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Caroline Koppelman
Official Common App Essay Guide 2025-2026

We’ve spent the past few weeks breaking down each Common App essay prompt one by one, and now it’s time for the grand finale: our ultimate guide to writing the Common App essay. Sure, there are seven different prompts, but at the end of the day, every school is looking for the same thing: a story.

Caroline Koppelman
How to Write Common App Essay Prompt 7: Example ...

We’ve been waiting for this one: it’s finally time to dig into Prompt #7, the crown jewel of the Common App essay prompts.

Caroline Koppelman
Ultimate Guide to Letters of Continued Interest ...

Getting waitlisted or deferred from your dream school is hard. We know it’s hard! You feel rejected, but it’s this weird non-rejection rejection that can leave you feeling lost and confused. And while a lot of things in college admissions are totally out of your control, there is something you can do if you’ve been waitlisted or deferred to give yourself another chance. A letter of continued interest, sometimes known as a waitlist letter or deferral letter, is one of the few, actionable things you can control when admissions decisions seem so out of your control. It’s your only chance to make a good second impression, and we help students write them every single year.

Caroline Koppelman
Ultimate Guide to Getting Waitlisted 2025

Getting waitlisted is the ultimate limbo – it’s not not a rejection, but it’s not a full-on denial, either. And depending on your circumstances, you could be feeling everything from mild disappointment to full-on panic. Don’t get yourself into a tizzy just yet, because there are things you can do to give yourself a shot at getting off the waitlist and make sure that you have a plan in place for the next year.

Caroline Koppelman
Best Early Decision II (ED2) Schools 2024-2025

Hey, look, sometimes ED doesn’t work out the way we want it to, and we have to change strategies. If you just got rejected or deferred from your ED/EA option, we’d like to introduce you to our good friend, Early Decision 2. ED2 is just as binding as ED, and it signals to the school that you are serious about attending that school, and guess what? Schools like when you’re serious about them.

statistics

New York University (NYU) Admissions Statistics 2025

During the 2024–2025 admissions cycle, New York University had a 9.23% acceptance rate – its lowest ever. However, this one data point doesn’t tell the whole story. How is that figure calculated? What’s actually driving it lower? And, importantly, what does this mean for YOU? While NYU releases some headline admissions data, understanding what’s really going on requires a closer look. We break down this kind of data every year to help our students approach competitive admissions with clarity and strategy.

Dartmouth Admissions Statistics 2025

In the 2024-2025 admissions cycle, Dartmouth boasted an acceptance rate of 5.4%, their lowest ever. But how did their acceptance rate get so low? Why did it get so low? And what makes a student a competitive (or not competitive) applicant? Thankfully, we dig into the data to give you a data-driven strategic approach to help you put your best foot forward.

UChicago Admissions Statistics 2025

During the 2024–2025 admissions cycle, the University of Chicago posted an acceptance rate of 4.48%, placing it firmly among the most selective schools in the country. But that headline number on its own doesn’t tell the full story. How is that percentage calculated? And what’s actually driving it? While UChicago does release some high-level admissions data, understanding what’s really happening requires a deeper look. This is exactly the kind of analysis we do every year to help our students approach elite admissions with clearer expectations and smarter strategy.

University of Southern California (USC) Admissions Statistics 2025

During the 2024–2025 admissions cycle, USC reported an acceptance rate of 9.81%, making it the most selective in the school’s history. But that top-line percentage doesn’t actually explain very much on its own. USC does release some admissions data publicly, but to really understand what’s happening, you have to dig deeper. That’s exactly what we do every year to help students approach selective admissions with realistic expectations and an intentional game plan.

Harvard Admissions Statistics 2025

For the 2024-2025 admission cycle, Harvard University had a 3.64% acceptance rate. However, that’s just one number, and all we can really glean from this number is that getting into Harvard is, contrary to Elle Woods’ statement, very hard. At elite colleges, we have to dig deeper into their statistics to learn trends, analyze changes, and uncover the truth behind what’s really going on in elite admissions. Thankfully, we do this every single year to help optimize the process for our clients.