The Common App: Get Those Words on That Page, Part II

In our last post, we covered how to brainstorm and prepare to write. Our advice was to: Tell a compelling story. Write something! Write anything! Don’t beat yourself up! These things take time. Write down or record random thoughts. Now let’s consider some suggestions for how to tackle the...

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The Common App: Get Those Words on That Page, Part I

In recent posts, we provided a few strategies for brainstorming and mapping your admissions essay. In this post, we’ll cover some strategies for turning an idea into an essay. Tell a compelling story. Rather than writing an analytical essay like you would for a class assignment, focus on telling...

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Simple Truths About The College Essay

The basic rules for writing a stellar college essay vary little from the general guidelines for producing any strong piece of written work: be authentic, tell a story that is personal and compelling, and diligently edit, revise, and polish your product. Writing in an authentic voice does not mean...

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Get Ahead This Summer

Despite belief (and perhaps wishes) to the contrary, summer plays an extremely important role in the college admissions process.  These next few months give rising seniors, many of whom are otherwise bogged down with projects and exams, the opportunity to prepare their applications, round out their applicant profile, and...

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