Blog
2022-2023 UVa Supplement Essay Prompts
The first prompt is still tied to the UVA school or college the student selects. We want students to answer the prompt in around 100 words. As always, the boxes on the Common App allow students to go a bit over, so we don't expect students to write exactly 100 words....
2022-2023 Cornell Supplement Essay Prompts
Cornell First-Year Writing Supplement Please see the instructions on Cornell’s Admissions website at admissions.cornell.edu/apply/first-year-applicants prior to completing the Cornell University Questions and Writing Supplement in the My Colleges section of the Common...
College Essay Q&A: The Applicant
I get questions all the time. Here’s a popular one I receive from an applicant… Q: Will this year be as awful as last year? A: Ugh. I can hear the frustration in your voice, my friend. And I share it with you. I wish I could say it will ease up a lot, or even a...
College Essay Q&A: The Parent
I get questions all the time. Here’s a popular one I receive from a parent... Q: Why was this application cycle such a crazy, ugly dumpster-fire of a year? Yes, this question has been asked a lot. And I mean A LOT! I've read lots of posts everywhere about why. But...
College Essay Q&A: The Applicant
I get questions all the time. Here’s a popular one I receive from an applicant… Q: Why did MIT bring back the standardized test requirement? A: The short answer, while imperfect and arguably biased, it works. The last two years saw lots of changes in college...
College Essay Q&A: The Parent (Part 3)
I get questions all the time. Here’s a popular one I receive from parents... Q: How exactly did you get into the admissions consulting business? Over the 11 years I’ve been at this, I’ve seen a dramatic change in not only the admissions process but in the applicants...
College Essay Q&A: The Parent (Part 2)
I get questions all the time. Here’s a popular one I receive from parents... Q: How exactly did you get into the admissions consulting business? A: One question I most often ask the applicants I work with is, “how did that (the experience they had) make you feel?” And...
College Essay Q&A: The Parent (Part 1)
I get questions all the time. Here’s a popular one I receive from parents... Q: How exactly did you get into the admissions consulting business? A: I entered the admissions essay business as an act of pure desperation. I had asked my then-girlfriend to move in with...
College Essay Q&A: The Applicant
I get questions all the time. Here’s a popular one I receive from applicants.... Q: How important is my activities list? A: Very important! Look at it like it's your resume. They want to see what your life outside of class was like. The activities say a lot about...
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...