Like most people, I am outraged by the college admissions scandal. As the parent of five adult children and as an admissions consultant for approximately 25 years, I view the alleged behavior of the parties accused in Operation Varsity Blues as shameful and repulsive. Although I have not played a role in writing this statement,…
COLLEGE ADMISSIONS
18 Do’s And Don’ts For Your Application Resume
Your application resume is usually the first opportunity admissions readers have to get to know you, your experience, and your skills. Because of the number of other application components they need to review (both yours and those belonging to the thousands of other applicants), most adcom readers will only give your resume a quick 15-second…
The Interviewer Becomes the Interviewee [Episode 300]
Accepted Founder Linda Abraham Provides an Inside Look at the World of Admissions [Show Summary] For 299 episodes, Linda Abraham, founder of Accepted, has interviewed school deans, admissions directors, students, and more. Today we learn about her! The Interviewer Becomes the Interviewee [Show Notes] Linda Abraham: This is our 300th episode and since those round numbers…
Tips for Answering Common Application Essay Prompts 2019 – 2020
A large number of universities and colleges use the Common Application across the United States and in many countries around the world. There are over 800 Common Application members in the United States, as well as in Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, France, Germany, Italy, Latvia, Qatar, Singapore, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. These institutions are united…
Connections Count. And You Can Create Them.
I worked with a client, who due to medical reasons, only earned a 2.2 GPA in a social science degree program. After graduating, he decided that the right career path for him was computer science so that he could realize his dream of becoming a tech entrepreneur. He had an ideal school in mind and…
Your 5-Item Checklist for Submitting Your Applications
Whether you’re applying to b-school, law school, med school, grad school, or college, this checklist will be the same. Don’t hit that “Submit” button until you’ve checked off the following 5 to-do’s: You’ve made sure that your application presents a holistic, multi-dimensional picture of you. Each section of your application should not just present you…
Accepted’s Holiday Hours
We wish you a happy and healthy holiday season, enjoying time with family and friends. That’s how most members of Accepted’s staff will spend December 24, 25, 31, and Jan 1. However, we also know that deadlines are looming for many of you. Over the holiday weekends we will periodically check our email for new…
Resourceful Essay Recycling
You’re applying to six different schools and each one requires 2-7 essays/personal statements which equals…a whole lot of writing. PROBLEM: How can you draft so many essays and still maintain a fresh and original voice in each? SOLUTION: Adapt one essay from one application to another essay on another application, given that you follow these…
Happy Thanksgiving from Accepted!
Today is Thanksgiving in the United States, a national holiday during which we give pause – at least for a brief moment – to count our blessings. Wherever you are, that is a good exercise. An attitude of gratitude is worth cultivating throughout the year. I firmly believe it provides benefits from an interpersonal, professional,…
What Is the Diversity Essay Question & How Do You Answer It?
What is the diversity question in a school application, and more importantly, why does it matter when applying to leading programs and universities? Many applications now include a question – sometimes optional – that encourages applicants with minority backgrounds, unusual education, distinctive experience, or unique family histories to write about how these elements will contribute…
How to Project Professionalism & Positivity in Your Statement of Purpose
In my previous post, I discussed the importance of maintaining an appropriate tone in your admissions essay, and provided tips for checking your tone, specifically for finding a confident tone and avoiding arrogance. Once again, “tone” refers to a writer’s attitude toward their subject (and their reader). Your tone comes across in your choice of…
Writing Tip: Understanding the Fine Line Between Confidence and Arrogance
“Tone” is often one of the aspects of writing that applicants find most difficult to pin down. And yet, when you’re writing, it is also one of the most important to control so that you maintain an appropriate tone for your purpose. One way to think about “tone” is to understand it as conveying your…
Application Essay Tip: The Devil is in the Details
You can argue about the devil, but certainly the substance, distinctiveness, and success of your essays depends on the details. Bringing Out Your Uniqueness in the Details Many applicants tend to bury their uniqueness and success under vague assertions. You don’t want to hide your achievements; you want to trumpet them loudly and clearly. For…
Writing About Your Experiences Abroad
You studied, worked, or volunteered abroad and now you want to include part of this in your personal statement. Maybe you want to show that you’ve experienced a different culture or that you’ve managed to go outside of your comfort zone. Maybe you’ve had interesting experiences – met people, climbed mountains, or lived without air-conditioning….
Will Your Common Application Essays Stand Out?
The Common Application has made it easier to apply to college – but one impact has been ever-falling admission rates at elite universities. How can you ensure that your application will stand out? One way is by writing outstanding supplemental essays for each school’s Common App supplement. This is easier said than done, of course!…
Personal Statement Tip: Less is More
Most of us have heard the saying “less is more,” but how many of us put it into practice when it counts? Your application essays are the perfect forum for reaping the benefits of this deceptively simple principle. What does “less is more” really mean? It’s the idea that we must resist our natural tendencies…
4 Ways to Display Teamwork in Application Essays
Teamwork, and its close cousin, leadership, are highly prized by graduate programs and universities. Haven’t worked in teams on any regular basis? Don’t worry! There are more ways than you may realize to prove your chops in this area. Consider the following 4 options: Remember: No Man is an Island Unless you’ve been living alone…
Writing a Lead That Pops
How many times have you wandered through a bookstore, opening up a book to read the first few lines only to quickly close it again? How often have you read one of those free samples on your Kindle, only to decide after a paragraph that you’re glad you didn’t buy it? Similarly, how many times…
Write Superior Common Application Supplemental Essays
The best way to impress the college admissions board is to write impressive supplemental essays. What should your supplementals accomplish? What should you write about? How should you get started? View this short video to learn how to write superior supplemental essays that will get you ACCEPTED: Video Transcript You’ve written your Common App…
4 Ways to Show How You’ll Contribute in the Future
Schools are looking for applicants who can show that they have strong leadership qualities and experiences and can demonstrate that they will actively contribute to their student/alumni communities, not to mention to the greater community and society. Yet grandiose, declarative statements and promises to be a superlative do-gooder are unpersuasive. So how can you show…
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