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ILUMIN Blog

Helpful tips about college admissions, test preparation and just being a better student, leader and person from ILUMIN Education.

Filtering by Category: College Planning

2020 UC Admissions Trends

Elton Lin

This summer, just in time for the high school Class of 2021’s senior year, the University of California Admissions has released their Fall 2020 admissions data! For your convenience, here are key takeaways on the latest of UC trends to keep in mind as you or your student prepare for UC applications:

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WHAT IS ED2? THE HIGHEST RANKED ED2 SCHOOLS

Elton Lin

Early Decision 2 is a second round of Early Decision, a college application option that comes with the same binding agreement as ED1 (if the college accepts you, you're automatically committed to attend). However, ED2 applications have later deadlines, with applications due in January and results coming out in February.

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WHAT HAPPENED WITH THE COURT RULING barring the UC from using SAT/ACT Scores

Elton Lin

Earlier this summer, the University of California Board of Regents voted unanimously to adopt sweeping changes to the UC’s admission testing requirements.

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“WHY US?” OVERLOOKED RESEARCH TIPS FOR THE “WHY US” SUPPLEMENTAL ESSAY

Elton Lin

The “why us?” supplemental essay, or the student’s love letter to a college, is arguably the most-requested supplemental essay from college applications across the board.

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INTERVIEW WITH TINA BROOKS, POMONA COLLEGE ASSOCIATE DEAN OF ADMISSIONS (PART 1 OF 2)

Elton Lin

We had the privilege of sitting down recently with Tina Brooks, the Associate Dean of Admissions at Pomona College, to talk about current admissions trends and the unique challenges of higher education in the year ahead.

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INTRODUCING THE ILUMIN ONLINE ESSAY BOOTCAMP

Elton Lin

The most frequently asked question that students have when starting their college application essay is...

“Where do I start?”

Here at ILUMIN Education, we can now proudly point you to the ILUMIN Online Essay Bootcamp!

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HOW SHOULD I CHOOSE MY COLLEGE MAJOR

Elton Lin

As the end of your high school career draws near, your preparations for your next level of education well underway, there looms the ever-present question: what should I major in? Maybe you have no idea what to major in, or maybe you’re torn between multiple interests. Choosing a college major as a high school student can get you stuck in a mess of indecision—so to clear the muck, here are the essentials to consider:

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THE ABSOLUTE DON’TS OF COLLEGE ESSAY TOPICS

Elton Lin

While the personal statement is an invitation to share more about yourself, there are definitely topics that you should avoid. In an effort to save you some time from laboring over a draft only to realize the entire premise of the story is flawed, we’re going to spell out which topics you should avoid, from the “You can do better” category to the “Don’t touch this with a ten-foot pole” topics.

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HOW DO I START MY COLLEGE ESSAYS?

Elton Lin

First of all, congratulations on making it to the application season! I’m sure the past few years of high school has been a tremendous period of growth, learning, and experimenting. We hope to help you capture these unique moments of realization you may have had during that time to strengthen your essays.

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WHAT JUST HAPPENED WITH STANDARDIZED TESTING AND THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA? WHAT SHOULD YOU DO ABOUT IT?

Anthony Su

The University of California system just made a big shift to the standardized testing landscape.

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