Hidden, Sneaky Supplemental Essays on the Common Application
The dumbest way to apply to college
Were you a fly on the wall in my office, you might notice a pattern when I meet with prospective clients. These sessions usually follow a certain format, more or less. Family sits down, kid looks nervous, perhaps a little awkward and somewhat unsure why his parents dragged him in. Small talk ensues, e.g. “I’ve been…
The “Overcoming an Obstacle” Essay: Really?
Essay Insider Webinar College essays are partially about what you write, but they’re also about what NOT to write. Take the “overcoming an obstacle” essay as an example. This topic can prompt (pun intended) a writer to go in a number of directions, including: -The time I was cut from soccer, but hired Burgess Meredith…
How to Stand Out From 10,000 Competitor-Applicants
When you submit a college college application, you’re doing much more than applying. You’re answering one big, gi-normous question. A question that’t not even ON the Common Application. However, if you fail to answer this question, you can pretty much kiss off your chances of admission to the college you’ve been dreaming about. That question: Tell…
Is Bernie Behind the New SAT Changes?
The College Board, the “nonprofit” (hah!) behind the SAT, announced that it was reintroducing an “adversity score” to its scoring system. In short, kids who come from disadvantaged neighborhoods will receive some sort of behind-the-scenes, double-secret notation on their SAT file for colleges to use as they see fit. Although this policy appears to fall short of…