--- title: "College Admissions and Test Prep Blog — page 12 | Elite Prep" description: "Admissions guides, test strategy and study advice from Elite Prep instructors and counselors." url: "https://eliteprep.com/blog/page/12/" image: "https://media.eliteprep.com/blog-library-gradient-webp-card.jpg" language: "en" source: "eliteprep build" --- ![Four students talking over their notes in a library](https://eliteprep.com/media/blog-library-gradient-webp-w1600.webp) # Blog Admissions guides, test strategy and study advice from Elite Prep instructors and counselors. - ![A man in glasses, headphones and a pinstriped suit speaks into a microphone while holding papers and a pen.](https://media.eliteprep.com/ira%2Bglass-webp-w400.webp) [College Admissions](https://eliteprep.com/blog/category/college-admissions/) ### [How to Make Your Mediocre Extracurricular Essay Better (in about 30 minutes)](https://eliteprep.com/blog/how-to-make-your-mediocre-extracurricular-essay-better-in-ab.html/) December 14, 2013 Ethan Sawyer - ![Two sled dogs on a boat, one grinning widely at the camera with water behind them](https://media.eliteprep.com/gratitude-dog-webp-w400.webp) [Study Tips](https://eliteprep.com/blog/category/study-tips/) ### [Why I Keep a Gratitude List](https://eliteprep.com/blog/why-i-keep-a-gratitude-list.html/) December 14, 2013 Ethan Sawyer - ![A gauge labeled "Male Bovine Fecal Matter Detector" with its needle pointing past High to "B.S.!"](https://media.eliteprep.com/bs-detector.webp) [College Admissions](https://eliteprep.com/blog/category/college-admissions/) ### [DOs and DON'Ts for Your "Why Us?" Essay](https://eliteprep.com/blog/dos-and-donts-for-your-why-us-essay.html/) December 14, 2013 Ethan Sawyer - ![Line drawing of a glass half full of liquid, with a curved pipe pouring into it and draining from below.](https://media.eliteprep.com/paradox2.webp) [SAT](https://eliteprep.com/blog/category/sat/) [Resources](https://eliteprep.com/blog/category/resources/) ### [How Much Do SAT Scores Matter? (A Paradox)](https://eliteprep.com/blog/how-much-do-sat-scores-matter-a-paradox.html/) December 11, 2013 Ethan Sawyer - ![Two men celebrating beside bunk beds in a bedroom, captioned "So much room for activities"](https://media.eliteprep.com/So-Much-More-Room-For-Activities-webp-w400.webp) [College Admissions](https://eliteprep.com/blog/category/college-admissions/) ### [How to Write Your 150-Word Extracurricular Essay (Six Techniques You Can Steal)](https://eliteprep.com/blog/how-to-write-your-150-word-extracurricular-essay-six-techniq.html/) December 9, 2013 Ethan Sawyer - ![A man in a red shirt throws his arms wide and shouts with excitement.](https://media.eliteprep.com/excited-gif-w400.webp) [College Admissions](https://eliteprep.com/blog/category/college-admissions/) ### [How to Write a "Why Us" Essay for a School You're Not Super Excited About](https://eliteprep.com/blog/how-to-write-a-why-us-essay-for-a-school-youre-not-super-exc.html/) December 7, 2013 Ethan Sawyer - ![Facebook menu with Settings, Logout and Search tabs, and "Privacy Settings" circled in red below "Account Settings".](https://media.eliteprep.com/Facebook-Privacy-Settings-webp-w400.webp) [College Admissions](https://eliteprep.com/blog/category/college-admissions/) ### [Why You Should Probably Set Your Facebook Settings to Private After Sending in Your Common App](https://eliteprep.com/blog/why-you-should-probably-set-your-facebook-settings-to-privat.html/) December 6, 2013 Ethan Sawyer - ![A row of six celebrities posing in formal outfits on red carpets at awards and film premiere events.](https://media.eliteprep.com/celebrity-style-webp-w400.webp) [College Admissions](https://eliteprep.com/blog/category/college-admissions/) ### [Racking Up Style Points: Two Tips for Revising Your College Essay](https://eliteprep.com/blog/racking-up-style-points-two-tips-for-revising-your-college-e.html/) December 5, 2013 Ethan Sawyer - ![A glowing blue X-ray-style illustration of a human brain in profile on a black background](https://media.eliteprep.com/brain-banner-webp-w400.webp) [College Admissions](https://eliteprep.com/blog/category/college-admissions/) ### [How am I a Genius?](https://eliteprep.com/blog/how-am-i-a-genius.html/) December 4, 2013 Ethan Sawyer - ![Smiling young man with short dark hair, black-framed glasses and a salmon-colored collared shirt](https://media.eliteprep.com/image-asset-26-webp-w400.webp) [College Admissions](https://eliteprep.com/blog/category/college-admissions/) ### [How to Decide Which Extracurricular Activity to Write About](https://eliteprep.com/blog/how-to-decide-which-extracurricular-activity-to-write-about.html/) November 22, 2013 Ethan Sawyer - ![Close-up of a person's hands typing on a laptop keyboard](https://media.eliteprep.com/essay%2Bfingers-webp-w400.webp) [College Admissions](https://eliteprep.com/blog/category/college-admissions/) ### [Ten Tips for Writing a 1337\* UC2 Essay](https://eliteprep.com/blog/ten-tips-for-writing-a-1337-uc2-essay.html/) November 20, 2013 Ethan Sawyer - ![Library at WUSTL. They do look pretty smart..](https://media.eliteprep.com/washington-university-in-st-louis2-a74dd217f91ccbce31add0db286cca12-webp-w400.webp) ### [And the Smartest College in the US is…?](https://eliteprep.com/blog/and-the-smartest-college-in-the-us-is.html/) November 18, 2013 Ethan Sawyer - ![A curving line of smooth dark stepping stones resting in still, calm water](https://media.eliteprep.com/water_stones1-1024x640-webp-w400.webp) ### [Mindfulness, Part 2: How Meditation Can Raise Your SAT Score](https://eliteprep.com/blog/mindfulness-part-2-how-meditation-can-raise-your-sat-score.html/) November 13, 2013 Ethan Sawyer - ![Person seen from behind holding their head, with a tangle of colorful scribbled lines bursting out of it](https://media.eliteprep.com/Mindfulness-and-Living-a-Busy-Life-webp-w400.webp) [Resources](https://eliteprep.com/blog/category/resources/) ### [Mindfulness, Part 1: Am I Breathing?](https://eliteprep.com/blog/mindfulness-part-1-am-i-breathing.html/) November 12, 2013 Ethan Sawyer - ![A black pen resting on a page of handwritten notes on a desk](https://media.eliteprep.com/writing-a-book-is-the-easy-part-2-webp-w400.webp) [College Admissions](https://eliteprep.com/blog/category/college-admissions/) ### [How to Write a "Why Us" Essay (Part 3 of 3)](https://eliteprep.com/blog/how-to-write-a-why-us-essay-part-3-of-3.html/) November 7, 2013 Ethan Sawyer - ![A black pen resting on a page of handwritten notes on a desk](https://media.eliteprep.com/writing-a-book-is-the-easy-part-2-webp-w400.webp) [College Admissions](https://eliteprep.com/blog/category/college-admissions/) ### [How to Write a "Why Us" Essay (Part 2 of 3)](https://eliteprep.com/blog/how-to-write-a-why-us-essay-part-2-of-3.html/) November 6, 2013 Ethan Sawyer - ![A black pen resting on a page of handwritten notes on a desk](https://media.eliteprep.com/writing-a-book-is-the-easy-part-2-webp-w400.webp) [College Admissions](https://eliteprep.com/blog/category/college-admissions/) ### [How to Write a "Why Us" Essay (Part 1 of 3)](https://eliteprep.com/blog/how-to-write-a-why-us-essay-part-1-of-3.html/) November 5, 2013 Ethan Sawyer - ![Miami University of Ohio](https://media.eliteprep.com/miami-university-wide-webp-w400.webp) [College Admissions](https://eliteprep.com/blog/category/college-admissions/) ### [How to Create a Great College List](https://eliteprep.com/blog/how-to-create-a-great-college-list.html/) November 1, 2013 Ethan Sawyer - ![A green felt-tip Pentel Sign Pen with the cap posted on the end](https://media.eliteprep.com/green-pen-webp-w400.webp) [College Application](https://eliteprep.com/blog/category/college-application/) ### [Three 15-Minute Brainstorming Exercises for Your College Essay](https://eliteprep.com/blog/three-15-minute-brainstorming-exercises-for-your-college-ess.html/) October 30, 2013 Ethan Sawyer - [College Application](https://eliteprep.com/blog/category/college-application/) ### [Common App Essay Formatting Update](https://eliteprep.com/blog/common-app-essay-formatting-update.html/) October 30, 2013 - ![Someecard: "I promise to tolerate your freedom of speech, unless it involves two spaces after a period. Because that's not freedom, that's just wrong."](https://media.eliteprep.com/two_spaces_after_a_period-webp-w400.webp) [College Application](https://eliteprep.com/blog/category/college-application/) ### [Two Spaces After a Period (And four other mistakes your making in you're college essay)](https://eliteprep.com/blog/two-spaces-after-a-period-and-four-other-mistakes-your-makin.html/) October 29, 2013 Ethan Sawyer - ![Three colorful graffiti-painted skateboard decks mounted on a beige stucco wall](https://media.eliteprep.com/ff_mexicanschool7_large.webp) [Articles We Love](https://eliteprep.com/blog/category/articles-we-love/) ### [How a Radical New Teaching Method Could Unleash a Generation of Geniuses](https://eliteprep.com/blog/how-a-radical-new-teaching-method-could-unleash-a-generation.html/) October 29, 2013 - ![The California State University seal, 1857, showing a state map, open book and lamp with "Vox Veritas Vita".](https://media.eliteprep.com/California_State_University_Seal.webp) [College Admissions](https://eliteprep.com/blog/category/college-admissions/) ### [Applying to Cal State Schools](https://eliteprep.com/blog/applying-to-cal-state-schools.html/) October 28, 2013 - [College Application](https://eliteprep.com/blog/category/college-application/) ### [Extended Early Action & Early Decision Deadlines](https://eliteprep.com/blog/extended-early-action-early-decision-deadlines.html/) October 25, 2013 [Browse every post by year →](https://eliteprep.com/blog/archive/) [Subscribe to the RSS feed](https://eliteprep.com/blog/rss.xml) ## Ready to Discuss Your Options? 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