College Essays

How to Write Application Essays and Prompts

The time to write your essays came faster than you thought. Hopefully, you gave yourself a little more time to view the prompts for each application and time to write and edit your responses rather...

Tips for Creating a Top Supplemental Essay for Your Common Application

Many colleges require supplemental essays as a way to involve the applicant in providing specific responses as to why that applicant is the ideal fit for the particular college. The purpose behind this is...

College Application Proofreading Tips from an Editor-in-Chief

Grab a red pen and get ready to whip your college application essay into shape. At some point in your college search process, you'll need to edit your application and not just the essay, but the...

The Experimental Essay

Recently, I interviewed with a non-profit for a post-graduation teaching position. As an English major with an extensive history of mentoring/tutoring young children, students with disabilities, and refugees in both affluent and low-income communities,...

Common Mistakes You Want to Avoid When Writing Your First Draft

The brainstorming and outlining have occurred and now it is time to begin writing the first draft of your college admissions essay. Here are a series of things to do and not to do...

Why Supplementals Are Never Optional

We've all been exposed to teachers who urge the class to complete optional assignments for extra practice, or just for "fun." We laughed at the suggestion, understanding we would most likely receive A's regardless...

Essay of The Week - Week 3

Claremont McKenna College Timothy Valdez 19 Prompt: Common Application Essay Is there anything else you would like to tell us about that may help us evaluate your nomination (i.e., personal characteristics, obstacles you have overcome)? Essay: Who was she?...

5 Things to Do When Brainstorming Your College Admissions Essay

Writing your college admissions essay can seem treacherous and similar to medieval torture. You stare at the blank computer screen unsure of what to write, or how to begin. You pace your bedroom floor...

Who Should Revise My Essay?

Let's face it: having people read through your essays is not fun. It's especially embarrassing with almost scripted pieces like college apps, where it's nearly impossible to avoid hyping yourself up. You want to...

Essay of The Week: Week Two

Valerie Richmond - Massachusetts Institute of Technology '19 Essay prompt for Johns Hopkins University: Johns Hopkins University was founded in 1876 on a spirit of exploration and discovery. As a result, students can pursue a multi-dimensional...