Top Tier Admissions
Back to school season is here! For high school seniors, that means a lot of last firsts: last first day of high school, last first Senior Trip, and the last first college applications. Soak. It. All. In. Although deadlines are approaching for early action and the first round of early decision, there is still time […]
The passing of Labor Day signals the unofficial end of summer for high schoolers, and cooling fall breezes bring college application deadlines into view. In search of inspiration for starting their main Common Application essay, many seniors will turn to troves of examples like Johns Hopkins’ Essays That Worked or the Harvard Crimson’s book of […]
During my four years reading applications in the Dartmouth admissions office, I reviewed thousands of college essays. Let me be blunt: most were bad. At least 75% were cringeworthy. Of the 25% that were decent, maybe 10% were truly great. So why are so many essays — from smart, capable students — so deeply mediocre? […]
Each year, Ivy League supplemental essay prompts offer insight into what the most selective institutions value in their applicants. For the 2025–26 application cycle, the “Ancient Eight” are urging students to reveal deeper aspects of who they are beyond grades and test scores. They are pushing applicants to dig deeper to reveal what they represent, […]
Cornell University, an Ivy League institution in Ithaca, New York, has an undergraduate population of over 15,000 students. Effective for students applying for Fall 2026 and beyond, first-year applicants are required to submit standardized test scores. However, each of Cornell’s undergraduate colleges has its own requirements for admission and a distinctive set of majors — […]
The Senior Year Roadmap
Every deadline from August to May – test dates, applications. decisions – in one place. Signup to download the full 9-page Senior Year Roadmap (PDF)