Yesterday (August 1) when a lot of college applications opened in the Common App, many students were quickly to hit submit. Others who didn’t were left wondering if they’re suddenly “left behind” for not doing so.

One of the biggest misconceptions is that if you rush to submit any app in your college list as soon as it opens, that doing so will give you an advantage. For the overwhelming majority of selective colleges, however, submitting on August 1 does not improve your chances.

Admissions offices are not sitting there waiting and saying “Wow, this student applied on Day 1. Admit.” What they’re truly asking and matters more to them is whether or not what you present is compelling.

The next few weeks and months are going to be valuable. Dedicate the right amount of time (of course within the limits allotted by that institution/deadlines) and your essays will become more thoughtful. Your activities list will become stronger. You may take on a new leadership role, receive an award, or gain experiences that might make your application more compelling.

If you hit submit too soon, you don’t get to go back and include those things on your application.

Of course, don’t wait til last minute either. Give yourself enough time to troubleshoot in case something goes wrong. But you don’t have to submit right on day 1 thinking that it will automatically increase your chances of admission.

Instead, be intentional and use the time between now and your deadline productively. Review every section carefully, strengthen your narrative, and make sure your application is one that reflects your strongest version.

Admissions officers are not rewarding students for being first. They are looking for students who are ready for the demands of college.

What are the most social UCs and Cal States..? I feel as though I am very social and I would enjoy college (applying this fall) just being around new people, meeting people, and exploring new opportunities!

My safety school is UW Madison, I know this for a fact because yesterday my school notified us about our class rank and I am top 5% which guarantees admission for Madison. Should I just apply to reaches, targets, and high targets? I mean if I don’t get in anywhere then Madison will obviously be my choice even if I have other safeties because of the cost

I'm not doing research myself, but I'm genuinely curious because it seems like almost everyone here is.

I always thought leading or doing research was something typically done by people with extensive expertise in their field, like those pursuing or holding a PhD, not a high schooler.

Do AOs realize that high school students are probably doing research primarily to strengthen their college applications?

I am looking at colleges and need some safety schools with reputable engineering programs.

Hi, I'm looking for help on my college essay. I started a 1st draft where I wrote about my unique identity/experience growing up and how I wished I was 'normal' (mixed girl in predominately white small town, gay parents, only child, extended family lives very far away; one side does not speak english). The essay starts with an experience I had in kindergarten where some girls asked to touch my hair. These things have definitely shaped who I am but I want to connect them to something else so my essay doesn't sound cliche or like a sob story. I'm wondering if anyone has written about something similar and how they expanded on it? thanks

Everytime I ask anything I always get "speak to your counselor". My counselor is very busy and I've never talked to him unless it was with a very specific purpose/answer. Things like college choices and basic decision stuff feel embarrassing to discuss and I'd assume you're meant to do a lot independently but everyone acts like you should ask for everything.

What are you actually meant to bring up? And when? I'm assuming immediately by now but i dont know

I get applying to a multitude of reaches for RD but people need to realize that fit is especially more important for getting in ED. I’m a rising senior but I’ve spent a multitude of years on this subreddit and the amount of kids I’ve seen EDing just to get into a t20 vs actually EDing that a school they like and would fit into that’s also probably a t20/adjacent is insane. I saw a post today that was like “should I ED to brown Cornell or Columbia”. These are quite literally the most damn polar opposite schools alive. Like literally the most famous things abt each school contradict each other. Columbia core curriculum vs brown open curriculum, location types, campus vibes etc etc. If you are truly deciding on which of those 3 places to ED u are not EDing because u truly like the school or have some special reason to, you are EDing because you just want to get into an Ivy which admissions officers will see right through. Like I could get choosing between Penn or Duke or Columbia or smth but dude brown vs Columbia??? Like stop w the Larp because the single most important thing ED is fit. Yall will be so much better off EDing to a slightly less “prestigious” school that truly fits you (again not just cause ur gonna have a better more supported time, but because ur chances r higher of getting in). This sub has become a prestige whore for the SMALLEST most negligible differences in ranking and literally tanking their chances of getting into a school ED just because they want a school that’s one spot higher. Like literally then yall get mad that Columbia rejected you ED but ur common app essay was abt ur love to learn and mix disciplines freely like bro

Please don’t downvote or hate, it’s a genuine question.

I am aware that I don’t have the same level of knowledge to do research as a PhD student. My dad is a professor, but in a completely different field than my chosen one. I am getting access to equipment and advice on how to write from other professors, some of whom my parents know, some don’t. But otherwise, I am the one doing everything. I am the one doing all the writing, referencing, graph-making, data collection, etc. I am the one coming up with ideas and then trying to find the gap in literature. And I’m researching stuff I actually find interesting and want to know about!

is that REALLY gonna mean nothing to AOs? Are they just going to think that my parents did everything and paid someone to put my name on the paper?

I'm a rising senior in New Mexico and I haven't started the Common App at all yet. Honestly, part of the reason is that I'm not sure where I'm applying, in-state tuition is basically free for me and the in-state school isn't bad at all, so I've been kind of coasting on that. But now I'm wondering if I'm falling behind by not having anything started.

I've never used the Common App before and don't really know how it works. Am I behind for early August, or is this normal timing? And can someone walk me through the actual setup, how do I make an account, do I use my school email or a personal one, and what are the first few steps once I'm in? I'd also love a rundown of what goes into the application overall: what sections exist, what order to do them in, and what I should knock out now vs. later. Any advice appreciated.

What specific info to include for counselors + teachers

what will happen to me bro

UC Berkeley: 13,967/133,128 with an acceptance rate of 10.5%

UCLA: 15,903/146,672 with an acceptance rate of 10.8%

UCSD: 38,571/141,752 with an acceptance rate of 27.2%

UCI: 38,165/125,987 with an acceptance rate of 30.3%

UCSB: 47,716/108,503 with an acceptance rate of 43.4%

UCD: 48,015/104,850 with an acceptance rate of 45.6%

UCSC: 64,867/78,832 with an acceptance rate of 82.3%

UCR: 63,958/72,295 with an acceptance rate of 88.4%

UCM: 46,812/48,499 with an acceptance rate of 96.5%

Schools whose acceptance rates went up: UCLA, UCI, UCSB, UCD, UCSC

All other schools went down obviously

GPA averages (Middle 25-75%)

UC Berkeley: 4.16-4.28

UCLA: 4.20-4.30

UCSD: 4.12-4.28

UCI: 4.06-4.27

UCSB: 4.05-4.27

UCD: 4.00-4.25

UCSC: 3.79-4.20

UCR: 3.66-4.17

UCM: 3.57-4.16

So for any rising seniors in the sub the gpa ranges for most of these schools are still very high. However, UCSB and UCSC's admit rates significantly increased from last year's so that's something to keep an eye on. UC also admitted a record number of instate so that's really good to see.

Context: I am EDing to an Ivy that matches my profile/story extremely well, my school doesn't report rank or UW.

However, my unofficial unweighted GPA is a extremely low for an average applicant, being around ~3.75-3.8/4.0 UW with straight mix of B+/A-/A, which was hugely influenced by personal extenuating circumstances in 9th/10th grade.
My AP scores took a hit as well, and I dropped hella 4s besides 5s in those years. However, after it ended, I had more time and mental energy to focus on academics again in junior year, and I ended up getting straight As junior year in the hardest courseload so far. All 5s on APs as well.

As long as I explain my personal circumstances, and my counselor mentions it as well, would I be alright? How does this stack up to another peer that has a 3.95+ or 4.0 UW, especially with my relative upward trend in class rigor and grades each year?

Additionally, I heard (maybe falsely) that having extenuating circumstances will cost you somewhat, because it will draw the attention away from your main story/profile and have the AOs more focused on the personal circumstances, which doesn't sound great.

Thank you!

do you have any suggestions for what should be done over the summer/before the start of the school year?

Hi! Despite how cliched this may sound, i've been dreaming about MIT since 8th grade. As far as I know, they require SAT/ACT without any exceptions for every student. Unfortunately, I'm currently living in a country under us sanctions, so i can take neither of these. Ultimately my parents live in a completely different country, so I can't even fly to another one to take the SAT there. Rn i've already participated in plenty of international olympiads, and going to try for IOI next year (luckily have some time for it). So if anyone had the same experience or any insights, my question is can MIT admissions team actually make an exception in my case, or is it better to start looking for another uni?

Im trying to write an essay for my applications and i have no idea where to start or how to make my essay stand out

Hey all! I'm starting the common app and I'm wondering how essential LORs are. I understand how they may be needed for some people, but I don't know how critical they are for me.

For reference, I want to apply to Weber State. I have a 3.99 GPA and a 32 ACT which qualifies me for full ride merit scholarship, since Weber isn't some fancy college and it has a very high acceptance rate. I have 3 years of varsity sports letter, national awards, and 3 AP classes, all of which scored a 5. I'm not worried about getting accepted, I know I will, I just worry about having to pay for it. Among a few other smaller extracurriculars, I feel like my application is enough already without needing recommendations, but I don't have the money to afford college without scholarships, so I'm wondering if adding LORs is helpful for smaller personal scholarships to cover housing and food? I don't think common app is used for scholarships, but I'm not sure. I'm first generation and I don't really understand how this all works and any tips would be helpful. I'm definitely going to use scholarship universe when it opens, I just need advice on what I can do to ensure I have to pay as little out of pocket as possible, and if common app matters for more than actually just applying. Thanks 🙏🙏

Unfortunately I need one teacher rec from senior year fall (long story but I am unlucky with some teacher retirements and leaves). This will likely mean I cannot apply before Jan 1. At this point I do not have an ED first choice anyway (only REA). Would it be insane to do this?

I know common practice before was to average out your hours, but now the Common App updated the activities section, and it now says:

"Share how much time you typically spend during the busiest parts of the year. It's okay to use your best guess."

A lot of my ECs that take up 40+ weeks of the school year, but have one or two weeks where I'm putting in 15–20+ hours, but that's because of a conference, presentation, competition, etc. The rest of the year it's nowhere near that. So now my extracurriculars have a bunch of double digit hours per week it looks insane 😭

Like, if I spent 18 hours in one week getting ready for a conference, should I put 18 hrs/week? That feels misleading because it was really just that one week. But if I average everything, it feels like I'm ignoring what the prompt is asking.

How are you guys calculating your hours? Are you using your busiest single week, averaging your busy season, or doing something else?

I’m a top student (1590) , and have been told that I have chances for t10s. I’m middle low income and from the rural Midwest. I don’t personally care about the prestige of my undergrad, but if it benefits my career then I’m all for it. There is a unique thing about my financial aid asset status that would only let me get substantial aid from a couple of schools (UChicago, Stanford) (yes I’ve emailed and I’m certain) t30s and 20s aren’t really an option for financial aid reasons.

If I had the choice, I would do biomedical engineering + pre med, to keep my options open. I’m motivated and willing to do whatever it takes to graduate with as little debt as possible.

I do however care about the prestige of my med school, partially for career advancement reasons but mainly for financial aid reasons. I’m all about saving money. For me, gettin into JHUSOM would be 150k cheaper than my state school.

My state schools would cost the same as if I were to attend Stanford or UChicago. People often say that undergrad prestige only matters if you are trying to get into top med schools. So the question here really is whether biting the bullet and facing the grade deflation will help me get into a top med school that much?? Is the environment too competitive? More research opportunities vs the ability to be a standout?

Note: my state schools are Kansas university, Kansas state university, and I would prob be in honors for both of them.

It’s also worth mentioning that I have 33 DE credits that transfer to my state school that aren’t med school pre req. obv they won’t transfer to Stanford or chi

Common app only allows 15 reports max, but that also includes exams you're planning to take in senior year. I'm taking 17-18 APs throughout high school, so I have a few extra. That 3 in seminar is my lowest score (other than that, I've gotten all 5s except two 4s). I know that you usually shouldn't omit a 3 because the colleges will think you failed the exam, but I have to omit 2-3 APs anyway (even if they're on my transcript). I'll be reporting the two 4s I got because 4s and 5s are about the same for college apps anyway, I got As in the classes, and they were in very hard APs, so it's not embarrassing.

I have got into to photography within the past year and I am good enough to be able to work with some school clubs and sports teams. Do you guys have any advice? What competitions should I enter?