The middle of August is when I first notice a dramatic spike in visitors to Essay Hell. A few students get that early start on their college application essays at the beginning of summer, but the majority seem to wait until now through fall.

I thought I would try to offer some encouragement to any student just diving into the process by extending a hot deal on my guide books. I’m offering all three of my ebook guides for $9.99. Usually they would cost more than double that. (Sorry, this deal doesn’t apply to paperback copies, which only are available on Amazon.)

So if you are ready to hunker down and start, this might be your big chance. I would suggest that you first skim through some of the sample essays in my collection of student-written personal statements from Heavenly Essays. This will give you an idea of what a narrative essay is all about, and also spark ideas for your own topics.

Then I would go through my 2014-15 Prompts Primer to get an understanding of your essay prompts, and strategies on how to find your own topics. Finally, I would read Escape Essay Hell, and systematically go through each step. It’s a short book, and before you know it you will be ready to crank out your own drafts, edit them and BE DONE WITH THIS!! And quite likely on your way to getting into some awesome schools. (For those of you who still need extra help, I also offer private tutoring in person or via Skype.)

Besides reading my guide books and posts on this blog, I also would suggest scrolling through the comments and answers from students under the posts about specific college application essay prompts, especially those on The Common App and University of California prompts. (Find them in the Topic Index on the right sidebar.)

Good luck! No more excuses! Just start!