Undergraduate Admissions

Grades, GPA, and transcripts are important components when applying to college. But numbers only tell part of the story. Thecollege admissions essayplays a much more powerful role in telling your personal story to college admissions officers. So while university admissions departments may set initial cut-offs based on numbers, they make their final decision based on […]

The college application essay has become the most important part of applying to college. In this article, we will go over thebest college essay format for getting into top schools, including how to structure the elements of a college admissions essay: margins, font, paragraphs, spacing, headers, and organization. We will focus on commonly asked questions […]

While the Common App provides highly broad topics for its required 650-word essay, it's possible that you have a story you want to narrate that doesn't fit within those categories. Fortunately, the Common App is once again using the "topic of choice" category for the 2021-2022 admissions season. You can write about whatever you want, as long as the paper is a personal statement.

The college admissions essay gives you the opportunity to share aspects about yourself not otherwise reflected through grades and test scores. Who are you? What are your values and dreams? Are you the type of person who will thrive in an academically and socially challenging environment as you transition into adulthood? The Common App Essay is […]

So, you’re applying to college and are probably panicking about how to write the hardest part of your application: the Common Application essay. Don’t panic! We’re here to help. If you keep the following tips in mind, we’re confident that you’ll be well on your way to drafting a strong application essay that screams out, […]

Why is the college application essay important? With collegesrefocusing their admissions priorities, the admissions essay has increased in importance. Furthermore, many applications, such as the Common Application and Coalition Application, have announcednew prompts specific to COVID-19for fall applicants. Here are five college essay tips for increasing your chance of admission for the 2023-2024 school year. […]

In 2023, the Common Application announced that the Common App essay prompts will remain unchanged from the 2022-2023 school year. The Common App essay prompts have remained almost the same for the past five years, but crafting a strong and compelling essay to respond to these prompts has remained as important as ever to getting […]

Getting into a top college or university is not an easy feat these days, even for superb students. Within the past decade,many major universitieshavecut their acceptance rates by as much as 50%. Increasing numbers of international applications at Ivy League schools and other elite institutions means applicants must not only have impeccable grades and test […]

Why is using good vocabulary so important in an essay? Using strong vocabulary in college admissions essays is crucial to articulating your skills and competencies, but also central in showing admissions officers that you can express yourself clearly in written English. Although vocabulary may not be the main aspect of your essay that the admissions […]

What is a College Essay? The college essay is an essential element of the college application process. It presents an opportunity for students to personalize their college application, beyond grades and scores. It can also be one of the more nerve-wracking parts of the application process. If you are reading this article, you are like […]

The college application essay is one of the most important components of applying to college. Application essays require a lot of time and effort, so you want to make sure you don’t make easy-to-overlook mistakes such as going over your college application word count. Unfortunately, many students leave their admissions essay as the last step […]

Should you use the same essay for multiple schools? It islate December and the application window for many top-tier schools is closing. Although you decided long ago which schools meet your “fantasy” criterion, you have decided to add a couple more colleges to the list in the last few weeks just in case your wildest […]