New Common Application Prompts for 2017-18

New Common Application Prompts for 2017-18: TOPIC OF CHOICE IS BACK!!   Great news for you college-bound juniors who are just starting to think about your college application essays. If you need to write your personal statement essay for The Common Application,...

The Most Common Questions about College Application Essays

FAQ | College Application Essays I’m sharing below 20 of the most common questions about college application essays that I have been asked over the years, along with links to longer explanations and related helpful information. This spring I published a book...

Are You a Hillary with your College Application Essay?

As I’ve been watching the Democratic national convention this past week, I realized how much election speeches are like college application essays. Both are sales pitches. Both candidates and college applicants want something—badly! Candidates want votes....

How to Find a Killer Topic

  The first step to writing a winning college application essay is to find that perfect topic. This is the most important step, and often the hardest. Once you land on one, you are ready to roll. Things fall in place. You map out a simple outline, sit down and...

Warning: 5 Ways to Blow Your College Application Essay

  How to Avoid College Application Essay Booby Traps No matter where you are with writing your college application essay, you should double check that you are on the right track. It’s way too easy to inadvertently torpedo your chances of writing an essay...

College Application Essays and the Admissions Puzzle

College Application Essays: One Piece Of the Admissions Puzzle   This is the time of year many high school juniors start to get serious about their college admissions strategy–including their college application essays. Some have been all over the...

Common Application Essay Prompts and Strategies for 2016-17

Stand Out in Your Common Application Essay   So you are ready to start writing your Common Application Essay? Congratulations! You have found the best source of specific tips and strategies on exactly how to brainstorm topics for each of the 5 prompts–and...

Top 5 Myths About College App Essays

 You Don’t Need Tragedy to Write a Standout College Admissions Essay!   This is the time of year that the frenzy surrounding college admissions starts to grow. Early decision deadlines are just weeks away. Students who put off writing their college...

Dig Deep: Show Intellectual Vitality in Your College App Essay

Go Deep to Reveal Your Intellectual Vitality!   When writing narrative-style college application essays, I advise students to start by sharing a real-life story that illustrates one of their defining qualities or characteristics. Once a student shares a real-life...

Dig Deep: How to Add Depth to Your College App Essays

  Go Deep in Your College Application Essay!   When writing narrative-style college application essays, I advise students to start by sharing a real-life story that illustrates one of their defining qualities or characteristics. All stories contain some type...