ACT scores for the October 24th exam will be available online for most students beginning today. To learn what typical scores are for different types of colleges, check out these articles:

• What's a Good ACT Score?
• ACT scores for the Ivy League
• ACT Scores for Top Public Universities
• ACT Scores for Top Liberal Arts Colleges
• ACT Scores for the Big 10 Conference
• Convert ACT Scores to SAT Scores
• Test-Optional Colleges

A few months ago I spent an afternoon walking around Cornell University's beautiful campus on its hillside perch overlooking Lake Cayuga. Cornell's hometown of Ithaca, New York, might be a little more out of the way for prospective students than many of the other Ivy League Schools, so I put together a brief Cornell photo tour featuring some of the university's key academic buildings.

Like all members of the Ivy League, Cornell is highly selective. The acceptance rate is currently around 20%. To learn more about the university, what it takes to get accepted, and cost of attendance, check out the Cornell admissions profile.

More Upstate New York College Photo Tours:

• Ithaca College photo tour
• Alfred University photo tour

Students interested in taking the December 12th ACT need to register by November 6th to avoid a $21 late fee. Late registration continues until November 20th. Learn more on the ACT website.

SAT test-takers should note that the late registration deadline for the December 5th exam has been extended to 11:59 p.m. on Friday, November 13th.

Related Articles:

• ACT or SAT?
• When should you take the ACT?
• Compare ACT Admissions Data for Different Colleges

If you're applying to one of the nearly 400 selective colleges that accepts the Common Application, then you'll need to elaborate on one of your activities in 150 words or fewer. The short answer can be a frustrating part of a college application. How can you say something meaningful in a single little paragraph?

Central to this challenge is picking the right activity to discuss and avoiding these 5 short answer mistakes. To learn more about what makes a short answer work well, check out these sample responses and critiques:

• Short Answer on Running
• Short Answer on Working at Burger King
• Short Answer on Soccer
• Short Answer on Entrepreneurship