As we near the end of first semester, many students are starting to feel academic burnout creep in. With seasonal challenges and the holiday rush, many students can start to feel unmotivated, overwhelmed, unproductive, and burnt out. 

This type of burnout can affect students mentally, emotionally, physically, and academically. In this post, we'll help you move past burnout and prevent it from happening again with these actionable tips.

First, what is student burnout? 

Burnout is a state of chronic stress that can hinder someone's ability to function, both in their academic and personal life. 

Some common signs of burnout include:

• physical and emotional exhaustion
• lack of motivation
• feeling detached, alone, or depressed
• sense of failure or self-doubt
• feeling helpless, trapped, or defeated
• increasingly negative outlook
• decreased satisfaction and sense of accomplishment

If you are experiencing any of the above symptoms, you may be experiencing academic...

As students prepare to send in their college applications for early admission deadlines, many can't help but wonder... did I do enough? Before you press the submit button, review this list of key factors to make sure your application stands out to admissions officers.

Challenging Coursework

As a student, your goal is not only to achieve the best grades you can, but also enroll in the most academically challenging courses you can. Most colleges will place greater weight on challenging courses, such as Honors and Advanced Placement (AP) classes, or courses inside an International Baccalaureate (IB) Program. You do not need to enroll in every advanced class offered to you, however, the selections you make for your most challenging coursework should reflect your interests. For example, if you are interested in Medicine, it would be more impactful to seek out AP Biology instead of AP Literature and Composition.

General Increasing Trend (Grades)

Obviously, grades are an...

With many colleges looking to reinstate their standardized testing requirements in coming years, students are beginning to decide which test is the right choice for them. Since the SAT and the ACT are different in both structure and content, deciding which test suits you better allows you to focus your time on resources on preparation for one exam. So, how do you make the choice? 

Understanding the differences

With the two tests being so different, they may appeal to different students. When I prepared for my standardized tests, I always heard that the ACT was meant for math and science oriented students, while the SAT was better for english oriented students. I don’t necessarily think this is true. While types of questions vary between the exams, neither exam has an objectively harder english or math section; it all comes down to which question types you excel with. Generally speaking, the ACT offers more straightforward questions aimed at testing attention to...

At seventeen years old, I received my first medical school acceptance. 

I grew up with an inkling that I wanted to be a doctor. As I navigated my science courses, laboratory work, and extracurricular experiences in the medical field, this inkling grew to a conviction, and I decided to apply to medical school during my senior year of high school through direct admit medical programs. Now a student in Northwestern University’s Honors Program in Medical Education (HPME), I know that applying to direct admit medical programs was the best choice for me. 

For highly motivated students committed to a career in medicine, direct admit medical programs are a great option. With over fifty colleges offering such programs, hundreds of high school seniors each year choose to forgo a traditional pre-medical experience for a combined BS/MD program, granting them a conditional seat at a medical school. Though all programs follow the general idea of early admission to medical school,...

It’s that time of year where students begin to consider the age-old question: is it worth it to apply early decision? When deciding whether or not to apply early decision, students must consider a variety of different factors, making the decision a little more complicated than simply ED-ing your top choice school. Between financial implications, application cycles for other schools, and the legally binding nature of Early Decision, a lot of thought goes into the decision to apply early decision. 

What is Early Decision? 

A type of application plan intended for students with a clear and definite front-runner, early decision allows students to apply early to only one college. The catch? Admission to the school is legally binding, with limited exceptions for financial reasons or other extenuating circumstances. Early decision applicants apply to their first-choice school, typically a private college, in early November and receive an admissions decision in...

In December of my senior year, I answered an unexpected phone call. Sitting at my kitchen table with my dad eagerly eavesdropping beside me, I received news that I’d been invited to interview at Boston University’s seven-year medical program, one of the most competitive direct admit medical programs in the country. I entered the direct med application process with low expectations; I thought I’d maybe pick up a few interview invites and decide to go the traditional route after failing to get into a program of my choice. So, an interview invite from one of my top choice programs only a month after I applied came as a shock. Naturally, I felt excited, but an unpleasant feeling quickly followed; I was confused. Questioning whether or not they invited me on a fluke, I failed to understand why a program of their caliber would want me. 

As more invitations and acceptances rolled in, the same pattern unfolded: excitement, then confusion. As a senior in high school, I...

By the time testing day rolls around, most students believe they’ve done all that they can to optimize their score. After weeks of practice tests and problem sets, preparation stops the day before exam day, right? 

Actually, it doesn’t. Any seasoned test-taker knows that the 12 hours before the exam are critical. Even if you’ve crammed every SAT/ACT fact into your brain before testing day, preparing adequately on the night before and morning of the exam allows you to put the best version of yourself forward during your exam. Follow this guide to optimize your score on testing day. 

The last dinner

For the sake of your body and mind, try to make good choices when it comes to your pre-exam dinner. Food can be a powerful mood-booster, and you probably know which foods make you feel best. Choose a meal that both makes you happy and fuels you adequately. Nutritionists often cite lean protein and healthy carbohydrates as brain-boosting foods. Centering...

During my senior year of high school, I tried my chances at fifteen BS/MD programs, wrote over a hundred essays, and juggled over twenty total applications. I realize how daunting this sounds; worried about my workload, my friends and family constantly questioned my decision. Despite the hefty task list that preceded my college applications season, I clicked “submit” on the common application for the last time in November of my senior year, marking the relatively early and stress-free end of my college applications journey. The key? Organization.

Between early action, regular decision, rolling admissions, and special programs, college applications season can feel like a constant juggle of deadlines and requirements. However intimidating this jumble of dates may seem, prioritizing organization makes meeting deadlines not only manageable, but also significantly less stressful. 

It’s important to note that organization looks different for everyone; some of...

Many students believe that they have little control over their letters of recommendation. After all, most students can’t even view letters of recommendation before submitting; someone else speaks for you, and you don’t even know what they say. 

Contrary to popular belief, there are actually several ways to optimize your letters of recommendation to ensure that they reflect everything that you want to show off about yourself. 

Timing is Everything

Although most students don’t begin writing their applications until senior year, asking for letters of recommendation this late often puts you behind the eight ball. Many teachers at my school, especially those that teach upper level classes, stopped accepting letter of recommendation requests in early September. For your sake, as well as your writers’, start thinking about letter of recommendation requests at the end of your junior year, or at the start of your senior summer. Asking well in advance...

With application deadlines fast approaching, one thing weighs heavy on students’ minds: writing the perfect essay. Having written my college application essays just over two years ago, I’m no stranger to this feeling. The pressure of turning abstract thoughts into perfectly articulated sentences feels intimidating, impossible, and everything in between. Are you feeling this pressure? 

Breaking the brainstorming barrier

Before you sit down to put words onto paper, it’s important to take some time to reflect. Your application essays give you space to communicate directly with your admissions officer. Essentially, you’re putting yourself on paper. Given all of the nuances and complexities that make you unique, how can you fit yourself into 650 words? The key is identifying what’s most important. Ask yourself: 

• What are you most passionate about? This doesn’t necessarily have to be your intended major or academic...