07/26/2026
I’m not saying you should apply Early Decision.
What I am saying is that you need to know the data.
Early Decision isn’t the right strategy for every student. It’s binding, it limits your ability to compare financial aid offers, and the Early Decision applicant pool isn’t the same as the Regular Decision pool. It often includes recruited athletes, legacies, and other students with institutional priorities.
So no, you can’t simply compare ED and RD acceptance rates and assume every applicant gets the same boost.
But here’s what every family should understand:
At many selective colleges, a significant portion of the incoming class is already filled before Regular Decision applications are even reviewed.
That changes the admissions landscape.
When you’re researching colleges, don’t stop at the published acceptance rate. Ask questions like:
• How much of the incoming class is filled through Early Decision?
• How many seats remain for Regular Decision?
• Is Early Decision the right strategy for my student?
Research Like It Matters.
Because better information leads to better college decisions.
07/16/2026
If your PIQ ends with "This experience taught me..." this is for you.
More often than not, you've already shown me.
After reviewing dozens of UC PIQs this month, one pattern keeps showing up:
❌ Instead of explaining what the experience taught you...
✅ Show me the moment that changed your thinking.
❌ Instead of summarizing everything that happened...
✅ Choose one meaningful scene and let it carry the weight of the response.
❌ Instead of telling me you're resilient, intellectually curious, or a leader...
✅ Write in a way that lets me discover those qualities on my own.
❌ Instead of using vague words like passion, leadership, or perseverance...
✅ Replace them with specific actions, observations, and moments that reveal those qualities naturally.
The strongest PIQs don't have the most extraordinary stories.
They have the clearest thinking.
Your job isn't to convince the reader who you are.
It's to write in a way that lets them arrive there themselves.
Share this with your teen who may be guilty of one or more of these.
