We’re spending a lot of time on YouTube these days—85% of teen boys and 70% of teen girls in the US (ages 13–17) use YouTube daily, with an average of 40 minutes per viewing session. It’s all too easy to blow this time watching bedroom-pop covers of your favorite songs or the latest celebrity interviews. Why not work on filling your YouTube recommended list with helpful, productive videos that will aid you in your college prep process instead? Here are some of my favorite YouTube channels for college prep that are all run by female college students, listed in no particular order.
1. Aimee
Although Aimee’s channel didn’t start out with much school-related content, she switched her focus to academics following her acceptance to Yale University. With everything from vlogs to portfolio tips to general college advice, her channel has something for everyone. She also has a lighthearted, ongoing series in which she walks around Yale’s campus and interviews students she happens to run into. Aimee drops a new video every Saturday at 11:00 am ET.
Related: Video: A Day in the Life of a College Freshman
2. Riley Rehl
Riley Rehl, a sophomore at Southern Virginia University, has been using YouTube to document her life journey (both educational and otherwise) since 2015. She makes no attempt to sugarcoat her college experience but is quick to point out the lessons to be learned from any given situation. Unlike some of the other channels on this list, Riley’s emphasizes the importance of not taking yourself too seriously. Even so, she can still serve up a realistic example of what you might expect going forward in your college prep process, and she posts new videos every Friday.
3. Tan Yi
Have you ever wished you could have an on-demand study buddy from the comfort of your own home? If so, Tan Yi’s channel is the perfect online getaway for you. Tan Yi is known for her soundtracked, real-time, and often themed study sessions, which she uploads regularly for anyone in the market for a couple hours of productive abandon. And that’s not all her channel has to offer—as a student at Yale University (the second Bulldog on this list), Tan Yi also makes videos about SAT prep, her experience on campus, and other helpful college tips.
Related: The Top College and Career Prep Resources for Students
4. studyquill
Jasmine is a sophomore at the University of California, Los Angeles with over a million YouTube subscribers, making her channel, studyquill, the most popular one on this list. After watching a handful of her videos, it’s not hard to see why. Jasmine’s channel has everything you could possibly want from a college prep account: study tips, dorm decorating and packing advice, self-care tips, financial hacks, product reviews, vlogs, and more! If you’re looking for a single, quality channel to follow for all kinds of academic help, this is the one for you.
5. haley kang
A sophomore at the University of Pennsylvania, Haley is the resident comedian of college prep YouTube. She’s a self-declared procrastinator and hands-down the most relatable student on this list. Many of the videos on her channel, haley kang, feel like advice from an older sister, as she lets us in on her mistakes so we can (hopefully) avoid them ourselves. She also has a hefty number of videos centering around the Common App essay, which is a niche not many other channels touch on. All in all, Haley is a great resource for learning how to realistically achieve your academic goals.
Related: 5 Tips to Conquer the Common Application Essay
There you have it—five YouTube channels (run by women living their best campus lives) to help you navigate your own college prep process. Their videos are a great place to start, but don’t be afraid to browse YouTube on your own to discover other accounts that might relate even more to your own personal dream schools and educational goals. Thousands of helpful videos are out there waiting for you!
We have a ton of videos on the CollegeXpress YouTube channel as well—be sure to check out our Ultimate College Search Guide series for each grade level!
