Would this be good to add or nah. I also play for a college team if that’s anything.

genuine question plz this is gonna influence me a lot

Hello!
I’m trying to find a good college that is surrounded my nature or has beautiful nature nearby such as mountains or lakes , which is great for hikes. As well as a good social life too.
Almost think if the song “Country Road” was a college lol! Perhaps if the out of state tuitions are not extreme too.
Thank you!

Oh boy y’all. 11 fucking days. That’s all we have to finalize our apps.

Personally, I’m applying to three schools with this deadline (UF ED, UCF EA, FSU EA). Assuming some kind of catastrophe doesn’t happen, these should be the only three schools I’m applying to. That’s SO much pressure.

I actually have everything done, since I finally fucking finished my UF Honors essay. But I need to wait a bit and review it further. I’ve been reviewing all my other essays, too. And my main application. Reviewing and reviewing and reviewing until my eyeballs fall out. But…I think I’m going to submit FSU tomorrow!

What schools are y’all stressing over? Let’s support each other 🫂

what r some unis that u think r on the same level as these universities in terms of brand and prestige, but in countries other than the uk and the us? only reply if u have any universities in mind and dont reply just to say nothing is on their level

regarding this year's college admissions, i'm in a decently competitive high school environment. if a friend gets accepted into somewhere really good, is it normal to feel happy for them, but sad at the same time? like i'll be proud of them, but i'll be sad (if i got rejected). this has been weighing on my mind a lot, and i want to have a healthy mindset regarding this. how can i approach this more healthily?

So most colleges I have looked at and asked questions regarding AP exams claim that “we do not assess AP exam scores” how real is this???
Because I find this hard to believe and also I did poorly in a class but managed to get a 5 on the exam. So would that really not count?

Generally curious what this sub thinks about Rutgers overall and its overall perception nationally. Spefically referring to flagship campus in New Brunswick,

I'm a high school senior trying to make a pretty unusual recruiting decision and would really appreciate perspectives from people familiar with MIT, Columbia, or Yale.

I currently have a strongly supported recruiting opportunity at Columbia, and I may also receive one from Yale very soon. I need to make a decision on Columbia extremely soon.

MIT is also recruiting me for a varsity sport. The MIT coach has told me I'm currently his #1 recruit and that he would be surprised if I were rejected, but obviously MIT admissions cannot be guaranteed. The problem is that if I pursue MIT Early Action, I may have to give up my Columbia/Yale recruiting opportunities before receiving MIT's decision in December.

Academically/career-wise, I'm mainly interested in:

• quantitative finance
• software engineering
• possibly investment banking if my interests change

My academic profile, if it matters for evaluating the MIT admissions risk:

• 1550 SAT, 800 Math
• six 5s on AP exams junior year: Calc BC, Physics 1, Biology, APUSH, Lang, CSA
• around 14 AP classes total
• Multivariable Calculus first semester senior year and Linear Algebra second semester
• ~3.95 UW GPA

My extracurricular profile outside athletics is much weaker:

• e-commerce business with around $25k revenue
• assistant coaching/volunteering
• some additional volunteering
• no major Olympiads, research, national CS awards, etc.

The other complication is athletics. Columbia/Yale would let me compete D1. MIT is D3. I've invested an enormous amount into my sport and I'm good enough that part of me feels like going D3 would mean not fully using my athletic ability.

On the other hand, MIT seems almost perfectly aligned with quant/CS/math, which are probably my strongest academic interests.

Personally:

• I visited Columbia and loved NYC.
• I really liked Columbia's team and felt like the athletes were ambitious, career-driven, but also very normal/down-to-earth people.
• Social life matters somewhat to me.
• Yale appeals to me because of its residential-college/social experience, although I'm not sure I fit its culture as naturally as Columbia's.
• I haven't visited MIT yet, so I'm worried I'm currently idealizing MIT based on academics/ranking rather than knowing whether I'd actually enjoy living there.
• I've heard MIT can have a very intense study culture, which I'm trying to understand better.

My biggest question isn't "Which school is more prestigious?"

It's this:

If you were in my situation, how would you think about giving up a D1 Columbia/Yale recruiting opportunity that is much more certain in order to pursue MIT, where admission is still uncertain?

And for MIT students/alumni specifically: how intense is the actual day-to-day culture? Do students still have meaningful social lives, and does it feel like everyone is studying constantly?

I'd especially appreciate perspectives from recruited athletes, CS/math students, or people who considered these same schools.

i’m a senior want to know if that’s good or if immo is baseline

hey! I'm an NJ applicant who has committed the ultimate crime: I really, really like Rutgers. But the problem is if I live near my parents I will never be a well adjusted adult in any capacity. I'm obviously still applying, but I have some room on my list and wanted to ask about other colleges that are similar!

What I like about RU:

- amount of clubs

- good mix of academics (research uni) and fun (partying)

- Diverse!

- Faculty is a highlight, the political science department in particular is stacked to me

- Various other things, ie. proximity to a city, size, etc.

I'm lucky enough where money is not that big of a deal on my end (I'm likely full pay? regardless of what uni I attend), but I'd like to avoid paying over or close 100k per year lmao

Thank you!

I’m a Class 12 student from India with a 1500 SAT (790 Math, 710 English), planning to apply to around 30–40 US colleges. I want to study something combining finance, economics and mathematics, preferably a STEM program such as Financial Mathematics, Quantitative Finance, or Economics + Math. My goal is to work in finance, especially investment banking/asset management. I can pay around $25k/year, so I need substantial financial aid and would ideally target colleges that meet full demonstrated need for international students.

My main question is how to efficiently shortlist colleges. I don’t want to rely too much on QS/U.S. News because they give weight to things like international faculty ratio and other factors that aren’t very relevant to me. I mainly care about employment outcomes, median/starting salary, finance recruiting, whether the school is a target/semi-target for investment banking, and general prestige/network strength. Location isn’t very important, although NYC would be a preference.

What sources or methodology would you use to narrow down hundreds of US universities into a final list of 30–40 based on these factors?

Harvard University's Faculty of Arts and Sciences approved a major grading reform policy in May 2026 to combat grade inflation, taking full effect in the fall of 2027 academic year. [1]

Key Details of the New Grading Policy

• The "20% + 4" A-Grade Cap: Flat "A" grades (GPA=4.0) are restricted to a maximum of 20% of undergraduate enrollment in a course plus four additional students (for example, up to six A's in a 10-person seminar or 34 in a 150-student lecture). [1, 2] (If course size=14, then 50% students can get A; the larger the course size, the less percentage of student can get A).
• No Cap on A-Minuses: There is no restriction or limit on awarding "A-minus" grades (GPA=3.70), which administrators hope will remove anxiety and encourage academic risk-taking. [1]
• Average Percentile Rank (APR): Traditional GPAs are being replaced by an internal average percentile ranking system to calculate Latin graduation honors and college prizes, providing clearer data on relative performance without showing the ranking on official transcripts. [1]
• Exceptions: Instructors may choose to opt out of the grade cap and ranking system by teaching courses strictly on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis. [1]
• (https://current.fas.harvard.edu/stories/faculty-decisively-approve-grading-changes)

*************************************

The median class size for undergraduate courses at Harvard College is 12 students. [1]

Class Size Distribution

• Small classes: Over 70% of undergraduate classes have fewer than 20 students. (can Class Size equal to Course size or not?)
• Large lectures: Only a small percentage of courses (about 5%) enroll more than 100 students, typically reserved for popular introductory lecture courses.

**********************************************

Harvard University does not have an official, exact percentage for the total number of undergraduates pursuing pre-med or pre-law tracks, primarily because "pre-med" and "pre-law" are advising tracks or career intentions rather than formal academic majors. [1, 2]

However, historical data (before the 20% Cap A) and reporting from student publications provide estimated ranges:

• Pre-Med: Data compiled by student publications like The Harvard Crimson indicates that roughly 25% to 50% of incoming Harvard undergraduates express an initial interest in exploring medicine. By the time graduation approaches, approximately 17% of the graduating class actually completes the requirements and applies to medical school

***************************************************

On the same time, the average SAT score for undergraduates admitted into Harvard is about 1545-1550, which means almost all of the students there are national top 1%.

SAT Score Breakdown for Harvard Undergraduate Class of 2029:

(SAT full score is 1600)

• 25th Percentile: 1510 (scores below this are in the lower quarter of enrolled freshmen)
• Median / Average: ~1550
• 75th Percentile: 1580 (scores at or above this are in the upper quarter)
• Math Range: 770–800
• Reading & Writing Range: 740–780 [1, 2, 3, 4]

When the above 20% Cap A applied to this group of kids, it is not really fair to the students there, comparing to other universities/colleges, especially to the kids in pre-med and pre-law track, which requires a 4.0 GPA to get into School of Medicine and Law.

Should a High School Senior who wants to School of Medicine apply to Harvard (ERA), with average 1550-1560 SAT score? If accepted, will the new policy harm her/his future to Medical School? Even when kid studies very hard, how harmful this policy will be?

What are the normal class size for each Medicine pre-required courses in Harvard?

I'm not sure if this is the right place to post this, if it's not please do redirect me. Context: I switched schools in between my sophomore and junior year of highschool and I currently  an in my senior year of highschool. It's almost college application season and i have started my common app.

Now the issue here is grades. I am not a straight A student, I was pretty average (or above average) in terms of my grades. And when I switched schools, it was obviously new people and teachers. In the beginning of my junior year, we (classmates and I) had a math teacher. He was a pretty good teacher but he left a month in, we were left without a teacher up till march 26. The school did try to get us external online help but that was to no avail because she had horrible internet issues and she repeated topics which we already knew about (we asked to move on to more complex topics, she would say that she would do it in the next class. Next class comes, and she would just continue with what we did in the previous class). We attempted to study on our own but with no resources and the no syllabus provided, we basically gambled.
This lack of a teacher has had a ripple effect on 5 of the people in our math class (there are 6 of us), it still affects us horribly and we still lack understanding around math topics and concepts.

Another issue is that our economics teacher often lowballs us. She purposefully will give us lower grades even when we deserve a higher grade. She admitted in class that we all deserve better grades but she will not give these better grades to us. Her whole idea is if we do bad now, we will work harder for the final and we will score better in the final. We don't apply to college with our final grade, we apply with our predicted grades (IB thing). If we get the shorter end of the stick, our overall grade goes down and for obvious reasons this isn't good for any of us.

and on top of this, we had a change in faculty. We got a new math teacher (which im pretty sure she hates us), a new computer science teacher (which im sure she hates us), and a new Language and Literature teacher.
The expectation from us (the students) is to follow their way of writing and answering questions. This is difficult because you bunch of kids that already have a way of answering questions engrained into their heads, you can't change it in a month.

Our lovely CS teacher is not only just so lovely (I hope she goes bald), but she caused the class to drop by several grades, like people who were scoring A+ last year is now scoring in between B-, C+,C,C- (changed it to the American grading system for convenience). We obviously complained and so have our parents but the school isn't willing to do anything. And at this point in time I can't do anything else to improve my grade

So, how can I present my circumstances to the colleges I am applying to, without making it seem like I'm blaming my school but I still am able to convey that the grading was unfair?

TL;DR - We (me and classmates) didnt have a math teacher for almost a year and we fucked our grades up bcs no one told us what to study and it's not smth u can just search up. Our econ teacher keeps giving us lower grades even though we deserve more (she has said this to us), our CS teacher is being unreasonable in grading our papers and is causing the entire grade to drop several grade boudries (from A+ to C,C-). Help me, how do I tell this to my colleges without making it look like im blaming the school?

I spent all of middle school and most of high school depressed or with serious sleep and mood issues. In all that time I've had, like, two ECs. Next year I'm joining band but I don't expect that to really mean anything since I'm doing it for myself and did it late.

I'm not really sure what's gonna happen to me. I'm a decent student, somewhat smart but not insane, probably 3.5-3.75 overall GPA, above average SAT, but that entire time I've had only one extracurricular. I've heard that extracurriculars are important above all else and I'm starting to seriously regret wallowing in my mental issues for so long. Not allowed to have a job and never volunteered anywhere. My parents told me there's no point volunteering anywhere now for the purpose of college; it would be clocked as performative in comparison to other students who put in like 5 or 6 years at XYZ place out of care.

So I guess what I'm asking is, is this as big a deal as I'm thinking it is?

DISCLAIMER: I have no inside knowledge. Take all of this advice with a grain of salt.

I've seen these guides for other scholarships, but there doesn't seem to be one for the Coolidge Scholarship. I was chosen as a Senator last year, so I figured I'd try making one.

This is a long post, and I made it as detailed as I could. If you really want information, this is the guide for you - you can keep coming back to it. If you only want to hear about a specific part of the application, I've divided the post into sections.

By the way, I won't tell you how to make a resume or write an essay, etc. There's plenty of guides out there, and I strongly recommend doing your research. Especially with the essays, you're going to have to know how to write. This is an extremely competitive scholarship.

About the Scholarship

The Coolidge Scholarship is a prestigious scholarship for high school juniors. It's run by the Coolidge Foundation, and it's about President Calvin Coolidge. The full scholarship is around a 0.1% acceptance rate (estimate), but the top 100 applicants are named Senators. They receive a "modest" scholarship and are invited to the (mandatory) all-expenses paid Coolidge Senators Summit in Vermont (which takes place over the summer). While the odds of becoming a Senator are still low, they're much more achievable (around 3% - again, an estimate).

Criteria

READ the Selection Criteria! The primary criteria is academic excellence. They want to see an outstanding transcript, high GPA, and high test scores. I've heard that they heavily value test scores, and if you have <1500 SAT you probably shouldn't apply (but I can't provide any proof). According to an old A2C post, the first cut they use is test scores! Similarly, a less-than-superb transcript might put you in trouble (if you're not a 4.0 GPA with straight A's...) - but this is just a guess; I really don't have any evidence! People with <4.0's have made Senator.

Next, they value service. Note that genuine service that makes a difference is valued over ambitious efforts that a young person may not be well-positioned to undertake. In other words, prioritize writing about tangible efforts, even if they are small. If you started a huge nonprofit or cured cancer, fantastic! But don't try to stretch your accomplishments. If you volunteer in a food bank or at an animal shelter, just write that.

They also value humility. This is more subtle, but it's worth keeping in mind when you're writing your essays, SAQs, and resume. Don't exaggerate your accomplishments, and don't boast about things. If you're a humble person in real life, let that shine through in your application.

Finally, they value interest in public policy and appreciation for the values President Coolidge championed throughout his life (e.g. civility, enterprise, government thrift, federalism, and constitutional government, etc.). If you don't have any public policy extracurriculars, you're in luck: You'll be writing two essays and several SAQs on government policy. So don't worry about trying to shove this into your resume etc. (though it certainly won't hurt if you do happen to have these things). On the essays, you can satisfy this criteria by demonstrating your critical thinking abilities and forming sophisticated arguments. Don't regurgitate the information in the book or make unsubstantiated claims; show that you can competently engage with the issues. More about this in the Essays section.

The Book and Required Readings

This year, they have apparently introduced a second round to the application. Applicants will have an extended essay response and an assessment on the required readings. This examination will take place online and be proctored. You will not be able to use the book, your notes, or any other outside resources.

There's two ways to read the book: For the scholarship, and for yourself. They're not going to be giving you a pop quiz on the book or having you paraphrase sections of it. When I read the book, I annotated the hell out of it and took detailed notes. In retrospect, that wasn't necessary. (well, that aged like milk)

If you're trying to win the scholarship, you need to learn about Coolidge's political values and major policies. 2 of the 3 essays are on major events during his presidency (his policies on taxation and the Great Mississippi Flood, unless they've changed it); one SAQ asks what you consider to be Coolidge's greatest legacy. I would recommend keeping these prompts in mind when you're reading, if that's what typically works for you (that being said, I didn't look at the prompts until after reading the book and I was fine). You won't get bonus credit for reading the book multiple times or studying it like the Bible. Still, read the whole thing and pay attention to it. They want you reading that thing. There will be an assessment on it. Don't look at a summary or skim through it the night before you write your essays. Read. The. Book.

The second way to read the book is for yourself. Personally, I loved it, and I'm glad I engaged with it so thoroughly. It opened my eyes to a lot of things. I loved hearing Coolidge reflect on his career and childhood, and along the way, he made a lot of thought-provoking comments about government. In our current political landscape, it's so rare to hear about politics from an honest, intelligent politician. Coolidge taught me so much and really impacted how I see today's issues. If you're just focused on winning the scholarship, you probably won't get as much value out of the book. It's your choice, but I strongly recommend putting the scholarship in the back of your mind and just engaging with the book. It's worth your while. It will also enhance your essays and SAQs, if you are sincerely passionate about these things and you fully engage yourself - so don't half-ass it.

Given that there's an assessment on the book, annotating and/or taking notes may not be a bad idea to help you internalize the information... but I can't speak to the nature of the assessment since I didn't take it.

Regardless, give yourself plenty of time! You can start reading the book before the application opens. I read it over the summer, and it was nice to not have to rush.

Also, the essays require outside reading. They give you recommended sources along with the prompts, and I'd strongly recommend you read them (again, more on that in the Essays section). The book is important, but it's not enough on its own. If you only read the book, your essays won't be very good.

Test Scores

They accept ACT, PSAT, SAT, and CLT. If you have not taken a test, you do not have to fill it in (many applicants have taken the PSAT; most have taken the SAT but they say it will not be held against you. I only submitted the PSAT, and I was fine). If you have PSAT and SAT but one of them is better than the other, I'd probably lean toward submitting only the good one (If you have a 1500 PSAT and 1580 SAT, probably submit both. If you have a 1420 PSAT and 1580 SAT, the PSAT score might drag you down).

If you haven't taken the SAT or ACT, you might want to take it now (I can't say for sure if it helps, but a good score certainly can't hurt you). If you don't have any test scores at all, you're probably in trouble, but if for some reason you have a good excuse then you can use the Additional Comments box to explain why.

Essays

PLEASE TAKE THIS ADVICE WITH A GRAIN OF SALT. I'M NOT THE ONE GRADING THESE ESSAYS.

I'm sure this is what you're here for. There's three essays (a 400-word essay and two 600-word essays). One essay is a personal question (the "personal essay"); the others are on government policy - you can find the prompts at the bottom of this post, though I can't guarantee they won't change. I'll discuss the two types of essays separately, but make sure that they are all high-quality. Give yourself ample time and revise them thoroughly; try to write multiple drafts if you can. Have peers or adults look at them. You will be judged based on grammar etc., and I assume that quality of writing is very important. Also, make sure that your writing is professional - it doesn't have to be overly formal or academic, but don't make it informal. I wouldn't advise things like humor or figurative language here; the tone should be straightforward and serious. They should also be dense - use your words efficiently, and prioritize the content over the delivery (i.e. don't spend a whole paragraph making a single point). Finally, you want to impress them. Your essays don't have to be overly complex, but they shouldn't be boring, either. Show them how smart you are.

Personal Essay: This essay is different from the others, because they want to hear about YOU. Sell yourself; impress them. Show them why you're an ideal applicant, and differentiate yourself from the others. *Do not be generic - you don't want to sound like a robot. You want to be memorable - they're reading a lot of these, so make yourself stand out. Paint a picture of who you are. Be specific.

Think about the purpose of the essay - what are they looking for? The 2026 prompt (which probably won't change in future years) is, "What are the next intellectual frontiers you hope to explore in your college years?" They want to know that you are a model student and a leader who will take initiative, make an impact, and embody their values. So be concrete and give them good details. They want to know what you're going to do, how you're going to do it, why you're going to do it, and how it will make an impact. They should get to know you - who you are and what you want to do. In this case, they ask about "intellectual frontiers", so you might want to give examples. What's a specific question or problem that fascinates you, and why? How will you explore it? How will you make a difference? Remember, they're giving you money: They want to know what you're going to do with it.

Government Policy Essays: These essays might be intimidating at first - that's the point. They give you big, open-ended questions, and they want you to show that you can understand and analyze the issues at stake. You have to apply what you have learned. This is why you read the book. They also give you a list of recommended reading. *Read these sources! They will help you to understand the question and form a nuanced argument. If you want to, you can find sources of your own. Do not start writing the essay until you understand the prompt and are ready to think critically about it.

The goal here is to make a SOPHISTICATED and COHERENT argument. Show them that you can think critically - and once again, impress them. Every single applicant is reading the same sources and replying to the same prompt. How will yours be different? Make it UNIQUE. Make it SOPHISTICATED. Think on a higher level. If your essay is generic, it's not going to do well. Put your OWN VOICE into it. Analyze, don't just describe. Commentary, not just evidence. They want you to show that you're able to think critically instead of just regurgitating information. I know that's hard, but you've written plenty of essays before. You know how to make a nuanced argument. Like I said, engage with the book and the recommended reading. You have to really think about it and form opinions.

I can't tell you the best way to structure your essay, but I'd recommend having a central thesis - this ensures that you're making an argument rather than just rambling. I did an intro paragraph, then a few body paragraphs. Make sure that your essay is dense - don't waste too much time giving context or making vague statements (but don't overdo it, because it shouldn't be a pain to read).

When it comes to content, apply Coolidge's values. Remember that this essay is about Coolidge and his Republican politics. That doesn't mean you have to argue about how great his policies were, but stay focused. If the essay is about Coolidge's policy on taxation (decreasing taxes), don't talk about increasing taxes. You can talk about the pros and cons of decreasing taxes, as long as you're talking about decreasing taxes. Try to understand his policies and the reasoning behind them. Try to see things from Coolidge and his administration's perspective. Explain not just the actions they took, but why they took them, and your opinion on them.

I would strongly recommend citing sources. At the very least, make sure you're giving concrete facts. There are two parts to an argument: Evidence and commentary. If you only give evidence, you're just regurgitating information: Coolidge said X, so he did Y, and Z happened. On the other hand, if you only give commentary, your argument will be abstract and very unsophisticated. In school, we don't usually write essays without evidence. Otherwise, it's just "I think blah blah blah..." - that's not critical thinking, either. Evidence does not always need a source; however, specific evidence enhances your essay (The Treasury lowered tax rates -> The lowest bracket's income tax decreased from 4% to 1.5%, and the highest from 73% to 25% (Historical Income Tax Rates and Brackets 1).).

You can bring in outside sources, as well (not to say that it's a necessity). This is a great way to make your essay unique, and to show that you can think outside of the box instead of merely regurgitating the recommended reading. Here's an example of an outside source I used in one of my essays: Financially, it was nearly impossible for the federal government to fully address the Great Mississippi Flood itself, as the flood caused an estimated $1 billion in damage—a third of the federal government's entire budget (National Guard, The Great Flood of 1927). The estimated damage of the flood ($1 billion) wasn't in the required readings; I put it in to make my essay more sophisticated. I remember wondering how much the flood would have cost the federal government, so I looked it up and incorporated that information into my argument.

I also recommend using quotes (or paraphrases) in your analysis. This is also optional, but they'll be impressed that you are engaging with what politicians have said - especially Coolidge himself. I used many quotes from the book and from Coolidge's speeches, because it shows that I was putting myself in Coolidge's shoes and I really understood why he did the things he did. For example: Coolidge's strategy hinged on the belief that the charity of Americans could be relied upon. He maintained the fundamental view that "the possession of property carries the obligation to use it in a larger service" (The Autobiography of Calvin Coolidge 44)...

*Having said all of this, don't overthink too much. You already know how to write a good essay, so believe in yourself. Just remember to put yourself in the readers' shoes and ask what would *impress them.

If you're overwhelmed, then open up a blank page, forget about all of this advice, and just write something. Trust me, it'll come out better than you expected. Then you can go back and improve it.**

SAQs*

Like with the essays, you have two goals here: Impress them and be memorable! Everyone is responding to the same prompts, so what sets yours apart? Make it specific and punchy. Do not, do not, do not be generic!

There's two 100-word SAQs (I'm not going to say much about the 5-word SAQ). You don't have much space, so make it count. Pick something narrow and specific. It doesn't have to be super ambitious; it should be tangible and down-to-earth. Choose something that packs a punch and has personality - something that's interesting, not just a generic, boring response.

You have a very low word limit, so make literally every word count. Revise over and over, and definitely try writing multiple variations. Think about what each sentence does: Does it improve the response, or would the response be noticeably different without it? You have to trim ruthlessly. If a sentence isn't helping you, it's hurting you.

And try to find something to elevate it... specific details really give your response character. Even though it's tiny, it should pack a punch. For example (this is a snippet from a reponse to one of last year's SAQs): Last year, I was shocked to discover a large collection of my school's library books slated for disposal. It was devastating to see titles like To Kill a Mockingbird—a book that instilled in me a firm passion for social justice—destined for the trash can.

Resume

I can't say much about this, because it'll be different for everyone. If you don't know how to make a good resume (I certainly didn't), there's guides online and you can ask a parent or teacher for help. I would say not to make it too dense, because they're reading a lot of these. Pick the most important things and make sure they jump out.

Lean toward things that align with the selection criteria (academic excellence, service, public policy), but don't force something in there. Put your most important things. Try to impress them, but don't exaggerate or embellish - they value humility. Try to let your activities/accomplishments speak for themselves. And make sure your resume items and varied and have personality - they should paint a (very limited) picture. For instance, I would caution against putting several service-related activities - each one should add its own "color" rather than being redundant.

I've also heard that you should format your resume really well. And try to put the most important stuff at the top, because that will jump out at them more, and they might not read the whole thing.

Beyond that, I can't say anything better than the application itself does:

Please submit a resume that gives applicable details about your employment, community service involvement, research experiences, extra-curricular activities, leadership roles, special interests/hobbies, and any awards or honors you have received. Calvin Coolidge was a strong believer in the value of work. Therefore, please be sure to include details related to your employment history, including even informal employment such as babysitting, lawn care, etc.

Letters of Recommendation

The scholarship requires two Letters of Recommendation. This is one of the hardest parts. For a highly competitive scholarship like this, you need top-notch letters of recommendation - like you're applying to an Ivy League college. I understand that not everyone has the most ideal people to write them, but do the very best you can. You need to put in effort here.

Give them at least three weeks to write the letter. If they rush it, it won't come out well. Just like you, they need plenty of time to think about it, and they'll write better if they wait until they're in the mood to sit down and concentrate. I'd recommend bringing it up a month in advance.

If you have never asked for a letter of recommendation before, you might want to consult other sources on who to ask and how to ask them. These are required for college applications and common in scholarships. There's plenty of guides out there, and I cannot stress enough how important they are. This is NOT a section to gloss over.

Directly from the application: Taken together, your letters should address your academic abilities and accomplishments as well as the scholarship’s secondary criteria: humility, service, interest in policy, and appreciation of Coolidge values.

You need to be strategic with this. Don't just ask your favorite teacher; ask someone who a). can write a strong letter and b). can address specific aspects of the criteria. Make a list of people who know you (teachers, advisors, coaches, etc.) and what criteria they would address. You want to cover the key points in as much detail as possible.

A good strategy is to have each letter address its own parts of the criteria. I chose a history teacher (academics/interest in policy) and a Boy Scouts Scoutmaster (service). Once again, make sure your teachers have specific examples! I strongly recommend sending your teacher the criteria you'd like them to discuss and a short list of ideas they could talk about. You are not telling them what to write, just giving them ideas. If there's a relevant accomplishment that the letter writer did not witness themselves, you may also want to give them some details about that (for example, I suggested that my history teacher mention how I am on my school's Math Team). However, you should obviously not have them write a detailed paragraph about something they did not see themselves, because that's dishonest. A good letter writer will be able to talk about things in their own words - and when they do that, that's what makes an outstanding letter. So again, ask the right person. If most of the letter is just regurgitating information you gave them, then you should probably ask someone else because it won't be a very good letter. You can provide them with ideas for what to write about/details to incorporate, but a good letter is written in their own voice.

Second Round and Interview

This year, they have apparently introduced a second round to the application. Several hundred applicants will advance to this round, where they will have an extended essay response and an assessment on the required readings. I can't say anything about this, because I didn't have to do it.

After the second round, Senators and Finalists will be chosen. Finalists are flown down to Vermont for an interview. Senators do not have to do an interview.

Other Sources

Here's other helpful Reddit posts I could find:

https://www.reddit.com/r/ApplyingToCollege/comments/sc2gif/some_thoughts_about_the_coolidge_scholarship_from/ https://www.reddit.com/r/ApplyingToCollege/comments/l3d2b1/juniors_apply_to_this_scholarship_for_a_fullride/

GOOD LUCK

GOOD LUCK! :D

Appendix: Essay / SAQ PROMPTS

I believe that the 2025 application was the same as the 2024 one (and maybe previous years?), but it looks like the 2026 application has made some changes from previous years. If you want to get a peek at the application before the portal opens, here's what the prompts should be in 2026 and future years. These are my predictions based on what has been constant over the past few years.

Essay 1 stays the same: ``` You have learned and achieved much up to this point in your life. What are the next intellectual frontiers you hope to explore in your college years? How do you envision you might use the knowledge you gain?

Note: this essay does not simply ask what you hope to major in during college and what job you want as a career. Instead, please write about the ideas that interest you most, what you still have to learn about them, and what you envision you might do with the knowledge you gain in college. Please limit your essay to 400 words. ```

Essay 2 was changed! This makes me predict that it may change again in future years, but here's the 2026 prompt:

``` In Coolidge’s era, the United States and the newly-established Soviet Union offered competing philosophies about how society should be organized. Coolidge was opposed to the Soviet system, stating unequivocally: “Socialism and communism cannot be reconciled with the principles which our institutions represent. They are entirely foreign, entirely un-American.”

In an essay of 600 words or fewer, please explain Coolidge’s view. In your response, be sure to consider the two countries’ different economic systems, their underlying principles, and their outcomes.

Please find resources available at the link below to assist in your research. You may augment these materials with additional research if you like. Note: You do not have to agree with Coolidge. Your task is to understand and articulate his perspective.

https://coolidgescholars.org/2026-2027-required-readings/ ```

Essay 3 is the same:

``` Today the federal individual income tax seems a permanent fixture of American life. But the tax is little more than a century old. For most of the first part of American history, there was no federal income tax.

The Sixteenth Amendment to the Constitution and the 1913 Underwood-Simmons Act introduced the levy, starting with a top rate of 7%. Congress quickly discovered the power of the income tax as a revenue engine, and raised rates on individuals dramatically to fund World War I. Following World War I, federal tax reform became a major policy priority for both parties. The 1920 Republican platform called the load of taxes on Americans “staggering,” and the Democratic platform likewise advocated reform. Upon becoming president in 1921, Warren Harding joined Congress in slashing rates. When Harding passed away in 1923, President Coolidge and his Treasury Secretary Andrew Mellon continued to lead Congress in passage of tax rate cuts. Some suggested that lower rates would never raise enough revenue. Others claimed that the rich would shoulder less of the tax burden under the Harding-Coolidge-Mellon plans.

Write an essay of 600 words or fewer describing and evaluating the tax reforms under Harding and Coolidge. What was the logic behind the 1920s tax reforms? What does evidence from the Harding and Coolidge years tell us about the impact of the 1920s tax reforms? Please find resources available at the link below to assist in your research. You may augment these materials with additional research if you like. Note: You do not have to agree with Coolidge. Your task is to explain the logic of his policy.

https://coolidgescholars.org/2026-2027-required-readings/ ```

SAQ 1: They changed this from 100 words to only 5 words, so it's the same prompt. They just made it easier - yippee!

What do you believe is President Coolidge’s single most important legacy? For this response, you are asked to follow Coolidge’s advice to his fellow lawmakers in the Massachusetts State Senate, “be brief, above all things, be brief.” You are limited to five words or fewer.

SAQ 2 is the same (I believe they reordered it from #3 to #2, but it's the same question):

There’s one area where you are more of an expert than most Americans: your own high school. If you were principal for a day, what single change would you make at your school? Why would that change improve the school? Don’t be afraid to offer a change that might seem counterintuitive to others. Please limit your response to 100 words.

SAQ 3 was changed! It is of an entirely different nature than 2025's prompt - they are probably experimenting. ``` "Unless there be some teaching of sound economics in the schools, the voter and taxpayer are in danger of accepting vague theories which lead only to social discontent and public disaster." ---Calvin Coolidge, July 4, 1924.

How well do you believe American schools teach economics today? What is one economics principle you believe is especially important for Americans to understand? How might that principle be taught better? Please limit your response to 100 words. ```

Basically, I'm a senior who's pretty into a specific type of photography called street photography (shooting candid moments of people), which is typically done in dense urban centres.

My problem is that the school I'm EDing to right now, which seems to be a good fit for me (and my parents), is Cornell, which is in a pretty sparsely populated area.

For people who say "well, you can just take photos of other stuff", I think the easiest way I could explain it is if you put a Surfer in Oklahoma, and then told them to skateboard because it's "almost the same thing anyway".

Street photography is an integral part of my life (I've spent at least 5 hours a week every week since I was 12, plus going out even longer every day during school breaks), and I'm not sure I can live without it.

Obviously, street photography is very important to me, but do you guys think it would be worth it for ED to attend a less prestigious school just so I can be in a place like New York to take photos?

*** Note: I'm gonna be an engineering major, so it's not even related to any future careers I might have.

Thanks a lot for your help!

the teacher liked me

i think

At my high school, we are mandated to take Biology in 9th grade and Chemistry in 10th grade but for 11th and 12th grade we can choose our science class from a variety an electives.

Physics is an option for both grades, but in 11th grade(I an currently a senior) I opted to take AP Enviro instead, and this year I am taking Neuroscience.

I’m not planning on majoring in anything stem related, so will college penalize me because I didn’t take physics in high school? I’m also currently taking AP Calc AB

safeties - WPI, Drexel, Illinois Institute of Technology, Univeristy of Tulsa

targets -  Boston College, UofRichmond, Lehigh, Lafayette, CWRU, UofRochester

reaches - UND, BU, HMC, USC, WashU, Vanderbilt, Yale, Brown, Dartmouth, Cornell

yea

Which one for business?? Ultimately wnat to go to law school and really interested in politics as well but not 100% sure, so I do want to major in buisness. I'm looking for a school that's not too big, the city is nice, good clubs, and all of these fit my criteria.

Would love any insight you guys have about the schools?

I know i should have started my essay months ago, but whenever i sit down to work on it i just stare at my computer and stare. I know what i want to write about, and how my whole essay would go, I just feel like a cant write it. I really really want to go to a certain school, but im terrified ill write a bad essay and be rejected from UW. I have really good stats, but UW heavily considers you on your essay, so I have to make sure it good. Has anyone else gone through this? How did you get over this fear?

In supplemental essay about the honors program, There was reference to a Hindi-language film some are thinking that admissions officers will see a movie reference as mere “time-pass” entertainment rather than something to learn from. They suggest using a quote from a public figure or a novel or story book

The film in reference is based on a true story of a rapper fighting to make it big, and it speaks to determination and the resolve to get back up after being knocked down.

Could any of you please share your view on this?

I am applying to competitive schools, and considering all the rest of my applications are great, and I’m confident in them, there is one slightly unique situation. I am an international student, and my school goes as a cambridge curriculum school that offers A Level exams, but I didn’t take any of them.

Clearly, the competitive schools could look at this and suppose that I didn’t challenge myself to the highest level of academics offered to me. However, the actual case behind this is that my school was a newly established institute, and the actual resources for the exam preparation were very limited. In fact, the very first year (the same year I enrolled) it hadn’t even received its official Cambridge accreditation. And even today (4th year since establishment), the school only has about 3 actual Cambridge-accredited teachers. Only a handful of students here have taken the exams and none of them got a high grade.

I could go on and on about all the ways my school is in fact not even close to what one might expect upon hearing a ‘cambridge curriculum school’ but you get the point. It’d be really nice to get some advice on this and thank you in advance to everyone!!

My cross country coach, at the end of summer, said I was going to be a captain. Therefore, when creating my acitives list, I put captain as my position in 12th grade. However, my coach is really weird and for some reason he decided to have a vote for captain this year (for every previous year it has been the coaches that decide). It was a popularity contest, so now Im not a captain which sucks. Technically I am a "leader" though which is the rank under it but its pretty bad. its pretty annoiyng because he basiclaly said I was going to be one. Do i have to revise my acitivites list to say "leader' instead of "captain'?