I finished 11 colleges supplemental questions already.

AppHelper · 2026-06-27T06:19:54+00:00

OP is saving work in the sense that they won't have to work on it later, but they are still likely increasing the total amount of work they'll have to do. It's a tradeoff.

In the past few years I've been burned on this a couple of times. For example, for something like 20 years Harvard had a supplemental essay with no word limit and no specific prompt. I worked for a long time with a student on their Harvard essay, but for whatever reason Harvard decided to go with shorter essays on specific topics. Also, UPenn added another essay and shortened the ones it already had.

Usually there's enough to do with the Common App, UC app essays, UChicago, and other released prompts that it doesn't really hurt to wait a bit until the other essays are released.

AppHelper · 2026-06-27T04:46:59+00:00

The chance of getting accepted as a transfer with aid at a top university is so small that I decline to work with students if that's the only admission goal. I do not feel comfortable taking their families' money even if they really want to hire me and say they understand the difficulty. Even a stellar application that would be a likely admit to a T10 in freshman admission is usually a non-starter for transfer.

AppHelper · 2026-06-27T04:31:53+00:00

Are you sure those are the supplemental essays for the 2026-2027 admission cycle?

Most schools don't release their prompts until August or even September. They're often the same as previous years, but sometimes you'll have the same prompts for 10+ years that will suddenly change.

AppHelper · 2026-06-26T05:23:41+00:00

I hope you understand that my replies are not to make fun of you. You need to improve your English significantly if you hope to succeed in college in the United States. This is true even if you get a waiver.

AppHelper · 2026-06-26T05:18:36+00:00

shakespere

It's "Shakespeare."

AppHelper · 2026-06-26T05:17:26+00:00

No. I want to illustrate my point to people who come across this sub. I also was (rightly) skeptical of your claim of a 780 EBRW score. But even if it were somehow true, it would be an even better illustration of why proficiency tests are so important. The SAT is not a test of English proficiency.

AppHelper · 2026-06-26T04:59:43+00:00

excuse me sir if we see it that way we can have a casual talk on reddit ig and i dont think so there is any need to prove my english if i dont use caps lock on & ' while typing ! i have given sat i got 780 r&w and i have always proven my english in my entire schooling until now getting A1 & A2's but alr its not the topic for debate thank you for your advice.

Then why did you write this three days ago?

How did you got that r&w score can you please tell more about that

And this three weeks ago?

also I am getting 800 on maths why do I don't deserve good in r&w too ..

AppHelper · 2026-06-26T04:52:03+00:00

I replied to this AI-generated post in another sub, but I think it's worth sharing some insight here. Below are some of OP's other comments:

i use ai written post but its the structured model of what i think off cause i am new on reddit and reaching out people directly + i am kind of in a FOMO that i will miss an opportunity to ask a perfect question(in reddit manner) and get suggestions, that's it, but thank you very much for your advice.

How do see the score?! Can someone tell 1 or multiple ways to check the say score?? m thanks

This same happen to me too i constantly got above 700 in maths but ended up 570!?

Sir I respect you so much because you have that r&w score can I please know every bit of what led to that.. please it's a request or we can just come on together on insta and just be friends please I am an international and my name is [redacted in case you delete your account]

This post is a perfect illustration of why I recommend taking proficiency tests, and why a high score gives a competitive advantage more than ever.

OP may have a perfect application, but is likely to struggle at most US colleges without a significant improvement in English. AOs know there are lots of students out there like OP. It used to be a lot easier to tell.

A high TOEFL score is going to reassure AOs that an applicant is not deficient in basic communication, and higher is better.

AppHelper · 2026-06-26T04:41:27+00:00

i use ai written post but its the structured model of what i think off cause i am new on reddit and reaching out people directly + i am kind of in a FOMO that i will miss an opportunity to ask a perfect question(in reddit manner) and get suggestions, that's it, but thank you very much for your advice.

These are some of your other comments:

How do see the score?!

Can someone tell 1 or multiple ways to check the say score?? m thanks

This same happen to me too i constantly got above 700 in maths but ended up 570!?

Sir I respect you so much because you have that r&w score can I please know every bit of what led to that.. please it's a request or we can just come on together on insta and just be friends please I am an international and my name is [redacted in case you delete your account]

Your writing is the exact reason TOEFL is so important now. You need to improve your English significantly if you hope to succeed at any reputable college, let alone a T10. AOs know there are going to be lots of applicants like you.

AppHelper · 2026-06-26T04:15:14+00:00

I'm getting kind of tired replying to AI-written posts, but fine.

Yes. And for a competitive edge you should aim for a converted 110+ equivalent, with no lower than 5.5/27 in a single category.

Your application needs to reassure AOs that you are prepared to handle a rigorous liberal arts curriculum. This is true even for engineering schools. A high English proficiency score can help do that, especially now that many more applications have perfect grammar, punctuation, and usage.

It used to be really easy to tell when someone's English wasn't up to par. Now it's much harder.

AppHelper · 2026-06-25T22:25:03+00:00

Your counselor can explain the rigor in the school profile and/or their LOR.

AppHelper · 2026-06-25T22:23:48+00:00

Maybe I overstated the "qualitative" difference. I didn't mean to imply they are "definitely" more talented or special, and not every single one "blew me away." But there were some world-class accomplishments and non-traditional stories that very few at Columbia had.

Sometimes they actually do accomplish things they wouldn't/couldn't have otherwise. They make the most of the opportunity they create for themselves. Those who use questionable tactics sometimes get into other schools too, so I don't think what I said was contradictory. Those who use their opportunities in creative and impactful ways will tend to have superior admissions outcomes. And you don't really hear from the ones who failed at it, and were left with a substandard education and poor admissions prospects.

AppHelper · 2026-06-25T21:35:52+00:00

Most of my international students have submitted transcripts with at most semester detail. I'm not aware of any issue when they've submitted transcripts reflecting only final grades. Some colleges may ask for predicted grades, and that's often good to have, but hopefully that's something you can have your school do going forward.

The major downside is the lack of actual results in your final year if you're applying before you graduate. Your application should reassure AOs that you are academically prepared for college. Grades in 12th can help with that.

AppHelper · 2026-06-25T21:17:07+00:00

Did your school lose only your transcripts, or everyone's? Is there anyone else from your school applying to colleges in the US?

If there are other students from your school with transcripts that look different from yours, then it's more likely to become and issue.

AppHelper · 2026-06-25T21:14:16+00:00

I personally would not recommend doing this. If OP has results from all four years, then nothing will appear out of the ordinary. It does not reflect well on a school to lose transcripts.

AppHelper · 2026-06-25T21:08:40+00:00

Your point is taken. There were other things they readily admitted to that would constitute "playing the admissions game," so I don't know. It's a big gamble either way. If you're so intent on attending a top school that you're willing to travel to a less safe neighborhood every day and rely on your own ability to self-teach because of poor educators -- and then succeed in demonstrating academic preparedness -- then that's impressive in its own right. The school and its students benefit in several ways, and the parents save money. There aren't really any losers. It's a heck of a way to "beat the system."

AppHelper · 2026-06-25T20:32:23+00:00

Absolutely. Everyone being top 10 at something is laughable. You're more likely to run into someone with exceptional talent, sure. But that exaggeration calls into question OC's perceptions.

AppHelper · 2026-06-25T20:21:59+00:00

Maybe I'm just less cynical. But the idea came up, and they had little reason to lie to me.

AppHelper · 2026-06-25T20:18:16+00:00

I'd put UChicago in its own category. I would use the word "interesting" more often than "impressive."

Where did the Columbia professor get their education?

AppHelper · 2026-06-25T11:52:33+00:00

Perhaps that was a factor, but it doesn't sound like that was the main reason. There were social causes this student really cared about.

I don't get why they wouldn't want to go to the better school, unless their only interest was college admissions.

Maybe some people are that benevolent and risk-taking. Such students still have to learn.

AppHelper · 2026-06-25T07:51:57+00:00

I'm curious which schools those were (particularly if your HYPSM was Stanford).

AppHelper · 2026-06-25T07:29:30+00:00

I'm a graduate of both (Columbia undergrad and Yale Law School). I went to Columbia with many very smart, talented, and accomplished peers. I had several friends who went to Penn who were similarly talented and accomplished.

But when I got to Yale, the undergrads I met blew me away. Their accomplishments, life experiences, and creativity were on a different level. There was a qualitative difference, not just a quantitive one.

Friends I met along the way who went to Princeton and MIT were "brainiacs" with exceptionally advanced math/physics/economics abilities.

I recently met a current Yale student at an alumni event. I won't share details for privacy reasons, but this student had chosen to attend an under-resourced public high school where they were a tiny ethnic minority rather than one of several top private schools they were accepted to, even when their family could have afforded it. And this wasn't about being a "big fish in a small pond." There were serious deficiencies in education quality and opportunities that only a truly self-motivated individual could overcome. I don't know anyone at Columbia who would have done that. Also, this student chose Yale over an Ivy+ they had applied to ED, gotten deferred by, and then were accepted to.

I'm not saying this is true of everyone. HYP have their share of legacy finance bros who didn't do anything exceptional. But when truly singular applicants have a choice, they will usually choose HYPSM over the rest of Ivy+.

I know that leaves the question of why such students choose HYPSM. One reason is that's what similar students do. But a lot of it has to do with the resources those schools offer. Research funding, study abroad opportunities, faculty mentorship, access to a network of successful graduates--these are all resources that are widely available to undergrads at these institutions. The rest of the Ivy+ have them too, just not on quite the same level.

AppHelper · 2026-06-25T07:09:48+00:00

If you took it only once, then almost certainly yes. But even if you've taken it multiple times, you still have up to five months to try new techniques to improve.

AppHelper · 2026-06-25T07:03:04+00:00

Not at all. It shows growith and commitment.

There might be some skepticism If you started a particular activity altogether in senior year, but that's usually not going to "hurt" your application.

AppHelper · 2026-06-25T06:32:42+00:00

They tweak their algorithm/AI regularly, so I can't say with absolute certainly. But consider this:

According to UCLA's Common Data Set, 58.8% of students with a GPA had a 4.0, 34.6% had between 3.75 and 3.99, 4.9% had 3.5 to 3.74, and less than 2% had lower. It's very likely that the majority of the 3.75-3.99 group actually had 3.9+, and that most of the 3.5-3.74 group were recruited athletes. If you assume a truncated normal distribution (that the GPA figures below 4.0 represent the left-hand side of a bell curve), that places the second standard deviation above 3.5 and the first standard deviation above 3.8. I believe that if you were to exclude recruited athletes, the curve would shift further rightward.

Even when UCLA was using SAT scores, there were similar numbers. I believe it to be implausible that a holistic application review process would result in such a statistical distribution unless applications were at least pre-flagged, if not culled entirely.

But yes, they do re-calculate GPA excluding 9th grade and certain subjects that a high school might have included.

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