Start Your College Application Essay: Brainstorm Guide

Find Your Problems and You Will Find Your Best Stories   Every year, I write a post for all you students who are ready to start your college application essay. All you need is to find that one magic topic idea. There are many ways to brainstorm ideas for college...

Essay Lessons From a College Applicant Superstar

What You Can Learn From Michael Brown’s College Application Essay   I must have watched the viral video of Michael Brown learning he got into Stanford at least three times in a row. Such a feat and well-deserved accomplishment for what seems like an...

How to Format Your Common Application Essay

Confused on How to Format Your Common Application Essay? Here are 9 Hot Tips The 2017-18 Common Application opened for business earlier this week (August. 1). Chances are you will soon need to know how to format your common application essay. If you are on the ball,...

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...

Launching My New Essay Guide with Amazon Giveaway!

GET IT FOR FREE FOR LIMITED TIME! I’m introducing my hot-off-the-press writing guide, “Essay Hell’s 50 Most Commonly Asked Questions about College Application Essays” by giving it away for the next 5 days on Amazon. Starting tomorrow, February...

Essay Hell Writing Tips Make the Tabloids!

A friendly reporter from the popular daily tabloid newspaper, Metro, contacted me a couple weeks ago. She was writing a piece for the New York edition on college admissions, and wanted to feature some of my college application essay writing tips. (It’s actually...

Defining Qualities Rock College Application Essays!

Some of my tutoring students skim through a college application essay prompt (such as the five options for The Common Application essay requirement), and in a flash, find one that speaks to them. Others come armed with a long list of topic ideas they have been toying...