We have a secret to share. We totally ignore the Common App essay prompts. It doesn’t matter which kid we are working with or what kind of story they have to share. We believe in starting with a blank page—not a prompt. However, we also know that not every kid gets to work with us 1) because we are a specialized service and 2) because there are just so many hours in a day and only so many days before applications are due. We started this blog so that we could speak to the kids who don’t have a hands-on helper during this process, and we understand that, like our posts, the Common App essay prompts may not make it smooth sailing, but they do give you a place to start.
How To Write the Common App Essay: Prompt 1, 2018-2019
The biggest (and most frequent) complement we get on this blog is that we’re not selling things—we’re asking and answering questions. Yes, we are a company that provides intensive college admissions support, but it’s impossible for us to work with everyone. The next best thing is to make sure that everyone has the right information.
How To Write the Best College Supplement 2018
Imagine you’re the CEO of your own dog walking company and the business you built from scratch many years ago has finally made enough money to move into a real office, established a following, and just made the “Top 100 Companies To Work For in 2018” list. It feels deserved; the beginning stages of your startup required an extraordinary amount of work and too many late nights to count. You’re excited about the possibility of bringing on new team members so you make sure the company website is fully updated. Through the magic tap of a finger, any potential employee can find endless amounts of information about the size, location, and history of the company. There’s a directory of current employees, a long list of activities those employees currently do, and a number of other resources you think might be helpful. Available jobs (there are a lot) are posted and sortable based on interest and you kindly offer office tours. You’re reading through cover letters from potential new hires and come across the following:
Applying to all Ivy League Schools is a Bad Idea
Here is a typical email (paraphrased) that we get this time of year…
My kid is applying to college, and we’re looking to hire someone to help us. He isn’t sure where he wants to go, so can you just do all of the Ivy League apps with him? We can do the rest on our own.
The only answer we give (albeit in a wordier and more *slightly* friendly format) is “N.O. Absolutely no.”
How To Write the Common App Essay
So, your application is finally starting to come together but the essay is still hanging over your head. Writing a common app essay can seem daunting, especially at first. The goal is to zero in on a fresh topic--to add an additional piece of information--that gives admissions officers an idea of who you are and what differentiates you from the rest of the applicants.
How to Choose the Best Colleges That Will Fit Your Interests
While you don’t have to pick your lifelong career-pursuit at the age of 17, when deciding where to attend college, it helps to know what you’re interested in. The goal is to pick a college that supports that interest and will give you the best opportunities therein. But choosing the right place is a bit more complex than it might seem. In this post, we will highlight the ways in which you can hone in the right school for your interests.
How To Turn Your Summer into an Ivy League Application
Applications are created, made, and broken with free time that students have (or don’t have). Colleges look carefully at exactly how you spend your free time. And if they can’t tell how you spend your free time while they’re looking at your application, then they’re betting you don’t do much. But…we don’t need to tell you that twice, right? Because you’re reading this blog post. Which means you’re interested in the Ivy League. Which means that you’re likely scheduled out for the next 2-4 weeks.
How Many Community Service Hours Do You Need for College?
With students flocking to the Common App to get a head start before supplements are released on August 1st, many are encountering the “Activities” section for the very first time. It’s a weird section—a series of slots that ask you to describe what you do, but don’t give you enough space to say anything beyond the bare minimum. Then you have to say how much time you spend doing each activity, and how long you’ve been doing it for. Then you have to rank them.
Best Common App Essay Ideas 2018-2019
How Important Is Community Service For College Admissions?
The Five Biggest Mistakes in College Application Supplemental Essays
When you apply to college, just about every school will receive the same transcript, test scores, essay, resume, and Common App info. Supplements, then, are your place to stand out. Not every college has a supplement, but for those that do the supplement is a key piece of our application since it’s the only place that’s just for them.
The Best Summer for College Admission Application Essays
There are tons of things that you can do over the summer that are certainly worth your time. Everything from programs, projects, reading, working, and of course writing it all down so that you have excess content to play with for your college application essays.
Test-Optional Trend: Should I Take an SAT II Subject Test?
From Bowdoin to Brandeis, liberal arts schools (and even some not-so-liberal arts schools, like GW) across the country are rolling back their testing requirements. So, what does this mean for you and your SAT II plans? In short, nothing.
How Many Colleges Should I Apply To?
Back in your parents or grandparents’ generation, applying to college usually meant applying to a handful of first-choice schools and calling it a day. There were no AP tests, less competition, and fewer essays to churn out. Gone are the simpler days. You might have heard recent news stories about kids applying (and being accepted into) 20+ schools, including Ivy Leagues. While we don’t think anyone should apply to 20 schools, we are encouraging our students to apply to more schools than perhaps their parents did. In our years of helping students become the strongest possible applicants they can, we have discovered a range of schools that works best for our students.
What You Need to Have Done by September 1 for College Admissions 2018
The summer is upon us, which really means that it’s basically September in our minds. The summer is not a time for play, it’s a time for work. It’s a preview to the rest of your life, if you’re a student. Not to get too dark, but it’s true. Parents, while summer might be a time that you associate with vacations and relaxation, if you have a kid who is applying to colleges next year we’re going to strongly encourage you to wait to schedule vacations for winter break.
Why Did the University of Chicago Become Test-Optional?
You might have read or heard about University of Chicago’s announcement that the school is dropping the ACT/SAT requirement of its application. Previously, it was required that all applicants sit for the SAT or ACT and include the scores on their application to the university. Now, University of Chicago has gone “test-optional” along with numerous other top-tier institutions.
Why is the University of Michigan So Popular?
Nearly every student we work with either wants to apply to the University of Michigan or asks if they should, and about 50% end up applying. This includes kids looking to be in urban areas, or totally ok with going rural. It includes kids who want a liberal arts education and those who are certain that they want to specialize. It includes athletes and artists, bookworms and filmmakers, and city kids and suburbanites. So, it begs the question, “Why is Michigan so popular?”
24 Do's and Don’ts of Writing a College Admission Essay
Great college essays aren’t built on a formula, but there are a handful of things that every strong essay has and a bigger handful of things that it most certainly does not. For rising Seniors getting ready to write their essay, it’s crucial that they know what to emphasize and what to avoid. When it comes to the college application process, there’s little worse than realizing that the essay you’ve spent months on is a dud. Well, not getting into your dream school is worse, but fixing your essay before it’s too late is a way to avoid that happening.