Where high school students, colleges, & counselors connect

We get these questions a lot.

• Is CollegeVine free?

  Yes! CollegeVine's content, calculators, AI-powered advising, and access to college admissions teams are absolutely free for all students. 
  
  You'll get help creating a school list, refining your essays, recommendations on how to improve your chances, and navigating the financial aid process.
  
  It's like having a personalized college counselor, but completely free!
  
  If you want even more help, you'll also have access to independent consultants who offer paid services.

• How is CollegeVine different from other college sites?

  Great question! CollegeVine stands apart from other college websites in several key ways:

  First off, CollegeVine is the only professional network designed specifically for students like you who are preparing for college. It's a dedicated space where you can showcase your profile and accomplishments, and connect with colleges and advisors.

  Second, you have the power to choose who you connect with and what offers of admission you want to accept. That means no unwanted spam, only meaningful connections!

  Finally, CollegeVine boasts the largest network of students and over a decade of history. This gives CollegeVine amazing accuracy when predicting your chances of admission. It also provides incredible insight into the college application process. You get to learn from the experiences of many others who have walked the path before you.

• Does CollegeVine work in every state?

  Yes, indeed! CollegeVine is an online service, which means it's available to you no matter where you live in the United States. Whether you're in Florida or Alaska, Texas or Maine, you can access all of CollegeVine's helpful tools and resources. All you need is an internet connection and a device to access the website. So, regardless of your location, CollegeVine can help guide you on your college journey.

• What is chancing and how does it work?

  CollegeVine chancing is a tool to help you plan your college list by estimating your likelihood of getting in.

  While many places may offer chancing calculators, we think ours is by far the best. Here’s why.

  Data-Driven Approach: We use a sophisticated, data-driven model that takes into account a wide array of factors. It's not just about your GPA and test scores. We consider things like your extracurricular activities, the rigor of your coursework, and other aspects that colleges look at when making admissions decisions.

  Largest Student Network: Because CollegeVine has the largest network of students, we have access to a vast amount of data. This helps us make our chancing engine incredibly accurate. We can see trends and patterns from real students' experiences applying to and being accepted by colleges across the country.

  Continuous Improvement: We're always updating and refining our chancing engine based on the latest data and admission trends. This helps ensure that the predictions you get are as accurate and helpful as possible.

  Personalized Recommendations: Our chancing engine doesn't just give you a probability. It also provides personalized recommendations for improving your chances, helping you understand what areas to focus on to strengthen your application.

  Remember, no chancing engine can guarantee admission. But we at CollegeVine aim to give you the most accurate estimate possible, to help guide you on your college journey!

• What's direct admissions and how does it work?

  "Direct admissions" is a policy some colleges have that guarantees acceptance to students who meet certain criteria. It's a bit like having a fast pass in the college admissions process!

  On CollegeVine, direct admissions is even easier. Your profile qualifies you to receive offers of admission directly from colleges that are likely to be a great fit, with no extra work. Just fill out your profile, and you can start receiving offers from interested colleges.

• Can parents join?

  Yes, absolutely! 

  Parents can sign up to access resources, attend livestreams, learn more about the college admissions process, find advisors, and much more.

  When a student creates a profile, they can also share their school list and other data with parents or school counselors so that everyone can work together towards the student’s success.

• What if I'm not a junior or senior yet?

  No problem at all! CollegeVine is a great resource for students at any stage of their high school journey. Even if you're not a junior or senior yet, you can start exploring colleges, learning about the application process, and preparing for what's ahead.

  Many colleges will reach out as early as 9th grade, so they can connect with you and learn about your interests.

  It's never too early to start planning for college.

• Can I invite my counselor to join?

  Yes, absolutely!

  
  Working with your counselor and keeping them informed about your college progress is key. 

  CollegeVine not only helps you and your counselor stay updated on your progress, but also provides them with unique time-saving tools as well as a way to directly collaborate on your school list.

• I'm a counselor at a high school—can I join?

  Yes, absolutely! 
  
  High school counselors should join to take advantage of time-saving tools like the AI-assisted recommendation letter draft generator, and to follow their students’ progress as they apply to college.

• I'm an admissions officer at a college—can I join?

  Of course!
  
  CollegeVine is the biggest professional network where students show up ready to engage with the best colleges for them.
  
  Admissions teams on CollegeVine take advantage of modern, powerful tools that help them work efficiently while engaging with students – both one-on-one, and at scale. 

  
  See all CollegeVine has to offer admissions officers.