The ACT was first introduced in 1959, and it’s safe to say that many things have changed since then! Over the years, the test has been updated and adapted to reflect the norms of the current educational landscape. For students taking the test in February 2024 and beyond, a big change is coming. Starting then, students taking the test will have an option to take it digitally or with paper and pencil. What do you need to know about these changes, and how do you decide which format is right for you? Let’s take a closer look! The Content is the Same One important thing to note is that the test it ..read more

College for free? For many American students, it sounds too good to be true (though there are plenty of places abroad where free tuition is the norm). While it might not be the standard practice in the United States, there is a growing list of schools who provide free tuition to eligible students. What do you need to know in order to take advantage of this potentially amazing opportunity? Let’s take a closer look. Finding Tuition-Free Colleges Doing a simple search for “tuition-free colleges” will provide you with some starting places, but you need to be careful about the sources you ..read more

As you unpack the boxes in your dorm room or apartment and get settled in for the next year of college classes, there’s a good chance you’ll be making new friends. For many students, there will also be romantic sparks flying. Dating during college can be a thrilling and exciting experience. Many people even meet their future spouses while in college. Even if you aren’t quite ready to pick out venues and floral arrangements, having a plan for safe dating on campus is a smart move. Five Tips for Dating Safely on Campus 1. Let Someone Know Where You’ll Be As HerCampus&nb ..read more

As you head off for the shopping spree before your freshman year of college, you may be feeling lots of things: excitement about having your own space, nervousness about being away from home, overwhelmed about just what to buy! Planning your college experience comes with plenty of checklists about must-haves. You know what books your classes require, and Res Life probably gave you a solid list of dorm room essentials. But what about the personal touches that turn your dorm into your home? Here are five tips for making your space uniquely yours from day one! Tip 1: Get a Plant Most dorms don’t ..read more

The term “neurodivergence” has entered the vocabulary of the general public — and for good reason. As Cleveland Clinic explains, the word is an umbrella term that “describes people whose brain differences affect how their brain works. That means they have different strengths and challenges from people whose brains don’t have those differences.” As you might imagine, having differences that impact how the brain works is especially note-worthy in an educational setting. If traditional educational approaches are geared toward neurotypical brain function, those with neurodivergence may find ..read more

ChatGPT has taken the world by storm. It’s clear that the AI writing technology is going to disrupt industries and change the way many people do day-to-day tasks, but should it change the way students create their college admissions materials? The answer may be more complicated than you think. Let’s dive into the do’s and don’ts of using AI-assisted writing in your admissions process. DON’T: Use ChatGPT to Generate Your Personal Statement or Writing Sample First and foremost, it is unethical to submit work that you didn’t write as your own. You already know that. You wouldn’t (we hope) hire s ..read more

While some college students may end up in a single room or commute from home, most first-year students who live on campus are going to end up paired with a roommate (or possibly grouped with two or three other people). There are plenty of benefits to having roommates including some built-in friendships to combat the loneliness of living away from home for the first time. However, close quarters can make for some awkward or downright hostile moments. Let’s look at some ways you can set yourself up for roommate success! Before You Go: Getting a Good Roommate Match While many colleges actually p ..read more

It may be hard to imagine now, but before the ubiquity of the computer, applying to college was a much more time-consuming and tedious chore where applicants and counselors had to write/type answers to the same questions on every application; there wasn’t even a cut and paste feature. In 1975, a handful of private institutions banded together and created a common application form that could be photocopied and used to apply to any of the schools within the group. At the time, the goal was primarily aimed at looking beyond surface-level measures and taking a holistic approach to understanding st ..read more

A strong letter of recommendation can do a lot to help your application for admission or a scholarship stand out from the crowd. A great letter couched in lots of details that bring you to life for the committee can even be a force that helps override weaknesses elsewhere in your application. Getting a letter from someone who knows you well and can speak to your strengths with authenticity and heart goes a long way. So how do you get such a letter? Let’s go through the steps. Step 1: Make a List of Potential Recommenders Before you can go any further, you need to decide who you will ask to wr ..read more

The so-called “gap year” saw a steep rise in popularity in the 1980s. As matriculation from high school to college became more and more expected for the population at large, many students found the intensity of moving from the structure of high school to the expectations of their future career to be an uncomfortable squeeze. Over the decades, a gap year has become a way to step back, reflect, and arrive at college with more intention and attention. Organizations have stepped in to fill the (pardon the pun) gap in order to provide exploring college-bound learners with opportunities for explora ..read more