The 2018-19 Common Application Essay Prompts: How to Write Essay #5

Learn more about writing Common Application Essay Prompt #5
The 2018-2019 Common Application Essay Prompts: How to write #4
Tips on writing Common Application Essay Prompt #4
MORE! College Application Essay Writing Tips

Here are two more guidelines that will help you write the best college application essay you can possibly write. Answer the Prompt While this may seem obvious, many students veer away from fully answering the essay prompt, and wind up hurting their chances for acceptance. Admissions Directors are expecting all aspects of an essay prompt […]
Don’t Let Your College Application Essay Topic Get Too Cute!

A GREAT IDEA FOR AN ESSAY, OR IS IT? Cyrus had a great idea for his college application essay. In answer to Common App Essay Prompt #4 – about an intellectual challenge he’d like to solve – he would write a question mark. That’s it, one giant question mark. For the entire essay. The more […]
Outlining Your College Application Essay

Rolling with the College Application Essay Josh figured he’d write his college application essay like he did everything else – making it up as he went along. After all, wasn’t that how he became the freestyle skateboard champion of Bakersfield, CA? Bringing this approach to his Common Application essay, however, proved difficult. He would start an […]
LOOKING BACK ON WRITING MY COLLEGE APPLICATION ESSAYS by Shane Patterson
The following was written by a student I worked with last year. I asked him to try to capture the experience of writing his essays in a way that would give hope to seniors who are currently working on their own. I think he did a wonderful job! LOOKING BACK ON WRITING MY COLLEGE APPLICATION […]
Writing the College Admissions Essay – Ending Your Essay
There are several techniques that will help you end your college application essay effectively. Some of these are The Echo, The Buzz Lightyear, and the Head of the Class, which I have written about in earlier blogs. Another approach is called “Apply Here,” which I have also found a good way to close out an […]
WRITING THE COLLEGE ADMISSIONS ESSAY – DIARY OF A COLLEGE ADMISSIONS ESSAY #2
July 2, 2013 I have not stopped thinking about my college admissions essay. My original schedule had me finishing a first draft by the 4th of July but that is not going to happen so I have redone the spread sheet; you have to be flexible. Besides, the Grandpop Walker idea didn’t go anywhere. It […]
The Holiday Season Can Inspire Your College Admissions Essay
If you’re still searching for a topic for your college admissions essay, try getting inspiration from this emotional holiday season. Family, gratitude, the spirit of giving, travel, commercialism, spirituality and over eating are all in the air and can wind up being potential subject areas. During the coming holidays, therefore, no matter which of them […]
Diary of a College Admissions Essay
November 25, 2012 Sunday after Thanksgiving. More supplementals today, almost finished. Still trying to be “original,” without being totally bizarre. Like today, I wrote one where I said that when I toured Bucknell I was amazed to learn that I spoke their language. I was fluent in “Bucknell.” What was important to them, was important […]