Command Education Blog
Your ultimate college admissions resource, brought to you by recent graduates of elite schools. We got in, and so can you!
University Rankings: Which One Should You Choose?
University Rankings: Which One Should You Choose? While most people refer to US News and World Report when searching for college ranking lists, you might have seen some drastically different college rankings across the internet and wondered: why...
The Creative UChicago Supplement Prompts
As you start to research and write college supplemental essays, you’ll notice most prompts are pretty similar. Why do you want to attend this school? What are your academic goals and how will you pursue them? Describe a moment of failure and what...
The New Norm for the College Application Process
UPenn has welcomed a new dean of admissions, who is committed to expanding “existing initiatives” for the Ivy League school’s admissions process. Whitney Soule’s goal is to create additional opportunities for students to strengthen their...
Yale Hits Record Numbers for Incoming Class of ‘25
According to Yale Daily News, the Ivy League university is reported to have a record size student body for the 2021-2022 school year. The largest incoming class since World War II, the class of 2025 houses a population of 1,789 students. This...
Applying to U.S. Colleges as a Singaporean Student
Are you a Singaporean student looking to attend a top college or university in the United States? If so, we have you covered! This blog post will serve as an in-depth look into everything you’ll need to know about the U.S. college application...
How to Research Colleges
Whether you’re a second semester junior or a sophomore who wants to get a head start on the college application process, it’s a great time to start thinking about where you’ll spend the four years of life that follow high school. With over 5,000...
Sourcing Volunteer Opportunities
If you’re a high school student with the drive to make a difference in the world, volunteering is a tremendous way to apply your passions and serve others. Beyond that, it’s an essential component of any resume or college application (the Common...
Why Command Education
One of the most difficult aspects of hiring a college consultant can be knowing which one to choose. Given the plethora of options, determining which company will best support your child’s needs and be the right “fit” can be a particularly...
China International Resource Hub
Are you a student living in China looking to apply to colleges and universities in the U.S.? Over 350,000 students come to the U.S. every year from China to study at American universities, so you might have heard of this compelling option! However,...
How To Prepare your Teen for the College Application Process
Myths and misconceptions surround the college admissions process. How “well-rounded” do I need to be? Do I have a chance at top schools if I don’t have a 4.0 GPA and perfect standardized test scores? What’s the secret formula to getting into these...
How to Manage Test Anxiety
What is test anxiety? All students have worried about doing well on a test at some point in their academic careers. In fact, it’s perfectly normal — and sometimes even helpful — to feel nervous about an upcoming exam. Studies have shown that...
UK International Resource Hub
So you want to study in the U.S.? Well, you’ve come to the right place! Whether it’s Harvard, Stanford, or UCLA, U.S.-based colleges and universities offer qualified British applicants vibrant opportunities to expand their worldviews within some of...
Saudi Arabia Resource Hub
Saudi students who are looking to apply to colleges and universities in the United States may quickly realize that the education system at home may look different from the one American students are used to in the United States. If you or your...
How Do I Pick Between Colleges?
Congratulations! If you’re reading this blog, it’s likely because your hard work has paid off, and you’ve been accepted to more than one of the schools you applied to! We know that choosing between the schools to which you’ve been accepted can feel...
How to Make the Most of a Virtual College Tour
COVID-19 has caused a seismic shift in nearly every aspect of our lives, the least of which not being the college admissions process. With in-person tours largely excised from spring and summer college programming schedules, the virtual landscape...
How to Prepare for the SAT (ACT too)
No matter where you are in your high school career, you likely have questions about how to prepare for the SAT or the ACT. When exactly should you start test prep? What does effective test prep entail? At Command Education, we believe test prep...
Why Extracurriculars Matter
High school is an incredibly busy time for any student, but particularly so for students who fill their course schedule with the most rigorous classes available. With an already packed schedule, many students question whether spending their limited...
How to Prep for College Admissions During Your Junior Year
You’re almost there, Junior! After nailing those four freshman and sophomore semesters, you may find yourself at a loss for guidance on how to make the most of your penultimate year of high school. Junior year can be a juggernaut of exams,...
The Best Things to Do In the Summer as a High Schooler
For many high school students in the U.S., the summer months offer an opportunity to recharge after a long school year. Some popular summer activities include traveling, hitting the pool or beach, and binge-watching Netflix shows. While...
Ivy League Athletic Recruiting Resource Hub
Ivy League Athletic Recruiting Resource Hub If you’re looking for information on how to be recruited by an Ivy League athletics program or that of another elite academic institution, you’ve come to the right place. At Command Education, we...
Should I take a gap year?
For most American teenagers, attending college in some form is considered an inevitable step after high school. Sometimes it can feel like you’re on a train chugging ceaselessly toward four years of...
Best Practices for Virtual College Interviews
Best Practices for Virtual College Interviews So you’re done with college apps! Congratulations! Next on the agenda is nailing the college interview. Interviews are conducted by alumni and are a great...
College Planning Worksheet
Dear students and parents, Congratulations on beginning the exciting college application process! This is a very important and exciting step in a student’s educational journey, and we’ve created this worksheet to help you through the first step:...
How to start talking about college with your high school student
It’s the beginning of a new year, and many high school students' goals may be to get into the college of their dreams this fall. The college application process is a long, arduous journey, but with the right guidance and conversations, you can help...
Five New Study Habits for Remote Learning this Spring
As you start the second half of a year of remote or hybrid learning, you may be wondering how to better adapt to changes in your education that have made studying increasingly challenging. Whether you’ve found yourself in an academic slump or are...
How to Set Goals in High School in 2021
Now that we’ve all left 2020 behind us, let’s take a moment to pause, reflect, and set goals for the future, whether they be to build on projects that you started in the past or starting afresh with a blank slate. Having tangible goals is a...
Easiest Top Schools to Transfer Into Based on 2020 Admissions Rates
So you’ve decided to transfer — amazing! But where should you go? While there are a number of factors you’ll need to consider as you embark on the transfer process, a crucial step is putting together a list of schools you’ll want to apply to - your...
Merit Based Summer Opportunities
Though it might feel much too early to start thinking about summer, winter is a perfect time to start searching for an applying to summer programs, internships and jobs. Having three months off of school affords the perfect opportunity for students...
Should I Consider Transferring to a New School?
So you’ve given your current school a chance, yet something still doesn’t feel right. Whether it’s the lack of a specific major you desire or the woefully unsupportive faculty, you have an unshakeable inkling that the school on your sweatshirt...
How to Thank my Teacher for Writing my Letter of Recommendation
You’ve finally completed the college application process, and are sitting back to relax and reflect on all of your hard work. While you wait for admissions decisions to be released, you should give thanks to those who have helped you along the way,...
How to Finish College Applications in time for January 1st Deadlines
It might feel overwhelming to have to write multiple supplemental essays for multiple colleges - on top of your Common App essay and Activities List. It might feel especially overwhelming if you have to accomplish a lot of those things in a short...
Things to Consider before Submitting Final Applications
Regular decision deadlines are fast approaching as we enter December. College admissions are as competitive as they’ve ever been, so it’s crucial for students to make sure they’re submitting the best applications possible. Unfortunately,...
Is There an Advantage to Submitting College Applications Early?
The first round of early application deadlines has passed, and final deadlines for Regular Decision and Early Decision II are coming up shortly. You might be wondering how you can maximize these final days and weeks in order to put your best foot...
SAT and ACT FAQ
How do I register for the SAT? To register for the SAT, you first need to create a CollegeBoard account for yourself, as neither your parents nor your guidance counselor can register for you. Once you’ve created an account and signed in, you’ll...
How Can I Get Extra Help With Schoolwork?
It’s increasingly common for high school students to need extra academic support, especially given the difficulties that accompany remote learning. It may be that school work is more difficult or time-consuming than expected, the pace of a class is...
How to boost your IQ without sacrificing your EQ
The stereotypical “genius” you might see in a TV show or movie isn’t always someone you’d want as a dinner guest. They’re usually pretty antisocial, awkward, and condescending. The media makes it seem like if you want a high IQ, you have to...
The difference between the SSAT, PSAT and SAT
Starting in elementary school, students are faced with a deluge of seemingly never-ending standardized tests, from state exams to national tests like the SSAT, PSAT, and SAT. How are these tests similar and different? Does studying for one help...
When and How Many Times Should I Take the SAT/ACT?
The typical standardized testing advice given to high school students is to take the SAT or ACT twice — either twice junior year or once junior year and once early senior year. But when and how many times should you really take these exams? Since...
UK vs US schools
According to Times Higher Education’s World University Rankings, the top 10 universities are all in the U.S. (Caltech, Stanford, MIT, Princeton, Harvard, Yale, and UChicago) or the U.K. (Oxford, Cambridge, and Imperial College London). All of these...
Is Early Decision Right For Me?
Applying to colleges under their Early Decision program (ED) can be both alluring and scary for prospective applicants. On one hand, it offers an increased chance of admission and the peace of mind that comes with completing your entire college...
Four ACT Science Strategies
The ACT Science section often feels like a race against the clock — you only have 35 minutes to read 6-7 passages and answer 40 questions. How can you possibly answer all 40 questions, especially if science isn’t your strong suit? The good news is...
How to encourage my Procrastinating Student to Get Started on their College Applications
Some students have difficulty motivating themselves to work on their college applications. It’s a large undertaking, and it can be overwhelming. Senior year is academically demanding, and students might prioritize their school work over...
Should I enroll in the IB diploma, the AP Capstone Diploma, or should I just take a few AP or IB classes?
What are the main differences between AP and IB? How do I know which classes I should take? Choosing classes is an important decision for every high school student. You want to take classes, or enroll in a program that suits your interests and...
How to get started and succeed as a pre-veterinary student
Most students who demonstrate interest in pursuing the medical field cite the pre-med track as their preferred area of study. Within the pre-med track, there are plenty of options to choose from. Whether you’re a budding optometrist, an aspiring...
What is the IB Diploma Program? Do the top US colleges like the IB program?
Are you trying to determine which classes to choose for junior year? If your school offers both AP and IB classes, it’s important to understand the difference between them in order to make the right choice. Your school may offer the IB Diploma...
5 Questions to Ask Admissions Officers
“Why Yale”? “Why Georgetown”? “Why UCLA”? Most colleges ask applicants this question on their applications, and the reality is that most will expect you to come up with a bold statement about why their college is a good fit for you — often in just...
Common App 101: Letters of Recommendation
Scoring high test scores, writing a compelling personal statement, and maintaining a high GPA are all challenging tasks, but at least you have the comfort of having control over these critical components of your college application. A letter of...
How to Ask for a Letter of Recommendation While Everyone is in Quarantine
Letters of recommendation can be one of the best ways to convey the energy, curiosity and dedication you bring to a classroom to the admissions officers who read your college applications. While your transcript provides numerical insight into your...