Sophomores, you have completed the first half of high school and are headed for big things in the coming months and years, including preparing for college applications. This is your moment to plan the next two years. Here is what I advise you to keep top of mind as you plan your spring and summer:

First Dartmouth, now Yale? What does “test flexible” mean? This post will help you decide whether or not to test prep in 2024. Remember to check the score ranges as well as what % of applicants submit scores using each school’s Common Data Set. another factor is which major you’re selecting: some majors in each school require test scores for automatic (or direct) admission including popular programs like the Kelley business school at Indiana University.

Who would have thought that the University of Tennessee would be deferring and denying so many high stats kids? Other schools, like Clemson and the University of South Carolina, are deferring high percentages of out-of-state students as their application numbers soar. This year I have seen multiple high stats students offered a place at Penn State only if they would begin in the summer– an option that used to be offered just to students with much lower stats. And schools like Northeastern and the University of Miami continue to offer students spots on their main campuses only after they do a semester abroad or on a different US campus.

Getting placed on a school’s wait list rather than receiving an offer of admission can feel like a very remote second place. Wait lists can move, though, so opaque as the list may be-- am I first in line? 2,415th?-- act now to keep your spot if you are still interested in the school.

Today is “Ivy Day,” when a group of what many consider the most elite undergraduate schools in the country release their acceptances. Some of you will be admitted to these fine institutions-- I celebrate with you! You have worked incredibly hard for this honor, and you deserve every bit of excitement you feel.

Updated March 2024: You have done your homework, studied, learned your pacing, and practiced your strategies. True confidence comes from preparation, and you have earned that. Second, take care of your body as well as your mind. In the week before the test…