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

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 The following content in this post is no longer relevant and is outdated!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...
Colleges Want More Creative Essays. Wonder Why?

Colleges Want More Creative Essays. Wonder Why?

The Colorful New World of College Application Essay Prompts But What Does It Really Mean?   University of Chicago: “Tell us your favorite joke and try to explain the joke without ruining it.” Brandeis University: “If you could choose to be...

Go Green with Your College Application Essays: Recycle!

If you are applying to multiple colleges this fall, you will need to write multiple essays for the different applications. The Common Application helps you consolidate many of your applications and only requires one main essay. But if you are applying to public...

CBS Digs Essay Hell’s Topic Tips!

  College Application Essays Tips for Finding Topics That CBS Finds Worth Repeating A couple days ago, Lynn O’Shaughnessy, a journalist who covers college admissions issues for CBS, featured this blog in her column for MoneyWatch. How cool is that? She...

Four “Bold” Sample College Admissions Essays

College Application Essays “Meant to Inspire” All Students Showed an “Appetite for Risk”  Earlier this year, a business writer for The New York Times invited students to share their college admissions essays on the topic of money, class,...

Personal Quality, Talent, Accomplishment…UC Prompt #2

UPDATE: as of March 23, 2016 The University of California announced NEW essay prompts for 2016-17. Read about how to answer them HERE. This post is now outdated. The information is no longer relevant!!    College Admissions Essay: How to Nail Prompt #2 for UC Essays...

Brainstorm the World You Come

UPDATE: as of March 23, 2016 The University of California announced NEW essay prompts for 2016-17. Read about how to answer them HERE. This post is now outdated. The information is no longer relevant!! College Admissions Essay Help The University of California...

Want to be Likable? Here’s how.

College Admissions Essays: How to make sure you come across as likable   “Think of something you might boast about and turn it into an entertaining flaw.” College expert and blogger Jay Matthews on self-deprecation In the typical list of hot tips from...

The Ultimate Essay Checklist

  College Admissions Essays Final Checklist So you think you are done with your college admission essay or personal statement. Wait! You have worked so hard on that essay; it’s worth an extra few minutes to make sure it’s as good as you can make it. I...

Still Looking for That Magic Topic? Try a Sample!

  College Admissions Essays: Samples Samples of College Admissions Essays and Personal Statements– and Why They Can Help You Write Yours!!   I always tell my students that one of the best ways to find great topic ideas is to read the essays of other...