Believe in the Right Fit

by | Dec 17, 2013

  The winter flurry of letters is landing in mail boxes around the globe this time of year. I just heard from three ecstatic students who learned last week they were accepted into their dream schools–one was Harvard, another Wellesley, and a third...

“Enrich Our Diverse and Inclusive Community.” Say what?

by | Dec 16, 2013

Stumped by the University of Colorado Supp? Me, too! I’ve had quite a few students this “season” who were flummoxed by the supplement for the University of Colorado. It kind of threw me a bit as well. But behind all that blah, blah, blah, I believe...

Don’t Let UC Deadline Ruin Your Turkey Day!

by | Nov 21, 2013

  If you are applying to the University of California schools, you have until the end of this month. As busy seniors, some of you might have waited to write your essays over Thanksgiving, when you have some days off and can catch up. Yes, it would be better if...

A Peek into the Many Worlds of Prompt 1 of the UC Essays

by | Nov 3, 2013

UPDATE: The University of California announced NEW essay prompts for 2016-17. Read about how to answer them HERE. The following content in this post is no longer relevant and is outdated! About three years ago, I wrote a post to try to help students applying to the...

If your essay starts by relating something that happened, the reader is going to dive right into it and not stop until they are satisfied–until they know what happened.

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SHOW the World You Come From

by | Oct 4, 2013

URGENT UPDATE! The University of California CHANGED its essay prompts for 2016-17. Learn about the all-new requirements by clicking HERE!   THIS POST IS OUTDATED! How to Describe a Place in a College App Essay If you are applying to the University of California,...

You Are Not Alone

by | Sep 28, 2013

  I gave away 100 copies of my ebook guide last week. (If you missed the giveaway, I’m planning on doing another in October.) Even though I’ve always had visitors from all over the world, I was overwhelmed by the enthusiastic students from so many...

Should You Humblebrag in Your Essay?

by | Sep 26, 2013

  A smart dad sent me an email recently asking how college-bound students could work in related achievements and accomplishments into their personal, narrative-style essay, without sounding like they were blowing their own horn. It’s definitely a fine line....