Varsity Tutors brings you insider tips and advice straight from nationally recognized admissions experts. Shannon Duff acquired both her Bachelor’s degree and MBA from Yale University and later went on to work in Yale’s Undergraduate Admissions Office. Having served as both an interviewer and application reader, Shannon has attained an impressive understanding of the overall admissions process as well as the ability to recognize exactly what makes a student’s application stand out. She currently works as a College Coach for Collegiate Compass, an admissions counseling firm she founded. VT: How far ahead of time should a stud... Read More About Ask an Admissions Expert: Shannon Duff

Sometimes, when it comes to studying, it’s all about where you are. If you’re having trouble getting through the material or focusing on the task at hand, don’t immediately assume it’s because the work is too difficult and that you can’t handle it. Students are quick to get frustrated and give up when an assignment becomes too strenuous. They may end up blaming the material for being too complicated or the teacher for not explaining it logically enough – or worse, end up blaming themselves for seemingly lacking the comprehension skills. That negative train of thought must be avoided. Students should not be ... Read More About How to Find Your Study Space

Although we all describe the initial move to college as “living on your own,” that’s really an illusion of sorts. Sure, you may be living without your parents, but it takes a lot more than that to be seriously independent. The dorms may offer you a place of your own, but let’s face it – they still shelter you from some big responsibilities that truly living on your own entails. Of course, no one lives in the dorms forever. It’s fun for awhile, but eventually you get fed up with the cramped space and loud floormates and are ready to move on. Students even recognize the aspects of an actually independent livi... Read More About 5 Things to Know About Off-Campus Living

There are so many different ways to go about choosing your first college roommate nowadays. You can play it safe and room with someone you knew from high school. You can join the Facebook group for your incoming class and meet someone on there. You could meet someone at your summer orientation – or you could just go totally random and hope for the best. Well, if you choose the last option, then you’ll just have to cross your fingers that the situation works out okay. But if you go a different route, one that involves you meeting the person beforehand in some fashion, there are a few crucial things you should evaluate in order to ma... Read More About How to Choose Your First College Roommate

Interviews are stressful enough, but having to make your first impression over the phone can make things even more difficult. There are so many things to think about when approaching an interview. Your facial expressions, your handshake, your hand gestures, your suit of choice, etc. So much of that goes into what these people think of you, so it would seem like the phone interview makes it impossible for you to get these great things you have to offer across. But fear not; just because you cannot physically be in front of the person does not mean you cannot still send a positive energy over to them. Let’s look at one clear benefit you g... Read More About How to Approach an Admissions Phone Interview