Admissions strategies, school guides, essay tips, and scholarship advice from the Jorbi team. Practical guidance for students and families.
- F-1 Visa Hard Deadline: What Students Must Know
DHS ends F-1 duration of status on September 15, 2026. What every international student must know about the 4-year cap, OPT filings, and how to extend.
- How to Fill Out the Common App Activities Section
Common App renamed Activities to 'Activities & Experiences' on Aug 1. Here's the 2026-27 field-by-field guide every senior needs. Updated August 2026.
- Berea College International Students: The 1% Truth
Berea College fully funds every international student it admits. The acceptance rate is 1%, lower than Harvard's. Here's what those 30 spots actually require.
- Test-Optional at the Ivies: 2026-27 School-by-School Guide
Six Ivies now require SAT/ACT scores. Princeton and Columbia are test-optional for one final cycle. Get the full 2026-27 school-by-school policy breakdown.
- Dual Citizenship & College Apps: Domestic or International?
A U.S. dual citizen at an overseas school is domestic at MIT but international at Princeton. Get your Common App classification right before you apply.
- Supplemental Essays Disappearing: The Full 2026-27 List
Georgia Tech, UNC, Tulane, UGA, Miami and more dropped supplements entirely. Yale and Cornell cut some. Here's what it means for your personal statement.
- The Only LAC List International Students Actually Need
Only 3 liberal arts colleges are truly need-blind for international students. Use this tiered LAC list, organized by financial aid generosity, not rankings.
- 2+2 Community College Pathway for International Students 2026
Get an F-1 visa, save up to $94K, and graduate from a US university. Here's exactly how the 2+2 community college pathway works in 2026.
- College Scholarships 2026-2027: Deadlines and Awards
Common App opens August 1. Every major 2026-2027 scholarship deadline, award amount, and eligibility requirement for rising seniors, from Gates to QuestBridge.
- Can International Students Apply Without the SAT?
Test-optional advice is mostly written for Americans. Here's what international students actually need to know before Common App opens August 1, 2026.
- How to Get a Full Ride Scholarship: The Actual Strategy
Most full ride scholarships are built, not won. Here's the step-by-step stacking strategy rising seniors should be executing right now in July.
- International Student Acceptance Rates 2026: Real Data
International students face acceptance rates 2–3x lower than headline figures at top US colleges. Here's the school-by-school data and what to do about it.
- No Extracurriculars? What To Do Before Common App Opens
Common App opens in 6 weeks and your activity list feels empty. Here's how to find ECs you're already doing and what to actually start right now.
- 30 ACT for Ivy League: International Student Guide
A 30 ACT is the 93rd percentile nationally but falls below every Ivy League 25th percentile. Honest framework for international applicants in 2026.
- What Admissions Officers Actually Look For
Most students obsess over essays before clearing the academic floor that determines everything else. Here's the real sequencing AOs use to build a class.
- Am I an International Student for College Applications?
Visa holder in a US school? US citizen abroad? Here's how colleges classify domestic vs. international applicants: why it matters for financial aid.
- College Scholarship Deadlines 2026-2027: Complete Calendar
Every major college scholarship deadline from August 2026 through March 2027, verified by month. The Gates Scholarship opened July 15 and closes September 15.
- Community College Transfer Guide for International Students
Save up to $150K on your US degree. The complete 2026 guide to the community college 2+2 transfer pathway for international students: visas, costs, and top pipelines.
- No AP Classes? How US Colleges Read Your Transcript
No AP classes? US colleges evaluate rigor by what your school offers, not a global standard. Here's exactly how admissions officers read your transcript.
- How to Write Common App Extracurriculars (With Real Examples)
Common App opens August 1. Learn the exact 50/100/150 character limits, how to write descriptions that show impact, and the field mistake most students make.