Cultural Backgrounds Fuel Standout College App Essays

  Everyone Has a Cultural Background Yours Could Make an Awesome College App Essay Topic! I love working with students from all over the world. I’m always surprised, however, how many of these students overlook their rich backgrounds when brainstorming...

How To Give College Admissions Officials Essays They Want

Colleges Love Your Stories Especially Those That Seem Almost Ordinary!   I’ve read several news articles in recent weeks featuring college admissions officials sharing what they liked about college application essays they read over the last year. This...

3 Fixes for Cliche College Application Essay Topics

Should You Write About a Cliche Topic for Your College Application Essay? If you are just starting brainstorming ideas for your college application essays, one of the first pieces of advice you might stumble upon is to avoid “cliche” topics. I always warn...

Should You Gamble on Your College Application Essay?

Can a Risky College Application Essay Get You Into the Ivies? Maybe…   This time of year, a flurry of stories hit the national media about students who get into all the Ivy League schools (plus Stanford). The stories always include scrutiny and speculation...