Episode 005 Transcript:
Rapid-Fire Q&A in Live Office Hours with Ruchi S. Kothari
April 6, 2021 by Ruchi S. Kothari
Hey guys, welcome to the episodes Be Collegebound with IvyBound! I’m your host, Ruchi S. Kothari. I’m super excited that you’ve joined me.
Today, I have a bonus episode for you. In fact, it’s extra special because I provide a rapid-fire college admissions Q&A session in the Live Office Hours with myself, Ruchi S. Kothari. I’ll be answering all that and some more in a few.
Be CollegeBound with IvyBound is a series designed for people like you– high schoolers and their parents, where I advise, guide and support you through your college admissions journey, offering you admissions tips, tricks, and secrets to stand out and present your “best self” on your college applications. These strategies are easy to implement yet very impactful, helping you to get admitted into the college of your dreams, and create a future that you would love.
Do you want to get your dream school? Of course, you do. Well, stay tuned.
Since I started the Be CollegeBound with IvyBound Series I’ve been getting hundreds of questions from high schoolers and their parents on their high school to college journey, and on everything and anything under the sun about college admissions. Instead of only answering three questions per episode, I am dedicating this entire episode answering the questions that I received from you– high schoolers and parents of one. I’ll be providing you practical and implementable advice so that you are well on your college admissions journey to the college of your choice. I told you that it’s this an extra special episode.
Let’s get started with the Rapid-Fire Q&A Session in Live Office Hours with myself, Ruchi S. Kothari. Just so you know these questions are answered by me randomly and are not placed in any special order or given a specific priority. If you would like a visual representation of the Q&A and would enjoy following along, download the transcript from my show notes for this episode at https://ivyboundconsulting.com/005. No need t o frantically take notes, I’ve got you covered.
The first question is from Austin from Chicago, IL.
1. For math, I have a choice of taking an AP Calculus or AP Statistics class, which one should I take?
Hi Austin. You have really good choices here. Kudos to you for reaching an advanced-math level. It is always better to choose AP Calculus, whether its Calculus AB or BC, as your math course, especially if you are intending to major in the math, engineering or business fields. Highly-selective colleges, almost expect you to take some level of AP Calculus. I’m not saying that AP Statistics is not a nice advanced course to take, but it is oftentimes thought of as an elective course, rather than a major course like AP Calculus. With that being said, if your schedule allows it, you can consider taking both AP classes. If you would like to learn more about how to best select high courses, tune in to episode 003 at https://ivyboundconsulting.com/003. I provide lots of admissions tips, tricks and secrets to help you keep your academic courses competitive amongst other applicants.
Moving along to question #2. Ethan from Dallas, TX asks:
2. I’m currently a freshman in high school. I wanted to know how many clubs to join for it to look impressive on my college applications?
Hi Ethan, I’m glad you asked me this question because I find students, especially freshmen, join many clubs. It’s good to explore the entire gamut of your high school club offerings, but by sophomore year, you should narrow them down to three to four clubs that you enjoy and would like to commit your time to. Ethan, you should not join clubs just so they look impressive on your college applications. That’s not the right approach to looking at your extracurricular involvement or any other components of the college application for that matter. But, since we’re talking about impressing admissions officers, when they look at your extracurriculars, they are looking for the number of years of commitment and leadership in your chosen activities. So, Ethan, choose those clubs that exuberates your passion, commitment, and dedication.
Olivia from Providence, RI asks the third question:
3. Do colleges weigh the SAT and ACT equally? Or, is one preferred over the other.
Olivia that’s a good question. There was a time when more colleges accepted the SAT over the ACT. Today, both SAT and ACT are weighed equally and are accepted in lieu of each other by most, if not all, colleges. With that in mind, I wanted you to know many colleges offer score choice for the SAT. Fewer colleges offer that option for the ACT. Score choice is when a college takes the highest score of your subsections and then recalculates your composite score, usually giving you a higher score. It’s best to check the website of the college to confirm its score choice policy.
On to question #4. Randall from Rochester, NY asks
4. How important are the SAT Subject Tests? Are they required?
Hi Randall. SAT Subject tests are another type of standardized tests which test the student’s proficiency on a specific subject matter, be it Biology, Chemistry, US History, Spanish, Math. Please note, there are two levels of math– Math 1 and Math 2. If you would like, you may choose from 20 different subject matters. Going back to your question Randall, more and more colleges are not requiring SAT Subject tests as they want to level out the playing field with those students who may not be able to afford to prepare or take this test. That being said, many colleges “recommend” you to take two SAT Subject tests, if you can financially afford it. OK, listen up here, let me give you an admissions secret, when a college says “recommended” for the SAT Subject tests, this really means required. So, it’s always better to take two to three SAT Subject tests, maybe more if you are targeting the highly-selective colleges. To add to this, Randall, there are certain majors or departments, especially engineering, math and biology that require you to take specific SAT Subject tests. Again, it is best to double-check with the college’s website and the particular departments to confirm that you are meeting all testing requirements. I hope I made sense.
A quick subscriber shout out to Sara from Arlington, VA. Sara says, “Your last episode about selecting your academic courses was very informative. Thank you for explaining the differences in the goals and expectations of a high school guidance counselor and that of an admissions counselor at a college. My daughter especially liked the worksheet, How to Best Select Your High School Academic Courses, and the numerous admissions tips, tricks and secrets you provided on the topic. She’s all squared away for the upcoming year, actually for all three years that she has left of high school.”
Thank you so much, Sara. I’m so glad you and your daughter enjoyed my previous episode. I especially like hearing when my students start implementing the strategies that I provide to help them through the college admissions journey and to present their“best self” on your college applications. Keep tuning to the Be Collegebound by IvyBound! Series and don’t forget to share it with your friends.
Getting back to the rapid-fire Q&As. Anand from Costa Mesa, CA asks question #5.
5. What is need-blind admission?
Anand, need-blind admission means that a college will not factor in a student’s ability to pay tuition costs into the admissions decision. Yes, it’s really that simple! These universities only consider the non-financial parts of your application—like your essays, transcript, and letters of recommendation—when deciding whether to offer you admission. The idea here is that the admittance system becomes more merit-based: each student stands on their own achievement in high school, not on the wealth (or lack thereof) of their parents. Need-blind policies help admissions counselors evaluate each applicant on the basis of merit rather than economic class. As a result, need-blind admission policies tend to make the admissions process a little more competitive. Many colleges including Harvard, Stanford, Northwestern, Brown, Vanderbilt, MIT, University of Pennsylvania offer need-blind admission. Really good question Anand.
Question # 6 is submitted by Jane from St. Paul, MN.
6. What is the importance of AP exams on your college applications?
Hi Jane, this is a good question. So, important that I think it constitutes an entire episode explaining the purpose of the AP exams, why they were created, and what’s their significance now. But, to answer your question briefly, AP courses and exams were originally created for those students who were excelling in high school and wanted to advance to a college-level curriculum. At one point, clearing an AP exam enabled you to receive credit for the course or was used to measure your performance, enabling the student to move to a higher level in math or a foreign language, etc. Some colleges do still offer credit or placement after taking an AP exam, but most colleges do not these days. On the common app, AP exams are used as another data point to measure your academic aptitude. That’s really important, if you are in the AP curriculum, colleges may use your AP scores as another data point of your academic success. Hope I answered your question, Jane. Are we golden, rather Ivy? Good.
Ba from Sukhumvit, Thailand asks question #7.
7. How important are the supplemental essays?
The supplemental essays, ranging from entering a phrase with few characters to 650-word essays, are super important. If you didn’t hear me, super important! As you may know, supplemental essays are college-specific essays. This is when a college can ask any number of essays to get to understand you better. More importantly, through these essays, colleges want to understand why you want to attend their institution and how you can contribute to their college community. So, what do you think, how important are the supplemental essays? Most colleges consider them to be more important than your main essay. So, answer these questions wisely and thoughtfully, whatever the word count may be.
Onto question #8. I hope my subscribers are finding the rapid-fire Q&A session beneficial and actionable, enabling you to stand out and present your “best self” on your college applications. Kate from Baltimore, MD asks question #8.
8. When should I start taking standardized tests?
Kate, I could give you a hug right now because I tell all my students, time and time again, to start early with their testing. How early you may ask me? Well, you can start as early as May or June of freshman year to take a SAT Subject test, if you took a corresponding class, like Biology or Chemistry that year. For other Subject tests, I would wait until sophomore year. As far as the SAT and ACT are concerned, if possible, I would like you to start studying for them as early as second semester sophomore year, and possibly take the first SAT or ACT in June of your sophomore year. Then, I would suggest for you to carry on studying and preparing for the SAT or ACT into your junior year. If you are keen on starting early and setting testing goals, tune in to episode 001 of the Be Collegebound by IvyBound! Series at https://ivyboundconsulting.com/001. This is an extremely resourceful episode. In fact, to enable you to have a smooth high school to college journey, I provide you a downloadable worksheet, Your 2020 Goal Setting and Planning IvyBound Sheet. I encourage you to download it and maximize on it!
I’m super excited to announce today’s episode is sponsored by the college admissions online course, Applications that Get You Admitted!, which I will be releasing soon this year. This easy-to-follow, online course removes some of the stress, worry and anxiety the application process tends to create while empowering you to craft stellar applications that are unique to you! Applications that Get You Admitted! gives you the knowledge and skills to craft applications that showcase you in the best possible light.
If you’re a highly-motivated and driven high schooler or a parent of one looking to get into college while creating a future you will love, then you already know that the competition today is fierce and you need to craft seamless and cohesive applications to stand out and get admitted! If you agree with me, then I encourage you to listen to the end of this episode as I reveal incredible benefits and detail of this online course in further detail. Don’t miss it! This one thing alone, maybe your winning strategy in getting you admitted to the college of your dreams!
As I bring massive clarity and integrity into the college admissions process, I have helped many high schoolers through their journey with Applications that Get You Admitted!. And, I hope to help countless more. and sign up for the waitlist of this spectacular online course, so that you are promptly informed when the registration opens.
Ok, where were we with the rapid-fire Q & A session? Annmarie from Edinburgh, Scotland asks question #9.
9. How many colleges should you have on your college list when applying to college?
Good question Annmarie. The common app allows you to apply to twenty colleges. The UC app allows you to apply to nine UC colleges. If you do the math, you can apply to 29 colleges, and this doesn’t include MIT, Georgetown, or other colleges that have their own online application platform. This number is crazy, isn’t it? Do not, I repeat do not apply to 29 plus colleges, it’s just not feasible as most colleges require you to complete supplement essays that vary in numbers. Just for your information, Stanford has 11 of these supplements, many of them are pretty extensive. Annmarie, I suggest you create a manageable list of colleges to apply, I like to say 10-12 colleges so that you can make sure your essays are of quality work. More importantly, you maintain your mental sanity and don’t reach sheer exhaustion. My online course, Applications that Get You Admitted!. offers an entire module on how to create this balanced list of “best fit” colleges and then provides you step-by-step strategies on when to apply to these colleges on your list. Annmarie, I encourage you to sign up for the waitlist of Applications that Get You Admitted!.
David from Dubai, UAE submitted question #10.
10. I’m a US citizen living and going to high school in Dubai. Would my application be looked at as an international student or that of a domestic student?
Another really good question David. This one is a bit complicated and dependent on the college you are applying to. Generally speaking, since you are an American citizen, you are not considered an international student. You can still apply for financial aid and scholarships as a domestic student. However, your regional admissions officer will be the one who looks at applications from that region, in this case, Dubai or the Middle East. Remember, these rules may be different for each college. When in doubt, email or call the college itself and ask. It never hurts to double-check.
Onto question#11. Kandra asks from Scottsdale, AZ:
11. When do I apply to the UC colleges, and is it through the common app?
UC colleges do not use common or coalition apps. In fact, they have their own UC application platform, under which you can apply to all nine UC colleges. The UC application opens on August 1st of each year. The deadline to apply to all UC colleges is between November 1st to 30th, after that the submission is closed for that session. Please note, that the essay prompts are also a bit different from the common and coalition apps. Here, they are called personal insight questions. You must respond to four of the eight questions, each response with a maximum word count of 350. Good luck, Kandra.
Danielle asks question #12 from Pomona, CA.
12. Spring break is coming up, how should I best use this time?
Hi Danielle. This is a really good question and it seems like you are thinking beyond vacationing during Spring break. By all means, the first thing I would recommend you to take a break, and give yourself some downtime, whether that’s being local or taking that vacation. Other things I suggest are using this free time to go on college visits, in fact, you can make a vacation out of that. Another important thing I would recommend is to use some of this time to study for upcoming tests whether it is the SAT, ACT, SAT Subject tests, AP or IB exams.
If your multitasking, come back to me because I have another special announcement for you!! I’ll be releasing a FREE three-part video training series real soon, where I take you behind the scenes to explain to you the college admissions process today, and what admissions officers are looking for their ideal candidate. All my high schoolers and parents of one, this is a must-watch! As an added bonus, to help you through your college admissions process, I provide you with a FREE downloadable worksheet with each video. You don’t want to miss this if you are thinking of applying to college. Be the first to know when the video series is released, by signing up for the FREE three-part video training series at https://ivyboundconsulting.com/free. If you know of a friend or family member who can benefit from this FREE three-part video training series on college admissions, please go ahead and share the love. Good karma goes a long way.
Going back to the Q&A session, Sungmin from Seoul, South Korea asks question #13
13. I’m a junior who is thinking about letters of recommendation, when should I ask my teachers?
Hi Sungmin. Asking your teachers early is crucial to securing good letters of recommendation. The ideal time is to ask right after spring break of your Junior year. Set up a meeting to speak to your teachers and ask them if they would write your letters of recommendation. Confirm these recommenders by the end of the school year. Some teachers create a cap on the number of students they will write for, so it’s always better to ask early. Secondly, many teachers like to write their letters over the summer when they have more free time. The bottom line is Sungmin, have your teacher recommenders confirmed by the end of your Junior year.
Kendall from Boston, MA asks question #14.
14. What are colleges looking for in an applicant?
Your timing is perfect for this question Kendall. The Independent Educational Consultants Association (or IECA) for short is a trade association many college advisors like myself belong to today. So, IECA annually surveys its college admissions experts to determine what colleges want to see in their applicants. The key findings for 2020 reveal:
- While grades are important, colleges want to see students challenging themselves, willing to risk perfect GPAs by taking courses that demonstrate a willingness to take chances, including AP and IB coursework. Remember, what I said in episode 004, how to best choose your academic classes. If you missed this episode, go back to it at https://ivyboundconsulting.com/004. In fact, I even provide you a downloadable Ivybound worksheet, to help you to best choose your high school courses. So, don’t miss it.
- Despite all the talk about “test-optional,” scores on standardized tests, the SAT and ACT are critical components of the application.
- look for a long-term, passionate, authentic involvement in one or two extracurricular activities whether it’s in or out-of-school.
- Essays remain important components in the application, where clear and cogent writing matters. A great essay is one that tells a story, giving insight into a student’s unique personality.
- Finally, a factor students often don’t understand is the demonstration of interest and your enthusiasm for attending the college.
Boy, this was some behind-the-scenes information I provided you straight from the presses, so to speak. So, if you need to rewind 30 seconds and listen to the answer I provide you here again. Moving on…
Satya from Mumbai, India asks question #15.
15. What is the difference between early and regular decisions?
Satya, early and regular decisions are types of admissions plans that you may apply under. In fact, when to apply, whether it’s early or regular, can make all the difference whether or not you are admitted into a particular institution or not. More and more students are finding, applying early may be your winning strategy in terms of getting admitted to the college of your choice.
There are several different early plans, including early decision, which is binding, single-choice or restrive early action and early action, which is not binding. It’s more complicated than you think. In my online course, I dedicate an entire lesson on explaining the different plans, which ones are going to benefit you, and helping you craft an admissions strategy of when and where to apply early and which ones you could wait to apply to during the regular round. Listen up, I have two resources for you.
- 1. If you are interested in looking at the early and regular admit rates of the Top-50 Nationally ranked colleges and the Top 50 Liberal Arts colleges, then you should consider buying the worksheets I provide on just that. I have spent hours and hours, in fact, days and days compiling this data of 100 top colleges. This document is available to you for a mere cost of $27. You may purchase it at https://ivyboundconsulting.com/shop. It’s a good resource to have to understand the admit rates of the colleges you would like to apply to.
- 2. Consider signing up for the waitlist of my college admissions online course, Applications that Get You Admitted!, as it provides you the tools, resources and my personal guidance on how to craft your winning admissions strategy of when to apply early or regular to the colleges of your choice.
Question #16 is from Lila from Boston, MA. Lila asks:
16. What is the role of a college counselor like yourself?
As the college admissions process is getting more and more competitive and selective, people are seeking help from college counselors like myself. It is my job to provide advice, guidance, and support through the college admissions process. In fact, I have made it my purpose, which is to help each and every student of mine to get admitted to their “best fit” college. So, please reach out if you need guidance. Just DM me @ivyboundconsulting on Instagram, or PM me at @ivyboundconsulting on Facebook.
Just you know, students who have worked with me and used IvyBound Consulting’s services, like Applications that Get You Admitted!, have had amazing results. They have been admitted to many of the Top-50 Nationally ranked universities and Top 50 Liberal Arts colleges like Harvard, Stanford, Northwestern, University of Pennsylvania, UC Berkeley, Brown, University of Michigan, Pomona College, Barnard, NYU, Carnegie Mellon, Northeastern, UCLA, and more.
If you have any college admissions questions, please leave it in the comment box, so I can answer your question next time. I’m so thrilled to help you in any which way I can.
As we move forward with his episode, I am going to to answer questions you might have about my one-of-a-kind college admissions online course, Applications that Get You Admitted!
1. What is Applications that Get You Admitted! all about?
Applications that Get You Admitted! is the only “College Application” comprehensive, step-by-step program of its kind that looks at the college application in its entirety while guiding you on how to create and submit your applications on time so that you are admitted to your best fit colleges! This easy-to-follow, online course removes the stress, worry and anxiety the application process tends to create while empowering you to craft stellar applications that is unique to you!
Applications that Get You Admitted! has 4 modules which are subdivided into 9 lessons that cover each and every component of your college application!, with access to over 20 videos, IvyBound Sheets, and bonuses. I also offer numerous free bonuses for you throughout this course, like how to master your interviews or strategies you might take to get yourself off the waitlist so that you are eventually admitted. Each and every component is designed to empower you to craft stellar college applications.
2. What results can I expect?
If you put in the time and effort into completing all Modules, Lessons, IvyBound Sheets, and Bonuses, and answering all exercises, you will get closer to the results you are seeking. Premium members with amazing bonuses with like “Mapping out your Application,” essay help, and live consultation, achieve better and faster results. Our students, in general, have been admitted to the best colleges and universities around the world, including US Top 100 Colleges. To name a few, this includes the 8 Ivy Leagues, and Stanford and MIT.* Keep in mind, your academic records must meet the parameters of the college you are seeking. We’ll discuss this more in the course itself. The list of my admitted students keeps growing and growing.
3. How was this course created?
The course was created after spending a considerable amount of time conducting industry research, getting insight from many industry experts and admissions officers, analyzing case studies and surveys, and most importantly, having real-time conversations with high schoolers and their parents who are going through the college admissions process right now. It was my goal to understand the college admissions journey of a high schooler and his or her parents. Specifically, What do you think and feel about the college admissions process, your pain points and the hurdles you may face in the college process. After that, I took two more years to further refine the program to give you the most up-to-date, efficient and results-oriented version, and so that you complete the online course as quickly as possible and may get admitted to the colleges on your list.
4. Is this course primarily for Seniors?
Not really. Although, Seniors are actually the ones completing the applications. I strongly recommend my students to start early. Plan ahead so you can stand out. The college application has many deliverables, if you come to me a month or a week before your deadline, the most that can be done is to best arrange your deliverables. I can’t help you choose an activity that might create an edge or brainstorm a captivating topic idea for your personal essay which displays your personality and authenticity to the admissions officers.
So start early. This course is highly recommended for 9 to 12th graders. Also, a great preparation tool for Freshmen is becoming a part of the private Facebook community to receive continued support, stay abreast with college trends, and receive admissions tips, tricks and secrets throughout the college admissions journey.
5. Is this course only for US students applying to US colleges?
This course is for US and International students who are primarily applying to US colleges. Although, the admissions strategies within the steps, systems, and processes I provide you in Applications that Get You Admitted! can be applied to any institution (around the world) you are applying to.
6. How long does it take to complete the online course?
Once you enroll in Applications that Get You Admitted!, you have access to this to all its modules, lessons, videos, worksheets till June of your senior year. Basically, when you graduate from high school is when you graduate from Applications that Get You Admitted! So, this gives you all the time to go at your own pace. To get the most benefit, use the course as a college admissions guide. Follow the directions in each lesson of each module, revert back to it when and as many times as needed. Go at your own pace. Don’t rush through it and hastily answer questions on the application. Just this alone will make all the difference in your applications.
Calling all my subscribers, if you’d like to be featured in Ivybound Consulting’s Instagram and Facebook:
- Screenshot yourself listening to this podcast or watching the YouTube
video - Share it on your stories along with your biggest takeaway
- Tag 3 friends
- And don’t forget to tag me with @ivyboundconsulting and #ivyboundconsultingpodcast or #ivyboundconsultingYouTubevideo .
Ok folks, that’s all the time we have for today. I’m thrilled that you are tuned in to listen to the Be Collegebound with IvyBound podcast or watch the YouTube video series. I have a lot of exciting episodes planned for the year. It’s everything and anything under the sun about college admissions, so please subscribe, rate, and leave me a review. If you have a burning college admissions question that you want me to answer in the Live Office hours with Ruchi S. Kothari, then write the question in the comments below.
Don’t forget to join me next time for an entire episode dedicated to rapid-fire questions and answers about everything and anything under the sun about college admissions in Live Office hours with Ruchi S. Kothari.
I hope you enjoyed this episode and thanks so much for tuning in. I’m leaving you with something to think about: Make it Your Own!
Your college admissions journey is unique to your experiences and circumstances. Use your intelligence and your talent, and yes you have many of them, to make the best of your journey, so Make it your Own! Bye for now!
