The Common App Activities Section is one of the few places on your application (outside of your essay) to bring some of your own voice and that makes it powerful. It is also offering you the opportunity to highlight your priorities by demonstrating to colleges how you choose to spend your (limited) time outside of school. Here are my top tips on how to get the most bang for your buck out of this brief section: Account for everything you do outside of the classroom. Many students are shocked...

You're almost there. Final projects, maybe a last round of test prep, the finish line is right in front of you. And when you finally cross it? Rest. Decompress. You've earned it! But at some point this summer, probably sooner than feels necessary, I want you to think about October-you. October-you is juggling schoolwork, extracurriculars, and a pile of college applications with deadlines that are closer than they look right now. The question is whether October-you is frantically starting from...

So you want to march in college. You've been in the band since middle school. You've logged early morning practices, halftime shows in the rain, and bus rides that felt like they'd never end, and you're not ready to stop. Good news: you don't have to! But here's what most students (and parents) don't realize: college band is not high school band with a college ID. The range of commitment, competition, and culture is enormous. The school you choose will determine what that experience actually...