Varsity Tutors brings you insider tips and advice straight from nationally recognized admissions experts. Drusilla Dee Blackman has had a long and varied career in the field of college admissions. She is the former Dean of Undergraduate Admissions and Financial Aid for Columbia University, as well as the former Dean of Graduate Admissions and Financial Aid at Harvard University’s School of Arts and Sciences. She has a B.S. from Brown University and an M.A. in psychology from Yale. She is the founder of The Ivy Dean. How far ahead of time should a student begin working on his or her college application? Dee: It is never too early to beg ...阅读更多About Ask an Admissions Expert: Drusilla Dee Blackman

“Well-rounded” is a term that pops up heavily in conversations around college prep and applications. From these conversations, it’s easy to formulate the idea that the well-rounded student is class valedictorian, star-player on the basketball team, and local newspaper intern—as well as prom king or queen. This is a myth; there are many different kinds of “well-rounded” students. Depending on your interests and skills, here’s what it means to be a well-rounded student: Academics You don’t have to take all AP courses your senior year in order to be considered well-rounded. While you’ll defi ...阅读更多About What Does It Mean to Be a “Well-Rounded” Student?

好像你没有足够的决策的college applicant, you also need to decide which college application to use. Should you go with the Common Application or the Universal College Application (or apply directly through the university)? Both allow you to create a consolidated submission that contains your demographic information, extracurricular activities, grade point average, and other important information all in one place. Using either application can also save you time and prevent you from writing the same information over and over again. So what is the difference between the two, and which should you use? Consider the ...阅读更多About Common App vs. Universal College App: Which Should You Use?

Varsity Tutors brings you insider tips and advice straight from nationally recognized admissions experts. Dr. Michele Hernández is the co-founder of Top Tier Admissions, which provides college and graduate school admissions assistance and college counseling to students from around the world. Dr. Hernández previously served four years as the Assistant Director of Admissions at Dartmouth College and is the author of several best-selling books: A is for Admission, The Middle School Years, Acing the College Application, and Don’t Worry You’ll Get In, which she wrote with Mimi Doe. She graduated from Dartmouth Co ...阅读更多About Ask an Admissions Expert: Dr. Michele Hernández

By now, you’ve likely heard a lot about the changes to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Students in college (or enrolling in college) are strongly encouraged to fill out a FAFSA each school year, as the form determines eligibility for financial aid, such as grants and student loans. However, you may not have heard about the different types of loans that are made available through the FAFSA. Two of the most popular types of loans you may be offered through the U.S. Department of Education are subsidized and unsubsidized loans. But which one do you want or qualify for? Here are some of the major differences betwe ...阅读更多About What are the Differences Between Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans?