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The Official Student News Site of Parkway West High

Pathfinder

The Official Student News Site of Parkway West High

Pathfinder

The Official Student News Site of Parkway West High

Pathfinder

Navigating college admissions can be intimidating, but if I survived, you can too.

Intro: a complete guide to college admissions

Tyler Kinzy, Managing Editor-in-Chief Emeritus August 13, 2021

I don’t remember when exactly it was, but there was a moment when “oh, I’m a senior about to apply to college!” very quickly became “OH, I’M A SENIOR ABOUT TO APPLY TO COLLEGE!” For me,...

At the expense of sounding arrogant, I won the game without playing the game.

About me: an overview of my application

Tyler Kinzy, Managing Editor-in-Chief Emeritus August 13, 2021

I should preface this section by saying that I don’t intend for this to be a brag fest in which I encourage others to compare themselves to me or anyone else. I’m sure there are “less impressive...

I don’t think I can persuade everyone with this piece. What I can do is provide my thoughts and leave them out in the open for readers to ponder.

Revisiting my “Acceptance into elite colleges is the wrong goal” article

Tyler Kinzy, Managing Editor-in-Chief Emeritus August 13, 2021

Get comfortable. This is going to be a long article. I’ve thought about this piece for more than two years now. At the beginning of my sophomore year, I wrote a post entitled “Acceptance into elite...

What follows is my method of organization, with the obvious disclaimer that you should use whatever system works best for you.

How I stayed organized

Tyler Kinzy, Managing Editor-in-Chief Emeritus August 13, 2021

College admissions is an increasingly complicated process, one with lots of moving parts that you’ll need to stay on top of. What follows is my method of organization, with the obvious disclaimer that...

One trend you’ll notice throughout the rankings formula is that, according to U.S. News, rich students = better school... how we determine prestige is a question that you should engage with.

How are the “best college” rankings made? Not well.

Tyler Kinzy, Managing Editor-in-Chief Emeritus August 13, 2021

Once you spend even a little time in the world of elite college admissions, you’ll inevitably come across the Holy Grail of prestige: the U.S. News & World Report rankings. People will refer to schools...

We can’t have nice things, so we get a confusing hodgepodge of letters and numbers.

Understanding the types of admissions plans

Tyler Kinzy, Managing Editor-in-Chief Emeritus August 13, 2021

College admissions could be simple: send us your application by this deadline and we’ll get back to you. But we can’t have nice things, so instead we get a confusing hodgepodge of letters and numbers....

Every year, there are people who haphazardly throw a few safeties and matches onto their list because someone told them to. When their reaches don’t pan out, they end up stuck somewhere they don’t really want to be. Avoid that fate by doing your homework in advance.

It’s all about fit: creating your college list (and deciding where to commit)

Tyler Kinzy, Managing Editor-in-Chief Emeritus August 13, 2021

This guide contains tens of thousands of words about how to apply to college, but I’ve yet to directly address where to apply — or where to commit after receiving your decisions. This is a section...

College is ridiculously expensive — and it’s only getting worse.

Making college more affordable: financial aid and scholarships 101

Tyler Kinzy, Managing Editor-in-Chief Emeritus August 13, 2021

You don’t need me to tell you that college is ridiculously expensive — and it’s only getting worse. In this section, I’ll run through some key terms and concepts regarding the financial side of...

If you find something that truly speaks to you, that’s one thing, but don’t sacrifice the ability to explore in high school for a marginal benefit to your college application... you're still a teenager.

Holistic review and what “well-rounded” really means

Tyler Kinzy, Managing Editor-in-Chief August 13, 2021

At highly-selective institutions, the amount of qualified applicants far exceeds the number of available spots. The question then becomes how admissions offices should resolve this quandary. Rank students...

Of the nearly 8 billion people on Earth, one individual wields inordinate power over your admissions decision.

The ratings system and what goes on behind closed doors 

Tyler Kinzy, Managing Editor-in-Chief Emeritus August 13, 2021

Chances are you will never find out the definitive reason why School A accepted you, but not School B. That’s because colleges are notoriously secretive about their admissions process, partly to avoid...

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