In our post “A Stress-Free Brainstorming Plan for Your College Essays,” we outline the basic process of brainstorming to prepare for writing your college essays. In this post, we offer a more-detailed, “circular” method that can help you uncover additional ideas and stories. This circular method is also called “clustering.” To begin, write the essay …
A valuable first step in devising a writing plan for your college essays is identifying the attributes that are most important to your target schools, which you can glean from their websites and promotional materials. If you have not already done so, download the current Common App essay questions, as well as any supplemental essay …
Did you know that the word “essay” comes from the French word essai (later essayer), meaning “to try”? An essay is a kind of inquiry – an attempt to get at the core of an idea or experience, to find out what is true. We read personal essays to discover how the writer thinks and …
No matter how much your parents love you and want the best for you, their attempts to help you with your college application essays can sometimes go awry. In some cases, their personal concerns, biases, and style might do more to impede your progress than encourage it, even though they have your best interests at …
Whether you are applying to be a first-year student or a transfer student, you will find that many undergraduate universities and colleges use the Common App. There are more than 1,000 Common App member schools in the United States, Canada, European Union, United Kingdom, and worldwide. These institutions are united in their commitment to taking …
As you enter your senior year of high school, the pressure is on to write your college application essays. And for many people, the anticipation of writing their application essays is often more difficult and stressful than actually writing them. To maximize your chances of getting accepted to the school of your choice, you want …
Question 1 (Required) How does the University of Chicago, as you know it now, satisfy your desire for a particular kind of learning, community, and future? Please address with some specificity your own wishes and how they relate to UChicago. (Recommended 250–500-word limit) The key to responding effectively to this prompt is demonstrating your knowledge …
It will come as no surprise that Princeton University is among the top schools in the nation and is recognized globally for academic excellence. This Ivy League school is renowned as a major research university as well as an outstanding liberal arts college. In addition to the Common Application, Universal College Application or Coalition Application …
While Ivy League schools require the Common Application or Coalition Application essay, they also require supplemental essay responses. These help you to convey in greater detail how the specific school and program of study to which you are applying are a good fit for you and how you can contribute to the collegiate environment. This, …
Dartmouth College utilizes the Common Application. It requires the main Common Application essay and additional supplemental Dartmouth-specific essay responses. The additional essays help the admission committee round out the overall picture of you as a prospective student by providing insight into your personality. Don’t approach this as just another essay you have to write. Look …
Along with the basic Common Application essay, the Ivy League schools require supplemental essay responses. These additional essays help these elite schools gain a deeper understanding of you as an applicant. It’s also your chance to explain how the school is a good match for you and how you can enhance their unique college community. …
It comes as no surprise that Harvard consistently ranks among the top universities in the world. Its highly regarded reputation and academic chops attract the best and brightest. The alluring Harvard brand coupled with its extraordinary education cannot be ignored. It is important to keep in mind throughout the application process that your focus should …
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