Applicants and parents always ask me questions which I feel are helpful to anyone approaching college application essay season. Here are a few.
Q: “How many drafts of an essay can we expect to do?”
A: “Every applicant has different needs. Some need two drafts, some need four or five. I want each applicant to love their essay. But my job is to decide when we’re making each draft better, or we’re just spinning our wheels.”
Q: “What is the most popular Common Application Essay prompt?”
A: “It changes all the time. Some years, everyone wants to do the ‘solve a problem’ prompt. Other years, everyone wants to do the, ‘discuss an accomplishment’ prompt. For me, the prompt applicants I work with choose the most is, #7, which is basically, “topic of your choice.”
Q: “What is the best essay you ever read?”
A: “Ha. That answer changes all the time. That’s why I love what I do?”