Attention parents of future college students! Prep Expert has put together your complete college admissions process guide, carefully designed to help you understand and navigate every step of your student’s journey to college acceptance. Join us as we explain how to create a strategic application timeline and offer resources to support both you and your college-bound child. Discuss Your Child’s Goals The first step in any parent’s college admissions plan…

The financial strain of applying to college can be overwhelming for prospective students. From the cost of standardized testing to travel expenses when visiting campuses, there are many small expenses that pile up during the admissions process. In this guide, we will focus on college application fees, providing information about what they are and how to apply wisely as well as a complete list of colleges with no application fee…

College essays present students with a special opportunity to show the admissions board at their dream school who they are outside of their test scores and academic achievements. For many students, such an important opportunity can feel like a lot of pressure, leaving them fretting over what to cover in their 650 word allotment. Read on to discover the features that make a college essay stand out, which subjects to…

Some students breathe a sigh of relief when they hear that a test will be multiple choice. However, multiple choice tests often prove to be some of the hardest ones to ace, especially as you move past the high school level into national and collegiate tests. Questions and answers may be worded with more subtlety, leading you to choose the wrong answer if you don’t take the time to read…

The average GPA for high school students in the United States is at an all-time high. However, research indicates that this average might not be on the rise for the right reasons. Students don’t seem to be learning more as their grades increase. Rather, as shifts in grading, curriculum, and learning scales occur, students’ grades are artificially increasing, meaning that transcripts no longer reflect true academic ability. This phenomenon is…

The admissions process is vastly different for all students. Some may have little to no idea which school they will end up choosing and end up applying to a wide variety of options across the country. Others have had their dream school in mind for years and plan to apply there along with only a handful of backup safety schools. For the latter pool of students, restrictive early action may…

If your heart is set on moving or staying out east for college, you may want to consider attending Columbia University in New York.  Columbia’s renowned research programs, high quality faculty, top notch academic programs, and proximity to some of the top cultural experiences in the nation have rightfully made Columbia one of the most prestigious schools in the Ivy League. However, while Columbia is ranked as one of the…

When college admission officers evaluate applicants, they look for students who are the total package. Sure, they want to admit students with high cumulative GPAs and great standardized test scores, but they also pay close attention to recommendation letters, volunteer experiences, and extracurricular activities. Unfortunately, students often hurt their chances of admission because they don’t pay enough attention to their participation in extracurricular activities. While almost every student knows that…

Diet is important when it comes to learning. Besides knowledge, you do need actual “brain food” to keep the mind sharp, improve your attention span, and be cognitively flexible. When it’s time for you to take the SAT, the foods you eat that morning and the night before can make a big difference as you’re testing. While you’ll also want to spend months studying and know critical SAT test day…

Although Duke is not a member of the Ivy League, it is a highly prestigious school with a low acceptance rate, making it one of the most competitive schools in the nation.  According to Duke University’s independent news organization The Chronicle, the acceptance rate for the class of 2026 was only 6.2%. While Duke is highly selective, if you have been dreaming of being a Blue Devil, you don’t have…