Read the first-hand account from former Empowerly student, Casey M., how she found her home and path to success at the University of California, Los Angeles. 

When I was applying to colleges, I was absolutely paranoid that I wouldn’t get in anywhere. My test scores and grades were fairly good, I had a lot of extracurriculars, and yet, I was still afraid. Applying to college is stressful, but it’s also very exciting. I have found that it is a process of self-discovery more than anything else. My goal in talking to you now is to both provide some advice and to ease some worries.

It's springtime, admissions decisions are being released, and seniors across the nation are celebrating their future college adventures. Like many of our students around this time, you may be thinking to yourself: how do I get into an Ivy League university? Or more specifically, how do I get into an Ivy League university from the Bay Area?

You're not alone. And there is good reason to wonder. The Bay Area is often regarded as the most competitive region for college admissions in the United States, and there is a plethora of misinformation often circulating among students regarding how to get into an Ivy League university as a Bay Area student. However, there are 3 key strategies to remember when crafting an elite college admissions profile.

This is the second article in a series aimed to empower neurodivergent and differently-abled students to prepare for academic success in college. We're aiming to de-stigmatize mental and medical health differences, and to champion advocacy by highlighting resources. There are resources available to you to mitigate obstacles, and you deserve to thrive. 

I’m sharing my personal account seeking reasonable academic accommodations at Stanford University in response to clinical anxiety in an attempt to de-stigmatize mental health struggles. There are resources available to you, and you deserve to thrive. 

Your alumni interview is coming up. I know it seems daunting, but the interviewers are looking to advocate for your background, achievements, and interests. They'll be describing your personality, warmth, sense of humor, and ability to communicate to the admissions officer. In turn, you're evaluating them and their alma mater, too. Let's prepare you to shine. 

University tours try to razzle–dazzle you with alumni facts, trivia, fun facts about parts of the campus that have appeared in movies, etc. Prepare a list so you can stay present and get swept up in the excitement, but gather the info you set out to collect along the way. 

When writing your college essays, you'll want to demonstrate some attachment to the university as far as the campus culture and applicable academic research. You also owe it to yourself to apply to schools that align with your personal values, unless you seek to be immersed in opposition. 

Applying to college can be daunting, but applying to BS/MD programs can seem even more difficult. With admissions rates in the single digits, earning a spot in a medical school while in high school can seem like an impossible task. 

Having gone through the BS/MD application process last summer, there were several tips that I wish I had known before applying to medical programs. Below are some of the most important things I have taken away from my experience applying to BS/MD programs.

The University of California college application is officially online! Now that you're scrolling through the app, you may be wondering about how to handle that little check-box for selecting a major. With so many options available, the choice can seem overwhelming. As a follow-up to our previous discussion series about the UC system, we've also compiled a list of resources for those of you wondering what you need to know when picking a major.

Get the inside scoop on how to get into the UCs from our UC Admissions Expert, Sheelah. She’s seen UC admissions from all sides – she graduated from Cal in 2016 with a B.S. in Genetics and Plant Biology, and has over four years of experience working in UC Berkeley’s Undergraduate Admissions Office.

This will be a three-part series, broadly covering the following categories:  1) evaluation of your academic record;  2) evaluation of your extracurriculars; and  3) fine-print admissions questions. Hope this helps clear up some confusion during this stressful process!

Get the inside scoop on how to get into the UCs from our UC Admissions Expert, Sheelah. She’s seen UC admissions from all sides – she graduated from Cal in 2016 with a B.S. in Genetics and Plant Biology, and has over four years of experience working in UC Berkeley’s Undergraduate Admissions Office.

This will be a three-part series, broadly covering the following categories:  1) evaluation of your academic record;  2) evaluation of your extracurriculars; and  3) fine-print admissions questions. Hope this helps clear up some confusion during this stressful process!

Get the inside scoop on how to get into the UCs from our UC Admissions Expert, Sheelah. She’s seen UC admissions from all sides – she graduated from Cal in 2016 with a B.S. in Genetics and Plant Biology, and has over four years of experience working in UC Berkeley’s Undergraduate Admissions Office.

Drawn from a Q&A session about the UC system, this will be a three-part series, broadly covering the following categories:  1) evaluation of your academic record;  2) evaluation of your extracurriculars; and  3) fine-print admissions questions. Hope this helps clear up some confusion during this stressful process!

University of California, Los Angeles is a public university located in the southern part of California. Founded in 1919, the university has about 31,000 undergraduate students and is one of the most applied-to universities in the country. Students can apply to UCLA through the UC application which is due on November 30^th for all students. Now let’s take a closer look at applying to UCLA!

The University of Texas at Austin is a public research university that many Empowerly and nationwide students have on their college list. Founded in 1833, the university is known for its strong undergraduate business and engineering schools, as well as having many prestigious graduate programs. Applications are due November 1^st for the priority deadline and on December 1^st for the regular deadline so let’s dive into the application process!