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Applications & Essays

Writing An Effective Resumé For High School Students Applying To College How to Write and Make the Most of this One Page

Your college application gives you 150 characters to describe an activity. A resume gives you room to show what you actually did, why it mattered, and what else deserves attention. But more space doesn't mean more filler! Here's how to build a clear, one-page resume for high school students, choose experiences worth including, describe results with useful detail, and help admissions officers see the person behind the titles. See examples of stronger descriptions and smarter formatting.

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Applications & Essays

Not Submitting Your Test Scores May Be Hurting More Than It Is Helping. The Full Guide On When You Should Submit Your SAT or ACT Scores

Think your SAT or ACT score is too low to submit? Not necessarily. A score below a college’s typical range can still provide valuable information when admissions officers consider the context in which you earned it. We look at what score ranges actually mean, surprising Dartmouth research on test-optional admissions, and how to decide whether to submit, retake, or spend your limited application time somewhere else.

Applications & Essays

The AI Admissions Rulebook Think Before You Prompt

No school-specific AI policy doesn’t mean no rules. Here is what the research and the Common App’s fraud policy say, plus two checklists to help you use AI around your work and never in place of it.

Applications & Essays

Writing Tips: You’re Answering Your Dream College's Supplemental Essay (s) the Wrong Way (Probably...)

The 2026/2027 admissions season is changing, and last year’s application checklist is no longer enough. From essays that accidentally tell the same story 10 times to college lists built around acceptance rates instead of actual fit, small decisions can have bigger consequences than you think. Here are the first 3 of our 6 tips for building a stronger application. And yes, you’ll want Part 2 before deciding you already have this figured out!