Blog
College Essay Q&A: The Parent
I get questions all the time. Here's a popular one I receive from parents. Q: I read the other day that 475,000 fewer kids applied to college. Why is this? And does it help my kid achieve better results? A: There are many reasons why fewer kids applied to college last...
College Essay Q&A: The Parent
I get questions all the time. Here’s a popular one I receive from parents. Q: How do we choose the right schools to apply to? A: School choice comes down to a number of factors. Let me break them down: Academic fit: You're going to be educated there. Does it have the...
College Essay Q&A: The Applicant
I get questions all the time. Here’s a popular one I receive from applicants.. Q: I've read lot of essays online and so many seem like sob stories. Do I have to find something sad to write? A: I get this question all the time! And the answer is a resounding "no!" A...
Robert Schwartz And YBCE In The News
A few months ago, Business Insider did a profile of my writing career and my transition into the college essay admissions business. Here is the link, I hope you enjoy reading it....
College Essay Q&A: The Parent
I get questions all the time. Here’s a popular one I receive from a parent... Q: Are summer programs really worth it? A: Yes, and no. Here's the deal with summer programs...on an activities list, they look good. The applicant spent part of the summer on a college...
College Essay Q&A: The Applicant
I get questions all the time. Here’s a popular one I receive from applicants... Q: Do I really need to take the SAT/ACT and submit a good score? A: Yes! (Sorry) You do! Sure, schools are going test optional ((Harvard for another two years, UC test blind for the...
College Essay Q&A: The Applicant
I get questions all the time. Here’s a popular one I receive from applicant... Q: I am at the top of my class, my GPA is 4.2, my ACT score is 35, and I have awesome extra curriculars...why did I get denied by UPenn? A: Ugh. I get this question ALL THE TIME! And...
College Essay Q&A: The Applicant
I get questions all the time. Here’s a popular one I receive from applicant... Q: I think my personal statement story is a little mundane, but it's all I have. How can I make it stand out? A: Great question! Don't automatically refer to your essay as "mundane." Sure,...
College Essay Q&A: The Parent
I get questions all the time. Here’s a popular one I receive from parents... Q: What can we do to prepare for a "Why" essay? A: A few things...1) Visit the school for either and official or unofficial visit. Spend an entire day there, visit everything. Take notes. The...
College Essay Q&A: The Applicant
I get questions all the time. Here’s a popular one I receive from applicants... Q: I just got rejected by my Early Decision school. Should I rewrite my essay? A: Don't make any rush decisions. Take a deep breath. Look, you don't know if your essay hurt your chances,...