Long, but read every word. Read it twice. Pure gold.

How to Write a Killer Essay New York Times Upfront , Dec 13, 1999 by Glenn C. Altschuler An Ivy League dean offers six tips to steer your admission essay in the right direction: 1. Write about your world and your experiences. A 17-year-old inhabits a foreign country,...

Inside the Heads of the College Admissions Committee

College Admissions Essays: How to Connect with Your Reader I’ve talked about this already, but here is more scoop about your college application essay “audience,” and it’s a tough crowd: college admissions officers read zillions of these...

Do You Know Your Audience?

The person reading your fabulous college admissions essay most likely has already read about a dozen or more, and still has an equal number or more to go. By the 20th essay, they are having trouble focusing. Their heads are nodding off. They need more coffee. So how...

How to Manage “Helpful” Parents

 Parents and College Admissions Essays: In or Out? In theprevious post, I gave “helpful” parents some pointers on how to help students with their college admissions essays. Now, it’s your turn to help your own parents. Here are some tips: First,...

More on “Show, Don’t Tell”

I remember wanting to improve my writing in high school, and feeling frustrated by all the “tips” in the popular how-to-write books: “Be concise,” “Use action verbs,” and the all-popular, “Show, don’t tell.” OK,...