Find the colleges where you’ll thrive, not just get in.
For high school students, transfer students and their families. We show where your profile stands against what colleges value, what to work on next, how to pay for it, and how to build a list you’ll be glad to have in April.
What’s changing in college admissions
Common App applications rose 6% in 2025–26 to 10.8 million, while the number of applicants grew 2% to 1.53 million. Students are applying to more colleges.
The number of applicants reporting SAT or ACT scores rose 11%, and more selective colleges now require them again.
The 2027–28 FAFSA opened before October 1, 2026. Family farms and small businesses no longer count as assets.
Per student, per year, for new parent borrowers since July 1, 2026, with a $65,000 total limit per student.
What colleges say they value, and what they actually reward
Every college publishes how much weight it gives each factor in its Common Data Set. Our theory-based model starts there. Our practice-based model then checks it against real outcomes.
Influence levels reflect how highly selective colleges commonly rate these factors in their Common Data Sets. Every college differs, which is why our full assessment works school by school.
A list built on fit, evidence and cost
A great list balances three kinds of fit: academic, personal and financial. Every college on it should be a place you’d be glad to go and could afford.
Academic fit
Compare your grades and, where relevant, your test scores with each college’s middle 50% range in its Common Data Set. Look for strong programs in the subjects you might study, not just overall reputation.
Reading a Common Data SetPersonal fit
Size, setting, distance from home, teaching style, community and support. Visit, virtually or in person, and talk with current students when you can.
Questions to askFinancial fit
Run every college’s net price calculator before you apply. Include in-state public universities and colleges known for generous aid, and look at graduation rates and earnings on the College Scorecard.
Use the cost plannerThe SAT and ACT in 2026
Testing policies have split. A growing group of selective colleges, including Harvard, Yale, Stanford, MIT, Penn, Brown, Dartmouth, Cornell and Johns Hopkins, require the SAT or ACT. Others, including Princeton, Columbia and Notre Dame, have announced requirements starting with students applying in fall 2027. Many colleges remain test-optional, and the University of California and California State University systems don’t consider scores at all.
At test-optional colleges, a common rule of thumb is to submit scores at or above a college’s median, and to think carefully about scores well below its middle 50% range.
Read the guide: SAT, ACT and test policiesThe tests at a glance
- SATDigital and adaptive, about 2 hours 14 minutes. Reading and Writing plus Math, scored 400–1600, with a built-in graphing calculator.
- ACTAbout 2 hours for English, Math and Reading, which make up the 1–36 composite. Science is now optional. Online or paper.
- WhenMany students test in the spring of junior year and retake in late summer or early fall of senior year.
- HelpFee waivers for eligible students, and accommodations through your school.
Early, regular or direct?
- Early Decision: binding. If admitted, you commit to attend. Best when you have a clear first choice and can commit before comparing aid offers.
- Early Action: non-binding, with an earlier answer.
- Restrictive Early Action: non-binding, but limits other early applications.
- Regular Decision: the standard deadline, usually in early January.
- Rolling admission: decisions as applications arrive, common at public universities.
- Grades 9–10Build foundations
Challenging courses, genuine interests, a few activities you’ll stick with.
- Grade 11, fall to springRigor, testing and Admit Preparation
Your most important academic year. Start your school list and a testing plan.
- Summer before senior yearEssays and recommenders
Draft your personal statement. The Common App opens August 1.
- Senior fallEarly deadlines and the FAFSA
Most Early Decision and Early Action deadlines fall on November 1 or 15. File the FAFSA, and the CSS Profile where required, as early as you can.
- JanuaryRegular Decision deadlines
Most fall between January 1 and 15.
- March to May 1Decisions, aid offers and commitment
Compare offers, appeal if needed, and commit by the May 1 national reply date.
Help colleges hear your voice
The Common App personal statement prompts are unchanged for 2026–27: seven prompts, including one on any topic of your choice, with a limit of 650 words.
Personal statement
Choose a story only you could tell, and show how you think, not just what you’ve done. Start drafting the summer before senior year.
Supplements
“Why us?” essays reward research: specific programs, people and opportunities that connect to your goals.
Activities list
Up to 10 activities in short descriptions. Lead with your most meaningful commitments, and use strong verbs and specific results.
We never write essays. We help you brainstorm, give candid feedback and make sure every word is yours.
Financial aid in 2026–27: what’s new
Most families pay less than a college’s published price. The key is applying for aid on time and comparing net cost, not sticker price.
Applying for aid
- The FAFSA for 2027–28 is open and uses 2025 tax information. File early: some state and college aid is limited.
- The CSS Profile is required by some private colleges for their own aid.
- Net price calculators on every college’s website estimate what you’d pay. Use them before you apply.
- Appeals: if your family’s circumstances have changed, ask the aid office for a professional judgment review.
New federal rules
- Pell Grants: up to $7,395 for 2026–27. Students whose Student Aid Index is at least twice the maximum award are no longer eligible.
- Farm and small business assets no longer count in the FAFSA formula.
- Student loans: annual limits for undergraduates are unchanged, starting at $5,500 for first-year dependent students.
- Parent PLUS: new borrowers are limited to $20,000 a year and $65,000 in total per student, and new loans have fewer repayment options.
- Workforce Pell: since July 2026, Pell Grants can help pay for approved short-term job training programs of 8 to 15 weeks.
More than one road to a bachelor’s degree
Starting at a community college can save thousands of dollars and lead to a strong four-year university, especially with a transfer agreement in place. Students also transfer between four-year colleges for many reasons.
- Guaranteed pathways: many states have agreements, such as California’s Transfer Admission Guarantee at six University of California campuses.
- Plan your credits from your first term, so courses count toward your major.
- Your college GPA becomes the most important part of your transfer application.
First in your family to go to college?
First-generation applicants grew 6% on the Common App last cycle. You belong in this process, and there’s real help available:
- Application and testing fee waivers, plus free programs like QuestBridge
- Federal TRIO programs such as Upward Bound and Talent Search
- College access nonprofits offering free advising in many communities
- Colleges with first-generation support programs, which you can ask about on visits
- Our sliding-scale pricing, free for families below the federal poverty line
Choosing a college for what comes next
College is about more than admission. Look for places where you’ll learn deeply, graduate on time, find mentors and leave ready to do meaningful work, without debt that limits your choices.
Graduation rates
How many students finish, and how quickly, says a lot about support.
Outcomes by major
The College Scorecard shows earnings and debt by field of study.
Mentors & experiences
Research, internships, service and study abroad, and who gets access.
Debt at graduation
Borrow with your likely career in mind. The cost planner can help.
Support at each stage
Lite assessment
A readiness snapshot by factor, your top priorities and a deadline timeline for your graduating year.
Grades 10–11Admit Preparation
School-by-school Reach, Target and Likely positions, a culture match assessment and a plan to build competitiveness.
Senior fallApplication Review
A silent second reader for your full application, from AI analysis to a full Mock Committee.
Go deeper on college
SAT, ACT and test policies in 2026
The new test formats, which colleges require scores and when to submit.
Paying for schoolPaying for college after the 2026 changes
The new FAFSA, Pell Grant rules, Parent PLUS limits and how to compare offers.
CollegeTransferring to a four-year college
Community college pathways, credit transfer, timelines and scholarships.
College admissions questions
When should my child start?
The spring of junior year is ideal for Admit Preparation, because there’s still time to adjust course choices, testing and activities. Starting earlier, in grades 9 or 10, is helpful for choosing a direction. Starting in senior fall is still worthwhile. Application Review is designed for exactly that moment.
Should we submit test scores?
It depends on each college’s current policy and on where your scores fall in its middle 50% range. A growing number of selective colleges require scores again, while many remain test-optional and some don’t consider them at all. We review this school by school. Read our testing guide.
How many colleges should I apply to?
Enough to give you real choices, and few enough that every application gets your full effort. Many students apply to somewhere between eight and twelve colleges, but the right number depends on how selective your list is. What matters most is balance: every college should be one you’d be glad to attend and could afford.
Is Early Decision a good idea?
Early Decision can help when you have a clear first choice and your family is comfortable committing before comparing financial aid offers. It is binding, so it’s not right for everyone. Run the college’s net price calculator first. We help you weigh it with evidence, not anecdote.
How will the 2026 financial aid changes affect us?
Most families will see the biggest changes in Parent PLUS loans, which are now limited to $20,000 a year and $65,000 in total per student for new borrowers, and in Pell Grant eligibility rules. Families with a small business or farm may see a lower Student Aid Index, since those assets no longer count. Read our guide.
How involved should parents be?
Supportive but not authorial. Parents can help with logistics, finances and encouragement. The essays and choices should come from the student. We keep parents informed and students in the driver’s seat.
I’m an international student. What’s different?
You’ll typically need English proficiency scores, financial documents for your I-20, and time for the visa process after you commit. International students generally aren’t eligible for U.S. federal aid, so ask each college about its aid policy. International students guide.
How do I get SAT or ACT accommodations?
Usually through your school’s SSD coordinator or counselor, well before your first test. College Board reviews can take up to seven weeks, and ACT requests are due by the registration deadline. Colleges don’t see that you tested with accommodations. How to request testing accommodations.
See where you stand for college.
Free, about five minutes, with a timeline for your graduating year.