I. Thou shalt not allow your parents (or anyone else!) to write your essays, in whole or in part, for you. College admission counselors know the difference between a 17-year old’s writing, and an adult’s. It is not in your best interest to have anyone else write your essays for you – only YOU can … Read more
We’ve published many, many posts about college essays – aside from building your college list, it’s probably the topic that challenges and confounds students the most. If you’re looking for college essay advice – there’s lots of it out there! Just last week, Georgia Tech Admissions Director Rick Clark, whom we quote and link to … Read more
School’s out – it’s time to start your college essays! Can’t figure out where to start? Here are a few quick links to resources to help you brainstorm as you begin writing your college essays! Here are the Common Application essay prompts for the Class of 2019 (write one of the 7 prompts; max word count … Read more
Students and parents frequently ask us how they can highlight their community service in college applications. While community service is not required for admission to highly selective colleges, it is definitely one way to show colleges your involvement in your community, your values and the way you choose to spend your time. Here are five … Read more
As of today – August 1, 2016 – the Common Application, the UC application and the new Coalition for Access Application are open. While they are different in some ways and have different member colleges, these applications all give students the opportunity to share their interests and leadership through describing their extra-curricular activities, and to … Read more
Rising high school seniors sometimes approach their college essays in the same way they approach their English class essays. They are two totally different animals! And therefore, students should approach college essays differently. Here are some basic differences: There’s no thesis statement. This is not an analytical work – you aren’t comparing or contrasting literature, … Read more
Here’s a link to information and the RSVP site for Magellan’s college essay and application workshops. We will host five three-hour sessions during August weekends. Please join us for one or as many as you need! As you move through your search, the information in this post may help answer your questions about Early Action … Read more
We’re getting down to the wire – UC applications are due in 5 days!I posted a piece a few months back with some essay resources – it’s here. And here are a few more ways to get the juices flowing and make sure your essays represent you well and stand out from the crowd – … Read more
Labor Day has passed, school has started, and schedules have gotten tighter. The reality that your child will be applying to colleges THIS FALL has finally set in. For those who start early, a year or two in advance, this is simply the next stage in the process – a stage for which you and … Read more
Just a quick reminder – if you have not yet “liked” my Facebook page, now would be a great time to do so! I regularly post links to timely and interesting information about college admissions and specific colleges. As the school year starts, many colleges are just now publishing their supplemental essay prompts, and I … Read more