Competitive In-State School Admissions

Webinar Transcription

2026-09-14-Competitive In-State School Admissions

Lonnie: [00:00:00] Hello, everyone, and welcome to CollegeAdvisor’s webinar, “Competitive In-State School Admissions.” My name is Lonnie Burrell, and I will serve as your webinar moderator for this evening. To orient everyone with the webinar timing, we’re first gonna begin with our live presentation, and then we’ll have the opportunity to answer your questions during our live Q&A.

Lonnie: Also, if you would like to, uh, download the handouts, you can do so by visiting the Handouts tab and they will be readily available to you. And then also, this webinar is being recorded and will be available for future, uh, for you to view, um, at a future time. Okay, so with that said, let’s now go ahead and meet our presenter.

Lonnie: Would you like to introduce yourself?

Chi: Yeah. Hi, everybody. Uh, so my name’s Chi, as Lonnie graciously introduced me. Uh, I[00:01:00]

Chi: am excited to talk to you guys a little bit about in-state admissions as well as the landscape as a whole. Um, just a little bit about me, I’ve been with CollegeAdvisor for a little over five years. Um, and fun fact, as you can see on my screen, I am also a graduate of a public university. So great topic to be able to talk about, one that’s definitely near and dear to my heart as well.

Lonnie: Great. Awesome. I can second that as well, because I too am a graduate of a public state university too. So excited to hear this topic that’s also near and dear to my heart. Um, but before we jump into it, I did go ahead and launch our poll that says, “What grade are you in?” So please let us know. For those who are j- uh, joining us with our live presentation, we’d just love to get the opportunity to just get a sense of, you know, who’s in the space with us at the moment.

Lonnie: And, um, as I was talking, [00:02:00] thank you all for sharing your responses. I see that they are coming in. I’m gonna give it just five more seconds for the remainder responses to come in. Okay, Chi. I’m gonna share out what we have so far. We have 39% of our live audience are in the 12th grade. Then we have 28% in the 11th grade.

Lonnie: Followed by that, we have 18% that are representative of the other population, uh, so no grade level identified. And then we have 13% 10th grade, and then we have an eighth grade student as well that’s with us. So welcome, welcome, welcome to everyone. And I am gonna go ahead and close our poll, and then I will turn it over to you, Chi, to kick us off in what makes in-state admissions competitive.

Chi: Well, super great to see a wide [00:03:00] diversity, right, of like, you know, different grades being represented here. Um, love that everybody’s interested in kind of just the topic overall, right? And so yeah, um, we’re gonna really dive into the ins and outs of not only what makes it competitive, but how you can really prepare a strong application in that same sense as well.

Chi: And so just to mention, right, some quick high-level details about what makes, right, in-state admissions competitive. And so something to kinda think about, right, is like, you know, I don’t want us to necessarily only be recognizing those that are, let’s say, at the highest echelon, right? Like, you know, so like the Georgia Techs, the UCLAs, the, you know, the schools that you see on screen here, right?

Chi: Do wanna acknowledge like, you know, the differences that exist for all public in-state institutions. But here, one piece that can make it really competitive, uh, can definitely be the fact that a lot of these public flagships, like I just mentioned, can often be nationally recognized. And so what that means by public flagship is typically that’s going to be, right, like, you know, the primary state school.

Chi: So not just the ones [00:04:00] that I’ve listed here, but perhaps even places like the University of Vermont, the University of Arizona, University of Iowa. So think of those as, you know, the public in-state options wherever you might be located as well. And another piece in addition to kinda just thinking about the university as a whole, right?

Chi: Specific programs can also be significantly more selective than the overall school. I’ll talk a little bit more in a future slide about what that means. But just know that as you’re thinking about, right, places you wanna apply to, schools that might really appeal to you, you should be looking at not just the overall university, but also thinking about it specifically to what you wanna study in as well.

Chi: Another factor about what makes the overall landscape a bit more competitive is that typically for some of these schools, lots and lots of really qualified applicants are competing for a very limited amount of spots. So what I mean by that is like, you know, a recent trend, especially in these past two admission cycles Lots of public universities are removing barriers to applying.

Chi: And so [00:05:00] what that looks like is, you know, UNC and Georgia Tech for this ca- uh, this year, for instance, they no longer have a supplemental essay, right? Reducing barriers for people to be able to more easily apply to these types of universities. But also that means, right, typically as you’re reducing barriers, more people might be willing to apply.

Chi: Same amount of students that they’re intending to maybe enroll as well. So, you know, it’s a, a big factor, right, as we’re thinking about that. And then as I mentioned too, like, you know, in terms of the program level, not just the university level, you know, if you’re interested in looking at a major in business, computer science, nursing, right?

Chi: So think of it as beyond the traditional arts and sciences majors. Those can also factor into play as well, right? Depending on like, you know, where you’re looking on your college list wise. The third piece that kind of goes beyond just how the colleges operate themselves is that… So for these in-state, uh, and we’ll call it, right, like, you know, these public universities, typically what enrollment [00:06:00] management means is just how many students are they looking to enroll?

Chi: What is sort of that projection gonna look like, right, college to college? These can also be influenced by state governments. So if you didn’t know, right, like public universities, unlike private ones like the Ivy Leagues, they typically have a little bit more sort of governance that’s under, right, like, you know, the corresponding state and what they might be looking for as well.

Chi: And so something to kinda keep in mind that, you know, at, at, at your individual level, right, nothing you have to worry about, but at a big picture, that from a year-to-year standpoint can also change as well So moving through some of these different slides, right? Like, you know, we’ll talk first, if you’re looking at your own public flagship in your state, right?

Chi: Like, you know, there can be significant advantages. First one I’m gonna talk about is the financial one, right? So, you know, we know in-state tuition is definitely going to significantly reduce the cost of attendance that you need to go to that school. Um, so when I say, right, like, you know, in-state tuition, I’m gonna use this term called proof of [00:07:00] residency.

Chi: That basically just means like, you know, if you show that you’ve been living in a certain state for X amount of time, when you apply to colleges, those are gonna be questions that ins- that like, you know, public universities will be asking you on the application portal, AKA the Common App. So something to kind of keep in mind, right?

Chi: Another piece of it too is that if you’re an in-state student attending your own public university, it’s very likely you’ll get additional access to grants, tuition assistant programs. So think of it as if you do come from a more limited income background, this could be a really, really great value if you potentially get into, right, like, you know, your top school, public school in your state, and you might be eligible for a lot of, right, like, you know, need-based support as well.

Chi: Second piece to it, and, and again, this kind of ties into the whole, you know, state level government influencing what enrollment might look like. The, uh, the second advantage is statistical, right? So not only the fact that, you know, you pay less, right, attending your own public school, but also certain [00:08:00] states and, and really most states, right?

Chi: They typically have different policies that help each of these universities regulate how much, right, or how many of their students come from within their own state. So just a couple examples here. Uh, what North Carolina did this past year, right, is they actually had a cap or a essentially, right, like, you know, a top rule on how many out-of-state students, right, that they’re gonna be accepting, um, to each of their different campuses.

Chi: So not only Chapel Hill, but also thinking about UNC Charlotte, UNC Wilmington, for example. Just different, right, like, you know, schools in their system. Uh, UVA, right? And not just for, for UVA specifically, but also generally in Virginia, you know, different universities like Virginia Tech, VCU, they pledge to maintain the two-thirds majority.

Chi: So as you can see, right, different policies that are impacting that. Texas does it a little bit differently. Where Texas A&M and UT Austin, those are gonna be, right, like, you know, the two most common, uh, or most well-known, uh, public schools in that state. Um, UT Austin recently, they changed it from a top [00:09:00] 10% to a top 6%.

Chi: But essentially, you know, you have to– if you meet within a certain range, right, within your graduating class, you get automatic admission to, to UT Austin, uh, Texas A&M, other in-state schools as well. So definitely a big, big advantage there, right, uh, if you do have residency. So now I’ll talk a little bit about, right, like, you know, not just what makes up, right, that sense of competition, but also what type of academic profile you really want to be looking at.

Chi: This is what I advise my own students as well that are thinking about, right, like, you know, typically, let’s say for example, right, if you’re interested in studying business or if you’re interested in studying engineering, you might have a couple different public flagship schools in your list, right? So maybe it is UVA, maybe it’s Purdue, maybe it’s the University of Wisconsin.

Chi: And if you don’t reside in those particular states, right, you have to really think about how do I stand out compared to, right, like, you know, other applicants. Or if you are in one of those states, [00:10:00] right, how do I make sure that, right, like, you know, I’m really submitting the strongest profile I can. This isn’t necessarily a rule of thumb, but what I do recommend is, so if you’re an in-state applicant, right, I tend to think of it as like, you know, are you at least, right, 50th percentile or above when it comes to your academics?

Chi: So, you know, the average GPA, right, of maybe, let’s say, the others from your school district that are applying your SAT, ACT scores, right? Are you at that average and above, or do you have, right, like, you know- You know, a little bit more areas of growth that you can continue working on, especially if you’re an underclassman, right?

Chi: So in state, common question I typically think about is, do I look like one of the strongest applicants, right? So when you’re applying to works is you’re gonna be compared to, right, like, you know, not one-to-one per se, but the context of, you know, those that are in your school district, those that in your county.

Chi: [00:11:00] That’s how that comparison metric will look like. And so think about it as, right, like, you know, do I look like one of the strongest applicants? If you’re an out-of-state applicant, right, applying to these types of universities, now you have to think about, am I one of those strongest applicants just nationwide, right?

Chi: If I say like, you know, I’m based in Pennsylvania, if I’m looking at, right, like, you know, Penn State, I wanna be someone who, right, like, you know, is just as strong as the next person from my school district. If I’m applying to, let’s say, Rutgers or if I’m applying to, right, like, you know, University of Maryland, now I’m competing against essentially, right, like, you know, that same high percentile applicant, but from all the states, right, like, you know, outside of where you’re res-residing.

Chi: And so think of it as, you know, fiftieth versus seventy-fifth percentile, right? That’s the way that I would recommend, you know, really focusing on building out your profile. And in that stage too, right, like what I also wanna share is, you know, common misconceptions just in terms of, let’s say, [00:12:00] standards or what admissions offices are looking for in versus out of state.

Chi: So one thing I do wanna clarify is that like, you know, from an admissions standpoint, there’s not a, a, again, there’s not a GPA or exam score, right, like, you know, difference or cutoff that’s just based on whether or not you’re an in-state or an out-of-state applicant, right? The standard is still going to be equivalent.

Chi: It’s just gonna be how many students we accept rather than, right, like, you know, the fact that you need to have a, right, like, you know, cutoff amounts per se. And one thing to also mention too is if you’re in-state, right, so, you know, you might live in a state that has a– like let’s say for example, the UCs, right?

Chi: Very, very great value, great attractive universities. They don’t necessarily set quotas based on how many students will be admitted by a particular school. So let’s say you attend a private academy or even if you attend a public high school, right? It’s not going to be, oh, like, you know, will they only accept one student from my school?

Chi: How many students will they accept from my school, right? Admissions [00:13:00] offices don’t set quotas in that sense when it comes to however, right, like, you know, they do decide to, you know, uh, receive offers or send offers to. So just wanted to clarify that, right? If you’re kind of thinking about, well, you know, all of my classmates are also applying to, right, like, you know, the University of Florida, it’s not going to be a quota that’s gonna be set in stone, uh, quite like that.

Chi: As admissions officers are evaluating, right? So now we’re gonna transition to less about just the landscape, but also how they actually evaluate the applications themselves. Two, two big, big pieces that they’re gonna be looking for, right? So solely from an academic standpoint, the first piece is gonna be performance, right?

Chi: So when an admissions officer is reading your application, the first thing that they look to is going to be your transcript, it’s going to be your academic profile, your score report. So think of it as the grades that you’ve earned, as well as any standardized test scores, if you happen to submit them.

Chi: Now, certain states like Florida, Tennessee, for example, right? Like, you know, [00:14:00] Georgia included as well, they do require you to submit your standardized test scores nowadays if you’re applying to their public universities. So kind of keep that in mind, right? Even if you’re– especially if you’re an out-of-state student and you’re looking at, say, UGA or, right, like, you know, UF, for example, that’s gonna be a big factor, right?

Chi: In building out where you’re applying. But talking a little bit about performance on its own. So- One thing that’s really important to keep in mind is, you know, GPA, right? The GPA you have. When an admissions officer is reading your application, it’s not just gonna be viewed on its own. And so what I mean by that, right, is like, you know, you could have like a four point two, or you could have a ninety-one, right?

Chi: Different grading scales. New York, a hundred-point grading scale. Let’s say Virginia, right, a four or five-point grading scale. They’re not gonna be viewed on its own without any context. So, you know, truly the number, right, by itself doesn’t really mean anything. How it works is that they’re going to be evaluating it within the context of what your school offers, right?

Chi: So, you know, what admissions officers do look for [00:15:00] is they wanna see, okay, have you taken honors classes, AP, IB, right? Dual enrollment, let’s say like, you know, with community college or another college, right, that you’ve been able to earn credit from. When they’re looking at your transcript, all of these different factors will come into play, right?

Chi: And when I mean context, it’s not only just going to be, oh, like how many APs, just because I’ve taken seven APs, right, it means that I’m, you know, definitely going to be stronger than someone who took only three APs. It might be that the person who only took three APs, their high school only has that many, right?

Chi: So again, context will very much matter. Where you attend high school, think about, right, like, you know, the scheduling that you’ve done, the classes that you’ve taken, right? Admissions officers, I mentioned earlier, right, they not only receive your transcript and your exam scores, but they also receive what’s known as your school report.

Chi: And what that looks like is essentially think of it as like a brochure, right? You know, they’re going to review and look at, [00:16:00] okay, what does your school offer, right? What are the average GPA and test scores from graduates from your high school? These are things that they’re evaluating, right? And, and, you know, trust me, a seasoned admissions officer, right, if they’re evaluating, let’s say, their own state’s different schools, they’ll be very well aware of, right, like, you know, how particular regions’ high schools are structured, how private academies, right, and boarding schools are structured.

Chi: And so you have to really make sure, right, that like, you know, you’re putting not just numbers without context, but thinking about what your school also offers for you. So, um, one piece that I wanna also mention, right, that can be helpful is, so typically, you know, especially if you’re applying in the early action or early decision round, you know, you’re not going to be submitting your first semester senior year grades.

Chi: And so, you know, the classes that you’re gonna be taking will matter, but do know that most of the time, right, like, you know, again, especially for the early round, the grades up until your junior year, that’s gonna give admissions officers the most of what they’re going [00:17:00] to be interpreting your academic rigor from.

Chi: So, you know, think of it as the classes that you’ve taken up until the end of your junior year, right? You’re gonna be listing the classes you’re taking senior year, but, you know, you have to really make sure that you’re performing consistently strong, right, throughout all three years of your high school so far.

Chi: And like I mentioned, you’ll be evaluated in the context of your own peers. What that means, right, is, you know, an admissions officer is not going to be like, “Oh, you versus your classmate, compare one-to-one who wins.” But rather they’re looking at your score report again, right? Like, you know, how are you stacking up?

Chi: How are you performing against the general average of your school district, of your county? And so you’re never gonna have your application viewed one-to-one versus someone else, right? That’s a hundred percent a myth. But you still have to think about what does my school give me? Am I taking full advantage of that?

Chi: How am I performing, right, knowing that I’m taking these types of classes? So shifting a little bit from just talking about the academics component, [00:18:00] again, you know, breaking down the different parts of the college application as a whole. So for, you know, our non-seniors, this is something to kinda help think about as well, right?

Chi: You know, which extracurriculars really stand out the most. I, I think, you know, it, it’s, it’s three parts, right? You really wanna think about the depth of your impact, uh, or rather depth and impact, right? As well as leadership roles that you’ve been able to like, you know, manage. And so what I mean by that is, you know, if you’ve been able to stick consistently, let’s say since your freshman year with three to four activities, you’ve been able to build leadership roles, right?

Chi: Within each of those three to four activities, and you can find, right, like, you know, a sense of true impact or meaning, that’s gonna stand out much more than just being a member of 10 different clubs that you’ve only started junior year, right? Now, granted, again, context matters. Maybe, you know, it’s you transferred schools right after sophomore year.

Chi: Maybe it’s, you know, you didn’t have a car, right? So, uh, when we’re describing your extracurriculars, something that is helpful to think about though, right? Is again, you know, make [00:19:00] sure that it’s quality over quantity, right? And not only that, but when you think about what you wanna study in college, right, try to pursue different activities that help you learn or develop, right?

Chi: That niche or that like, you know, specificity that helps you, right? Like, you know, show that this is a, a, an experience or, right, a direction that you really care about. So it’s not solely about the name brand of an activity, right? Like, you know, I, I can’t tell you the amount of times I’ve been asked, “Oh, does insert summer activity, like, you know, get me into MIT,” for instance, right?

Chi: It’s not going to be about, you know, your internship or like, you know, a selective program, but really you have to demonstrate, right? Why it was impactful to you. You know, best of both worlds is you get into a really great internship, and it’s also relevant to, right, like, you know, what you want to study.

Chi: But I know that’s not always the case, right? So focus on what’s gonna be most impactful for you. And when I talk about like, you know, building out that niche or building out, right, like, you know, how you’re demonstrating your academic interests, here’s just a [00:20:00] couple different examples, right? Of what that might look like.

Chi: And so I’m not gonna run through all of them. Say, if you’re someone who’s interested in wanting to attend medical school, right? Or like, you know, on the, what we call pre-health track, you might, in your high school experience, right? You might have done some clinical volunteering. Um, so, you know, maybe that’s at your local medical center or hospital, right?

Chi: Might be a part of HOSA, uh, if your school has one. Um, maybe it’s, right, like, you know, different STEM, so like Science National Honor Society, different types of volunteering, right? And, you know, similar, like I mentioned, right? For other fields as well, business might look like job shadowing an investment firm, you know, student government.

Chi: So, so different ways that you can build leadership but also show, right, like, you know, your ability to be involved and engaged with, you know, just ways that you can, uh, learn more about what you wanna study in college. So shifting to another part of, right, again, the college application process. As you can see here, we’re kinda going in order of really, right, like, you know, what you’re submitting in your [00:21:00] application.

Chi: You have your transcript, you have your activities list. The biggest part, I would argue, right, that you’re gonna be spending your time on, uh, is gonna be your essays, right? So what role do they play in terms of like, you know, this level of competitive admissions fit is gonna be the biggest part, right? So, so I truly can’t speak enough in terms of when you’re writing your different essays, you– this is that platform where you get to share more about yourself.

Chi: So for those of you who maybe have attended a webinar that I’ve done in the past, right, uh, you know, I do a lot of essay writing ebinar- webinars. While we’re not gonna be focusing too much on, right, the ins and outs of how to write your personal statement tonight, just know that like, you know, your personal statement or your main essay, right, for a Common App or a Coalition App, right, that’s gonna be your main opportunity to where you’re not necessarily gonna talk about your accolades or why you’re interested in the college But you’re a good chance to show a story about yourself, right?

Chi: What type of person are you? What type of learner are you? What was a challenge you overcame perhaps, right? [00:22:00] Like, think of it as your sort of informal platform to talk a little bit more about yourself, right? Let the admissions officers learn what type of person that you are. Now, when we think about the specific supplemental essays, right?

Chi: So, you know, school specific prompts that a college might be asking, um, when I’m- addressed fit. Here’s kinda three common types of prompts that you’ll see, right? So the first one being like, you know, why are you interested in studying your major? A way to approach that particular prompt is not necessarily, oh, you know, let’s say UT Austin’s business program is exactly what I want.

Chi: Here is X, Y, and Z that I wanna be involved with, right? But you wanna start by mentioning, okay, what are your particular academic goals, right? Like, you know, how does, in this case, UT Austin help you continue building out what your academic goals look like, or how do they help you get closer, right? To, to what, you know, you’re aspiring to become.

Chi: So when we’re talking about fit, it’s a two-way street, right? It’s not only what you’re interested in, [00:23:00] but kinda ask yourself the question, right? Like, you know, how does this school help match the qualities that you’re looking for? As an admissions officer reading your application, nothing is gonna be stronger than an applicant who, right, like, you know, is really confident and goal-oriented, right?

Chi: Or maybe they have an idea of what they want to exta- uh, you know, what they wanna study, what they’re excited to learn more about, right? If you’re undecided. But so long as you’re demonstrating, right, like, you know, an experience that’s helped prepare you for this, that’s really what they’re looking for, right?

Chi: So not only about, you know, your academic interests, but also a community essay where maybe, right, they’re asking about, so why are you interested in, let’s say, the University of Michigan, right? How is our community going to be the right way to help prepare you for the future? Think about, again, you know, it starts with you, right?

Chi: You have to, you know, really envision, so what are the goals that you wanna set out for yourself? If it’s not academic, right, maybe what’s the professional, what’s the personal goals, right? That you want to explore, [00:24:00] then tie in how that particular school is gonna help support you further, right? Another piece that I wanted to just briefly address is, you know, earlier I talked about how, right, a lot of different public universities are, you know, kind of going away with supplemental essays.

Chi: I don’t want us to necessarily feel that that means, you know, you have to now force, right, like, uh, something about the university in your personal statement or, you know, your main Common App essay. You shouldn’t necessarily be changing the strategy of how you approach, right, like, you know, your writing process.

Chi: And the reason I say that is because supplemental essays truly from an admissions lens, think of that as icing on the cake, right? That’s kind of just specifically, okay, how can we, right, like, you know, as our university help you get to your next goal, as you can see with some of these prompts or, you know, why are we a good fit for you?

Chi: They- what they’re looking for at the end of the day is still what type of person are you and what type of learner are you, right? Like, you know, how, how have you shown that you’re academically, right, like, you know, prepared to [00:25:00] handle, uh, right, the, the, you know, culture, the academics at this particular school.

Chi: So, you know, even if it’s like a UNC or like a Georgia Tech that might no longer have an application essay, right? You should, you should not be changing what your personal statement looks like school to school based off of that, because at the end of the day, your Common App essay should be a reflection about who you are, right?

Chi: These supplemental essays, right? Again, it’s not– they’re still very important for those schools that still have them. But, you know, you shouldn’t necessarily be, right, like, you know, overcorrecting as a result of that. Um, so big, big piece in this equation as well, right? It’s not only about your actual application, but thinking about, right, like, you know, going back to the big topic of, so what are you studying, right?

Chi: What are you hoping to, right, like, you know, learn more about? Major selection absolutely has a big difference, right, when it comes to a lot of these public institutions. So schools like Duke or Stanford, right, like, you know, they don’t necessarily admit by a particular major. But those are private universities, [00:26:00] right?

Chi: Public ones, on the other hand, typically how they work is that you’re gonna be evaluated based on the school that you’re applying to. And what I mean by that is, right, within, let’s say for example, again, right, if I were to use the University of Virginia as an example, my alma mater, you have the arts and sciences school, you have the engineering school, you have the education school, and the nursing school, right?

Chi: I know that’s not on the bullet point, but, you know, it’s gonna, uh, right, fluctuate depending on the university itself. The level of selectivity can also make a big difference, right? Depending on the specific major that you’re applying to. So take, you know, uh, UIUC or the University of Illinois, for example here, just to kinda give you, uh, right, a sense, you know, overall, fairly selective school a- as, as it stands, right?

Chi: If you’re interested in business or the Gies school, suddenly, you know, that’s gonna drop a lot more, right? Big, big victory if you get into, you know, their business school, and I don’t think a lot of people realize that, right? It’s very selective. Computer science, just that sends it up an entire other notch.

Chi: Their computer science [00:27:00] acceptance rate, that’s more selective than some Ivy League institutions at face value. And so as you’re thinking about, right, like, and you know, I don’t bring these statistics up to, you know, intimidate anybody who wants to study, like, computer science or STEM, right? But I, I mean to, you know, express this because it’s helpful to be prepared about what that landscape looks like.

Chi: If you’re studying, right, like, and, and, you know, this is basing towards computer science, but nursing as well, right? Like, you know, certain business programs as you see as well. It’s something that you have to think about, right? Like, you know, and factor that in as you’re, right, like, you know, applying to different colleges and building out your list.

Chi: Now, something to keep in mind is you should not be intentionally applying to a different program just for the sake of trying to get into your specific university. A couple reasons why. So the first one, a lot of these more selective programs, they’re usually restricted for a reason, uh, or, you know, they’re intentionally restricted.

Chi: So what I mean by that is, you know, we’ll take Purdue University, for example, right? They only allow you to apply into computer science as an incoming freshman, [00:28:00] right? Uh, I think it’s like, you know, recent years, University of Michigan, you can’t transfer into the computer science major, right? I’m using that as, again, as examples, but also similarly for architecture majors, right?

Chi: Or for certain fine arts majors, because you have to submit a portfolio as part of, right, like, you know, your admissions process. Those are also ones that typically, you know, you have to apply into it, right, from high school where you are now for, you know, my current seniors in the room, rather than thinking about like, you know, switching it.

Chi: So your, your, right, like, application, you should very much be applying based on what you actually intend on studying rather than, you know, trying to apply for a different major, right? And like, you know, getting into the school that way. And a big factor of that too, right, is like, you know, your application profile under ideal circumstances, it should reflect what you’re studying, right?

Chi: So, you know, we talked a little bit about it before, classes that you’ve taken, right, the activities that you’re involved in, the essays that you’re writing, those should be reflecting what you want to study. You know, it’s gonna be, right, like, a little bit, [00:29:00] you know, off the beaten path if, let’s say, a lot of your extracurriculars are in, let’s say, engineering, but suddenly you’re applying for like, you know, like a, a- an English, like, ling- language major, right?

Chi: Like, that’s going to be a little bit different, uh, or you’ll have a little bit of explaining to do, right? Just in terms of making sure your profile is strong enough in that sense. So I mentioned earlier, right, as you’re thinking about, like, you know, building out your college list, you know, your, your major is gonna be one of them.

Chi: What are other factors? So I would say it’s, you know, not just about your academics, but it’s also about affordability, right? So when you’re applying to these different schools, certain ones, um, you know, they allow you to apply to two majors as well. So, you know, making sure that, right, like, you know, what you actually want to study is offered, right?

Chi: So let’s take for example, uh, maybe a major that’s a little bit more niche Actuarial science, right? Or another example could be public health. These are fantastic, right? Like, you know, like [00:30:00] programs really, really great if you wanna go into either, right, like, you know, the STEM or the health fields. But not always universal, and so make sure that your university offers that, right, as you’re building out your college list.

Chi: I talked about it before earlier in this, uh, right slide deck, but, you know, don’t just look into the overall like, let’s say, not just competitiveness, but like, you know, just the overall programs at a school. Make sure that you’re researching into your specific major, right? So, like, you know, the Arizona State University, for example, right?

Chi: That’s a very large public university that typically is less selective, right? But they have one of the best education schools in the country. They have one of the best, right, like, you know, research and innovation fields, right? That you can be a part of. If your major leans that way, that can make a big difference, right?

Chi: Just in terms of what you’re like, you know, going to be studying at. And of course, like, you know, making sure that’s financially realistic, that affordability piece. If you’re someone who wants to go to graduate school, say law school, medical school afterwards, right? Could be a lot of really great value to, you know, go to [00:31:00] your home, right, like in-state school, graduate with minimal debt, uh, or maybe even no debt, right?

Chi: Depends on your, your case. And, you know, not have to worry about that, uh, high cost as well that, you know, private universities would for sure, right, be having. And general college list tips here, right? Like, you know, making sure that you have a balance and so, you know, that might mean having like your, your reach schools, right?

Chi: So, you know, University of Michigan, Georgia Tech, UVA, UCLA, right? Those are examples of, you know, highly selective schools. Even if you’re in-state, right? That’s, you know, going to be very, very selective for anybody applying. But making sure that like, you know, you have at least two schools that are affordable likely options.

Chi: So what I mean by that is like, you know, maybe it’s not your top choice on your list, but you know that you have a very, very high chance of getting accepted. You know you can afford it, right? Think of it as like, you know, a backup, but you know, one that you wouldn’t be, right, like, you know, uh, opposed in terms of having it as an option in your final list.

Chi: And at the end of the day, what’s gonna be really important is going [00:32:00] back to the question of fit, right? As you’re looking into your college list, make sure that all of these are places that you truly see yourself at. Like, you know, each university’s culture is different, right? Like, you know, the atmosphere, the environment, their geography.

Chi: Take some time, right? To make sure that it’s not only about what you’re studying, but you know, it’s gonna be your future home for a couple of years. So finding that, right, like, you know, sense of belonging, right, as you’re doing your research So on that note, right, two more slides here just to, uh, walk through some points that I’ve mentioned before.

Chi: But, you know, the first question is, a-again, like, you know, the academic program itself, really kind of think about, right, like, you know, is this a place that I’m, you know, researching into because I see myself studying and excelling here, or is it also, right, like, you know, a great environment and/or, right?

Chi: Like, you know, a great environment. And so like I mentioned, a lot of these public flagship schools are larger in-state schools, right? Like, you know, great if you also want to like, you know, cheer on their sports teams, right? But the size [00:33:00] also like, you know, drastically differs. So if you’re in Florida, right, like, you know, University of Central Florida, UCF, it’s a massive school.

Chi: Texas A&M, right? Massive school. Whereas you have smaller, right, like, you know, University of Vermont, for example, University of Minnesota, right? Kind of that middle range. And so look at what you want to, right, really be a part of. Um, you know, trying to represent many different states as much as possible in these examples.

Chi: But, you know, one piece that I think is also important is say, right, you decide to go to the University of Oregon in the Pacific Northwest, think about if you wanna stay in the region after graduation as well, right? If your program is a great fit for you, if you see yourself, right, like, you know, planting your roots, uh, maybe, right, like, you know, down the line, that could be a great option to have if you know for sure, right, you wanna be in that area, um, after graduation.

Chi: And so some final advice for you all, right? As I talked about, fit is always going to be key. Um, you know, if you’re looking at, right, out of state, going to a certain school, think about, right, like, you know, the [00:34:00] major that you want, build your profile around that, right? If they have supplemental essays, really try to leverage that.

Chi: But also, again, don’t course correct if it’s only going to be your Common App essay for those schools. And that at the end of the day, like, you know, I can’t stress this enough, most of these, right, like, you know, universities, academics aren’t the only factor that they’re gonna be looking at, right? So it’s like, you know, context matters, right?

Chi: You wanna make sure that you’re performing well, doing consistently, right, like, you know, in your exam scores. But please make sure that it’s like, you know, you’re also spending time being involved, right? Like, you know, focus on your essays. Again, for the seniors in the room, like, you know, you’ve done your great part being, right, like, you know, hopefully really strong academically.

Chi: Now is that time to also make sure the rest of your profile, right, is also consistently strong as well. So I’ll turn the time back over to, to Loni.

Lonnie: Yes. Thank you so much, Chi, for sharing all this great information about competitive in-state school admissions. So [00:35:00] everyone, we are now gonna move to our live questions and answers, and so this is your opportunity to ask any question to Chi, and he will be able to provide a, a response to you.

Lonnie: Just a reminder, if you are, are… Not a reminder, just, um, a note, if you’re not able to, um, access the Q&A tab, please let me know. Um, what we recommend that you do also is that you just log out, try coming back in through the custom link that was sent in your email, okay? But if you continue to have technical difficulties, just reach out to me through a private message.

Lonnie: Okay. So we are now gonna move into our first question and answer. And so my first question is, if my high school only offers, uh, only a few AP or honors classes, will that hurt my chances of being admitted?

Chi: Yeah, it’s a [00:36:00] great question. So that won’t hurt your chances at all, right? Like, you know, some things you can’t really control, right?

Chi: Like, you know, let’s say the high school, for the most part, that you decide to attend. Um, and so what that’s gonna look like to an admissions officer, right, is, you know, I, I referenced earlier the school report. And so, a- again, essentially what that details is the types of classes, right, that your high school offers.

Chi: So even if, let’s say, they don’t do any, right, like, you know, AP or IB, or maybe you attend a high school that doesn’t weight, like, you know, they don’t weight your classes, they’ll keep that in mind, right, when deciding sort of, right, like, you know, how well you’ve taken advantage of the rigor in your high school as well.

Chi: And so, um, again, like it, it’s not necessarily just an absolute, oh, if you’ve taken more APs, right, than another person that you’re stronger. But let’s say if your school only offers five or six, and you’ve taken all five or six, right, and maybe even some more dual enrollment classes beyond that, that shows you’re taking a lot of initiative, and it can even be a plus in

Lonnie: that sense.

Lonnie: Great. [00:37:00] Okay. Uh, moving into our next question. What should I do if I don’t know what I want to major in?

Chi: So that’s a really great question. What I would say is, right, like, you know, start by, you know, evaluating, let’s say, the different extracurriculars that you’ve been a part of, right, throughout high school.

Chi: And so, you know, if you’re, right, like, taking time exploring different clubs, right? Like, you know, the next step is now considering, so what are some of the skills that you’re building? So if it’s more, let’s say, academic related clubs like FBLA or like robotics or HOSA, right? You don’t have to, you know, attend or go towards those majors just because you’re a part of it, right?

Chi: But, you know, if you enjoy spending time, let’s say, problem-solving, or if you enjoy spending time being creative, right? That can be a great way of helping you, right, like identify, okay, what are, let’s say, specific programs that allow you to exercise those [00:38:00] types of skills. So on the note of right before you apply, if you’re still exploring what you’re interested in, you know, I always say think about what you enjoy doing the most, right?

Chi: From your different, you know, extracurriculars that you’re a part of. What are the skills you’re developing, right? And then when you’re applying, you can also choose undecided as well, right? Typically, what that looks like from the context of, right, like, you know, again, public, uh, in or out of state, right, universities, is that more than likely you’re gonna be placed within what’s known as the College of Arts and Sciences, right?

Chi: However, some places like Indiana University, for example, right? Let’s say, you know, you don’t know exactly what in the business field you’re looking at, or, you know, you might have been in DECA, right? You kinda like it, you’re not fully committed. There’s also some schools where you can apply… It’s not always the exact term, but, you know, it might be called business exploratory, right?

Chi: That’s what IU Kelly, the, the business school at Indiana calls it, um, where, you know, you can take that time to explore, right? Other universities like Texas [00:39:00] A&M, for example, their first year engineering curriculum, right? If you know you like working hands-on, but you’re not exactly sure what field you wanna go to, their entire first year, right, you get exposed to different types of disciplines.

Chi: And then so that might be a great way of developing your college list as well, right? If you find a school that has a type of first-year curriculum where it’s a little bit more sort of, I wouldn’t say broad, but like, you know, lets you, right, be in different fields, that might be a great way to look at it.

Lonnie: Excellent. Excellent. Okay, we’re gonna move to our next question, and it reads: Would it be sensible to move to a state where a preferred university is at in order to qualify for residency and take full advantage of in-state incentives?

Chi: Wow, that’s, uh… Yeah, I mean, that, I, I think that’s a million-dollar question, right?

Chi: Like- Right … I, I can only speak… So, so to this question, I can only speak, like, you know, from my personal [00:40:00] perspective here, right? So please take this with a grain of salt. Um, I mean, you know, I, I would think that, right, like, you know, if you want to consider that, it would be more from an affordability standpoint than necessarily an academic standpoint, right?

Chi: I certainly wouldn’t want anybody to be like, “Oh, uproot yourself to a state that might have,” right, like, you know, slightly better academic universities, um, if it means having to… Right? You know, again, lot, lots of factors that go beyond just the college admissions process. Um, I will say, right, like, you know, there’s also, and, and this is a little bit more technical, right?

Chi: Um, s- some public universities, like California and Florida are states that come to mind, there’s what’s known as articulation agreements, um, which basically means that, like, you know, depending on, right, your own residency, you can be eligible for reduced cost of attendance slash tuition. Um, that’s something where if you live in DC by chance too, right, like, you know, that’s something that you’ll probably be familiar with, uh, you know, be- going to high school [00:41:00] there.

Chi: Um, so, so again, like we’re not gonna, for the scope of this, right, webinar, we’re not gonna go into the technical details of that, but do know there’s different, right, like, you know, programs as well that can help support you.

Lonnie: Thank you, Chi, for answering that question. Okay, our next question regarding APs again.

Lonnie: Uh, does it matter what AP was taken? For example, for someone who’s going into pre-med, would it help more taking a certain AP bio versus chem?

Chi: So I would say taking the… So, so, you know, I’ll, I’ll expand this to not only AP, but also, right, like, you know, IB if your school does that curriculum, right? Or, you know, even dual enrollment.

Chi: Um, the sort of granular, right, doing bio versus physics versus chem, I would say probably not as much. Um, you know, o- obviously, if you get the chance to, right, like, you know, take those classes, maximize what’s available, that’s going to be better than, you know, not, right? Like, you know, taking a- [00:42:00] any one of them if you get the chance.

Chi: Uh, what I would say definitely is more helpful though, right, is like, you know, um, taking your AP sciences if you’re interested, right, as a pre-med student v- over, let’s say, you know, if you have to give up, I don’t know, like AP econ, right? Or like, you know, AP statistics, um, because of a class conflict. I would say, you know, focusing on the one you want to study in college would be better.

Chi: Um, but again, you know, it’s, it’s not exactly black and white in, in that sense. It’s gonna depend on what your school offers. But yeah, I’d say, you know, at the specific subject level, probably not so much. But, you know, i- if you’re looking at it from, right, should I do English versus science, given the option, you know, go with the one that you’re intending to major in.

Lonnie: Excellent. Excellent. Okay, next question. For applying– When it comes to applying to college, um, you know, example, a college such as Duke, when they are looking at your extracurricular activities, do sports have to be [00:43:00] required?

Chi: So what I will say is, um, I actually didn’t play a sport in high school and, and I still, right, like, you know, got into, uh, my college.

Chi: I know that was many moons ago, right, compared to the landscape today. But I promise you that factor, right, has not, uh, you know, changed. Um, what, what matters more is not necessarily from an admissions officer standpoint, right? When they’re looking at your activities, it’s not like a checklist of things, right?

Chi: It’s not, oh, leadership activity, you know, certain criteria or categories, right? But rather think of your activities list as a, you know, reflection of how do I spend my free time, right? Am I spending a lot of my free time involved in, right, academic facing clubs? Maybe that comes with competitions, right?

Chi: Like FBLA, for example, and that takes up a lot of time. Maybe it is sports, right? Like, you know, you’re a three-sport athlete, pretty much all free time is gone there if you’re doing that. Um, and, you know, different directions as well, right? That’s what matters more to an admissions officer, right? The fact that your activities list is demonstrating, one, you’re [00:44:00] spending your time, right, kind of being engaged in, you know, could be different, uh, right, categories of involvement or just the same thing.

Chi: But what’s more important is like, you know, just the, the fact that you’ve been involved in a long period of time and that you’re also, right, like, you know, showing some, right, like, you know, direction of exploring clubs that are relevant to what you want to study in college. I know that’s not always the case again, right, what your school might offer.

Chi: But if you have that opportunity, right, that’s gonna matter more than, again, like having to do a internship or needing research, right? Like, those are very common myths, uh, in terms of, you know, getting into these types of schools.

Lonnie: Great. Great. Okay, so I’m actually gonna give Chi a pause, a little small break, um, because I would love to share more about the work that we do here within CollegeAdvisor.

Lonnie: So I wanna take a quick moment to tell you about who we are, because everything that we’re talking [00:45:00] about tonight during this webinar is exactly what our team thinks about when it comes to helping our students every day. So CollegeAdvisor.com has guided more than 10,000 families through the college admission process.

Lonnie: Our team is made up of 200 plus admission experts and former admission officers, so our team knows exactly what it takes to receive that acceptance letter. In the class of 20 s- in the class of 2026 alone, which is our recent class that just graduated high school, one out of three Ivy League applicants were admitted to at least one Ivy League school, and two out of the three applicants applying to top 25 s- 25 schools were accepted to one or more

Lonnie: Let me go to my next slide. All righty. So to learn more about how [00:46:00] you can get started with CollegeAdvisor, scan the QR code to sign up for a free 60-minute strategy session with an admission specialist on our team. During this meeting, you’ll receive a preliminary assessment of your academic profile, along with some initial recommendations on what you can do to stand out.

Lonnie: At the end, you’ll also learn more about the premium packages we offer that pair you with an expert who can support you in building your college list, editing your essays, and much more. We’re here for the whole process. So now we’re gonna move back into our Q- Q&A. However, the QR, the QR code will remain on the screen for those who haven’t had the chance to scan it.

Lonnie: Okay. So Chi, are you ready for the next question?

Chi: Looking forward to it.

Lonnie: [00:47:00] Okay. So this question reads: Does a sports related essay, is that appropriate for someone applying mainly to business schools, but they’re deciding to write their essays around sports?

Chi: So what I would say is, and then because this is, right, a m-may-maybe a little bit more of like a, a specific, right, or targeted question, I’ll kind of expand this briefly to talk about, right, like, you know, if you’re wanting to write your essay on a topic about, let’s say again, an involvement that you’ve been a part of, or perhaps a topic that isn’t directly related to what you wanna study, right?

Chi: You can absolutely do that. Um, if we’re approaching this from, let’s say, right, like, you know, the personal statement or again, the main Common App essay, right? You wanna make sure that what the, you’re writing about topic-wise is gonna share more about who you are, right? So if you’re writing about, in this example, right, like, you know, a case of sports, but you wanna study business, right?

Chi: [00:48:00] You shouldn’t feel obligated to tie in like, you know, uh, your sports competition to how you wanna study business, right? I certainly would have a challenging time trying to figure that out. But rather use that as a, a platform for talking about perhaps, right, like, you know, what did your student athlete career teach you, right?

Chi: Or was there a time where you had to come back from a challenge, right, like, you know, in your sport. Um, if we’re looking at it from the lens of a supplemental essay, right, where those prompts get a little bit more specific, right? And again, if you wanna focus it on an extracurricular slash, right, like, you know, just example that’s not directly related to, right, like, you know, your major.

Chi: One thing that’s gonna be really important is a-again… Well, actually, I should say two things, right? So the first piece is identifying a specific detail or example. And so what I mean by that, right, is like, you know, for, again, supplemental essay questions, they’re typically a little bit more specific, right, compared to the general Common App essay questions.

Chi: You wanna make sure that you’re starting in with like, y- [00:49:00] again, like what is the detail, what is the message that you’re trying to convey in your story, right? In the example that you’re bringing up. So having that be crystal clear is gonna be helpful. And the second piece is then, right, like, you know, even if you’re studying business, right, how does that relationship like, you know, matter?

Chi: So maybe it’s, let’s say for example, right, like, you know, if you have been involved in tennis, right? And as someone who wants to go into business, think about the skills again, right, that, that you’ve been able to develop. So let’s say if you’re a doubles player, right, like, you know, in tennis, perhaps it’s communication, the chemistry that you’ve built with your teammate, right?

Chi: That’s going to be an asset you’re excited to like, you know, continue developing as someone who wants to go into business, because that typically means that you’re gonna have to build relationships, right? You’re gonna have to communicate, be adaptive in that sense, right? So focus in on the skills, um, that, that’s gonna be what matters most, right?

Chi: And that’s how you can connect the story that even if it doesn’t talk exactly about, right, like, you know, again, what you wanna major, it’s gonna [00:50:00] focus more towards you, right, at the end of the day.

Lonnie: Great. Great. Okay, our next question, it says, “In certain high-achieving high schools, certain students have already taken advanced courses in middle school.

Lonnie: If your high school only offered limited AP, AP classes, you can’t catch up. How do you handle that and convey it in your application?”

Chi: So, you know, to that point, right, like one piece that I’ll, you know, sort of reiterate is from, from an admissions officer’s standpoint, right, like, you know, they’re very aware that, right, the landscape of what schools are out there very, very different, right?

Chi: You’re never gonna be compared to, let’s say like, you know, if you’re a student applying from New Jersey, right, and you’re attending a public school in New Jersey, you’re not going to be compared to the private Lawrenceville school down the road from you, right? But rather from an AO’s perspective, it’s all about…

Chi: So then let’s say in your own application, right, [00:51:00] have you been staying involved in terms of, let’s say you’re involved in, in terms of your extracurriculars, have you tried to look for dual enrollment classes at your local community college, right? Kind of going above what your high school offers curriculum-wise.

Chi: I wouldn’t necessarily say you have to convey it in your application, right? Like, nor should you like, you know, try to justify, let’s say, right, like, you know, that you’re going above and beyond. They’ll see that from your transcript, right? They’ll see that from the application details that you’re showing itself.

Chi: So I wouldn’t, you know, again, if you’re, if you happen to be someone at this webinar, your school only offers, right, again, two or three, right, AP IB classes or maybe none at all, I wouldn’t be worrying about like, you know, formatting your application to try to catch up, right, quote unquote, to, you know, other univers- uh, other high schools.

Chi: But think of it more as how have I taken advantage of what’s available to me, right? That’s what admissions officers are looking for, and that’s part of the information that each high school counselor shares, right, on behalf of the [00:52:00] applicant. That gives the AO that context or that perspective, right, of, you know, are they taking the full advantage of, of what’s available to them?

Lonnie: Great, great, great. Okay, so I think we have time for probably one or two more questions, so I’m gonna read the next question that has come in, and it reads, “I have a disciplinary action that was actually a turning point in my outlook on life. I feel this is a source of the most meaningful obstacle to overcome, and I have written a powerful essay.

Lonnie: I want to write about something real. What do you think about discussing a disciplinary action?”

Chi: I think two parts to that, right? Um, obviously, you know, this… I, I’m kind of answering this without all the context, right?

Lonnie: Right.

Chi: So we’ll focus specifically on just the essay component first. So you can absolutely write it about, like, you know, the action, right, [00:53:00] and how it impacted your outlook on life as you’re describing.

Chi: Let’s take, for example, if it’s the Common App essay prompt that focuses on how a realization provided you a new sense of self or a new understanding of, right, like, you know, that, that essay prompt essentially. I think that would make for a great fit, right, like, you know, for that question. What you wanna focus on is not necessarily about the past, right, like literally in this case, but really structure your essay speaking about so, you know, what has changed, right?

Chi: Why has that change been important? How are you going to, you know, use that new perspective or that new outlook in your future? That’s how you can really structure, right, like, you know, the essay, because that’s what an admissions officer is looking for, right? Um, you know, again, going back to the context of as you’re applying to these, you know, not just selective, but generally, right, like, you know, these different public universities, if you don’t have a supplemental essay, right, your Common App essay is going to be, you know, their ability to learn more about you.

Chi: This can make for a really great story, right? And this… And, [00:54:00] and when I say story, I mean as in like, you know, learning more about who you are. That could make for a really powerful, right, like, you know, essay if done correctly. Um, to expand on that a little bit more, just to give, you know, whoever asked that question or a little bit more context, by the way.

Chi: Uh, it’s possible you might be asked some additional questions about disciplinary action as you’re filling out your applications. That doesn’t mean anything punitive to you specifically, right? Um, again, that’s just part of the Common App process. I did wanna, you know, acknowledge that. Again, that does not mean disqualification or, you know, any red flag.

Chi: It’s more so from the admissions lens, right? Um, they wanna make sure that they have, again, context, right, for, for what took place. And so it’s giving you an opportunity to share more about yourself. That’s the way that I would, you know, fully interpret that.

Lonnie: Great. Okay. So our final question for our webinar: What is one mistake you commonly see qualified students make when applying to competitive public universities?

Chi: Oh, that’s a great [00:55:00] question. Um, this starts from the first step, right, which can sometimes be challenging. Uh, I talked a little bit earlier, right, when it comes to, you know, building out your college list and what to look for. I think- If I can cheat a little bit here, right? It’s, you know, two factors that are same or similar.

Chi: I think the first piece is, you know, looking at universities that unfortunately don’t have your academic major. You gotta make sure that, right, what you wanna study is available because it might not be universal, right? Obviously easier, uh, if you, you know, you’re interested in like bio or statistics, right?

Chi: Um, but with that being said, like, you know, uh, if let’s say UCLA, for example, they don’t have an undergraduate business school, right? Are you open to… Or rather they, they call it the School of Management. Like, you know, are you open to alternative majors where you’re still studying what, you know, similar to what you wanna do?

Chi: So first half of that. Second half of that is again, like, you know, if you’re applying to a particular, right, like, you know, program that might be a little bit more niche, right? [00:56:00] That can be very, very different from applying to just the overall university. I, I, you know, I, I know I showed some percentages, right, of acceptance rates.

Chi: I’m not gonna intimidate everybody with that again. But, you know, if you are looking more towards some, right, like, you know, engineering, for example, right, again, or, or nursing majors, um, make sure that as you’re building out your college list, you’re not looking at the overall university, right? But, you know, you’re thinking about the context of, you know, the other people that are gonna be applying into the same types of majors that you’re applying into.

Lonnie: Awesome. Awesome. Okay, so just like I shared, that was actually our final question for our webinar this evening. Thank you, Chi, so much for great information again on, to our audience around applying to competitive in-state, uh, schools. Thank you audience for your great questions that you also asked, and we would love to see you at an upcoming webinar.

Lonnie: So please, please, we hope to see you [00:57:00] very soon. Thank you everyone. Have a great night. Goodbye.

Chi: Thanks for coming out, everyone.

Lonnie: Thanks. Bye.