College Zoom Blog | Smarter decisions, smarter outcomes.™

16 Nov

30% to 50% Early Decision Acceptance Rates Are Grossly Misconstrued—Even by Admissions Offices

By College Zoom
In Applying Early

The Truth About Applying Early to College This post covers the four types of early application options a college might offer you: Early Decision Early Action Restrictive Early Action (also known as Single-Choice Early Action) Rolling Admission To Apply Early

21 Jun

Are Top College Consultants Worth It?

By College Zoom
In Consumer Alerts

Are the "Best" College Consultants Worth It? 4 Warning Signs You’re About to Waste Thousands A 'Top Ranked' College Admissions Consultant Reveals All Every year, thousands of families spend $5,000–$50,000 on college consulting services, hoping

10 May

Best College Admissions Consultants Rankings Include the Worst

By College Zoom
In Consumer Alerts

Best College Admissions Consultant Rankings Include the Worst • A Top Ranked College Admissions Consultant Tells All • Numerous 'Top Ranked' Firms Are Actually Among the Worst Regarded in the College Admissions Industry • How to Read Company Insider Reviews

19 Mar

How to Write a Yale Deferral or Waitlist Letter

By College Zoom
In appeals

Preview: How to write a compelling waitlist letter for Yale. The Yale Waitlist Yale University’s waitlist is one of the most competitive in the country. If you’ve been placed on it, you’re in the top tier of applicants—but with

18 Mar

How to Write a Boston College Waitlist or Appeal Letter

By College Zoom
In appeals

Preview: Boston College denied and waitlisted applicants can email a letter of reconsideration to their regional admissions officer for a second chance. Boston College Appeal and Waitlist Letters Boston College’s competitive admissions process often results in even strong students

26 Jan

How to Write a Northwestern Waitlist or Deferral Letter

By College Zoom
In appeals

Preview: Convey new and compelling information about your candidacy to differentiate yourself from the rest of the waitlist pool. The Northwestern Waitlist Process: Northwestern’s <9% acceptance rate is highly competitive, and if you made it to the waitlist, then

06 Jan

How to Write a Vanderbilt Waitlist or Deferral Letter

By College Zoom
In appeals

Preview: Craft a detailed letter highlighting your commitments and sharing new information to address inadequacies from your original application. The Biggest Misconception About Fit at Vanderbilt: With the unofficial motto “work hard, play hard,” Vanderbilt students are known for

08 Dec

How to Write a Harvard Waitlist or Deferral Letter

By College Zoom
In appeals

Preview: Do not write a love letter. Every Harvard applicant who made the waitlist is smart and dreams of enrolling. Fix your original application's deficiencies and strengthen your candidacy with new information. The Harvard Waitlist Process: While Harvard doesn’t

21 Mar

How to Appeal a USC Rejection Letter

By College Zoom
In appeals

Preview: For USC, appeals must be submitted via the USC applicant portal within two weeks of receiving your admissions decision. Successful appeal letters are calculated, strategic, and compelling in addressing the underlying deficiencies of your Common Application. The USC Appeal Process:

01 Feb

Rejections Are Inevitable. How to Prepare. What to do Next.

By College Zoom
In appeals

Preview: The under enrollment trend that many colleges adopted before the pandemic has become amplified in 2021. The trend first started in the 2018-2019 admissions cycle (before COVID-19 arrived), when a record number of students got rejected or waitlisted by

28 Nov

Top 3 Myths About the UC Application Deadline

By College Zoom
In Applying Early

Preview: 1. Does the UC website actually crash on the deadline? 2. Is the UC application due on or before Nov 30th? 3. Do students who submit earlier have an advantage? At College Zoom, we've had to dispel a

05 Mar

How to Appeal a UCSB Rejection Letter

By College Zoom
In appeals

Preview: If you are rejected by UCSB, the admissions office allows you to appeal your outcome for a second chance at acceptance. New in 2021: waitlisted applicants can no longer appeal until they are officially denied. The UCSB Appeal Process: If you feel

01 Mar

How to Appeal a UCSD Rejection Letter

By College Zoom
In appeals

Preview: A successful UCSD appeal letter limits you to 250 words and forces you to prioritize just two to three issues upon which your entire case for reconsideration rests. The UCSD Appeal Process: The good news? Appealing your UC San

06 Feb

Yes, Students of Private High Schools Can Take Classes at Other Schools

By College Zoom
In College Admissions Advice

A College Zoom insight. What If Your Private School Counselor Says, "No"? Whether you want to avoid taking a notoriously bad teacher, take more challenging coursework, or get ahead in a subject, many families feel stuck when their private high

13 Mar

How to Appeal a UC Berkeley Rejection Letter

By College Zoom
In appeals

Preview: UC Berkeley appeal letters succeed when they patch the right holes in your original UC application. However, appeal examples found online rarely align with the unique deficiencies that you'll need to address. The UC Berkeley Appeal Process: "You've made

16 Feb

How to write a UCLA Appeal or Waitlist Letter

By College Zoom
In appeals

Preview: A successful UCLA appeal letter isn't about finding a successful template online. It's about powerfully fixing the unique deficiencies within your original UC application. The UCLA Appeal Process: Did you know that when you initially applied to UCLA,

21 Mar

How to Appeal for a Higher Financial Aid Award

By College Zoom
In Financial Aid

How to Appeal Your Financial Aid Award Are you considering an appeal of your financial aid award? For clarity, financial aid appeals are officially called “Requests for Reconsideration” by offices of financial aid. Therefore, be sure to use the correct

21 Mar

How to Break an Early Decision Contract Without Penalty

By College Zoom
In College Admissions Advice

How to Break an Early Decision Contract Without Penalty A College Zoom insight. There is Only One Allowable Excuse: Do you need to get out of an early decision contract? Insufficient financial aid is the only excuse a student can

21 Mar

The Top Financial Aid Tips Your Family Should Know

The Top Financial Aid Tips Your Family Should Know This article was last updated on January. 16, 2024. The Huffington Post article, “Colleges Play Monopoly” provides great insights as to why the costs of college is so high. However, there

21 Mar

College Appeal Letters: How to Appeal a Rejection Letter

By College Zoom
In appeals

How to Write an Appeal Letter for College Rejection Why The Information that Makes Your Appeal Successful Isn't Always New and Compelling to You. About the Author: David Reynaldo is the founder of College Zoom. We've honed our strategies and