Studyblr Masterposts

Here it is: the college essay masterpost. Keep in mind that if you’ve written an essay that fits the description of any of the “don’t do this!” bits, it’s not a reflection on you as a person. The makings of a good college essay are, at times, entirely counterintuitive, so many of the errors in here seem completely justified.

The most important thing to consider when writing a college essay is the degree to which you pass the Turing Test. Basically, do you sound like a person? Even if you think the answer is yes, spoiler alert! There’s a decent chance it’s no. Why? Well, consider the fact that each admissions officer at any selective school reads hundreds, probably thousands of essays per year. Now, consider the fact that most of them have been doing their job for multiple years. That’s a heckton of essays, my friends. That’s so many. And after a while, they all seem to blur together. Now, you might be thinking, hey, but my essay talks about an extremely personal struggle/experience/situation!!! Well, yeah. But so does literally everyone else’s. Even if the specific content of your essay is different, the essay structure itself is still the same. If you designed a computer program that could write college essays, the resulting pieces would look just like the vast majority of college essays that land on any given admissions officer’s desk, and they’d end up in the same sad pile. With that in mind, let’s get started.

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W R I T I N G

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The Common App Essay/Personal Statement

From an email I sent to a student whose essay I reviewed: “Something to keep in mind is that the amount that any essay says about you is entirely dependent on your writing. You could write an essay about bagels that says a lot about you; you could write a deeply personal piece that says nothing. The mistake that many applicants tend to make is thinking that the subject matter itself has to be something profound; oftentimes, essays like this fall short because their authors put all their energy into writing about something personal and barely any of it into writing well.”

The common app essay/personal statement comes with a few prompts that, in many cases, immediately result in a “Hey! I know exactly what to write about!” And, in many cases, this immediate response is way off base. The prompts are designed as such; these days, when almost everyone has good grades and SAT scores, the essays are the only real way to tell who’s the very best. Even though your story - that immediate response - may be intensely personal, a key component of who you are, it’s still an immediate response to a prompt, and chances are every other person who chose that prompt immediately thought of a similar story from their own life.

Prompt 1: Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.

Key Ideas: Spin it differently, think smaller, keep it positive.

Unless you have a story on par with the plot of Jane The Virgin, be careful. Your struggle to improve your grades/win that competition/make friends/overcome your fears just isn’t that compelling. That doesn’t mean it’s not important; it just isn’t good college essay material unless you can find a way to spin it differently.

If you’re writing about an identity or talent, be sure to think first about the other people in the world who share that identity or talent. What makes your story different?

If you’re writing about overcoming an obstacle such as mental or physical illness, don’t make it a pity party, but don’t become detached. What makes your resilience unique?

Now, something that a lot of people don’t realize is that this essay can also go smaller. You wouldn’t be you without your love of bagels, hatred of carpeted floors, etc. so don’t shy away from writing about something other than a Deeply Personal Struggle Or Experience. These are often the essays that go far, solely because they go against the grain and admissions officers are tired of the monotony. These are the essays that get a “Hey Sue, look at this one!” And voila, a second read.

One other thing to note is that while this background may be painful - mental illness, deported parent, etc - you need to find a way to end on a positive note. A pity party won’t get you in. Regardless of how much the content of the essay makes your admissions officer cry, what they’re looking for is resilience.

Prompt 2: The lessons we take from failure can be fundamental to later success. Recount an incident or time when you experienced failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?

Key Ideas: Plot twist, think smaller, get weird.

The difficulties with this prompt are similar to the first - the essay that first strikes you is just not that compelling. Nobody wants to hear another “I failed a test and studied hard and aced the class!!” essay. Unless your specific incident of failure was wholly unique - maybe you didn’t pull the parachute string on time when skydiving and are now writing this with two broken legs - you’re going to need to think of something else. There are a few easy ways to do this.

Plot twist. You failed in a common way, but your response was super weird. Introduce this weirdness from the beginning. Pro tip: studying hard after failing is not weird.

Think smaller. This one is more creative writing than life story. Think of a really tiny instance of failure - maybe you slipped on the stairs! maybe you cut one nail slightly too short! - and write a mock epic.

Get hella experimental. Use an unconventional format - I know a girl who wrote hers as a series of limericks - or write from an unconventional perspective.

There are certainly other successful essays that aren’t written as one of the three outlined above, so don’t be afraid to do what you think is best. Still, remember to keep in mind the necessity of setting yourself apart.

Prompt 3: Reflect on a time when you challenged a belief or idea. What prompted you to act? Would you make the same decision again?

Key Ideas: Stay humble.

The biggest mistake I see with this prompt is the tendency to wax philosophical & come across as someone who thinks they’re profound. Pro tip: that’s not a good thing. If you think you have something profound to say, write about something else. Seriously. It comes through & it’s not flattering. Note that this is absolutely different from being genuinely passionate about something; let your passion show, but curb your self-righteousness.

Prompt 4: Describe a problem you’ve solved or a problem you’d like to solve. It can be an intellectual challenge, a research query, an ethical dilemma - anything that is of personal importance, no matter the scale. Explain its significance to you and what steps you took or could be taken to identify a solution.

Key Ideas: Stay humble, avoid waxing, let your passion show, get weird.

Many people who choose this prompt use it as an opportunity to wax philosophical about a Big Bad World Issue, but unless you have a truly unique take, don’t bother. Admissions officers have read thousands of essays about the importance of solving world hunger, widespread ignorance, etc. so unless they’ll actually gain something new by reading yours specifically you should steer clear. Some other options for this essay include:

Choosing a smaller problem

Dramatization

An opinion piece on something trivial

And, again, there are many more beyond these, but this is a good starting point if you find yourself stuck.

One other thing to keep in mind is authorial distance. You want to stay close to whatever you choose to write. It needs to feel personal, whatever it is. It needs to feel like you.

Prompt 5: Discuss an accomplishment or event, formal or informal, that marked your transition from childhood to adulthood within your culture, community, or family.

Key Ideas: Plot twist, think smaller, get weird, stay close.

A story of this nature is obviously personally important by definition, but it’s remarkably easy to write one that falls flat and blends in with the crowd. The most prominent issue I’ve seen with essays that use this prompt is the tendency to step back from the event in question through word choice and excessive summarization. What this essay calls for, fundamentally, is a sense of closeness and a feeling that we, as readers, are experiencing it for ourselves. If you’re not ready to get intensely personal, choose a different prompt.

For those of you who choose to write about a formal event or accomplishment, you have two workable options. First, you could write about an event that, while formal, is obscure. Maybe it’s a family tradition to run the perimeter of the city on your 15th birthday while carrying a pineapple. If your event/accomplishment falls into this category, you’re good to go. If it doesn’t, though, you’ll need to tell a truly unique story about the well-recognized event. This can be done through either plot or structure. Did something weird happen? Good. Did everything go according to plan? Spin it differently. Write about your bat mitzvah from the perspective of some relevant non-human object. Write about registering to vote in the format of a screenplay. Bonus points if you have a weird story and an interesting framing device or style.

For those of you who choose to write about an informal event or accomplishment, you’ll have an easier time setting yourself apart because you could write about literally anything. Still, the advice above holds. You’ll either need a story that, plotwise, goes in unexpected directions, or you’ll need to choose a style or framing device that makes an essay about something standard seem like a New York Times bestseller. Ultimately, your goal is to make the admissions team want to keep reading. How you do this is up to you.

Summary: Make the reader care. Make the reader want to keep reading. Seriously, that’s it.

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The “Why _______” Essay

A good “Why _____” essay shows what you care about. These essays are usually much shorter - generally only about 150 to 250 words - so being concise here is key. As a general rule, if what you wrote could be found in a brochure, delete it. Reading the brochure and liking what it says doesn’t make for a compelling essay. Instead, think smaller. Write about a conversation you had, an interaction you witnessed, etc. and do so in a personal manner. Keep your authorial distance as small as possible. Get weird. Choose a formatting style that fits your story. If you can say something to the admissions officers that they haven’t already heard before, chances are you’ll do much better.

For a more detailed procedure, click here.

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The Identity Essay

Several schools ask for a short essay about an identity that affects/matters to you in some context. The same advice from the Common App applies to this essay as well. If the identity itself is not unique, write about a unique way in which you interact with it. If you’re given a specific context, write about an identity that normally would not be associated with that context. For example, in my RA application, I was asked to write about how some aspect of my identity influences how I approach conversations about diversity. I could’ve written about being bisexual, Jewish, etc, but instead I wrote about being white and how my whiteness influences the ways in which I approach these conversations. Remember, finally, to keep it personal; don’t wax philosophical about the identity in question. For bonus points, see if you can somehow mention other identities somewhere in there. This isn’t mandatory, but showing that you understand intersectionality is always a plus.

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The “Respond To This Quote” Essay

This is a super common supplemental essay question, and it’s easy to get stuck when responding to it. The process that I used for this essay went something like this:

Brainstorm. Read the quote and write down everything that comes to your mind in response. This should be closer to a bulleted list than a paragraph; multiple thought trains are what you want to see. To really push yourself, set a timer for ten minutes and force yourself to write for the whole time.

Take a break, then brainstorm again. You’d be surprised at how much you can generate when forced to sit and write for a while.

Look at your clusterfuck of thoughts. Physically cross out anything that doesn’t seem writeable. Physically put a star next to anything you think you’d be excited to write. Don’t think too much about this; go with your gut.

Don’t waste time trying to find the “best” idea! Close your eyes, stick your finger on the page, and write about whichever starred idea is closest to your finger.

Write! And write! And write! Your first draft should be terrible and messy and structurally questionable! Just write!

Take a break, then read over what you wrote and figure out what it says about you. Now, what do you want it to say about you?

Figure out how to get from point A to point B. Which words should you change? Which sentences should you delete? What framing device would best convey what you want to convey? Form the completest plan possible.

Execute!

Read it again, repeat steps 6-9 as necessary until you’re happy.

Some extra tips: this essay is about you, not the quote. The quote is a framing device to get you to reveal more about who you are as a person. Thus, tone and style are crucial. Feel free to take stylistic risks; feel free to get weird. This isn’t a literary analysis.

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Any Essay That Requires You To Discuss A Book

is not a book report. See extra tips above.

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The “Talk About A ______ You Love/Admire” Essay

Since this one is super open-ended it’s hard to give concrete “do this and don’t do this” type advice. In general, your goal is still to make the reader want to keep reading. By the end of this essay, your admissions officer should desperately want to google the noun in question, but keep in mind that this is, again, an essay that should reveal something about you. What the reader gets from this essay should exceed that which they could find on Wikipedia, in a biography, etc.; you have to show passion. This is not the place to stay detached or academic; get personal. Love and admire are two strong words and you need to do them justice.

If you find yourself falling into the Wikipedia trap, consider:

Telling a story about [noun] that’s specific to your life. This is always a good bet tbh

Examining your narrative distance. Care harder!

Making a list of things you love about [noun] using the timer method I described in the quote essay section. Go with two minutes instead of ten. This may lead you to see something you wouldn’t have thought to write about beforehand.

Just writing. Stream of consciousness, no pressure to make it good writing. See where it takes you. See which format you naturally fall into.

If all else fails, choosing a different topic.

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The Extracurricular Essay

Unless you do some completely unheard-of independent work, you’re not the only one who’s participated in a given extracurricular activity. Given this, you have to set yourself apart in other ways. Many of the main problems seen in various common app essays resurface in this one: standard perseverance stories, excessive summarization, etc. Depending on the wording of the prompt, your response will be slightly different, but regardless of wording keep in mind that the essay is about you and your relationship to the activity.

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The Leadership Essay

This is a fairly common category as well. When writing about leadership, you’ll have a much higher success rate if you choose a narrative-based essay over one that merely summarizes your experiences. The same advice for all these other essays applies here, too; in order to set yourself apart, you need to tell a different story or you need to tell a familiar story differently, bonus points if both. Stay humble. Show instead of telling. Convince the admissions team that leadership is part of who you are, not just something you did to get into college.

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Stanford’s Supplement

What Matters To You & Why?

Tell a story. Tell a story they haven’t heard. This is truly the place to be yourself. It doesn’t matter what you indicated as your intended major; it doesn’t matter what your extracurriculars were; just answer honestly. I wrote about discovery, I have a friend who wrote about bagels. Regardless of the topic you choose, you have to convince the reader that it actually does matter to you. Keep your narrative distance as small as possible unless you’re making a deliberate stylistic choice; be as vivid as possible in your imagery. Make whatever it is matter to the reader too. Make it feel real.

Intellectual Vitality

This post is great and says everything I would’ve said anyway. Key idea: show them how your mind works.

Letter To Your Future Roommate

Be as weird as you are. Let’s be real: nobody reads a letter from someone that starts with “

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Other Essays/In Summary

If you’re facing a prompt that doesn’t appear on this list, take the general advice and run with it. In summary:

tell a story that hasn’t been told before

you don’t have to write about something inherently ~profound~

keep a close narrative distance unless you’re making a specific & deliberate stylistic choice not to

what matters most is that the reader wants to keep reading

avoid waxing anything other than passionate

vivid imagery is your friend

summarization is hardly ever useful

personal doesn’t mean unique

don’t be afraid to stray from the “traditional” format

have fun with it!

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E D I T I N G

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Common Questions

What do I do if I know a phrase sounds weird but I don’t know how to fix it?

Option 1: Read the phrase out loud. What do you want it to convey? Write several different variations of this on a note/side document and see if any of them work better. Adjust surrounding phrases accordingly.

Option 2: Delete the phrase altogether and read the piece without it. What meaning is now missing? What sort of transition is needed? Try to fill the gap. Does it work? If not, delete the replacement, take a ten minute break, and try again.

Option 3: Check the bits surrounding the offending phrase. The root of the problem might lie elsewhere, so don’t get yourself all worked up trying to fix the wrong part!

Option 4: Ask someone for their opinion. Maybe they’ll see a solution that wouldn’t immediately have crossed your mind!

What do I do if a friend/parent/mentor says that a phrase sounds awkward but I don’t think there’s anything wrong?

Ask. Always ask. Unless they gave you specific guidance, you won’t have any idea how to fix this unless you ask. There’s no shame in this; everybody wants you to succeed! If you still don’t see the problem, getting multiple other opinions can be helpful. Ask another friend/parent/mentor to read over the section in question, and if they do point it out but don’t give useful feedback it’s best to delete it and try Option 2 above.

I’m way over word count, but I don’t want to compromise the integrity of the piece! How can I cut down effectively without losing anything important?

How many words do you need to cut? If you’re more than 20% over word count, consider starting from scratch. If you’re not:

Identify redundancies. Highlight these and find a way to consolidate them.

Read your introduction, if you have one. Oftentimes, these words just take up space and don’t add anything to the piece. If your introduction is just a result of years of being told that you need one and doesn’t actually add anything meaningful to the essay, delete it all. Starting from the middle can actually be surprisingly effective!

Same goes for the conclusion. You don’t need to wrap things up like you would in a literary analysis or a research paper; you just need to end strongly.

Identify phrases that could be simplified and simplify them. Did you lose anything important? If so, revert the edit, highlight the section, and come back to it later if you’re really pressed for words.

Contractions are fine. Seriously.

Identify sections that just straight up don’t need to be there. Many people add unnecessary clarification, pointless parentheticals, etc. Not only do these deplete your word supply; they clutter your essay and make it less enjoyable to read. Don’t feel bad if you end up cutting entire paragraphs!

If you use “very” at all, cut it & replace the following words with a stronger one. This one is very important crucial!

Is it okay to be way under word count?

Technically yes, but practically it’s rarely the case that you’ll be able to answer the prompt meaningfully without at least getting close. If you feel done, let yourself be done, but revisit the piece later to confirm. Maybe you’re the master of being ridiculously concise, but chances are that an essay that doesn’t even approach the word limit doesn’t effectively answer the prompt.

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General Advice

Go through line by line and mark everything that leaves you less than satisfied

Read like an admissions officer. Would you admit you? Do your best to rid yourself of personal bias and just read as a reader.

Unless you’re working with someone who does this regularly, get at least two opinions on anything you write from two very different people in your life. You have no idea who’ll be reading your essay in the end, so a variety of voices in your feedback can be useful.

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R E A D I N G

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When a friend asks you for feedback on an essay, it can be difficult to remain impartial while editing. The most important thing to keep in mind, though, is that lying to spare their feelings will only do them dirty in the end. So yes, be as critical as you need to be. If something sucks, tell them. But - and this is important - stay friendly. Stay pleasant. Stay constructive. Don’t say “this sucks,” say “I think this section should be reworked so that ______.” And prior to even saying a word about the piece, ask them what sort of feedback they’d find most useful. Those of you who have worked with me before know that this is how I start any editing relationship. This won’t constrain your feedback, necessarily, but it will dictate the manner in which you give it. If your friend has written an absolutely atrocious second paragraph but has asked only for comments on “overall flow,” tell them that the second paragraph interrupts the flow of the rest of the piece because of X Y and Z. It’s not wrong, and it’s not unnecessarily hurtful; your friend will examine the second paragraph carefully and rewrite it to fix X Y and Z, which would have been your goal anyway.

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A D D I T I O N A L   R E S O U R C E S

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Essays that worked:

Remember: inspiration, not emulation. Copying an idea never turns out well; admissions officers are trained to sniff this out.

Johns Hopkins - Essays That Worked

Tufts - Essays That Worked

Hamilton - Essays That Worked

50 Successful Harvard Essays (amazon link with free preview)

I’m not kidding about being weird

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If you have any specific questions about anything in here, feel free to ask. If you have an essay that you’d like me to read over, check out my contact page for submission details.

Make it about yourself. The only way to avoid gratuitous ass-kissing in a “why __” essay is to make it about yourself. They already know they’re great; they don’t need to hear it again from you. If you’re stuck, try this:

Make a list of the most important things that you like about the school

Under each one, explain why it makes the school a good fit for you

Choose a few that emphasize what you want most out of your college experience

For each one of these, think of a story from your life that expresses these values/priorities

Tell the stories

Waxing poetic about a school is okay in moderation, but the purpose of the “Why ___” essay is to convince the school that it’s right for you.

Some other general tips:

When in doubt, expose your doubt intentionally (example: “It’s hard to talk about why I love Stanford without sounding like a stereotypical starstruck teen with a wall full of photos cut from gossip magazines, so bear with me.”)

Use sensory detail as much as possible (example: “The music floating up from the fountains is a lilting mix of childhood chatter on the topic of crocodiles and excited, barely hushed discussion of some successful experiment whose results haven’t yet been published.”)

Remember: you’re not trying to sell the school to someone else.

Avoid redundancy as much as possible - even more than in your other essays. Often, the “Why ____” essays have a much lower word count, so a concise response is crucial.

Well, it’s that time of year again, and as someone who only recently survived the gauntlet that is college applications, I’m more than happy to share a few tips.

For your commonapp/personal essay:

DO NOT make this your list of accomplishments. They will get a resume for that. This essay is your chance to show them what sets you apart from other candidates and give them a glimpse into who you are. That could mean a hobby that has shaped you (I did mine about writing), a meaningful personal experience, some piece of art/writing/music that is important to you and why, ect. 

Don’t be afraid to show your voice. When writing these, it’s easy to try and slip into a more formal voice intended for informative essays. Write professionally, but casually (no slang, unless it really fits the moment, and try to avoid cliches). Make it true to you.

If you are struggling to come up with an idea, do a brainstorming session. Get a blank document and jot down every idea that comes to mind about things, moments, people, or actions that have shaped you. Try to find something that shows you learning a good theme in a positive light (colleges like to know that you can face challenges and learn from them).

Make sure the one you settle on shows things about you, doesn’t make excuses for your past behavior/mistakes and instead shows how they helped you grow as a person (if you decide to go with a personal story)

Show them an answer to the question: Why do I deserve to get into this school?

On the other hand, don’t say “I deserve to get into this school because…” Instead, describe the event/hobby/moment you chose and let it answer the question for you. 

If you are going to tell a story in your essay, there’s a good general structure you can follow to help get you started. The word limits below are assuming there is a 650 word limit. Obviously this can differ depending on the pacing of your writing or the kind of personal story you are telling, so do whatever you need to do to write a solid essay!

Intro (0-50 words): Here, touch on the theme or lesson you are going to explore. Try to start with a relevant hook, and like any story, these can be dialogue, description, action, or simply intriguing statements relevant to essay. Successful intros often hint at the theme the essay is about to explore, by starting at a different time than the rest of the essay, or show a glimpse of what happens as a result of the personal growth you are about to describe.

Setup (50-150 words): Take a step back and start to tell the story from the beginning. Introduce the important people, settings, and situations that led to…

Conflict (50-150 words): What challenge did you face? How did it make you feel? It helps if the setup explains, at least in part, why this conflict is so important. If that needs more elaboration, now is the time to show it. Why does this conflict matter?

Reaction (100-200 words): Now that you’ve faced this problematic situation, how did you respond? In retrospect, was it the right thing to do? The wrong thing? If anyone or anything guided you along the way, now is the time to explain how their influence benefited you and helped you get through this challenge.

Conclusion (50-100 words): Now, solidify the theme of your essay. Tie it back to the intro if you can (mention the same dialogue/description/action). Make sure you show what you learned and how this experience changed you - into a stronger, more prepared person.

For “Why this School” Essays

BE SPECIFIC. You need to show this school why they are the perfect fit for you. Mention professors doing research you would like to be involved in, or study abroad opportunities unique to that college, or how that one specific club would mean the world to you, or how the community there feels perfect and here’s why.

Do a little research, and show it off. Show the colleges that you know who they are and what they can offer you. This demonstrates that you care about the university and have interest in its opportunities, and will immediately set you apart from students who copy and past their “why this school” essay for each university they are applying to.

If you are doing this right, you will have to rewrite the essay for each university. It should be that specific to the school. 

Be sincere. Touch on what really interests you about this school - you’re applying for a reason, right? Show them that once you get there, you’ll be involved and contribute to their community.

The good thing about these essays is that once you have a general formula, all you need to do is some research and write it out. These are generally shorter than personal essays, but still try to have a good hook at the start and a solid conclusion at the end. I wouldn’t recommend trying to make a thematic statement out of this one; the word limit is simply too low and it could muddle the point you are trying to get across, which is “I like this school because it has these COOL things!”

Again, all of this advice is just what I’ve learned from reading a few books about college essays and going through the application process myself. If it helps, I was able to get into my top school (no Ivy Leagues though) so take or leave what works for you. It is not a comprehensive list or anything, but it might be enough to help you get started if you aren’t sure how to tackle the next few months of essays and resumes and interviews.

Well, I hope it helps! If you have any questions feel free to ask. My friends are just getting started in the process so I wanted to share some advice to them and anyone else who needs it.

for the anon who asked to see some of my college supplements, here is the first in a series of essay corner posts, starting with the university of pennsylvania!

context: i applied to penn and was accepted regular decision. i also (i think? i never got formal notification of advocacy but i was in contact with recruitment staff during my application process) received creative writing recruitment and resulting advocacy from penn’s kelly writers house. 

for other examples of penn supplements that led to acceptances, check out the following:

rona’s why penn? essay @findx

eleni’s why penn? essay @hotdamnford

in the class of 2018 application cycle, penn had one supplementary essay prompt for those applying to the college of arts and sciences (like me!), although i believe it requires more supplements for those applying to specialized degree programs. you can read my essay below:

How will you explore your intellectual and academic interests at the University of Pennsylvania? Please answer this question given the specific undergraduate school to which you are applying. (400-650 words)

Fall is here, and the college application season has kicked into gear. While many of you are brainstorming ideas and writing drafts for your personal statement, it’s important to devote adequate attention to all aspects of your college applications. Often, students spend so much time and energy writing their personal statements only to burn out and end up writing less-than-stellar supplemental essays. Admissions officers are trained to carefully pore over college applications. If you give them any reason to doubt your candidacy, your chances of admission decrease. Especially in today’s competitive landscape, you need to ace every aspect of the college application, including supplemental essays.

Supplements have gained significance because they provide additional insight that may not be reflected elsewhere in your application. They are prime opportunities to expand the scope of knowledge admissions officers have about you. And while supplemental essays can range from the expected (“Briefly elaborate on one of your extracurricular activities or work experiences” from Harvard) to the more confounding (“What is square one, and can you actually go back to it?” from the University of Chicago), the most important supplement is arguably the “Why Us?” essay.

Remember, admissions offices at competitive schools are flooded with a pool of more than enough qualified applicants to choose from, but the students who rise to the top are often those who demonstrate how they will fit perfectly at a particular institution. The “Why Us” essay is not at all about gushing over a school’s rankings or offerings. The admissions officers already know exactly what their school has to offer. What they don’t know is how you will uniquely take advantage of everything the school has to offer, and therein should lie the focus of this supplement. Imagine you were to arrive on the campus of your dream school tomorrow. What would you immediately seek out? Which courses and professors would feed your intellectual curiosities? Which activities must you absolutely participate in? What resources and opportunities would further your development and allow you to maximize your college experience? These are the key questions to answer.

Your response to the “Why Us” supplement essay should be as original and distinct as your personal statement because the source for all of its content resides within you. And there’s no one else on this planet who can lay claim to your individual life experiences. My favorite analogy for this supplement it to think of it as dating someone. You want to put your best foot forward and communicate your likes and interests. If those likes and interests align with what the school (your date) has to offer, it could be a perfect match. However, there’s only one way to find out. You’ve got to do some research.

We’ve all heard of love at first sight, but doing the initial work of discovering as much as possible about someone or something can save you from heartbreak down the road. You may think a school is perfect for you because of its ranking, its reputation, or its location. Or perhaps your parents or friends attended a school, so you feel the need to do the same. These could be perfectly valid reasons to apply, but they could equally be the absolutely wrong reasons. To protect against potential disappointment, do the legwork necessary to acquaint yourself with as much information about a school as possible. Go on a campus or online tour. Reach out to admissions officers and current students. Conduct and in-depth exploration of their website and the websites of any departments, programs, or clubs that appeal to you—and then do it all again. Search for articles, reviews, events, and more on your school of choice. Become an expert, and then translate that knowledge into your supplement essay.

Tip: Create a detailed list of your top ten college “must-haves.” Think about what you ideally need to be successful in college, and then use your list to guide your research into the schools to which you are applying.

✅ Do

Research!

Be specific and as detailed as possible

Match your likes and goals with the school’s offerings

Treat each school as if it’s your #1 option

❌ Don’t

Be generic (location, ranking, weather, etc.)

Copy and paste the same essay for every school

Mix up/misspell any names or facts

See part 1, part 2, and part 4!

Once you have draft of an essay that you like, it’s time for the hard part: editing and revising. This is the part of the process where you can completely transform your essay, and it’s so important to do thoroughly.

Here are my essay editing tips:

Your essay should tell a story. It’s very difficult to write an interesting, engaging essay without a narrative arc of some kind. The prompts lend themselves to this kind of writing, so see what kind of story you can tell! 

Make sure your essay is about you. If you’re writing on prompt #4, for example, don’t write about global warming and the threat it poses to society. Instead, write about your passion for protecting the environment and the personal journey you’ve made (or want to make) to help save the world.

Conceal the prompt. If you’re answering prompt #2, you should avoid saying things like “I learned from my failure” or “my earlier failure helped me achieve success”. Admissions officers will read thousands of essays like this. Answer the prompt subtly; show, don’t tell.

Make a list of the personal qualities you want your essay to convey. Characteristics like resilience or open-mindedness won’t come across in other areas of your application, so make your best qualities known through your writing. Ask friends or family about your distinctive qualities if you’re not sure—sometimes they know you better than you do.

Rhetorical devices, particularly imagery and metaphor, are your friends. Look for opportunities to use them in subtle and interesting ways.

Make sure your own voice comes through. I found that the best way to do this is to have other people read your essay. Parents, siblings, friends, and teachers who know you well should be able to read your essay and say “yes, this sounds like you”.

People will have suggestions when they read your essay. Take everything with a grain of salt; this is your essay, and you don’t have to make every recommended change if you don’t want to.

Remember, this isn’t a formal, academic essay. You can (and should) write in the first person, use contractions, and employ everyday diction. You don’t have to use a thesaurus, have a thesis statement, or cite your sources.

If you do absolutely nothing else, make sure that your last sentence packs a punch. Go out with a bang and send a strong message!

You may end up rewriting most of your essay, and that’s okay. I kept the first two paragraphs of my first draft intact, and completely changed the rest of my essay. If you think you can tell a better, more personal, and more engaging story, by all means go for it. You’ll be much happier with your result!

See part 2, part 3, and part 4!

I made it my goal to have a polished draft of my common app essay before the start of my senior year, and I’m so glad that I did. Writing my main essay over the summer made the fall a lot easier, and allowed me to focus on supplement essays, interviews, retaking the SAT and ACT, and meeting the deadlines for my 6 EA applications.

Writing the common app essay is a daunting task, and I approached it with a lot of fear and anxiety. Eventually, I forced myself to sit down at my computer and not get up until I had written an essay about something.

Here are my tips for starting the process: 1. Make a list of ten things that mean something to you. Passions, causes, moments, stories, people… anything goes. Just write them down.

2. Pick your five favorites.

3. Write for ten minutes about each one of those topics. It doesn’t have to be great; you can basically word-vomit onto the page. Don’t erase or delete anything. Just get the juices flowing.

4. After you’ve done this, you should have a decent idea of the potential of each of your topics. There’s probably one or two topics that you find yourself wanting to write more about. Pick one and run with it.

5. Write. Don’t worry about addressing a specific prompt yet; just tell a story about a topic that means something to you. Make it personal, and make it interesting.

6. Congratulations! You have written about something. Now, go look at the prompts. How can you manipulate what you’ve written to answer one of those questions? The first prompt is definitely your friend here; it’s so open-ended that your baby essay will probably answer it pretty well.

7. Once you’ve identified a prompt, go back and tweak your essay a little bit to address the prompt you chose.

Huzzah! You have a draft of your essay. Since you’ve started so early, you have time to forget about it for a while. Save, exit, and come back in a few weeks—you’ll have a fresh eye for editing!

Hi friends! I just finished 17 college applications and I’m fresh with advice for you all so here it is: 

STANDARDIZED TESTING: 

get this shit done ASAP; I started taking practice tests my freshman year and by the end of my sophomore year I had the score I wanted 

it literally does not matter if you take the ACT or SAT, colleges don’t fucking care just pick one and do well on it 

if you can, take 2 SAT subject tests; many colleges require them and so do special BA/MD programs so its best to have them prepared 

“how do you get a good score??”: PRACTICE TESTS! literally take as many as you can and make sure you correct the mistakes you make on each of them so you’re actually learning 

COMMON APPLICATION:

opens august 1; you do not have to submit anything then

you only get 10 slots for extracurricular activities so choose wisely; also you don’t necessarily need to fill all 10 slots; quality over quantity always 

you can submit the common app to a school before you submit the writing supplement! get that shit submitted so you don’t have to worry about it later on 

don’t type your essays on the common app; type them on a google doc and then transfer them later on so you can avoid it from crashing and not saving your work 

COLLEGE LIST:

don’t fucking apply to all 8 Ivies 

make sure you have safeties (easy to get into/affordable), matches (most likely will get in) along with your reaches (no fucking clue if you’ll get in)

be realistic about how many applications you can fill out 

try to finalize by 1st semester senior year 

COLLEGE ESSAYS: 

genuinely spend time on these 

don’t reuse your why X college essays 

when answering the why X college prompt: DO YOUR RESEARCH! specifics are key; they want students that will actually matriculate 

you can usually reuse your why X major essay so be sure to write a really good one 

don’t be someone you’re not; just be natural and let your personality shine 

they aren’t as bad as they seem I swear you just have to really work with 

if you’re really having trouble with a prompt, google it and there’s bound to be admissions blogs that have written tips about answering it 

GENERAL TIMELINE OF COLLEGE SHENANIGANS 

freshman year: 

don’t worry about harvard 

literally just enjoy your only peaceful year of high school 

join a few clubs 

get good grades 

you’re set

sophomore year: 

start looking at schools and figure out what you want in a college 

begin building your list 

start taking APs (if your school allows you) 

look for leadership opportunities 

look for summer programs and other things to keep you busy in the summer 

get ready for the hellstorm that is junior year

junior year:

get testing done by the end of this year 

figure out who you’re asking for letters of rec 

take AP classes 

maintain your GPA 

become a leader in your clubs 

senior year: 

lay on the floor and cry 

like really let it out bc this year is hell 

take a rigorous course load and get good grades 

finish last minute testing if you still haven’t 

register for common app 

get letters of rec 

send scores to colleges 

start writing college essays 

apply to scholarships 

fill out FAFSA and CSS 

good luck my lovelies xx my inbox is always open as always 

Bitches love to put things into lists. Moreover, bitches love numbered shit. Here’s some numbered shit in list format to help you not suck in higher education. You’re welcome.

1. Go to class. Like 210% serious. I don’t give a shit if you’re a get by on nothing, A+ slacker. You’re fucking paying for this crap so you might as well get the services owed to you. Take your ass to class even if you zone out 99% of the time. You know 1% more than you did when you walked up in there. Congrats, asshole.

2. All that free time you have during your first week of classes? Make it your bitch. Don’t just print the goddamn syllabus and be like all done. No motherfucker. Take a good fucking look at that assignment list. What’s due next week? Yeah, do that shit now bc I know you don’t have anything else to do. Then when you’re coughing up a lung six weeks into the semester and don’t feel like getting your ass up to do that calculus homework, you’ll remember this week. You’ll remember that you’ve been a week ahead this whole damn semester. Pat yourself on the back, ass wipe.

3. Prepare yo self. No seriously. You got notes to print for class? Sure you could be like all those other bitches and just shove them into your backpack, or you could actually /prepare/ for class. I’m talking looking that shit over, identifying key concepts, getting a decent grasp of the material before your ass is even in class. You a STEM major? Yeah, make this kinda shit your life because now class is like one bomb ass group review session. Again, you’re welcome.

4. Snack like a motherfucker, but save that junk food shit for the weekends. From now on, you are a fucking health guru during the week or if you’re a slacker like me, at least on the days you have class. Fruits? Hell yeah. Pack some of those. Mind wandering in class? Snack on some apple slices. Can’t stay awake? Keep eating some almonds or some shit, but don’t be that bitch with the potato chips. Just don’t.

Wear jeans/pants that “breathe” and bring a sweater, even if it’s scorching hot out, until you know which building blasts the AC to 60 degrees F and which feels like a sauna

Backpacks with thick straps are your friend!  Messenger bags are cool and all but if you’re commuting with a lot of stuff, symmetrically styled backpacks are better for your back

You are your own person and you can walk out whenever you need to or want to, so long as you’re not disrupting the class.  Meaning you can go to the bathroom without permission, take a breather if you’re anxious, answer an important phone call, etc.

If you don’t like the class on the first day, if you can- DROP THAT CLASS AND TAKE ANOTHER ONE!  It’ll only get worse from there!

If you can, take a class outside your major; it’s a good break from your expected studies.

You are in charge of your schedule.  Your adviser and guidance counselor is there to ‘advise and guide’ but if you don’t like certain classes and you can substitute for others, that’s your choice.

Consequently, if you are changing anything drastic in your plan, talk with your adviser and instructors.

Pay attention to your credit hours and grades.  Never leave this to the last week of school, you will be sorry and stressed beyond belief!

Unless it’s a lab book or otherwise specified, go to the class for a week or so before buying an expensive textbook.  Some classes, while having it on their required list, do not actually use the textbook a whole lot and you might find some of it scanned online.  Rent if you can or buy used online (schools actually don’t give discounts).  Use your best judgement on what you think you need.

Tell the people who go up to you selling or advertising things you are not interested in that you are in a rush to class and don’t have time to listen to them.  It’s less rude and they’ll leave you alone.

The smaller the class, the better it is to have some sort of acquaintanceship with a couple classmates.  They might save your ass if you are absent one day or need to study.  And talking with them makes the time go by faster without it being so insufferable.

You don’t need to join a club or sport, but internships are cool and useful!

If you can afford it, take a day off once or twice each semester if you’re too exhausted.  Just be aware of what you missed and if it was worth missing!

Your health is the most important, this goes for mental health too!!  Note: College-age/upper teens is when mental disorders like depression and anxiety are most commonly diagnosed.  Most schools have therapy services, especially during exam time.  Look into it if you need to!

Communicate with your professor if you are having trouble with something.  Anything.

Eat and stay hydrated.  Bring a water bottle and snack to class.

All-nighters will happen but never go over 36 hours without sleep.

ADDITIONAL ADVICE

Don’t let a mental health day turn into a mental health week because you will be so screwed.

Pay attention to the syllabus and do not lose it. A lot of professors put all of the assignment due dates in there and ONLY in there.

If your school has blackboard or moodle etc. CHECK IT. a lot of professors will only post certain info there and not talk about it in class

READINGS ARE NOT OPTIONAL.

I REPEAT. READINGS. ARE. NOT. OPTIONAL.

Put them in your schedule, read BEFORE class. And summarise it. For bonus points, come up with some questions about the text and go introduce yourself to your professor either after class or during office hours, and ask them about it. This will make them much more likely to remember you in a positive light (and possibly bump your grade up if you hit a hard patch.)

Your library will have a copy of your textbook. If you cannot afford to rent it, you can go to the library and borrow it from the front desk for a few hours whenever you need it. It is there for you, okay? 

I recently read How to Win at College by Cal Newport, and it has super helpful tips for college, so I thought I would share the complete list of chapters/tips.  I recommend this for anyone in college or going to college!  I will bold my favorites :)

Don’t do all your reading

Create a Sunday ritual

Drop classes every semester

Start long-term projects the day they are assigned

Make your bed

Apply to ten scholarships a year

Build study systems

Befriend a professor

Become a club president

Read a newspaper every day

Do one thing better than anyone else you know

Avoid daily to-do lists

Learn to give up

Never nap

Sign up for something your first week

Always be working on a “Grand Project”

Take art history and astronomy

Blow the curve once a term

Ask one question at every lecture

Jump into research as soon as possible

Pay your dues

Study in fifty-minute chunks

Schedule your free time

Dress nicely for class

Decorate your room

Start studying two weeks in advance

Write outside of class

Eat alone twice a day

Find an escape

Take hard courses early on

Don’t study in your room

Don’t study in groups

Join an honors program

Do schoolwork every day

Attend guest lectures

Exercise five days a week

Stay in touch

Tack on an extra major or minor

Meet often with your advisor

Don’t get a normal job

Use three days to write a paper

Don’t undersleep, don’t oversleep

Relax before exams

Make friends your #1 priority

Don’t binge drink

Ignore your classmates’ grades

Seek out phenomenal achievers

Learn to listen

Never pull an all-nighter

Laugh every day

Use high-quality notebooks

Keep a work-progress journal

Seek out fun

Inflate your ambition

Get involved in your major department

Care about your grades, ignore your GPA

Always go to class

Set arbitrary deadlines

Eat healthy

Volunteer quietly

Write as if going for a Pulitzer

Attend political rallies

Maximize your summers

Choose goals, explore routes

Don’t take breaks between classes

Don’t network

Publish Op-Eds

Use a filing cabinet

Find a secret study space

Study with the Quiz-and-Recall Method

Empty your in-box

Relax before sleep

Start fast, end slow

Spend a semester studying abroad

“Don’t have no regrets”

are you familiar with the feeling of oh-my-holy-moly-my-life-is-a-complete-mess? me too fam. but now, it’s time for change. It’s time to get our shit together and here are some tips to get started.

note : this is just a beginning guide; which only includes 1/100 of the tips to get you life together. I’ll probably make a part two if this is helpful?

1. do not procrastinate.

sounds crazy? but honestly, just don’t. procrastination leads to stress and anxiety and helps you lose your shit.

but, how do we not procrastinate?

‌get things done early. remember that sheet of paper your professor gave around in class having the list of all the assignments to be done that semester? yes, do that work months before if you have time.

do your homework the day it’s given. (no watching tv before you do)

‌study in the time you’re actually studying. don’t go on your phone half the time. If you’re doing that, you may as well put your books away.

‌other resources -

the procrastination masterpost by @studious-simplicity​

how to stop procrastinating by @determinationandcaffeine​

how to stay productive by @julstudies​

productivity masterpost by @ib-studyblr

2. become the master of  “fake productivity”

fake productivity is basically when you do mechanical work (i.e. stuff which doesn’t require much brainpower) to get into the real “productivity” zone. it helps you brain prepare for the big task ahead. here are some things to do -

make your bed

do the dishes/laundry

clean your room (i know it’s messy yo)

get your closet together

empty your inbox (be it gmail or tumblr)

do a smol workout?

make a to-do list/ organize you calendar

do a easiest or the most enjoyable task off your to-do list

3. plan, plan and plan

your planner/bullet journal should be your best friend. plan those essays you got to write, that research paper you have to do, down to the time you need to go out for dinner with friends. Plan. Every. Single. Thing. I. Really. Mean. It.

+ and follow up with those plans!! you have already wasted a lot of time on planning, you hAVE to follow up with that planning, right?

4. wake up early

why?  waking up early gives you the time to do things slowly and carefully so that you get it perfect in one go and your life isn’t a complete disastrous mess.

how to wake up early? i got you.

how to wake up early by @theyrestudying

how to get up early and enjoy your day by @coffeesthetics​

the morning “me” routine by @fightostudy​

5. have a healthy lifestyle

an example -

x wakes up at 7 am every morning, goes for a short run to wake herself up and comes back to have hearty breakfast of eggs, bacon, slices of bread and a mug of steaming hot tea. she starts on her work after that, doing it without stressing about it. Then, after a nice hot bath and a delicious lunch, she goes out to a cafe to work on her online classes and to hang out with her friends. coming back home, she does a quick workout, takes a shower and heads off to make dinner. Having an early dinner, she spends the remaining few hours relaxing, drafting blog posts and spending time with her dog. at 10 pm everyday, she heads off to her bed, looking forward to a glorious tomorrow.

..sounds like a fairy-tale, right? you can definitely live it though.

In general, your day should have the following stuff  -

‌sufficient hours of work using which you can get all your work done

‌a healthy breakfast, lunch and dinner (yep, no skipping meals)

‌a workout, generally of 15 - 30 minutes at the least

‌interaction with people, like hanging out with friends or family

‌sufficient sleep and resting time (preferably 8 hours of sleep)

‌a fixed routine consisting of you waking and sleeping at fixed time

‌a ‘me’ time at some point of the day where you don’t worry about work or anything and focus on relaxing after a long day.

6. believing that coffee sucks

why? its basically a drug and if you need three cups of it just to get started on work, you’re going to have a really hard time during finals.

Instead, get enough sleep so that you have enough energy to study without being a coffee addict. or you can even swap coffee for water. (hey, you’ll be more hydrated!) side note - a cup of coffee per day is okay though. I love coffee too and I totally feel you but don’t overdose on it, okay love?

some extra things to know about -

‌have a companion to keep you accountable at the start.

‌do have a laid-back day once in a while, you’re human after all.

balance work and play. reward yourself for shit done.

keep track of your spending, earnings, investments, etc.

stop being a perfectionist. seriously, you dont need to rewrite all those notes, trust me (comes from a was-a-perfectionist-kind-of-still-am-but-trying-not-to-be perfectionist)

‌don’t stress yourself out. getting your shit together is a journey and not a result.

remember, change will come. yes, it will; but only if you take action. start now.

also, on a side note - and this might seem very ironic, but sometimes you don’t have to have your shit together. life is always a mess and trust me when I say this, no one - yes no one - has their shit together and sometimes it’s worth it to lead a messy life and enjoy it without having any fixed rules and regulations like you would have if you wanted that perfect life. enjoy the life you lead and stay wonderful, loves!

- ̗̀   the adulting 101 series   ̖́-        

part one : kicking a rut

go check out my other masterposts here and you can always send in a request for a masterpost as my ask box is always open!!

A quick run-through of my academic history and how I got into good colleges will be below the cut! I’m also including a list of some of the schools I got into for reference. I apologize in advance for how messy this is, but my memory is shitty and I remember random things that I keep throwing in lol. (and for people congratulating me, thank you very much, but I got into all these schools last year lol! so keep in mind I graduated high school in 2019)

I’ve had a few asks about how to write - as one of you put it - a bomb ass personal statement. I’m a bit reluctant to write this, seeing as I haven’t actually got an interview/offer yet! But I guess it might be helpful to those of you applying around now :)

HOW TO START

Bullet point what you want to include - I suggest listing out what you want to include. It’s a good idea to do this at the beginning, to make sure you don’t leave anything out; and it can help form the basic structure of your statement.

Do not start at the start - this is one of the most important things I learnt when writing mine. It is so hard to write that first sentence - so just leave it until the end, and begin writing with the actual content, something you’re more comfortable writing about.

When you do get down to writing that first sentence - do not start with a cheesy quote or the typical “I have always bee passionate about…” as these are things that can immediately put off an admissions tutor. Try and be original, or just simple: “I want to study X because…”

THE CONTENT

Just keep writing - don’t worry about the 4,000 character and 47 line limits. Literally just write, and keep going, even if you think what you’re writing is bad - just get all your ideas out there, and put down everything you would want to include. It’s so much easier to take things out rather than adding things in. My personal statement was around 8,000 characters at one point!`

Get the balance right - different unis want different things from personal statements, so check their websites to make sure you’re getting in what they want. You need to get the balance of intellectual curiosity/passion for the subject with your personal qualities and extra-curriculars. 

Back up everything with evidence - don’t just say you are great at working in a team, give examples that demonstrate that you have worked well in successful teams in the past.What to include?

WHAT TO INCLUDE

Why you want to study that particular course

Why you are the right person to study the course

Extra things you have done to show commitment or interest about the course - volunteering, subscriptions to journals, further reading etc.

Any relevant work experience

Any relevant awards you’ve won (e.g. maths challenge or physics olympiad) or responsibilities within the school (e.g. prefect or house captain)

Demonstrate desirable skills for your course - problem solving, teamwork, leadership etc.

WHAT NOT TO INCLUDE

Cliches - like “Ever since I was born I have wanted to study…”

Quotes - this is a personal statement, so don’t start quoting other people! Plus way too many people do this to make it original.

Jokes - it may be that the person reading your statement has a very different sense of humour than you do.

Really long sentences - you want your personal statement to be as easy as possible to read, and long confusing sentences won’t help that.

Repetition - it’s such a short document, you don’t have space for this. Plus it gets boring!

Names of unis - the unis you apply to have no idea where else you have applied, so don’t name any of them in your statement.

THE ENDING

Do not end on a cheesy quote or joke. Just sum up why you’d be a great candidate and reinforce what you have told them throughout the main body of the statement - that you’re fabulous!

009 | applying to college

hi everyone! so i mention that i am an undergraduate at the university of chicago pretty often. it is something that i find really important to me, as it has granted me a lot of opportunities and the chance to be part of the best community #questbridge lets go!

however, i know the process of applying to college is a stressful situation. i applied to about 19 colleges and i finished all my applications by november 1st. i had applied to 14/19 colleges by october 2nd, ranging from safety, reaches and matches. i did the ib program in my high school and i knew that i didn’t want to focus my senior year on simply applying to college. i want my focus to be  applying to scholarships and doing well my final year. this is something that is really important, whether you are in regular, ap, ib, dual enrollment, a-levels, GCSE, etc. you don’t want your final year to be stressed out on applying to college. instead, it should be about doing well your senior year, applying to scholarships(because at least here in the US, the Cost of Attendance can range from 20,000-80,000 for 2-4 years institutions) and doing well in your senior year  since colleges will ask for mid-year and final year report. what does that mean?

if you don’t do well your senior year, you can get your scholarships or your admission offer taken away from you. 

so, to make this more manageable and helpful for you all, here is a breakdown/timeline of applying to college from my experience. 

I started my applications and essays around June, since I was a Questbridge CPS Scholar and I had early access to the National College Match Application—if you haven’t read my post on the questbridge scholarship, check it out here.

Since I was applying to 19 different Universities/Colleges, starting early was essential. I had to work on my Questbridge application and other scholarships, as well as write all of these essays, However, I also had different deadlines than some of my other classmates since i did the questbridge application and the chicago scholars program onsite admission fair (ANY JUNIORS FROM CHICAGO WHO MAY BE READING THIS, PLEASE APPLY TO THIS PROGRAM!) but I will try my best to make a schedule for you guys that most matches Early Action, Early Decision I, Early Decision I, Regular Decision for Colleges (After this post, I’ll provide another brief post on what these terms means and how it may affect you).

Disclaimer: I am not a college admissions officer. I do hope that this advice may be helpful for anyone who is trying to apply for college or wanting to make college an option. 

August 1-August 10th

        Make a list of colleges you are interested in applying,  should have about 3 safety schools, 4 match, and 4 reach. 

Naa, what do these terms mean?

Safety schools: you exceed their standard GPA/SAT, ACT, SAT Subject Test requirements and have a high possibility of getting in. 

Match schools: You may either meet or exceed their standard GPA/SAT, ACT, SAT Subject Test Requirements and have a good possibility of getting in, though it is possible that you won’t. admits have similar academic credentials to yours. You have a good chance of admission, but there’s also a (relatively small) probability that you won’t.

Reach schools: These are the Princeton’s, Stanfords, Harvard’s, UChicago’s, etc. Your scores can sometimes fall in the lower end of the school’s average for test scores, or at the average, sometimes above. Regardless, these schools are some of the most competitive in the nation and putting in as much effort into your application is the best you can do—and the most important thing to do.

In this 5-day period, do some research on  these schools to find out about potential majors you are interested in.

Also, take some time to research and search  for scholarships(I’ll post a scholarship list once I get a chance) and start  drafting essays for those

August 10-August 16

Create A Common App/Coalition Application Account and fill out all  the general information. To the best of your ability. When you are ready with  your college list, you should start adding the schools that you are  interested in, if they use the common app

Some of you guys may not know what the “coalition application” is. for my internship, i have been teaching students about this. essentially, the coalition is an alternative to the common app, a lot of highly selective schools use it, as well as a variety of other public and privative schools. the purpose of the coalition to provide students with schools that make applying and attend college “accessible, affordable, and lead to success. i might do a separate post about the coalition if i have the time but keep this in mind. especially for low-income students, they make getting fee waivers for applications very easy. you answer 4 questions and then you will get fee waivers for all schools you apply with the coalition very easily. 

THIS IS IMPORTANT-Not all colleges use the common  app so check to see if you need to do an individual application for a school. For example, All of the UC’s, U of I Urbana, HBCU’s; they all have their own portal to apply to their college.

Continue applying/researching/writing  scholarship essays and eventually send a draft to your counselor

Go on ACT/SAT to register for ACT/SAT testing  if you are retaking it or register for SAT Subject Tests. Many highly selective  require and recommended students take these so look at the requirements for  the schools that you are interested. Certain schools require that you take specific  subjects tests based in your major

for anyone who is not a rising applicant, if you are taking honors, ap, ib level classes, i suggest looking the college board to see what subject test you can take. on of my biggest regrets is that I didn’t know I could have taken the US subject test in my sophomore year. i took ap us history and i know i would have done a lot better on the subject test. 

August 16-18th

 Go through the Common App Prompts and write a  1st draft of your essay. Does not matter how much you think it  sucks. Once you have a draft with all your ideas set out, you can really  write and edit the essay throughout.

Email your High School Counselor and teachers  you know you would want to write a letter of recommendation for you and  connect them to your common app or individual college portal

Send your first draft of your essay to your  counselor or any college counselor that you personally work with. I don’t recommend  starting with friends yet. I would wait for that a little later

August 18th-September 7st 

Continue editing your main common app essay  while also writing drafts for your supplemental essays and short responses

September 7-15th

you are probably now in school so it is a good  time to meet with your counselor and have a conversation on the essays you’ve  written and if applying to more schools may be an option. Typically, applying  to 10-13 schools is a good amount but there is no shame in applying to more

September 15th-October 1st

Start to finish up College Essays and things.  October 1st, FAFSA opens so create your FAFSA account two weeks  before with your pin. You need to make sure you use your parents tax returns so make sure that you will have access to these documents once  October 1st hits.

 Also, check to see if you need to do CSS Profile  (a very detailed FAFSA) but is not free. It is kind of pricy so find a way to  get fee waivers if you are eligible for these waivers because they come in  handy

October 1st-November 1st

Remember to submit all test scores

 Finish final edits of essays and know that you  have worked hard and that you’ve put your best effort

 Make sure your counselors and teachers have  submitted everything that is needed for your application, including  recommendation letters, transcript, school profile, etc

Continue to work on Scholarship Essay and  applying to scholarships

Make the choice of whether you will be  applying to a school through Early Action or Early Decision (So App. Will  most likely be due Nov. 1), Early Decision II and Regular Decision (which may  also be due Nov 1, but typically, from December 1st January 15th  on Average)

it never hurts to submit early cause if you realize something is off in your application, you now have a grace period in which you can email you regional admission officer to address those errors. If you submit last minute and notice these errors after the deadline is past  due, it may be very difficult or near impossible to change those errors. Time management is key

   ________________

So, this is basically a 2-3 month plan for applying for 

college. This is my advice and maybe it might not fit for you

 and that is fine. Just remember that whatever plan you 

take, remember to plan accordingly and wisely. Good luck

 to you all. Like I said, I will eventually explain more about 

college application deadlines in a later post. 

College applications are tough and a long process. Enjoy 

applying and enjoy your final year. It goes by much faster 

smol college app tips | via 365text

this has been in my drafts since january, but i never got around to posting it oof. but since then, there are now there a bunch of really nice, in-depth posts out there about the college application process! (ex: @katsdesk‘s high school timeline, and also @cognitia‘s guide to applying for u.s. schools)

so, i thought i’d just write up some tips that i wish people told me about when i was applying for college and then some!! nice ok let’s go

also oof it turned out long bc i included like lil anecdotes and i got a more rambly as i went along so it’s under read more im sorry :( but if you think it was useful please reblog so other people can use as ref too if they want ^^ 

hey guys!! 

so since i’m a rising senior i’ve been working hard all summer in preparation for applying to colleges this coming fall. throughout the duration, i’ve found some amazing websites to help you through the process, and resources i think are worthwhile to check out. 

email

set up an email specifically for colleges (best to do this before/during junior year) b/c

your inbox will overflow with college emails

you will hate yourself if you don’t

use it as your email for college-oriented websites you sign up for

put it on interest cards you fill out during college fairs/visits

colleges are going to email/spam you 24/7 just direct them here honestly

google drive

make a folder for college

put your essays in there

you can share essays with editors really easily this way

make a spreadsheet of all the colleges you are applying too with categories like size, type, location, etc. 

make a list of achievements, awards, teams, clubs/extracurriculars, etc. that you can refer back to during applications

make sure to have an emergency flashdrive with your important college documents on it

finding colleges & stats

cappex: helps find colleges that fit you, calculates admissions chances, helps you plan college visits, helps with scholarship search, etc.

through cappex you can access meritaid, a great scholarship resource

naviance: a college readiness worksite site that does a ton and is basically a combination of every single site listed. it’s used through your school, normally, so get in contact with your counselor about making an account

unigo: this site gives reviews/advice/experience from current or former college students regarding the school they attended, and also offers tips and tutorials for admission from professionals, plus a college database

collegenavigator: exactly what it sounds like. this site has a ton of info on schools and it’s really easy to use

collegeboard: general resource! 

collegedata: lots of statistics and overviews of schools

collegeresults: shows the graduation rates of colleges

collegeinsight: gives info about affordability, diversity, and student success

admitted.ly: this is an awesome website (and app) for matching you with schools, and it’s really organized/manageable as well

collegeniche: this is basically yelp for colleges. reviews for students, by students, about specific colleges

organization/tracking

overgrad: tracks college and career goals

makemeafreshman: this website is an actual godsend. enter all the colleges you are applying to (including what type, such as early action, early decision, etc.), and it will generate a schedule of things you need to do and specific dates they need to be done by (submitting fees, completing the commonapp and FAFSA, etc.)

scholarship oriented

posse: organization that identifies gifted scholars, then groups them into “posses” by region, and hands out full scholarships to top colleges 

questbridge: links exceptional students (esp. low-income) with colleges, scholarship providers, enrichment programs, and employers

college greenlight: amazing for finding scholarships to apply for (they can find a scholarship for anything), plus does college matches based on criteria you give

majors

collegemajors101: provides info about a variety of majors, like course requirements, career options, etc.

i’ll definitely keep adding to this list, and if you have any questions about the sites or have some you think should be added, please message me!

remember, the best thing you can do is get things done early. summer’s not over yet and there is still a lot of time between now and application due dates. make the most of it! get organized, and get educated about college.