Ask the Experts:
College Admissions Insight & Advice
Talk to an ExpertIn our Ask the Experts column, we answer the questions students and parents are asking right now—from building a compelling extracurricular profile to navigating Early Decision strategy, crafting standout essays, selecting the right recommenders, and positioning for highly selective colleges.

How Command Education Senior Tutors Support Students on Standardized Test Prep: Q&A with Srinija
For many students, the SAT and ACT are the most challenging and anxiety-inducing elements of the college admissions process. With top schools reinstating testing requirements, standardized tests have regained their…

Q&A with Sean: Getting Started With Command
Choosing the right college consulting firm is one of the most important investments a student and family can make toward their academic and professional goals. But as the…

Q&A with Yibiao: How Command Education Helps Students Develop Their Music Hook
Should you attend a conservatory or aim for a music program at a top school? From choosing the right path to pursue their music dreams, finding the best…
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Q&A with Ian and Jen: Exceptional Support Leads to Exceptional Results
Excelling in the college admissions process requires so much more than polished essays and flattering recommendation letters. It takes time, strategy, and introspection to cultivate the core qualities…

Q&A with Sam: How Command Education Helps Students Stand Out to Brown Admissions Committees
Known for its open curriculum, emphasis on student-driven learning, and collaborative environment, Brown attracts students who are not only high achievers but also independent thinkers passionate about forging…

Q&A with Ibrahim: How Command Education Helps Students Make Summer Plans that Will Impress Ivy League Admissions Officers
Summer break is not just a time to kick back with friends or read mystery novels on the beach—for high school students, the summer months are a critical…

Q&A with Grace: Command Education’s Unique College Admissions Expertise
Command Education’s pioneering approach to the college admissions process provides students with individualized, one-on-one guidance from a near-peer mentor. As recent graduates of Ivy League and other top…

Q&A with Ethan: How Our Senior Mentors Help Students Develop Their Hook in Law
Unlike pre-med and other pre-professional programs, which have set curricular requirements for applicants, pre-law undergraduate programs and law schools accept students with an array of academic backgrounds and…

Q&A with Aaron: How Command Education Senior Tutors Help Low-Scoring Students Reach Their Goals
Sitting for the ACT or SAT for the first time can be daunting—the precise timing, comprehensive range of material, and pressure to perform can be a particularly anxiety-inducing…

Q&A with Senior Designer Ashley: How Command Education’s In-House Marketing Team Supports Students!
Command Education Senior Mentors provide students with the one-on-one, personalized support they need to build compelling applicant profiles throughout their high school careers—but that is not all that…

Breaking Down Ivy Day 2026: A Conversation with a Command Education Director of Mentoring
Last week, students around the world refreshed their inboxes as Ivy League and top college admissions decisions were released in the annual tradition known as “Ivy Day.” As…

Q&A with Ibrahim: Passion Projects at Command Education
In the competitive landscape of elite college admissions, students and parents are often inundated with advice about how to stand out from the crowd. Increasingly, college consultants are…

Q&A with Kailee: How Command Education Senior Tutors Motivate Students
For many students, standardized testing is one of the most daunting and anxiety-inducing aspects of the college admissions process. Beyond the intimidation that comes with taking the test,…

Q&A with Arthur: You’re Probably Not Bad at Math
“I’m not a math person.” If you’re a high school student, you have probably heard your friends say this—or you have said it about yourself. Math is an…

Q&A with Fatima: What Can You Expect From Command Education Tutoring?
Stellar test scores lay the foundation for success in the world of elite college admissions, and Command Education’s expert Senior Tutors are committed to helping students earn their…

Q&A with Aaron: How Command Education Prepares Families for the Changing SAT/ACT Landscape
In the last five years, the college admissions landscape has seen seismic changes, and some of the most significant have concerned standardized testing—from ever-evolving testing requirements to the digitization of the ACT…

Insider Advice from Senior Mentor Kelly: How to Wow Admissions Officers with Your Common App Essay
The Common App essay (also known as the Personal Essay or Personal Statement) is one of the most crucial components of the college application. As the most extensive opportunity for…

Q&A with Command Education Senior Mentors: What Students Interested in STEM Should Be Doing This Summer
As you take down the holiday decorations, shovel snow from the driveway, and kickstart the new year, summer may feel like the distant future. But if you are…

Q&A with Jesse: How Command Education Helps Students Earn Acceptance to NYU
Located in the heart of one of the world’s most dynamic cities, New York University offers students unparalleled opportunities to engage with diverse cultures, cutting-edge ideas, and global perspectives. NYU…

Q&A with Jane: How Command Education Helps Students Get Into Harvard
With their single-digit acceptance rates, world-renowned programs, and distinguished faculty, Ivy League schools are some of the most desirable universities in the world. While many students and parents…

Q&A with Min: How to Stand Out to Harvard Business School
Top business schools like Harvard Business School, Stanford Graduate School of Business, and UPenn Wharton are among the most competitive graduate programs in the world. Given that they…

Q&A with Lauren: How Command Education Senior Mentors Help Students Earn Admission to Dartmouth
Dartmouth College offers one of the most unique and tightly-knit communities in the Ivy League. Nestled in Hanover, New Hampshire, Dartmouth is known for its small student body, strong…

Q&A with Sam: How Command Education Senior Mentors Make Students’ Columbia Dreams a Reality
Nestled in New York City’s Morningside Heights neighborhood, Columbia University is distinguished amongst its Ivy League peers for its urban campus, rigorous Core Curriculum, and its socially engaged and intellectually curious…

Q&A with Kyle: How to Level Up Your Transcript—And Prepare for College Academics
Students often think about their transcript and GPA in light of one thing: the college admissions process. The stress of achieving and maintaining a 4.0, enrolling in AP…

Q&A with Jin: What to Expect from a Tutoring Session at Command Education
Command Education Senior Tutors work one-on-one with students to not only create tailored lesson plans that align with their needs and learning styles, but also make learning enjoyable…

Q&A with Giovanni: How Students Can Improve Their Reading Comprehension
Reading comprehension is one of the most essential—and often insufficiently practiced—skills in a student’s academic toolkit. Whether you’re preparing for the ACT or SAT or simply trying to stay on…

Q&A with Lauren: How Command Education Helps Students Transfer into Their Dream School
For many students, the college admissions process doesn’t end after senior year of high school. Some discover that the campus community they’ve joined isn’t the right fit for them; others…

Cornell Q&A with Michael: How Command Education Helps Students Earn Admission
Cornell University was founded on its namesake, Ezra Cornell’s principle: “I would found an institution where any person can find instruction in any study.” As such, the university prides itself on…

Q&A with Vincent: How Our Senior Mentors Help Students Develop Executive Functioning Skills
Many students and parents assume that excelling in the college application process begins with assembling a balanced college list, drafting strong essays, or compiling an Activities List that reflects their…

Q&A with Ellen: How to Stand Out as a PreMed Applicant
Pre-med is one of the most rigorous pre-professional paths that students can pursue. According to one study, only 16.5% of students who intended to complete their degree with the coursework…

Q&A with Josiah: How Command Education Helps Students Turn Their Princeton Dreams into Reality
With the title of #1 university in the U.S. and an applicant pool of nearly 40,000 students in the 2022–2023 cycle, Princeton University is one of the most sought-after schools in the nation—and the…

Q&A with Josh: Turn Your Weird Hobby into a Memorable College Application
Many students assume that admissions officers only value academic endeavors—that challenging coursework, studious extracurriculars, independent research, and academic summer programs are the sum total of what admissions officers…

Q&A with Ellen: Should I Join Greek Life in College?
One of the most exciting—and intimidating—aspects of the transition to college is cultivating a social life on campus. One of the best ways for new college students to…

Q&A with Ian: How Command Education Helps Current College Students Excel
For many students, an acceptance letter from their dream school seems like the destination—it represents the culmination of years of hard work, planning, and preparation. But an acceptance…

Q&A with Ethan: How to Get Into Babson College
A small, private liberal arts college outside of Boston, MA, Babson College has garnered national attention in recent weeks after ascending to the #2 spot in The Wall Street Journal’s…

Q&A with Ibrahim: How Command Education Helps Students Stand Out in College Admissions Interviews
Standing out in the college application process requires students to effectively tell their stories and convey their unique perspectives through their application materials. In addition to the essays,…

Q&A With Erin: How the College Admissions Process Has Changed
Many parents assume that they are well-equipped to coach their children through the college admissions process. Some have navigated the process with an older child, and others attended…

Q&A with Michael: How Command Education Helps Students Earn Admission to UPenn
Located in the historically and culturally rich city of Philadelphia, the University of Pennsylvania is unique amongst the Ivy League schools for its urban campus, world-renowned programs in…

Q&A with Lindsay: How Our Mentors Help Students Earn Admission to Yale
Command Education Senior Mentors help students from all over the world level up their applicant profiles and earn admission to their dream schools. While we work with students…

Q&A with VP of Mentorship Strategy Josiah: What Students Can Expect
The college admissions landscape is more complex and competitive than ever before, and many students are seeking the expert guidance of a private college consultant to give their…

Q&A with SVP of Enrollment Ali: Finding Our Students’ Mentor Match
Command Education is dedicated to empowering students to achieve their academic and personal goals through one-on-one mentorship from our expert team. Our mentors are more than just college…

Q&A with Matt: Volunteering as a High School Student
Volunteering can be one of the most rewarding and effective ways for high school students to explore their interests, contribute to their communities, and strengthen their college applications.…
Comprehensive Resources from Our Experts

Common App 101: Activities List & Honors | Comprehensive Guide

How to Write a Letter of Continued Interest

Easiest Schools to Transfer Into Based on Admission Rates

How to Start a Club at your School

Comprehensive Letter of Recommendation Brag Sheet | #1 Guide
