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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: Hot Topics/Trends

Colleges Are Reopening - How to Make the Most of your Summer 2021 College Tour

Elton Lin

During the brunt of the pandemic, colleges across the nation made their tours virtual and closed doors on in-person campus experiences. The pandemic is still far from over, but in light of widespread vaccinations, many colleges—including the Ivy League—have announced plans to reopen for in-person learning starting Fall 2021. Some are also allowing in-person campus visits once again. If you’ve been vaccinated, here are some tips to help you (safely) make the most of your summer college visits:

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The Waitlist: What Is It, And How Can I Get Off It?

Elton Lin

When it comes time for college applicants to open emails and check their admissions results, their nerves are understandably on edge. Will there be acceptance or rejection waiting for them on the other side? There is a third option, however: the waitlist, which, to many nervous students, may seem like an even more worrying result.

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Early Decision, Early Action, Early Decision 2...What are they and what happened in 2021?

Elton Lin

ED, EA, REA, ED2—as you’ve been navigating the college application process, you’ve probably seen these acronyms pop up over and over again. They seem pretty fancy: each of these application plans have their own rules, deadlines, and advantages, and some colleges offer some of them but not the others.

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Does Legacy Matter in Admissions?

Elton Lin

With all its essays, criteria, and complexities, the college admissions process is a thorough one, meant to delve deep and really evaluate the merit of students hoping to join the ranks of their dream schools.

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The Act’s New Normal: The Cbt (Computer-Based Test)

Elton Lin

With the goal of always improving the test-taking experience – and making students’ scores more reflective of how they’ll really perform in college, rather than how they were feeling on one particular day -- ACT (the nonprofit that administers the test) offers several options for students to improve their test-taking experience and scoring.

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What's a 3-2 Engineering Program?

Tony Flores

If you’ve never heard of a 3-2 engineering program, you’re not alone. These dual-degree programs – which offer students the ability to attend two colleges, and get a degree in engineering along with a full liberal arts education – are sadly underlooked by many.

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College Board Ends SAT II Subject Tests

Elton Lin

On Tuesday, College Board announced the end of SAT II Subject Tests in the United States, effective immediately, about 83 years after SAT Subject Tests (then called Achievement Tests) were first introduced.

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B.S./M.D. What It Is, And Top Programs in 2020

Elton Lin

There are quite a number of B.S/M.D. programs out there, all offering a variety of options to propel future doctors forward along the road. Checkout a list of the top twelve B.S./M.D. programs currently offered.

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How College Admissions Rates Have (And Haven’t) Changed In 2020

Elton Lin

Can you imagine starting college in fall 2020? Lots of students didn’t; they deferred their acceptance. (More on this later.)

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Colleges Are Cutting Sports – How Does This Affect College Admissions?

Elton Lin

For many students, an important part of college can be joining your college’s team to play your favorite sport. Sports permeate campus culture – from friendly intramurals to deep-seated collegiate rivalries. (Harvard or Yale? Stanford or Cal?) But in 2020 – when even professional NBA and NFL teams had to cancel their games (and stop inviting spectators!) because of the coronavirus -- many wonder how this has dribbled over – no pun intended – into the college sports field.

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