Varsity Tutors brings you insider tips and advice straight from nationally recognized admissions experts. Joan Martin, Ph.D., has been helping students gain admission to their first choice colleges in the U.S. and Europe for two decades. She is the founder of CollegeStartOnline.com and has written two eBooks, Writing the Common Application and How to Jumpstart the College Application Process. Dr. Martin holds degrees from the University of Michigan, Harvard University, and MIT. VT: How far ahead of time should a student begin working on his or her college application? Joan: My best suggestion is to start writing the Common Application essay ... Read More About Ask an Admissions Expert: Dr. Joan Martin

Varsity Tutors brings you insider tips and advice straight from nationally recognized admissions experts. Liza Thompson has advised medical school applicants for the past 20 years. As the former director of the Johns Hopkins University and Goucher College Post-Baccalaureate Premedical Programs, she has managed admissions processes, the premedical curriculum, MCAT prep, and the medical school application process. While at Johns Hopkins, she also served on the Premedical Education Committee. Liza has developed a great deal of expertise in premedical advising and regularly shares it with applicants through her firm, Thompson Advising. VT: How mu... Read More About Ask a Medical School Admissions Expert: Liza Thompson

The following piece was written by Eddie LaMeire. Eddie has been featured in our Admissions Expert series and has previously worked in admissions at Loyola University and University of California at San Diego. He is also the founder of LaMeire College Consulting.   Last year, NPR ran an April Fools’ story on the so-called “Porsafillo Preschool Academy,” a fictional school taking drastic measures to ensure the “quality” of the students they admitted. What was so interesting about the piece, entitled, “N.Y. Preschool Starts DNA Testing for Admission,” was that it resembled a real NPR rep... Read More About How to Choose Extracurricular Activities in Middle School

The tutors behind Varsity Tutors are not just here to teach – they’re sharing their college experiences as well. Maria graduated from The CUNY (City University of New York) College of Staten Island in 2012 with a degree in History. She is currently New York City tutor specializing in Phonics, Spanish, World History, and more. See what she had to say about her alma mater:  VT:  Describe the campus setting and transportation options. How urban or safe is the campus? Are there buses or do you need a car/bike?  Maria: The campus is set off of Victory Boulevard, which is one of the main streets in Staten Islan... Read More About What is it Like to Attend The CUNY College of Staten Island?

The tutors behind Varsity Tutors are not just here to teach – they’re sharing their college experiences as well. Julie is a New York City tutor who specializes in a wide array of subjects including LSAT prep, Trigonometry, and Writing. She graduated from The University of Chicago in 2009 where she studied Comparative Human Development. Check out her review of her alma mater: VT:  Describe the campus setting and transportation options. How urban or safe is the campus? Are there buses or do you need a car/bike?  Julie: The University of Chicago is located in Hyde Park, a diverse neighborhood on the South Side of... Read More About Should I Go To The University of Chicago?