Posts by Dave Bergman:

2026-27 Purdue University Supplemental Essays – Prompts and Tips

Posted on: 18 Aug 2026

Purdue is a school where the non-scary acceptance rate figures are not truly indicative of just how competitive the admissions process actually is. This public land grant research university in Indiana draws students from around the world, and it now fields roughly 87,000 applications while admitting about 43%. Highly renowned academic programs in areas such […]

MIT Supplemental Essays 2026-27 — Prompts and Tips

Posted on: 18 Aug 2026

When applying to MIT, a school with a 4.6% acceptance rate where a 1500 SAT would place you below the average enrolled student (seriously), teens should be aware that it takes a lot to separate yourself from the other 28,000+ applicants you are competing against. While trying to be among the 1 in 22 who […]

Johns Hopkins Supplemental Essays 2026-27 — Prompts and Advice

Posted on: 14 Aug 2026

In the most recent cycle with complete data, Johns Hopkins University admitted 5.14% of applicants into the Class of 2029, a record low, and the university extended 2,795 offers for the Class of 2030. As a school that rejects thousands of applicants each year with 1500+ SATs and impeccable transcripts, those hoping for a positive […]

Emory Supplemental Essays 2026-27 — Prompts and Tips

Posted on: 14 Aug 2026

Emory’s 12.3% acceptance rate for the Class of 2030 came after they received a record 43,269 applications, a sharp jump from the roughly 37,000 the school had been fielding in recent years. That made it the most selective cycle in Emory’s history. Whether applying to Emory College, Oxford College, or both, applicants to this prestigious […]

2026-27 Georgia Tech Supplemental Essays – Prompts and Tips

Posted on: 14 Aug 2026

Short version, and the only thing most readers came here for: Georgia Tech no longer requires a supplemental essay. Beginning with the 2026-27 application cycle, for students entering in fall 2027, the Georgia Tech short-answer question has been eliminated entirely. There is no “Why this major at Georgia Tech?” response to write. Applicants still complete […]

Harvard Supplemental Essays 2026-27 – Prompts & Advice

Posted on: 14 Aug 2026

Harvard’s most recently confirmed acceptance rate, 4.2% for the Class of 2029, gives you a pretty informative introduction to the ultra-competitive admissions process in Cambridge. To dive deeper, Harvard rejects the majority of valedictorians who apply each year as well as a sizable chunk of those who bring 1600 SAT or 36 ACT scores to […]

Dartmouth Supplemental Essays 2026-27 — Prompts and Advice

Posted on: 13 Aug 2026

Of the eight Ivy League schools, Dartmouth receives the fewest number of applications. There were 28,863 hopefuls for the Class of 2030, roughly half the number at Columbia. Applications rose a little over 2% during the 2025-26 cycle, and the acceptance rate tightened to 5.8%, down from 6% the year before. That marked the sixth […]

Columbia Supplemental Essays 2026-27 — Prompts & Advice

Posted on: 13 Aug 2026

Of the 61,031 applications received by Columbia, just 4.2% were accepted, the lowest mark in the Ivy League this cycle. At a school where 96 of every 100 applicants are rejected, and the vast majority of those applying have near-perfect or perfect grades and test scores, you may be asking yourself, “How do I separate […]