Subject teacher: My counselors advised that most students pick one humanities/language/social studies teacher and one STEM teacher as their recommenders. While I did take some math and chemistry courses in high school, I wasn't planning on majoring in them at all – I decided to go the more economics/gov/poli sci route. So, both of my recommenders were social sciences teachers. One was my Human Geography teacher and the other was my Economics teacher. Teacher: Don't choose a teacher that gave you an A for their class. Choose a teacher that knows you as a person – as a...

I did not use a private admissions counselor. Some family friends did and it worked well for them, so I decided to have a trial consultation and see how it went. It's a very expensive service. These admissions counselors tend to sell you a 4-year package...

I definitely recommend doing something useful during the summer. While it is a long two months, it can easily go to waste if you don't plan ahead and make logistical arrangements so you can get as most out of your summer as possible. You should, by all means, allocate some time to travel, spend time with family and friends, and to just relax. However, you should also do something productive, whether it be broadening your horizons, learning something new, challenging yourself, getting...

I initially wanted to choose my Common App essay prompt before my topic, and as a result, I spent weeks debating on what topic to write about. I later realized that the essay prompts are all open-ended and can be interpreted in so many different ways – for a reason. Regardless of which prompt you choose, you can still be capable of writing a stellar essay. So, my advice is to not get too caught-up on choosing the "perfect" prompt to use. Don't waste your time getting torn between different prompts. You should start writing whatever comes to mind immediately. If...