college applications Archives - Collegiate Gateway

Seeking Out Local Scholarships

Local scholarships can be a wonderful way to offset the high cost of a college education, and they offer unique advantages over national scholarships. Read on to find out how to apply for this type of merit aid.

Maureen Meyer2026-09-18T13:45:19-04:00September 18th, 2026|Categories: Affordability, Caroline Ferrucci, Class of 2031, college, college admissions, college applications, College Scholarships, Collegiate Gateway, independent educational consulting, Julie Gross, lions club college scholarship, local business scholarships, local scholarships, NY scholarship for academic excellence, NYS Stem Incentive Program, Partial Scholarship, PSAT/NMSQT, Scholarships|Tags: ancient order of hibernians college scholarship, Caroline Ferrucci, college scholarships, collegiate gateway, elks club college scholarship, julie gross, knights of columbus college scholarship, Lions club college scholarship, local business scholarships, local scholarships, merit scholarships, NY Scholarship for Academic Excellence, NYS STEM Incentive Program, scholarships, state grant agency|

Understanding National Merit Scholarships

National Merit Scholarships are awarded based on PSAT scores. Learn more about qualifying scores, and how you might be awarded college and corporate-sponsored scholarships through this program. Are you eligible?

Merit Scholarships from Colleges

Many colleges award merit aid to entice high-performing students to attend their schools. Find out which factors determine merit scholarships and how these funds are typically awarded.

Maureen Meyer2026-09-14T13:35:33-04:00September 14th, 2026|Categories: Caroline Ferrucci, Class of 2031, college, college admissions, college applications, College Early Admissions Programs, College Essays, College Features, College interviews, college list, College Scholarships, Collegiate Gateway, Common Application, Full Scholarship, independent educational consulting, interviews, Merit Aid for College, Merit Scholarships|Tags: affordability of college, Bonner Scholars Program at the University of Richmond, Boston University, Caroline Ferrucci, college scholarships, collegiate gateway, Duke University, Emory Scholars Program, FAFSA, Gabelli Presidential Scholars Program at Boston College, julie gross, Lehigh University, merit scholarships, NYU, Oberlin College, Schools that Award High Percentages of Merit Aid, Tulane University, USC, UVA Jefferson Scholar, Vanderbilt University, Washington University in St. Louis|

Grammar and Writing Style Tips

Read about the most common grammar mistakes that we see in editing college essays and how to fix them. Also, learn about our writing style tips for expressing your ideas in your own unique voice.

Maureen Meyer2026-07-15T15:59:21-04:00July 15th, 2026|Categories: Caroline Ferrucci, college, college admissions, college applications, College Essays, Collegiate Gateway, Common Application, Grammar Tips, Julie Gross|Tags: Caroline Ferrucci, college, College Applications, college essays, College Writing, collegiate gateway, comma splice, commas, dangling participle, essay writing, grammar, julie gross, oxford commas, serial commas, verb tense|

Teacher Recommendations: How and Who to Ask

Strong teacher recommendations for college applications personalize and differentiate you and place you within the context of other students. Select teachers who can create a picture of you as an individual, share your unique qualities, and tell the colleges how you will contribute to the academic world. Read our tips for choosing recommenders and suggested responsibilities for students.

Maureen Meyer2026-07-13T07:19:41-04:00July 13th, 2026|Categories: Caroline Ferrucci, college, college admissions, college applications, Collegiate Gateway, Common Application, Julie Gross, Teacher Recommendations|Tags: Caroline Ferrucci, College Admissions, College Applications, College Recommendations, collegiate gateway, common application, Importance of Teacher Recommendations, julie gross, Marymount University, MIT, Recommenders, teacher recommendations|

How to Write a Compelling College Match Essay

Read our tips for writing an effective college match essay for your college applications. The ideal match essay will paint a picture of a two-way street in which the college is a great fit for you, and you are a great fit for it. In order to do this successfully, you’ll need to thoroughly research each college you’re applying to, then compose a compelling piece of writing articulating the specific “match” areas you’ve identified.

Maureen Meyer2026-07-01T10:12:26-04:00July 1st, 2026|Categories: Caroline Ferrucci, college, college admissions, college applications, College Essays, College Features, college list, college research, College Resume, college visits, Collegiate Gateway, Fit, Julie Gross, Match Essay|Tags: Caroline Ferrucci, college features, college fit, College Match Essay, College Professors, college tours, collegiate gateway, julie gross, Research Colleges|

How to Write a Resume for Your College Applications

Read our tips for crafting an impressive resume for your college applications and internships. Follow these do’s and don’ts to showcase your leadership skills and experiences.

How to Write Your Personal Essay for College, Part I: Brainstorming

Are you feeling overwhelmed at the thought of writing your personal essay for the Common Application? We walk you through some tried-and-true tips for crafting a tight, captivating personal essay that will wow admissions officers. In this blog post, Part I: Brainstorming, we cover how to develop the best topics to write about. In our next blog post, Part II: Narrative Structures, we provide several options for how you can tell your story.

Maureen Meyer2026-06-22T14:55:45-04:00June 18th, 2026|Categories: Caroline Ferrucci, college, college admissions, college applications, College Essays, college list, Collegiate Gateway, Common Application, Julie Gross, Personal Essay Brainstorm, Personal Statement|Tags: brainstorming, Caroline Ferrucci, collegiate gateway, common app, common application, common application tips, crafting personal statement, julie gross, personal essay, personal essay brainstorm, personal statement|

What are the Differences Between First Year and Transfer Essays?

Learn about how the Transfer Essay differs from the First-Year Personal Essay for college applications. Read our tips for crafting essays that are thoughtful, clearly defined, and that demonstrate specific reasons for wanting to transfer to a certain school. Your Transfer Essay should reveal your interests and goals, and show how you will be a good fit for the college of your choice!

How to Demonstrate Interest to Colleges

What is demonstrated interest and which colleges care about it? Read our blog post to find out more about the role that demonstrated interest plays in college admissions, and our 10-point plan to communicate the strength and depth of your genuine interest to your best-fit colleges.

Maureen Meyer2026-05-19T11:31:41-04:00May 19th, 2026|Categories: Admissions trends, Caroline Ferrucci, college, college admissions, college applications, college early applications, college list, college visits, Collegiate Gateway, demonstrated interest, Early Admissions, Julie Gross, Regular Admissions, yield|Tags: American University, Caroline Ferrucci, College Applicant Portal, college tours, college visits, collegiate gateway, demonstrated interest, High School Info Sessions, julie gross, Lehigh University, yield|