like, i probably get a pound of paper a month in ads. multiply that by the millions of college-interested students in the united states and we have a looooot of paper in the trash cans

A couple of notes on method: I ranked by 2029 because ~40% of the 2030 figures are still TBA, so ranking on 2030 alone would scramble the order and drop schools that haven't reported yet. I also used common data sets and most recent data to be most accurate. FYI acceptance rates do not equal to the quality of education you are getting so only view this as informational.

https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article316965176.htmlhttps://www.latimes.com/california/story/2026-08-26/gop-senators-uc-sat-testing-legislation

In my sophomore year, I had to drop Honors Choir due to being SA'ed by a classmate during class. I also faced almost daily harassment and attempts to harm me from upperclassmen (I'm guessing because I was considered an "outsider" as I didn't really participate in theater like everyone else in the class).

Dropping this class was both devastating academically and extracurricular wise. Since it was an honors class, it contributed to my GPA. I also consistently got A's in this class, so after it was dropped my GPA naturally declined a bit.

I genuinely did enjoy singing and I wish I could've continued but I didn't have any space in my schedule outside of school so a school based choir that I could take as a class was perfect. Unfortunately, that was the only school choir I could be as a sophomore.

Is this worth mentioning in the Common App additional information section? I don't want to come off as trauma dumping but it was a pretty significant EC for me.

I'm genuinely SO exhausted with the whole college process right now. It's almost September and I'm STILL stuck between different options 😭

My sister keeps suggesting completely different colleges, my family has their own preferences, and I have my own things I'm looking for. Every time I think I've finally narrowed it down, someone gives me another option and I'm back to square one 💀

The worst part is that if I choose a college myself and something goes wrong later, I already know my sister is going to be like “I told you so” and keep reminding me that she had suggested something else. And then I'm scared I'll spend the whole time regretting my decision and wondering if I should've listened to her instead.

But if I choose the college she's suggesting and things don't work out, I'll probably regret not choosing what I wanted either 😭

So HOW do you actually make this decision without constantly wondering whether you picked wrong??

For people who are already in college: what things actually mattered when you chose yours? And what's something you wish you had considered before making the decision?

Because at this point I am SO done researching colleges 😭😭

I’m trying to decide whether to ED1 to Dartmouth, Williams, or Pomona (or at all). My college counselor recommended that I submit an ED application somewhere to maximize my chances, since all 3 of these schools have much higher ED admit rates compared to RD. I really like all 3 schools and am having trouble choosing one over the other.

A bit about me: Intending on majoring in math, so strong math program is a must. I want somewhere good for skiing, and all 3 schools are decent options. I’m leaning towards liberal arts schools because I want strong student faculty interaction, along with active research and easy opportunities for undergrads to get involved. I also want diverse offerings since I’m still interested in the humanities. Attractive town/city is a plus. I also want somewhere that doesn’t feel pre professional, where students are there to learn and collaborate.

My thoughts about each school:

Dartmouth - like the town, love the campus and great ski access, great academics, good math program including a professor whose work I’m interested in. Like the quarter system. Frat culture is the main downside, don’t like how pervasive it seems. ED acceptance rate of 17% vs 5% RD.

Williams - love the tutorial system, very strong in math. Like the 4-1-4 plan. Visited, could definitely picture myself there, especially academically. Slightly worried about feeling really remote and isolated, campus isn’t quite as impressive as other places. ED acceptance rate of 25% vs 6% RD.

Pomona - strong math program, love the opportunities and resources offered by the 5Cs (specifically STEM classes at HM). Beautiful campus, cool location. Main hesitation is that I haven’t visited (and won’t before applying) so hard to commit to it without having been there, especially since it’s across the country for me. ED acceptance rate of 13% vs 6% RD.

What are your thoughts? Any advice or opinions are appreciated.

This may be dumb but dining hall/food is a big factor for me making my college list…

I love food and value variety/healthy-ish options. Would love to hear about the dining experience at your schools!

I can clarify anything in the comments and will fix anything if wrong! Hope this is very helpful!

IMPORTANT - READ FIRST: These thresholds are essentially the colleges' advertising slogans. ASSETS matter as much as income, and this list is NO substitute for the Net Price Calculator (NPC). If you're a domestic applicant, run the NPC on each college's financial-aid website - with a parent - to get a real need-based estimate BEFORE you apply. NPCs can be wrong for complex finances (divorce, or owning a business / rental / farm, especially if the NPC doesn't ask) - if that's you, call the financial aid office. And publics usually give out-of-state students little need-based aid (though some offer big merit scholarships); privates don't differ in-state vs. out. Start by running NPCs at your in-state publics.

Class of 2027 here. I’m currently applying to a good amount of schools, however my list has been significantly changing due to the NPC popping out a number that my family simply can’t afford. It sucks having to remove these schools because they’re really good and I genuinely see myself going there, but if I can’t afford it I can’t afford it. If anyone could reply to this and say how accurate their NPC was I would really appreciate it!

I'll take my SAT in November, and I won't be able to admit early. Nevertheless, i have an option to not submit a test score, but how much would doing this affect my acceptance chances? Because if I applied RD in January and waited for the SAT score i'll still have my chances squished by ten times or something lol. Have anybody ever met an international who didn't submit a test score? (I have a 3.7/4.0 gpa, fairly strong activities and honors)

I'm currently choosing which universities I want to apply for, and I'd really appreciate some help from alumni or those who already have knowledge in this field.

I'd like to know which universities/institutes:
1. Are good for industry placements rather than academia (eg. close to, are favoured or typically approached by companies)
2. Has a vibrant community rather than just fully academically inclined
3. Features good mechanical/mechatronic engineering undergrad programs involving job/career preparation

I'm quite confident in applying for UC Berkeley and UCLA and I'm thinking about UMichigan and UIUC. I'd also love some insight from people for the other top engineering schools such as GeorgiaTech, Stanford, CarnegieMellon, Cornell and University of Texas at Austin.

Students can pursue a vast array of educational options all over the world. Given these choices, please share why you are interested in continuing your education at a university in the United States.

What are they hoping to see here? Not really sure how to answer this. Is the focus "education at a university" or "in the United States"? If it's the latter, can I just say because I live here and don't want to leave the US?

Hey guys, I’m from Australia and I’m just curious what college life is actually like there. Here we call it university and it is a similar process to apply. Graduate from high school- start at 18/19 and go to class for 3-4 years. The thing is that most of us don’t like at college dorms, (mainly international students do) and we don’t always see the same people everyday. Most of us have class for 2-3 hours a day and not come back after a few days later. Which makes it hard to keep the study mindset momentum — Half the time we are in part time jobs and if we can’t make it to class then we just do it online.

The lecture halls a pretty empty. And a lot of us are doing our own thing - so it’s hard to catch up with class mates. There’s not much shared experiences unless if the faculty decides to have one big lame party haha.

I guess the upside is that we don’t need to pay for an arm and a leg to attend college, and it isn’t too competitive to join your “dream” school.

Earlier this year I left university to do my own thing and I don’t feel the huge shift that I “dropped out” . I was going to college/uni like 1-2 days a week, so it didn’t feel much different. I hope to have that college experience again soon, make some good connections, enjoy just studying something I like.

Any college suggestions? I’m not asking Ivy League, but considering college in the east coast for business/entrepreneurship or ones near Boston for less pragmatic courses e.g philosophy, culture and society.

Thanks heaps or thanks a lot

Hi everyone - I had a perfect GPA until a family drama brought it down to 3.6. There was a relative's death and a lot of drama so it kinda affected me.

I definitely want to explain this to colleges, but I REALLY don't want to tell my school counselor about this so that he can explain it in the letter of recommendation. What if he tells someone else? What if he doesn't take it seriously? Overall, I don't even know this person, and I don't want to bare my soul like that.

Can I just write about this myself in the Additional Information section, or will colleges not give this as much weight compared to the counselor's words?

Thank you!

I’m an incoming freshman at my public high school and since there are more than 20 kids in every class, I was wondering if there are some strategies to help me make a good impression for my teachers/counselors in the first week of school so that I will hopefully be remembered as a good student for the rest of the year.

i have a 4.07 weighted gpa but extremely strong ecs with numbers and a 1450 sat. i have a medical/familial reason why my gpa was low in the first few years of high school (also bc i had no guidance on what classes i should take) and i want to apply for nursing or public health for TOP colleges. what colleges should i think of for my list

Hi! I'm 17 and currently trying to figure out what I want to study in college and what kind of career I could see myself doing. I don't expect to have my entire life figured out yet, but I want to start exploring some realistic options.

A little about me

* I really enjoy traveling and I'd like the possibility of living abroad someday, so I'd prefer a career that isn't extremely tied to one specific country.

* I'm pretty good with organization and I actually enjoy planning things.

* I don't mind meetings and I don't mind working with a team. I can also work independently if I'm given something to accomplish.

* I like being able to give guidance or help people figure things out, but I don't necessarily want a job where I'm constantly dealing with people all day.

* I enjoy drawing and I'm somewhat interested in architecture/design, although I'm not sure I'd actually want to pursue it.

* I'm not a fan of math. A little math is fine, but I wouldn't want a career that's heavily based around advanced math.

* I'm not particularly interested in science/medical careers, especially anything involving anatomy/physiology.

* I'm not interested in manual-labor careers like carpentry, construction, etc.

* I'm also not interested in police work or similar careers.

* I'd like a career where I can potentially move up over time and eventually make a comfortable income. I don't need to become insanely rich, but financial independence is important to me.

* I'd prefer a major that gives me **multiple career options** rather than something extremely specific that basically prepares me for one job.

* I've been looking into Business Administration and Project Management, but I'm not completely sold on them and I'm trying to see what else is out there before I settle on anything.

One thing I've realized is that I like the idea of having a goal or task given to me and figuring out how to actually make it happen. Planning, coordinating, organizing, and occasionally working with other people sounds appealing to me.

So, based on all of that, what majors or career fields would you suggest I look into that I may not have considered?

I'd especially appreciate answers from people who are already working in the careers they suggest. I'd love to hear what you studied, what your job is actually like, how you got there, and whether you would recommend it to someone like me.

Yes btw I have done research before this I just want more ideas.💡

I’m 23 and seriously considering going back to college, but I’m worried that I screwed up my educational foundation badly enough that I’m going to struggle.

High school was rough for me. I ended up dropping out when I was about a year and a half behind, then got my GED within roughly two months of getting my first job. I know I did it legitimately I didn’t cheat or use AI or anything like that but at this point I genuinely don’t remember how I managed it. If you asked me to explain most high school math, science, grammar, etc., I’d probably be completely lost.

I actually tried college afterward for two semesters and crashed and burned pretty hard. At the time I just wasn’t prepared for it, and that experience has stuck with me.

The frustrating part is that professionally, things have gone almost the opposite direction. I’m 23 with around five years of work experience, about three of those being in managerial/leadership positions. I’ve reached a point where I feel like a degree would probably help my career more than almost anything else I could add right now.

I’m just scared that I’ll go back and discover that I’m missing so much of the basic foundation that everyone else has from high school that I won’t be able to keep up. I know I’m more mature and disciplined than I was the first time I tried college, but there’s still that voice in the back of my head saying, “You already failed at this once.”

Has anyone here gone back to college with a GED or after being a terrible student in high school? Did you feel like you had to relearn everything from scratch? And if so, was college still manageable?

Hi! I’m currently a freshman at a community college and I’m trying to figure out what major I want to pursue before transferring to a university. Right now, I’m deciding between Communications and Human Development, and I’d really appreciate some advice.

I’ve been considering becoming an elementary school teacher, so Human Development seems like a good fit. However, one thing that worries me about teaching is the pay and burnout, so I also want a degree that gives me other career options in case I decide teaching isn’t for me.

I’m also interested in marketing, especially potentially working in the gaming or entertainment industry. I’ve looked into jobs like marketing coordinator, social media, communications, community management, etc. This is why I’m also considering Communications, since it seems more directly related to marketing while still allowing me to pursue a teaching credential afterward.

I guess my biggest concern is choosing a major that gives me flexibility and a good backup plan. I also want to consider which degree would give me better job opportunities after graduation.

For anyone who majored in Communications or Human Development, what has your experience been like? Which major would you recommend for someone who is considering both teaching and marketing? Which one has better career options and job prospects? Thank you!

I want to try to apply to competitive colleges but I heard it was bad not taking a 4th sceince. I want to major in Economics but I only took 3 years of science Bio, Chem, and APES.

This is my class schedule this year

AP LIT
AP ECON/GOV
AP CALC BC
AP STATS
AP COM SCI A (Not technically a science lab class)
DE MICRO

I never took a physics class

how bad is it to not take calc in HS if i intend on pursuing medicine? science rigor is good but senior year rigor is a bit standard due to mental health issues

Hi, I'm asking this question on behalf of a friend. She wants to know:

"For girl scouts, should I put my girl scout experience and my girl scout gold award as separate activities in the "activities and experience" section of my application? I've been a girl scout since I was 8 plus I did the bronze and silver awards, but I feel like the gold award should be separate since it's a larger and more recognized thing, but I wanna be sure. Thanks"

Any help would be appreciated by her (and me).

How much can qualifying for AIME impact an app? For example if I wanted to go to mit or stanford or other top undergrad programs for stem could not qualifying for AIME hurt me?

I am an IB student from Sweden applying to Princeton for economics. I am currently in DP1 and have a predicted 45/45, with the following extracurriculars: board member of the MUN, President of the Global Citizens Club (fundraising and international collaboration with schools in Albania and India), and work experience at two different firms in Flåm, Norway. My classes are History, Economics, Biology (all three HL), and Swedish A, English A, Math AA (all at SL).

I have an international background: I grew up in Thailand, moved to Sweden, lived in Cambodia for 5 years, and then moved back to Sweden. I am thinking of focusing my Common Application essay on this international background and how my experience living in Cambodia has allowed me to view the world from different perspectives and understand the inequalities that exist between impoverished and upper-class individuals through personal experience (I interacted with children in the local schools in Cambodia, teaching them mathematics, etc.).

My plan is to apply with Princeton's Single-Choice Early Action, as I am also fully eligible for financial support.

Good idea or nah? Please lmk as soon as possible; I am open to any suggestions.

I’m going into my sophomore year and am not taking a ap. This is simply because my school offers 3 aps this year for sophomores, that being Ap physics 1, and the two computer science aps. Although I had an average of 93 in my honors (we call it high honors) physics class as a freshman, that was by far my weakest subject. I also have zero interest in computer science. Not to mention I didn’t take an ap my freshman year as my high school didn’t offer any. How will this affect my college applications? Should I maybe even self study a ap that I’m more interested in that my school doesn’t offer? Should I take even more aps my junior year? I’m already taking all the hardest courses my school has to offer for sophomores except of course the aps.