UC Berkeley is a large public research university in California's Bay Area, and last year, its Haas School of Business debuted its Global Management Program (GMP). I've always been passionate about using my skills and resources to make an international social impact, so GMP seemed tailor-made for me.

Wake Forest University is a small liberal arts college in North Carolina. It is currently ranked number 27 on USA Today’s college rankings for 2018.

Our team asked a former Stanford University admissions officer for some helpful college advice for high school students during their college application process. Read below for insider knowledge from a college expert!

What does Stanford University look for in an applicant?

 Harvard University has always had an extremely competitive acceptance rate and it is only getting more competitive. Some controversy has recently been uncovered regarding Harvard admissions and a potential bias against Asian Americans due to low personality scores.

In recent years, it seems that many qualified students are being waitlisted by UC schools. A particularly strange aspect of this phenomenon is that the schools that are waitlisting students aren’t the expected ones, such as UC Berkeley and UCLA, but rather schools like UC Davis and UC San Diego. 

I mustered my courage and took one last look at my family as they waved their goodbyes before turning around and walking towards the departure gate. With every step that I took, thoughts came gushing through. Am I ready to leave behind the people I adore, the places I frequented and had become so fond of, and the delicious, exotic cuisine to travel halfway across the globe just to attend college?

My name is Emma and I’m currently a first-year student at UC Berkeley studying Business Administration and Economics. Before I was a Cal Bear, I was a high school student from a suburban town named Sammamish in Washington state.

Upon one’s first visit to Stanford University, it can feel a bit like paradise. Not only does Stanford’s reputation for outstanding academics precede itself, but the university’s sunshine and palm trees give it an appeal unique from its equally elite Ivy League counterparts.

 At U.C. Berkeley, you may see a screen that takes up the size of the wall. It displays images of people around the world walking, sleeping, laughing, and living ordinary lives. 

Harvard University is addressing a crisis: how do we get food for the hungry? How can we best make sure people's needs are met while doing it in a healthy and sustainable way?

I remember as a senior, college applications loomed large around this time of year. And I had barely cracked the UC essays. I sat in my living room, staring at the questions, hoping the essays would just write themselves.

Williams College is an incredible liberal arts college located in the vibrant Williamstown, Mass. It is the second oldest institution of higher learning in Massachusetts and hosts a number of notable alumni and staff, many known for their accomplishments in the humanities and liberal arts.  

My acceptance into Stanford hinged on the following Oscar Wilde quote: “If the caveman had known how to laugh, History would have been different.”

Known universally for its renowned computer science program, Carnegie Mellon University has long been a school on any STEM student’s radar. Located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, CMU has a variety of programs that make it a STEM powerhouse that competes with likes of Stanford, MIT, and UC Berkeley. In addition, CMU has other programs that further increases its prestige within the college community. Tepper, CMU’s School of Business, has recently ranked among the top 10 of undergraduate programs. Its ranking has continued to rise with each consecutive year, tying for 7th in 2017.