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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

What 11th Grade Students Should Do to Get Off to a Good Start

Elton Lin

For many high school students, fall semester has already started, Granted, school may look and feel different for many students this year, but over the next few weeks, we’ll be highlighting some steps that high school students should be taking to prepare themselves for a strong start to the school year, as well as ways that students can set themselves up for strong admissions results in their senior year.

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Colleges and Universities with the Most Merit Aid

Elton Lin

When considering colleges, tuition and affordability is often on students’ and families’ minds. How much financial aid does the school usually offer, and what kind of financial aid is available?

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ED Schools for Fall 2020

Elton Lin

As this year’s college application season approaches, students should keep their eye on colleges that offer the early decision option. There are plenty of colleges that are known to admit much of their incoming freshman class from the early decision application pool, but current events seem to indicate a greater early decision admit rate in colleges that share a certain characteristic: colleges with a historically high number of international students.

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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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