't have specific resources for graduate application essays/SOPs, but if you need inspiration, some examples and tips from my blog may help! www.collegeessayguy.com/

You could still write about it in your essays! Especially if it relates to what you want to do (or think you might want to do) in the future.

By most definitions, that student would still be considered a first generation student. Here's what Chapman University says: www.chapman.edu/students/academic-resources/first-generation/index.aspx#:~:text=First%2DGeneration%20Programs,-Welcome%20Chapman%20University&text=A%20first%2Dgeneration%20college%20student,to%20attain%20a%20bachelor's%20degree.

Good question! In some cases, yes, that's true. Check in with the exact wording of the ED agreement that you sign prior to applying ED.

@@Collegeessayguy Ohk f9... Tysm :))

Hi there! The spreadsheet on Early Decision vs. Regular Decision Acceptance Rates can be found in this blog post: www.collegeessayguy.com/blog/early-action-early-decision-colleges It's also linked in the description!

@@Collegeessayguy thanks so much!

I don't personally review them, but there are a few options for you to get your essays reviewed! 1. Submit your essay for review at Prompt: prompt.com/ceg/ 2. Submit your essay for a review from my team at College Vine: www.collegevine.com/essays/review/expert/o/3 Hope this helps! I'm sure you're doing great!

They totally can! Sometimes, though, you have to get more straight-forward in your story.

Start with this blog post: www.collegeessayguy.com/blog/how-to-write-about-challenges-college-essay and then check out some of my brainstorming exercises on my website or here on my channel.

Thanks for watching!

Yes, feel free to share with your class! You're welcome to share just about anything from my website as well. Check out my attribution guidelines here: www.collegeessayguy.com/ceg-attribution/

@@Collegeessayguy Great! Thank You!

Sure! Your application just has to reflect the skills, qualities, values, and interests that help the admissions officers realize how good of a fit you are for their school!

LOL! That's a first.

It's OK to be passionate about something and not be the best at it. Use your unique experience to your advantage! Some more brainstorming may help you out. Here are some of my favorite brainstorming resources: www.collegeessayguy.com/blog/?category=Brainstorm

@@Collegeessayguy Thank you so much!

IMO, it's not illuminating information for the admissions officers. However, if you're a straight A student except for one B that you got because of a specific setback, you could explain it (if you really wanted to).

Here you go: www.bigjeducationalconsulting.com/resources

You got this.

The drug called life.

Great!

Thanks for sharing!

Thanks for watching!

:)