...if you think you will be working as a software engineer when you graduate.

10-15 years ago Google was asking FizzBuzz and Two Sum questions to candidates, now it's not farfetched to see them toss a new grad a leetcode hard. The rise of continued globalization, remote work, and growth of platforms like leetcode has drastically increased not only the candidate pool but the candidate skill level as well.

Offshoring, globalization, and AI are all destroying the tech industry. In 2024 the US Bureau of labor statistics had a 15% projected 10 year job growth outlook for software engineers. In 2026 it stands at just 10%.

Do not fall for this scam.

Iowa state!! Just something that made me happy :]

To finish the Common App and see a .pdf spit out of the last four years is really jarring. I've never felt so dehumanized. Where do I talk about all the friends who saved my life and are the spark of my world? Why did my orchestra experience get dumbed down to a handful of words and not the everlasting memories that I made? Why is my SAT score the first time and not the second time I took it? I studied CRAZY amounts just to get a lower score? My firefighting experience is the only thing that gets put into 650 words, but that's still not enough to show the brotherhood and the trauma I experienced. My dream school is far away, but it's the one I want. If I go to my dream school, will I see my brothers and sisters again? Will I step into my firefighting gear again?

I've cried so many times and lost so many hours just thinking. EA is around the corner. I dislike this process. I wish I were good at something. I wish I did something that would show better on a college app. I wish my studying didn't leave me barely short of a 1500 SAT. I wish my parents knew that I'm not built for T20 schools.

:(

I feel like no one else talks about these and I’m worried I may have been underestimating their importance

Title. Thinking of putting it relatively low on the common app activity list

Hello everyone, wondering if anyone can shed light on this comparison. I've visited both, and the jury is still out. I love the promise of learning-for-learning's sake in the U Chicago essays, but I've also heard that Brown's open curriculum promotes learning-for-learning's sake. Corny as it sounds I really want to wind up at a school where people enjoy learning. At the same time, I want college to not feel like that same level of high school stress. I'll be a humanities major.

i have a 1520 SAT superscore (780 math, 740 reading) and a 35 ACT composite score (5 English, 35 Reading, 34 Math, 34 Science)

I feel like by indicating my interest as computer science, it is expected of my to have very high math ability, espeicially at ivies. I don't know if I should

A: ONLY submit my SAT super score to my universities (some of which are mit, harvard, yale, stanford, upenn), demonstrating strong math ability (but overall "lower" score; it is further from the perfect score of 1600 than the 35 composite is to the 36)

B: ALSO submit my ACT score (demonstrating a higher overall score but lower math ability)

basically, should i just submit SAT or both SAT and ACT

Title.

Context:
International, low income, first gen college
Major: computational linguistics
School offers zero APs, A levels, no IB
One SAT test center for the whole nation with 20 seats
I am the only who actually took the test in my high school

1500 is definitely even below 50th percentile for Yale thus kinda thinking should i even put time applying ? How cooked I am ? Does this score really checks the box for me or raises some questions about academic preparation?

I heard some people saying context matters even in test scores, how true is that and how it effects my case ?

I’ll be attending a T10 as a recruited athlete. Can anyone here speak to their experience and quality of life? I would love any insights or advice as I prepare for my freshman year. I plan on majoring in math or CS.
FWIW, I averaged about 5 hours of sleep during the season in my junior year of high school. As an IB student taking 4 APs, I nearly burned out. Am I cooked in the same way when I start college?

Hi everyone, I am looking to ED to a college this fall and I am currently deciding between Vandy and Dartmouth. I am a white, female from the UK so I am an international student.

I'm looking for a school with a good balance between academics and social life, strong STEM programs, good dining halls, and just an overall good student experience. I am not involved in sports at the moment but I would love to get involved at college. I would also love to get involved in research at some point.

Honestly, I am kind of leaning Vandy and I'm not exactly sure why. I like the idea of being close to a city, but then again Dartmouth is only 2-3 hours from NYC, Boston and Montreal. I will be applying test optional at Vanderbilt as i scored a 1440, and test flexible at Dartmouth as I would submit my A-level predicted grades - A*A*A.

I am an extremely indecisive person and I was hoping someone would be able to help me as the ED deadline is literally in 2 weeks.

Hi, I need some serious advice. I plan to ED to Duke, but i currently have a C+ in AP Macroeconomics right now and my teacher doesn’t give any helping grades other than tests. I also take AP Microeconomics so it’s not like I need to be taking Macro right now. I have A+ and A in all my other classes. I think I need to drop the class, but Duke will see that. Should I stay in the class and hope to end first quarter with a B by the beginning of Nov or drop the class now?? I’m not sure if I will even have time to be studying so much for the class with all
the other things I’m doing outside and in school now…Help!!

Ok so basically over the summer I wrote my personal statement on my hair (message me to read the essay cuz I heard you shouldn't post it) and I have rewritten it a lot of times. However, I am not the greatest writer and I don't really read books...... I have the ideas that I want to convey but I feel like it is generic. My topic is not generic at all though (sorry you would get it if you read it) but the way I write it does.

I am just cortisol-maxxing over it because every time I change a bit of it, it is always still so bad. I also don't have anyone to proofread it, so it was just me that was changing things..

Is there anyone that can read it and help me?

What are this sub's thoughts on the profile (personality, values) of the type of student that fits well at each of the following SLACs? (If it helps, the student would be a student-athlete.)

Vassar
Carleton
Grinnell
Haverford

So the choice of words that I have chosen for this prompt would instantly be understandable to a younger admissions officer, but if it's an older person, they might not understand it as much. Should I continue with this choice?

Hi guys! I’m a high school senior who does colorguard, and was wondering if I should submit a video of my choreography as an arts supplement. Most of my schools have vague descriptions of what arts can be considered. I know that if considered, the video would help me. I just don’t know if it would count as an art in this case, since colorguard is a performance art rather than physical or musical.

Thank you!

How do I even start applying..

So I edit Wikipedia articles in my free time, mostly on topics I’m interested in, and I’ve edited over 100 articles so far. I was wondering if this is worth including in the Ecs section of Common App. It probably wouldn’t be one of my top activities… idk tho
Would colleges see this as a legit EC, or is it too insignificant to include?

hi guys! I'm currently trying to decide which Ivies I should apply to. I really want to apply only if my character type seems fitting for the school (obviously not the only thing, but a big part for me). For example, Brown is known for its artsy/quirky kids. So my question is: what is the average personality for each of the Ivy League schools?

Hey guys! I'm an international student applying for Fall 2027, test-optional, with good stats, ECs, and essays. I'm from a very low-income background, so I’d need a full ride to attend.

My list includes:

Vassar

Wellesley

Wesleyan

Bowdoin

Amherst

Bryn Mawr

Mount Holyoke

Smith

Emory

My dream schools are Barnard and NYU, especially Barnard.

I'm confused about whether I should apply ED to my dream schools or the safety ones. I had a dip in 11th grade, and I don't have my predicted scores to prove I've recovered yet, and won't have them till the ed1 deadline, I don't know what to do honestly.

If i submit ed to any of my safety schools, I'll get rejected since the latest score would be the 11th grade that'll be accounted and it's bad. Like, yeah.

So if I wait till RD or ED2 I'll have the predicted scores to show I've recovered. The scores are the only thing holding back my app (apart from my need for financial aid ofc🙂‍↕️)

I'd appreciate some good advice and help 😭

(And I don't want reality check, I know what I'm getting myself into😶)

Thank you!

Hi everyone! I'm a senior currently applying to college, and am struggling to pick between Vanderbilt and UPenn in terms of where to ED. I want to major in chemistry/ materials science and am hoping to go straight into industry after college or a masters degree post-grad. I love the "work hard play hard" environment at both schools. I wanted to know what people thought about the competitiveness, greek/social scene, and research opportunities/ STEM program rigor and prestige at both schools? Also general opinions on the facilities. Thank you all so much!

(Also super random but if anyone rock climbs/ know anything about the teams that would be so so great)

I had the option of going to McGill, UBC, or U of T for around 6k/yr but chose Tufts despite it costing 100k/yr.

I picked it for the global and domestic prestige and because it’s just a better school in general.

Did I make a mistake?

im rlly scared to hit submit on my ed tomorrow. i just dont think ill be able to muster the strength to hit the button. its like all my accomplishments have been dehumanized to one PDF.

so far i have a 3.5 unweighted GPA and a 4.0 weighted im apart of 3 clubs currently that i applied to this year Science National Honors Society, Fellowship of christian Athletes, And a Make heaven crowded club and i plan to apply to Join National honors society later this year when applications start i take the sat in march so i havent got a sore for that yet i feel like my applicationis not going to be very solid so does anyone have any reomendations to strengthen my application i also know i need leadership and i dont have any leadership positions currently Also im based in flordia is that helps.