How Admissions Works

The mechanics behind a US admissions decision — deadlines, review, and what each part weighs.

The Closest Thing to a Fit Score Is Already Published

Sep 3, 20265 min read

The Acceptance Rate You See Is Not the One You Face

Sep 1, 20264 min read

Colleges Stopped Counting Their Applicants

Aug 28, 20263 min read

Auburn Was 44% One Year and 85% Another

Aug 27, 20263 min read

What a 370-Point SAT Range Is Telling You

Aug 26, 20264 min read

A Low Acceptance Rate Isn't a High Bar

Aug 23, 20264 min read

Why Every Site Gives You a Different Acceptance Rate for the Same School

Aug 21, 20264 min read

Recommendation Letters: Who to Ask, When to Ask, and the Email That Makes It Easy

Aug 19, 20264 min read

Three Kinds of Blank: What a College Leaves Out of Its Own Filing

Aug 18, 20264 min read

Supplemental Essays: Where to Start When Every School Wants Something Different

Aug 3, 20265 min read

The UC Application Is Not the Common App: 7 Differences That Change Your Fall Plan (2026)

Jul 20, 20266 min read

Florida Atlantic's Acceptance Rate: Why Every Site Shows You a Different Number (2026)

Jul 19, 20266 min read

The Common App Setup Checklist: What to Have Ready Before You Create Your Account (2026)

Jul 12, 20264 min read

Common App Essay Topics: What the Data Says Actually Works (2026)

Jun 15, 20265 min read

Common App Opens August 1: The One Thing to Do Before You Write a Word (2026)

Jun 10, 20265 min read

UT Austin's Acceptance Rate Is One of the Most Misleading Numbers in Admissions (2026)

Jun 5, 20265 min read

Application Inflation Is Quietly Turning Target Schools Into Reaches (2026)

Jun 1, 20264 min read

These Well-Known Colleges Got Dramatically Harder to Get Into (2013–2024)

May 31, 20265 min read

Articles on PrepToDone are for informational purposes only and do not guarantee admission outcomes. All predictions are data-based estimates derived from publicly available data.